Life.

This past couple of weeks has been very interesting. I resigned from my position at the hospital, for one. After seeing some things happen that shouldn't have, and dreading work every night due to over working the CNA's, I quit. Leaving a job, especially after working there just a short while is not something I like to do. But, sometimes, you have to realize that if you don't like what your doing, it's time to change.

I applied to OSU the 14th of August, and was accepted the 18th. Yes, classes started the 18th too! I enrolled the 20th and went to class the 22nd. I am getting my degree in elementary education. All of my high school "career tests" indicated I would be great at teaching or counseling. So, since I like kids and did always want to be a teacher when I was younger, I thought why not? My classes are going great. I enjoy learning some new things and feel like there are endless possibilities now. Thankfully, I qualified for plenty of financial aid so I don't have to work this semester or next unless I just want to. It's been a long time since I have been in that position.

As for the health watch....It's getting better I think. I've lost 10 pounds in the past two weeks. I'm finally down to 195. My goal is another 45 pounds. After next week I'm going to start going to the Colvin center on the days I have class.

Shaw has surgery on his parathyroid Tuesday. He's nervous--actually very nervous about it. I can't blame him, he's going to have his throat slit open. If they accidently sever one nerve he will have a hoarse voice forever, if they cut both of them, he'll have to have an emergency tracheotomy and won't be able to talk. Scary! I'll update after he has surgery.

Health Watch

Today I went back to my doctor for results of many tests I have taken over the past month. It was a real eye opener, and I'm thankful I went to my doc. I know I havn't taken much care of my body in a long time. My diet leaves much room for improvement, and I am practically sedentary at home.

The first bit of information was that there were no cysts or signs of recent cysts on my ovaries. Alright...we are doing good there. Then, I was informed that the CT scan I had on my brain several weeks ago caught something. This something is a sinus vein that is longer than it should be. It goes right through my Right Frontal Lobe...not normal. It poses an increased risk for strokes and aneurisms (sp?). For years I have noticed that when I am upset, or my blood pressure is high, I have a thobbing dull pain on the right side of my brain. I have always wondered about it..hoping it was okay. But now, I know what the cause of this pain is. Lastly, I was informed that my cholestorol was great at only 160. However, my TRIGLYCERIDES were 572! The normal is ONLY 100-200. Plus my blood pressure was 168/84..wow!

My physician prescribed me some diet pills and required me to schedule an appt. with the dietician. He told me I HAVE to start exercising outside of work AND start eating right. From the information I have found about high tri's, calorie counting is the biggest culprit. Excess calories can be turned into tri's...therefore, it's EXTREMELY important to limit your calorie intake to only the amount you can burn in a day. I have to "weigh" in once a month to make sure I'm making progress too.

What it all boils down to is if I want to be around to watch my daughter grow up, I MUST make some lifestyle changes. This is something I don't like very well. But, at 204 pounds, 5'2" I am NOT healthy and must start now. At this moment, I am a ticking time bomb. I could "go off" at any time. Dwelling on that aspect will get me nowhere. However, making the changes necessary to continue to live a healthy and long life are crucial at this point. It's a crossroad, and I must choose. One path will lead me to an early grave. Another will lead me to a healthier, longer life. It's no longer a game to make excuses for...it's not only one that affects me, but my husband, my daughter, and any future children.

More Possibilities

The other night at work was a true eye opener. It was me and one other aide for 33 patients. It was busy, crazy and not an environment I felt safe working in at that point. We were running ragged by the time the morning came around. To top things off, a patient coded and died in the last hour of our shift. I froze. The CNA's are the ones that perform CPR. Thank God the aid from upstairs got to the scene first. I watched a patient die that shouldn't have died. So, it became clear to me that I have to get out of health care. I may be an okay CNA, but this is not what I wish to do forever. This is not something I wish to continue with more education. The decision to pursue a non medical job and career have now became my desire. Watching a patient die isn't something new. However, it was a culmination of the entire night that made me realize healthcare is no longer the profession I should be in. Employers care more about saving money by cutting staff than keeping patients safe and satisfied.

On the otherhand, speaking of health care....I've been sick...alot this week. Headaches, nausea/vomitting, aches, and fever. I feel like crap.

Maybe

So for those of you who know us, you probably know we are trying to conceive again. This is a pretty big challenge considering my PCOS. However, we felt the time is right to try to have another baby together. Afterall, Sari is five in August! Yes, she will be 5! We miss a baby around and just feel it's a good time. So, this past week, we waited for the time to be right. I'm really hoping we are preggers. For one, my face went from being very clear lately to suddenly you can connect those red dots. haha. Secondly, I started having horrible indigestion again...something I rarely have outside of pregnancy. Although it's not been long, I keep hoping that maybe these are very early signs of a bun in the oven? Today when I wake up, I'm going to start keeping track of my basal body temp. Anything 99F for me is good. Normally after I ovulate, my BBT sits at around 98.3 or so. If I see anything leaning to 99, I'll have reason to celebrate (after 3 consecutive days). So wish us well, and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

New Job/Health Update

These past few weeks have been nice and relaxing....And, sadly, the time for me to start my new job at the hospital came around. Last week I started working during the nights again. Suprisingly it was easier to stay up all night than I thought! My job is okay...but certainly not what I want to do forever. I've decided I'm going to go on and get either my LPN or go back to RN school...depending on which program takes me first.

Last week I had gone to my physician for a diabetic screening since my PCOS is very closely linked to type II diabetes. My AC1 came back at 5.6, which is great. And, my average glucose levels were only 126! Again, great news! So, my physician decided it would be good for me to have a CT scan of my brain. His thinking was that perhaps my PCOS symptoms are really not PCOS, but rather a lesion or abnormal growth on the hypothis of my brain. So, I underwent a CT scan...not sure how it turned out yet. The 7th, I will have an ultrasound of my ovaries to check for cysts, and the 15th of August, I will find out what my CT scan showed. So, luckily I may not have PCOS afterall!I will post updates as I get them. But this could be great since we are trying to get pregnant again. :)

Vacation Time

This past week Shaw and I decided we needed a great little vacation away from the everyday life we have come to know. So, we kenneled Poto and packed our bags. We were off to Kansas City, MO.

The first day we drove to KC, got our hotel room and set out for Union Station to see the Bodies Revealed exhibit. It was INCREDIBLE! Sari just wanted to see the "skeleton on the bike". It's just amazing! Especially as a massage therapist, I actually got to see real muscles on real formerly living bodies! We then ventured to Gates restaurant. Its a little barbecue place near downtown. I was taken back by the yelling done by the cashiers. "Hello! May I take your order, your order has NOT been placed!". Friendliness was not on the list at all...but the food was pretty good. After dinner we retired to our hotel and sat in the hot tub for a while before going to bed.

The second and third day we went to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun, respectively. Sari loved both parks. We rode rides for hours on end. To our amazement, the lines were minimal! The longest line was 30 minutes later in the evening for an adult only ride. It was better than Disney World, in our opinions.

Sunday night we were able to meet up with my ol' friend Megan and her nusband Ty and baby Scotty. We hadn't seen each other since we were 18! She looked great, and her husband was so nice! And the baby, of course, the baby was adorable! It was great eating icecream and catching up. We hope to visit with them again soon. It seems that about every 9 years we are able to meet up...but hopefully it will be sooner this time around.

Monday, we headed home. It was a long drive but eventually was over. We all enjoyed our trip, and hope to make another one before long. It was a well needed and well deserved vacation for us all. I will post pictures when I get the chance.

Considering Options

Recent events have left me contemplating if I should continue my education beyond my associate of science degree, and massage certification. The health field is something I really enjoy, primarily allied health careers. So, after researching some information online, I have narrowed it down to two options.

The first option is to go to a school in Tulsa again for my AAS in physical therapy assisting. It would take one year of pre-reqs, and 5 semesters of training. So, in 3 years, I could be a licensed PTA making lots of $$.

Option two, would allow me to attend Langston (half the distance as Tulsa), and finish my bachelors degree. Then, I would have to apply for the physical therapy program in Langston, which is another 2 years. So, it would take 5 years, and I could be a PT making even more $$$$.

Both options would allow us to live pretty well. Either choice would have limitless employment opportunities. Futhermore, it would be an excellent backup for when my current employer is no longer in business, should that time every come. Each road will be long and difficult, but worth it in the end...now if I can just decide on which one I'm going to do! :)