home sweet home & love.

Well, fall semester has finally arrived! I'm officially moved into residence and all set-up for school. After a long long day of packing, unpacking, shopping, building, and arranging, I am now calling my suite home.

It is such a change from last year! Already it feels a zillion times more comfortable than my previous living arrangement. Maybe that's because I feel more prepared for the school year? Probably. But with a combination of other things too: having my mom and sister help make my room cozy, living with a friend, moving in good weather & feeling as if I have a purpose.

This summer has opened my eyes to what nursing will be like. Although working in a seniors home is not at all close to a hospital, the concept for caring for patients, or rather people, is the same. Working with the residents has taught me a lot of things - how to talk slowly and clearly, how to deal with hearing aids, dementia, and so on. But most importantly it has taught me how to show love. That may sound silly, but this was revelation for me. All through junior high and JMHS I had built walls around myself to simply survive the days. ECS helped me realize that being a teenager didn't have to be awful and began the process of bettering myself - but it wasn't until the end of this summer that I've finally felt as if I am showing myself to others in a true, open, and loving way. It's hard to talk about death and loneliness without showing your true colors. It's hard to see residents pass on without reflecting on your own interpretation of life and the afterlife. It's hard to deal with messes that happen day after day without focusing on love to get you through. It's hard to deal with suffering to one extent or another and not feel compassion. And plus, old people have a knack for seeing you for you, through all the modern day labels and stereotypes. So although I was hired to help the oldies, it seems as if they have helped me so much more.

I really want to keep this idea of love with me through out my school year. It has helped me through countless tiring and emotional situations at DP - I'm sure it will help me through clinicals this year and years to come. This experience has been a major blessing in my life through so many ways. Who knew that a simple summer job would be so significant?

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

end of summer.

With the end of my full-time summer job coming quickly, I've been getting several good-bye's and well-wishes from the residents. Although I am not leaving completely, working only on Saturdays will seem like nothing compared to the 5/6 shifts a week I've been working throughout the summer.

But tonight it really hit me - I will no longer be a regular face at DP. Someone else will be taking over my routine. And for a moment, I could barely stop myself from crying!! All summer I've been building friendships with these people, enjoying life just a day at a time. I have seen residents come and go, struggle through bad days and celebrate the good days. But what I think it the coolest part is how much I have learnt while working there - about health care, about myself, and about life. And I must say, when school comes, I will sure be missing them.

D.

life in general.

Last night I browsed through old posts and had a few good chuckles. It was really neat to read back on my thoughts and revisit memories.

Right now I feel like I'm in limbo. In between the end of summer and the beginning of school. I'm ready for summer to end - probably because it consisted of work, work and work. Although I do love my job, last week was emotionally draining and I'm just not recharging as quick as I need to. And with being called-in twice on a week I could have used for down time, I'm feeling a bit behind. But this is the joy of being a 'flexible' summer student.

Anyways, the looming school year is helping to keep me motivated. I know I'll be cursing exams in no time, but it sure beats doing nothing. Plus, with the experiences I've had at DP, my nursing classes will be so much more real to me. I can apply what I'm learning in class to my own experiences - something I wasn't able to do last semester.

I'm sure that my practical knowledge from the summer won't go to waste this year either: I've learnt how to remove/clean-up/apply a colostomy bag, do blood sugar tests, clean up every sort of body fluid, put on stockings, wield Polysporin like nobody's business, keep track of medications, put on suspenders, accurately drop eye-drops into eyeballs without shuddering (I despise eyeballs!!), bath bodies, and talk loudly. Skills like these can only be learned in a old-folks home. Hopefully I can show them off during labs/clinicals!! :)

Another plus of school is being able to live on my own again. My family is fabulous, don't get me wrong, however I quite enjoy my own space. And Grant Mac provides me with the perfect arrangement: the opportunity to come home on weekends yet stay in the city during the week. The best of both worlds.

That about sums it up right now. Waking up at 5 every morning is beginning to take its toll on me - but perhaps that is just because the end is in sight? I hope so. So I'm just going keep on chugging and keep my eye on the prize.

Have a good Tuesday!

D.

why I am excited for school:

• sticky notes
• multi-colored highlighters
• binders
• good black pens, blue pens, red pens
• constant coffee drinking
• new textbooks
• fresh lined paper that fits perfectly in a new binder
• fall time
• scribblers
• AGENDAS! CALENDERS!
• good grades (eeek! hopefully.)
• flashcards
• containers for my flashcards
• my new whiteboard!
• my new corkboard!
• learning - yes, I am a nerd.

13 days until move-in day! 22 days until class begin!!

summer reading.

So back in spring, right as school was wrapping up, I decided to read a book every week, totaling up to 16 books read during the summer. Well, sometime near the end of June I passed that goal and now, as I look back, I can't even keep track of all the books I've read. But I loved it!! My book shelf is now overflowing and my library card is looking quite worn.

In another life, I'd love to have been a book critic. Getting paid to read and review books? SWEET! Doesn't it sound perfect?

But, this amount of reading is mere a summer hobby. As soon as September comes my nose will be in the pages of Anatomy and Nursing, and leisurely reading will be shoved to the side.

The amount of reading I've got through this season makes talking 'books' with people quite fun - there is a very good chance that I've read at least 1 or 2 books that someone else can relate to. Even a 94 yr old resident at work - her and I always chat it up about the latest bestsellers found in Chapters. It's quite great.

Otherwise, summer has been lovely and lazy (on my days off, that is). There are only a few weeks until school starts and already I've started the reorganization of my school supplies and residence things. I don't think the start a new school year can ever get old.

D.