In Loving Memory

Calvin Ray Claycomb
November 1, 1928 - September 28, 2007































"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'
'Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
-1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Look What They Give Us In Nursing School.

Anyone want a shot?

Ok, so we haven't practiced those yet, but we're getting there.

This week we're working on basic patient care return demonstrations. I feel like I'm in CNA class all over again. There's nothing better than laying in bed while a group of people are standing around you, practicing range of motion, turning you, positioning you, "diapering" you, putting you on a bedpan, helping you from the bed to the wheelchair, etc. We have to practice on each other and check each other off. I've gotten to know several of my fellow student nurses very well through this. :o) It's been such a fun week.

I can't wait to do wound care on real people. Dummies' wounds aren't very exciting. I can't wait to do my very first wound debridement. Clinicals start in 2 weeks!
I love nursing school.

I have a job now. I start on Friday. Since my CNA license is for the state of Illinois, I can't work as one here in Kansas. I have to take the exam here first, which I've applied to take. The thing is, I probably won't get it until November because of the long pending process.
By that time, I will have almost completed first semester and can start applying for a Nurse Tech position in a hospital. I don't know if it's really worth applying as a CNA, but I'm doing it anyway. In the meantime I'll be working 1 or 2 days a week(depending on my school load) as a Ward Aid in a nursing/rehab center. I'll pretty much just be doing odd jobs, like filing, stocking nursing supplies, etc. But it's something and much better than working around food in a restaurant or something. Blegh.

Week 3: complete.

Little Faith.

Well, tomorrow begins week 3 of nursing school.

This week has been a trying week for me. I've had the biggest load of homework and I've been sick. I can't remember the last time I've been that sick. I had a fever 2 nights and my body ached for 3 days. I was on antipyretics(aka tylenol and motrin) and they didn't work. I felt so terrible those 2 nights, I seriously prayed that God would either help me feel better or let me die. Well, He did help me feel better. I went to school each of the following mornings. I just felt tired and achy, but not feverish.
Anyway, that put me behind on my homework and that stressed me out even more. And I missed home and my family and my friends.

But I'm better now. This weekend has been kind of boring. I'm tired of reading and studying. I've been trying to follow Lizzie's instructions and take breaks and make some time for myself so I don't become a psychostudyholic. She said reading my Bible doesn't count, I have to do something else. So I watched Mansfield Park with Grandma on Saturday night. That's one of my favorite movies and Grandma really enjoyed it, too. Yesterday after church, I finished the book I started reading last month. Sad, I know. Today I baked cookies and went out for lunch with my cousin Candace.

Other than that, my life is currently a boring, sad existence consisting mostly of school and homework. I have to say though, I'm looking forward to starting again tomorrow.

Here's a cool story.

I'm on a tight budget. I have some money for future tuition payments, gas to get to and from school and church, and some extra in case of an emergency. Not much for anything else.
I've made some commitments to financially support some ministries. I also have a sponsor child. Well, as time passes and my bank account is getting smaller, and I don't have a job, I was starting to worry. I didn't think I was going to have money to support my ministries.

Then, at church last Sunday, the message happened to be on giving. I was reminded that tithing and giving to support the Church(in the bigger sense-the body of believers) was a spiritual realm. We ask God how much he wants us to give, then we trust him, even if we don't know how we're going to get by. And we're not just giving to give. We don't plant seeds not expecting anything to grow from them. We don't give to God not expecting Him to use it for His glory.

He read this verse, Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it."

Ouch. Of course I felt convicted. I wasn't trusting God to provide for me, much less for these ministries. So I prayed. And started writing checks. It's gut wrenching to write checks and not know where you're going to get the money to pay for everything. Gulp. But I'm not going to worry-I'm trusting God.

Then today I was checking my balance. I was suddenly $500+ richer. What?! Well, apparently, my previous place of employment paid me some vacation hours a couple weeks late. I thought they had given it to me already. Is that cool, or what?

I think God is trying to show me that He's way bigger than I give Him credit for sometimes. He's pretty amazing.

Randomness

Well, I've done it. I've officially completed my first week of nursing school. It's been a great week.

Back in July, I was tagged by Lizzie to make a list random facts about myself. I never really got around to it, being as I thought I didn't have enough time(Ha! Not enough time?! What a joke! Nursing classes really make you appreciate time!). After all, I was charged and found guilty with reckless abandonment.
Anyway, I've been racking my brain trying to think of strange facts about me that not too many people know. So here they finally are.

Strange and Random fact #7: I'm addicted to chapstick. I have to have something on my lips at all times or else I think they're drying up. I can't focus or fall asleep if my lips feel unmoisturized.

Strange and Random fact #6: I like to dress people. As a CNA, it's part of my job to make sure my resident's appearances are nice and tidy. So when that kid walking down the street has his pants hanging down to his knees, boxers unashamedly bared for all to see, I want to go up to him, pull up his pants, tighten his belt, and send him on his way. And when someone's button is undone or their collar is turned, I have to resist the urge to fix it for them.

Strange and Random fact #5: I can hold a conversation with someone over voice mail. One of my friends and I don't actually have to talk to eachother in real time. Sometimes we're both busy, and when one of us is free to talk on the phone, the other one is not. So, we'll leave huge, long, sometimes-in-parts(ok, so she's the one who mostly leaves 3 messages with an ongoing story, not me...)on eachother's voice mail.

Strange and Random fact #4:I'm 21 years old and I sleep with a teddy bear. But it's nice to know that other 20+ yr. olds who do as well.

Strange and Random fact #3:I brush my teeth with hot hot water or else I don't think they're clean.

Strange and Random fact #2: I don't think anything goes better with ice cream than a side of onion rings. Yum.

Strange and Random fact #1: I use an anti-wrinkle cream. One day I was reading this skin typing book that my mom got from the library. You answer the questions and it tells you what type of skin you have and what products to use and how to take care of it. Well, it told me my skin will be wrinkle prone and if I'm young, I should start using an anti-wrinkle cream to help prevent my face from ending up looking like a prune(not exactly in those words...). I'm thinking, what?! But it's true, I went out and bought an anti-wrinkle cream and use it on my eyes. It's actually a great moisturizer. And my friends won't be laughing 30 years from now when I have nice smooth, smooth wrinkle free skin and they're trying to iron out their crow's feet. :oP

Studyholic

This is me. I'm working on the ridiculous amounts of reading homework that NR 105:Nursing Process 1 entails. That and studying for my first test, which is on Monday. Eeek! Really, though, I'm not too worried about it.

So far, I'm enjoying the class. The instructors are all very nice and great lecturers. They give us frequent breaks to help us get through our 4-41/2 hour classes. I can't wait until clinicals! Those will be fun.

Catheter, anyone?
What! No one wants to volunteer to let me practice on them?! Aw. What party poopers.

I went to my new church's small group on Tuesday, which was great. It's at a coffee house run by a really nice Christian family. Owning it is a great witnessing opportunity for them. The small group time was pretty much all prayer and worship. Amazing. These people are clearly passionate about Christ. It's exciting.

The Saga Continues...

I don't think Monday can come fast enough. I cannot wait to get started. I've even began my first reading assignment that we need to have read before Tuesday's lecture. Yeah, I'm nuts.
Wednesday night was orientation. It was put on by nursing students, which was really helpful. They told us what to expect, what to focus on, what not to worry about, everything they wished that they knew before they started.

And you should see their labs. Amazing is an understatement. They have these human patient simulators on which you can practice bp's, iv's, catheterizations, pulse and resp, the list goes on. There are rooms set up to look like they're from different units in the hospital, each with their own equipment and human simulator. Unfortunately, we won't be in that lab very often first semester. We'll be learning the basics first. I'm glad I have CNA experience, though. They'll be teaching us patient care skills at first, which I know how to do already.

The instructors seem really nice too. We met two of them on Wednesday, and we'll meet the rest on Monday. They seem very personable and happy to teach.

I'm so excited!

Whew!

I'm finally done unpacking. It's a strange feeling, though. This room was a guest room where I've stayed many times before. But I always leave and go back to my own home, to my own room. This time, I'm not going home in a week or two, this room is mine for the next two years. It will be an adjustment.


I have a very nice view of the backyard.

I'm loving the closet! I have room for all my clothes. Sweet.

I'm so happy to be finished...

Moving In.

Moving in = chaos.
Oh, boy...

Saying goodbye.

My last day at work was a sad day. They had a little party for Katie and I, who are both starting nursing school this semester. I don't have pictures from that, but it was really nice. All of our residents came.

Afterwards, some of my coworkers/friends and I went out to eat. We had a great time together. It's exciting to move on in life, but sad to leave everything and everyone you love.

Bye, Fairview!!


Katie and I love Karen. She's our Assisted Living Team Leader/boss/nurse/second mom/teacher, etc.


Fairview friends.