But, first, I had to be a troubled teenager and mess up my life a bit before I got myself back on track (I used to live in the Childrens Home of Reading for a while which was actually the best thing for me at the time)... Then, in 1991, I started college to be a nurse... I went to Lehigh County Community College in Schnecksville, Pa. - yeah, yeah, I know, Schnecksville??????? Heheheh, it's a little back woods but it's a nice school.... People are nice, fellow students are nice, college is in a nice area... However, it was close to where I lived and it had a nursing school, so that's where I went...

      Now, I didn't graduate high school, I left school after the 10th grade (DUMB!!) and had to get my GED, but I was determined to get really good grades... I didn't expect to get all A's or anything, but I was determined to do as good I as could... And, guess what? I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and with "highest honors"! I was so proud! When I first started school, I can remember thinking, "this'll take forever", and, it did seem to, but, I enjoyed myself while going... I got involved with the student council of my class (I was class secretary) and I was also inducted into the Alpha Omicron Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for two-year colleges... You must have a GPA of at least 3.75 to join PTK... I was also in the Who's Who of something due to my grades but, to be honest, I can't remember what! I'll have to dig through my papers to see what it was...

      I actually graduated from school in December 1992 and was pinned on January 10, 1993... However, I did not get my nursing certificate from the college until May 1993... I forget when I took my boards, but, I beleive it was in February... We were the last class to take the hand written test... Two days of testing was nerve wracking, hundreds of questions... Today they do it by computers and you can have from about 80 to almost 300 questions... One day of testing... Lucky ducks!

      Anyway, I find the field of medicine to be a fascinating one... How the body works, how something goes wrong with the body due to disease processes, and the ways we try to fix them... When the body is banged up due to an accident and we try to fix the body up enough so the person can live... For the dying patient, you just try to keep them comfortable so they are not suffering as well as help them deal with their death... As a nurse, you deal with the families and friends and their feelings as well as the patients... When you go to work, you never know what's going to happen, you don't know what new thing you will learn or what you'll teach someone...

      Medications are also very interesting, how they work and why they work can keep you on your toes... The way a drug is used to interact and blend with the bodies inner workings is a whole science in itself, one I am always trying to understand... Also, the interactions of one drug upon another which can be either a help or a hinderance must always be considered...

      Taking care of the patient is another factor... I guess many people become a nurse for the nurturing part of it... Oh, sure, some people are only in it for the "money" - you can spot them a mile away... But many nurses are genuinely caring people who want to do the best for their patients as they can... They see the fear the person is feeling, they see the pain, they understand the worries, and they want to fix it... At least, that is how I am... Every new experience in my life I see as a learning experience for my nursing career... I've been a patient myself, my husband is now battling cancer, my step-father recently died (June 26, 2001) from acute pancreatitis... I've been both nurse, patient, and family member as well as a visiting friend... I am able to empathize with the patient and their family... However, not many people can empathize with the nurse, and that is what this site is about... To help you understand what a nurse goes through - both the good and the bad...

This will continue!