Our final clinical day of the term was an easy one: teach the elderly at a senior center about diabetes at a health fair. When I woke up and saw the temperature was 7 degrees outside I tried to devise reasons to stay in bed and predicted that our event would be poorly attended. I know if I were elderly...I'd stay home when it was that cold outside. The weather reminded me of another freezing experience during college in Montana when I needed to use a pay phone at a gas station during a road trip. It was so cold the buttons wouldn't push, and the handset was too frozen to lift. Today it's that kind of cold here.
But these are hearty Pittsburghers...and some of them DID show up. We were welcomed warmly and they really appreciated our bowls of sugar free candies there to tempt them to talk to us. They appreciated them SO much with their repeated visits to the bowl to fill their pockets, I finally got worried and started warning them: "Please be careful how many of those you eat at one time...the sweetener in them can give you diarrhea."
I imagined hoards of elderly with their slow-motion shuffle hurrying to the bathroom with a case of the runs. Nasty image.
Its a challenge teaching people in their 80's and 90's about prevention. I'd animatedly explain diet and exercise and watch their eyes glaze over. Like they'd never heard THAT before. So many of them just want to talk. They'd pull up a chair and start telling me their life story. I would have worried more about that had we been very busy, but the cold kept so many away that I didn't mind. It was a short day and I went home directly and took a nap.
Later, I headed to hip hop class -- kind of Zumba thing. It's too cold out to run so I'm trying to dance a few times a week instead. I like partner dancing most, but this class is too much fun. The style is as far out of my comfort zone as is possible, however. I think my spine may just leave me. After dancing ballet from the age of 3, it's not really a natural movement for me to disconnect my ass and hips the way they do. But I'd like to figure it out -- and it feels good to get a good sweat on even if I look like the whitest girl in the room.
Its another light school day tomorrow and it will also be the big push for Friday's final. Last week was so hectic I needed to take some long breaks this week to rest my brain...I hope it doesn't desert me for the last 2 exams.
We have a week off before the next term and for the first time, I'm not flying home. Trying to devise some local touristy things to do, since this will really be my only chance before graduation.
It feels weird to write "graduation" but there are only 20 academic weeks left. A big decision over the next month is to decide where I want to do my preceptorship. We have 200 hours in our final term working as a nurse with a full patient load in an area of our choosing. Since so much experience is gained, I see this as a chance to work toward my area of interest, since it could lead to a job.
I just have to decide my area of interest!
Right now I'm leaning toward ER, but this is before having had my rotations in labor and delivery, mother / baby, NICU and pediatrics. I have already ruled out pediatrics but the others I'm staying open to.
More on this as we go.
It's 2:26 a.m. and I have more to do for pharmacology. This has been a nice procrastination, but the fun's over.
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