complexities

my relationship with george is so complex. we have been an officially titled couple since March of 2005. i am so grateful to have him in my life. sometimes i am completely immature. i get totally silly and giggly and we act like 6 year old kids. sometimes, like last night, we have really deep conversations and very serious moments. i'm glad to have somebody in my life, romantic relationship or not, who i can fluctuate with. george is my very best friend and most favorite person. having said this, he also knows how to push my buttons and tick me off more than anybody! since we're both very passionate, we have a lot of high-highs and low-lows. it's something we're aware of and working on. but mmmm the high-highs are so euphoric.

i moved into my new apartment a couple weeks ago. of course, he helped me move, even while i was at work. as much as i love george, i'm grateful to have a place to call all mine. i get to make every decorative decision. i get to have flowers completely covering my bedroom wall. i got to go nuts at anthropologie, and i didn't have to explain that receipt to anybody but myself. life is so absolutely sweet right now, i'm reluctant to think about change. after finding out we've been together over 5 years, people follow up with, "when are yall getting married?" i guess when and if the time is right is the answer. he is still in school for another year. and like they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." it's so great to come home and have alone time with teddy. to actually start to miss my man, then have him come over. but when i'm ready to have a girl's night, he does his own thing and i have my own place to host dinner and wine. when we fight, i have the liberty to tell him to leave without kicking him out of his own place! maybe more relationships would be happier, longer, if each person had their own safe haven.

i'm a happy, lucky, girl.

in the operating room

i absolutely love my job. i am the or coordinating nurse at southlake plastic surgery. i pre-op patients, circulate, scrub, occasionally recover, and see post-op appointments. one might ask what these different roles entail! as i type, i am circulating. this means i grab things needed for the surgery and open them using a certain technique so that the object remains sterile. if they don't need anything, i get to cruise the internet on my laptop! usually i am busy ordering supplies for the OR, checking my e-mail, etc. like just now, i had to stop typing to get the breast tissue we just dissected off our patient. i weighed it and told the physician '507 grams.' we are doing a breast reduction, so my measurements are actually important! he wants to be fairly close bilaterally with the breast tissue weights. i also send off the tissue to a lab to have it tested for cancer. i do all of the documentation for the surgery, and before the surgery starts, i make sure the patient is prepped with iodine, her SCDs are on and running (keep blood pumping in the calves throughout surgery), and she is positioned correctly on the table.

when i scrub, i am in on the surgery. i'm 'sterile,' so i can't touch anything unless it is sterile, also. this means no scratching, adjusting, or anything, for the duration of surgery! scrubbing is challenging, but i think it's fun. nursing school has more of a focus on circulating, so when i scrub, i enjoy learning new things. dr. mason is very patient, so that certainly helps.

i'm grateful i am using my degree to do something that i find enjoyable, rewarding, and intellectually stimulating. this breast reduction will significantly reduce my patient's back pain and increase her self-esteem. i'm lucky to get paid for this!

www.southlakeplasticsurgery.com

i'm a grateful early bird

Natural, Gluten and Dairy Free, French Toast Sticks for Clinic Days

Alive Shakes for OR Days

Mornings are my favorite part of the day. I wake up, roll over, and nuzzle Teddy. Then I go to my Keurig and brew a delicious Kona blend coffee. I'm such a sucker for the small stuff. One little thing, for instance: When I moved, I threw away any mug that I dreaded grabbing. Everybody has a few "favorite mugs." My days are always so much better when I start it with a "favorite mug," and ever since this move, I start EVERY day with a favorite mug. Then, I let Teddy out. I'm so proud of how well he's adjusted to apartment-living. He has not had any accidents!!! If it's a surgery day, I make an "Alive" shake because it's quick and easy, and keeps me full for a long surgery. These days I wake up around 5:30 and am looking for something convenient but still nutritious. If it's a clinic day, I get to go in to the office a little later, and enjoy my gluten-free, dairy-free Cinnamon French Toast sticks. I drizzle sugar free syrup and crunched up walnuts to make it a delicious and savory treat. Either way, I feel like I start my day with a nutritious and satisfying breakfast. I also love how cool the mornings feel, even if "cool" is 85 degrees in this Texas heat! After reading some health food books, I realize coffee is not good for me, and I abstained for about a week. I've decided this is my drug of choice, and I'm just not ready to give it up.