The beauty (?) of pregnancy

Part of my final mark for Nursing 132 is a 30 minute presentation on a certain age group and their health. My age group is adolescents (I picked them b/c I have a lot of experience with youth that age) but the girl's that did their presentations this morning did it on pregnancy and post-partum health.

In one of the girl's slideshows, the image above came up and every girl in the class cringed and uttered a gasp of horror. The lady is HUGE!

After the presentation was over, we all sat in a circle and had a discussion about the topics covered. Our teacher, Andrea (sweetest little thing you'll ever see) brought up the picture again and asked us a question (with her adorable Brazilian accent, in broken English, of course): "Why is this a negative thing to you? Pregnancy is a beautiful process and a miracle. It is a good thing." Afterwards, we had a big conversation about it and I think I've come to a conclusion about why that picture makes me feel slightly sick.

Partly, I think it's because I haven't been exposed to women who are late in their pregnancies often in my life, and when I have they've been covered up and 'hiding' their big bellies. Our culture as a whole isn't too interested in showing off pregnant tummies because of the emphasis on thinness. My unexposure to this sort of thing makes me view the image and see something that isn't normal. It looks... well, wrong. It shouldn't be the case, because what could be more natural and healthy than pregnancy? But still, it's how I feel.

Secondly, I think it's because I know it will happen to me. It's the realization that it really could be my stomach in that picture. And, frankly, that's terrifying. I'd like to think that when it happens my instincts will kick in, and I'll somehow summon the courage out of nowhere and find the whole process lovely......but really, right now it makes me absolutely petrified. I can't imagine having something that big inflating and moving inside of me! Granted, the woman in to above photo is most likely pregnant with triplets, or at least more than one baby (so says my teacher). That's a bit comforting. When I see the size of the bellies carrying just one child, it's seems much more manageable :P.

It feels like instead of being shocked by that image, I should be in awe of what my body is capable of doing... like, if someone's stomach got that big for any other reason, they're pretty much as good as dead. Yet... we don't die. In fact, we not only live, but we thrive. We carry an infant around inside us, and then we push it out of us.... and we survive. And we like it so much that we do it again!

I looked up some other images of pregnancy to make me feel better, and they definitely did. I'll share them. The more I think about what it is to be pregnant, the more I'm in stunned by the incredible process it is... especially studying in my Biology class what exactly happens the the woman's body pre and post-partum, and fetal development. It's more than just a baby growing, it's wonderfully complex. (Sorry if this post is a bit hard to read, I've gotten only 4 hours of sleep the last 3 nights and I have a midterm exam in an hour. The stress and exhaustion levels are high)

The end of October already?

Here's some images of my autumn, a wonderful season:

Midterms hit me like a brick to the head

Since I started school in September, I've been dreading these next few weeks. My first midterm is this Thursday, an anatomy and physiology test on Chapters 1-11 (including microbiology and histology which just kills me, I say if you can't see it with you're naked eye, then it doesn't exist! haha). I also have an assignment due Thursday. Then next Tuesday I have a midterm on all the skills I've learned thus far, like blood pressure, pulse, hygiene, determinants of health for every age group, etc. Following that I have a in-class essay that Wednesday, and a lab exam on the Friday (which I'm told is the hardest exam I'll ever take in my life. Great.) And every week following that one, I have at least 2 papers due a week until December 14. Gasp!

All I do is eat and sleep and study and study and study. It's incredibly grueling and I dream of a day off but don't know when I'll get it.

So, that's why you haven't heard from me lately, and that's why you probably won't again for a few days. I'll let you knowhow everything goes though, as I suffer through it.

I can NOT wait for Christmas!

an apology and an update

First off, I find that I really need to apologize for the change in format every time you look at the site. I'm really indecisive when it comes to the look of this blog, so please bear with me! Opinions welcomed. I'm liking the simpleness of this new one, the others were feeling a little cluttered.

Secondly, my class this morning! It was a couple weeks ago now that we were first introduced to blood pressure cuffs and and stethoscopes. We went over where all the major arteries lay and how to get a pulse in each of them. Then we had to practice on each other, and that wasn't so successful. The first week we found out at the very end of class that everyone had been doing it completely wrong, and the second week I knew what I was doing a little better but was still unable to ace the technique. That, along with my failure to feel an apical pulse on even myself, was getting a little frustrating. Today, in contrast, was a day of successes!

The class is 3 hours long, and we spend the first hour practicing skills. I was paired with a classmate named Vanessa and we each took a turn taking each other's blood pressure with a cuff and our fingers. Today was the first time I actually did it! It was so exciting, even though in the grand scheme of things this really wasn't that great a feat. Her blood pressure was quite low, about 115.

Then, I finally felt my apical pulse, another victory. The apical pulse is the most important pulse in the body because it is directly on the heart and thus tells us the most about how the heart is doing. It's where your doctor typically listens to your heart with that uncomfortably cold stethoscope. You know what I mean? Haha. Well, I've tried and tried in past weeks to feel it on myself. There is a really specific place to find on the chest and the directions to get there are really complicated: Find the midclavicular notch, from there slide your fingers down into the 2nd intercostal space, and over to the sternum. Then slide over again to the 3rd intercostal space and feel your way down to the 5th space. Then follow that 5th intercostal space over a bit and YOU'VE DONE IT. It's easier said that done though, especially on women because their breasts make it incredibly hard to find the spaces between the ribs (intercostal spaces). I don't even have a very large chest size, and it's still difficult... our textbook reads, "If the patient has large breasts, carefully move the left breast to one side." I guess you can't be shy in Nursing! Anyways, today I finally felt it for the first time and I was so proud of myself. We were all joking about what someone would think if they accidentally walked into our class and saw all of us with our hands down our shirts! I love this program.

To top off my day, I finally got back my paper on what health means to me that I wrote a couple weeks ago, and got 90%! I was really nervous about what my mark would be since the teacher is tough, but other than a few minor criticisms, he seemed to approve.

Other than all that... I think I'm doing pretty good. This weekend I was bitterly complaining about how much homework I had and my dad said, "Are you unhappy?" That got me thinking, and I've decided that I am most definitely happy. I LOVE this program, I LOVE my classes, I LOVE the people I get to spend my days with, I LOVE what I'm learning, I LOVE what I'm becoming... I'm just incredibly stressed out ALL the time. To me, stressed is different that unhappy.

The only other bummer right now is how tired I am. Like, I'm completely exhausted. Too much homework, too little time. This morning my alarm went off and I got up, turned it off, and... fell back asleep in bed without being conscious of it. I got woken up at 7:30 and had to run around in a panic to be ready in time. Don't worry, I made it.

Hope Thanksgiving treated you all well,

Until next time!

I'm thankful

I'm thankful for the blood in my veins and the strength of my heart in my chest.

I'm thankful for warmth of sun on my skin when I take the time to stop and enjoy it.

I'm thankful for the times I've been able to fall asleep to the sound of ocean waves.

I'm thankful for my mom and dad, who have loved me in spite of everything and who will love me no matter what.

I'm thankful a boyfriend who makes me feel more precious than gold.

I'm thankful for a brother who makes me laugh so hard I cry and who comforts me when I'm down.

I'm thankful for tea on a rainy day.

I'm thankful for the shining light of Christmas through the dreariness of winter.

I'm thankful for my grandparents and aunts and uncles and the laughter we've shared.

I'm thankful for friends whose doors and arms are always open.

I'm thankful for this country, and what it represents for those who come from elsewhere.

I'm thankful for nature's resilience despite our best efforts to destroy it.

I'm thankful for the cats who have fallen asleep purring on my lap.

I'm thankful for the Nursing Program and a future in which I can truly make a difference.

I'm thankful for all the times I've stumbled, and all the times I've had to pick myself up.

I'm thankful for the teachers who have seen my potential and pushed me in uncomfortable ways.

I'm thankful for movie nights in someone's arms.

I'm thankful for the triumph of a great achievement.

I'm thankful for the nights I've spent star gazing.

I'm thankful I was taught to love all creation and be filled with wonder with how it all works.

I'm thankful I don't mind getting dirty, and I'm happiest in a tent.

I'm thankful that I've been able to see the places I've seen, and do the things I've done.

I'm thankful for inside jokes.

I'm thankful for the smell of clean sheets.

I'm thankful for chopsticks.

I'm thankful for language and the diversity of this earth.

I'm thankful for the indescribable feeling of diving into cool, clear water, and swimming deeper and deeper until your lungs scream for oxygen and then bursting through to the surface and that first gasp of life-giving air.

I'm thankful for reminiscing with people who know me well.

I'm thankful for my dreams and hopes, and that I've been born into circumstances that make them possible.

I'm thankful for guitars at a bonfire.

I'm thankful for the people who have wronged me and how I've been challenged to forgive them.

I'm thankful for the people who have helped me when I refused to be helped.

I'm thankful for the way laughter makes me cells sing.

I'm thankful for the girls in the Nursing section, and how we've melded so well.

I'm thankful for how trees change color.

I'm thankful I'm a woman.

I'm thankful I'm ambitious and aim too high and dream too big.

I'm thankful I'm often impractical, reckless, and and impulsive.

I'm thankful for how often I've gone camping.

I'm thankful my dad has a boat and is actually willing to take me out on it.

I'm thankful for my lows and the times I've cried myself to sleep.

I'm thankful for puppies and their boundless excitement.

I'm thankful for peeper frogs.

I'm thankful for blackberries off the bush.

I'm thankful for playing tag in skates.

I'm thankful for dog walks in autumn.

I'm thankful for snow angels and woolen gloves.

I'm thankful for weekend markets selling local produce and goods.

I'm thankful for the times I've been able to comfort and help those around me.

I'm thankful for the miracle of birth and child-bearing.

I'm thankful for the sheer capacity of the human mind and what we are able to achieve with it.

I'm thankful for running through sprinklers.

I'm thankful for tomato sandwiches.

I'm thankful for walks in the rain with the promise of a warm fire and a cozy blanket at the end.

I'm thankful for tide-pools and the hours I've spent exploring them.

I'm thankful for my salvation. I still don't fully understand how someone as messy and self-centered and prideful and ignorant as me could deserve a gift so terrifyingly beautiful as the mercy of God, but I guess the whole point is that I don't deserve it. I won't question it, I'll try just to be thankful; to praise Him and His wonderful grace for all the things I wrote about above, and so much more than that... those things above are just a sampling of the wonders in my life.

I'm thankful for a season to be thankful. To take a break from being our usually critical, selfish, embittered selves and take a deep breath, look around us, and be thankful for what is.

~ Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ~

H1N1

The other night my dad was asking my about H1N1 and what they've said in school about the virus. Our teachers have been anticipating that we as nursing students will be getting these kinds of questions, so they actually have been briefing us with updates, which has come in useful.

During the conversation with my dad, he asked why the media is saying that H1N1 will most effect the younger population. That was one answer I didn't know... I actually hadn't even heard about that. It would make much more sense for the virus to hit people with weak immune systems the hardest, and that would be, for the most part, the elderly or older adults.

Finally, 2 days ago I learned the answer! I was so excited that I raced home right away to tell my dad after class. It was explained to me by a biochemist, so I'll do my best to make as much sense as he did. So, here is why people in their 30's and younger are more at risk of catching the H1N1 flu than those that are their senior:

H1N1 (or Human Swine Flu) is a strain of influenza that is so named because it affects pigs. It can also (obviously) affect humans however, and is a respiratory illness causing symptoms much like what you would expect with the regular flu. It has been declared a pandemic influenza virus by the World Health Organization, and we're anticipating it to hit hard this winter in Canada.

Influenza has been around for hundred of years, and during that whole time it has undergone many different genetic mutations, resulting in certain strains of the flu. This is why you can't just get a flu shot once and be covered for life! Because the next year there will be a different strain of the same virus, and you're vaccination for the year before will be ineffective, because it was designed to be effective on the specific strain of the year before.

But, like a breed of dog, influenza is a particular 'breed' of virus. And just as you can only change so much in a Black Lab before it's no longer a Black Lab, the influenza virus can only mutate in so many way before it loses it's identity. Making sense so far? Over the hundreds of years it's been around, influenza has pretty much run through the full spectrum of mutations that are possible for it to go through and still remain itself, so it's now common for strains to reappear that have been seen before. Human Swine Flu is one such strain! Interesting isn't it? Despite all the hype and fear around H1N1, it's already occurred; first in the 1950's and again in the 1970's.

So why are older adults more likely than younger people to be affected? Because it's quite likely that they were already vaccinated for this particular strain of influenza when they were just children, or teenagers, and still carry the antibodies. Cool, right?? Please note: I beg you not to read this and then think you have nothing to worry about! It's possible that you missed your flu shot the particular year it was for the H1N1 strain. Even if you didn't, a flu shot still cannot guarantee 100% success, especially after so many years have passed.

It's therefore still very important that you take precautions to keep yourself from being infected. Here are some tips to avoid contracting H1N1 or spreading it to others -->

- Wash your hands regularly with warm water and regular soap, especially after you cough or sneeze. When you can't wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.

- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash right after you use it, and wash or sanitize your hands right away. If you dont have a tissue, cough and sneeze into your upper arm or sleeve.

- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth as germs can spread that way

- If you become sick, stay home and limit contact with others.

This flu virus is mainly spread person-to-person through coughing or sneezing by people infected. People may also become infected by touching something with the H1N1 flu virus on it, such as counters or doorknobs, and then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.

Stay healthy you guys! Thanks for reading :)

Until next time,

Brit

Strategies for improving self-esteem

Today in class we discussed self-esteem: the importance of self-esteem as a professional and encouraging it in patients.

SELF TALK- If you're having a bad hair day, tell yourself that you have beautiful eyes and lots of friends who like you anyways.

VISUALIZE- If you feel nervous before a meeting, visualize everyone in the room congratulating you on your great idea.

AVOID COMPARISONS- Focus on what you can do to enhance your own talents and abilities.

REFRAME- If you experience one failure, keep the larger picture in mind rather than focusing on that isolated incident.

DEVELOP HONEST RELATIONSHIPS- Cultivate friends in whom you can confide and who will give you honest feedback for improving your skills and abilities.

LET GO OF THE PAST- Talk yourself out of your "old tapes"; focus on ways to enhance your abilities in the future.

SEEK SUPPORT- Talk with professional counsellors who can help you identify your gifts and talents.

Watch this

Watch this is you really want to freak yourself out. We watched it in class a few weeks ago.

background change

Is the new background better than the old one? What's your vote?