Wednesday, May 27, 2009

First stick!

Today was my last day of "classroom" orientation, where they taught me phlebotomy. In nursing school, we had a short hour long workshop on how to start IVs, but of course we used fake model arms that are nothing like the real thing. Today we had the same fake arm. The good thing about the fake arms is that they let you get the feel of handling the equipment, but obviously doesn't help you in deciding what is a "good" vein or if you actually stuck the needle in the vein. After I went through the motions a few times, my instructor asked if I felt like I was ready. I told her that all I really needed to do was try it on a person, and she volunteered her arm! I ended up doing three sticks on two different people, and I was successful two of the times. My first stick was AWESOME! She said she hardly felt it and the blood pumped right out. Woohoo!

Now to try it on a patient without shaking. Maybe tomorrow?

Fun run today! I decided to try going the other way on the trail that I've been running on, and I decided that I like the first way better. This one had more stops for crossing roads and such, which can be annoying sometimes. It's also a little less flat and less shaded! However, it will be nice for mixing it up a bit. I also think that this trail ends up connecting to another one, which will be good when long runs come around again!

The nice part about the trail is that there are lots of runners and bikers on it, otherwise I'd be paranoid about being kidnapped or something. However, one runner was running with her two dogs and was listening to her ipod, so she didn't hear me coming at all and I was scared that her dogs might attack me as I tried to pass. They were taking up the ENTIRE trail, which made it a little more difficult. On the other hand, I was totally inspired by a woman pushing her running stroller along the trail. She was really moving!

Wednesday, May 27
7.07 miles in 55:55, avg pace of 7:54

Woo! This run had some long, gentle inclines as well as the hill leading up to my house, so I think I did well! I can feel the burn on the steeper hills, but I keep telling myself to power through them. So far, so good!

Can someone explain twitter to me? I don't "get it," and I know some of you use it! Is it just like facebook status updates? Enlighten me!

16 comments:

  1. I have a Twitter, but I always forget to update it!

    Congrats on your first stick! I hate giving blood though lol. Needles terrify me.

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  2. yah,, twitter is exactly like facebook status updates. It even has a way to connect your twitter updates to your facebook updates, so when you log into twitter and udate your status there, it will auto matically go to facebook as your status. It has its good and bad qualities. Twitter is a like it or not kind of program. Some peeps LOVE it,, others have no use for it.... Its just a trendy new thing that will either blossom into something great,, or die off and be quickly forgotten. Its easy and free,, just go to twitter.com and register. then you can find all sorts of people on there, celebrities galore, and people you may know. Its cool. If you are interested I have twitter so you can go to my blogger page and click on the twitter button then at the bottom of my twitter page are all the people that i am following and that are following me. you can start there.

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  3. Congratulations on your first "stick"! I hate it when I get all bruised during blood drawing. Will you be my nurse? :-)

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  4. Yay for your first stick being successful!! I was always so nervous to stick pts in school but now I have no problem! Haha that sounds kind of mean! Didn't mean it that way!! Don't know anything about Twitter, all I know is I don't need anything else computer related to take over my time!! Great job on the run! I am just so amazed at your times! I don't think I will EVER be able to run at that pace!

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  5. what a great run :) haha that sounds so cool doing your first stick...even though I wouldnt know what its like at all! twitter I will NEVER understand!

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  6. congrats on your first stick :) i don't even remember mine at this point, lol. fortunately a lot of our patients in the ICU have central lines because i am TERRIBLE at starting IVs. oh well :)

    Twitter is similar to Facebook status updates ... its funny to me because i was on it about two years ago before it was popular and now EVERYBODY is on it and i just don't get it.

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  7. Needles freak me out a little, so anyone who can get it on the first try makes me happy. :o)

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  8. Congrats on your first venipuncture. I get freaked out by dogs too when I'm on my runs...especially the unleashed ones. I never know whether to stop so they won't see me as a threat or run faster to get out of the way!

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  9. Great jon on your first sticks. You will do great on a real patients, just relax and know you can do it. Sounds like you had a nice run. Oh, and I don't really get twitter either.

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  10. YAY for your lovely sticks!

    on call the other night i did 2 blood draws in one stick each (one venipuncture, one arterial) after my intern couldn't get them. i have to admit that it made me feel sort of like a badass! in pediatrics i'm learning it's more about the ability to hold the kid's extremity still than anything else. so my strength training is actually coming in handy at work!

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  11. At first I thought your post was going to be about The Stick, you know, the massage stick that runners use? haha, clearly I was way off. But congrats on a successful first stick! :)

    Nice trail run, too! I'm not necessarily afraid of dogs but some people DO NOT control theirs when running.

    Twitter is just like a Facebook status, but I like it because you can "follow" other people that you wouldn't normally on Facebook, like the news station, the weather station and local races, too! So you can get quick information from them instead of scouring their Web sites. I'm on Twitter!

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  12. Yay! Congrats on getting your first stick! Needles scare the crap out of me so I'd be that patient that passes out on your as soon as you'd stick me. lol!

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  13. Yea! Glad you're getting settled. I love Twitter! It's just short 140 character messages. It's good for sharing links, photos, keeping up with friends or bloggies...Love it! I've met a few people locally through Twitter who are runners as well! Let us know if you join :)

    Yeah, you can follow tons of people! Businesses, race companies, etc as Amy said. It's great!

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  14. Awesome run! And congrats on the good "stick"! haha!

    I don't get twitter either. I've been trying to use it for the past few weeks and i just can't make myself like it/understand it. Supposedly its good for networking?? Not sure how but... oh well :-\

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  15. I love seeing people out there with the strollers, really pushing it. That is amazing! And I love to run around other people as well, it keeps me going (and makes me feel safe).

    How cool that you successfully started an IV. Gosh! I would be so scared to do that. I am sure you hear that all the time ;)

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  16. for me twitter is a combo between facebook status updates and instant messenger (for everyone to see) its very fun :)

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