so...i've made it through my first year of schooling. its still the hardest thing i've ever done and there have been many times i've questioned whether this was a good decision, but..like anything else...it takes me time to really get comfortable in routine. i've discovered...well i've always known i suppose..that i'm really a rather slow learner when it comes to some things...plenty has been hapening with me, i'm sorry i've not been sharing it all with you.
i was kind of on the edge regarding my grades here at the end of the semester and was truly worried about whether or not i'd pass one class. in this program, you must pass all classes with a C or better...if you don't, you cannot continue and are out of the program and must request access back in...and then...you have to wait until the proper semester comes around again. so, needless to say its a rather stressful situation if you let yourself get to the point where the final exams determine your grade. i'm determined not to let this happen again.
on a more personal note, i've been seeing a guy for about 3 weeks now. we met online, ugh...lol...but have met in person 3 times for dates. He's older than i am, 38, and has much more experience than myself...so i've been a little wary and am taking things rather slowly, i suppose. He really likes me, though, so having never been in this situation before i'm a little overwhelmed at times. haha
i feel pathetic about the whole thing, really, but its going well...he's a good guy and i've invited him to come to "prom" with me. if he can, he's going to...i'm at work and should really get to it, so i'll update more later
love you guys! hugs to everyone!
mariah
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
wandering...wandering
hey...yeah, i'm alive, lol...hangin' in there, anyway.
this semester is really hard and i've been questioning my decision to come here...deep down i still think its right, but it would've been so much easier to stay and hate my job! lol...just been feeling a little confused, i guess. Had a hell of a week last week...didn't help much in the way of confidence. First, on monday, my transmission goes on the truck..no telling when i'll get it back...hope to hear some good news of a possible, well relatively, "simple" fix...meaning i won't have to replace the ENTIRE transmission. Then, on wednesday...a snow day due to weather...about 4 inches of snow on the ground...my body decides to let loose a freakin' kidney stone...so here i am, no car and in pain and forced to ask my landlady, libby, to interrupt her own snow day to take my butt to the emergency room in harrisonburg, 20 minutes away. So, libby fired up the old cabriolet, skidded around the driveway a bit and we slowly made our way out. Luckily her neighbor had plowed the main driveway so we didn't have as hard a time as we could have. Anyway...i was at the hospital for little more than 4 hours..pretty good in my opinion...it was a kidney stone, by the way...i got a ct scan and they gave my some good drugs and i was sent home with my very own strainer! woohoo!
So, i've gotten a little discouraged as of late. I'll turn it around, though, no worries.
Hugs and much love to everyone....mariah
this semester is really hard and i've been questioning my decision to come here...deep down i still think its right, but it would've been so much easier to stay and hate my job! lol...just been feeling a little confused, i guess. Had a hell of a week last week...didn't help much in the way of confidence. First, on monday, my transmission goes on the truck..no telling when i'll get it back...hope to hear some good news of a possible, well relatively, "simple" fix...meaning i won't have to replace the ENTIRE transmission. Then, on wednesday...a snow day due to weather...about 4 inches of snow on the ground...my body decides to let loose a freakin' kidney stone...so here i am, no car and in pain and forced to ask my landlady, libby, to interrupt her own snow day to take my butt to the emergency room in harrisonburg, 20 minutes away. So, libby fired up the old cabriolet, skidded around the driveway a bit and we slowly made our way out. Luckily her neighbor had plowed the main driveway so we didn't have as hard a time as we could have. Anyway...i was at the hospital for little more than 4 hours..pretty good in my opinion...it was a kidney stone, by the way...i got a ct scan and they gave my some good drugs and i was sent home with my very own strainer! woohoo!
So, i've gotten a little discouraged as of late. I'll turn it around, though, no worries.
Hugs and much love to everyone....mariah
Monday, February 05, 2007
what has she been up to?
ok...so i've been slacking on the blog...again...sorry
this semester is a real bear! i've got no classes on fridays...but have come to realize that that is so we have a day to tackle all the work we've got.
had my first live patient this past thursday...one of my classes focuses mostly on anesthesia, so this lab class was using pre-anesthetic drugs and sedatives. we have to keep a journal for that class, so i've decided to post what i turned in to describe what i did...enjoy!
Mariah Hubbs – Group 5b
CP1-Lab Journal
2.1.07
Our assignments today involved the sedation/tranquilization of one of our SPCA animals here for the semester. Our group was assigned the use of Atropine, Xylazine and Yohimbine. I was very nervous as this would be my very first time injecting an animal and I was not as prepared as I should have been. Assuming the role of anesthetist this time around, I should have re-read the information on the drugs we’d be using and the possible and/or expected effects on the animal. Even in future labs when I’m NOT the anesthetist, I’ll be reading up on them anyway…each member of the team should be familiar with the drugs used and know what to expect/look for during their use.
This is an obvious point and one that I really shouldn’t have overlooked. I won’t do that again.
We had Ringo as our patient today. He’s such a sweet dog! I got to school early so that he could have a nice, long walk before his ordeal. My hope was that he’d get some energy spent and therefore be a little tired and more at ease during this mornings PE and procedure. It was a good thought, but I think maybe we had him out too long before our procedure began. He was very wiggly and worked up by the time we started. I’ll have to remember that for next time.
Things started out well, I learned a new fact too. When drawing up liquid drugs from a vial, push a little air into the container first. That’ll help keep the pressure inside the vial in good shape for future users. I also learned the right way to brace/hold a syringe to tap the air bubbles out. It’s amazing how the smallest tips can really change the way you work and the quality of your work too!
Having never performed an injection before, I think I did pretty well once it came time. I could’ve pushed the Atropine SQ injection faster and I need to work on the way I hold the syringe, but Ringo was a trooper and held pretty still for that one. When it came time to give the Xylazine injection, things went well too. Xylazine was an IM injection and after reviewing the proper hold, it went well thought I could’ve delivered it a little faster too.
The most fascinating part of lab today was after the Xylazine injection. While discussing drugs Dr. Hastings mentioned that it’s been reported to produce some personality changes in animals. Well, we were about to see a severe change in Ringo. A few minutes after the injection, he still hadn’t laid down as we expected he would. He tried to walk some and started looking a little dopey. He picked a spot between the eye wash and the corner cabinets to stand. He’d sway a little, his rear legs splayed a bit and his head down. At this point we were wondering when he’d decided to finally lay down, but he didn’t. His breathing and pulse were okay this whole time and Dr. Hastings went toward him to check again when he suddenly curled his lips, snarled and snapped at her. It was an out of the blue reaction. From then, until the reverser drug Yobine was given, he’d curl his lips up and growl whenever Dr. Hastings got too close. The rest of us didn’t venture too close either. It was amazing to see such a drastic change in personality. This sweet, affectionate dog that’d let us poke and prod him quite a bit during physical exam was now bearing his teeth at anyone closer than 3 feet from him. He was obviously fighting the drug the entire time and in order to get our radiograph we had to muzzle him. While on the radiograph table his leg started to shake and twitch and I got nervous, thinking he may be going into seizure or something but he didn’t.
We got our radiograph and took Ringo back into the lab. We laid him on the floor on a towel and he stayed there. By this time it seemed like maybe he was finally giving in, but Dr. Hastings remarked that he was probably starting to come out of it. We shaved a spot on the right foreleg to inject the Yobine IV into. (I learned something here, too…that when shaving and using clippers to turn on the clippers while several feet away from the patient and approach them slowly as the sound can startle them and perhaps trigger unwanted reactions) Upon injection of the Yobine, which again I need to work on my technique, Ringo seemed to almost immediately come around. Within a few minutes he was up and walking around, even starting to nudge Dr. Hastings for some lovin’.
Though it may not have been the greatest experience for Ringo, I was excited to be able to see such a reaction. A wonderful, if extreme, example of what Xylezine can do. Obviously Ringo should not get Xylezine again and it was entered into his record as such.
For my first CP1 lab and my first injections working with a live patient was really positive. I felt comfortable working with my teammates and was grateful for Dr. Hastings guidance. I’ll definitely feel more secure for our next lab assignment and look forward to them. Nothing beats practical experience for learning and retaining information. I learned many lessons today and won’t forget them any time soon.
Thank you.
this semester is a real bear! i've got no classes on fridays...but have come to realize that that is so we have a day to tackle all the work we've got.
had my first live patient this past thursday...one of my classes focuses mostly on anesthesia, so this lab class was using pre-anesthetic drugs and sedatives. we have to keep a journal for that class, so i've decided to post what i turned in to describe what i did...enjoy!
Mariah Hubbs – Group 5b
CP1-Lab Journal
2.1.07
Our assignments today involved the sedation/tranquilization of one of our SPCA animals here for the semester. Our group was assigned the use of Atropine, Xylazine and Yohimbine. I was very nervous as this would be my very first time injecting an animal and I was not as prepared as I should have been. Assuming the role of anesthetist this time around, I should have re-read the information on the drugs we’d be using and the possible and/or expected effects on the animal. Even in future labs when I’m NOT the anesthetist, I’ll be reading up on them anyway…each member of the team should be familiar with the drugs used and know what to expect/look for during their use.
This is an obvious point and one that I really shouldn’t have overlooked. I won’t do that again.
We had Ringo as our patient today. He’s such a sweet dog! I got to school early so that he could have a nice, long walk before his ordeal. My hope was that he’d get some energy spent and therefore be a little tired and more at ease during this mornings PE and procedure. It was a good thought, but I think maybe we had him out too long before our procedure began. He was very wiggly and worked up by the time we started. I’ll have to remember that for next time.
Things started out well, I learned a new fact too. When drawing up liquid drugs from a vial, push a little air into the container first. That’ll help keep the pressure inside the vial in good shape for future users. I also learned the right way to brace/hold a syringe to tap the air bubbles out. It’s amazing how the smallest tips can really change the way you work and the quality of your work too!
Having never performed an injection before, I think I did pretty well once it came time. I could’ve pushed the Atropine SQ injection faster and I need to work on the way I hold the syringe, but Ringo was a trooper and held pretty still for that one. When it came time to give the Xylazine injection, things went well too. Xylazine was an IM injection and after reviewing the proper hold, it went well thought I could’ve delivered it a little faster too.
The most fascinating part of lab today was after the Xylazine injection. While discussing drugs Dr. Hastings mentioned that it’s been reported to produce some personality changes in animals. Well, we were about to see a severe change in Ringo. A few minutes after the injection, he still hadn’t laid down as we expected he would. He tried to walk some and started looking a little dopey. He picked a spot between the eye wash and the corner cabinets to stand. He’d sway a little, his rear legs splayed a bit and his head down. At this point we were wondering when he’d decided to finally lay down, but he didn’t. His breathing and pulse were okay this whole time and Dr. Hastings went toward him to check again when he suddenly curled his lips, snarled and snapped at her. It was an out of the blue reaction. From then, until the reverser drug Yobine was given, he’d curl his lips up and growl whenever Dr. Hastings got too close. The rest of us didn’t venture too close either. It was amazing to see such a drastic change in personality. This sweet, affectionate dog that’d let us poke and prod him quite a bit during physical exam was now bearing his teeth at anyone closer than 3 feet from him. He was obviously fighting the drug the entire time and in order to get our radiograph we had to muzzle him. While on the radiograph table his leg started to shake and twitch and I got nervous, thinking he may be going into seizure or something but he didn’t.
We got our radiograph and took Ringo back into the lab. We laid him on the floor on a towel and he stayed there. By this time it seemed like maybe he was finally giving in, but Dr. Hastings remarked that he was probably starting to come out of it. We shaved a spot on the right foreleg to inject the Yobine IV into. (I learned something here, too…that when shaving and using clippers to turn on the clippers while several feet away from the patient and approach them slowly as the sound can startle them and perhaps trigger unwanted reactions) Upon injection of the Yobine, which again I need to work on my technique, Ringo seemed to almost immediately come around. Within a few minutes he was up and walking around, even starting to nudge Dr. Hastings for some lovin’.
Though it may not have been the greatest experience for Ringo, I was excited to be able to see such a reaction. A wonderful, if extreme, example of what Xylezine can do. Obviously Ringo should not get Xylezine again and it was entered into his record as such.
For my first CP1 lab and my first injections working with a live patient was really positive. I felt comfortable working with my teammates and was grateful for Dr. Hastings guidance. I’ll definitely feel more secure for our next lab assignment and look forward to them. Nothing beats practical experience for learning and retaining information. I learned many lessons today and won’t forget them any time soon.
Thank you.
Monday, January 29, 2007
overexposed...
sigh...
so, how have i been? interesting question...
i'm not sure even i can answer that right now.
the weather's been all over the place...cold right now. beautiful, but really windy and FREEZING!
so, how have i been? interesting question...
i'm not sure even i can answer that right now.
the weather's been all over the place...cold right now. beautiful, but really windy and FREEZING!
Monday, January 15, 2007
you call this winter?
come on mother nature! give me a break!
I want some freakin' snow already...enough with the poor plants in utter confusion and moths fluttering about in january....aaarrrrggghhhh!
....
that was a freestyle poem i call "mariah rants"....haha
....
so, peoples...mariah has finally joined the new millenium and got a new phone the other day....its got all the latest featurey things and i don't know how to use any of them...well, not yet anyway.
i also upgraded my text messaging to unlimited texts to verizon customers and then some other texts outside of the network...so, feel free to text away at me...i can recieve pics too! (and can send them! i got a camera-phone)
all kinds of neato stuff i can do now...
hope to hear from you soon!
I want some freakin' snow already...enough with the poor plants in utter confusion and moths fluttering about in january....aaarrrrggghhhh!
....
that was a freestyle poem i call "mariah rants"....haha
....
so, peoples...mariah has finally joined the new millenium and got a new phone the other day....its got all the latest featurey things and i don't know how to use any of them...well, not yet anyway.
i also upgraded my text messaging to unlimited texts to verizon customers and then some other texts outside of the network...so, feel free to text away at me...i can recieve pics too! (and can send them! i got a camera-phone)
all kinds of neato stuff i can do now...
hope to hear from you soon!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Its begun again...
Well...classes have started up again...and i've got a cold...yuck
This semester is gonna be a doozy...but i can do it!
gotta keep a positive vibe goin'...otherwise i'll get discouraged...haha
Frisco is well, in case you've wondered...and we both hope you are too!
This semester is gonna be a doozy...but i can do it!
gotta keep a positive vibe goin'...otherwise i'll get discouraged...haha
Frisco is well, in case you've wondered...and we both hope you are too!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
a new day draws near...
well..monday starts school again. so far, the new year has been quite active!
mom came home tuesday, finally!...after 15 days and 6 rooms in 2 different hospitals we're happy to have her home. She's taken off the rest of this week and will be returning to school monday...we'll do our best to be sure she takes it easy for awhile. oddly enough, its the regular arthritis and hip pains that are plaguing her now...lack of movement and meds while in the hospital...her heart is just fine!
Frisco and I are back in weyers cave after putting several hundred miles on the explorer over the last few weeks...we know the drive to richmond like the back of our paws! ---not that its all that hard to do..."drive straight"...haha.
as for this semester of school, i've got some real doozies for subjects...
parasitology, pharmacology and anasthesiology....ouch! needless to say, i'm nervous. it'll really put my old brain to the test! really, though, i'm excited...we're actually going to be doind much more hands-on work with animals this semester and thats where I learn the best!
well...all for now...
love and hugs to everyone reading!
mom came home tuesday, finally!...after 15 days and 6 rooms in 2 different hospitals we're happy to have her home. She's taken off the rest of this week and will be returning to school monday...we'll do our best to be sure she takes it easy for awhile. oddly enough, its the regular arthritis and hip pains that are plaguing her now...lack of movement and meds while in the hospital...her heart is just fine!
Frisco and I are back in weyers cave after putting several hundred miles on the explorer over the last few weeks...we know the drive to richmond like the back of our paws! ---not that its all that hard to do..."drive straight"...haha.
as for this semester of school, i've got some real doozies for subjects...
parasitology, pharmacology and anasthesiology....ouch! needless to say, i'm nervous. it'll really put my old brain to the test! really, though, i'm excited...we're actually going to be doind much more hands-on work with animals this semester and thats where I learn the best!
well...all for now...
love and hugs to everyone reading!
Monday, January 01, 2007
Another New Year....
well it's here, another new year and with it new opportunity. like many folks, i've got a long list of things i want to change about myself...guess you'd say they were "resolutions" but i hate to think of it like that. lets focus on one item at a time...you know, baby steps. 2006 saw many changes for me...2007 holds even more. I'm 30 years old and know so little about life...along with academic lessons, 2007 holds even more life lessons. Lessons, good & bad, that i welcome with open arms. as far behind in life as i feel at times, i know that for me the best is yet to come. continuing self-awareness and a focus on positive thinking are my guides.
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