OB clinical

Yesterday I saw my 2nd c-section (4th delivery)! woo-hoo! It was great. I also got the chance to try to start my second IV....and guess what...I started it on my first try! I am officailly 2-2 in starting IVs. My professor told me that I am the only student that she has ever had that has been 2-2. (she has had 7 semesters of students)!!!!  I'm a pro ;)

My Brother is growing up

Tonight, Shaun and I went to my brothers 8th grade graduation from Paradise Valley Christian School. Not too long ago, I was in the same ceremony...okay so it was 8 years ago, but it kind of felt like yesterday. It was fun to go back and see some of the same proffessors there that I had growing up. It was such a wonderful school and it is pretty neat that all of my brothers and sisters will graduate from there. Michael has really grown up this past year and I cant believe that he will be starting high school in August! It is fun to watch all four of them grow up.

My favorite day in L&D

Yesterday, I arrived on the labor and delivery floor and it was insanely busy! We have been there for 5 weeks now and this was the busiest we had ever seen it. The staff were running around like mad women! I was so excited that it was going to be an eventful day!

 There was a patient that checked in right as I got there, her water had broken 2 hours earlier and was in a lot of pain (like all laboring mothers are!) I immediately wanted her because I knew that because she was just arriving she would need her IV started, and I have yet had the chance to try and start my first IV. Pregnant women are the easiest to start IVs on because their veins are very large. I gathered all of my supplies, grabbed my instructor and headed to the room. I was  super nervous and my hands were shaking (not a good thing because my hands needed to be steady)!! She was a wonderful first victum for a IV start by a student....not only were her veins great, but becuase she was in so much pain she hardly cared that I was sticking a needle in her arm. She was perfect and so was I...I got it in on the first try! I then took some of her blood for testing and hooked her up to her fluids. 

The day was so busy that I was able to learn and do so much. The Nurse I was following was great! She explained to me everything and was so eager to teach me. I wish that every nurse that I followed was just like her! Yesterday was the first day that I felt like I was almost a nurse. I started the IV, inserted a Foley catheter, charted, hooked up a mom to a fetal monitor, and did anything that the nurse needed me to do. My favorite thing about yesterday was being able to answer questions that the patients had. The past four weeks at clinicals I have taken a back seat and watched everything from the side. Yesterday, I finally felt comfortable getting out of my shell and taking initiative. I have learned so much in class about birth that I think I finally felt confident enough to teach patients. The patients were asking me all sorts of questions yesterday and I had no problem answering them! I was shocked at how easy it came to me. Could I have really learned so much in the past 8 weeks of class that I was able to teach someone something that they didn't know!? I felt so knowledgeable, that it really made me feel like a real nurse. :-)

Right before the end of my time on the floor, my patient delivered her little boy! This was my second vaginal delivery thus far and it was just as amazing as the first! I loved watching the joy that overcame the couples face as they became parents! It was so cute! 

Overall the day was my favorite! I was able learn, teach patients, and accomplish a lot of other things. It made me think that Labor and Delivery could be the place for me! This was the first time in nursing school that I could actually see myself in a specialty. I am still keeping my eyes open to other areas, but I really enjoy labor and delivery! 

Finally, My First Real Birth

Shaun and I are both back to our regular schedule of school. I'll talk more about what else is going on and my thoughts on everything that happened, but for know I am going to tell you about my exciting day at clinicals! 

I am 5 weeks into my Labor and Delivery rotation at Mountain Vista. This week I finally got to see my first vaginal delivery! 

I arrived on the floor at 7am and was assigned to a mom who was 4 cm dilated and just about to receive her epidural. I walked into the room just in time to watch the epidural being placed. The mom looked like she was in a lot of pain! Fifteen minutes after she received the epidural, she was chatting up a storm with all of her nurses. It was funny to see the almost immediate change! She progressed rather quickly and delivered the baby at 9:45 am. It was amazing to get to be right there in all of the action through the whole birth! Without getting into much detail...it was a interesting to watch the experience that the mother had during the actual birthing process.  I am definitely in no hurry to experience that kind of trauma! haha. But what made it all worth it was to watch everything that happened after the birth. Once the baby was out, both the mom and dad were so happy to finally meet their baby girl!  It was a lot of fun to get to take care of the mom after the birth, help her breastfeed, give the baby its first bath, change the baby's first diaper, and everything else that we did ("we"- meaning my fellow student and I). 

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and I am excited to do it again! 

The miracle of birth is so amazing! I love Labor and Delivery! 

The News that changed our lives.

Thank you all for your prayers! God is good and we are all doing fine over here at the Palmer house. We had a very big scare last week. If you want to read the whole story in full detail, I would suggest going to my husband's blog (click here). He is a much better writer and took the time to write the whole thing out. 

Shaun was not feeling right a few Thursdays ago and went to the Doctor. The Doctor decided that he should go in to have some blood work done and a brain MRI, just to be safe. Well Friday we got a phone call that no one ever would want to get. The Doctor told Shaun that he had a large lass in the back of his brain. My heart sank to my stomach; I was terrified. I immediately broke down in to tears... How could this be happening? Why my husband? Why this at such a young age? All of the worst thoughts flashed into my brain.  We spent the weekend in shock...what was this going to mean? how big was the mass? will he need brain surgery, chemo, radiation?  am I going to have a husband in a few years? I know it sounds weird, but we were scared out of our minds! All weekend we could do nothing but wait. We couldn't talk to any Doctors to get our questions answered. That was the hardest part....waiting. We spent the weekend crying, praying, reading the bible, going to church, talking with friends and family, and wondering what was to come. I've never felt the way I felt that weekend. It was the worst emotional pain that I had ever felt. It was so hard to be the strong wife for my husband, when I knew that I was just as scared as he was inside. 

Well, Monday came along and it was time for me to try to go back to class. All of the while, Shaun spent the day trying to see a neurosurgeon. That afternoon he was able to see one at Barrow's Neurological Institute. That neurosurgeon referred him to see a different surgeon who would know more about the certain mass that Shaun had.  The next two days Shaun spent waiting to get into the next surgeons office. All of the waiting was extremely hard for the both of us. Thursday, we were finally able to see the Neurosurgeon. She showed us his MRI pictures and explained to us what it was. It is either an Arachnoid cyst or a Dandy-Walker Malformation. Both are congenital, meaning it has been growing with Shaun since he was born. She said that there is no reason why Shaun should have surgery right now. It is not putting extra pressure on his brain and isn't causing any problems. His brain has been used to it being there and has grown around it. She said that all we can do is monitor it and make sure that it does not grow anymore.  This is the best news that anyone can receive, after finding out that there is a mass in their brain. We are extremely grateful that all we have to do is watch to see if anything happens. God is AMAZING! He knew exactly His plan for Shaun and I through the whole thing. It was amazing to see His work throughout the week. 

Thank you again for all of your prayers, phone calls, meals and notes of encouragements! It was such a blessing to hear how many friends, relatives and people who didn't even know Shaun who were on their knees every day praying for him. It was one of the things that encouraged us in our time of pain. Even though that week was such a rough and exhausting week, we can now look back at it knowing that because of the suffering that we went through it grew our faith in Christ.  I can honestly say that I am not the same person that I was over a week ago. 

PLEASE PRAY

Hello Family and Friends, 

I am writing my blog today with a heavy heart. Shaun and I found out some devastating news on Friday afternoon. 

Words can not describe all of the feelings that I am feeling right now. 

We will be going through a lot in the months to come. 

We are not in a place where we are telling everyone what is going on; only close family and friends know. All I am asking for is your prayer right now. Please

We know that this is God's plan for our lives right now and will continue to trust Him through this journey. 

Please pray for:

-Doors to be open/closed where needed

-Strength

-Wisdom and understanding

-That our hearts would fill with peace...knowing that God is in control

-All of the Doctors/Nurses that will be involved

Thank you again. 

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Romans 5:3 "Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy spirit, whom he has given us. "

First week of Clinicals

Last week was the first week of my clinicals in this new semester. As ya'll know I am doing obstetrics and pediatrics this semester. My mondays are my pediatric clinicals and wednesdays are spent in the Labor and Delivery department at Mountian Vista Medical Center. This Hopspital is clear on the other side of the city on the way to New Mexico (just kidding...but it feels like it.) It is a gorgeous hospital! It is only a year old and looks like a day spa! The labor and Delivery department is large and spacious. I love it. It is a huge upgrade from the hospital that we were at last semester.

So last wednesday I spent the day in postpartum. I really enjoyed it! It is fun to see all of the families who are super excited about their new little one. It is one of the few areas in the hospital where most of the patients are happy (instead of being sad because they are sick). 

The only out of the ordinary thing that I got to see was a procedure done called a blood patch.  This is because an epidural was done with the birth and it caused the spinal fluid to leak out of the spine, causing the brain to have pressure and ache. A blood patch is where they take the patent's blood and reinsert it into their spine, where the epidural had occurred 2 days ago. When the blood is inserted into the epidural space it creates a clot that patches the hole in the matter around the spine. This keeps the spinal fluid from leaking; therefor the patient instantly feels better and the headache goes away. It is really neat! I enjoyed watching it. 

Overall the day was fun! All of the new babies are so tiny. I forgot how small newborns are! They are so precious. I enjoyed getting to do newborn and new mom assessments. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to witness a live birth. I look forward to seeing the miracle of birth. I'll be sure to tell ya'll about it! :-)

I haven't had a pediatric rotation yet. That will happen tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a good experience!