Yelapa, Mexico

Naomi 'Magdalena', Beth 'Guadalupe', Carrie 'Eva' and I 'Selena' spent a week in Mexico learning Spanish for Nurses. We spent the week in Yelapa, a small village in a cove of Banderas Bay that is only accessible by boat. Each morning we had class and then all afternoon/evening was free time that we usually spent on the beach. It was an incredible trip and I recommend it to all nurses!

Coloma, CA

Our Kiwi River Guide, Chonk.

Relaxing in the American River on our high quality tire tubes.

Fourth of July at the Coloma Club.

Because I have become fascinated with The California Gold Rush ever since white water rafting on the American River...

"James Marshall's discovery of gold at Coloma turned out to be a seminal event in history, one of those rare moments that divide human existence into before and after. As the golden news spread beyond California to the outside world, it triggered the most astonishing mass movement of peoples since the Crusades. " H.W. Brands

"The California Gold Rush brought a flood of treasure seekers. Prospectors accumulated in San Francisco, raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849. By 185o California had become a state- the fastest journey to statehood in U.S. History."

Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C.

Lily Grace Chadwick

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University Alumni


Congratulations Natalie!

6 weeks and counting

I have six weeks left of Microbiology, Physiology and Statistics. This knowledge makes me excited that soon the classes will be over and anxious because I'm not sure how I'm going to manage to finish all the work that needs to be done.

I have a big Microbiology exam this Tuesday and it doesn't seem like my paying attention, note taking, or reading has prepared me for what's going to be on the test. The study guide, 7 full pages in length, is daunting and filled with questions like: Define-chemotaxis, diapedesis, pseudopodia... What are Okazaki framents? In which direction are they made and how are they joined together... Draw the structure of sugar deoxyribose and note which groups are attached to the 5' carbon and 3'carbon in DNA... Describe the process of transduction including the lysogenic and lytic cycles of bacteriophage replication... and the last one I'll throw at you- Discuss the following classes of antibodies IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE, with respect to their location, functions and structure. Sigh. I feel like screaming a little in hopes it would relieve some of the stress this study guide is causing me, but I need to conserve all the energy I have. In microbiology I also have a research paper to write on the Hepatitis B Vaccination and an unknown lab report to do and write up. In Physiology I have 2 problem sets, a group project, and quizzes every Monday. In Statistics I have homework, a project write up, and an exam. All of this in the next 5 weeks... and then final exams. Anyone feel like giving me a massage in the end of May?

I register for summer classes tomorrow at 9 am.

I work at the Farmer's Market now, every other Saturday morning from 6h30-2h00, selling strawberries, sugar snap peas, and artichokes from Swanton berry farms. I have a thorn from selling artichoke stuck in my finger and it's throbbing. Hurts to type but hasn't stopped me from typing.

Now back to reading and memorizing. Wish me Luck!

Castle Rock, Santa Cruz Mountains

"Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed." Pascal

Jocelyn

Benjamin

Jared

I discovered I have a small passion for big fires

Acapulco, Mexico

My first vacation since starting at UCSF. Don't I have the cutest parents ever?!

time and inspiration

It's about time I write.

The truth is that lately I haven't had any time to write, at least not any guilt free time. Guilt-free time can be explained as time spent doing something that doesn't involve the phrase ".... but I should be _____________(fill in the blank)" when explaining what it is you are doing. For example-- I'm baking a pie, but I should be studying for the microbiology lab practical that's tomorrow. I'm currently enrolled in Physiology, Microbiology and Statistics at the City College of San Francisco. I often feel like I live at school, especially on days I leave home at 7:30am and return (after spending time searching for parking) around 8:30pm. It's a challenging load of classes. I'm fortunate to have some great teachers and great study friends--Yana and Hilary. Along with not having the time to write I've also not had the inspiration to write.

The two reasons preventing me from writing, time and inspiration, have finally been eliminated. Today at 9:00am spring break began. Ten glorious days not on campus for scheduled classes. Instead, I'll be spending time with my family and friends, enjoying the beautiful weather and clear skies from the outside of a classroom. I have many, many ideas of how I want to spend my spring break. Sleeping in, going to the farmer's market, making yummy dinners, going hiking and camping, shopping for a top to go with my skirt that I got for my birthday in October so I can finally wear it, returning items to REI that I bought in February, working out... the list continues. What also is going to be happening during my spring break is homework, a little bit everyday, catching up and hopefully if not getting ahead, being on top of the material once break is over. I'm feeling inspired and light. I'm breathing in deep letting out big sighs and smiling about the guilt-free time I have ahead of me.

Kate is on her way back from Mexico right now. I'm excited to hear her stories of relaxation and see the photos she took while being there. It's not quite been the same without her around.

Marin Headlands

Golden Gate Park and The Sunset

Some days in San Francisco are so amazingly beautiful I can't help but feel blessed

RN.

I am a registered nurse. I went to college for four years to do a job people associate with a caring personality and being able to deal with needles, blood and poop.

I am a new nurse but these 9 months have affected me profoundly. People sometimes ask me about a typical day at work. That question is hard to answer because there is no typical day- my days are as unique as the patients I care for. This is my attempt…

The unit I work on is hematology/bone marrow transplant. The patients have some form of blood cancer and are being treated with chemotherapy or having a bone marrow transplant.

34 patients, 12 floor nurses, charge nurse, physicians, nurse practioners, clinical nurse specialist, pharmacists, physical therapists, patient care assistants, unit secretary, dieticians, administration, chaplain, family members. The environment during the day is… lively.

0600
Get up, shower, pack lunch, eat breakfast, walk 4 blocks to the Medical Center
0645
Receive my patient assignment for the day
0700
Group report given and then report from the night shift nurse for my 3 patients
Take over responsibility for my patients
0730
Review chart for any new physician orders
Review the bedside chart for medications and treatments that will need to be done this shift
Organize my day on my paper brain
My real brain is going a mile a minute organizing

0800
Visit each patient- do they have nausea or pain?
Begin assessing: environment/safety, vital signs, brain, heart, lungs, GI tract, urinary tract, skin, muscles, IV lines…
Use the interpreter phone to communicate with patients who speak only Cantonese, only Spanish, only Russian…
0830
Administer medications to patient- know why and potential side effects
Check, double check and triple check the 5 “rights”- right drug, right dose, right route, right time and right patient
0900
Check chart for any new orders
Administer electrolyte replacements pharmacy orders daily
0930
Patient reports having pain (8 out of 10) Administer narcotic through the IV line and reassess pain every 30 minutes, re-administer drugs as needed
Check blood sugar of diabetic patients before breakfast and administer insulin per sliding scale

Call lights on: could be anything from breakfast is not what they ordered to they have severe pain or nausea
0945
Check lab results on each patient from blood drawn daily, if hematocrit is below 27% transfuse 2 units of packed red blood cells per standing order. If platelets are below 10k transfuse a pack of platelets per standing order.
1000
Get patients into shower and change linens
Grab a drink of water in the break room
1100
Document EVERYTHING

Chart check for physician orders
1200
Check each patient’s pain level, temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen level
Check diabetic patients’ blood sugar
Administer medications scheduled or as needed
1300
Eat lunch or grab something from the supply of junk food permanently found in the break room
Answer patient call lights
Administer medications
Send patients off unit for procedures
Report abnormal assessments to physicians if found
1400
Patient asks me about their diagnosis/ treatment timeline which is beyond my scope of practice. I have no answers.
Patient tells me he needs a miracle because he has to survive for his daughter. I feel powerless.

Patient grabs my hand and tells me she is scared to die. I feel helpless.
1500
Change dressings that cover our patient’s central lines
Administer more medications
1600
Assess vital signs again
Patient spikes a fever: draw blood cultures, start new regime of antibiotics, monitor closely
Document EVERYTHING up to this point
Know the milliliters of fluid that have been taken in and put out of the patient since 0700
1700
Educate patient about their medications, procedures, treatments, diet, needs after discharge...
Educate family members
Assist patients to walk in the hallway when they are weak

1800
Hang a bag of nutrition to go through patients IV- the chemo has caused the skin cells lining his mouth and throat to slough off and the pain is so excruciating he cannot eat or drink
Apply skin cream to a patient whose entire body has blistered and is peeling from the chemo reacting with the skin
1900
Final chart check for any new orders
Give report to night shift nurse
1930
Leave medical center and go home
Mind is mush
8:00pm
Pour a glass of wine
Eat dinner
Watch an episode of FNL with Heather
11:00pm
Sleep.

Splish Splash he was taking a bath

Meet Mr. Frog.

A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade

Maybe it was timing, maybe it was fate. Heather and I moved into our apartment the summer of ’07. Since then we have been friends experiencing LIFE together, everything significant and trivial.