Wrapping up the last loose ends

Monday I'll be mailing off my immunization form. That is the last hoop I have to jump through to complete my admissions requirements. I also renewed my CPR certificate today. It isn't due until October but I wanted to get it done before summer was over so it won't conflict with classes. Anything to reduce future stress.

The class schedule is finally posted and I am going to have some very long days.
Monday 8-11 Foundation of Nursing
Tuesday 8-5 Foundation of Nursing, (Microbiology in the afternoon with lab following)
Wed, Th or Fri 8-11 Simulation wks 4,7,10 of term
Thurday 2-5(Microbiology in the afternoon with lab following)

Clinicals TBA on Wed or Friday

I also looked at the text list and it is very long. 13 books for the whole year! Fortunately the text list for years 2 and 3 is MUCH shorter so I am assuming many of the books with be used in the entire program.

All I have left to do is purchase my navy blue scrubs and lab coat, shoes and my OHSU patches and I'll have all my supplies in place. I am really happy the scrub color is navy instead of white! :)

Apt with the specialist

I drove up to Portland yesterday for my follow up apt with Dr. Morrison. On the way I stopped for lunch in Eugene and met up with a future fellow nursing student who will be going to nursing school with me. She's 39 so I won't be the only mature student :)

Dr Morrison was very pleased with my progress. I am down to 10 mg of Prednisone and from now on we will decrease it by 1 mg every 2 wks. She said I can stop taking the Prilosec, drop to 1/2 of the Tetrycicline immediately and stop taking it altogether if it doesn't cause a flare. In a few wks I can stop taking the Fosamax. I am so happy with this! I will go back to see her in 6 months. By then we will try to cut the Cellcept in half. I will have to keep taking the Cellcept for at least another 9 months. We will re-evaluate when the time comes depending on how my body reacts.

I am tired today but I feel pretty good considering I drove 10 hrs yesterday. Today I had another Statistics midterm. I think I did o.k.

Statistics

I just got the results of my Statistics midterm. I got an A to my surprise! It's fortunately not as hard as I was afraid of. We have very little homework so far, so I have been able to really relax and enjoy my summer vacation with the kids. I also went over the requirements for a BS under the nursing program, and from what I can tell without talking to my advisor I only have to take Biology, Microbiology, Technical Writing, and 2 more classes about 300 level. That means after next year I will have mostly the nursing program itself to focus on. I am very happy about that!

Just a cute pic of the kids and Aunt Katrinka

Ordered my stethescope

I am starting to gather together the things I'll need for school. One of the items is a stethescope. I ordered a Littman Classic II SE. I got it in raspberry with my name engraved on it :) Since we will be wearing navy blue scrubs I thought a little dark pink would contrast nicely and with my name on it it's less likely to go "walking" a hazard I've been warned about.... I also orderd some completely white shoes, my pen light, and watch with a second hand on a lanyard so it won't get germy on my wrist. I will buy my scrubs and lab coat soon, once I check out the ones at the bookstore to compare style and price.

I go tmy fingerprints done for my backround check, the third Hep B shot taken care of. OK because it's not a live vaccine. All I have left is my TB tests which have to be done a week apart, and the antibody titers I have to have run for Hep B and Chicken Pox. Then wait for the backround check to come back, send off all the papers and I'll be done until the drug test. Lots of little hoops to jump through but it's all coming together nicely.

In other news, Lane took off the weekend to have a mini vacation with the kids and we are going to go a BBQ at a friend's church tomorrow and watch fireworks there. Nick has made some really great little friends and we have started to make friends with the parents as well so I am looking forward to this. It is supposed to be 85 tomorrow so much cooler than it has been and it should be a wonderful 4th!