My latest Health mishap

I thought after my IUD experience that my weird health problems were over, well, that was until Thursday night. I was just minding my own business and taking care of my patients at work when I suddenly had this severe back and chest pain. I guess pain doesn't begin to describe it because it was the worst thing I have ever felt. In fact, I was certain I was dying from a blood clot in my lung or something terrible. I couldn't breathe or speak and i was so scared. I hear my patients talk about having a feeling of impending doom, which usually means they are on deaths door. Well, that impending doom feeling was surging through my body. Lucky for me, I was working with my favorite nurses (Kelli and Helena) and our nursing supervisor Brian is awesome. Kelli and Brian took me down to the ER and the rest is a little bit of a blur. I just remember saying over and over that something was wrong. To add to my anxiety I just found out I was pregnant the day before. No not only was I thinking I was toast, but I was worried about the baby too. Everyone in the ER was rushing around me and I was just freaking out because I was in so much pain. I headed to the CT scan after 12mg of morphine, I was able to sit still enough for the scan. I felt so embarrassed about my crying and I was really hoping for some answers from the CT scan. By this time my mom and Trever had arrived, and boy was I glad for that. We waited for the results and I knew it must be exciting news when three nurses and a doctor walked in. The doctor pulled up the CT scan on the computer and sure enough ----SPONTANEOUS PNEUMOTHORAX!!!!! I was shocked and apparently so was everyone else. I mean the odds of this happening. So Crazy!! The doctor must have seen the look on my face because his diagnosis was soon followed by " I think it is small enough that you won't need a chest tube. PHEW!! So part of my lung was collapsed and they didn't know why??? I was wheeled back upstairs only not as a nurse--as a patient. I was put on high flow oxygen to try and re inflate my lung. So no wonder I thought I was dying!! My lung started to collapse!!!! After two days I am now ready to go home. The pneumothorax has not fully resolved but should heal up in a few days. Hopefully I will have some pictures of my CT scan to show. I really just have the most amazing luck lately. I am hoping that the baby (more like an embryo at this point) wasn't too traumatized by this whole ordeal. Have to send a shout out to my awesome nurses that took care of me, and to poor Trev, who was more scared than I was. He was so great to be there for me and he makes an excellent nurse--Love you. So, I am on the mend and just wanted to share this bazaar experience.

Time out for Women

My sweet mom bought my sister and I tickets to "Time Out For Women" for our birthdays. So this last weekend the two of us spent 1 1/2 days refilling our spiritual and emotional wells. It was so amazing. All of the speakers were so wonderful and each carried a message that I feel was directed specifically at me. John Bytheway was one of my favorites. He always seems to bring humor into every day mundane topics. I laughed through nearly his entire speech, but felt inspired at the same time. My other favorite was a mother/daughter team and they spoke about motherhood and how to see "light in the trenches" of motherhood. What an awesome topic. It is so easy to find myself in a rut that seems to stretch on forever. After their speech I was so inspired that I bought their book. Let me just tell you--best money I ever spent. So If any of you are looking for an uplifting book full of great ideas and inspiration I highly recommend this book.

You can buy it nearly everywhere. I have only read half of it so far, but it has changed the way I look at being a mom.

A little insight

Have you ever had a moment that you realize you are exactly where you should be and doing exactly what you are supposed to do? As a nurse I have seen people at their worst, but I have seen people at their best overcoming impossible odds. I have always loved being a nurse, but to be honest there are moments when I second guess my choice. However, there are moments when I know that I have made the perfect career choice. Yesterday was one of those perfect career days. I picked up an extra shift to help out a co-worker. Well, I was in the middle of the midday rush trying to get caught up from a busy morning when one of my sweet patients made my day. I was ready to leave her room and I asked if there was anything else that I could help her with or any other questions I could answer for her. She simply stated that she had "just one more question". I asked her what was on her mind and she asked me if I had children. I told her that I did...three in fact. Her warm smile was just so sweet and her next statement just made my whole day great. She told me that she knew I must have children because I have such a tender motherly touch. That I must love what I do. By then I'm sure I was blushing the statement had caught me off guard, but I was beaming from the inside out. I love being a nurse!!