I have been faced with a relatively new dilemma. I realize that this is nothing new for the many nurses who have gone before me, but it's new for me, and frankly disappointing.
The other night I took care of a patient that was disrespectful, inappropriate, and manipulative. Part of me wanted to put him in his place and say something that would really insult him, and the other part of me fought to maintain my composure and be sympathetic to his situation. There was clearly more going on than the admitting diagnosis.
The most upsetting part of the whole situation isn't that he was completely rude, but more so that his conflicting words and actions made me question everything he said to me. I want to believe people, I want to tend to their needs, and go above and beyond for them, but he was clearly taking advantage of those characteristics. I can't help but question how this patient will influence my care for future patients. I will probably question what they say, and watch closely to see if words and actions line up. It's clear why nurses and other health care professionals reach a level of burn out. Yes there are the long hours, too many shifts in a row, and taking on more than you probably should because there is no one else......but what about the straight up BOLOGNA from the patients. It's no wonder nurses begin to form a thick shell of sarcasm, become cynical, and frankly get a little mean. I wish people weren't always trying to work the system. I wish people didn't act like everyone else owes them in some way. I wish people understood that things cause pain and it's usually impossible to completely get rid of it 100% of the time.....and the list goes on.
I guess I had some sort of naive assumption that my patients would be truthful and genuine and that we would work together as a team to return them to their optimum health. I am still holding on to the idea that this is true for most patients, but in the crowd are hiding a nurses worst nightmare to ruin it for everyone.
I know this is all a constant learning experience, I just hope the experiences don't change why I started this journey, and the kind of nurse I want to be. Hmm.....
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
God is God and I am not
So much has happened since I last posted. Eric finally moved down following graduation. It was good to get the opportunity to get back home and see family briefly. Eric's graduation went well and we were all so proud of his accomplishments.
It's been about a month now since he got here. It's definitely been a period of adjustment. Until this point we have not had the opportunity to live together as a married couple. Some days we rub each other the wrong way, and other days are pure joy. All the same, I am so thankful I get to go through this with him. He makes me want to be a better person each and every day.
He and I have some of the greatest conversations. I feel like God is teaching us so much. I feel like this is "the age of the church". The church is such an essential part of our survival in this world. I will be the first to admit my frustrations with the church and people in it. I have avoided going to church during certain times of my life and have been disappointed in how the church has responded or NOT responded to certain situations. Yet God is revealing to me....I am not in charge. You would think that as I fail time and time again that it would start to sink in that I am not in charge, I'm not as strong as I think I am, and frankly I'm just in the way sometimes!!! It is only thought my weakness that God can work through me and do big things for His kingdom. Like the Steven Curtis Chapman song says, "God is God and I am not, I can only see a part of the picture he's painting, God is God and I am man, so I'll never understand it all for only God is God." I think for a long time I have only been seeing part of the picture. I've been focusing on the humanity of church, pointing out the holes and weaknesses.... but not remembering that the church is full of sinners. THAT'S WHY WE'RE THERE. We admit that we are nothing, we are sinful, and anything but righteous. We need Christ.
I believe wholeheartedly that the devil's major plan is to divide us and distract us. We live in such a busy society. You must be borderline overwhelmed to be a contributor of society. You must demonstrate some sort of seniority over others. You must be successful according to the world's standards. The message is that if people aren't doing what you think they should, they need to either get it figured out or move on. Again, I admit totally and completely that I am SOOOOO guilty of thinking these things and placing these judgements on others. These are the things that divide and conquer us.
It is through the isolation of people that depression and suicidal ideation thrive. People need to be connected to people. It is the responsibility of the church to change this. The body is sooo important. Our creator is well aware of this and instructs us to be a part of the body. The body should all work together, no part is better or above another. In fact the bible even says that if your spiritual gift does not benefit those around you, don't even do it. REALLY?? We have this idea beat into our head to show off and prove that we have something others don't or we're better at it and we need others to see our gifts. Yet the bible says not to even bring that attitude or those actions around the body. If others don't benefit from your actions and what you're doing, there is no place for it.
How that would change my ways if I could keep that my focus. To only do the things that build others and encourage others. To remember it's not about me...
It's been about a month now since he got here. It's definitely been a period of adjustment. Until this point we have not had the opportunity to live together as a married couple. Some days we rub each other the wrong way, and other days are pure joy. All the same, I am so thankful I get to go through this with him. He makes me want to be a better person each and every day.
He and I have some of the greatest conversations. I feel like God is teaching us so much. I feel like this is "the age of the church". The church is such an essential part of our survival in this world. I will be the first to admit my frustrations with the church and people in it. I have avoided going to church during certain times of my life and have been disappointed in how the church has responded or NOT responded to certain situations. Yet God is revealing to me....I am not in charge. You would think that as I fail time and time again that it would start to sink in that I am not in charge, I'm not as strong as I think I am, and frankly I'm just in the way sometimes!!! It is only thought my weakness that God can work through me and do big things for His kingdom. Like the Steven Curtis Chapman song says, "God is God and I am not, I can only see a part of the picture he's painting, God is God and I am man, so I'll never understand it all for only God is God." I think for a long time I have only been seeing part of the picture. I've been focusing on the humanity of church, pointing out the holes and weaknesses.... but not remembering that the church is full of sinners. THAT'S WHY WE'RE THERE. We admit that we are nothing, we are sinful, and anything but righteous. We need Christ.
I believe wholeheartedly that the devil's major plan is to divide us and distract us. We live in such a busy society. You must be borderline overwhelmed to be a contributor of society. You must demonstrate some sort of seniority over others. You must be successful according to the world's standards. The message is that if people aren't doing what you think they should, they need to either get it figured out or move on. Again, I admit totally and completely that I am SOOOOO guilty of thinking these things and placing these judgements on others. These are the things that divide and conquer us.
It is through the isolation of people that depression and suicidal ideation thrive. People need to be connected to people. It is the responsibility of the church to change this. The body is sooo important. Our creator is well aware of this and instructs us to be a part of the body. The body should all work together, no part is better or above another. In fact the bible even says that if your spiritual gift does not benefit those around you, don't even do it. REALLY?? We have this idea beat into our head to show off and prove that we have something others don't or we're better at it and we need others to see our gifts. Yet the bible says not to even bring that attitude or those actions around the body. If others don't benefit from your actions and what you're doing, there is no place for it.
How that would change my ways if I could keep that my focus. To only do the things that build others and encourage others. To remember it's not about me...
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Texas Texas
It's been a few months now since I have last posted, and so much has happened. Following BOLC I was able to spend a few weeks with Eric. It was a hectic two weeks and he had so much going on, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world. It was soooo important to get that time with him before we separate again. I got to help him lead worship one night for intervarsity, which was great. That is one of our favorite things to do, sing. We often comment how much we're looking forward to being back together to be able to sit on the couch and sing worship songs together. We really cherish that time. It has been so long since my last post, it is actually only 7 days before I will see him again.
After my two weeks of leave at home, I flew back to San Antonio and then drove my over-packed car the two hours north to Fort Hood. (Home sweet home) Since arriving here I have had several weeks of in-processing, orientations, and other classes to attend. I did my best at finding a house for us, and I think I have found a worthy dwelling. It was a stressful experience, and I still wonder if I should have looked around more or waited longer. I suppose once Eric gets here and stamps his approval on the place I will feel more at peace with it all.
My mom did the unthinkable and got on a plane to spend a week with me. I am so proud of her. I know it was a very difficult hurdle to overcome, and she did it. She helped me paint a few rooms and find homes for pictures. We had a great opportunity to have some mother/daughter time which I really valued. Hopefully in the future we are able to have similar experiences down the road.
On my own I have painted some of the other rooms, which took forever, and done my best to prepare the house for Eric's arrival. I am so excited for him to come. I've been in this constant "nesting" phase of preparing the house and preparing food for the first week he's here so we don't have to worry about much but settling in. So much to do!!! I'm trying to get myself motivated to take on all the things I still need to accomplish. A good start would probably be getting off the computer. Hopefully next time there won't be so much time between posts.
After my two weeks of leave at home, I flew back to San Antonio and then drove my over-packed car the two hours north to Fort Hood. (Home sweet home) Since arriving here I have had several weeks of in-processing, orientations, and other classes to attend. I did my best at finding a house for us, and I think I have found a worthy dwelling. It was a stressful experience, and I still wonder if I should have looked around more or waited longer. I suppose once Eric gets here and stamps his approval on the place I will feel more at peace with it all.
My mom did the unthinkable and got on a plane to spend a week with me. I am so proud of her. I know it was a very difficult hurdle to overcome, and she did it. She helped me paint a few rooms and find homes for pictures. We had a great opportunity to have some mother/daughter time which I really valued. Hopefully in the future we are able to have similar experiences down the road.
On my own I have painted some of the other rooms, which took forever, and done my best to prepare the house for Eric's arrival. I am so excited for him to come. I've been in this constant "nesting" phase of preparing the house and preparing food for the first week he's here so we don't have to worry about much but settling in. So much to do!!! I'm trying to get myself motivated to take on all the things I still need to accomplish. A good start would probably be getting off the computer. Hopefully next time there won't be so much time between posts.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
BOLC Week 7, 8, and 9
I was able to see first hand just how small the Army is. My original roommate that I had when I began BOLC left just as week 5 was beginning from an injury. I had been enjoying the time on the weekends of being by myself. Sunday mid morning I had gotten up and started my bathroom routine...with the door open. I mean, when you live by yourself, what does it matter? You can imagine my shock when I heard someone slide their key into my door and the doorknob turning. Here I am in a somewhat compromising position and I'm getting visitors!! I tried to quickly recover and waddle around the corner of the bathroom to view the doorway. The whole time I called out to my intruder trying to figure out who on earth it was. I was COMPLETELY shocked to see who it was.... My new roommate was actually an old roommate. It was Soo Kim, my roommate from Olivet! She is part of the next BOLC class and was slotted in to my room. Neither of us had requested anything, it just worked out.
The next morning I headed out to the field for the last time. This final week of training was focused on Warrior Leader Tasks and Convoy training. We had some really cool training. We used something called the HEAT trainer which is essentially a HMMV that rotates 360 degrees to simulate a rollover. They leave you suspended in awkward positions and then you and your teammates must find the open door and get every soldier to that door to get out. It needs to be taken seriously, but I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. Another simulation we used was for convoy training. I got the lucky selection of being the convoy commander for the exercise. Your group is divided between 4 vehicles. There is a driver, obviously, the truck commander, a few passengers/gunners, and a gunner out of the top. We did the simulation indoors. Each vehicle was in a separate room with a video projected up on all of the walls. Similar to the racing games you'd find at an arcade we drove our vehicles through the scenario navigating around vehicles, people, and even IED situations. While it was a little stressful I maintained a calm and collected approach to the situation and managed to do pretty well. I was relieved. Later we went on to do a real convoy operation with our instructors as our drivers for real vehicles. You definitely gain a huge amount of respect for the soldiers who do convoys each day. There are so many variables to consider it is difficult to make decisions, especially when you are only receiving intel on the radio and not with your own eyes. It's sooooo much more than just "driving around" or whatever else people may think it's like.
We were gassed this week as well. It wasn't as bad as my first, but I don't have any intentions of putting it on my to do list any time soon. They brought us in to a small room with the CS tablets smoking in the middle. Due to the weather we only wore masks instead of all the rubberized gear that we wear. When your sweaty skin is exposed to the gas it begins to burn pretty intensely. I feels like the worst sunburn you've ever had. However, eventually your body gets tired of responding and you go numb to it. They had us jog around in a circle singing cadences before breaking the seal on our masks. Luckily all we had to do was say a few bits of information and we were out the door. Of course my eyes teared uncontrollably and I could barely open them for the next 10 minutes, but all in all, things went well.
Week 8 we began our tracks. Finally we were divided into our specialty groups to learn more about how you fit into the big Army. The highlight of this week was our TNCC training. I was pretty concerned about this considering the difficulty I had getting through nursing school, but things went really well. The instructors were clear and concise. They stuck to the important parts that we are going to need to know for our own practice. We spent two days receiving lectures and on the third day we took a written test as well as a skills test. Luckily I was able to pass everything on the first try...what a relief that was!!!
Week 9 has been slow. I think that's because I'm getting so excited to get home. I've enjoyed my time here and all the people I have met, but I'm ready to reconnect with my husband and get ready for the next phase in Fort Hood. We were able to meet our head nurse a few times this past week. Things seem good so far, I suppose that's because I don't really know what I should be asking yet. We've also met with what would be considered our branch managers, or hrc, to get the scoop for career planning. I have to admit I am more confused than ever before. I'm just going to have to leave everything in God's hands because I don't know what I should do. I guess everything will be revealed in time. I just don't want to come to a point in my life where I regret any decisions...maybe you can't avoid some of those once in a while. Perhaps it is only when you're truly following God's lead can you live without regret.
In the mean time I just can't wait to get home and spend time with Eric. I have missed him so much. I don't know how I'm going to do another 12 weeks apart after my leave at home. Whew! Praying for a good support system at Hood and a solid start to my Army nursing career.
The next morning I headed out to the field for the last time. This final week of training was focused on Warrior Leader Tasks and Convoy training. We had some really cool training. We used something called the HEAT trainer which is essentially a HMMV that rotates 360 degrees to simulate a rollover. They leave you suspended in awkward positions and then you and your teammates must find the open door and get every soldier to that door to get out. It needs to be taken seriously, but I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. Another simulation we used was for convoy training. I got the lucky selection of being the convoy commander for the exercise. Your group is divided between 4 vehicles. There is a driver, obviously, the truck commander, a few passengers/gunners, and a gunner out of the top. We did the simulation indoors. Each vehicle was in a separate room with a video projected up on all of the walls. Similar to the racing games you'd find at an arcade we drove our vehicles through the scenario navigating around vehicles, people, and even IED situations. While it was a little stressful I maintained a calm and collected approach to the situation and managed to do pretty well. I was relieved. Later we went on to do a real convoy operation with our instructors as our drivers for real vehicles. You definitely gain a huge amount of respect for the soldiers who do convoys each day. There are so many variables to consider it is difficult to make decisions, especially when you are only receiving intel on the radio and not with your own eyes. It's sooooo much more than just "driving around" or whatever else people may think it's like.
We were gassed this week as well. It wasn't as bad as my first, but I don't have any intentions of putting it on my to do list any time soon. They brought us in to a small room with the CS tablets smoking in the middle. Due to the weather we only wore masks instead of all the rubberized gear that we wear. When your sweaty skin is exposed to the gas it begins to burn pretty intensely. I feels like the worst sunburn you've ever had. However, eventually your body gets tired of responding and you go numb to it. They had us jog around in a circle singing cadences before breaking the seal on our masks. Luckily all we had to do was say a few bits of information and we were out the door. Of course my eyes teared uncontrollably and I could barely open them for the next 10 minutes, but all in all, things went well.
Week 8 we began our tracks. Finally we were divided into our specialty groups to learn more about how you fit into the big Army. The highlight of this week was our TNCC training. I was pretty concerned about this considering the difficulty I had getting through nursing school, but things went really well. The instructors were clear and concise. They stuck to the important parts that we are going to need to know for our own practice. We spent two days receiving lectures and on the third day we took a written test as well as a skills test. Luckily I was able to pass everything on the first try...what a relief that was!!!
Week 9 has been slow. I think that's because I'm getting so excited to get home. I've enjoyed my time here and all the people I have met, but I'm ready to reconnect with my husband and get ready for the next phase in Fort Hood. We were able to meet our head nurse a few times this past week. Things seem good so far, I suppose that's because I don't really know what I should be asking yet. We've also met with what would be considered our branch managers, or hrc, to get the scoop for career planning. I have to admit I am more confused than ever before. I'm just going to have to leave everything in God's hands because I don't know what I should do. I guess everything will be revealed in time. I just don't want to come to a point in my life where I regret any decisions...maybe you can't avoid some of those once in a while. Perhaps it is only when you're truly following God's lead can you live without regret.
In the mean time I just can't wait to get home and spend time with Eric. I have missed him so much. I don't know how I'm going to do another 12 weeks apart after my leave at home. Whew! Praying for a good support system at Hood and a solid start to my Army nursing career.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
BOLC Week 4, 5, and 6
A LOT has happened since I last made an entry. I'll try to keep it to just the highlights. For those of you who know me know that that's a challenge. I'm always getting hung up in the details of my stories, right down to what people were wearing. I'd like to think it enhances the story. :)
Ok, so week 4 started our time in the field at Camp Bullis. It's a bit of a dust bowl out there, and really HOT! There is no running water of any kind. It's HOT! There are no showers or indoor plumbing of any kind. It's HOT! Our freshwater source is from a water buffalo. We have small hand washing and hygiene stations that are filled with non-potable water. Did I mention it's HOT!?!?! On average temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees. We have small thermometers in our tents that usually read about 95 degrees when the air conditioner isn't turned on. The air is turned off during the day while we train and started up in the afternoon. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for it to really make much of difference.
When we arrived in the field we were joined by about 150 reservists. The first day we spent doing a "walk the dog" exercise for land navigation. From about 0900-1600 we were slowly making our way from point to point out on the course. Luckily my group instructor took appropriate actions to prevent heat injury in our group. However that was not the case in every group. At least 25 soldiers fell out from heat injury that day requiring interventions as small as a cup of gatorade to hospitalization. The training company commander came on site to address the issue since it had caught the attention of the Commanding General. While we did have an opportunity to voice our thoughts and opinions to improve the situation, we were also reprimanded for "not hydrating well enough, eating enough, and being inexperienced in the field." The irony of the situation is that there were just as many prior service soldiers at direct commissions with heat injury. That was pretty much the major event of the week. From there on out most of the training was much less strenuous and extra measures were taken to keep us as cool as possible. We received classes on the M9 to disassemble, assemble, and preparation for the range. We also reviewed the M16 and prepared to zero and qualify at the range. Fairly uneventful.
I do have to mention that bugs here are HUGE!! I have ever seen such large spiders and grasshoppers in my life. They are really quite intimidating. One day during training I made my way over to a shady area to sit down and just happen to catch a glimpse of a spider web in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around only to find the largest spider I have ever seen!!! Yuck!!! Supposedly they're not even a threat, but I have trouble believing it. Let's not forget about the 3 inch grasshopper I saw. It's literally the size of a mouse. I guess things really are bigger in Texas!
Week 2 was really cool!! It was the AMEDD FTX. We were able to set up all the different levels of care that are utilized during deployment. Once in place we began to run the scenario simulating a mass casualty. We were even able to utilize blackhawks to MEDEVAC our "critical" patients. It was SWEET! It's probably the most pertinent thing we've done in the field.
Combatives have continued out in the field. We workout in ground up tire pits. It makes all the exercises ten times harder to do. The class has been good. I feel like I'm learning a lot. Of course there are some down sides. Sometimes you don't get very good partners who don't stick to the techniques that you've been taught and they just try to muscle you to the group. They're really more like bullies. The other day we worked on blood chokes. They are effective within about 10 seconds if performed correctly. It's probably just as well that Eric isn't around so that he doesn't have to be my practice partner. :)
Today Eric had his first game of the season against Carson-Newman. The first quarter was pretty quiet for E, but then things got going. He had four catches for 109 yards. He was the top receiver of the game!!!!!! I am soooooo proud of him. His coaching staff has him on a special practice plan specific for him to keep him health and game ready. So far it seems to be working!! Keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy! In just three short weeks I'll be sitting in the stands watching him play. I can't wait! Go Warriors!!! :)
Ok, so week 4 started our time in the field at Camp Bullis. It's a bit of a dust bowl out there, and really HOT! There is no running water of any kind. It's HOT! There are no showers or indoor plumbing of any kind. It's HOT! Our freshwater source is from a water buffalo. We have small hand washing and hygiene stations that are filled with non-potable water. Did I mention it's HOT!?!?! On average temperatures have exceeded 100 degrees. We have small thermometers in our tents that usually read about 95 degrees when the air conditioner isn't turned on. The air is turned off during the day while we train and started up in the afternoon. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time for it to really make much of difference.
When we arrived in the field we were joined by about 150 reservists. The first day we spent doing a "walk the dog" exercise for land navigation. From about 0900-1600 we were slowly making our way from point to point out on the course. Luckily my group instructor took appropriate actions to prevent heat injury in our group. However that was not the case in every group. At least 25 soldiers fell out from heat injury that day requiring interventions as small as a cup of gatorade to hospitalization. The training company commander came on site to address the issue since it had caught the attention of the Commanding General. While we did have an opportunity to voice our thoughts and opinions to improve the situation, we were also reprimanded for "not hydrating well enough, eating enough, and being inexperienced in the field." The irony of the situation is that there were just as many prior service soldiers at direct commissions with heat injury. That was pretty much the major event of the week. From there on out most of the training was much less strenuous and extra measures were taken to keep us as cool as possible. We received classes on the M9 to disassemble, assemble, and preparation for the range. We also reviewed the M16 and prepared to zero and qualify at the range. Fairly uneventful.
I do have to mention that bugs here are HUGE!! I have ever seen such large spiders and grasshoppers in my life. They are really quite intimidating. One day during training I made my way over to a shady area to sit down and just happen to catch a glimpse of a spider web in front of me. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around only to find the largest spider I have ever seen!!! Yuck!!! Supposedly they're not even a threat, but I have trouble believing it. Let's not forget about the 3 inch grasshopper I saw. It's literally the size of a mouse. I guess things really are bigger in Texas!
Week 2 was really cool!! It was the AMEDD FTX. We were able to set up all the different levels of care that are utilized during deployment. Once in place we began to run the scenario simulating a mass casualty. We were even able to utilize blackhawks to MEDEVAC our "critical" patients. It was SWEET! It's probably the most pertinent thing we've done in the field.
Combatives have continued out in the field. We workout in ground up tire pits. It makes all the exercises ten times harder to do. The class has been good. I feel like I'm learning a lot. Of course there are some down sides. Sometimes you don't get very good partners who don't stick to the techniques that you've been taught and they just try to muscle you to the group. They're really more like bullies. The other day we worked on blood chokes. They are effective within about 10 seconds if performed correctly. It's probably just as well that Eric isn't around so that he doesn't have to be my practice partner. :)
Today Eric had his first game of the season against Carson-Newman. The first quarter was pretty quiet for E, but then things got going. He had four catches for 109 yards. He was the top receiver of the game!!!!!! I am soooooo proud of him. His coaching staff has him on a special practice plan specific for him to keep him health and game ready. So far it seems to be working!! Keep him in your prayers that he stays healthy! In just three short weeks I'll be sitting in the stands watching him play. I can't wait! Go Warriors!!! :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
BOLC Week 3
The best thing and the worst thing about time is that it just keeps on ticking. In times like these I love that fact. It is inevitable, the end is drawing closer and closer. All I have to do is show up in the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform. Not to mention, do the right thing. It's amazing how hard that last part is for many people. I quickly learning that something that seems obvious to me is completely unlearned to the next person. How does that happen? I'm convinced it is a direct reflection of their upbringing. You can't avoid it, the family structure is at the center of everything. That is why it is so important that we focus on protecting the family. I digress....
Week 3.... It's been good. This week I had my very first combatives workout. At this point I find the warm up more difficult than the actual moves. Our warm up lasts about 30-45 minutes. We do a lot of rotations and stretching to prepare our joints for the somewhat awkward positions you find yourself in. Following rotations we do several exercises. There is one called the alligator that I literally CAN NOT do. It is like physically impossible for me. The gym is hot and doesn't have air conditioning, just some barn fans placed here and there. We are all literally dripping by the time we finish warm ups. We wear a set of ACUs without any patches and no shoes. Some people wear wrestling shoes, but bare foot seems to work just fine. We haven't gotten into anything too intense yet, more of just familiarizing ourselves with the dominant positions of a fight. Next we'll work on how to get to those dominant positions from non-dominant positions. We did learn a little bit about inside control and were able to partner and work competitively to gain inside control on them from a standing position. For practicing purposes I tend to pair myself with another girl from my platoon. However, when we do a few competitive rounds at the end we are randomly paired. That's always interesting. Sometimes you are paired with a fairly passive partner without a competitive bone in their body. At other times you'll pair with someone who is a little too aggressive for practice purposes. On our second day of combatives we worked on what appears to be similar to wrestling moves, I guess you could say. The sequence of moves we went through to gain dominant position part way through puts your opponent balancing on the base of their neck with legs in the air as you mock "choke" them. I asked my roommate if I could practice some of my moves on her, of course she declined. :) I guess it's just not for everyone.
This week we also had two tests, a mid-term and CBRNE. I love the Army tests, their great! For training like AMEDD BOLC the intention is not to weed out the weak or fail anyone. The point is just to familiarize everyone with Army medicine both garrison and down range. All of the instructors made sure we were completely prepared ahead of time and we all passed with flying colors. The other test we took was on CBRNE, basically, chemical warfare. We were allowed to take the test with open book, open notes. You would think it would be a cinch. Our instructor told us, "I'd be willing to bet my paycheck that this is the easiest test you'll ever take." Well, it ranked right up there with a nursing exam. HARD!! Half the questions didn't even reference the slides we were given. Plus you waste all kinds of time looking up answers because you second guess what you remember from the briefings. Ugh! We haven't gotten our scores back on that one yet. Hopefully I squeaked through. Even if I didn't, like I said, the Army is great. For all of those who don't pass, you can retake the test online as many times as you need to. We shall see.
This week we all went through SRP. This process is set up for all the soldiers to go through to ensure that all of our medical is up to date and in the system in preparation for future deployments. It was a long day of waiting. Moving a few chairs at a time for about 2 hours. I thought I was pretty squared away since I had brought all of my shot records and literally my entire medical record from home to try to keep things short and sweet. Only problem was that my shot records revealed that I was due for just about everything!! So much for that! I ended up with three shots in my left arm, one in my right arm, a tb test in my forearm, and a blood draw for six tubes. My shoulders are still sore. But I can't complain...I got paid to sit in those chairs for 2 hours and every single one of those tests/shots were things I needed and the Army paid for. That night we had a reception with the Commanding General. Basically we all go through a receiving line and then mingle for a while. A receiving line is when you meet some of the big wigs. You will first meet an officer of lower rank who gathers basic information about you to introduce you to the next officer. When the LTC, COL, GEN is ready, they motion for you to come to them and you move at the position of attention. Meanwhile the lower ranking officer is telling them, "This is 2LT Swan, she is a nurse from Wisconsin." The conversation goes from there. Unless you have something amazing about you that they want to ask you more about the conversation is usually pretty short, which is probably just as well.
This morning was pretty interesting. I received a phone call from my roommate at 0930 letting me know she was over at BAMC and would need to be picked up at some point today. We had planned to go to an outlet mall and then tubing down the river today, but none of it worked out. She was jogging on the track when a platoon of soldiers came up behind her at a much faster pace. She started to move to the edge of the track to get out of the way, miss stepped, and fell down. She ended up with a lumbar compression fracture and some torn muscle in her tush. She was only recently released tonight at about 2030....12 hours later. She is to report back on Monday morning for an MRI. Decisions will be made from there regarding her status for training. Hopefully she will be able to continue, otherwise, she will be recycled to the next group. That is a pretty defeating thought when you're at training. You're counting down the days to be done so you can see your family and then you find out that you'll end up going a lot longer than originally planned. Ugh! Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!!
Next week I am squad leader. Here at BOLC that really doesn't man a whole lot. I basically means that you are just a link in the chain of communication. Much different than when I went to LDAC as a cadet. Being squad leader was an exhausting position there. You were being evaluated on your every move and piece of communication. With all of the direct commissions it's difficult, or should I say impossible, to expect the same standard. For many people here, this is their third full week in the Army. They just figured out what a squad leader is! Anyway, this is our last week in garrison before heading to the field. We were told to encourage constant hydration as we prepare for the field at Camp Bullis. Supposedly it actually reaches temperatures 10-15 degrees over Fort Sam Houston temps. They regularly have a handful of soldiers fall out from heat injuries out there. I hope I'm not one of them!! I'm trying to keep up with my water, nutrition, and gatorade for lyte replacement.
I'm a third of the way through!! :)
Week 3.... It's been good. This week I had my very first combatives workout. At this point I find the warm up more difficult than the actual moves. Our warm up lasts about 30-45 minutes. We do a lot of rotations and stretching to prepare our joints for the somewhat awkward positions you find yourself in. Following rotations we do several exercises. There is one called the alligator that I literally CAN NOT do. It is like physically impossible for me. The gym is hot and doesn't have air conditioning, just some barn fans placed here and there. We are all literally dripping by the time we finish warm ups. We wear a set of ACUs without any patches and no shoes. Some people wear wrestling shoes, but bare foot seems to work just fine. We haven't gotten into anything too intense yet, more of just familiarizing ourselves with the dominant positions of a fight. Next we'll work on how to get to those dominant positions from non-dominant positions. We did learn a little bit about inside control and were able to partner and work competitively to gain inside control on them from a standing position. For practicing purposes I tend to pair myself with another girl from my platoon. However, when we do a few competitive rounds at the end we are randomly paired. That's always interesting. Sometimes you are paired with a fairly passive partner without a competitive bone in their body. At other times you'll pair with someone who is a little too aggressive for practice purposes. On our second day of combatives we worked on what appears to be similar to wrestling moves, I guess you could say. The sequence of moves we went through to gain dominant position part way through puts your opponent balancing on the base of their neck with legs in the air as you mock "choke" them. I asked my roommate if I could practice some of my moves on her, of course she declined. :) I guess it's just not for everyone.
This week we also had two tests, a mid-term and CBRNE. I love the Army tests, their great! For training like AMEDD BOLC the intention is not to weed out the weak or fail anyone. The point is just to familiarize everyone with Army medicine both garrison and down range. All of the instructors made sure we were completely prepared ahead of time and we all passed with flying colors. The other test we took was on CBRNE, basically, chemical warfare. We were allowed to take the test with open book, open notes. You would think it would be a cinch. Our instructor told us, "I'd be willing to bet my paycheck that this is the easiest test you'll ever take." Well, it ranked right up there with a nursing exam. HARD!! Half the questions didn't even reference the slides we were given. Plus you waste all kinds of time looking up answers because you second guess what you remember from the briefings. Ugh! We haven't gotten our scores back on that one yet. Hopefully I squeaked through. Even if I didn't, like I said, the Army is great. For all of those who don't pass, you can retake the test online as many times as you need to. We shall see.
This week we all went through SRP. This process is set up for all the soldiers to go through to ensure that all of our medical is up to date and in the system in preparation for future deployments. It was a long day of waiting. Moving a few chairs at a time for about 2 hours. I thought I was pretty squared away since I had brought all of my shot records and literally my entire medical record from home to try to keep things short and sweet. Only problem was that my shot records revealed that I was due for just about everything!! So much for that! I ended up with three shots in my left arm, one in my right arm, a tb test in my forearm, and a blood draw for six tubes. My shoulders are still sore. But I can't complain...I got paid to sit in those chairs for 2 hours and every single one of those tests/shots were things I needed and the Army paid for. That night we had a reception with the Commanding General. Basically we all go through a receiving line and then mingle for a while. A receiving line is when you meet some of the big wigs. You will first meet an officer of lower rank who gathers basic information about you to introduce you to the next officer. When the LTC, COL, GEN is ready, they motion for you to come to them and you move at the position of attention. Meanwhile the lower ranking officer is telling them, "This is 2LT Swan, she is a nurse from Wisconsin." The conversation goes from there. Unless you have something amazing about you that they want to ask you more about the conversation is usually pretty short, which is probably just as well.
This morning was pretty interesting. I received a phone call from my roommate at 0930 letting me know she was over at BAMC and would need to be picked up at some point today. We had planned to go to an outlet mall and then tubing down the river today, but none of it worked out. She was jogging on the track when a platoon of soldiers came up behind her at a much faster pace. She started to move to the edge of the track to get out of the way, miss stepped, and fell down. She ended up with a lumbar compression fracture and some torn muscle in her tush. She was only recently released tonight at about 2030....12 hours later. She is to report back on Monday morning for an MRI. Decisions will be made from there regarding her status for training. Hopefully she will be able to continue, otherwise, she will be recycled to the next group. That is a pretty defeating thought when you're at training. You're counting down the days to be done so you can see your family and then you find out that you'll end up going a lot longer than originally planned. Ugh! Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!!
Next week I am squad leader. Here at BOLC that really doesn't man a whole lot. I basically means that you are just a link in the chain of communication. Much different than when I went to LDAC as a cadet. Being squad leader was an exhausting position there. You were being evaluated on your every move and piece of communication. With all of the direct commissions it's difficult, or should I say impossible, to expect the same standard. For many people here, this is their third full week in the Army. They just figured out what a squad leader is! Anyway, this is our last week in garrison before heading to the field. We were told to encourage constant hydration as we prepare for the field at Camp Bullis. Supposedly it actually reaches temperatures 10-15 degrees over Fort Sam Houston temps. They regularly have a handful of soldiers fall out from heat injuries out there. I hope I'm not one of them!! I'm trying to keep up with my water, nutrition, and gatorade for lyte replacement.
I'm a third of the way through!! :)
Sunday, August 1, 2010
BOLC Week 2
I can't believe we are done with another week. This was a busy week for sure. Tuesday morning was a PT test for the first three platoons. My roommate, who is a direct commission, was nervous about the test so I decided to go and be a cheerleader. We were up at about 0330 and out the door by 0400 for the 0500 test. The Army loves to get you there early to stand around for a little bit. The whole "hurry up and wait" dynamic. The nice part about being up so early is that it is quite a bit cooler at 0430. She did great! Still needs a little work on her run, but things went well. The rest of the day was more briefings getting our gear for the field. Pretty uneventful.
The next day was my turn. I was hoping to max the test even though I haven't in quite a while. All those mornings E motivated and pushed me to work out paid off. I ended up doing 60 push ups, 90 sit ups, and ran my two miles in 15:17. Non of these were personal bests, but they were good stepping stone scores for getting back into PT. Overall I scored a 327. Again, the rest of the day was spent sitting in briefings. We did get the opportunity to meet our Platoon Advisers that afternoon as well. Our PA is great. She means business, but as long as everyone is doing what they should, we have a great time. She's had some great experiences and loves to tell us stories.
Thursday was our first day of organized PT and actually having class all day in our platoons. I am liking this A LOT more. PT was good. Nothing difficult, but a good follow up to the test. Getting showered up after was another story. There are way too many females for the amount of showers we have. My roommate and I finally opted to wash our hair in the sink and put on a little extra deodorant. It was the only way to make sure we were actually going to make it to breakfast, which is a MUST for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like missing a meal. :) After breakfast we had an accountability formation and headed to our classrooms. We had one of the combatives instructors talk to our class briefly. The are offering 5 slots per platoon to try for Level 1 Certification. My platoon has 60 people and 15 people were interested. It came down to our pt score. Luckily some of the top PT'ers were already certified so I was able to get a slot. Ironically enough, some of the other platoons were going to pt scores as low as 270 and our lowest person to receive a slot had a 310. My first day is this coming Tuesday. I'm really excited and I think it will be good training, especially as a female in today's crazy society. They compared the moves to UFC fighting. So this should be interesting.
Friday we didn't have scheduled PT. We just came in and had class all day. We were notified that we would be moving from the Holiday Inn back on post, so that was a bummer. Instead of hitting the Riverwalk, Julie and I packed up our room and moved that evening. We finally finished bringing in our things at 1 am. Whew, that was a LONG day.
Yesterday I attempted to sleep in as all the rest of our classmates moved in. There were doors slamming, people talking, all kinds of ruckus. I eventually got up and headed down to the continental breakfast put on by the hotel. Our new place is fine. We definitely have a lot more storage capacity than the Holiday Inn. This place is meant for extended stay. We have a kitchenette and did I mention a lot more storage room?? We have our own desks too, which is nice. Yesterday afternoon we went over to the north star mall and got a few things. We were both in need of some shorts. Pant and capris don't cut it down here...it's still too hot.
Here it is Sunday, our laundry is in the washer, and we've got a "to-do" list about a mile long before we start the next week. It's only two more weeks before we head to the field. Once we get to the field things will go twice as fast. Granted we're out there for three weeks, but it will go quick. After the field it's just two weeks of nurse track time and I'm done.
I'm looking forward to seeing E again. I miss him and hate being away from him this long. He'll be done with school and down here before we know it!! :)
The next day was my turn. I was hoping to max the test even though I haven't in quite a while. All those mornings E motivated and pushed me to work out paid off. I ended up doing 60 push ups, 90 sit ups, and ran my two miles in 15:17. Non of these were personal bests, but they were good stepping stone scores for getting back into PT. Overall I scored a 327. Again, the rest of the day was spent sitting in briefings. We did get the opportunity to meet our Platoon Advisers that afternoon as well. Our PA is great. She means business, but as long as everyone is doing what they should, we have a great time. She's had some great experiences and loves to tell us stories.
Thursday was our first day of organized PT and actually having class all day in our platoons. I am liking this A LOT more. PT was good. Nothing difficult, but a good follow up to the test. Getting showered up after was another story. There are way too many females for the amount of showers we have. My roommate and I finally opted to wash our hair in the sink and put on a little extra deodorant. It was the only way to make sure we were actually going to make it to breakfast, which is a MUST for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I don't like missing a meal. :) After breakfast we had an accountability formation and headed to our classrooms. We had one of the combatives instructors talk to our class briefly. The are offering 5 slots per platoon to try for Level 1 Certification. My platoon has 60 people and 15 people were interested. It came down to our pt score. Luckily some of the top PT'ers were already certified so I was able to get a slot. Ironically enough, some of the other platoons were going to pt scores as low as 270 and our lowest person to receive a slot had a 310. My first day is this coming Tuesday. I'm really excited and I think it will be good training, especially as a female in today's crazy society. They compared the moves to UFC fighting. So this should be interesting.
Friday we didn't have scheduled PT. We just came in and had class all day. We were notified that we would be moving from the Holiday Inn back on post, so that was a bummer. Instead of hitting the Riverwalk, Julie and I packed up our room and moved that evening. We finally finished bringing in our things at 1 am. Whew, that was a LONG day.
Yesterday I attempted to sleep in as all the rest of our classmates moved in. There were doors slamming, people talking, all kinds of ruckus. I eventually got up and headed down to the continental breakfast put on by the hotel. Our new place is fine. We definitely have a lot more storage capacity than the Holiday Inn. This place is meant for extended stay. We have a kitchenette and did I mention a lot more storage room?? We have our own desks too, which is nice. Yesterday afternoon we went over to the north star mall and got a few things. We were both in need of some shorts. Pant and capris don't cut it down here...it's still too hot.
Here it is Sunday, our laundry is in the washer, and we've got a "to-do" list about a mile long before we start the next week. It's only two more weeks before we head to the field. Once we get to the field things will go twice as fast. Granted we're out there for three weeks, but it will go quick. After the field it's just two weeks of nurse track time and I'm done.
I'm looking forward to seeing E again. I miss him and hate being away from him this long. He'll be done with school and down here before we know it!! :)
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