BILL ACTUALLY GOT IN THE WATER (50 DEGREES) AND SWAM ACROSS THE RIVER.

SOME OF THE ANIMALS WE SAW WHILE DRIVING TO WYOMING

SOME OF THE NURSES I WORK WITH IN O.R

I REALLY DO LOVE MY NEW JOB. I STARTED JULY 5TH AND HAD 6 WEEKS OF ORIENTATION. I WORK IN 3 DIFFERENT AREAS OF O.R. "SURGICAL ADMISSIONS" WERE I GET PT'S READY FOR SURGERY. WHICH INCLUDES MAKING SURE THEIR LAB WORK IS DONE, PUT IN AN I.V, GO OVER MEDICAL HISTORY AND WHAT MEDS THEY TAKE BEFORE THEY GO INTO SURGERY. IN THIS AREA I WORK CLOSELY WITH THE ANESTHESIOLOGISTS. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO CALL PT'S IN EARLIER BECAUSE THE DOCTOR HAD A CANCELLATION OR WHATEVER, THEY DEPEND OF ME TO KEEP THEIR SCHEDULE FLOWING SO THEY ARE NOT HAVING A LONG WAIT IN BETWEEN SURGERIES. THE OTHER AREA I WORK IS CALLED "PACU" THIS IS WHERE PT'S GO TO RECOVER RIGHT AFTER THEY COME OUT OF SURGERY. THEY ARE USUALLY DEEPLY SEDATED WITH AN ORAL AIRWAY IN, I RECOVER THEM AND TAKE OUT THE AIRWAY, GIVE THEM PAIN MEDS AND MAKE SURE THEIR VITAL SIGNS ARE STABLE (USUALLLY AN HOUR) THEN I GIVE REPORT TO PHASE 2 RECOVERY IF THEY ARE GOING HOME OR I GIVE REPORT TO A UNIT THEY WILL BE ADMITTED TO IN THE HOSPITAL. THE LAST AREA I WORK IS "PHASE 2" WE GET THEM UP IN A CHAIR, PT'S ARE AWAKE AND HAVING SOME PAIN. WE GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT AND MONIOTOR THEIR VITAL SIGNS, AND WHEN THEY ARE READY I DO DISCHARGE TEACHING REGARDING WHAT PROCEDURE THEY HAD DONE, THEN A TECH TAKES THEM TO THEIR CAR IN A WHEELCHAIR. I WORK 4 DAYS A WEEK AND TRY TO WORK IN EACH AREA SO I DO NOT FORGET THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED. IT IS NICE HAVING MY OWN UNIT TO CALL HOME, EVERYONE IS PRETTY CLOSE AND THEY DO ALOT OF THINGS TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF WORK. THE DOCTORS ARE GREAT TO WORK WITH AND I HAVE NOTICED THAT THEY RESPECT NURSES IN THESE AREAS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO THINK LIKE A DOCTOR IN SOME CASES. THEY DEPEND ON YOU TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. I HAVE BEEN GETTING TO KNOW THE DOCTORS BETTER AND CAN NOW PUT THE NAME WITH THE FACE WITH MOST OF THEM. I AM SO GLAD I DO NOT HAVE TO WORK GRAVEYARD SHIFTS ANYMORE. MY HOURS ARE USUALLY 1 OR 2 TWELVE HOUR SHIFTS WITH A COUPLE OF 8 HOUR SHIFTS. SO I AM WORKING 40 HRS A WEEK. ALL THE NURSES HELP EACH OTHER OUT IN EACH AREA. ONE DAY I HAD A VERY BUSY DAY IN SURGICAL ADMISSIONS-THEY HAD SCHEDULED 2 PT'S AT A TIME WITH ME WITH 2 DIFFERENT DOCTORS, ANOTHER NURSE DID NOT HAVE MUCH GOING ON SO SHE HELPED ME WITH WHATEVER I NEEDED. I ALSO WILL HELP OTHER NURSES IF THEY ARE GETTING THEIR PAPERWORK TOGETHER ON A PT, THEN I WILL GO START AN I.V FOR THEM. I HAVE FOUND IF I AM CAUGHT UP OR NOT BUSY TO ALWAYS HELP SOMEONE ELSE OUT BECAUSE SOMEDAY I WILL NEED THE SAME HELP. I LOVE THE MANAGER AND EDUCATOR IN THIS UNIT. THEY ARE EASY TO TALK TO AND VERY APPROACHABLE ON ANYTHING.

WEEKEND TRIP TO RAES.

JULY 14,2011 -SHARAE CALLED ME AT WORK AND SHARED SOME SAD NEWS WITH ME. SHE SAID THE DR. COULD NOT FIND A HEART BEAT ON THE BABY AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO A "D&C" THAT EVENING. SHE ASKED IF I WOULD COME AND BE WITH HER OVER THE WEEK END FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT. I LEFT JULY 15, AT 3:15P.M (AFTER MY BLS CLASS AT THE HOSPITAL) AND (GETTING TIRES ON OUR CARS FOR REGISTRATION). THE UNFORTUNATE PART OF MY TRIP WAS I TOOK THE ROUTE 26 WEST AND SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON 93 STRAIGHT THROUGH ARCO. I WENT 2 HRS OUT OF MY WAY, TO TURN BACK TO ARCO AGAIN. MY TRIP SHOULD HAVE BEEN A 3.5 HOUR TRIP INSTEAD IT WAS A 6.5 HOUR TRIP. I GOT TO SHARAES AT 10PM. I SPENT FRIDAY NIGHT TO SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SHARAE WAS THANKFUL I WAS THERE TO TALK AND BE WITH HER. I HELPED HER WITH THE KIDS, COOKED A FEW MEALS AND GOT AQUAINTED WITH THEIR NEW DOG "YOGI"-HE IS A BLACK HALF LAB AND HALF ROTWEILER. HE IS A 1 YR OLD,AND VERY PLAYFUL AND RAMBUNKSHISH. SHARAE SAYS THIS IS JOES DOG-NOT MINE!!!!

SATURDAY AROUND 11:00 AM, WE WENT TO ATOMIC DAYS. SHARAE REALLY WANTED TO GO.

THE PARADE STARTED OFF WITH AN AIRPLANE FLYING OVER HEAD AND DROPPING PING PONG BALLS. EVERYONE SCURRIED TO GET AS MANY AS THEY COULD. ASHER GOT A PING PONG BALL WITH A STAR ON IT. WE WERE TOLD THAT ANYONE WITH A STAR COULD GO TO THE SHERIFFS OFFICE AND CASH IT IN FOR A 50 CENT PIECE. (ASHER IS LOOKING AT THE STAR ON HIS BALL)LATER WE TRADED THE BALL IN AND GOT A 50 CENT PIECE. AFTER THE BALLS WERE DROPPED THEN THE PARADE BEGAN, PEOPLE IN THE PARADE THREW CANDY TO EVERYONE. ASHER AND IAN LOVED PICKING UP THE CANDY, IT WAS FUN. SHARAE WAS NOT SURE WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO WITH ALL THE CANDY. SHE DECIDED TO HAVE A TREAT JAR AND REWARD THE KIDS WITH POSITIVE BEHAVIOR WITH THEIR DUTIES AT HOME.-GOOD IDEA! IAN WATCHING THE PARADE AND WAITING FOR MORE CANDY!!!!! THE KIDS LIKED ALL THE COOL CARS. DURING THE PARADE SHARAE WENT OUT TO ASK THE "ZUMBA FLOAT" WHERE THEY HOLD THEIR CLASSES SO SHE CAN START GOING. IAN WATCHING THE COOL CARS DURING THE "ATOMIC DAYS" PARADE. AND LOTS OF HORSES. IAN GOING DOWN THE BOUNCY SLIDE THAT THEY HAD AT THE PARK CELEBRATION. HE LOVED THE DIFFERENT BOUNCY RIDES. MAMO BOUGHT US MARSHMELLOW GUNS. IAN AND ASHER LEARNING HOW TO USE THEIR MARSHMELLOW GUNS. THATS RIGHT IAN YOU PUT THE SMALL MARSHMELLOW IN THE FRONT HOLE OF THE GUN. BLOW THE MARSHMELLOW WITHOUT GETTING IT ALL WET,(IF IT GETS WET THEN IT STICKS IN THE GUN AND WON'T COME OUT). THE MARSHMELLOW IS SUPPOSE TO SHOOT OUT THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE GUN. IAN GOT THE HANG OF IT AFTER SOME DILIGENT PRACTICING. TRY HARD NOT TO SUCK IN,BUT LEARN TO BLOW OUT. ASHER LIKED THE SMALLER VERSION OF THE GUN. WE TOOK THE GUN APART AND MADE IT SO HE COULD BLOW OUT THE MARSHMELLOWS TOO.

SHARAE ORDERED A "BOUNTIFUL BASKET" AND WE WENT TO PICK IT UP AFTER WE WENT TO ATOMIC DAYS IN ARCO. SHARAE IS HELPING TO FILL THE BASKETS WITH FRUITS AND VEGTABLES. SHE GOT LOTS OF GOOD THINGS: MELON, NECTARINES, BANANAS,PLUMS, PEACHES, BROCOLLI, LETTUCE, KALE AND OTHER GOOD THINGS. I WAS IN THE CAR WITH THE KIDS, THEN WE LOADED UP OUR BASKET AND DROVE BACK TO THE HOUSE.

SATURDAY NIGHT JULY16TH.

SHARAE LETTING THE CHICKENS OUT OF THE COOP TO FREE RANGE FEED. THEY HAVE NAME FOR THEM AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAMES. THEY ARE CUTE THEY KICK UP THE DIRT AND RUN ON THE GROUND REALLY FAST. WHEN THEY ARE READY TO GO BACK INSIDE THEY STAND BY THE DOOR UNTILL THEY ARE LET BACK IN. ASHER HANGING OUT WITH MAMO WHILE SHARAE IS LETTING THE CHICKENS OUT OF THE COOP. HE IS JUST BEING HIS SWEET SELF.