But I Don't Wanna....

"But I don't want to be side awake at 5am" She said to herself as she looked at the clock thinking it HAD to be later than 5am.

Oh well, I guess it means I can be productive and then maybe go take a nap in the sun later today.
Wow what a month may was. Getting up at 5 was a normal occurrence and then heading off to work at 6. It was great, I was able to met a bunch of great nurses and watch some super cool surgeries and increase my 'wit'/cheeky response time immensely.

However, as great at this past month was the next 3 are looking to be quite class!

June 6-7: Finish my steroid rounds. (not the best of times, but it will be good in the long run)
June 7: Fly out to Vancouver for adventures

June 11-15: Spend time with family, friends, head up the sunshine coast, go to doctors appointments, possibly head to Vernon.

JUNE 16: Fly fly fly and fly to London, Engl. SO excited! Spend some time with my aunt and uncle and attempt to do my best to get over jet-lag as soon as possible.
June 18: Quick flight to Northern Ireland. Here's hoping that I am somewhat capable at that point of getting to the airports on my own in London. Honestly, somewhat nervous about it, but should be ok.
June 25 - July 3: Come back to London, spend time with family and hitting up as many museums and landmarks as possible.  Highlight: Going to a wedding. But not just any wedding. My cousins wedding. 

The rest of the summer will be camp. Echo Lake Bible Camp. It will be so nice to be able to just hand out with friends. Work with kids. Most of all making videos each week for the kidletts. I am really just looking forward to not having responsibility, homework, tests and everything school related awful!


Highlights of Third Year

Fall Fog Adventures

I loved spending study breaks hanging out along the river with all of the beautiful fog.

                 

Stayed creative with maternity projects

        

Had some doctors appointments down at UBC MS Clinic. Always nice to get out of the snow in PG. 

These always made for an interesting day. 

Hung out with my wonderful friend Katie. 

Spent time with my 'pups'. Adventures. Adventures. Adventures with 2 kiddies.  

This became known as a 'Kater Duckie"

                                                                                   

Played with the worms. Her brother dried all of his out in a bucket. 

We went camping and it WASN"T -25 below 0!  Who knew it could be so wonderful!

Got infested with ants. 

Had many an early morning this past month.

But the fog, again, was worth it! Always great!

Well a touch of my year. Love parts of it. Detested other parts. But I made it through. Passed everything and had a great last placement! 

Thanks for checking in. Will update you guys later this month!

Kate

"Are You Happy?"

"Are you the happiest you've ever been?"

That was one of the questions my friend asked me yesterday. It took me a second to think about it, I thought about the past few days, months, year. Everything that had happened to me in the past year or so...

[ms.boyfriend.ms.shcool.friends.living in prince george. ms.life.clinical.exams.ms.practicums .camp.summer.friends.university.exams.summer.family.ms.moving] 

These things flashed through my head as it did that I asked the question again out loud, 

"I am the happiest I've ever been?" 

I then thought about the past week/weekend, it continues to put a smile on my face, almost makes me cry, but mostly smile. I spent the past two weeks complied classes and exams. I have moved into my new house for hte next year which is with my best friend and her brother in a basement suite. 

But the best of all since school was this past week. I spent it and will continue to spend it in Quesnel until the beginning of June. 

I don't think I could have picked a better practicum spot that Quesnel-PAR. I am in the post anesthetic recovery ward. So when patients come out of surgery they come to us and we take vitals and give pain medications, and make sure they are ok and stable. I also had the opportunity to spend some time in the operating rooms. It was so cool and so great! The staff are fantastic--some of the best I've had to work with so far in my degree. Very willing to help, teach and assist me in learning. I don't know at this point if this is where I want to be. But I do love it. 

It is a really great feeling when I feel so affirmed in choosing a career such as nursing. Helping patients feel comfortable, holding their hand before surgery, laughing with (or at) them, cleaning them up. I love it. I was talking about my practicum yesterday and as I started I could feel my excitement increasing and my facial expressions changing. I had to tell myself to calm down a bit and I don't need to get that excited about watching a 'skin graft or mole removal or hammer toe fixed.' 

Oh, I did answer my friends question when he asked and my answer still makes me think to make sure I was being completely honest...

Yes...yes I am genuinely happy.

This very well could be the happiest I've been in a long time.

At this point I have so many great things to look forward to in the next year. Finishing my practicum, going to the UK for a few weeks this summer. Going back out to camp. Living with good friends. Going into my final year at uni. I'll be graduated by this time next year. I wouldn't say I am thinking there won't be any challenges next year or in the coming days/months.

But I am ready to take it one day at a time and face those challenges more ready than I would have ever been if I had not gone through these past 2 crazy years!! 

It IS Spring

It is spring, or at least in my mind it is. The sandals have come out two weeks ago, regardless of how much snow there is or the fact that it was snowing last night as I went to bed.

I was driving around town today, there was sun, dry roads, good music. I was thrown into a bit of a nostalgic spell dreaming of being 13/14 again. All I have wanted all evening has been to go play outside, shoot hoops, toss around a football/baseball, shoot sling shots or play kick the can.
I was reminded of the days going to my friends' baseball games, watching them play, or get their collar bones broken. :)
I wanted to go race bikes up and down my old neighbourhood and climb trees until the branches broke under my feet.
Oh to be little again, to not have a care in the world, except to be home by supper.


Well, whats new with me, this semester has been craziness. It is clearly the spring semester, lack of motivation, lower marks, exhaustion, ready for summer.
I have been busy and been able to check off at least one more place I do not want to work in the future.
I had my maternity and paediatric rotation since Christmas break. First off, I really did enjoy peds, I had one very difficult experience but in the end it was very rewarding. I found that I really did love working with the children, they made me smile and work hard. It was terrifying but also brought me a lot of joy by the end of my rotation.
My second rotation was maternity, a place of with I do not ever want to work in. Babies are great, (well sometimes) but what is even greater was being able to leave them with the moms and not having to take them home. Watching a birth, again great, very interesting, however not something I am looking forward to doing myself. In any way, shape or form. Oh well, that is the reason for having so many different placements this year, is to figure out what I do and do not enjoy. Maternity, not something I enjoyed.

Now for exams, and my practical tests I will be done for the semester. I then have a week off and then a month of practicum in Quesnel. I will be working in a post-anesthetic recovery unit. I am very excited. It will be nice to be back in an acute care setting.
After my month of practicum I am heading out for the summer, I will be headed back to England with a wee pop over to Northern Ireland. My cousin is getting married and lots of family is flying over for the wedding. It will be wonderful! I actually don't think I can describe how excited I am to go back to England but also travel about in NI. Awk. I will be awesome. I will be staying with friends from camp who are from there, which will make it that much better!

After my trip I will go back to the camp I worked at last summer. Echo Lake Bible Camp.
Here is one of the promo videos I made for them, click here >> Echo Promo <<

I am looking forward to this month being over and summer starting and to getting some normal person time, like sleep and not uni!

Anywho, thanks for checking in!

Kate

I love coffee shops.

I don't love coffee. But I love coffee shops.

I love watching the different people who come and go. I love the smiles I can share with complete strangers. I love it when I know the baristia and he tells me that seeing me in here so often makes him really not want to go back to uni. I love when I see the old ladies come in and discuss their lives with each other almost every morning.

I love seeing the old lady in the corner waiting for her husband to bring their coffee's so they can have a pleasant morning together.

I love engaging with the old lady who I sit down beside and she tells me about her day and how she lives on her own and takes the bus to run her errands.

I love watching the window washer gracefully wash the windows and helping me move my table back when he has to wash the one beside me. I love it when the sun comes out and warms up the whole place.

I love coffee shops. Maybe its just this one. But I love it.

I love that I can just have time to think, process the day, listen to conversations, my music, catch up with old friends who walk in.

I can't say I love coffee. But I love this coffee shop. 

My January

Hey guys, first off I want to say thank you to those who are reading this and who do keep updated with my blog. I absolutely love it and really appreciate it.

Well I wanted to give you a wee update on my January. School has once again started off with a bang. I have started and finished my paediatric rotation. Of which I absolutely LOVED! It was great spending time with kids and playing with them when they were feeling better. Mmm.. it was a good clinical placement. And now on to Maternity. I am also looking forward to this one. It will happen after reading break!

Seattle Ferris Wheel: At Christmas

Sister Time-Waiting for the parents

Busy city, movin' people. Love night photography

Enjoyed Christmas bokeh.

Beautiful winter day in Prince George

Decided to go camping with my bestie--possibly at -25 degree Celsius. 

Looking for a brain break from studying. Could possibly be my favourite spot in Prince. 

Sunset on a glorious winter evening. 

Anyways I am hoping that the rest of the semester is goes well, so far my health has been good. No pain, err, minimal pain in my hands. My fatigue is always there but gets better when I exercise and go to bed early.
The end is in sight for me. Half way through my penultimate year! I am getting pretty excited--then this summer shall be great! I will tell you about those plans at another time, probably closer to the date!

Well I hope you all have a great night!

Kate

Bucket List

Well, I've been thinking, of which I tend to do a lot of these days. But I find I do even more thinking after I have some great conversations with my good friends. Yesterday I had some good conversation with a good friend. Which well.. I think left her thinking maybe more than I did. But I won't elaborate on her thoughts,  just on mine.

First, I have come to really appreciate reflection times on decisions, illnesses, school, life, camp etc. I love being able to talk about these things and have logical thoughts about them. (Vague, yes I know.. but thats ok)

Secondly, there are many things that I am excited about that are coming up that I know about and things that I do not know about, but want to do.
I don't think I have ever officially made a bucket list... but I've always liked the idea of them. I think the problem is for me is that when I get to actually writing these "hopes and dream' down it either seems silly, or I just never have a big enough list to actually make it worth it.

1. See the Northern Lights in a grand fashion--
I have seen them once. I was on the out skirts of town with some friends and on our way back into town this is what we saw. However one day I will see them again...hopefully.

2. Take a StarTrail picture.

3. Go to South Korea-- My great aunt once worked in a hospital in South Korea; I would love to go back and work in that hospital

4. Visit/work in the orphanage that my other great aunt worked founded and worked at in India

5. Become a RN

6. Work on a MercyShip-- a portable hospital that gives healthcare to those who are not able to get the care they need. I would love to be able to give my skills as a nurse to those who need it.

7. Go back to the UK, spend more time in London and also visit friends in NorthernIreland

8. See someone be healed from an illness; wheather it be me or someone else. I would love that!

9. Get married

10. Sleep outside one night (camping) at least once during every season. This would come down to sleeping outside at least 4 times a year.  {this idea comes from a long time ago when my friend and I decided we would do this once a night throughout the year-the coldest -22}


This list will grow, this list will change and I will complete some things but I will have a great time doing it!

Kate

Here we go again.

Dad went kayaking...? 

Slingshot for Christmas

Christmas was nice. I went down to Vancouver and stayed with my parents for a few weeks. It was good to spend time with them. We went to Seattle for a few days which is not really a city I am dying to go back to. Too many cars, too much walking, too much blah. Nothing really stood out to me there and my feet hurt a lot. Which was because of how much walking to different shopping centres that my mother and sister wanted to go to. Super fun :/
But it was good all in all being down south, but I am glad to be home. Well sort of....

Let me tell you about my last week. :D
Firstly...School only started last Monday, it was the longest week ever! And not all in a bad way, but let me tell you about it.

This all started on Wednesday with an email from someone from my uni telling me that I had an outstanding form about my flu vaccine. So I went on a complete which hunt trying to find it... I called at least a dozen people trying to find it, I started at home, went to the health unit, to the hospital, up to the university talked to 3 more people.. finally, 8 hours later I finally had someone to help me.. but at that point it would've been easier to just get another flu shot. Which is what I did in the end, the next morning. Literally I found that form 30 minutes later. Oops.. but really, another flu shot couldn't hurt me  and my already weak immune system.

In the middle of all of this I could not remember where my stethoscope, name tag and student id card was. So on Thursday I cleaned my room, like ALL of it.. and the drawers and camp stuff that i left in my closet. I eventually found it under a pile on my bed, the stethoscope at least.  But my room looked great!

Friday, I just puttered around and read some stuff for school work. I am talking 3 courses this semester.. two of which are online.. Which I don't mind too much. The way the instructors are doing them is nice. And clinical is good too.. paediatrics.
So on Saturday I had orientation. for my peds rotation... started at 7 didn't end until 5:30-6ish. It was only supposed to be a 6.25hour day and only started the math part of it at 4:30. I almost cried when my instructor told us the quiz would take about an hour but we didn't really have time so we could take it home and bring it in at 6:30am the next morning. He, in the end gave us the week to finish it.. but it was all ok.
Sunday, clinical, it was great. I LOVE paediatrics compared to mental health. My instructor was fantastic as well which makes things even better.
Monday, I couldn't find my student id anywhere.. I check cars, pockets, my wallet.. found it in the back of my closet in a bag I hadn't used since last week.. shocker.

Yikes.. it has been nuts. I was telling my friend this whole week today and she looked at me all concerned and said, "You know, you can cry right now if you'd like."
It was kind of weird, that thought hadn't even crossed my mind all week.. not really sure why, but it didn't. Maybe I'm just growing up, or my memory is gone along with all of my tears. :)
However I have also discovered it takes a bit to get me to cry these days.. it happened once last semester about 2 weeks into classes. Nothing since.. well a few tears while I was watching "Eight Below"--that movie about the dog sledding dogs that get left behind in Antarctica. That brought a few tears to my eyes. haha. Made me laugh when I caught it.

But it has been a good semester so far.. kind of nuts but ok.

______________________________________________________________

Hmmm... I know its a process... but it comes in waves.. along with everything else that goes on in my life, I have found that I don't talk much about how MS has really affected my life. I mean most days when someone asks me how I am I will tell them I am tired. But there are more feelings hidden down there. I summed it up nicely over Christmas when my dad suggested that we go to the gym and play 2-on-2 with my brother and sister. My response with humour was "Dad, I don't think either of them want an out of shape blind, disabled girl on their team." He thought it was kind of funny, which it was.. but true. It SUCKS that I can't play sports anymore like I used to. That moment quickly passed and I got over it.

But tonight I was wearing a pair of shorts that I usually wore for volleyball a few years ago, thinking about how things were then, when people would call me up to go toss around a volleyball, or shoot hoops... that doesn't happen anymore. Even if it did I would want to say the same thing I said to my dad, "I don't think you want a blind setter on your team do ya?" Reminds me of a whole different life. One that I miss. I know there are so many great things going for me now.. but I miss those times.  

I also don't think I will fully understand the implications that MS plays in my life. It will come when I want to teach my kids to play volleyball, play badminton in the backyard, go for hikes with them, shoot hoops even. I won't be able to share those moments with my kids the way my parents did with me. It breaks my heart now.. but will break it even more when it actually happens. I know there will be other things, that are good that will happen with my future.. but there are a few times where I don't know what I will do when these moments happen.

Sorry, enough of being sad, because right now I really am not at all. Just thinking.... I am stoked for this semester to be over.. because I have big plans for summer, which one day I will reveal to you.. providing it all works out the way i hope it does.

Thanks guys for reading.

Love,

Kate

This Year is Done!

Oh dear goodness I don't think you know how great it is to be on Christmas break right now...well let me tell you- It's fantastic!
I also cannot believe how much has happened in this year, especially when I think about my MS.  It has only been just over one year since I've had this "wonderful" disease. :)

So let me tell you a bit about this last semester. From what 'they' say this was the hardest semester of the entire program and so far, from the marks I've gotten back I have done quite well.
Granted this was a very hard semester but not how I expected it to be...the material was not particularly difficult, but there was a lot of it. We had a multitude of papers due throughout the semester, midterms, journals, clinical assignments, group projects, weekly posts. It kept me busy for sure. However I think I learned a lot about myself from this semester, and really the past 12 months.

Before this semester started, to be honest I didn't really think I could do it.. I had many, many people tell me that it might be best to do it over a course of two years because this year was so hard, and even those of good health had trouble with it. Part of me at that point was convinced that I would not be able to do it... but I talked it over many times with one of my good friends, who is also in our program, and my aunt/uncle. They were a great encouragement for me to just see it I could do it and if not pull out. What's the harm in that right? At this point I am thrilled that I did it that way and didn't listen to most of those other people.

I think after looking back at this semester and even the past year I really can do things I put my mind to. I know that was always the classic quote, that I didn't really take into any consideration. But its true--at least in this case and it makes me excited for the rest of school and the next few years.. or life-whatever.

But as I've talked about a few times in some posts one thing that has really gotten me through this nut-so year has for sure been finding joy in random things, or just going out and having fun for a few hours amidst a crazy week or something. Like making sock puppets, or cinnamon buns, banana bread, playing in mud pits, getting stuck in the snow... I have been able to find some time for myself in this craziness.. but I am really glad its done.


I also decided after I wrote a not so great exam..  it was time for some change, (maybe to commemorate the end of this year) so I chopped my hair off.. I like it.

Anyways, I am in Abbotsford, going to Seattle, hanging out with friends and family, it shall be fun. A few weeks off with no responsibility. Sounds great to me.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas!

Kate

Almost Here!

There are a few things I love about this coming month...

1. December means that exams are coming, and its not the exams that I love... but the fact that it means the end of the semester is what i really like.

2.  "They" say this is also the hardest semester of my whole degree that I am just finishing up, and hopefully pass everything. (I think i should be ok)

Snipit of one gift

3. After all of these dreadful exams I will be on Christmas break. Which I am super excited about. I get to see some old friends, friends from the summer and we plan to go skating, going for coffee, taking pictures, reading books... yes I WANT to READ a book (for those who know me too well)

4. This next month, December also means this is NOT November, also known as the month where boys-attempted-to-grow-facial-hair-men-grow-facial-hair-and-girls-don't-even-pretentd-to-like-it

5. Also I am doing a handmade Christmas gifts for my family this year.. it started off a few years ago when exams came around and made my mom soap for christmas and really cool candle holders.
So I have found a fantastic website that is better than Pintrest for these ideas... and have started putting my pieces together. I am excited. Ill post them when I am done...

6. also a few other notes;
        - Prince George has snow
        - I woke up to a beautiful sunrise one morning. Orange filled my room... it was nice.

Oh I am do ready for this semester to be done.. its been a long one. I wouldn't say it has been harder, but defiantly busier. We just finished this week with 3 group projects. My first exam is on next Friday. Then I am done on December 12. Yippee.

Speaking of group projects I made a movie for one... which reminds me of a video that my dad sent me that would be sweet if you could also help his school win money for their Dry Grad. Click here for the link. and vote for them. It was a pretty good video. I voted for them.

Anyways.. I am almost done and will post another during break.
Have a good night,
Kate

needles are an unfortunate event.

This particular unfortunate event happens (usually) three times a week. Most of the time I am quite fine on injecting myself with this actually unknown substance (medication or placebo).

What is interesting about this subject is that I have worked with many people these days who do this injecting stuff quite regularly and do it willingly. However the affects of those drugs hit them within about 10 minutes and give them much different side effects.
This thought intrigued me once, that if injections gave me immediate effects than I would be much more willing to inject them into my skin.

I also would be willing to go back to summer and would pawn off who got to do my injection for the day on them. Some, or actually most of them agreed that they would do it... I promised it wouldn't hurt me--sorry them.. it wouldn't hurt them at all, might hurt me a wee bit. But it did make it more fun to have someone else who has never given a needle give me it. Some were a little bloodily and bruised nicely. But none the less it was WAY better then me sitting here... write a blog post about how unfortunate this event.

So I will lighten the mood. I have had a GREAT week!


 Some friends cam from out of town to visit. I love  seeing these friends--they make my life that much  better. It has been great catching up, going to listen  to music, eating good food. Last night we went to a  local pub and listened to a band called WillHorse.  IT was a lot of fun. Music was good, company was  great!! Few but good people that i knew there. We  had a blast!
 I also went to church today, which was really nice,  this event has might not happened for a while. But I  met some new people and saw some old friends. IT  was really good

 On another note, not really about church, but I did  listen to them while I was driving to and from  church. But my friend introduced me to this new  band called Husdon Taylor. (and no not the ancient  dead guy). They are great, so I think you should  know them too.

 Overall summary of my life/day/shchool: Life is  good.. and soon to be great. My day was a very  good one. I enjoyed very many parts of it. School is  busy and a greatly looking forward to that being  done for Christmas break.

 great night!
I hope you guys have a

Kate