Who wants to go out?

Hi!
i will be in Hamilton march 9th-11th.
Who would like to go out for beer, yes beer, oh how i miss you!!!! Saturday night?????

Just saying hi

I just wanted to say I miss everyone, especially The Freeway but I will see you all soon. I hope to take a weekend off after my midterm (march 9th) so I hope I will get to see everyone Sunday night! :)

Baby catching

I am too tired to explain further, but I finally did get paged. 2 births back to back, up for 30 hours, First birth, laboured at home, she wanted a home birth but the baby changed positions so that her back was to mom's back and labour failed to progress. We transfered to hospital where we had a consult and went to section. She was relieved after having laboured for 26 hours. Baby girl so cute!. What did I do? Took vitals, listened to fetal heart, provided encouragement, watched section, gave breastfeeding support, did newborn exam and gave baby her vitamin K injection and eye ointment.
As soon as we were finishing up there, my preceptor got called and another client's water had broke. We flew to her house, examined her, took vitals, listened to baby and her contractions were very quick and we soon went to hospital. She has a whole legion of family and support. This one was crazy because it was so fast. She needed nitrous oxide for pain relief o i had to grab the tanks, I grabbed ones that were almost empty, shit! Mom wanted me to turn them on, huh? how do i do that? ugh, such a spaz. Other things I did, held mom's leg in hip while doing my first 4-handed catch!!!!!!!! Got splashed with amniotic fluid for the first time, helped deliver placenta by gently pulling on cord. Did newborn exam and gave baby vitamin K and eye ointment. Drew some of mom's blood for cord blood banking and all in all, I'd say it was a good 30 hour long day of learning for me.
I need pizza

Paging Kaelyn....

Hi!
I am waiting to be paged right now, I have been ALL DAY! One of my clients is in early labour and I will be called again when she gets into more active labour, ie: water breaks, contractions closer together.

So my day of waiting
9-12, had tutorial, not really allowed to leave but for births we technically can but I wasn't paged then.
Hmmm, lunch. should I cook or have philly? no I had chii, quick, did I have time to eat it? Yes.
Hmm. Nap.... no page
Hmmm. Tea, you got it, no page.
I kinda need a shower, should I. I bet as soon as I get in I will get paged, oh hell, let's go for it.
Showered.... yea, I showered!
Hmmm. vaccuummig? Will I hear the page when I do that? Well, who knows, cause I didn't get paged.
And now I blog, will I get paged, well I will post and let you know :)

numbers and sliding

Hi guys,
no new births
clinic practice though
I am worried about my numbers
We are supposed to observe/participate in a minimum of 12 births and I only have 10 women due until the end of my placement. Now I have to try and extend it by a couple of weeks and I will still only get 12 and that is if I do not miss a single birth which is very possible: we have to take 36 hours off prior to our midterm, 72 hours off prior to our final, 9 days off total, and every Friday morning off for class, um... hello? Why is this my problem now, I shouldn't have to worry about this at all yet now I have to write a request for an extension and hello, extend??????? Which is fine but what if it weren't, what if I had children or vacations to go on, what if I had a life????? (Adrian, I didn't forget about you!!!!)

Anyways, sliding..... yes I have sliding numbers but this thursday, a beautiful clear day, I hit black ice on one of our lovely country roads. I majorly fish-tail, 180 and slam my beautiful new car into a snowbank on the opposite side. I was burried and the underbelly was packed with snow. A total of 2 cars out of maybe 50 pulled over to help me and check up on me. I was fine, I got a tow. I am fine, car is fine, really, no scratches as far as I can see, maybe Yaris's are equipped with angels. I was lucky no cars were in the opposite lane at the time because there so could have been. I wasn't even speeding so be careful in snow drift land!!!!! I immediately ordered snow tires and since have had 2 of the 4 installed by my brother, yea!!!!!!!!!

Silver lining? I am not too down, but I do have a little knot in my tummy regarding my numbers, I worry a lot about my own work and performance and even though this is out of my control, it feels like it is my responsibility; now I have to think of solutions, I have to be assertive to my preceptor, I have to write an official request for extension. Hopefully my next few births will put my mind back in the right place, I have due dates of Feb 20, 26, 28 and March 2 and then a little while to my next wave. Also, any minute now I will get a call from Adrian asking me to pick him up from Whitby or Oshawa Go station so yea!!!!!!!! I will get lots of hugs and kisses and feel a lot better :)

Babies!!!!!!!

Congrats Jordan and Jill!!!!

Also on Febuary 1st, I saw my first vaginal birth
Called 6:30 am (thanks for letting me get a full night's sleep :) )
Drive over
Beautiful homebirth
Partner so supportive I almost cried just watching him support her
I also supported mom with back rubs and hugs and words of encouragement.
Listened to baby's heart several times
Took vitals
Supported mom's leg and watched crowning and birth
Helped stimulate baby when born (mom and primary midwife caught baby)
Cried when head then shoulders born
Helped assess newborn (aka learning how to do it)
Drew vitamin K shot.... uh... not quite ready to do it.... next time
Lost for words, it is amazing, I will never forget this
I have so much to learn but can't wait to do it again
Scared and excited

No sweat

Moved home
First day, clinic
Commute and scrap ice off car
Hospital orientation and ID badges
Meet midwives
Sit in on two prenatal appointments
Feel (palpate) their bellies, feeling where the babies are sitting
Listen to fetal heart rate with doppler
Measure fundal height (how big the belly is)
Measure blood pressure
One of the women I am following is due last Friday, anticipating the beep of the pager
So excited
Back sore from sitting and reading lots
So excited
So overwhelmed
But who cares, so excited
Not nervous, I was relaxed

Hospitals

I am going crazy right now. I don't know what I have done with my most recent immunization record and I start clinic Monday. I just had all my records straightened out, I am going crazy because I feel I have enough to do, besides, nothing gets under my skin more than doing bureaucratic procedures no matter how logical or purposeful they are.

Please...

Please everyone send good thoughts and prayers to those you imagine to be closest to me... I need to know they are taken care of. Thanks :)

The Real World

When I came into the cafe on Friday, Rita and I had a nice hug and conversation. She was disappointed that I was sick and wished me better.

In midwifery intensive 1, we spend our conversations bickering about exam answers and trouble contacting our preceptors and then go home to do readings. We are immersed and almost swallowed by a world that is so exclusive and isolated. Rita, thanks for grounding me and helping me interact with the real world so to speak.

Ugh..... CAMP

It continues. I am sick. It was inevitable. Over 20 people crammed into a small room all day, interacting, talking, etc. I have learned new skills and I am very excited but I am so tired and so sick of the 8:30-5 thing. How do you all do it all the time? (those that work that regimen?). Hopefully by Monday I will be all better and my spirits will be lifted but as of right now, I am sick of learning, just toooooooooooo tired.

CAMP

I feel like I am at camp. My life is very structured with a routine of Monday-Friday, 8:30-5pm. I am in the Midwifery 1 Intensive and I am loving it. Tomorrow will be day 3. I spend my days with 19 other women and a handful of talented, inspiring midwives who impart their skills and wisdom to us. Yesterday we practiced initial interviews and health histories and informed choice discussion. Today we learned how to draw blood and I did it twice!!!!!! It feels like butter, the initial insertion of the needle, yes the superficial skin and the vein feel like butter (the level of resistance). We also learned how to do IM and SC injections (on oranges) (intramuscular and subcutaneous). And, we learned how to set up an IV and how to injected meds into the IV unit.
Very excited. So far so good! Love it, happy, I am happy!

Birthdays and Solstices!!!

I just have to say I just had the nicest birthday I have had in such a long time. I felt so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful friends and family and Mexican food... AND... it is not over, I get to go hang out with my family to celebrate my birthday on Saturday!!!! Yipeee!!!! and thanks everyone!!!! and thanks to everyone who was there in thought, ie Pernell and Margie :)!!!!! Everyone is wonderful!!!!

Soups

This week has been the week of soups.
I really enjoy learning about and connecting to ancient roots of humanity. Traditionally, i.e. thousands of years ago, Christmas was celebrated all over the world and many of the festivals shared some common themes. Themes including celebrating the light in the darkness; worshipping the sun to fight off the darkness of winter. The winter solstice is celebrated and I hold that very dear to me because I am born on the winter solstice and I believe in the celebrations and symbols that holds. I believe in the cycles of the earth and I feel even more inspired that I get to have a profession that follows the cycles of life in women and childbirth. Anyways, another theme is celebration of food, the harvest and paying honour to grain. That is why we bake and feast at this time and that is certainly what I have been doing. This week, I have made 3 pots of soup and one pot of broth (with which to make the soups)

Broth
Many vegetables left to simmer in the pot
Adrian helped me; peeled the carrots, stirred, etc.
I have really been enjoying the time I have had to relax with him; we don't necessarily have to do anything but we can have so much fun doing it. In this season of celebrating, I just like celebrating him, he helps me to feel very happy, so happy that I will smile by myself just thinking about how happy. I am also really proud of him as he is now officially part of 2 other bands; Ophelia Syndrome and The Entertainment which are both gigging. I got to see Adrian with The Entertainment in Toronto last week, go hunney go!

Potato soup with Swiss Chard
This soup was an experiment in getting nutrition from dark leafy greens... okay, I have a confessions. I love eating vegetables. It is related to what I blabbed about earlier - how earthy vegetables look and taste makes me feel so close to the earth. In all honesty, I would love to eat a carrot fresh out of the earth with some of the dirt on it. Yes, some of you find that gross but that is what makes us all so special. Please note, Adrian ate this soup with the dark green leaves in it and enjoyed it, yes, the carnivore enjoyed it.

Potato leek soup
I made some of this soup to take to my grandparents. My Opa is pretty sick and frail and my Oma is stressed and worn from caring for him. Please send them prayers, good thoughts and well wishes. They have in my past brought me both joy and stress in their relentless love for me and their relentless desire to prosletyze me. But despite their efforts to convert me, I still love them to bits.

Butternut Squash
This soup is a beautiful bright orange so it reminds me of celebration. These past couple of weeks, that is what I have done; celebrating a break from school by sleeping in; celebrating food and creativity by baking and celebrating friends by visiting. I also get to celebrate my birthday, wahoo! I am 23 on the 21st. I know birthdays can sometimes feel anticlimatic, but I always get so excited and I think I love having my birthday near Christmas because after my birthday, I get to celebrate Christmas so it is overwhelmingly joyful.

So these soups are my hommage to the earth. I am cooking to honour the earth from which the food came and I am storing these soups to be eaten in the NewYear (in case you are wondering why one 22 year old would need so many pots of soup)

Sorting

Hi everyone.
I am sorting through some stuff and I have some stuff that is too nice to just give to SA right away so I want to check if anyone would have any use for it, obviously this is free, wahoo! free stuff! I will probably update this list as my sorting adventures continue:

I have some clothes that are fairly new but have become a little too snug, we were going to have a clothing swap party but we just never got around to it so if anyone would like to have a look, drop me a note. Here is a little inventory:
Pink Roxy knee length cotton skirt
Pink flowy peasant blouse
2 Espirt cotton tops (pink one and a black one) they are cotton, three quarter length sleeve with a little stretch. They just ride up my torso because my hips are too big, lol.
I have more clothes too

Just added!:
CD's: a bunch of worship CDs and Christian pop: Supertones, Delirous?, Relient K, and some mix ones.
Toys:
I have a Bubbles Powerpuff stuffed doll that also serves as a purse. I have never used it, it just sits on my shelf. Anyone have a little one into powerpuff girls?

I will keep you all posted.

Wahoo

I am done exams
Just wrote reproductive physiology
Wrote pharmacotherapy on wednesday
I feel awesome, got together with my class and practiced some principles of pharm in terms of ethanol eh hum... and cannaboids...
nice, very nice, hope I feel ok tomorrow, still want to go to the farmer's market.
Cheers

Ode to Charlie

I have just switched my car, my pinky-purple Nissan 200SX which I have anthropomorphized by naming Charlie (a girl) and this blog is to pay tribute to the four and half wonderful years with her.
Charlie has accompanied me on some important milestones....
Moving out for this first time (but to my grandparents)
Moving out for real (to Hamilton)
2 trips to Ottawa; car packed
I long, glorious road trip to the East coast making stops in Quebec city, New Brunswick, Halifax, Bay of Fundy and lots of time in Cape Breton
late nights
first boyfriends
INDEPENDENCE!!!!!!!!!
Airport runs; picking up Manyang and friends with friends (car packed with luggage and 5 people!!!!)
Drive-in movies
Drive-throughs... not really... not a big fan

and some memories not so good; stuck on ice, stuck in snow, buried in ice and snow, blown out tires, dead starter, dead alternator (while driving), dead wiper (will driving in rain), dead battery, a few tows, a few roadside assists... but regardless, dear Charlie, I will miss you... I hope you find another owner who is just as excited about you as I was.... take care...

Now, I drive an 07 Toyota Yaris, it is orange, has three doors and I "had" to upgrade so it has some perks. I feel safer, although I am getting used to her clutch and the ABS. I have decided to name her Deborah and I am sure we will get along just fine and have many great adventures going to births in the middle of the night.

Procrastination Methods Part 2

Just an update and some musings...
Adrian and I went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and it was phenomenal. I still have a little tinnitus (ringing in my ears), but well worth it. It was about 3 hours Up to 30 band members; a string section with a mstr playing an electric violin; 2 keyboardist; 3 electric guitarists; many vocalists; a bassist; a wicked drummer with a huge kit; and not to mention, all the laser lights, pyrotechnics and rising stages. Their set included classic Christmas songs, classic rock and classic Beethoven. For more info on them go to www.trans-siberian.com

I have been studying and today I learned CPR. I think I needed breathing coaching just to get through the practical evaluation - I was so nervous. However, I ended up doing the procedures a la textbook. I have also been studying as though this information is going to come in handy... hmmmm... jokes of course.

At theology pub Jaci asked me some pregnancy related questions; they seemed like ones I should be able to answer but I couldn't with the confidence I feel I need for when I will be providing care so I went to research some answers.
Question 1: If one unknowingly becomes pregnant while on the Birth Control Pill and continues taking the pill, will there be any adverse effects?
Answer: No, because the hormones are in fairly small doses, they are hormones necessary for pregnancy, but regardless, the developing embryo once implanted in the uterus will pretty much override the effects of the estrogen and progesterone in the pill. The only potential for an adverse effect is the conversion of the progesterone into androgens which could have masculinizing effects on a fetal fetus; i.e: enlargement of the clitoris.
Question 2: Will a vitamin B-12 injection be contraindicated in pregnancy.
Answer; None of the drug manuals contraindicate these injections in pregnancy in cases of anemia and vitamin B-12 deficiency. However, it is in the pregnancy drug class C, meaning that it is unknown whether or not the drug will have a negative or effect on the fetus. (80% of all drugs are in this category because it is rare that randomized control studies can actually be performed due to the ethical issues surorunding drug testing in humans, pregnant ones no less - for toxic effects no less!!!) Jaci, I don't know why that pregnant woman was not given the shot. I don't know the dose, I don't know the context but another thing to consider; the fetus' liver and ability to process anything is not as well developed and thus has an increased risk of toxicity from anything the mother receives (pretty much anything in the mom's blood will pass through the placenta)

I am playing with my blog right now and in my eyes it is a mess so please bare with me as I experiment... Pernell, I will soon need your help as you can already see

um.... procrastination methods part 1

Just updating...
I am ok... I am submersed in the cram to finish assignments and study for exams so I feel guilty when I blog but who cares right? I should savour the opportunities to relax because my life will get a little intense very soon.

Last weekend....
Adrian wanted to go shopping... Yes, I wrote that correctly.
We went to Limeridge - it was fun. All the hours spent watching fashion makeover shows has really given me an ability to pick out flattering clothes efficiently and effectively.
It was GREAT!
Then we went to Bean Bar where we ate rich, delicious food; sweet potato fries, I had a brie and gorgonzola pizza with carmalized onions, roasted garlic and sundried-tomato pesto sauce. Adrian had tortellini alfredo, followed by jack & coke and a big piece of cheesecake!
Saturday: I have a ritual of going to Bread and Roses cafe where I get coffee, a home-made bagel and buy organic produce at the stand that puts up shop there every Saturday. It was pleasant needless to say.
That evening.... I was Adrian's roadie... pick drums up - pack in car (can't wait for my hatchback) - unload (this was tricky as there was a huge confusion over where we were playing due to inadequate festival organizers) - finally unloaded at Absinthe - set up drums - Adrian played (of course I loved it) - take drums down - load in car - go get pizza and have just one drink - play pool on crappy pool table that had no chalk for the cues, hmmmmm, that is what I blame my crappy skills on... - back to adrian's - unload drums
Sunday - parents came - out to dinner at Ben Thanh - it was just ok - would have prefered whistling walrus - went to Hamilton Music Awards - very interesting - saw Eugene Levy - left early to catch Amazing Race at Pernell's - crazy, loud kids everywhere but they were cute!
Ok, that's enough for now. Back to writing big papers :(