A Busy Week...but a good one.

This week has been quite jammed packed with events, but it has really been a great week. On Monday I had a scheduled LEI (longitudinal elderly initiative) visit. When I got to his house (which is a long 45 minute drive) he had forgotten that we were meeting today. Fortunately he was not busy and still let me visit. Then for seminar we went to Gilda's Club. Let me just say that this is one awesome place. You walk in and right away you get this home and peaceful feeling. Gilda's Club is like this house that has been transformed into a beautiful place were people with cancer, those who have had cancer, or those who have loved one with cancer can come for classes, programming, and support groups. The had three people come in and tell us their cancer journey and how Gilda's Club has had an impact on their lives. It was extremely emotional and cool to see how such a simple place had such a huge impact. After Gilda's club we went to back to class and had a lecture on chronic blood disorders. This is a picture of the Gilda's Club in Grand Rapids:

Tuesday we had a lecture on the child with cancer which was very informative but also cram packed and fast. I like learning a lot of information but I find it hard to learn when you have to focus so hard on being able to fill the blanks in on your notes before the professor turns the powerpoint slide, that you can't really listen to what they are saying. Then after that class, for my death and dying class we went and visited Faith Hospice at Trillum Woods. (Yeah this week was filled with field trips!). This place was also very cool. We heard from three of the staff - a chaplain, a nurse, and a social worker. It was encouraging to hear how they find so much passion in their job and how they don't find it depressing at all. I mean you think that being with people who die isn't very much fun, but they each explained that they get so much joy from being a part of helping people LIVE they way they want for the last months and days of their life.

Wednesday and Thursday I had clinical at the hospital. It was interesting that after all the talk in class lately I had a patient that had just been diagnosed with cancer. Anyway my patient was quite the character. My patient was really fun to work with and had a lot of life stories to tell. I got to do my first PICC line dressing change. A PICC line is sort of like and IV on steroids. Its put into a vein that is larger and closer to the heart. This allows for quick effects of medication and also you don't have to poke them every day to get blood, you can just hook up the tube to the lumen and blood will flow out which it nice for the nurse and the patient.

This week I also registered for my last semester of classes until I graduate! That was a good feeling, and I also found out that for my leadership (which is a clinical rotation in which you follow around a certain nurse for a large amount of hours is a specific area) I will be in the PICU which is the pediatric intensive care unit, which I am very excited about!