loryces online
Friday, September 30
A Fun Rotation


Finally done with Critical Care rotation. Celebrated it with half of the class and a couple of our clinical instructors. I thought it'll be awkward for students and instructors to mingle socially (because it's unheard of in the Philippines) but it turned out ok. I've always enjoyed my instructors' company during clinicals because they were a hoot but listening to them while we were having dinner was really a blast.
I wish Critical Care could have gone on for 4 more weeks. Of all our clinicals, I enjoyed this the most. Probably because I'm more confident of my skills and of my understanding as to the whys and hows of the different disease processes. Or it could be because I had two of the wackiest instructors in the nursing department. Could ICU/CCU be my niche? I hope so. I need to find that out before I graduate.

Anyway, starting next week, we'll be tackling Home Health. Each of us is assigned to one nurse. No groups. No instructor hovering behind our backs. No staff nurse to orient us to what's happening to the patients assigned to us. And apparently, our instructors expect us to follow the home health nurse to every appointment she has for the day. Problem is some of the places are unknown to me. I don't know Chicago as well as I would like. I can drive to and from school and the mall (syempre) but that's it. I'm afraid of going into the City because traffic is as bad (or probably worse) as Manila. I could probably ask the nurse if I can ride with her. I just hope she won't mind. ;)



_________
* Pictures taken using Treo 600

LORYCES @ 7:32 PM | COMMENTS 5 comment(s)
5 comment(s):
At 12:24 PM, Blogger Cathy Young commented...

Hi Laurice,

Just spotted you on Yahoo Messenger and wanted to say hello, but you disappeared.

Don't know if you remember me, I'm the Xena fan who really liked your list of interests and thought you sounded like a cool person. *G* By the way, you're a Neil Gaiman fan, right? You should check out the latest Time magazine (time.com), they have a long interview with Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman.

Anyway, I imagine you're incredibly busy with your training right now, but I wanted to renew my invitation to visit our Xena board. http://p209.ezboard.com/bxwpweb

It's lots of fun!

 
At 6:14 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

hi cathy! i've already joined the forum but didn't post yet. :D nice to see you back here.

 
At 8:58 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

wow! best of luck! who knows? nursing would turn out as the career meant for you :)

 
At 8:18 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

we'll see :)

 
At 5:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous commented...

there is no traffic that can be worse than Manila's.

-- rej

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Friday, September 23
Glamorous Life Indeed

Didn't get to go to the Anansi Boys signing last Sept 22. Made me really sad. Of course Neil blogging about it didn't helpt one bit. He signed for about 600 people until 12.20am. Sigh. If only I saw my friend's email in time, if only we had internet at home, if only things went as planned, I would be blogging about how Neil kissed me (ehek). But of course, I can't get everything. At least I have Anansi Boys (which I borrowed from the public library) and Mirrormask (which opens on Sept 30) to occupy my Neil-deprived mind.

LORYCES @ 11:26 AM | COMMENTS 2 comment(s)
2 comment(s):
At 9:03 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

Ok lang yan. Remember, you're in the same continent. Maybe the "meeting" will be worth the wait! :)

 
At 9:25 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

isn't it funny that we're so near to each other but we haven't met yet? effing ridiculous i tell ya!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Monday, September 19
Effing Ridiculous

I've said it before, I will say it again: THIS IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS!!! Neil Gaiman is coming to Chicago on Sept 22 to do a signing on his new book Anansi Boys. And once again, by a wicked twist of fate (or someone's cruel sense of humor), I'm unable to go. I don't understand it. At first, it seems the universe is conspiring in my favor:

  • Even though I have classes during Thursdays, we usually finish around 7 pm (was 9pm a semester ago). Signing starts at 7:30p. I might not be the first in line but I will have enough time to meet Neil.

  • I finally know how to drive.

  • We have a car, complete with that blasted insurance policy.

  • My brother or sister can accompany me; she can take my picture while I oggle Neil.

  • Anderson's Bookshop is merely 30 minutes from my place.


But of course, all these are rendered insignificant by my parents. "You can't drive yet." "You have to practice first." "" Ano ba? Nakakainis ha. How can I practice driving if you won't even let me near the car? Grrr.

You know, I think I would have been happier if the reason of me being unable to go to Neil's signing is something other than what my parents told me. It would have been less irritating... and less disappointing.

LORYCES @ 5:29 PM | COMMENTS 10 comment(s)
10 comment(s):
At 6:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous commented...

i can accompany you, just say please,hehehehe and oh by the way, you have to feed me if i'm coming with you,hehehehe just kidding...

 
At 10:24 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

WTF?! NO WAY!!!
Lau, if they won't allow you to drive. Just walk. I will if I were you. It's gonna be worth it. =)

 
At 10:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous commented...

Nagcomment pala ako sa old entry mo, ahaha!

Anyway, magmakaawa ka. LOL. :D Sana ay ma-meet mo na siya. :)

 
At 6:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous commented...

samahan kita lau - dane

 
At 12:39 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

liza: narinig mo naman ang sabi ng mommy *sniff*

karen: wtf tlga! *sniff*

angela: nagmakaawa na ko.. to no avail *sniff*

dane: sayang dane. mamya na yung signing eh. *sniff*

 
At 2:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous commented...

tinatawagan ko yung no. mo.. not in service daw. (---) --- 8854? - dane

 
At 5:41 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

dane: san mo naman nakuha yung 8854? ah baka yan yung number ko before. i emailed you my new one and my landline. email mo sa kin landline mo and i'll call you from work.

 
At 12:06 AM, Blogger u l a n commented...

papuntahin na lang natin si neil sa inyo. handa ka lang ng maraming calamansi juice. ano, game ka?

hehehe

 
At 5:36 PM, Blogger Dr. Emer commented...

so, did you get to see him?

here's a picture when he was in new jersey on the way to chicago..... its from my friend durga who's also true sandman fan!

 
At 10:32 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

ulan: sure ba! hehehe.

doc: di po eh huhu.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Sunday, September 18
Trailers

The trailers for Memoirs of a Geisha...




...and Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire are now available!



LORYCES @ 7:30 PM | COMMENTS 2 comment(s)
2 comment(s):
At 10:22 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

whee! she's sooo pretty! i got to convince Joan to return my book so i can re-read it! Can't wait for HP too! Love Viktor Krum! :p

 
At 12:38 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

yeah she is. although asar pa rin ako kasi they got a chinese to play sayuri. *grumble* oh well.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Thursday, September 15
Skydiving

I got an email from a classmate yesterday about her plans of going skydiving next month. If not for our financial need, I would jump (pun intended) at the chance. It’s one of the things I’d like to experience and cross off my to-do-before-I-die list but I don't think I'll do it. It's a pity really because everything seems to be falling into place.

  • Someone I know will be with me. I don't have to do it alone. Wouldn't you agree that it'll be nice to have someone other than the instructor to push my ass off?

  • It's a once-in-a-lifetime event!

  • I can sort of afford it (but I don't think it's a wise decision to take out half of my savings just for a moment of exhiliration).

  • I think the date is scheduled right after an exam, which is indeed a good opportunity to purge my frustrations.

  • Skydive Chicago offers tandem skydiving which allows the flyer to make the initial skydive with an instructor harnessed to the back. (I guess I can handle that.) Also, from what I read in their FAQs, Skydive Chicago is using all methods possible to ensure the safety of their customers such as computerized automatic activation devices (when you forget to open the parachute) and ram air canopies (which makes landing as smooth as possible).


Sigh. Enough reasons to try it right? Not. I can't do it, not with my family's financial status at the moment. I guess there's always next time. Wish I could do it with my friends when the time comes.

LORYCES @ 5:54 PM | COMMENTS 4 comment(s)
4 comment(s):
At 10:18 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

I would jump only if Orlando Bloom jumps with me. LOL! Lau, I miss you! =)

 
At 1:36 AM, Blogger sublime wanderer commented...

hay. gusto ko rin mag sky dive, as in. ive tried scuba diving so gusto ko ma-try ko rin ngayon lumipad. :D

 
At 12:37 PM, Blogger loryces commented...

karen: miss you too! :)

newsie: sabay tayo. :D

 
At 8:59 AM, Blogger lifecafe commented...

sana mabasa mo pa 'to... if you ever come back home, i'd love to skydive with you. i have a friend who is/used to be an instructor. =)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Thursday, September 1
And so it begins...

Last semester... yaiks the end (or the beginning - whichever way you want to look at it) is so near. I can almost feel my airway constrict, my bile rise up, and my heart develop PVCs1. In a few months, my fate will be decided. I can't bear to look ahead and dream. Right now, I'm just focusing on passing this dreaded Critical Care subject and maybe after that, I can look forward to what's coming around the bend. I have yet to familiarize myself with the different ECG rhythms and differentiate which is which. It's pretty interesting really, as long as you don't muck it up in the exams. There's the V-tach (QRS complexes only, pt has no pulse), A-fib (atria's not contracting so formation of clots is high), A-flutter (sawtooth waves, I'm guessing mechanism is same thing as A-fib), and V-fib (no ventricular contraction, no cardiac output so perfusion to all parts of the body ceases). There are tons more; I would blog it but seeing as how confusing and boring it is, I might as well lose the few readers who still has the patience to drop by. *grin* Anyway, the other day, one of my classmates got a chance to rotate in the operating room and observe an open heart surgery. She was raving about it when she joined us for post-conference. It's a pity I wouldn't be assigned to the OR. O sya la na ko makwento. My thoughts are jumbled and I think this blog is all over the place. Let's see tomorrow if I can fix it. Too much info over a few days2 ... sigh.








_____________
1 PVCs or premature ventricular contractions - heart's ventricles contract too quickly, sometimes called a skipped beat; usually common when individuals are under a lot of stress
2 Exam namin tom

LORYCES @ 6:07 PM | COMMENTS 5 comment(s)
5 comment(s):
At 9:32 PM, Blogger Unknown commented...

best of luck and all God's blessings. :)

 
At 7:14 PM, Blogger Dr. Emer commented...

Kaya mo yan. Ikaw pa! :)

 
At 1:04 AM, Blogger u l a n commented...

good luck, lau! sana wag ka masyadong madalas mag-online ha? *grin*

hehehe.

=) ian

 
At 3:39 PM, Blogger Cathy Young commented...

Howdy!

I found your site when, out of idle curiosity, I googled for Ayn Rand and Xena (being a fan of both myself).

Anyway, having briefly scanned your site I have to say you sound like a really cool person! I also love books and have been meaning to check out Neil Gaiman.

I'd love to chat sometime, maybe I'll try you on YM? Also, I'd like to invite you to check out a Xena message board I co-moderate:

http://p209.ezboard.com/bxwpweb

Good luck with everything!

 
At 10:08 AM, Blogger loryces commented...

karen: thanks!

ulan: thanks din! don't worry i won't. *grin*

doc: *blush* thanks!

cathy: me? a cool person? well uhm thanks i guess! :D sure i'll drop by your forum. thanks for visiting!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home