My Anatomy & Physiology II lab experience

Hey!

Sorry I haven't been posting too much lately. There really hasn't been much going on in my life, CF or otherwise. The lack of things to report in the CF world is a GOOD THING! I haven't been feeling 100%, but I can overlook that most of the time, especially with my good reports from the doctor!

Oh! I can tell you what happened yesterday in class! On Tuesdays, this quarter, all I have is my 8am Anatomy and Physiology lab II. We do things like dissect fetal pigs, look at cool slides on a microscope, and prick our fingers to test our own blood! I was really nervous about this, despite the numerous times I've had my finger pricked for CBCs. This would be the first time I've ever had to do it to myself. We were given the option of leaving the class if we thought we might pass out at the sight of blood or needles. While it crossed my mind to leave, I had one goal on my mind: learn my blood type. So I opted to stay and somehow get up the nerve to prick my own finger.

They provided us one of those spring-loaded needles that nurses use, which helped tremendously, but I still spent waaaay too long wiping my finger with an alcohol wipe and "milking" it prior to sticking it. It finally took my lab partner to say we were doing this together on the count of three, ready or not! "ONE.... TWO... are you ready...." "NO!!!" "Ok... THREE!!" *prick*

OWWWW. Please, pancreas, never give up completely. I really don't believe I can handle checking my blood sugar regularly. Despite the tiny prick, it HURT!

At first, nothing came out. I begged my finger to start bleeding so I wouldn't have to do this again. Then suddenly, it just started to gush out. I placed the drops on the test paper, more drops in a capillary tube, and a smear on a white paper. Done. Now I had a new problem: I can't get my finger to stop bleeding! The only thing I had to nearby to use to put pressure on it was an alcohol wipe and it hurt! After it was all said and done, I learned that I'm not anemic, I'm O+, and my hematocrit level is normal for an adult woman. Sweet! Except my finger has just now stopped hurting. It was bruised! I'm not fit to be a nurse. lol

Coming soon, the interview with Fatboy and his wife Beautiful!

-Andrea

Something to look forward to...

Coming soon....

An interview with Fatboy and Beautiful!!!!


.......get excited.....

I plan to start interviewing a person every other month who has been influential in a positive way in my CF journey. So CF Fatboy starts us off next month!

-Andrea

Doctor's Appointment update!

Today was my first doctor's appointment of 2011. I am always paranoid that my appointment won't be good, especially when I don't even feel well. I kept my mouth shut this time even though I had accepted a bad report. Here are the stats:

Weight- 114.75 lbs... down from ~116.
FEV1- 72%! Up from 63%
Total capacity- 73%!! Up from 64%

WHAAATT?!! Both lung numbers are up 9%!! Dear friends, I have been preaching the miracle of Cayston without results, but now I have solid results: Cayston WORKS. Are you listening?!! It took me a few doses to get results, but I have results!!! 9%!! I've never had a jump like that before. I was blown away. Absolutely blown away.

Three words: God bless Cayston.

I also saw today JM who recently got his new lungs. He looks good and his mom said that he is doing so much better. That's such great news.

:]

-Andrea

Baby Picture time!

As I was looking through baby pictures of myself recently, I found this really sweet picture of me sitting in my mom's lap doing treatment as a baby. I don't think I was even a year in this picture. I was going to post the whole picture, but my mom didn't like her hair in it. Since I didn't ask for her permission to post the picture of her, I simply cropped her out. While this makes me sad, I would rather be sad by cropping than have her unhappy with me for posting it!! But here you go! Me doing treatment waaaaaaay back in the day!



-Annie

Annual Blood Draws- my secret weapon

Traditionally, lab work consists of multiple sticks, a few tears, and more than one incompetent phlebotomist (or a trainee). It's a miserable doctor's trip that I dread every winter. But this year was different....

Today was my annual lab work and x-rays. As usual, I've been nervous all day! But, this time I had a secret weapon... my RN. Last time I visited the doctor, I commented on how nervous I was about having my lab work done before the next visit. My RN casually mentioned how good she was at drawing blood and how she would be glad to do it for me.

I have no idea if she was serious, but I took it to heart.

So I called her yesterday asking if she was still up for doing my lab work and if she would be available as soon as the following day. Within an hour, she had gotten everything scheduled for me!

So today, I drove to the Children's Sub-Specialty clinic and meet my RN there. She signed me in, takes me back to a room, and prepares the 7 vials, 2 with foil and one with ice. Before she left to meet me, my other RN warned her how difficult (me and) my veins can be. Luckily, she was up for the challenge.

She prepares my arm as all past nurses have: alcohol wipes to clean it off, rubber tourniquet, and slaps the crook of my arm a few times. She finds a vein (amazingly!!), opens the needle, and slides it in. It was as painless as it could be. She pulls 7 vials of blood in record time, removes the needle, and presses the gauze down. Done.

It was record time and record painlessness. I have NEVER had lab work done so well before. Rarely in one stick and never without difficulty. Until today. I asked my RN if she could possibly do it for me every year! She has a gift.

Finding someone who can pull blood from me without difficult and with little pain is finding a needle in a haystack... and I found her. :]

X-Rays were easy of course as was the sputum culture. Actually, it was all easy today. So unusual! Official doctor's appointment on Tuesday at 9am. As usual, a full report after that.

-Andrea

Parents, tattoos, and surgeries

Today is Parent's Weekend for Sigma Kappa!! My rents are here, but I thought I'd put in a quick post since I've been really MIA lately. It's been a fun day filled with brunch with Mom, bowling with Dad, and then our banquet this evening!

So... I've been putting this off, but I wanted you dear bloggers to read that I got a tattoo! Check it out:

(That's the inside of my left ankle/heel area)
I've been putting it off because I wanted my parents to see it in person before I put it up here. I was getting it done Monday, but the tattoo parlor was closed. I was getting it done Tuesday, but they had no openings. So finally, I made an appointment for Thursday and got it done. It kinda hurt, but worth it. Joey, the tattoo artist, called me a wuss. Haha.

Beeker had her surgery and is recovering now. She has to stay in one of those cones and I hate that, but it's necessary. Poor baby. :[

Fatboy also had his surgery, but he's not in a cone! He went home really soon post-op and starting eating right away!! Trooper. Read about it here.

10 Days until my doctor's appointment. And sometime before then I need to have lab work and xrays done. Hmm. When am I going to find time for that?

Time to go have fun with my sisters and my parents!
-Annie

Hello, 2011!

My first week back in school since the New Year has been pretty good. Busy, big surprise, but good! This weekend is going to be busy too with it being Sigma Kappa Parent's Weekend and our banquet.

Sorry for the short update. I'm sleepy still, I've got class soon, and I've got a lot on my plate including a test on Monday.

Here's a shoutout to CF Fatboy who had another sinus surgery yesterday. No update from him yet, but his wife said that they were home already, which was earlier than Fatboy expected! That's fantastic news.

Sorry for the short update. My next one should be longer.

-Andrea

Prayers for my brother's dog Beeker who is having her right eye removed today due to a tumor. Praying that the surgery goes well and the tumor is benign.