I have only four words....
I hate intermediate research.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Camping is so relaxing
What a wonderful four days we have had. Sun, sand, good company, good wine and good food with a smidgen of sheep shit and the odd mozzie!
We managed to get packed up in miracle time on Thursday and left about 9.15am on good Friday for Tapapakanga regional park which is about one hour south of auckland.
We did however manage to get lost (well when I see "we", I mean HE) and our one hour journey took us three, which to give him his due did include one stop at a service station and one stop for breakfast (or brunch by the time we got there).
So after our shakey start we found the campground which was covered in sheep shit, but after we scooped it up we pitched the tent and then had a beer followed by a swim. Heaven.
Camped with one other family and had a ball. We swam, ate, drank, read, fished and relaxed. The kids managed to ride their bikes, play games, do an Easter Egg hunt, make rafts and race them down the river, dig up and cook pipi's and mussles, make smores, read, swim, make a giant slingshot and make a possum trap - all good fun and all in four days.
Saturday was my birthday and we made a celebration brunch and then some visitors arrived for the day. We went to the beach and sat around drinking most of the afternoon, then back for a lazy dinner and a show put on by the kids. Visitors left and we went off to bed. All in all not a bad way to spend my 42nd birthday and see in my 43rd year.
Nice to be home. Most of the unpacking was completed before I had to go to work tonight. Relaxing is over and it is back to reality and an assignment which needs to be done by Monday morning!
We managed to get packed up in miracle time on Thursday and left about 9.15am on good Friday for Tapapakanga regional park which is about one hour south of auckland.
We did however manage to get lost (well when I see "we", I mean HE) and our one hour journey took us three, which to give him his due did include one stop at a service station and one stop for breakfast (or brunch by the time we got there).
So after our shakey start we found the campground which was covered in sheep shit, but after we scooped it up we pitched the tent and then had a beer followed by a swim. Heaven.
Camped with one other family and had a ball. We swam, ate, drank, read, fished and relaxed. The kids managed to ride their bikes, play games, do an Easter Egg hunt, make rafts and race them down the river, dig up and cook pipi's and mussles, make smores, read, swim, make a giant slingshot and make a possum trap - all good fun and all in four days.
Saturday was my birthday and we made a celebration brunch and then some visitors arrived for the day. We went to the beach and sat around drinking most of the afternoon, then back for a lazy dinner and a show put on by the kids. Visitors left and we went off to bed. All in all not a bad way to spend my 42nd birthday and see in my 43rd year.
Nice to be home. Most of the unpacking was completed before I had to go to work tonight. Relaxing is over and it is back to reality and an assignment which needs to be done by Monday morning!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Out with midwife
This morning was big for me. I went out with "my" midwife, that is the midwife I have been assigned to for clinical placement.
Of course it is my dear friend Matty, but so different watching her in a professional capacity. I have seen her in action before as I have been a birth companion for one of her clients, but to watch her knowing that in a few short years that will be me....wow.
I was nervous. I'm not sure whether having a relationship with the midwife makes it easier or harder. However I probably was made to be more assertive than I would have been naturally.
I went to morning clinic and she saw about five women. I took all bar one of their blood pressures - and was right each time (there were a couple of "funny" readings which turned out to be correct!).
I got to palp four of the mum's tummies - although I felt some of the things matty said I'd feel, but not all. And then I did the doppler (so we could hear the heart beat).
It was all very exciting, and I was on a buzz when I came home but also felt like I needed a cup of tea and a lie down!!
Have heaps of study/homework to do, have to take the girl-child to an audition in the city at 5pm and somehow find time to pack so we can head off camping on Friday morning. Not to mention work tomorrow night.
Had a fabulous night with my class last night. One of them is Matty's client and I may well attend their birth as a Student. The group is so much fun - it is our last night on Tuesday which is a bit sad.
Oh well.... I have to come down off my little high now because my peacetime has ended and i need to go and pick my little darlings up from school.
Of course it is my dear friend Matty, but so different watching her in a professional capacity. I have seen her in action before as I have been a birth companion for one of her clients, but to watch her knowing that in a few short years that will be me....wow.
I was nervous. I'm not sure whether having a relationship with the midwife makes it easier or harder. However I probably was made to be more assertive than I would have been naturally.
I went to morning clinic and she saw about five women. I took all bar one of their blood pressures - and was right each time (there were a couple of "funny" readings which turned out to be correct!).
I got to palp four of the mum's tummies - although I felt some of the things matty said I'd feel, but not all. And then I did the doppler (so we could hear the heart beat).
It was all very exciting, and I was on a buzz when I came home but also felt like I needed a cup of tea and a lie down!!
Have heaps of study/homework to do, have to take the girl-child to an audition in the city at 5pm and somehow find time to pack so we can head off camping on Friday morning. Not to mention work tomorrow night.
Had a fabulous night with my class last night. One of them is Matty's client and I may well attend their birth as a Student. The group is so much fun - it is our last night on Tuesday which is a bit sad.
Oh well.... I have to come down off my little high now because my peacetime has ended and i need to go and pick my little darlings up from school.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Learning to put gloves on...
Who knew freakin gloves could be so difficult to put on! I should have suspected that I would be all fingers and thumbs and find this hard to do.
Last week was the week of vaccination. I had to have Tetanus and the first (of three) Hep B jabs, plus the TB Mantoux. 2nd Mantoux this week and hopefully won't need TB. Still need to have polio jab though.
Fingernails are now very short, as per requirements (sob sob). All cut off and ready to learn how to wash my hands properly and put gloves on. It all started off so well.
I did really great on the handwashing. We checked under UV light and not one single spot was missed. They were clean as clean can be. My dermatitis did show up and I need to get that treated, but other than that all good.
Gloving however was a completely different affair. I was the class moron who managed to get all her fingers in the wrong holes and completely get confused and tangled. It's not as easy as it looks. I was thinking to myself that I'm not going to be a very good midwife if I can't get the freakin gloves on....lord knows how I'm going to catch a baby!!
Anyhoo...I managed to do it in the end, but need to practice it (lots and lots!!) so that I can get them on quickly. At speed I go the baby would be celebrating it's first birthday by the time I had the gloves on.
And of course I'm totally allergic to the soap and to the gloves.....and despite washing my hands at home have very itchy sore hands right now and have to go to the chemist and get special soap which I need to take on clinical with me. I need to check out about the gloves but assume I'll have to buy those as well.
Also made the difficult decision to resign from the Parents Centres CBE Advisory Team as I am finding the workload pretty full on and something had to go. I am still sticking with the CENZ role but I had to let something go and unfortunately the advisory team was it. I feel really sad about it but have to look forward to newer more exciting things (like gloving!).
Ah the joys. Remind me why I signed up for this again?
Last week was the week of vaccination. I had to have Tetanus and the first (of three) Hep B jabs, plus the TB Mantoux. 2nd Mantoux this week and hopefully won't need TB. Still need to have polio jab though.
Fingernails are now very short, as per requirements (sob sob). All cut off and ready to learn how to wash my hands properly and put gloves on. It all started off so well.
I did really great on the handwashing. We checked under UV light and not one single spot was missed. They were clean as clean can be. My dermatitis did show up and I need to get that treated, but other than that all good.
Gloving however was a completely different affair. I was the class moron who managed to get all her fingers in the wrong holes and completely get confused and tangled. It's not as easy as it looks. I was thinking to myself that I'm not going to be a very good midwife if I can't get the freakin gloves on....lord knows how I'm going to catch a baby!!
Anyhoo...I managed to do it in the end, but need to practice it (lots and lots!!) so that I can get them on quickly. At speed I go the baby would be celebrating it's first birthday by the time I had the gloves on.
And of course I'm totally allergic to the soap and to the gloves.....and despite washing my hands at home have very itchy sore hands right now and have to go to the chemist and get special soap which I need to take on clinical with me. I need to check out about the gloves but assume I'll have to buy those as well.
Also made the difficult decision to resign from the Parents Centres CBE Advisory Team as I am finding the workload pretty full on and something had to go. I am still sticking with the CENZ role but I had to let something go and unfortunately the advisory team was it. I feel really sad about it but have to look forward to newer more exciting things (like gloving!).
Ah the joys. Remind me why I signed up for this again?
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