New Blog

This is my new family blog...It has been so long since the old one. Many changes in our lives.
I started a new job in Greensboro, NC last Monday. Jim stayed home for the week with the kids and I went to orientation. First three days were torture...rules and regs, policy's and procedures, chain of command, HIPPA, Infection Control, Delegation...etc, etc, etc...long and boring...But! Thursday and Friday I was in the ED! YEAH!!! Finally back home.
I have been working in the OR for the past year and at first, thought it was cool...learned tons about the human body and what we do to it during surgery, but after a while, just became a glorified gofer...there was a song in High School I sang for a school play.
--Get me, buy me, bring me, find me, pick up, drop off and remind me
--Don't forget now what I ask,
--After all that is your task,
--Don't forget now what I ask!

Done with it!

On Thursday, I took care of patients...I started IV's, gave medications, provided emotional support, assisted with a dislocated arm, got felt up by a drunk...I'm so glad to be home!!!

I was made to be an ED nurse. I think that my varied background helps me excel in this. I love spending time talking with patients when I have time, but I also love the instant gratification of starting an IV, seeing the blood flashback, knowing it is in the right place and then being able to push IV pain medications to immediately provide pain relief. There is nothing like it.

We will be moving to Greensboro NC in June after the kids finish school. We are looking for a house to rent. Greensboro is much different than Greenville. There is a lot more to do and when you leave the city, it is rolling hills country with parks and lakes nearby. The city is not that big, drive through the center in less than 10 minutes with some traffic. We are carefully looking at the many different elementary schools and are seriously considering homeschooling next year. I will be working weekend nights only so will be able to school the kids during the week. And the way the cities in North Carolina work is that there are many, many activities that are run by the city so that the kids will be able to participate and make friends in sports or in pottery classes or what every we decide to have the kids do. They will not be lacking in social exposure. Right now, they are in gymnastics and pottery and they love it.

Jim has been driving a big truck with this guy named Mark who disappeared last week. Jim tried to get a hold of him for several days and he never returned calls. This morning, he went to his house to get on the truck with Mark and Mark kicked him off the truck...although at this point, we are not really sure if Mark can do this. So Jim is coming home, will get his own truck and maybe have someone else to drive with...

Jim has been wanting to get off the truck with Mark, but did not want to be a jerk about it and not give him notice. Jim decided last week he was going to give Mark a 2 week notice...well, this will be less stressful for Jim once he gets over being so angry at Mark. So, this is a good thing...Jim just needs to move on. Which he will.

Amilia sprained her ankle on Friday in PE. She was jumping over balls and actually landed on one, twisted her ankle and did not tell anyone. So when I get home from Greensboro at 5pm, she tells me she hurt her ankle (she had been home with Jim since 2:30p). Her ankle was swollen and tender...what a pain it was trying to keep her off of it over the weekend! At one point, we did let her go outside with us and play but by the time she came in, there was more swelling and bruising. She spent much of yesterday fussing and pushing and whining because we made her stay on her bed or on the couch. Today the swelling is down and she says it does not hurt. I sent her with a note that she is not to run around on it. We will see what happens when she gets home...

With some many changes going on right now, it is hard not to think about the past and things we should have/could have done differently. I often think about the house fire and how awful and stressful that was. I wonder how life would have been different if the fire had not happened...
I think about the move to Massachusetts...should we have stayed in Virginia? Where would we be right now if we had not started our own Invisible Fence...
We are struggling with our credit and will be for several more years because of the Bankruptcy and loosing the business...

But...the move to Greensboro is a good one. We will be close to Heidi (my cousin, Aunt Judy's daughter), I will be making a substantial amount more of money than I do now. Jim will be in a better location for truck driving...route 85 and route 40 go through Greensboro...
The area is beautiful, the people I will be working with have already reached out and are very friendly and welcoming...

The hospital is a small community hospital and I have already made my mark...when I was working on Thursday, a man came in with a dislocated shoulder. The nursing tech brought him back and no other nurse jumped up to help him but me...I immediately started an IV, grabbed a doctor and got pain medications for him. The nurse educator watched me do this from a far and approached me after and said I did a great job...I am finally home!!! I love this type of work!