Mama Speaks

This is the story of our girl, Boo. In November 2007, Brandon went to the SPCA and adopted a very lively, wild mutt. "Lab mix" they said, yet in the years to come, we heard many things regarding what she looked like: pit, boxer, and beagle were the most frequent comments. B and I went over several names, disagreeing on most as we walked along the beach one night, until we came to "Boo." Actually, Boo Berry (like the cereal). I wasn't sure what to make of Boo at first. She was super cute, but STRONG and that scared me. I had spent most of my life with cats, minus some dogs in my early childhood years. Needless to say, we all bonded and loved each other deeply. I'll never forget bringing Boo home from her Oma's house (Brandon's mom) after the birth of our Ayla. She was so good around the baby. In fact, if the baby cried and we weren't there instantaneously, she was at our heels whining, as if she were saying, "The little human needs you....

I did it. I finished nursing school. In 1 week and 1 day, I will be getting pinned and celebrating the rollercoaster of a last 18 months. I knew nursing school would be hard, but I didn't realize all the ways it would test me. I've worked my butt off, accepting that I've worked harder for some of the B's I earned more than I ever did before in school to earn an A. Despite it all, I'm proud to say I finished nursing school with all A's and B's. I really wanted to be one of the students to prove the naysayers wrong, all those teachers and advisors saying, "No one earns all A's in nursing school." The thing is...it is so much more than grades. I've met incredible patients, been touched by their stories, and learned from nurses- lessons both good and bad.  Now, I'm moving forward to this next chapter, the part where I pass my boards and get a real RN job. It is funny because the path I thought I so carefully laid for myself and my future...

Last blog, I mentioned I've been having issues with my blood pressure. Since then, I've seen a nurse practitioner and been put on Norvasc, which has helped immensely. I was truly amazed at the wonderful care and concern I received from this new-to-me NP. She listened to all my concerns and ponderings, as I've been in the range for hyperparathyroidism and have many symptoms of hypothyroidism, despite my TSH being within normal limits. However, that lab value has been climbing quite a lot over the last 2 years. I'd only discovered the hyperparathyroidism after having a second kidney stone, at which time via CT scan they also incidentally found some small nodules on the lower lobe of my lung. Long story short, this NP listened to me, followed up with labs, and is sending me out for an endocrinology consultation. At the end of my first appointment with her, I thanked her tearfully for not berating me about my weight, which is what most medical professionals would do, maybe ...

I haven't blogged in 4 years. I stopped because I felt like anything I had to say, someone else would surely say so why should I bother? I guess it felt like I shouldn't try, no one would care, why waste my time yelling into the abyss? A lot has changed in the last 4 years, including adding a baby (now toddler) to the family, along with a pit bull puppy, bringing our pooch count to 3. I've been through a separation and resurrection of my marriage. I've been on a solo trip to meet my soul sisters, my fellow warrior mamas, that filled my heart and soul in ways I still can't describe fully.  I even quit teaching in the middle of my 10th year after spending a few semesters working full-time and taking full-time prerequisite classes to apply to the nursing program. I got accepted and walked away from 10 years of laughter and friendships, as well as stress and micromanagement. I took this wild leap of faith that I still can't fully wrap my head around. When people s...