The week that was........

Good grief. It's four pm on a Saturday and I'm just sitting down for the first time today. My little leggies are SO tired lol. 


Had another great week both band and course wise. The second week of the course has definitely been harder than the first as we are in the thick of the theory side of things. Have had some hard-going topics these last few days. Death, wounds, falls, breaks (bones), mental health/depression, alzheimer's and dementia, infection control (eeek to that one - I was quietly freaking out!!!) toileting (we have to keep a poo and urine chart - charmed I'm sure...) and showering, manual handling (using a hoist to move a person) and a whole whack of medical stuff. I never realised we needed to know so much about the human body. Lucky it's a subject I love so I'm finding it really interesting. Still, when you're faced with death (which we will be a lot in this job) it can be heart-breaking and a little daunting. A couple of girls were in tears at the end of the session though not me for a change - usually I'm the biggest sook out - but having already dealt with (and seen) a few dead bodies in the past - it wasn't the biggest deal. Still, the first time one of our lovely elderly residents die, I just know I'm going to be cut up. Hiding my shock and keeping my tears at bay as I help deal with their family is going to be one heck of a challenge. 


Off the subject but speaking of shock, we had (well MOTH - Man of the House) had a trip to emergency this week with Riley. He and Jake were play-fighting, Riley did a front flip off the couch and he is now sporting a cast on his arm due to a green stick fracture of his wrist. Kids! MOTH has taken over the role of Mr Mom for the five or so weeks I am flat out learning. (Anyone remember the movie?) He's doing a fantastic job - cooking, cleaning, running the kids around and doing all the stuff I usually cope with. The thought behind this was because he caught a break in the contracting work he does he can look after all the house stuff to free me up to concentrate solely on my studies. What happens with kids and schooling when I'm working full-time and he's back at work too is going to be interesting. It's not something we've had to worry about before. I guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  

OUCH! 

We only have two more days of theory left before we head - next Wednesday - for the start of our Work Experience. I've been placed in a local nursing home (haha sounds like I'm going to be resident there... maybe one day) and luckily, so has one of the other women I am doing the course with. Her and I have become great friends so it will help having each other to lean on, even if we don't see much of each other every day. I went out this morning to buy a couple of pale blue polo shirts, a new pair of black pants and covered shoes for the time we are working in the nursing home. Turns out I'm really crappy at picking the right ones. First pair I got killed my feet after one day (I wore them early to 'break them in') and while the 2nd pair I got today have better coverage and a lower heel MOTH grumbled that they are still not right. I need nurses shoes in black - the kind you see them wearing in the hospital. Good thing I love shoes as I will still manage to get wear out of the mistakes. Third time lucky? - I might drag him out with me. Then there can be no tutting from him with... 'These shoes are going to be useless when you're on your feet all day. I don't care if you have to spend a hundred dollars or more on them... you're going to need a good, solid, pair that will not kill your feet or back. What happens with these flimsy ones when someone pukes on them?' 
My comeback? I will jump out of the way - and fast!!!!! Not a part of the job I will relish. 

Our Motley crew - a great bunch of people. One guy, Dinesh is missing - he's taking the pic. That's Margaret in the pink top on the left and our lecturer Ann in the third row behind the girl in green (her name is Ridwan. She's adorable and a bundle of energy and we have become great friends.  I'm really fond of her.)  I'm at the back on the right in the sunnies. 

Band news for me? Another small loss this last few days bringing me down one and a half kilos (or 3.3 pounds) this last 10 days. Nice. I am sitting currently on 82.5 kilos (or 181.5 pounds!!) and am slowly creeping to my mini-goal of 80 kilos. I am in a great place right now with my band. I am not terribly hungry, small portions are really working well though I have had a couple of sticky episodes with food when I haven't slowed down enough. A lot of deep breathing and concentration usually gets me through it, cos I don't want to PB if I can help it. Having a really bad gag reflex, once I start I find it hard to stop (should be interesting when I smell someone else's poo or upchuck.. sheesh!!) So I avoid it at all costs. I actually did PB this morning. I was out with Riley doing the hunting and gathering thing (buying my work clothes) at the shopping centre before I was due to do the weekly food shop - and I don't know what possessed me, but we stopped at Dunkin Donuts to get Riley a frozen coke slushie and a donut and I had one, too. Why did I think I could actually get down a super-soft bready snack like that? I ended up huddling in a corner outside the sliding doors PB'ing into his empty slushie cup lol. Can't take me anywhere! 


Sorry it was such a long post - usually I would blab about all this a few times a week - so thanks for sticking with it. I hope you all have a fab weekend. I am going to kick back for the last few hours of the day - and tomorrow is a study day. I have managed to catch up and comment on almost everyone's blogs and you are all doing famously. Both Sandi-Lee and Nikki were banded this week gone - so good luck girls. Take care of yourself and enjoy the fruits of labour due to come. You're going to love being banded. 


Cara xxx