My Vegas Trip

I went to Lad Vegas with my best friend From nursing school. She had an emergency nursing conference to attend at Caesar's Palace so we stayed at that hotel. I met up with a friend from Fresno at Cabo Wabo and my scrapbook friends another day at Margaritaville. After her conference ended each day we gambled a little bit then attended some spectacular shows. The first show we saw was Blu Man Group at the Venetian. I appreciated the crowd interaction and the way that the men could entertain a crowd of people without saying a word. The other show we saw was Viva Elvis. This was a Cirque de Soleil type show that was based on the life and musical career of Elvis Presley. The acrobatics were amazing!!!! I was glad to be able to get out of town and meet up with old friends, spend time with a good friend, and see some amazing shows :)

Day at School

Lynne, Meg, Me :)

As part of our informatics class, our instructor notified us that we would be meeting at the main campus of CBU. Lynne, Rebecca, Meg and I carpooled up to Riverside. We met with the other students and our instructors and were toured around the campus. We stopped by the bookstore aka gift shop (bought a couple shirts and a cup for myself and a sweatshirt for my mom) and had dinner at the cafeteria. The campus was beatiful and the food was actually quite tasty. We then went back to the school of nursing and tried out the simulation lab. I was excited to see all that was offered by this school and disappointed that my ADN program (at another school) didn't offer such educational and fun tools. There was even an IV simulator on a computer that allows students to pull their supplies based on the scenario. The students were required to use each item in the correct sequence and attempt an iv start in a dummy arm. Even though I am a pretty good stick, I was unable to successfully start the iv in the simulator. Bummer :( Overall, I was happy to be on campus as an "official" student. As much as an overnight stay in the dorm would have topped it off, I am happy to be at home with my puppy in my favorite recliner :)

Day at the Hospital

Yesterday was my follow up appt at the VA with the Liver Clinic. I started having abdominal pain last August that was bad enough to warrant 2 trips to the ER. Along with the abdominal pain, I have a history of elevated liver enzymes. Since the pain started, I have had 2 abdominal ultrasounds, 1 KUB, numerous lab tests drawn, and an MRI. They have put me on Zantac and Prilosec. The only thing they have found in all of the tests are 3 hemangiomas on my liver. The doctor said she doesn't think my pain is related to my elevated liver enzymes. The next procedure is a liver biopsy and more lab tests to check my insulin levels. Every time I go to the VA, I hope that they will finally come up with a diagnosis. Maybe Dr. House will be at my next visit and will finally help me figure this mystery out....

My First Blog Post

I have followed other people's blogs for the past couple of years but have never thought about posting my own. I always assumed that only professionals or someone with something major to say have blogs...that is until tonight. I am currently in an RN to BSN program and had my first night of a Nursing Informatics course. The computer "geek" from CBU came and made our heads spin with all of the information he shared. Then our professor challenged us to create and maintain a blog throughout the class. I have decided that I will attempt to take one picture daily and will post the pictures on my blog along with a short description. Because I am also a scrapbooker, I am hoping this will motivate me to work on my pages and share my life with others. Enjoy!