Winter Break

Finals are over! I can breathe! I made it through all of my finals, and made all A's! :) I got the highest grade in my pharm class, which means I can do pharm tutoring next semester. It has been a long semester! Thank you guys for standing by me. It would have been more difficult without your love and support.

Orientation for my new job is on January 4th. :) I am not sure when I am doing my first CareFlite rideout, but that will be sometime in January as well. Like I said, it just feels like everything is falling into place!

Yesterday, I did a mile warm up, and then did CrossFit Deeps Push Press 3-3-3-3-3

Set was:
45 x 5, 50 x 3, 55 x 3, 65 x 3, 70 x 3, 75 x3, 80 x3

Almost didn't get that last one on the 80#, but I managed to lock it out! :)

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy Holiday Season! Don't eat too many cookies! :)

I Feel Like I Am Where I Am Supposed to Be

Do you ever get that feeling that you are FINALLY where you are supposed to be? I had a horrible week last week, still don't know the results of the biopsy, but one day at a time. And today, have had such great news that it is freaking awesome!

Before I started nursing school, one of the nurse managers at Presby Dallas told me that when I finish my first semester of school to call her and they would try to get me a job. So, finals are next week, and I call her up. Today, I had an interview for a nurse extern position. Well, I got it! Funny thing is, they have to go and create the position (They have had them before, but don't really have a spot for me). They are going to email me when the job is posted, talk to HR and tell them that the job is for me! I get this job for 1.5 years (It's only until I finish nursing school). Then I apply for the internship, and then start working at Presby Dallas. They like to hire from within (hence the fact that I am getting a special job just for me and even if other people apply for it, they don't get it!) So, I have pretty much just got my ER job lined up for when I graduate school! I am the first person in my class to get an externship, and probably the only person to have a job lined up for when I get out! :) This takes sooo much stress off of me! I can just relax, and pass my classes now! :)

Sometimes, it feels like things aren't supposed to go your way for a reason. I much rather preferred an externship at Presby Plano, but the nurse manager there said she wasn't sure she could get it. Oh well. I got one anyway. Oh, and another thing that is great about PHD....I was talking to the nurse manager that I want to do CareFlite Nursing (You know, the nurses that ride around in helicopters and save lives....) and they have a way to help get me in with them. I have to be a nurse for 5 years before I can even apply, so I will be with them for a while, but they know the people and can get me on track with the right path and way to go about getting that dream a reality! So, even though I didn't get the place where I originally wanted to go, I guess everything works out for a reason, and I am where I am supposed to be!

Update

It's been a while since I posted, so here is a quick update.

Monday: Day before my presentation. Wow...getting nervous. So, I am running through my presentation with my partner, with NO ONE in the room...I start freaking out. Yeah...not a good sign. Hoping I will be able to make it through the next day!
Tuesday: Presentation day! Well, I didn't pass out or have a seizure. So that was a good thing. I gave my presentation twice. I ended up talking really fast and talking with my hands. But I got through it. It was all worth it. After the presentation, one of my classmates came up to me and told me that my presentation really touched him. He was already thinking about doing hospice care, but he really liked the idea of pediatric hospice, and he would love to do that. Dinner with my teachers was a lot of fun. It was nice to see them outside of school, and more like real people.
Wednesday: Had my assessment check off. It went smoothly. Passed with 100%. Then I went to the gym and did my pharm reading on the elliptical. It took me 40 minutes to read all the notes, but I did 3.07 miles while doing it.
Thursday: Had Concepts check off. For this checkoff, we had to draw a number out of a bowl, and then go perform a procedure. If you would have asked me two weeks ago what number I was going to draw, I would have told you Sterile Wet to Dry Dressing change. I even told my teacher I was going to pull that. And what do I pull? Sterile Wet to Dry Dressing change. So, I did my procedure, passed with 100%. Woo hoo! SO...I get home, and I get a call from my GYN and I am finally getting my results back on my pap smear. It's abnormal. I tested positive for HPV high risk. And if you know anything about HPV, it is a precursor for cervical cancer. So, yeah...I am kinda freaking out.
Friday: I go in after work for my biopsy. Kinda hard to sit here all day and not think about it. But hopefully everything will be okay. If I do have it, well, it will be easy to fix. But still scared. So, that's my update for the week. Hope everyone else is having a great day.

Exciting News!

Ok, before I talk about my exciting news, updates on my workouts. Got busy, and couldn't make it to the gym as much as I wanted to this week, but what can I do? Life tends to get in the way. Still doing my fun elliptical work, here were my times

Monday: 24 minutes: 1.80 miles
Saturday: 25:55 Minutes: 2 miles
Sunday: 30 minutes: 2.17 miles, 100 sit ups, bench press, 45# x 10, 55# x10, 60#x10, 65# x6

Ok, so now for the fun stuff. So, every semester, TWU puts on a conference, and J1's can submit an abstract and get a chance to present at this conference. Well, my friend and I submitted an abstract and we got picked! 20 abstracts were submitted and only 5 are chosen. We are super thrilled! We are just excited about the perks of this! We get 5 free questions on both our Assessment and Concepts final, $25 gift card, some nursing handbook, and dinner with our instructors! Oh, and we don't have to participate in a different speaking assignment. Which both of our topics sucked balls and we didn't want to do them!

So, what is our topic? The topic is about pediatric hospices. I had the opportunity to visit one in Australia and it was one of the only things I remember from the medical aspect of the trip. This center touched me in a way that I can't even explain. So, yeah, I am really excited to be presenting on this topic. Interestingly enough, the idea hasn't taken off in the States. There isn't even one in Texas, and we are a HUGE state!

My presentation is on December 1. Which leaves me plenty of time to prepare and get over my fear of public speaking!

New Way to Study

So, I have figured out the best way to study. Reading my notes on the elliptical. Since I have to study, and I have to workout to stay in shape, I figured I would give this a shot! AND it works! My friends think I am crazy because I am able to do this. I figured I can kill two birds with one stone, and it actually leaves me more time to study when I am at home and I feel less guilty. Granted, I don't get many crossfit type workouts in this way, but that's ok. I just started doing this about 4 days ago. And I have only missed one day. So, woo hoo!

Wednesday: Took me 28 minutes to do a little over 2 miles.
Thursday: 20 minutes to do 1.8 miles, then did an hour of Zumba dance class
Friday: didn't make it to the gym, had to babysit after work
Saturday: 30 minutes and 2.4 miles. Bench press: 45x 10, 55x 10, 65x8, 50 sit ups

I am going to try to keep an eye on my times and see how I am doing. I am obviously not going break neck speed, but I am keeping a comfortable working pace. Probably best described as a comfortable jog. The way I calculate the time is however long it takes me to read my notes. I would have been finished earlier today, but was texting a friend as well. Oh well, more time on the elliptical.

After my workout, I usually have a post workout shake. Which is made of strawberries, protein powder, almond butter (for fat source), and milk. It is actually really yummy! :)


Ok, something else I want to address. I wish I could tell me work friends this, but I can't, so I will rant to you guys. So, everyone is suddenly obsessed with losing weight. And they are all doing these fad diets. Yeah, they are losing about 8-10 pounds a week, but it is so unhealthy they don't even realize this! And these are NURSES! Of course you are going to lose weight, you are only consuming 500 calories, and your body is going through ketoacidosis, which is not good! Yes, you will lose weight, but what happens when you go off this diet and start eating real food again? (They have to buy the company they are doing it from the food that they sell and market). You are going to gain weight, and maybe gain more than you originally had! As far as I know, they are not exercising. Which is killing me! The best way to lose weight is to make smarter food choices and exercise. One bite of cake won't kill you. The whole cake will. One biscuit won't hurt. The whole can...no bueno. It's all about choices and portion control. I admit, I love ice cream. It is a weakness for me and I know this. So, the way I get around this is, one buying a lot fat ice cream, and two, only eating a spoonful of it, and then putting it away. I love life, and I don't want to not eat what I want to, but you have to be smart about it. Fad diets come and go, but smart choices.....those will last you a lifetime, and you can still enjoy the foods you love.

Ok..I am off my soap box now. Thank you and good night! :)

ZZZZ....

Ok, as promised...I am posting a blog about sleep! Yep, sleep, something we all need, just don't seem to get enough of!

A little background on sleep. There are two major stages of sleep, NonREM and REM. NonREM sleep is when our metabolism, temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tone, and respirations decrease. REM sleep, is when we are dreaming. During this stage, our heart rate and respirations can increase and we have that Rapid Eye Movement from where the sleep stage gets its name. This is when we dream. Men can experience an erection (as well as women with clitoral engorgement), guess the are having sex dreams when this happens! LOL. REM is our restorative phase of our sleep and is very important.

Sleep is affected by so many of our daily activities. If you have a chronic lung disease, maybe asthma or COPD, you can be up all night due to shortness of breath or can't lay a certain way because it will affect your breathing, thus affecting your sleep. Or if you are in pain (maybe from doing a million sit ups, and then getting a new PR in back squat), you have more trouble sleeping.

Drugs affect our sleep. I am not talking about any hardcore kind of drugs, but ones that we may take/use on a regular basis. Caffeine can prevent you from falling asleep. It also interferes with your REM sleep, and if you are awaken at night, you can have difficulty falling asleep. Alcohol, our favorite, is great at making you fall asleep quickly, but it actually reduces the amount of REM sleep you get. So, you are decreasing the quality of sleep you are getting. With some of the sleep aides, you may fall asleep faster, but they may prevent you from reaching REM. They are to used for TEMPORARY relief only of insomnia, and some of them can cause daytime drowsiness. So, if you use them, make sure you read the directions. If if says get 8 hours of sleep, then plan to get a full 8 hours.

I was reading a study that compared Caucasians and African Americans. On AVERAGE women got more sleep than the men of each race, and Caucasians on average got more sleep than African Americans. According to my textbook, men have more difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Women can have problems with sleep due to hormones (stupid hormones). But women's hormones do fluctuate during the month and this can have an impact on sleep.

Weekend

I had a great time at the party! Crossfit Deep is such a cool place! I could really see myself working out there! And Eric seems to want to help me so I can, but I just need to find the finances. Stupid money. Stupid nursing school. I wish it was closer, because there wouldn't be any questions asked about what I would do!

It was great seeing people from CFDC at the party. Granted, after talking to some people, it seems like things have changed so much since I left. Which really saddens me. I thought that Crossfit was such a big family community, and to hear what I heard, just breaks my heart. It makes me question if I want to get back into it if this is how Crossfit treats people who leave. Granted, I know that I haven't gotten the whole story, but the people I've talked to, I think they are pretty reliable.

And so, a new week begins. I have clinicals again this week. :) Gotta love clinicals. Oh, and yesterday, I got the biggest compliment from two of my teachers. Since I am doing so well, they think that I am "brilliant" (Their words not mine). While I know that I am smart, I know how hard I work. So, to say brilliant, I don't think that applies, maybe it does. But we got the "you suck" speech after our big pharm test. Seems like a lot of people won't be passing this semester and going on to the next one. Sad. Very sad. I find that school is actually easy if you study. But that's just me! :)

Rainy Day!

So, I did a quick workout after preclinical. Here it was...

1 mile warm up on the elliptical
10-8-6-4-2
Pull ups
Push ups
50 sit up cool down

My made up metcon took me 4:30. It could have been a lot quicker, but stupid pull ups slowed me down! Oh well. It was nice. Abs are finally feeling better!

So, I get home after my workout, took my shower, and was getting ready to finish my preclinical paper work and.....my clinical is cancelled tomorrow. So, I have tomorrow off. A day off, and I don't have ANYTHING to do. Hmm...I wonder what I am going to do!

Gotta Go Deep!

Thank you Sandy for making me go to the free workout a few days ago!

WOD:
In groups of 3, with only 2 people working at a time
As many points in 10 minutes of:
Squats (worth 1 point)
Ab-mat situps (worth 2 points)
Burpees (worth 3 points)

Great workout! Sandy and I figured we could do situps all day! LOL. But it would be better to do a few of those horrible burpees to boost our score. Our final score ending up being 940, or something like that. I don't remember my score exactly, but I did a ton of sit ups. I woke up that next day, and my abs were so freaking sore! Even now, 3 days out, abs are still sore! I so love CF. It's so great to come back and do these workouts with people that I love! I am really happy that I was able to still run 400m and not have to stop! I know that I do the elliptical, but it's not the same as real running.

CrossFit Deep is such a good box. I wish I was closer so I could go, but still don't have the time. Will have to go back when/if I get another Saturday off.

Ok, update on school. Last week, I had my Concepts test, got a 94! Woo hoo! Had Assessment test yesterday, and pulled out a 90. Today, I had pharm....pharm.....pharm....pharm. I left the test feeling pretty good. Grades still weren't posted when I went to Concepts lecture. All of our instructors were there. This should have been the first sign that something wasn't right. The instructor that helps with retention, started first. Well, we get the "You suck speech". I am sure you have heard it sometime in your life. Apparently, my class has done the worst compared to previous classes. They were blunt, and said that some of us weren't going to make it to Junior II. Uh oh....ok, so kinda makes me think that I didn't do so well. This speech goes on for about 30 minutes. Our pharm teacher comes in, and honestly, looked like she had been crying. Which makes me feel horrible. I was hoping that I hadn't let her down. Long story short, I made a 94. Woo hoo! Looks like I am not one of those people that isn't doing well. Well, I knew that, but I hate the "You suck speech". Just one more test tomorrow! Then, clinicals, and I can relax for a day!

Weekend fun!

OK, so I totally slacked off on my sleep fitness blog. Promise guys, it is coming! I just had stuff that I needed to do.

I did manage to get a workout in yesterday.

Did my 1 mile warm up on the elliptical. Still hate doing it, but I like getting my HR up. For my WOD, I did one that we did a few months ago.

14 rounds
3 push jerk
3 L-pull up (subbed knees to elbows)

I used 55# again. I warmed up with it, and for some reason it felt heavier than last time. So, I just used it. I actually finished the WOD in 9:00, which is 50 seconds faster than my previous time! This time I took less breathing breaks. Nice to see an improvement. Cool down, 50 situps.

Sorry for the short post, but just wated to post something to let you guys know I am alive! :)

Rest Day

Ok, so today is not REALLY a rest day, but it feels like one! My classes today got cancelled, so I am going to get to catch up on some work. I went and worked out this AM. Did a mile on the elliptical for warm up. Then did seated leg presses. I know, not the same as real squats, but back was not feeling it. :( Also did my 3 rounds of 5 pull ups & 5 ring dips. The dips kill me! I am thinking about increasing the pull ups to 10 and just keeping with the 5 ring dips until I can build up endurance again! And to cool down, 50 sit ups!

On another note....I had my first Pharm test yesterday. And I made an A! Oh yeah! Actually, 96 to be more exact. It was a pretty easy test, but not everyone else thought so. I had to keep telling them that you have to start studying now, and you can't wait until the last minute with Pharm. Lots of drugs, and lots of side effects to remember!

Well, I need to go and make breakfast! Yum for egg white omelets! :) Lunch will be a "cheat" today since I am having lunch with a friend from out of town. Going to Ghengis Grill. Will make it as Zone friendly as possible. Which pretty much means, extra meat, and little rice. Have a great day everyone!

AED's, Beta-Blockers, & Opioids!

OK, so by the title of this post, I bet you guys know what's on my mind! Pharmacology! Oh yeah! Fun stuff right? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I will not be going into all the details about the wonderful world of Pharm! BUT....I thought I would share with you guys a fun Pharm mnemonic!

2-Cocks are bad, while 1-Cock is good! Ok, yes, I did say Cock, but it is actually a play on the word COX. Which is actually cyclooxygenase (See why they call it COX?) I actually wanted to mention COX-2 inhibitor drugs because we being crossfitters, are actually well known to some of these drugs. COX-1 is good, and COX-2 is bad, just like I mentioned but with dirtier words. The enzyme COX-2 is responsible for inflammation, fever, and pain. COX-1 is responsible for increasing the protective gastric mucus which is good since our stomach is acidic and it protects us from ourselves. So, can anyone guess what type of drug we would use to inhibit COX-2? Anyone? Ok, I am going to pretend like someone said the right answer. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and Aspirin! Let me dissect each of these drugs for a minute. (You guys didn't know that you would be getting a lecture did you? hehe...but I actually do think it is important that you know a little bit about the drugs you are taking)

Aspirin: Nonselective inhibitor. This means that it can inhibit either COX-1 or COX-2. What's the big thing with Aspirin? It "thins" your blood right? Well, technically no. It doesn't actually thin your blood, it just makes your platelets (those really cool things that make blood clots when you rip your hands doing a million pull ups or kettlebell swings) not stick together. Hence the reason that it is recommended to take Aspirin to prevent heart attacks from blood clots. (Preventing clotting is an inhibition of COX-1). With regards to COX-1 inhibition and Aspirin, it also reduces those protective gastric secretions making you prone to ulcers. Which is no bueno. It also inhibits COX-2, which decreases are fever, pain, and inflammation. Which is a good thing! But by taking Aspirin there really isn't a way for you to tell that pill only inhibit COX-2 so I feel better, you gotta inhibit the good COX-1 as well. :( Sign to watch out for if you are an Aspirin popper: ringing in the ears (first sign of toxicity). And please guys, no alcohol with Aspirin, just makes the blood "thinner" and then when you fall and hit your head because you are dizzy, you have this head bleed and a large laceration that I have to fix. And guys...I love playing with staplers...so I will show no mercy! ;) (OH yeah, and don't give to children under 18..bad bad things could happen.)

Tylenol: Who doesn't love tylenol (besides you Carrie). Tylenol rocks. It is a selective inhibitor of the bad COX-2. By selective I mean, that it inhibits parts of it, but not all. Tylenol will make your fever go away and help with the pain...BUT does not help with the anti-inflammatory parts. :( Sadness right? Also with tylenol, you aren't making your blood "thinner". Tylenol is good because it doesn't inhibit COX-1, so our stomach is still being protected. Which is a good thing right? Tylenol is great for children. Bad thing about tylenol....liver toxicity. So, if you have liver damage or you are a big alcoholic, lets not take this. Love your liver guys! It saves you from yourself! :)

Ibuprofen: AKA: Motrin, Advil, Naproxen (the list goes on and on...many different names, same drug). This should be in every CrossFitters medicine cabinet. It works great for fever, pain, AND inflammation (All those things that COX-2 does, we are making better)! (But also, for the ladies...helps with those menstrual cycle cramps). Now it does inhibit some COX-1, but not really that much, but enough. Things to watch out for with ibuprofen, would be if you have liver or kidney disease, allergies to aspirin, and drinking alcohol while taking the ibuprofen. (Yep, alcohol is never a good thing to take with any drug in case you haven't figured that out)

Now, as we all know....(or you do now)....there is no such thing as a "SAFE" drug. Every drug has side effects. With drugs, we need to be looking at what it does and the side effects. Now, side effects are usually present when you take too much of a drug. And every person reacts differently to a certain drug. So, you have to know your body and know what it can and can not handle.

Did you guys like that little lesson in over the counter medications? On another note, I have noticed that everyone is posting a lot less than normal. I understand that life is busy, believe me, I do. But what was the point of these blogs? We made these blogs so that we could learn about ourselves, and each other through our failures and victories.

I read your guys stuff every other day, if not every day. Sometimes, I may not comment. But I do read it. And I realize that I have been slacking the most. I blame school. To some, that may be a valid reason, but I am not going to try to let it be a reason anymore. Granted, I am not crossfitting as much as I used to be, but I am still living life. So, even if I don't workout, I am still going to keep you posted, and will be giving you guys "lessons" about our bodies and processes. I am a firm believer that knowledge is the key, and if you know how to treat something, or know the signs, you are going to be much better off. I want you guys to be healthy and live long. So, these things need to be learned now!

Yesterday: I did workout! Felt great to be back in the gym. I did a mile on the elliptical to get my heart rate up. Then, did 3 rounds 5-pull ups and 5-ring dips. Fun! (Yeah right!). Then went to bench press to work on my arms. Did:
45# x10
55# x 8
60# x 5
65# x5
70#x 5
75# x 5

And arms are feeling it today! Love that feeling! After that, did 140 sit ups. Not the most Crossfit workout, but it was what I felt like doing, so that's what I did! :)

Oh, and the next blog I am planning on doing will be one about sleep fitness, since every sounds like they don't get enough sleep!

A Week of Firsts

Hello everyone! :) So, this has been such a great week! OK..by great I mean full of tests and my very first clinical. Monday, I had my first Assessment test. There were some I didn't know, and no matter how much I would have read, still wouldn't have remembered the answers. So, I made a B. Woo hoo. I passed. Tuesday, I had my lecture test in Clincals and Concepts (Which is pretty much the theory behind everything, like why we wash our hands.) I started taking this test, and I was like, wow, this was really easy. I made an A. :) Then, Wednesday, I had my Asssessment check off (which is where we practice the skills we learn on a partner). I did really well. The ONLY thing I forgot was to check for tongue movement. Grr.....oh well. All I have to do is ask my partner next time to stick out her tongue.

Today: My VERY first clinical! Woo hoo! OK...I wish I had some exciting story to tell you guys, but I don't. I got to check morning vitals, I gave a bed bath, and made beds. Exciting right? Not really. But my next clinical, I get to do actual work. I get to practice nursing. The good thing was, all of my patients today were really nice and were like "Do whatever you need". So that was cool that they were really nice.

Oh, something I forgot. Monday morning I went to the gym before going to class. I did the Push Press WOD. Warm up, did 10 minutes on the elliptical, then did a warm up set of 10 x 45# and got into the WOD.

3-3-3-3-3
65-75-80-85-95x 1

Kinda upset that I couldn't finish the 95# x 3. I had horrible form on the 95#, so I didn't try again. That and I knew that I had to get home and get ready for school and my test. In between each set, I did 5 knees-to-elbows. Felt good to be back in the gym. I really need to get better at going during school, I was very relaxed when I went to school. I wish I had time to come to the gym. It's just so hard getting all the reading done when I am not doing anything else.

But the difference between me and my other classmates, is that I am actually relaxing more than they are. I get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. I eat very Zone friendly, and just don't let the stress get to me! I wish I could explain this to all of my classmates. Maybe it would help them with their stress....BUT people don't listen to me! Oh well....their loss!

Time flies!

Hey everyone. Again, sorry for the lack of updates. I really didn't think that you guys want to know about what I am learning in school. Granted, I am planning on doing a sleep fitness blog next time I get more than 10 minutes to write something.

So, I am halfway through week #3 of school. Just 12 more weeks left of this semester. Yes, I have started the countdown already. Kinda scary to think that in about 20 months, I will have another degree and actually get to do something professionally and be a productive member of society. Ahh...this whole being an adult...when did this happen?

Week One...kinda boring. I learned a bunch of stuff that I already knew.
Week Two...still learning some things that I already knew, but now we threw in how to take manual blood pressures. I started out a little rough, but I have the hang of it. Or at least I can do it well enough to pass my check off. I am having some difficulties with school. Not the actual work, just going through this and knowing that half the stuff I learn I will not be doing when I am actually working. Like manual BPs. Come on, when have you gone to a hospital and actually had your blood pressure taken by hand? I know in the ER we don't do it. You don't have time to do a two-step blood pressure on every patient that you have. It's just not possible. I had my first Pharm quiz this week, and woo hoo...got both questions right! Starting to relax a little when it comes to pharm, but not much. I still feel like this will be my hardest class. There is so much information and so much about drugs that they want us to learn. But we do get some pretty good pneumonics to remember things...like 2-Cocks (COX) are bad, and 1-Cock (COX) is good. I swear that this has use, and I am not making it up. Or like the PNS (Peripheral Nervous System) really stands for "Piss N Shit". I can tell you more if you like to clarify this.
Week Three: Ahh...the stress is starting to kick in a little bit. I had to get fingerprinted for my nursing license this week. Kinda cool. Things are starting to become a reality that this is going to actually happen. They also took a HORRIBLE mug shot. We weren't allowed to smile or anything. :( I pray that no one ever sees that picture. It almost scared me! I realize that my first set of tests is next week. But I am using me, "I am going to do the best I am going to do, and not freak out" attitude that I developed over the summer. I just have to take each day as it comes. This week, I am learning how to assess the head and its features. Fun fun! I know, you guys are just sitting by the seat of your pants in all the excitement! LOL.

This past Sunday, I went and did a Body Works class at LA Fitness just to see what it was all about. I must say, that for the next two days, I could have sworn I had done a CF workout. My thighs were killing me. We didn't do anything too taxing, just a bunch of air squats and some arm work. As I was going through class, I was looking around at the other women, and they were ALL doing squats wrong! I may need some help in changing their positions on the squats! It may take some work. But you guys will be proud that I did all of my air squats correctly! :)

Diet:
I have been doing fairly well on my diet, except for breakfast. Breakfast is my weakness, I must admit. Trying to be good and eat more egg whites, but some mornings, you wake up and you just want a pancake! I make lunch everyday, so it is very Zone friendly. Usually ends up being a chicken breast, some type of nut, fruit, and a yogurt.

Well, it is off to Assessment. I will keep you guys posted!

Trying to Figure it All Out

Well, I have officially survived my first week of school! My anxiety has decreased, but the work load has increased. Every night before bed, I read my Pharm notes. Sad huh? Oh well. I think that Pharm will be my hardest class. The other classes feel like common sense to me. I don't know if it is common sense, or I have just been around this information for so long that it is second nature to me. We will see as these next two years progress.

As for workouts...no excuses. I only worked out on Thursday and Today (Monday). I had good intentions, but then something always came up. Like the notes for the next lecture got posted, so I decided to go through them, define the terms, and read them to prepare for the quizzes. Then I had to read chapters for Fundamentals. Which took FOREVER. Seriously...I can only read about how to use cruthces for so long before I go bonkers. Things like that, while not hard concepts, and I could probably get by with not reading it, but I have to read it. :( I might freak out.

So, Thursday, I attended the Aqua Fit Class with the CrossFit type instructor. She makes us do the length of the pool in a 5-4-3-2-1 lap type regimen, after each round, you do 10 push ups, and each set has a different way to get across the pool. It's actually really fun because I try to be competitive and beat the others. Doesn't always work because I am in the deeper end of the pool, and the deeper you get, the harder it is. Today, I went to my very first step class. Wow...that was different. Not overly challenging in terms of movements, but it shows exactly how uncoordinated I am sometimes. :) Over an hour of constantly moving and sweating. I might do this class again, will have to see if I can bring some friends to suffer with me. :)

My Apologies

Hello my dear friends! First, let me say that I am sorry for the lack of posting on my part. I am alive, trust me. Last week was a mess. It was my last week full time, so I was working like crazy and trying to get stuff ready for school. I have no excuses for my laziness. By the time I got off work, I was tired and just wanted to rest. I have been riding an emotional roller coaster with school starting. I would go from being super excited to be starting, then be really nervous. (workouts will be started again on my off days from school)

It has been difficult to express in words my exact concerns, and during my first pharmacology lecture, the words came in the form of a nursing article.

Quick Summary:
This nurse developed a trusting relationship with her congestive heart failure patient. She has known him for years. One admission, she accidentally gave him a hypertensive medication when his normal blood pressure runs 70/50s (which is pretty low to be a normal, but that was his normal). She realized she made a mistake and had to tell this patient that she messed up and he needed to start vomiting to get the medication out. She offered to get him another nurse, and he declined and said he wanted her. There was a relationship already there. He trusted her, and she messed up. His blood pressure did end up dropping and they had to start him on an additional line of medication. He did become stable and was discharged 3 days later and he told the nurse to "Stop beating yourself up. It was an accident". (Yep...had tears in my eyes)

Medications errors happen every day. Sometimes it can have adverse effects, and sometimes it won't harm the patient. I will be a nurse in two short years. Odds are pretty good that I am going to mess up. In fact, I know I will mess up. Everyone messes up. Thing is, when you do mess up, be honest. Own up to your mistakes. I can only hope and pray that God will give me the strength and the courage to tell my patient (and admitting physician) that I messed up. Mistakes do make us better, but theses are people's LIVES. Nurses are the last line of defense that the patient has. No one double checks our work. We check the doctors and pharmacists, but who checks us? Me. I check me. I am responsible for me, and no one else is.

Knowing this, puts extreme pressure on me. The thought makes me freak out just a little. Granted, I have known that I am responsible for lives, but since school started today, the thought has now become a reality. People's lives are in my hands. I am confident that I will make a good nurse. I just have to hope that I am able to build a trusting relationship with my patients that they will be as understanding and forgiving as the patient in the above story.

New Motto:
"Good is not good enough, when excellence is required."

My Man Nate....

WOD for 3-19-2009

"Nate"
2 Muscle Ups
4 HSPU (subbed shoulder press)
8 KB Swings

OK...was not even thinking about arms when I was doing yesterdays workout. But CFDC wanted to do Nate. So I did Nate. I checked the blog before I left, and didn't know the substitution for the muscle ups. So, I just did a 1:1 substitution with pull ups and ring dips. Later, I found out that I should have done 4:1. Will remember that for next time. I used 15# DB for the presses and for the KB swings. Arms were feeling sore from yesterday as were the abs. I shouldn't have taken it easy on the presses and swings, but oh well. It's over now. Can't go back and redo it. I just won't let myself take it easier next time. Granted, even though I took it easier, it was still a hard workout. I was dripping in sweat when I was finished, so maybe I didn't take it THAT easy.

I finished 15 rounds on the buzzer! Sweet! And then I had my 50 minute cool down with Aqua Fit. I have to admit, it is kinda fun. It's nice to go get in the pool after you have worked hard doing a CF workout to a cool pool and still having constant movement for 50 minutes.

After that, a nice relaxing 2 hours by the pool reading pharmacology and Harry Potter! Not at the same time, but would switch books whenever I would switch sides. If I have to study, might as well do it by the pool right? :)

Diet:
Breakfast/Lunch: Don't usually eat before working out. On days off from work, I usually work out from 8-10. So, for this meal, I had 1/2c granola, almonds, 2 pieces of turkey bacon, 1/2c blackberries
Dinner: Not sure what I am doing yet. Going to Happy Hour with my friend for her 40th Birthday! I am going to TRY to be good and not drink alcohol. But what's worse on the Paleo scale, alcohol or a soda?

Gotta Push On!

WOD for 8-18-2009

Push Press (main site)
1-1-1-1-1

Cookie:
21-15-9
Push Ups
Sit Ups
Pull Ups

My workout ended up changing pretty much until I actually did it. My friend Amber and her boyfriend who does CrossFit as well, came up to the hospital at lunch. Matt and I started talking, and the plan was for him to meet me at the gym for a workout. I was actually excited. Someone to seriously CrossFit with. We had planned to meet at 7 after the Aqua Fit class. Well...he had to help Amber's grandparents move furniture, and by the time he got done, it was almost 7 and he hadn't eaten, so he asked for a raincheck. Which I will give him the rain check, but he will have some kind of burpee penatly!!

I know that CFDC had the clean and press for the WOD, but I was not feeling comfortable with my clean without having an additional person to watch my form. Hurting my back is NOT going to be beneficial to me. Especially with school starting in less than two weeks! Ahh! So, it was great that the push press was on the main site, so it's like I did part of the CFDC workout.

OK...onto the press. I couldn't remember what my 1 rep max was. So, I just went as heavy as could. Granted, it wasn't that much.

Working Set:
45-50-55-60-65-70-75-80-85-90(f)-90-(f)

Sadness....failed at 90. Got home, and looked at my past 1 rep max, and it was like 90# back in April. So, major sadness. I think the fail from the first attempt got into my head. Or I am just weaker. I would really like to think it is the first of the two choices. Did the best I could today, and that's all I can ask for.

I hadn't planned on doing a cookie, but Matt and I were texting back and forth and he told me that I had to do this workout. So, I did. Time was slower than I would have liked. Didn't break things up too much, but I feel there was a lot of room for improvement. Abs are still wicked sore from Annie yesterday. I don't ever remember them being this sore. That just made the 21-15-9 worse. ugg...Time for my cookie was 6:50. I will attempt this again soon, and see if I improve!

Diet:
Breakfast: egg white omelet, 1/2 bagel, 1/2c yogurt, almonds
Lunch: Fajita meat and Salad
Dinner: lime chicken breast, celery, almonds, 1/2c raspberries

Work Work Work

Hey guys..I am back into the swing of things. I took a few extended rest days....no real good reason. Just wanted to relax when I got off of work. But I think I made for it today on my day off.

I got up and looked at the WOD...running two miles. Ick. So, I did this on the elliptical. Time was horrible, but I did just 2 miles straight. Then I went and did "Annie". My time was slower than last time. Then again, last time I did Annie I didn't do a 2 mile run right before. For my sub for double unders, I did the vertical jumps. I would like to think that my time was slower because I didn't have an Ab mat. I never realized how much the Ab mats help when doing multiple reps like Annie.

Time was 9:50. Will work on improving this time.

Then, I went to my Aqua Fit Class. The regular instructor for Monday mornings is back from vacation. It's very interesting to see the different instructors and their techniques. I really liked this one. Worked our triceps really well! Will be feeling the soreness from that tomorrow!

Other than that, everything is going well. Feeling tons better....maybe it's the new shoes! Hehe...So, the plans for the rest of my day off....tanning by the pool while reading Harry Potter and Pharmacology!

This Week...

I am sorry Lindsey for not posting every day to keep you entertained. Have had personal issues, and just have not felt like taking the time to post and be positive. But the good thing is, even though I didn't WANT to work out, I did work out.



Tuesday:
"Helen"ish. So, I was kinda looking forward to Helen. She's a great one. But again, treadmills and I don't get along. And Amber was working out with me that day! :) So, Amber and I were going to do the 3 rounds, but sub the row. Since one of the rowers was broken, we had to go one at a time. And I went first. First 400m, went by quickly (1:26...fastest I've done that before), and finished that round around 3 minutes using the 25# DB for the KB swings. Amber was keeping time for me, and well, didn't realize that she had to keep the timer going for the entire time. So, she only timed my first row. And then she timed my whole second round, which I finished in 4 something. And then some old lady stole my rower. :( Sadness. So, I just did two rounds. Amber did Helenish as well, but since the old lady was on the rower (and wasn't really doing much work, just sitting there and half assing it) she did her two rounds on the elliptical. Oh well...not like I can kick her off the rower. After that, we went and did an hour of Aqua Fit.

Wednesday:
Not too much to say about this day, or much that I wish to go into.
WOD was
3 Jerk
3 L pull-ups

I have no clue how to do an L pull up. Nor do I know how to sub it. So, I changed up the WOD a little bit. Instead of doing L-pull ups, I did knees to elbows. Well, it ended up really being bring your knees up as high as you can. Which I actually thought that I was getting them up higher than I have in the past. Used 55# for the jerk. Probably should have gone higher. Oh well. I will do this one again soon, as I thought it was fun. Time: 9:50

Thursday:
Had a day off. Spent it shopping with my mom and little brother. Lovely cheat meal at Tin Star...yum for flour tortillas, but I didn't eat any rice. Found a really cute top and dress...oh and two pair of shoes! I heart shoes! Now, I just need some place to wear them to! For the WOD, it was deadlift. Normally I love deadlift. But I just didn't have it in me. Not a lot of sleep, and just not my normal energy. Past couple of days have taken a lot out of me emotionally. So, I knew that I had to do SOMETHING productive. So, I did a warm up row. Then did bench press 5 sets of 10 reps each (45-50-55-60-65). Then cool down sit ups, and then an hour of Aqua Fit. Now, the Aqua fit teacher, wow...much different than the Tuesday night teacher. Much more cardio. Lots of "sprints". And even a mini CF style workout. Which was awesome! I will probably become a regular to her 6PM Aqua Fit class just for the CF style workout.

So, today is Friday. Not sure if I am going to work out or not. I know I need to, but right now, I have no energy. I may just end up doing Annie at home sans running. We'll see.

Splish Splash

WOD for 8-10-2009

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5

One word for this workout. BLAH! I usually love squats. I felt good during my warm up sets. I started off my first set at 95#, something I new I could easily get. Then I jumped to #115. Which normally would not have been any problem, but on my 3rd rep, I noticed that my back was doing something funny. Finished out the set and tried to correct form. I decided to drop back down to 95# for my 3rd set to try to correct my form.

Ok, form correct on the 3rd set. Bumped up to 105#, and on my 4th set, I started doing that funny back thing. Can't even really describe it. It was like my back was rounding, but didn't feel like rounding per say. Like I said, hard to describe. So, at this point I am feeling pretty let down. I am not having problems with the weight. The weight itself is easy. Not quite sure why my form is breaking down. So, I drop back down to 95# to finish the workout on a good note.

Seriously, not sure why my form was not there today. I am so embarrassed that I didn't even post my weight on the blog. I feel like I am starting back over again. Just being that girl who was never good at anything. Granted, that feeling went away when my logical side kicked it again. It's just hard sometimes. There isn't anyone working out with me. It's just me, all by myself. But I think back and remember all the friends that I've made back at CFDC, and I am not really alone. Just temporarily by myself.

Well, after my not so good WOD I went and did the aqua fit class. This one was so much better than the first class. She actually worked us! So much for this being my cool down. Win for the day, 2 hours of working out! Then I went and laid in the sun for 2 hours...now to clean the house...so much to do on my day off!

Catching Up

Sorry guys, I have been kinda lax on posting. But I did work out Friday and today.

WOD for 8-7-2009
Overhead squats
1-1-1-1-1-1-1


It's been a LONG time since I've done OHS. I looked back when the last time I did OHS and it was when we did the 4 sets of 15. I managed to get 45# all 15 times. I was working out alone, so I was kinda nervous because there weren't any coaches there to make sure that I was doing it right. So, I took it kinda easy to see where I was at. I did:

45-50-55-60-65-65-65

I probably could have done 70#, but when I got up to 65# my arms started getting shaky and I started to go forward on the squats. And as Koy says, you have to know your body. I really didn't want to go heavier and possibly hurt myself. So, for my last two reps, I really worked on form and next time I will get at least 75# if not more!

While I was doing my OHS, I noticed something extremely concerning. There was a trainer working with a client and they were doing deadlifts. The guy who was deadlifting was totally rounding his back! And the trainer wasn't saying a word! I should have spoken up. But the guy wasn't paying me to coach him. And then I was thinking that I shouldn't piss the staff off since I was working out there. Note to self, next time I see that trainer teaching him wrong, will speak up.

After the OHS, my friend Amber from work came up to the gym and we did 2 miles on the elliptical. In the past, I used to hate the elliptical, but now, I have come to a love-hate relationship with it. I am starting to enjoy my time on it. I get 20 or so minutes on it and have time to just blank out, listen to my music and get a nice warm up, and a nice cool down. It actually relaxes me.

WOD for 8-9-2009
J.T.
21-15-9
HSPUs
Ring Dips
Knee Push Ups

Thanks to Carrie's Blog, I found out what CFDC did for the Saturday workout. Funny thing is, I have been thinking about doing J.T. for a few days, and since CFDC did it, I went ahead and did it. I couldn't remember what my time was for this the last time I did it, and forgot to look it up. I was hoping for about 11 minutes. That sounded reasonable to me.

I used 15# DB for the shoulder press and the ring dip machine for my substitution, and of course knee push ups (sometimes, I feel like I will be doing these for the rest of my life). I almost did the first set of presses unbroken, but had to stop at rep 16 due to me slacking on form. Dips were another story all together. I only seemed to be able to do 5 in a row. Push ups went well. I got to 15 before I needed to stop and shake my arms out. Last time I did J.T. when I got to my push ups, I went to do my first one and my arms just collapsed! LOL. So, an improvement from last time.

Time: 9:40

Time from last J.T. on 3-12-09: 16:59

Wow! I totally cut off about 6 minutes off my previous time! Woo hoo! Even though I did a good job, there was a lot of room for improvement. I took a couple of breathing breaks in between movements. And I am still not able to finish a set unbroken. If I can do that, I really think I can cut off about 40 seconds off my time. New goal: J.T. 9 minutes or less!

Crazy Days!

Sorry for not posting yesterday. I thought about it, and just never got around to it.

Tuesday:
Work was crazy in Allen! It began as a nice slow morning, and then the doctor I was working with, actually said it was slow! Rule #1 of being in the ER...never ever say SLOW! The shit will hit the fan, and it will get crazy! Low and behold...what happens? You guessed it, it got crazy! Our simple anxiety chick ended up having a psychotic break. And people just kept coming in, and we didn't have rooms...yadda yadda....just a busy day. By the time I finally got off, honestly, I didn't feel like working out let alone doing 100 thrusters. But, I did go work out. I just didn't do the workout of the day. I did 1.5 miles on the elliptical. Then did 100 leg presses. I did 10 sets of 10, increasing in weight with each set. I did: 180-185-190-195-200-205-210-215-220-240. Legs felt like jello after this. Then, I did 3 rounds of: 5 pull ups 5 dips. Then did ab work. Fun stuff! Felt so much better after working out!

Wednesday:
Unscheduled rest day. My mom came into Dallas to come see me. We went and saw Harry Potter (I've already seen it, but she was begging me to take her!). Had a great yummy lunch at Pei Wei. Ate all of the meat, but maybe only 2 bites of the rice. Maybe if I was going to work out, then I would have eaten more of the rice. Then, we went to Costco. I've never been to Costco, so it was fun! I kept looking at things, and going wow...such a good deal. I got this HUGE thing of almond butter for $5.99. The smallest jar I've ever been able to find costs that much. So, I had to get a jar even though I already had some at home. Never hurts to stock up! It was just nice to enjoy a day off with my mom! :)

Thursday:
Back at work...yay Plano! I missed being back at Plano. Of all the hospitals I work at, this is where I am most comfortable. Anyway, I knew I was going to be busy today. The doctor I was with texted me the day before telling me that we didn't have any PA coverage for our shift. So, for the first 6 hours, we were all alone. Day began with a CPR! Haven't seen a CPR in a while, so it was nice for a change. Sorry to say, the woman didn't make it. But then again, at least 90% of the people who come in with CPR will not make it. Day was actually going pretty well, until about 1 hour before we got the next doctor. About that time, we had like 5 ambulances and then had to take care of the people that were already there. We had a couple of people with an irregular heart rhythm at the same time, so kinda hectic making sure that every one's orders got done. So, today's workout was supposed to run 400m x 6. Well, to be completely honest, treadmills scare me. I am paranoid that I am going to trip and fall on face (probably because I have done that before...seriously...) So, I calculated how far that would actually be, and it comes out to being about 1.5 miles. I did 2 miles in 20 minutes with variable resistance and cross ramp. Then, I did 3 rounds: 5 pull ups, 5 ring dips. After that some ab work.

I know that I am not suffering as much as my fellow crossfitters, but the old me..would have just not worked out after such stressful work days. The old me would have gone home, laid on the couch, watched TV, and have eaten something bad. CrossFit has changed me. I enjoy working out. I have developed a passion for it. So, yes, I may not be doing what you guys are doing, but I am still working out. And I would much rather do something than nothing!

New Week, New Beginning

WOD for 8-3-2009

100 push ups for time.

Ok, so the original WOD was 100 push ups for time, and every time you stopped, run 400m. I knew that I would have had to modify this because I didn't really have any idea of where 400m run would be in an gym. There wasn't really any room to run on the treadmill after doing push ups, and the rowers were both taken. SO, I just decided to do the 100 push ups, and then do some elliptical work. Not as exciting, but still kinda doing the same thing.

I did the elliptical work first. I did a little over a mile in about 11 minutes. I started doing tabata style on the elliptical for the last 3 minutes. That made it a little more interesting. After that, I went and did my 100 push ups. Don't really know my exact time, because I left my timer at home, so I was working off my phone. It was somewhere around 5 minutes. So, if you add both of my times, you get approximately 16 minutes of working out. That seems to make sense for this WOD for me.

Oh, on another random note....Crossfit has seriously been paying off! Everyone at work keeps telling me how great I look, and that I am like a whole new person! *Big Grin*

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: a couple of bites of scrambled eggs, bacon, 1/2c yogurt
Lunch: Salad, peanuts
Dinner: chicken breast cooked in olive oil, diced sweet potatoes, almonds, peach
Total Water Intake: 2.5L

Changing Things Up

Had a day off yesterday! Woo hoo! I had planned to workout in the morning and then lay out by the pool...what a way to spend my day off.

So, I begun my day off at the gym. Worked out by myself since Kelsey was at work. I did a mile and a half on the ellipitcal. Fun (yeah right). And then, I went to an Aqua aerobics class. I have never done one and have always wanted to try it. Well, it was interesting to say that least. I was the youngest person there, and the thinnest. It was a group of older heavier women. Had a great instructor. She was nice and funny. Overall, I enjoyed it. I think I might go to another class, but only as a 50 minute cool down. I don't know if my heart rate came closer to maximum like with a CF workout. But I wanted to try something new. Constantly varied functional movements right? Isn't that the CF motto?

I am feeling some tightness in my upper shoulders today, which could have been from the class. Who knows? It was nice to see heavier people doing the workout. Shows that they are trying to get healthier. Now, can we get the rest of the obese population to do this?

Put some Dead In That Lift!

WOD for 7-30-2009

Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5

So great to be back in the box! I missed it and the people there! And of course, I do love the deadlift! I decided to take it light since I haven't seriously deadlifted since May. I needed to get back into the swing of things.

Sets looked like:
123#-143#-143#-143#-163#

I felt really good at the 123#. So, I bumped up to 143#. Didn't really have trouble with the weight, but I really wanted to concentrate on good solid form. I wasn't looking to set any records by any means. On my last set, I jumped to 163#, which I was able to lift it easily off the ground, but on my last rep I rounded out my back. FTL. But I am glad that I did lighter weights for the WOD.

Other good news...I talked to Sam about my situation, and he is going to work something out with me so that I can continue to come to CFDC when my schedule allows! FTW! Sam is such a great coach and business man...it's so easy to see why CFDC has become such a great success! Thank you so much Sam! This place means the world to me, and I am so excited that I will be able to continue on while attending nursing school! I may only get to come once a week, but it's still something!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: Egg white omelet with peppers and bacon, 9 walnuts, pineapple
Lunch: Pei Wei (cheat)
Dinner: Chicken from Central Market and Vegetable soup
Dessert: 4 strawberries, 2 pieces of pineapple

Hang, Squat, Press, GO!

WOD for 7-28-2009

Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:
3 Hang power cleans
3 Front squats
3 Push-press

Ok, so I modified this a little bit. I didn't have a good way to do the "every minute on the minute" as there wasn't a clock near me, nor do I have a timer that would go off every minute. So, I told myself that I will just do 20 rounds. I used the 45# bar. I would do 2 rounds, and then take a few seconds break, and then do 2 more rounds. After the 10th round, I was like, man, am I tired....I really wanted to stop when I got to round 15. But I didn't. I kept thinking about Carrie, Lindsey and Sandy yelling at me to keep going and that I had to finish so I didn't let them down. After the 12th round, some guy comes up to me and was like how many more sets do you have? I told him 8. He looked at me like I was from another planet. Hehe...

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: 2 pieces of bacon, 1 scoop scrambled eggs (I hate scrambled eggs!), 6 almonds, 1/2c yogurt (sorry, I love yogurt!)
Lunch: Chicken fajitas! MMM...doctor's lounge food is really yummy! (No sour cream or cheese on my fajitas though)
Dinner: Spicy lime chicken breast cooked in olive oil, 8 almonds, 2 sticks of celery

On another note...I swore I would never watch this show, but since nothing else was really on, I watched it. The show is "More to Love". I don't plan on watching this show on a regular basis. But watching it makes me so thankful for CrossFit. There was 20 girls who were overweight. Granted, not all of them were obese. A couple of them, just needed to lose a few pounds around the middle, and they would be all set. As I am sitting here and listening to these women, I am amazed at how happy they are that they are "big and beautiful". Now, I am all about loving yourself and being happy. But are you *REALLY* happy when you are 300 pounds? Then there were some girls that were like "I've never had a date" and "I just want someone to love me for me". They were pretty much all complaining that people judge them on the way they look, and that they should have to change.....and how "big girls" need love too. Watching these obese (excuse me, curvy and voluptuous women) made me want to throw up my nice healthy (and quite tasty) dinner up.

And the guy is a bigger guy himself. He was saying that "life is too short to worry about dieting and watching calories". I don't know how exactly I feel about this statement. Life can be long and fulfilling. Yes, sometimes it starts to get frustrating when everyone is eating ice cream all the time, but they are obese and don't care what they eat. I do care. But I also don't take everything to the extreme. If I want ice cream, I will have a SMALL portion. Not the whole carton.

Not sure where this rambling is going. I know that I will never be a size 2. And I realize that I have problem areas that I am working on. I do know that eating well and working out will give you results. Seeing those women makes me want to work that much harder so I don't become one of them. Thankfully, I have got great friends and family that would NEVER let me get that far! So, Thank You guys for not allowing me to become a 488 pound person that can not fit into a CT scanner! (True story that happened at work today, might have to send him to the zoo)

Update

Life in the ER is never a boring one let me tell you. It seems like at this point in time, people are sick. Which in a bad way, is nice. Not nice that people are sick, but nice that someone actually really needs our help. They have a real reason to be in the ER, and not their usual "I just want vicodin" bull shit reasons. However, the price with sick critical patients, is that I get to stay late. Staying late means that I am more tired than normal, and I don't make the drive because I am too tired. Excuses, maybe, but please tell me that after working an 11 hour day that you really just want to go and sit down for a few minutes.

This is not exactly how I wanted to talk about things. I would have preferred to do it in person, but with the Allen Go Live, docs that don't turn their patients over, and just sick people in general, it has really affected my CrossFit time. However, I have another situation that has been weighing greatly on my mind. As you guys know, I am getting ready to begin full time nursing school. Woo hoo! However, that comes at a price. My mother has graciously offered to pay for my school, which I am accepting. I am extremely lucky to have my mother pay for my schooling again. With school being a full time job, I will be unable to work full time at the hospital. My mom says that I don't have to work, but I am choosing to work to help out with the bills to prove that I am not a free loader. Not that she would ever think that, but I want to do my part.

So, I guess to make a long story short, I am not going to be able to pay for CrossFit. I don't have the funds anymore. I can not ask my mother to give me the extra money for the fees when she is already helping me with tuition, books, and rent. While I am out of school, I am working 20+ shifts a month to try to get extra money to help out when I start working less.

I will now have to workout on my own. Well, not entirely on my own, I will be working out for the most part with my friend Kelsey. It's not a good bye entirely, I will still be around. I am still going to blog. I love you guys so very much. I love CFDC and the amazing things that it has taught me. I plan on coming back when I get more money, but right now, it's not possible. I am hoping that the coaches will let me pop in every now and then on Sundays to have a real CF workout and see you guys. Results may not be as great as they have been in the past, but I am still going to work hard, and do the best I can. I will have to take it easy on some lifts like snatch, just because there isn't a coach to watch my form. So, I guess on those days it will be light work and just try to perfect the form.

I have enjoyed being at CFDC sooo much. I have gotten so many new friends and have learned a healthier way to live. I love the feeling being healthy and the confidence that CFDC has given me. I am excited to teach my friend the CFDC way! I am going to represent CFDC at LA Fitness! So, this is not a good bye, it's a see you later! I promise...you haven't seen the last of me!

Rest Day!

Yesterday was an unscheduled rest day. We had planned to take a rest day today, but Kelsey couldn't make it yesterday, and even though I started to feel better, my house was a mess! So, I cleaned the apartment. I feel a lot better now that my place is clean! Long day at work yesterday. Ended up working a 10.25 hour shift. I had prepared myself though. I was working with a doctor that doesn't hand off her patients. Oh well...if she wants to stay late and away from her babies, that is her business!

Looking forward to making up yesterday's WOD though. Will work that into next week's programming.

Diet: Breakfast: egg white omelet (really wanted to cheat with a pancake, but didn't), some fruit, 7 almonds
Lunch: Salad with mixed veggies (only meat option was something with pasta, and didn't want the extra carbs)
Dinner: lime chicken, celery with peanut butter, zucchini squash
Total Water: 1.5L

Can't Move Legs...

Wow...I don't ever remember being this sore. Oh wait, yes I do. It was after my first CrossFit workout. These past few days have been a killer on my thighs! Oh well...that's why I love CrossFit WODs!

Today, we took it a little easy since we could barely move. Another 10 minutes on the elliptical to warm up. For the first, and probably last time, I actually enjoyed the elliptical. It was a nice way to warm up my sore legs.

WOD
Bench Press
5-5-5-5-5

45#-50#-55#-60#-65#-70#

I did an extra set just to see if I could. The last two were hard! Funny thing, in my 4 years of high school, I was never able to bench press 70#. So, big improvement for me! :)

After that, we did some bicep and tricep work. I am very anti-machines, but did they with her anyway. Kelsey does have a good point about us needing to build up our triceps. The triceps are the muscle that gets used to exhaustion when doing CPR. So, have to build up those tris!

Then we did our situps. I left my iPod at home, so I didn't have a timer. But it felt to be around the 2 minute mark. Then, it was a nice 15 minute trip to the sauna. I loved sitting in the sauna! Reminded me of the box! I miss the box! Excited to get back there on Sunday!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: egg whites, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2c yogurt, 5 almonds
Lunch: Salad with chicken, sweet potatoes
Dinner: 7 almonds, 2 pieces of turkey (did not feel like eating, had been nauseated most of the day, and after the WOD...just wanted to shower and sleep)

To prove just how tired I was, I went to bed last night at 8:30 and didn't wake up until 5:30 this AM! Such great sleep!

Day 2....

WOD for 7-21-2009

15-12-9-6-3
Deadlift
HSPU
Vertical Jump 1 ft above max reach

This is a great WOD. High intensity and works your entire body! For Deadlift, I used 95#. I still can't do HSPU, so I subbed 15# DB. This was done with my friend Kelsey. I asked her yesterday morning if she was sore, and she was like I feel it a little in my thighs, but not too bad....hehe...just wait until later.

Kelsey used the 45# bar and 10# DB. She finished in 6:01, and I finished in 6:11. technically, it should be a few seconds faster since I have to start and stop the time on my ipod. Oh well. Last time I did this workout, I used 65# on the deadlift and 15# DB. My time was just a little over 5 minutes. I didn't realize that the extra 30# would add a minute to my time. There is a lot of room for improvement with this WOD. We will probably revisit this next month.

Cooldown: I did 50 situps, time: 2:00, one second faster than yesterday! Kelsey did 100 crunches in 2:05

I actually had a day off yesterday! It was such an interesting concept. I am so used to working a ton, that when I have days off, I am not quite sure what to do. Caught up on my grocery shopping, tanning, and cleared off my TiVo. Very productive day!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: 1/2 c granola with 1/2c 2% milk, 2 tbsp protein powder, 10 almonds, 3 strawberries, 2 slice of turkey bacon
Lunch: baked chicken breast, salad, 8 pecans
Dinner: California Club at Applebees, a few fries, small piece of banana split cake (Another dinner with my friends for a birthday. I took the cheese off, and didn't use the ranch dressing that was supposed to come on it. And the banana split cake was what she wanted for her birthday, if you haven't had my cake, you should seriously try it! It's amazing!)

After dinner, I had left over banana split cake. So, instead of taking it home where it would eventually go in my mouth and straight to my ass, I took it to work and made them eat it! Kelsey was at work, and I was asking her how she was feeling...she could barely move! LOL. The soreness finally sunk in from Monday's WOD. Will probably work on upper body today due to our soreness.

Are You Ready My Friend?

After hearing me talk about how much I love CrossFit, one of my friends decided that she wanted to work out with me and have me talk her through the joy of CrossFit! Boy did she not know what she got herself into....:)

WOD for 7-21-2009
21-15-9
Dumbbell Thrusters
Push Ups

Rest 3 minutes
4 x 100m row sprints

Cool Down:
50 sit ups

The posted WOD was a running workout. I wouldn't have minded doing this WOD, but my friend Kelsey has problems with her hips, something about them literally dislocating if she does too much running, so I had to change it up.

I think the workout that I came up with was a nice introduction to CrossFit. I had a mini skill session to show her how to do Thrusters. She did really well. Results are as follows:

Kelsey: 4:47 with 8# DB
Me: 5:07 (Take a few seconds off as I had to start the timer and put it down) with 15# DB

Now for some strange reason, while I was doing my last set, I thought I had to do 12, so I ended up doing 21-15-12....no sure why, but that's what ended up happening, so my time would have been about 15 seconds faster...Kelsey's time would have been faster but before the last set she took about a 20 second water break...I think she was tired! Hehe...

After this fun little met con, and we are sitting on the ground out of breath, I asked her how long would it take you on the elliptical to get this out of breath and your heart pumping this fast? Her response "Oh, about an hour and a half.." So, I took an hour and a half of work and got the same results in 5 minutes...not bad!

Rows:
They do have two rowers, but one of the straps was broken. Kelsey tried to use the broken one, but that didn't work out too well as her time was 33 seconds for the first row. She used my rower after that. Her second and third rows were about 26-27 seconds, and her last row was 23 seconds!

For my rows, the times were between 20-21 seconds. Which is my usual...not sure how to get this under 20, will work more on it.

Sit Ups:
She laughed at me when I told her that Sandy, Carrie, and I do 100 situps for cool downs. Being that this was her first, I cut the number down to 50. About halfway through, she had this pulling in her hip and it was really uncomfortable, she felt like her hip was popping, so she finished it out with crunches. Not quite sure how to fix this, but will talk to one of the coaches to see what's going on.

Times:
Kelsey: 2:07
Me: 2:01

Overall, I think it was a good experience. I think she thinks I am a little crazy, but hey, that comes with the territory. Diet for yesterday was fair. I did well for breakfast and lunch, but dinner was sushi! Yum yum!

Breakfast: Egg White Omelet, 2 pieces of bacon, 1/2c pineapple
Lunch: Salad with 1 large pecan crusted chicken breast, 7 almonds
Dinner: Sushi: Catepillar Roll (had avocados, eel, another type of fish, rice, seaweed, and eel sauce) and Crazy Monkey Roll (more avocado, salmon, cashews, rice, seaweed, and cucumbers)
**Dinner was shared with another person, so I didn't eat the whole roll by myself. I probably only had about 6 pieces. Oh, and 3 alcholic drinks. I bought two and the bartender gave me one when he was making some for another customer....always pays to flirt with the bartender!!!

Just One of Those Weeks

So, week didn't start off the best, and while the rest of the week got better, still had a ton of stuff that needed to get done. On Wednesday, I had planned to get my windshield fixed, and well...I didn't know that I had a rain sensor on it, so it had to get fixed on Thursday. So, I get that fixed the next day, BUT the mirror that they replaced it with didn't come with the right part for my windshield mirror. So, they had to glue it, but I had to come back later that afternoon to get the mirror fixed.

Went to the Rancid/Rise Against concert Thursday night! Wow! I don't really know Rancid, but for a bunch of old guys (Band's been together for 18 years), they rocked it out! Rise Against was freaking amazing! So much energy! I was in the front, and had to leave the pit...it got way too rough for me. Normally I can take it, but just couldn't that night. CrossFit definitely pays off when going to rock concerts. I was able to jump up and down and rock out for about 3 hours and never really got tired! It even almost felt like I was back in the box! It felt like it was 100 degrees, and everyone is sticky and sweaty...fun fun times! Seriously though, Rise Against, great energy! I highly recommend going to one of their shows next time they are in town!

Friday....more errands to run with the car. Planned to go to the noon class, but the place where I get my oil changed couldn't get me in until 11:30. And then he tells me that I need new tires...grrr...I am spending more money on this car than I am on me! Oh well..I have to get around.

Carrie and I went to see Harry Potter last night. The movie was good, however, there was a LOT cut out. I think that they could have played up the Half Blood Prince more and needed more of the private lessons with Dumbledore. While I do think that it was an excellent made film, it felt a little rushed to me. I am glad that they will be taking the 7th book and making it into two movies! And yes, even though I knew that Dumbledore was going to die, I still cried!

Carrie, it was great watching the movie with you! You kept me laughing at all the funny parts, and our side comments! I hope that we can go see something again soon! And maybe you can come too Sandy! :)

Ah Push It! Push It Real Good!

WOD for 7-15-2009

Push Press

20-20-20-20-20

First of all, this week has not gone exactly how I would have wanted it to. I missed Monday due to my doctor keeping me almost 3 hours over my scheduled shift. So, by the time I got off, I was exhausted and hungry. I know, no true reason to miss CrossFit, but I was starving and didn't think I could have given it my all. And then after work yesterday, I had to go out of town to watch my parents house and take care of the 4 dogs and all that fun junk.

So, today I went to back to my high school and did today's workout. I kinda modified it some due to not having a lighter bar to start out with. I wanted to do all 100, so here is how I broke my reps and sets down:

20 @ 45#
20 @ 50#
10 @ 50#
10@ 50#
10 @ 50#
10 @ 55#
10 @ 55#
10 @ 60#

I would have much preferred to have started off on the 33# bar and worked my way up, but after my first set at 45#, I knew it was going to be a long workout. So, the 20 at 50#, I decided to just do sets of 10. Since I was working out by myself, I decided that after each set, I would do box steps on a taller box. So, I did 100 push presses and 100 box steps. Whew...what a workout!

Something positive that I learned today, was that my mental game is stronger than I thought. It would have been so easy to just not go and do it on my own. I could have stopped anytime I wanted. While I didn't do the WOD EXACTLY as it was written, I did it in a way that I could finish and be happy with my results. Not once did I think about quitting. I just kept thinking that I had to finish, and I did, but I did it on my terms. It felt great to be back lifting weights! Can't wait to get back to the box!

Diet has been pretty good. Had a good day yesterday, with only a little cheat of ice cream that was brought in by the hospitalist group. Marble Slab...yum!

Breakfast: egg white omelet, 6 almonds
Lunch: Chicken breast, salad, and sunflower seeds

It's Great to Be Back!

WOD for 7-12-2009

KettleBell Ladder

Thanks Sandy for doing this workout with me! It was a lot of fun! I used the 26# KB since it was my first day back in a month. It was a lot of fun! I started ripping my hands on round 10, I think. I had the goal to get to at least round 15. I made it 20 full rounds, and then 10 on round 21. I really could have done more, but my hands hurt so bad, and getting all the chalk on my ripped hands didn't feel well. So, I stopped. I am actually quite happy to have gotten 20 rounds. I will do better next time!

I know that it's been hot recently, but I didn't realize HOW hot it was in the box. Wow, just standing in the box made me sweat! It was so nice to see everyone! Pretty sore today, and my hands are so torn up! Good thing I had dermabond at home!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: 1/2c granola with added protein powder, almonds, strawberries
Lunch: 1 chicken breast, seasoned with lime and other random spices, 1 apple, 8 almonds
Dinner: 1/2c vegetable soup from central market, 3 slices of turkey
Total water intake: 2L (need to increase this with the Texas heat!)

School's Out For The Summer!

Woo hoo!! School is out! I am sooo happy! It is time to get back to a relatively normal life, or at least normal for me.

After I got my test back on Monday, I calculated what I would need to get on my last test to get an A. I needed to make an 82. I was like, that was totally doable. This stuff wasn't that bad. It was the GI and musculoskeletal system. Yesterday, I hit a wall. I couldn't study anymore! This happened at about 3:30 PM. Ugg...a whole half of a day, and I felt like I couldn't look at it anymore. So, I put the books up, and did some housework.

Today comes around, and I am up like normal, 0500. It came too early. I get to school, get some good studying time in, and take the test. Wow...this test was kinda hard. Wish I didn't hit that block. But, the things that I really didn't know, weren't in my notes anyway, so oh well. I took my best guess and went on.

Grades are posted, and well...I made a 91! Woo hoo! So, my grade for PathoPhysiology is an A! I am so happy! I worked hard all semester, and it finally paid off! Now, for a break from school, and time to get back to my home at CFDC! Can't wait until next week!!!

Stare at the Sun!

So, yesterday, the day that I have been waiting for since April arrived. VANS WARPED TOUR BABY! My favorite band of all time was playing (the only reason I went to be honest). I saw lots of good bands, some decents ones, and some that I wouldn't even want to see for free. But that's how the tour goes right? Weather was great! Overcast for most of the day. Had a few sprinkles here and there. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I think it was mid 90s for most of the day. It was still hot though!

Also, the big highlight to yesterday was that I actually got to MEET THRICE! Fuck yeah! Ok, so I get it that I am a total dork, but seriously guys, that's why you love me right? I took a CD cover with my just in case, and they signed it, and shook my hand. Pretty sweet! Ahh...memories!

Their concert was bad ass! I had fantastic "seats". (Standing outside, no true seats). I started off with only 3 short people in front of me from the barrier from the stage. Once the show got started, everyone is moving forward and moshing and you just get pushed closer. I ended up moving ahead of like 2 people! Again, freaking stoked about that! I could totally see the sweat dripping off their foreheads! They put on a great show like always. Even played two songs off their new album due out in October.

I wish I had more friends that were into this kind of stuff. It truely is an experience. The only bad thing about being this close to the stage, you constantly have crowd surfers being thrown over you to get over the barrier so they can go back to the back and do it again. I got kicked in the back of the head a couple of times. Was sandwiched between two really smelly fat people, and was constantly being smashed into the guy infront of me. Sorry dude!

Overall, fantastic experience. Wouldn't change it for a thing. The only thing I would have changed would have been that Senses Fail and Thrice didn't play so close together so I could have seen both bands. Oh well!

Points to remember for the next Warped Tour:
1. Don't go when you have a kidney infection, really makes the day long and tiring. Also, it makes your back hurt the next day from getting hit in the pits.
2. Put on sunscreen. I wore what I thought was enough, and it wasn't Still have a nasty sunburn on my shoulders. So, not only do I have a kidney infection to deal with, I have a sunburn too. grr..
3. Send tons of fliers out to all the obese people who think it's ok to walk around with their tub of lard hanging out all day (ie shorts and bikini top). Your husband/wife may like to see your fat jiggle when you walk, but I don't. Wear a tank top.
4. Bring more snacks. I only brought one snack, should have brought more. Even though I wasn't that hungry while at the Tour, but man, was I hungry when I got home!
5. Don't have a test that next morning. Leads to stress while trying to enjoy the shows. I kept constantly thinking about Lungs and Kidneys....blah!


Speaking of tests....I did have a test this morning. Like I mentioned, it was about the Lungs and Kidneys and the bad things that can happen to them. I went into this test knowing that it was going to be my lowest score by far. Once I saw the test schedule, I knew I wouldn't have enough time to prepare for it like I would have had for the others. But it didn't matter, Thrice was coming to town. And it was just one test right? And then having to go to the ER last week and being diagnosised with pyelonephritis didn't help matters at all.

Funny thing is, even though I put probably the least amount of time studying, I somehow pulled off a 97! Really not sure how that happened, since there were about 10 I didn't know, and was just like, I haven't had this letter in a few, I'll pick that one! LOL. The curve was very generous, as always. But hell yeah! 97! Woo hoo!! That is actually the best I have done on a test this semester. Maybe I should go to more all day concerts before tests....hmmm....lets not test this theory.

Well my friends, this is the last week of PathoPhysiology. No more of me bitching about how stressed I am (at least until the fall). Looking forward (and slightly nervous) to return to CrossFit next week. Have some other issues that need to be taken care of (ie my cracked windshield). So, that means I will have to miss a day or two to get that taken care of. But I will be back! And Sandy, as soon as I am off my antibiotics, I will start thinking about taking you up on that drink!

Blah!

So, this morning at about 0300, I woke up with a severe pain to my right flank. Grr...Now, for the past 3-4 days, I have been having some dyuria. Great, I had a Urinary Tract Infection. So, I was being me (ie stubborn) and thought that I could treat it myself. I started taking over the counter AZO, and increased my water intake. Yesterday, the dysuria improved, so I thought that I had it beat! Boy, was I wrong!


When I woke up this morning I was pretty much like "FUCK". I knew what I had. I took another AZO, and tried to sleep. Yeah....that didn't work out so well. I was poking on my abdomen to make sure that I didn't have appendicitis (Right Lower Quadrant) or maybe gallstones (Right Upper Quadrant). Neither one of those places hurt. Which is actually a good thing. Wouldn't want my abdomen to get cut open. Except now, I am feeling nauseated. I kinda like having my parts. So, I reach around, and tap on my right kidney....and I fell to floor and started crying. In hindsight, probably wasn't the best idea, but it confirmed my suspicions....I had pyelonephritis (kidney infection).


I get dressed, and went to work. I walk into the ER, and find Dr. Bunting, and asked if she would write me an antibiotic. She said she would, but then told me that I should probably check in since I was crying from the pain. Checking into the ER that you work at is a little strange. Everything looks so different from that side. It was really nice though, I got top notch service. The charge nurse helped draw up my meds while my nurse was starting my IV. The night doctor ordered me some good drugs! I ended up getting a liter of IV fluids, 6mg of morphine (we normally start off giving 4mg, guess I looked that miserable), 60mg of toradol (anti-inflammatory that works great with kidney problems), and 4mg of zofran (anti-nausea). Man....I love drugs! Never really felt "high" or incoherent. But it did take the pain away.


When I checked in, my heart rate really surprised me. I checked in with a heart rate of 123! Normally my heart rate is in the 40s-50s. So, knowing that my heart rate practically trippled, kinda freaked me out. Helped me to know that I really had an infection. Blood pressure stayed normal, which was nice. After getting the morphine, my oxygen saturation dropped, which was expected. Narcotics mess with your respiratory drive, which is why you worry about people with narcotic overdoses and them stopping breathing. But I didn't think that my oxygen would drop as low as 90% (95-100 is normal) Ok...lab results:

White Blood Cell Count: 18.6 (normal is 4.5 to 11)

Electolytes were normal. Kidney function tests normal, no dehydration. Liver Function Tests normal. Woo hoo!

Urine Analysis: (listed are the abnormals)
Moderate Blood
Protein 100mg
Red Blood Cells: 10
White Blood Cells: >150 (eewww....that means that I had pus in my urine) Definitely not cool.

Dr. Holland came in, and confirmed that I had pyelo. Said that my urine was nasty dirty....which I can see that from the results. So, I got IV antibiotics (Rocephin), and was sent home with antibiotics and anti nausea meds. I am feeling better, but if I move wrong, I still get a twinge of pain.

Lesson for the day: If I start feeling that I am getting a UTI, go get some meds. This could have totally been prevented if I had gotten the antibiotics early. I think that's what upset me the most. My stubbornness got me a worse infection. Grr...lesson learned! Plan for the rest of the day...relax and maybe sleep on the couch....

Oh, AND for those of you that know me and my stubbornness....I totally went to class after being discharged from the hospital. Funny thing is, we were studying pyelo in class today! LOL. I told her that I had pyelo and I was just discharged from the ER. She told me to go home, but I went to the first half of class to show my dedication, or my stupidity. At the break she told me that if I am not feeling well, that I can totally take Monday off (we have a test on Monday), and take an incomplete and make it up when my antibiotics are finished and I am well. Apparently, pyelo can lead to renal failure if it goes untreated or takes a sudden bad turn. I don't think that will happen to me, but will still proceed with caution. I like my kidneys! So, everyone, love your kidneys and urinate after having sex!

Another Mini CF Workout

WOD for 6-30-2009

10-20-30
Squats
Push Ups
Squats
Sit Ups

OK....my time was horrible for this. I never had the best endurance when doing air squats. My hips always seem to tighten up. Which given that I was born with my hips rotated inwards and my history of sciatica. But I still get the workout done. I may never be the fastest, but I get it done. Just more for me to work towards.

Time was 9:28

Diet:
Breakfast: 1/2 cinnamon raisin bagel, egg whites, apple slices, 4 almonds
Lunch: Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich, minus the bread,
Snack: apple slices with yogurt
Dinner: Salad, baked chicken, sun flower seeds

Lubb Dubb

Starting week 4 of summer school. Ug...I am so exhausted. I honestly don't remember being this mentally tired. I am so ready for a break. Sunday can't get here soon enough for the Vans Warped Tour! :)

But anyways, the test today was hard, not as hard as the Neuro test, but still hard. Ending up making an 86. Thought I did better than that, but oh well. I will take it and not be picky. I don't have the energy to be upset. Already read the chapter that we covered today, and will soon start on tomorrow's chapters once I finish this blog.

I wish to digress for a minute and share an experience I had last week. So, a "friend" owed me some money from when we out a couple of times. Now, I am not talking like $20, I am saying more like $200. He didn't have a job, and we wanted to go out, so we went out and I picked up the tabs. Not that that is a big deal, but when someone spends $200 on alcohol...I don't make much being a scribe. He reassured me that he would pay me back, so I didn't think too much of it. So, I asked him for the money (it has been 6 months since we out). Well, that started a HUGE fight. He decided that he wanted to attack me. Which is fine. I can handle myself. I found it rather humorous actually. I was called, and I quote: "socio-pathic narcissist", "condescending bitch", immature, someone who is only book smart and will never amount to anything, and someone who has "daddy issues" (somehow me taking a pole dancing class means I have daddy issues). Whatever, that's fine. Bring it on. I never really tried to attack him. I did mention that it is not my fault that my mother is paying for my college. To which he replied that his parents would have but he didn't want to mooch off them like I was. I did say that "sorry you weren't smarter and let them pay for it". Apparently, that meant that I called him stupid. Oh well.

The ONE thing that pissed me off the VERY most was when he said, and again I quote because I am "not smart enough" to make this up, that "Nurses are only people who are not smart enough to become doctors". WOW. I know tons of nurses that are brilliant. What he doesn't know is that the nurse spends more time than the doctor ever will with the patient. It is the nurse who makes sure that things go right. Yes, the doctor may order the medications, but is he the one who makes sure that the patient doesn't stop breathing from an adverse reaction to the drug? He doesn't do the titers to make sure that the patient doesn't go into volume overload. Just things to think about the next time you are in a hospital. If you want to get on bad side, say something like that and see if I don't reach across the table and smack the shit out of you...

Ok, so I do think I am smart enough to become a doctor or a PA. I didn't get in. Instead of trying again and shelling out tons of money for application fees, I applied to ONE nursing school and got in. 2 days before I took my GRE (for PA school applications) I buried my grandfather and wasn't in the best states of minds before my test. I did pass, but only did OK. So, that's probably the reason I didn't get into PA school. But I am happy with where I am at in my life right now. I don't regret a single thing I've done. I am where I am supposed to be and doing what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life.

Needless to say, we are not friends anymore, and I am not getting my money back. Oh well. Nice to know that that malignant cancer is out of my life. However, if he does step into my ER, I will make sure to get the biggest needle and find the smallest vein I can, and have fun poking his arm. :)

Mini CF Workout

WOD for 6-28-2009

"Invisible Fran"
21-15-9

Air Squats
Push Ups

100 sit ups

SO, thank you Sandy! I really appreciate you making me take a break. Wow...do I miss CrossFit more than ever. First of all, my apartment is not a very motivating place to workout. Second, it is not nearly as hot as the CFDC gym, so it doesn't really make me feel like I am getting the added bonus of sweating a ton. Third, I miss the people.

Results:
Invisible Fran: Time: 3:03

Not too horrible seeing that I have been away from CFDC for almost 3 weeks.

Sit Ups: 4:40

Horrible time. Tried to use a pillow to sub for an ab mat...yeah, that didn't work out quite so well. But hey, I did it. OK, enough break time, must go grab a shower, and then eat and finish studying for my test tomorrow morning!

Diet:
Breakfast: 2 whole wheat fiber waffles (CrossFit recipe approved), 1c strawberries, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Lunch: 1 chicken breast, 10 baked sour cream and onion lays potato chips, 2 pieces of celery, 7 almonds
Dinner: 4 slices of turkey, salad with sunflower seeds

Week Number 2....Anyone Miss Me Yet?

Ok...so week 2...done and over....thank God! Now on to Week Number 3.

On Friday, I had a major freak out on the way to work at 5:30 in the morning. Now, of course the majority of the normal people in the world are still sleeping at this time, so I guess you are wondering how I had time to freak out. Well, I had been up since 5, so I had time trust me. As I was walking down the stairs, everything from the past 2 weeks just hit me all at once. I knew that I was under stress, but to have all of my stress come down on me at once, just freaked me out. I was wondering if I had it in me. Do I have what it takes to get through this? Am I no studying enough? What happens if I make a "C"? (I have never made a C in my entire life, and only have made 4 B's throughout my entire life...not bragging, just trying to give some background about me).

So, after taking several deep breaths, and talking to my nurse friends at work, I knew that I was going to be okay. All of my life, I have tried to be the very best. Not just the best that I can do, but be better than everyone else, and if I wasn't better than everyone else, I thought I failed. This past weekend, I have come to the realization, that I don't have to be better than everyone else. I can only do that best that I can do, and that HAS to be good enough. I have made this realization before when it comes to CrossFit Workouts, but have never really applied it to my personal life. For those that have known me forever, they realize how big of a step this is for me. So what if I am not the curve breaker anymore. I am attending one of the best nursing schools in Texas. By attending the best, it means that things will be harder. And I am not one to step down from a challenge. One thing that they mentioned in orientation was that in order to get through Nursing school, you need to make sure that you have the support and understanding from your friends and family. And I know that I am so blessed to have such a great support system. When this is all said and done and I have my license, I know that it will be worth it. So, thank you to everyone who is supporting me. You will never know how much you mean to me!

Overall, the material for this test was more interesting. We covered the Endocrine and Reproductive Systems. Endocrine was kinda boring. I liked learning about what goes wrong with female organs and the diseases that we can get. There was A LOT I learned from this section. Like, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is the number one cause of preventable infertility and ectopic pregnancies. Things that can cause PID would be an STI or a bacterial infection. And after getting some diseases, it is recommended that you wait 10 YEARS from the initial time of contact before she should have a baby or else she might pass it on to her child. 10 YEARS! Holy cow! Ladies, wear protection! And there was some other neat/gross pictures of diseases and conditions of the male genitals. (I think that gross medical things are actually kinda cool, but I am weird like that...not like y'all didn't already know that)

As you can see, I am still alive and soaking up tons of medical knowledge. As I was going through this test, I felt great the entire way through. Finished a 100 question test in 30 minutes....almost freaked me out, but then I remembered my new attitude about just doing the best I can, put my test on the desk and walked out to check the CFDC blog. Made a 94 on Test 2..FTW! So, as of now, I have a 90 average. *Fingers crossed* that is stays up. This next section is going to be tough. We will be discussing blood (and its components) and the cardiovascular system. This will be a LONG 300+ pages to read in a week. Maybe there will be a lot of graphs and pictures! Hehe...