What happens in Vegas......

We went to Vegas to watch Jayli play some rockin' SUU Softball!! Well, she was actually the first person on the team to get on base against the California Bears (ranked like 3rd in the nation!) It's pretty much an addiction.....us watching Jay play softball!!

Addi entertained everyone with her dance skills at the ballpark!! Then Mom, Jodi, & I were people watching at the hotel lounge on Saturday night......oh my!! I haven't laughed that hard for a long time!! Everyone was at least 10-20 yrs older than us, NO ONE had their real hair, and lets just say the dance moves and the groovin' style demonstrated how much EtOH they drank that night!! Jodi was asked out by a guy who looked like Keanu Reeves in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", I was asked to learn to play a new type of poker, and we were ALL offered several drinks!! All in all - the band was fab, and the laughs were loud!! We even got a little dancing in.......just had to dodge the creepy staring guy : /

Loved spending time with The Fam!! To top it off, we had a fried oreo sunday at Serendipity.....mmmmmmhhhhhh yeahhh!

Addi, Shalene, Jayli, Mom, Me

Sistahs! Jo & Me

Addi - Jay - Me - Shalene

Addi LOVES Aunt Jay

.....but by the end of the trip, she loved me too!

....and she like the animals!

Addi & her Mama

Hands

So the topic of discussion lately has been HANDS.......namely the SIZE of people's HaNdS. Everyone knows their shoe size, but do you know your hand size?? If you work in an operating room, or have any other reason to wear sterile gloves, you know what I am talking about. For everyone else.......what size do you think your hands are???

Mine are 6.5

According to some surgeons, their hands are appropriate for what they do.......I'll let you all figure that one out.....

I have the smallest hands in my family, even with the girls, but I think my sister's hands are appropriate for their height & shoe size.

My Grandpa Blood has HUGE hands, and his children do also, in addition to a number of grandchildren (my cousins).......and sometimes they don't fit the body type - but I think that is awesome!!

I like big hands, long fingers, wide fists, and the strength that they exhibit!!

Mark is always so fascinated that my hands are so much smaller than his.....I kind of love that too. ;)

So what size are your hands??

You don't have to use a number, but you can if you know it??

Or use your own creative way to describe them.....

hAnDs are more than just a size.....they tell you much more about a person.....

What do your hands say about you?

For my learning enjoyment.......

Today was a busy day, but good all around. I bounced back and forth between 2 operating rooms (ORs) today, one surgeon evacuating a subdural hemorrhage (bleeding between the dura and the brain)....and the other surgeon clipping an aneurysm in a big artery in another brain.

InCrEdIbLe!!

For being a good little PA, and paying attention to the clock......I got a souvenir....

an ANEURYSM CLIP!!!!

They use a temporary clip on the vessel leading to the aneurysm to reduce the pressure while they put permanent clips on the neck of the aneurysm......and then they take the temp clips off......

and then I got to keep one....

OK - so maybe this isn't that exciting for the rest of you......but I was excited - ha ha!

So if you had surgery, and they removed something.......would you want to keep it????

Bright & Shiny

So I know the last post was kind of a depressing reality check........a reminder that life's not fair.....

Here's an update that will show you my job is not all dark and twisty heartbreak:

Since I only work in the hospital, I don't see anyone for follow-up. Therefore, I don't know how they are doing unless one of my docs or their NP's tell me. There was a young guy, in his 20s, that had a nasty wreck on his longboard (NO helmet). This resulted in 2 craniotomies and severe traumatic brain injury. He left the ICU to go to an LTAC (an acute, advanced nursing facility) and I honestly didn't think he was going to wake up. We had to remove 6 cm of his brain because it herniated - when he left he didn't open his eyes and only moved his arms/legs spontaneously......and his Mom was always there, never giving up, rejoicing in every little advancement he made, exhibiting incredible patience when we told her over and over that time will tell his outcome...

Today, Dave, who works in the office sent me a text that said he just saw this longboarder walk into his office.......awake.........talking..........back to life!!!

This canceled out all the dark and twisty I have seen for weeks!!

Hope you felt the warm & fuzzies too =)

Time.......

Wow! It has been a while since I posted on here eh?? Sometimes I feel like my posts need pics, but then I remind myself I can always find an appropriate pic on line!!

New Years has past, and there are a number of things I want to do this year.........yet because of the patients I have seen recently......I have been reliving the past!! I knew when I took this job, there was going to be a lot of sad and heart wrenching circumstances, and thus far the position is yet to disappoint. Lately though, I have been seeing a bunch of 18-20 year olds who have experienced a devastating event, obliterating their senior year in high school as they know it -- or changing their lives forever!

-A Cheerleader relearning to walk - getting over the fact her hair is only 1/2 an inch long, and that her biggest triumph this week was wiggling her toes.....

-A State Champion Wrestler, who was "kicking butt" this season, top of his game in his weight, in incredible physical form, who now is trying to regain strength and mobility in his whole right 1/2 of his body. He can still get the chicks though!! Ha ha - such a flirt!

-An outgoing rodeo cowgirl, returning from her first job at a State Fair - now will never walk, and is hoping for ANYTHING (except the crazy nerve pain she currently has) below her waist.

-A 20 y/o cowboy, bull rider, working hard, caught up in the little nuances that seem to overwhelm life - and now is fighting to regain function in his lungs so he can also work on ANYTHING he can get back below his waist -- right now....not so much.

At this time during my senior year: I was getting ready for state drill team competition, trying out for the All State Team, looking forward to every basketball game, every dance, stressing about getting ready for Sterling Scholar, looking forward to spring, softball, and not having to worry about anything after Drill Team tryouts. We took 2nd in State Softball my senior year.....all this would have been soooooo insignificant if I suddenly couldn't walk, squeeze my boyfriends hand, or even wiggle my own toes.........

So what were you doing your senior year??? The summer after high school??? And what would you have done had any of this happened to you?? Makes you think huh?