Welcome to Six Flags

I have decided that a roller coaster theme park is the perfect visual for my less than perfect life.

January has definitely been a ride so far and if it's any indication for the rest of the year, I'm gonna need some Dramamine.

The highlight of the month so far was the five day cruise I went on with my family. We all had such a blast and we picked literally the coldest week in Florida to go visit the Caribbean so it worked out beautifully.



I have finally decided that I am now an Emergency Department Nurse. It has taken 7 months of patient's blood and my sweat and tears to get to this point I never thought I would reach. It occurred to me as I watched my patient's heartbeat blip across the screen in a beautifully symmetrical supraventricular tachycardic rhythm. I knew precisely what was wrong with my patient and I knew exactly what he needed to correct his problem. All I needed was the physician to write the orders.

I am finally to the point where I can walk into an exam room with confidence and assist my fellow ED nurses, knowing that I am actually going to do more good than harm. I can finally start thinking about the reason my patient is ill instead of just focusing on each task as the Doctor orders them.

I have by no means "arrived" but the destination is getting closer each and every day.

The low point this month would have to be the mid-twenties young woman who rolled into our ED dead on arrival because she had taken 90 days worth of her anti-depressants at once. Her mom and dad weeped in each other's arms and her finance's anguished cries echoed throughout the department and I was stunned. I wondered what happened to this poor girl to cause her to think that death was the only alternative. I tried to picture what it would be like to discover that someone in my family or one of my friends had taken their own life and I was instantly choked up. I got home that night and hugged my mom and sat on my baby sister's bed as we chatted about her day.

I love my job but I didn't that day. I adore being Super Nurse and victoriously snatching people from the fangs of death. I hated the thought that this beautiful woman who had so much to live for could only see the pain and tears and chose to end her own life prematurely.

I hope that God never lets me grow callous towards the plights of my patients.

So there you have it. 2010 starts off with bang.

In my personal opinion, roller coasters are the best part of theme parks even though some times you drop so low you don't feel like you can take it anymore and you want off so bad but you know there is now way out unless you hang on for the ride. Why should I spend my journey scared and miserable, clinging to the handrail in terror? The best way to ride a coaster is with both arms high in the air, screaming with laughter.

I'm going to enjoy the ride.