It's Monday!

I'm blogging from my phone, thanks to this wonderful built-in keyboard!  I could never ever blog by using a touch screen.  It takes way too long! 

This past weekend was good!  My husband and I had my step-daughter for the weekend.  We hadn't had her over in a while because she is so busy with school, sports, and her social life!  I remember those days...minus the sports because I was all about music back then! 

I'm still learning about being a step-mom!  It's weird for me to wake up in the mornings when she is here and think, I should go check on her and see if she needs or wants anything!  I've never had kids and I am totally not "momly", if that is even a word.  Motherly is the right word that I was attempting to go for!  I have to remind myself constantly that I need to make sure she is okay and doesn't need anything!  I'm sure that sounds terrible but I'm just not used to it...especially when it comes to a 14 year old!   We had a great weekend together!

Today I'm getting up around 9:30 to run some errands.  I have two orders that I have to pick up at the mall and then my husband and I are going to pay the rest of the money to completely reserve the new Call Of Duty game.  It comes out on Tuesday at midnight....and yes we will be there at that time.  We both love those games and it is something fun that we do together!  Weird, I know...but that is us!  :)

I'm going to try to get some sleep!  I just got finished washing, drying, folding, and hanging a ton of clothes!  Whew!  Good night!

Happenings!

This week has been pretty good to me!  On Monday, I got a call from a home health care/private duty agency that is based in Murfreesboro.  I applied with them several months ago.  I completed a phone interview and was invited to come to orientation on Wednesday.  I asked them about starting pay after the phone interview and was extremely surprised, in a good way.  The pay is very good and is more than I have ever made. 

I went to orientation on Wednesday.  It lasted from 8am to 4pm.  The staff was very thorough and informative.  I had to take and pass several tests, which included an actual skills checkoff in a lab.  I have never been to an agency that does that or even has a lab.  The lab was set up with an electronic "dummy" that breathes and has a heart beat/blood pressure.  Since I was the youngest person at the orientation, I was chosen to do all of the check offs in front of everyone before they had to do theirs.  Of course, that made me nervous because I can't stand when a lot of people are watching me do something....especially if it pertains to something that I am being tested on!  I had to take a manual blood pressure, get the pulse rate, get the respiration rate, take care of the ventilator that was hooked up to the "dummy" at one point, give a bed bath, reposition the "dummy", transfer my orientation instructor from bed to wheelchair to toilet chair to wheelchair and back to bed again, demonstrate how to shave a male and female patient, change an occupied bed, weigh someone using the weight lift, clean the catheter with it still being in the "dummy", empty the catheter, clean around a feeding tube and a g tube, change a diaper, lift the "dummy" off the bed using the sling lift, perform pericare and demonstrate shampooing someone that is bedridden.  I forgot to mention that I did all of that without having any sleep whatsoever the night before and I passed with flying colors! That is great considering that I haven't worked in health care in a while!  There are literally specific ways that those things have to be done and if they weren't done by the book, points were counted off.  The only thing that I messed up on was during the pericare, and I just forgot to fold the washcloth after each swipe.  Oops.  

I passed the written tests with a cumulative grade of 97.  I didn't think that I did that well so I was surprised.  Right now, I am waiting for my background check to come back....and it will because I don't have a criminal history.  Once that comes back, I will have to go back to Murfreesboro to talk to the staff about payroll and to complete a drug test.  After that, I'll be assigned to a case in Madison or Joelton.  

For the first time, in a long time, I am excited about starting a job.  I have been away from health care for a while and have missed taking care of others.  I think that working with only one person at a time will prevent me from becoming burned out like I was when I worked in nursing homes.  I always felt that I couldn't devote enough time to every patient that I had because I always had so many to take care of.  This way, I only have one at a time and can really take my time and be there for them.  It won't be as stressful.  I may work with elderly patients or I might even have a newborn or child to take care of.  I could get a patient of any age.  I hope that I don't get a case where the patient is on a ventilator or comatose but if I do get that type of case, I'll do the best that I can.  It's mentally and emotionally stressful to take care of someone that is in that condition.  I know because I have taken care of several people who were like that.  Thankfully, I'm a pretty strong person and can handle patients in that condition.  

I really hope that this job works out for me.  I think that it will because I will mostly be on my own and won't have a supervisor there looking over my shoulder.  At the most, I might have a nurse come in to check on the patient for a little while or there may be other family members there at different times, but that isn't so bad.  

That is pretty much all that has happened this week.  I'm thankful that I have something going for me when it comes to having a job.  I have been depressed so much because of my job situation and finally everything is getting better!  :)  

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour!  We get an extra hour of sleep tonight!  

My Wonderful Husband

My husband and I have been married for almost three months now!  It feels like we have been married for way longer than three months, but I guess that is normal when you live with someone for over two years before you get married!  Even though I heard a lot of criticism about us living together before we got married, I don't regret it.  It allowed us to really get to know each other and to see what married life would be like, before we actually got married.  I know what the Bible says about that, and believe me, I understand that in his eyes it is wrong.  At least I can say that I would have never lived with Mike if I didn't see a future with him.  


Mike is my rock.  He's always there for me when I need him.  He literally can read me like a book.  He knows what kind of mood I'm in, just by looking at me.  He can tell immediately when something is bothering me and always goes out of his way to figure out what is wrong and be there.  There are times when my moods are up and down because of my hormone issues and he is always so sweet and understanding about it, even though at times it frustrates him.  


We have so much laughter in our marriage.  Sure, we go through hard times and get into stupid little fights sometimes, but in the end we are always standing together.  We are so goofy sometimes and we literally crack ourselves up.  It's hilarious.  We are definitely "a pair".  


These past few weeks, we have been trapping opossums.  They have taken over our neighborhood and since those type of animals are full of diseases, we trap them and then relocate them.  Early yesterday morning, we caught a huge one.  It was the biggest opossum that we have ever seen.  It was 4:00am when we heard him in the trap.  I went out on the porch to see if the trap had closed on him, and it hadn't.  So I ran over and shut it before he could get out.  Since it was so early, we decided to just let him stay in the cage until we got up for the day.  We got back in bed, and started hearing noises.  The opossum was trying his best to get out of the trap!  Mike went outside and told me to get an old towel to put over the trap.  I gave him one and he covered it up.  (Sidenote: It was still dark outside at this point).  We got back into bed and Mike said, "Well, he'll sleep because his cage is dark now".  I about died!  I said, "Ummm, well sweetie, it was already dark outside before you put the towel over it".  He started laughing and I almost fell out on the floor from laughing so hard!  We were just a little bit sleepy and delirious.  But even now, it cracks me up.  


We then decided that it would be absolutely hilarious to put an ad on craigslist for a free opossum. So, there we are, at 4:30am posting an ad on craigslist for a free opossum.  Can you believe that we actually got several emails?  One person did tell us that we needed to take him to the animal shelter so that they would give him the care that he needed.  The other people that emailed were interested in having the animal as a pet.  Then we got one that apparently wanted the opossum so that him and his brother could eat it.  GROSS!    


Mike and I are just a goofy married couple.  We love to laugh and we come up with the craziest ideas sometimes.  It was both of our ideas to start trapping opossums.  On a regular basis our neighbor comes over and asks us what we are up to now!  She about died when we told her that we had trapped a skunk by accident!  Believe it or not, that skunk was so friendly.  We were able to get up close to it(don't even ask why we decided that would be a wonderful idea) and it didn't even try to spray us.  I guess we're just silly and full of weird ideas at times!  I wouldn't have it any other way!  ;)  We are still waiting to trap a squirrel and a raccoon.  We just think that would be great!  ;) 


I love my husband with all of my heart.  I've never in my life felt so close to someone and so connected on every level that there is.  He is my everything!  :)

PCOS Questions

I received an email from someone who has a few questions about PCOS.  She came across my blog through a search on Google and since I have been diagnosed and understand it, she thought that I would be able to answer her questions!  I am going to try my best to answer them in this post.  


1. When I was diagnosed with PCOS, my doctor explained it to me but I didn't really understand him.  Can you explain it in English for me?  


I completely understand what she means.  Doctors try their best to explain things so that we can understand them, but sometimes that isn't enough!  


PCOS is basically an imbalance of hormones.  Women have sex hormones that are called estrogen and progesterone.  We also have androgen hormones that are basically called "male hormones".  Males also have androgen hormones but have a whole lot more of those hormones than women do.  In the case of PCOS, we tend to have more of the androgen hormones than women without PCOS.  Because of the higher than normal male hormones in our body, it can cause unwanted facial hair, skin problems like acne, weight gain, and problems with ovulation.  The high levels of androgen hormones affect ovulation because they disrupt the normal development and release of eggs.  The ovaries of a woman with PCOS do not look the same as a woman that doesn't have it.  Our ovaries have small cysts all over them.  Usually they do not cause any problems, but in some women they do get larger and have to be removed.  


My doctor told me that PCOS is also related to insulin in some cases.  She said that some women with this syndrome have excess insulin in their bodies because their bodies get confused on how to use it.  The excess insulin causes the increase in the production of androgen hormones, which then causes the problems that I mentioned in the last paragraph.  


2. Could I have gotten PCOS because I am a little overweight?  


I have heard that PCOS can be caused by being overweight.  But, I have also talked to women that are skinny that have PCOS.  I really believe that it just depends on the person.  Your weight may have not caused the PCOS, but if you started noticing symptoms after gaining weight, it could be directly related.  In my case, my problems started after I got off of the birth control pill.  They have not proven that birth control pills cause PCOS, but in my case, I think that it could have been related somewhat!  


3.  I rarely have a menstrual cycle which is why I went to a doctor.  Is going without one bad?  


I struggle with that too.  I have gone an entire year without having a period before.  I was put on Provera after that and finally started bleeding(it was terrible).  Since then, it has been off and on.  I haven't had one in several months now.  Usually the lining in my uterus has to build up so much that it just has to come out and then I will start bleeding.  I've heard that this isn't good because it can put you at a higher risk for cancer and other problems.  A lot of the time, doctors will put women on birth control to cause bleeding every month.  I can't take birth control pills so I just have to deal with it and get Provera if I go too long without one.  


4. I'm scared that I will never have children.  Do I even have a chance?  


It just depends on what your doctor told you.  I was told that I might never have kids but that I could try fertility drugs and other options.  I've talked to several women that have PCOS that were able to get pregnant by losing weight and eating properly.  I have lost weight and eat properly and still can't get pregnant, so I know that mine is more complex.  I have also heard of women that take the drug, Metformin, that have gotten pregnant after 6 months of taking it.  I take Metformin and have for several years, and can't get pregnant.  As you can see, it just depends on the person and how their PCOS affects them.  Everyone is different.  


5. How do you deal with the side effects that come with PCOS? 


My side effects really aren't that bad.  I don't have excess hair growth or acne.  I do have a problem with losing weight and keeping it off which is a side effect of having PCOS.  I definitely have the depression that comes with it and that is probably the hardest part about my PCOS.  I deal with that on a daily basis.  My advice would be to talk to your doctor about any side effects that you have and work with him to figure out how to deal with whatever side effects you are having!  


6. I read somewhere that people who have PCOS will have other health problems.  What are the other health problems?  


Diabetes is the main one.  A lot of women with PCOS get diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in 2006 and was put on Metformin.  Having a heart attack is more common in women with PCOS than women without it.  High blood pressure also comes with PCOS a lot of the time.  Cholesterol issues is another problem that can happen.  Women with PCOS can have more bad cholesterol than good cholesterol.  Endometrial cancer is also a problem.  It happens when you don't have a period and the lining in your uterus continues to grow and grow and grow.  The endometrium gets really thick and when it grows too much, it causes the cancer.  I know, it sounds like a lot of crap comes with the PCOS but all of it can be prevented.  Just talk with your doctor about how to prevent all of those things!!!  


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Those are all of the questions that she had for me.  I hope that I helped her but of course, I am not a doctor and a few of the things that she asked me, I had to look up on a legit website!  

Excited!

I'm about to get ready to go to my after-wedding bridal shower in Lebanon at my mom's church, Highland Heights.  I grew up going to that church and haven't seen the people from there in a long, long time.  The shower starts at 1:00pm and I have to pick up my mother-in-law around noon.  My registry only has a few items left on it!  I know that I spoiled the surprise by looking at it but I'm too curious to not look!  I'm so excited to see everyone and be able to spend some time with them, catching up.  It looks like I'm going to be getting a lot of new things, which is also exciting!  I love unwrapping presents!  ;)  


I'm so thankful that Ms. Marilyn(my mom's best friend) put this shower together.  She didn't have to do it but she volunteered and insisted that the church have a bridal shower for me!  I can't wait to see  what it looks like down in the fellowship area.  I'm sure they decorated it beautifully!  I will be taking some pictures hopefully, and will post them later!  

My sweet Delilah

This is a picture of my sweet baby, Delilah.  I have had her since 2007 when she was a little kitten.  Since I can't have my own babies right now because of PCOS, she has kind of filled the void that I have.  She has gotten me through so many things in the last few years because of her unconditional love for me.  She thinks I am her mama and I love it.  She cuddles with me every single night and when I'm upset she senses it in a second and becomes very affectionate.  She means the world to me and I love her so much!  It may sound like I'm a bit obsessed with my cat, but when you can't have kids, animals can easily take the place of a child.  I don't know what I would do without her!!!

Church

I may offend a few people by typing what I'm about to type....but these are just my opinions regarding religion and "going to church".  


I believe in God.  In fact, I grew up going to church every time it was open from the time I was 5 months old, until I was 18 years old.  I rarely missed a service unless I was sick or someone else was sick.  I was brought up in the Church of Christ.  Growing up in that church, I never really noticed anything "off" about it.  I was so accustomed to what their beliefs were and how they ran their church services.  Now that I am older and talk to people from that church, all that I can see is judgmental people.  I'm not saying that everyone that goes to that church is judgmental, but several people are.  


This Church of Christ believes that if you go to church on a Sunday morning that you MUST be dressed very nicely.  In other words, most of the women wear dresses and the men wear suits, or at least khaki pants and a button down shirt.  I honestly believe that if someone walked in there on a Sunday morning with jeans on, he would be stared at and probably talked about afterwards.  I used to think that you had to dress up very nicely to go to church.  Now, I don't believe that is right.  I don't think that people should come to church dressed scantily but as long as someone is covered up, that should be fine.  


The Church of Christ that I used to go to has a problem with people raising their hands during worship.  One time that happened while I was still going there.  The song leader's wife raised her hands during a song, and the members of the congregation treated that like it was the biggest scandal.  People even confronted her about it.  Now that I think about it, that was ridiculous.  She was praising the Lord and I don't see anything wrong with it.  Even in the Bible it says that people raised their hands in praise to God.  


The Church of Christ also believe that having musical instruments in the worship service is wrong.  I think that it is wrong if it takes away from praising God, but in almost every church that I have been to that has had musical instruments, it made praising God even better.  I did go to one church and it was like they were a rock band playing at a concert.  I didn't like that and I never went back to that church again.  Plus, that church was all about getting money from the people in the church and it seemed that they focused more on that than they did in worshiping God.  That's wrong.  Very wrong.  As far as having a piano or something like that....I don't see a problem with it and I don't think it is a sin or that it is wrong.  It just adds to praising God, if you ask me.  


When I was a teenager, I went to a music camp in Kentucky.  I took a lot of pictures while I was there.  Two of those pictures were of me, dancing with a boy.  We were slow dancing and it was completely innocent.  I took all of the pictures from camp to show everyone.  About a week later, one of the elders approached my mom and got onto her for allowing me to slow dance with a boy.  According to the Church of Christ, dancing is a sin.  I could understand it if I was bumping and grinding with the boy, but I wasn't and never did while I was at camp!  Do you see the judgmental aspect in this church?  That boy and I didn't even kiss at that camp.  We held hands and had a few innocent slow dances.  That's it.  Yet, the elder was so bold about saying that what I did was a sin and I needed to ask for forgiveness.  Yeah right.  


Judgmental people bother me.  I can be judgmental about things sometimes, but I don't cause myself to be a hypocrite by going to church.  Right now, I don't attend any church services.  It's not because I don't want to, but because I don't trust people in churches easily.  A lot of people go to church on a regular basis, and then during the week they do things that are sinful.  That is what is called a hypocrite.  They say one thing and do another.  I can't stand people like that.  I may be judgmental at times and I may do things that aren't right at times, but at least I don't go to church and act like I'm sin free, like a lot of people do.  I do pray to God and I do believe, but I don't feel like I need to go to church because I feel that I might be judged or looked down upon.  It has happened to me many times, and it isn't a good feeling...especially when I go to church to try to become closer to God, and end up leaving the church feeling worse than I did before I went!  That's terrible!  


I'd like to find a church that is very accepting but I know that it will be hard to find.  I know that God would love for me to be closer to him and I want to be.  I think that he knows that I still do believe in him and have faith in him.  I know that he has been here with me my entire life.  If he hadn't been, I know that I probably wouldn't be alive today.  


That's my take on church and religion.  It is frustrating that some churches are the way that they are...and it is also sad.  I just hope that at some point in my life that I can find a church that accepts me and is non-judgmental about me and about my past....and that the members are all there for one reason...to become closer to God.