Hi everyone! I am so sorry for the disappearance….again. Between school, moving into my new home and working I have had zero time to come here and write about my adventures and what has been going on in my life! We’re already almost finished with December and into the year 2023! It’s amazing and crazy to see how fast time flies sometimes. I hope everyone has been enjoying the festive holidays and keeping safe and being healthy. I just wanted to stop by and hopefully write more in the next upcoming weeks! Until next time (:
school
Summer’s end in September
I can’t believe summer has come to a close already. Just starting out in September and the first weekend is spent relaxing, looking at fall decorations and putting away those summer ones. Time can not be flying by any faster!
Some news from me: I am now set up in Arizona at my condo. I am still adjusting to just how HOT it is here! Every day is over 100 degrees! It’s wild to say the least. I’m also having a lot of fun trying to find what my style is for decorating the house. Sometimes I want a dark/rustic farmhouse look and sometimes I want to go full on industrial! So it’s been fun adventuring around the city checking into all the craft, furniture and design stores. I brought along my cat Solo and needless to say he cozied right on in. Loves to bathe in the sun, attack all the cat toys and basically made himself right at home.
I started my third semester and half of the classes are in person at the school. It was weird going back to in-person classes again. However, it was nice because I met some people who are equally confused and stressed out about school and even wore my scrubs! So exciting…and nerve-wracking.
Goals:
Some goals that I have for September is to get all my nursing school notes organized. Come up with a better financial plan for saving. Study and get the highest possible grades on my assignments and to adventure around Arizona a little more. Maybe find a nice local coffee shops and some hiking trails.
What are some goals that you have for September?
“A goal without a plan is only a dream.”
-Brian Tracy
Word of the Day, POP Quiz!
Nursing School Edition #5
What is a heart murmur? A heart murmur is is an abnormal noise between heartbeats. It can be a blowing, whooshing, or swishing sound. A heart murmur is when the blood makes an extra sound as it moves through.
The atrioventricular valve between the left atrium and the left ventricle is known as the ____ valve. Bicuspid / mitral valve
What is an angioplasty? An angioplasty is a surgical repair or unblocking of a blood vessel.
The ____ arteries supply muscles of the thorax. Intercostal
An average cardiac cycle takes ____ seconds. 0.8
Lymphatic ____ are spaces between groups of lymphatic tissue. Sinuses
Liver macrophages are called ____ cells. Kupffer
Hydrochloric acid is secreted into the stomach by ____ cells. Parietal
The taste of ____ detects monosodium glutamate. Umami
The collapsible, muscular tube that is situated behind the trachea is called the: Esophagus
During the ____ phase of the menstrual cycle, the zona pellucida develops around each egg. Menstrual
The anterior portions of the nasal cavities just inside the nostrils are known as the: Vestibules
Sickle-cell anemia is a hereditary disease in which leukocytes have an abnormal sickle shape due to abnormal hemoglobin. FALSE
Hyperparathyroidism results in the softening and deformation of the: BONES
A quote my Anatomy and Physiology Professor gave to my class:
“Just because you watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ doesn’t mean you can do the operation.”
Charles Barkley
Word of the Day
Nursing School Edition #3
Aortic Regurgitation
This is a condition where the hearts aortic valve doesn’t close tightly enough. Due to this, some of the blood pumped out of the heart leaks backward.
This can have many complications, the most extreme is heart failure.
Q: What can cause this?
A: Congenital heart valve disease, other genetic heart diseases.
Q: What are some of the symptoms?
- heart palpitations
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- weakness
- fainting
- swollen ankles and feet
Q: Can this be treated?
A: Yes! This will typically require a surgery to fix the valve. Sometimes it can be treated with medications.
Off with April and onto May
I feel like April came and went in such a hurry. What did you do for the month? Here is how I spent my April.
First semester down and onto my second for nursing school.
Halfway through April, I finished my first semester and I started my second semester of nursing school. I had a week’s break and then it was back to studying. This time around I has an even fuller schedule since I’m in five classes! Having five classes means I have to stay organized and on top of my game. I wanted to try out a different digital planner than the one I already use. I shopped around Etsy and decided to try out a new one that had room for multiple classes. So far it is working out great and really keeping things in check.
Working out even more!
In March I was starting to work out again, and I’m happy to say I stayed on top of that in April as well. I decided on not setting any hardcore goals and instead stayed with easier ones. Some goals were: workout a few times in April, go on a walk every day that you can, and try to go hiking. I managed to achieve every one of those goals and I can’t wait to do even more in May.
Hiking in Muir Woods
I was really excited when one of my friends and I found time to go hiking. We originally planned on a Mt. Tamalpais trail that traveled in a 5.2 mile loop into Muir Woods here in California. While we did make it down to Muir Woods we accidentally got turned around and instead hikes a 10 mile loop!! We were exhausted, a little nervous but overall we managed to do it! That’s a story for later 😅
I can’t wait to see what May has in store for me. What were some of the things you did in April? Any plans for May? Let me know in the comments below, can’t wait to hear them! Stay safe 💚 Kat
“After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value.”
G.M. Trevelyan
School Update:
Semester 1 Complete!
Semester one of nursing school was completed. It was a nice and tough semester, especially with my math class. I managed to struggle through and pass with all A’s and a B in math. I surprised myself, to say the least and I’m glad I pushed myself. Thinking back to how my learning styles have changed, I definitely see a pattern on some things. I definitely am a crash course student. What that means to me is that if I cram semi last minute I tend to retain information more and score higher on tests. I think that is a TERRIBLE habit to have, but for some reason it works for me. These last couple months I have tried to curb that habit and I actually did a little better with it. These classes were asynchronous which worked out great with my work schedules. My next semester (which starts in a week) is also asynchronous, so that kind of eases some stress. Are you wondering what asynchronous means, just like I was before taking these? Asynchronous basically means that students are given a time frame, usually a one-week window. During that time frame they need to connect to their class at least once or twice a day. Doing it on your own with a timeline guidance is great for non hands-on classes.
I wanted to keep tabs on how my classes are going and what grades I earn because this is a big journey for me. This also keeps me motivated in a sense to share how nursing school is and what happens throughout it. I’m excited to start my next set of classes and a little nervous as well. I’m taking a full semester with not four, but five classes! So this should be interesting.
“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”
—Mother Teresa
It’s Friday!
New Things in Store for Me…
Nursing School
I have some big and exciting news to start off 2022. I was accepted into Nursing School and am starting my first semester. This has been a long time coming and it has definitely been a journey along the way. I first started looking into Nursing programs when I graduated high school in 2011. Due to the budget crisis in California way back in the day, the program I was looking at was cut and almost all nursing programs were turned into lottery based systems. So now fast forward about 10 years and I am officially in Nursing school. I am beyond excited, nervous and definitely stressed. Sometimes I think that it isn’t real, but it is. There is so much to learn and I am excited to learn and soak in all this knowledge.
Goals:
Some goals that I will be continuing to work on are my studying techniques and organizational skills. This semester I am doing a big personal change with how I organize. When I was going to school for my Associates in Fire Technology I wrote EVERY single down in a notebook or a planner. I also had assignments and due dates randomly tacked up to my board or laying on a counter top. I decided this time I can’t do that because that was so hectic, even though it worked. I bought a few new items for studying and organizing, one of them being the new Ipad Pro. This thing is amazing so far, I’m still learning as I go because it is a steep learning curve for me. One of the things that I love about it is the Digital Planner aspect. Instead of carrying around a paper planner (which I kind of miss because I love them), the digital planner is much more efficient and accessible. When I go to work I only have to carry around a small notebook, my Ipad and my Apple Pencil. It’s convenient, not bulky and works great off of wifi.
Another goal that I gave myself is: not to set myself up with too many goals. Everybody is different and I know how I work. If I give myself too many goals I will stress myself out and over worry. That is something I don’t want. Lastly my end goal is I want to pass school. Easier said than done.
“You treat a disease: you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you win—no matter the outcome.”
—Robin Williams in Patch Adams
April 15th 2020
“All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible.”
—Orison Swett Marden
I finally have done it! I have completed Hospital Corpsman school! I passed all my tests and labs and have finally done it! Graduation Monday. ❤️
April 5th 2020
“Endurance is patience concentrated.”
– Thomas Carlyle
I have 15 more days of school left. After that i will be a full fledged Navy Corpsman. The days can not go by any faster!
Katie Writes 