A deep breath of relief, and a fresh breeze of optimism

I got my grades Thursday and passed all my classes! Thank God. Thats the sigh of relief!

I also headed downtown to Northwestern Memorial this past Thursday and met with a hematologist there. Immediatly I was given hope. I told him that my doc here said I'd be on coumadin for life and thats pretty much the way of the world, and that I was not happy with that option! They sat me down and informed me that Coumadin didn't really ever work for me, and that's probably why I had a reoccurance. They said if you looked at my INR numbers throughout the 7 months, I was never really in therapuetic ranges. They told me that my doctors should not have given me the leeway of a one month between blood draws, and most importantly....it was nothing I did wrong. Which was not the feeling I had gotten from my hematologist here at SAMC.

They are taking me off the Coumadin!!! Yeah!! I will be taking an injection every day for a year, it's another low molecular weight heparin, similar to lovenox, but not lovenox. They will finally be able to test some other tests, maybe find out some answers. It looks like long term anti coagulation therapy is one year, then a re-evaluation. Sounds to me a lot like better then a coumadin for life! Honestly, I left this doctors office with a whole new outlook. I felt better, there was actually hope....

VACATION!!!!!!!!!!

Finals are finished!!! Thank god. I finished Tuesday actually and have been at work since! Health hasn't been so hot. Last week my INR jumped to 5.8, so they had me skip a dose of coumadin and then scale back on the amount. This week I had an appointment with my hematologist, who informed me that I was having "Idiopathinc Pulmonary Emboli" which basically means they don't know much of anything! He also informed me I'd have to take coumadin the rest of my life. I was very unhappy with this statement, so I asked to be referred for a second opinion. He seemed kind of reluctant and told me "I don't think they are going to give you any different answer then I'm giving you, but I'll give you a refferal." I accepted the refreral and by the grace of God, have an appointment this coming week with a "clotting specialist" at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Hopefully I will find out some better answers!

ON the homestretch

Last Wednesday I took my last two tests of the regular semester, not including finals. Got a solid B on the nursing exam, which actually surprised me because I came out of the test not feeling so very strong. I also had my physiology lab test, I left this test actually feeling ok, but I won't find out until tomorrow! How rude, he makes us wait a week for test results so you can't find out until right before the final! That sucks!!

I worked most of the weekend. Sunday morning I headed into the city for Julie's bridal shower. I, like most people, do not really enjoy bridal showers, and this day was not any different. A lot of food which dragged the day on and honestly the clock wouldn't budge!! Julie and Tom had a whole pile of gifts, which they actually moved through pretty quickly, thank God! Headed home around 330, to start studying for finals.

Today I took my Nursing final at 955. Odd time don't you think? I'm confident in that final, I know I passed. Several of my classmates needed high scores on this test in order to pass the class! The minimal grade for passing our RN class is 76% Several of my classmates needed at least an 80% or even higher to just pass! Thank god I was in a better position. I needed at 88% for a B, but will pass with a C without any problem. Honestly, I'm very accepting of a C! Actually, knowing that I worked full time all semester, spent another week in the hospital, took this 9 credit course along with 4 credit Physiology, yeah....I'd be very happy with a C!

Tomorrow however is my physiology final. This is non cumulative, however, I have a hard time with his exams. I know the material, but his questioning gets me all flustered and I do very very poorly! I came home from my test this afternoon, took a one hour decompression hour, vegged out in front of the TV. Then I shut the TV off and dove in. I read all of my notes aloud, 3 times! The process I took was study for one hour, then take 20 min break. This worked very very well, until Dan came home as I was reciting the reproductive system notes and mentioned the sympathetic nervous system stimulation causes ejaculation. He came around the corner and said...."honey, did you just say ejaculation? And, why did you just say ejaculation?" Then he saw the notes and somewhat understoon, the look on his face was priceless.

Took a dinner break, watched Dancing with the Stars, then dove back in. I hope I'm prepared! I plan to look at it again tomorrow, test is at 1:45. Pray for me, wish me luck. I know I need it!

Filling the time

I should be studying, but I need a break. This is it, last week of lectures and next week is finals.

I'm strong in my nursing class, not worried about that, last test tomorrow, final Monday morning. Physiology however.....I'm holding on my a shoestring! I failed my last test, miserably. I'm not truly surprised, however my teacher is a A*&$(%e! and made me take the stupid test....see previous post. I have a lab test tomorrow to bring my grade up and my final next Tuesday, thank god it's not cumulative and I feel as though I'm getting a smidge of a break as the final is on the endocrine and reproductive cycles. I have a little leg up with the endocrine stuff!

Personal life.....Dan's 28th bday was last Friday, he and I went out for dinner then headed south to his parents. Saturday we were met by my family and had a wonderful dinner of fried fish and hash brown casserole, and a bonfire. Good times for everyone. Dan got some lovely presents....his parents and I purchased a Wii.....he loved it and we all got to do a little bowling later that night!

Mothers day we had brunch with the Eckberg's then everyone headed on home. Dan and I decided to venture out to see a movie and when we got there were left with not a whole lot of choices in our time frame, so we saw Made of Honor. It was really cute, definitely a chick flick and I give Dan big props for going with me!!! And, I don't usually find Patrick Dempsey all that cute, he was good looking here!!! Definitly McDreamy....... Ironman is also a pretty good show if anyone is interested and let me tell you....Robert Downey Jr....Hottie!!!!!!!!!!

Health...my INR is not really cooperating it was 2.1 when I left the hospital, 1.8 a week later, and 1.9 last week. Also, I've finished the lovenox shots, and thank god because I've developed an allergic reaction to them and I have bright red circles around my belly!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't win....this is a very frustrating time for me and I often break into tears. Thank God Dan and my mother have the patience for me!

Back to the books, two tests tomorrow! I'm jealous of those of you who are finished for the semester.

Almost forgot

I almost forgot, yesterday when I got home and was crying just because I was so very tired, I received a phone call from work. Initially I felt, "great, what do they want?"

Recently, I changed my hours. I now work 3pm-11pm on the weekdays and 3pm-3am on the weekends. I had recently requested if there was any possibility to work 11am-11pm on weekends, I'd really like that. They called to tell me that it was possible and it was going to take effect!!

As of the end of May, I will not be working anymore overnights! I'll get to sleep everynight in my own bed!!! YEah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was a good phone call.

Home Sweet Home

So, I'm home, still have PE's, but they let me leave with the drugs rather than sit in the hospital waiting for them all to work. I did not go through the Heparin therapy, this time they gave me Lovenox injections which has the wonderful side effects of bright blue bruises on my delicate white skin. I kinda look like a dalmation with blue spots! Of course, this totally ruins my bikini look for the summer :) J/K

I got released this morning, with an INR of 2.1. School has been very very understanding, for the most part. The nursing program has been exremely helpful, informing me if I wasn't ready for my upcoming test this coming MOnday, it was ok, and I could make it up later in the week. However, my Physiology instructor, wouldn't budge. I had a test scheduled for 1pm this afternoon and I was informed that if I missed the test, I would have to take the retake, which would be all essay and the highest grade I can get is a 75%! What an ass. Of course I'm begging my doctors to let me out because Physiology is a complicated enough class without having to make it an essay test! Which I'm afraid, I would not pass very well. Luckily for me, my blood cooperated and I barely made it out, but I managed to hustle over to Harper and take my test. My instructor assigns us seating during the test. We are in this really big lecture hall with fixed seats that either swivel left or right, I was assigned to one that swiveled to the left, due to a bruise the size of a 12 inch softball on my belly from the shots, I new that that specific seat would be painful because it would cause the table to hit my bruise. So, I requested that I sit somewhere else, the ass said "no, you sit where I assign you!" SO, I fidgeted through my test trying to get comfortable and get through the test. I finished and headed home. I think I'm going to write a letter to the head of the Biology department. I think this guy's a butthead, obviously being in the hospital has to be some sort of extenuating circumstance right? Whatever, it's over. Three more weeks of school....Finals end May 20th.