New Orleans: Part 1

Hello blogging friends, when last we left off I had written about graduating nursing school. You could say a lot has happened since that time, and so prepare yourself for a series of back to back posts!

Let's start with the beginning of June. I found myself flying to New Orleans, Louisiana to visit my lifelong best friend Shelby, and her husband Scott.

It has been a great dream of mine since forever ago to visit the south - and more specifically the bayou. At long last I have fulfilled that dream!

I was picked up from the airport and immediately greeted with several cheap purple and green beaded necklaces being draped around my neck. Then I was promptly driven to the French Quarter. I could not have dreamed up a more perfectly cliche beginning to my trip!

The St. Louis Cathedral is what is pictured above. The inside is so beautiful with long aisles of wooden pews and hand painted ceilings.

Me, Shelby and Scott!

My first time laying eyes upon the Mississippi! Of course there was a glowing riverboat gliding along, the faint tune of jazz music playing in the background (or perhaps the music was just in my head, either way this scene just needed jazz music).

I'm not gonna lie, the pictures I took of the French Quarter are pretty minimal. Which is so sad because while it is a very touristy part of town, the architecture is amazing! Love, love, love the look of all the buildings! On day 2 Shelby and I rode the trolley cars into town (side note, those trolley car drivers, they don't give a crap if you're sitting down or holding onto a bar before they start full speed ahead, I was seriously just waiting for some old person trying to clamber down the aisle to fall flat on their face as the trolley lurched speedily forward after every stop).

Cafe Du Monde is definitely the most well known place to get beignets in the French Quarter, but as we were wandering down the street we came across Cafe Beignet and decided to get our beignets there instead. Which was a great move, because they were so delicious.And while yes, I am a Disneyland loyalist, the Mickey Mouse beignets are just not as good as New Orleans beignets. Sorry Walt.

For some reason my vision of New Orleans including seeing a lot of pirates. Sadly modern day piracy isn't quite the same as it was back in the good old days. However, I did get to stop by Lafitte's blacksmith shop, which is believed to have been used by the Lafitte pirate brothers some 250 years ago. Why is old stuff so cool?

This photo captures one of my top 5 favorite things about New Orleans! The gas lamps!!! Ahh they are so magical!! So many homes and businesses have these lanterns hanging out front, and the best is when it is dark outside and you watch the light flicker and dance across the ceiling of the porch. I would really like to adopt this tradition and bring it to Utah. Or at least adopt it for my own home.

Later that evening Scott drove us out to a blueberry farm where we handpicked our very own blueberries. I didn't realize blueberries could taste so darn good until I'd tried one that had just barely been picked.

Day 3 Shelby took me to the New Orleans Museum of Art, and hopefully no one judges me when I say that was the first art museum I've ever been too. The museum is located next to a lovely park that we wandered through until the sticky 90 degree heat got the better of us.

OK my other top favorite thing about New Orleans are all the breathtakingly beautiful trees! So many huge trees draped in spanish moss. The photo doesn't do it justice. Just take my word for it that they are incredible.

Here's one picture documenting the beautiful homes, and this isn't even the coolest one. Aren't those floor length windows and storm shutters just dreamy? And each home is unique. It's not like the cookie-cutter neighborhoods of Utah suburbia.

We ate dessert and this hip little joint called Sucre. I got bread pudding and it was AMAZING. They heated it up so it was warm and wow.... seriously it'll be listed among those foods I've had that I will never be able to forget. It was that good.

Thus concludes part 1 of my trip documentation. Stay tuned for more.

Hiking and Lagoon

The day after graduation we went to lagoon with my in laws. It's not quite Disneyland, but still cool!

Me, Nathan and my sister in law Brittney rode CANNIBAL. Which is a massive, amazing roller coaster. I definitely blacked out. The G's were just too much for me I guess, haha. When I was a teenager I used to be able to ride all the roller coasters over and over and not get sick. But now that I'm an adult I just can't handle it as well. I ride just a couple of them and then I have to tap out. Disneyland is more my speed, for sure.

Nathan led Melon and I on a fun little hike in the hills of Ogden. I'm actually kind of sad that our days in Ogden are coming to an end. Despite its quirks and shady characters I've really grown quite fond of it.

My boys!

Graduation

Do you guys remember 2 years ago when I graduated from my LPN program?

Well I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it again, but I never thought I'd see this day where I graduated from an RN program!

But lo and behold, it came! I graduated and after I take the ever dreaded NCLEX I will be a REGISTERED NURSE!

I'll be Hannah RN.

I'm just going to let that settle for a moment.

I had so much of my family come clear up to Ogden to see my graduation and I am so grateful for their support.

My in laws came too but sadly I didn't get a picture with them :(

This isn't the end of my college life however, I'm already enrolled to go back for the fall for my BSN, haha. I guess when you're a nurse the learning never ends. Which is ok with me actually!

My nursing buddy Sam! I couldn't have made it without my trusty friends. Sadly our other two nursing BFF's didn't come to graduation.

Vital Signs Series: What is blood pressure?

In honor of my graduating nursing school, and in an effort to help myself not only retain information, but also learn more new information... and to share with those who are interested, I've decided to do series on vital signs - covering blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and oxygen saturation/respirations.

I find most people that I talk to may have somewhat of an understanding of what a high temperature, or what a high or low heart rate is, but they don't understand the meaning or significance behind it. You may know that you have a fever, but what does that really mean?

So if you're the type of person who is interested in learning about the very basics of how your body functions and keeps you alive, then you're in the right place. Also for the sake of simplicity, this series will be relevant to adult health. Infants, children and adolescents vital signs can vary from adults and I don't want to open that can of worms right now. So without further ado....

Today is the first part in the series, and I'm going to cover blood pressure. Blood pressure not only affects your elderly grandparents, but can also affect and complicate pregnancy. Just because you may be young doesn't mean you get a 'get out of jail free' card. High or low blood pressure can and does affect young adults as well, and it is important that you understand the consequences of each.

What is blood pressure?

I want you all to pretend we're plumbers now. Imagine your heart is a big huge pump, and all the veins and arteries in your body are pipes that are all connected to your heart. Some of the pipes (arteries) deliver blood to your body and other pipes (veins) deliver blood back to your heart (the pump). 

Now you probably are all aware there are two numbers in a blood pressure reading... 120/80 for example. The first number represents the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of your arteries (pipes) by the blood when it is pumped from your heart (the pump). The second reading is representative of the amount of pressure exerted on the walls of your arteries (pipes) when the heart (the pump) is at rest.

Your heart pumps, then rests "or resets" and the pumps again, the rests again, over and over and over and over until you eventually die!

So again, the top or first number, is the amount of pressure on the walls of your arteries when the heart pumps the blood (we call this systole), and the second reading is the pressure on the walls of your arteries when the heart is 'resting' (we call this diastole).

Have I lost you all yet?

All the tissues in your body MUST have oxygen and nutrients to survive. Without it, stuff starts to die, case closed. The blood is what transports all this oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, picks up all the wastes (C02) and then goes back up to your heart and lungs to be reoxygenated, only to be sent on the journey again and again.... and again... In order for all of this to occur, you have to have not only a blood pressure, but a blood pressure that has sufficient power to deliver the blood to all the places of your body: your organs, your hands, your toes, etc.

The danger we run into with a low blood pressure is that the blood is not able to get to all the far reaching places of the body to oxygenate it. If this is sustained for any lengthy period of time then your tissues die and your organs shut down, and then you too, eventually die.

The danger with a high blood pressure is it can actually weaken and damage your arteries and various organs, leading to increased risk of blindness, heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. Imagine you're watering a plant with a hose, at a normal amount of pressure you simply dampen the dirt and water the plant, if you turn the pressure up to high you cause all the dirt to spray everywhere, exposing roots and ripping off leaves and petals.

Now that you understand in a nutshell the effects of high and low blood pressure let's establish what a normal blood pressure reading would be for an adult.

NORMAL SYSTOLIC: 90-120

NORMAL DIASTOLIC: 60-80

*below 90/60 your blood pressure is considered too low*

A systolic of 120-139 or a diastolic of 80-89 is what we consider 'prehypertensive' or an 'at risk' stage for developing high blood pressure (or what we medical folk call hypertension). 

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is considered a systolic above 140 or a diastolic above 90. If your blood pressure is above 140/90, it is considered high. There are different stages to high blood pressure (hypertension) but we won't get into that.

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I could go on forever and ever, but I won't. So thus concludes this first part of my vital signs series! Stay tuned for the next installment in which we will talk about the causes of high and low blood pressure and what we can do to change our risk factors!

References: Nursing a Concept Based Approach to Learning, Volume 1, Pages 1162-1176

Dreams and Plans

You guys. I finished my RN program!

If we were to rewind 5 years ago I would have been in absolute disbelief at the thought of such a thing.

I truly never thought this day would come, and guess what... I graduate tomorrow! Amazing.

The most daunting tasks are ahead of me however. I must pass boards, which will determine whether I get an actual license. Which, without it, my education is kind of useless (depending on how you look at it). Then after that I need to learn how to function as an brand new registered nurse at whatever place I get hired at.

If you are a long time reader you will recall several years back when I started working as an LPN how difficult that was for me on an emotional/physical/mental level for about the first 12 months. I have a bit of a fear that will all repeat itself when I start working as a new grad RN at the hospital. I am hopeful however that since I already have 2+ years of licensed nursing experience under my belt  that it won't be quite as bad.

I mean I know how to do the basic nursing tasks with relative confidence... place a foley, give meds, draw blood, start an IV, call the MD, perform an assessment, complete a dressing change, etc. etc. So I'm not worried about doing those sorts of things.

What I am worried about is learning how to function in a completely different work setting, learning the culture, learning how to take care of sicker, less stable patients. Sharpening and polishing critical thinking skills, and learning how to adapt to the specialty I work in. Getting to know the doctors and fellow nurses (hoping they will like me and don't think I'm a total idiot), making friends, and practicing and learning skills and new information that I'm not so familiar with yet!

Pretty much all the fears that come when starting anything brand new. Which I suppose is normal and healthy to a certain extent.

And to add to the anxiety over the course of my RN year I've also come to understand that the place I want to be, without a doubt, is the ICU. Which is the unit of the hospital with the sickest, most critical patients. The thought of learning to become a great ICU nurse is frightening in and of itself.

I laugh at that because several years ago all I would've told you is I just wanted to have some cush, low stress nurse job at a clinic - ha!

There are few things that I have wanted in life or felt as strongly about as I do about wanting to work in the ICU. There are several stories and experiences I've had throughout clinicals and just recognizing how my brain works and functions in nurse mode that led me to want to be in ICU, but there is one in particular that I will never, ever forget.

 To be HIPAA compliant I can't share any details, but to share briefly - it was my turn to go to the ICU for clinical and that day I was assigned to the nurse who had the very sickest patient in the entire hospital. The 12 hour day went by so fast, but also seemed to go in slow motion at the same time. Observing how with proficiency and speed she titrated 12 different IV drips that were simultaneously being infused, and managed the various lines and tubes our patient was hooked up to - foley, central line, arterial line, ventilator, etc. and all the while vigilantly monitoring and assessing the patient - vital signs, urine output, breath sounds, fluid input, etc. etc. etc. was so amazing and incredible to me! And then watching her as our patient coded and she began chest compressions and seeing how no effort was spared by the code team as they diligently tried to keep this person alive, and then personally being able to do chest compressions was such a deeply touching and personal experience for me.

It made me realize what a special place the ICU is. The patients there are often walking a very thin line between life and death, which means the nurses there have a great responsibility to continually monitor and intervene to keep these patients alive and help get them better so they can go home to their families. What a special and sacred responsibility that is. I have a deep respect for ICU nurses and what they do.

Every shift of my preceptorship in the ICU all I could think of was "Why would you want to work anywhere else?!" and that is really what solidified it for me.

So now as I wait to sit for my boards and start applying for jobs, I pray that I can get hired in an ICU where I can learn and grow in the best possible ways! Nursing is such an amazing career and I feel so honored to be a part of it. I have soooo much still to learn and although I'm nervous, I'm also very excited to start working as a Registered Nurse.

My Latest Creations

I've talked about Petunia Felt Co. on here before, not sure if I have any consistent readers these days, but here's an update! I've been kind of obsessed with felt food lately. Felt donuts seem to be a huge hit - they're my biggest sellers.

Felt breakfast set - eggs, bacon and pancakes!

Felt sandwich set - cheese, balogna, tomato, lettuce, bread slices.

All of my stuff is totally handmade and (I feel?) like my prices are pretty cheap. Particularly when you factor in the fact that each project takes houuuurrs. But I've said before, it's a labor of love and I love to do it. I'm not really trying to quit my day job over it but just enjoy having an outlet where I can share the things I make!

So please - be a friend and go visit petuniafeltco.etsy.com and let me know what you think :)

And in case anyone on the internet is wondering, I'm still obsessed with baking.

I keep telling my husband I'm prepping for my audition for the Great British Bake Off.

Which I'm completely 100% serious about. I want to be on that show.

Pictured above is my frosted animal cracker cheesecake! Which was actually really delicious! I was worried it was going to be a bit of a sugar overload, but the cheese-iness aspect offset the sugar cookies well I think.

For my mom/grandma's birthday party this last sunday I made several desserts but only managed to take a picture of one of them... pictured above is my meringue nests filled with blackberry mousse. I love meringue and experimenting with it. It's so cheap to make (all it is, is egg whites and sugar), and you can do so much with it.

Not pretending to be a professional baker/chef here. I'm far from it, but baking is a great way to get my creative juices flowing and the end result is (usually) edible. So it's definitely something I'm loving to do right now.

My Life is Changing Again

You guys, I've noticed a pattern in my life. Maybe it applies to all lives, I'm not really certain... let me know if you've experienced this pattern too.

It goes like this. For a while I go through something very difficult and challenging, where in hindsight I usually can call these 'growing periods'. It's the type of time period where I'm usually struggling with something or another and don't really see the purpose or light of the tunnel while I'm in the thick of it, but when it's all said and done I can look back and be grateful that it all happened. (or at least grateful for what I learned from it all).

Then, after this 'growing period' occurs, I have what I like to call a 'honeymoon period' where life is GRAND. Typically I have very minimal struggles, worries, demands on my time during these periods, and usually these are a lot shorter than my 'growing periods' (sadly).

When I become conscious I'm in a 'honeymoon period' and realize life is pretty easy at that particular moment I also realize that usually means something difficult is about to happen (i.e. a 'growing period' is about to occur, very soon). I'm in the calm before the storm, so to speak.

So, in list format:

GROWING PERIOD:

-a time of trial, difficulties

-significant life lessons usually learned

-becomes valuable/appreciated in hindsight

-significant period of time

HONEYMOON PERIOD:

-only brief in duration

-life is 'easy'

-very happy, easy going time period

-calm before the storm

Anyone else experience this phenomenon?

I feel like right now I'm in the middle of a honeymoon period. Life is pretty awesome right now. I graduate from my RN program this coming friday, only working suuuper part time right now (like 14hrs a week, like nothing, people), and have two weeks worth of vacation planned coming up!

It's a great time of life. But it also leaves me with a sense of foreboding because I know what this all means.

It means something difficult is about to happen!!!

I know as soon as I pass my boards and start a hospital job as an RN life is going to be really difficult again. If it's anything like my first year working as an LPN I know I have some rocky times ahead of me.

I'm sooo excited to start working at the hospital, but I'm also scared to death of it. I know it's the challenge that awaits me after this honeymoon period finally comes to a close.

I know I can do it though. I've survived my life thus far, I think I can make it through this next set of challenges. Especially since I know I have Heavenly Father working on my side.

A wise man - Thomas S. Monson once said:

"Do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks."

I love that.

Don't shy away from difficult things. They're scary, they're rough, they're exhausting. They may cause you to lose 15lbs in one month and go on antidepressants but you can make it through, haha!

Some other person also said "comfort is the enemy of progress" and I've also heard "there's no comfort in growth".

All true, true, true.

So while I may be in the calm before my own next personal storm, I feel like I am ready to face it. For I know I will come out the other side a better person.