Monthly Archives: November 2024

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The Power Puff Girls

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It all started with Emily needing to drive her car home from California after driving all her stuff back a month ago for the big move to Chicago next week. Since I didn’t want her to drive alone, I said I’ll fly out and drive back with you. Kayla also wanted to come and then Emily’s best friend from college Julie, decided to join us. It then turned into a four day road trip.

About a month ago I got a text asking if I would go sky diving. My immediate answer no way. Then I watched a bunch of documentary’s about space and the moon landing and decided why not. So Emily was in charge of booking a place. She had some of her patients helping her. The first place we were going to go may be shut down. They have had numerous injuries and deaths. It came to light some of their instructors were not certified. This made me feel real confident about this endeavor. She settled on Skydive Perris in Perris California. She also booked us for eight am yesterday morning.

This was Kayla’s idea and when we got up yesterday morning she decided she wasn’t going. To which Emily and I said oh no you are going. We pulled into the place at 8:02.

We filled out paperwork that basically said if we died we cannot sue them. Again very reassuring. We watched a video about how to do it and then they said see you in about an hour to get ready to jump. We had to wear arm bands so we couldn’t drink in the restaurant. As if that was going to happen. Emily and I both took Dramamine because riding in this little plane screamed let’s not vomit.

The plane

So they came and got us to get us suited up and meet the guys we would be attached to. All of them were super nice and obviously loved their jobs. Because I was very nervous my mouth was in full force. I had all of them cracking up. All three of them said at different times and all together they loved mom. I used Kayla’s nickname of blondie and then told them the story of where it stemmed from. Including how we use to tell her she was mailman’s daughter until the day she was looking out the window to see the mailman and what her dad looked like. She was around two or three. They were dying. I think my favorite line was “If I die, that’s ok I’ll get to see my dad again.” They were cracking up. So we got suited up.

After this it was time to get on the plane. The instructions, follow right behind me and keep your head down when climbing on board. A bench was on each side with seatbelts which we put on until we reached 10,000 feet. There were a bunch of other people including a group that was going to make a circle during free fall. We had talked about my obsession with airplane crash shows so my guy says we can jump out if the plane is going to crash. I said as long as we are high enough up in the air. See I really am smarter than I look.

It seemed like forever before the door to jump out was opened. The big group went out first and the way they all went out it looked like a decompression and they all got sucked out. Two solo guys went next. All the time we are sliding down getting closer and closer. Kayla went first and it was the weirdest thing to watch. She was there one minute and gone the next. I went second. My biggest fear I’d do something wrong and kill us both. It was one two three and out the door we went. He did all the work and after two seconds I thought to myself open your eyes and enjoy this so I did. Free fall was crazy but as soon as I was allowed I had my arms and feet out. I was breathing through my mouth which became so dry that once the parachute deployed my tongue felt six feet thick. I finally got enough spit going that I could talk. We had quite the chat on the way down which is one reason I didn’t buy a video or pictures. Julie didn’t go because she had done it before. So when I told her this she said of course you did. My guide was busy turning the sail around and telling me what lakes we were looking at and mountains and things. It was so cool. Emily on the other hand who jumped out last landed first because she was threatening to puke.

Finally it was time to land which was by far the thing I was worried most about. I seriously was more worried about that than the parachute not opening. Several years ago the family went zip lining in Tennessee and my landing has been legendary. To quote my husband, I came in like a bowling ball and nearly took out the people who were suppose to help me stop. The landing for sky diving is hold your feet up and land on your butt. So it comes time and the guy gives me the instructions. I get my feet up and he says higher. I’m thinking I should have either went back to running or started yoga two years ago. Somehow I manage to hit my left foot on the ground and go sliding in the grass for landing. My first thought Emily called it, I broke my ankle.

Notice the grass stains on my shoe. Anyway I moved my foot and thought nope I’m good. The guy was concerned and also amazed at this landing. I said nope I’m fine. I got up and walked over to Emily and smacked her for predicting my insane landing. My guy asked me if I would do it again and I said maybe. It was a lot of fun and so peaceful after free fall.

The landings in which you can hear Emily scream.

Julie took this after picture

and then stated we looked like the power puff girls.

We were cracking up. We couldn’t have planned that any better. The funny thing is my guy picked out my suit and the other two girls picked out theirs. It was such a fun time and all three of us would go again.

Mole Moral ~ Think long and hard before you agree to go on a Mole road trip. One never knows what adventures await you.

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Who Says You Can’t Have Fun at Work

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In just two short days it will be FIVE years since I started in endoscopy. Say what? I vividly remember thinking what in Sam Hill are they going to talk about for a week in RNO (RN Orientation). I’m so happy this was pre Covid and all the classes were in person. Now days you sit at home behind your computer and it’s done via zoom. Anyway the entire week was like a review of everything I had learned over the past thirty years of my nursing career. I found it very interesting and learned a lot. After that week, I started the actual job.

The first year was total hell. For starters I left the floor I had worked on for eighteen years. I knew everyone, I could do the job blindfolded, and I had the most seniority. I found myself in a foreign country not knowing anyone or the language. I came home every night mentally spent because I had to think about what I was doing every second I was there. Then Covid hit and I felt called to go help in ICU and so I did. It was better for my mental health to know I was doing that every day then be sent to other areas of the hospital to help or screen people as they came in. This also greatly improved my self confidence.

As I reflect over the past five years, all of my original co-workers have left except for Chris who is now semi-retired and works on Mondays only. Somehow I now have the most endoscopy experience which is both comical and scary. Because I only work part time, I am not at work enough to fill the role of the highest seniority. Luckily Sarah and Kelly fulfill this role perfectly and I often go to them when I have no idea how to fix something or do some random rarely done procedure. They are both amazing and if they leave to further pursue their careers I will be screwed.

The current group of girls I have worked with for over a year now are so much fun. It’s like working every day with my own daughters. Halloween the past two years have been a lot of fun in endo. I was off last year when they decided to dress up like the doctors as a surprise. They sent me photos and it was amazing.

This next photo cracks me up every time I look at it. No, it is not a real patient on the stretcher. I think it might have been Sarah pretending. But anyway Clare has Dr. Heavey down perfectly and Dr. Heavey has us down perfectly. Although we don’t have ear buds in when working in the room but if it is a boring colon we may be messing around on our phone. Dr. Heavey never wears scrubs so seeing him in our scrubs is a hoot.

This year Dr. Aymerich decided we should dress up as Pirates for Pirate Booty since we deal with butts all day. Everyone was sure that he would get up late and not participate but he did as well as everyone. We had quite a good time. For the first time ever Dr. Aymerich was actually hot and had the endo room set at 65 instead of 75. He needs to wear his costume every day. Here was our set up outside the room. The treasure chest had pirates booty snacks inside it. Now that has always been a hot commodity in the snack bags for Big Stuf camp. It also worked perfectly with our theme.

Because of the day and how our cases fell we all couldn’t be in the same picture at once. Also the weight loss doctor decided to add an out patient case to our schedule on his non block time so we made him participate as well. Of course I snuck and took his picture while he was busy scoping so he looks super serious.

We are still waiting to hear if we won the Halloween costume contest. I mean I know we should have. However even if we didn’t, we are the most fun unit at St. Clare. We certainly had a great day and I am not going to lie when I came to get the patients for their procedures the looks on their faces when they saw me was priceless. When I sent these to our family group chat my husband immediately responded Big Red (that’s me) looks like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite.

I took one look at this and absolutely could not stop laughing. My husband can be quite funny.

Mole Moral ~ If you don’t have fun at your job, perhaps it’s time to find a new one. Hopefully these girls will stick around until I retire because it will be the best time ever.