I am a World Champion!

I spent the week in Dayton,Ohio for the Winter Guard International World Championships. I was fortunate enough with my job to be able to leave for week with no problems. That's the great thing about being a nurse...you work sun, mon,tues and don't have to work again till the next week wed, thurs, fri. What a sweet deal.

Soooooo..... Flanagan was amazing. Simply unreal. I knew they were ready, I knew they were prepared and I knew they wanted it. But I had no idea what was about to happen. I didn't know that it was possible to have that much fire at such a young age. They showed up and made the arena take notice. They were a class act from start to finish and made me so proud to stand next to and infront of them.

I felt honestly, like i was living a dream. Oh wait.....I am. 
Teaching these kids is a gift I cherish everyday. Saying goodbye to these seniors is something I keep pushing out of my mind. I feel so connected to each and every one of them. The journey to this championship was long but damn was it fun. They all poured their hearts into this product and believed in us as instructors. We said jump and they said how high, we said give more and they did. I don't believe its like that everywhere. I always think to myself...i wish other instructors could get a chance to teach these kids for a year...hell...for a day. They would NEVER want to leave. 

It's always so hard coming home from WGI. I'm pretty sure everyone involved gets the blues. It's a crazy feeling to get home, full of pride, medals and trophies and have to go back to your real life. Tonight I walked into the hospital and suddenly i'm just Emma the nurse. It's emotional in it's own way. I want the rejoicing and celebrations to continue. But they stop. But then I realized something. The reason color guard is so special to me now is BECAUSE it is not all I have. I use it as an outlet. A creative and spiritual release. I used to only have color guard in my life and while i loved it so much, it didn't feel like it does now. It is so much more now. I can't even explain it. Leaving the hospital after a weary shift...and walking into that gymnasium filled with smiling, silly teenagers is the greatest feeling. They are an instant "pick me up" and a perfect start or end to any day.

I absolutely thought that once I became a nurse that would be it. My teaching would be over. But one thing I've learned over the last few years is that NOTHING is impossible.

If you want to do things, do them.
If you want to change careers, change it.
If you want to win a world championship, win it.


NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AND WILL DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU JUST PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER AND BEGIN...ONE STEP AT A TIME. DEMAND GREATNESS AND GREATNESS WILL COME.

Thank you to my Flanagan family for giving me the most amazing years of my life. For making me a better person just by association and for always demanding the best from me. I hope I've given you guys half as much as you've given me.

Let's do this again next year ;)
Emma

One liners............

Lines of the night.....


me: "take your medicine with food"
them: "what kind of food?"
me: "any type of food, breakfast lunch or dinner"
them: "what should i cook for the week, i need suggestions"
me :(what i really said ) " cook some meat, veggies and rice"
me: (what i wanted to say) "i'm not your f#$^$$# personal chef, i don't f#$$^$ care you lazy dumbass".


me: "how many drinks did you have tonight, you seem intoxicated"?
patient: " i got my disability check and bought some vodka"
me: what did you mix with it?
patient: "i don't understand"
me: "what did you mix the vodka with"?
patient: "more vodka".
me: "perfect".

patient : "i keep vomicking"
me: "you keep what?!!"
patient: "vomicking...you know vomicking all over the place"
me: "ohhhhhh vomiting......"
patient: " ya......thats what i said nurse, vomicking".


me:"maam, the doctor and I have to perform a pelvic exam"
patient: " listen honey...if that doctor wants to play little house on the prairie, then he at least needs to buy me groceries first."
me: (excused myself from the room laughing)

another night in heaven :)
Emma RN

bananas anyone?

Case #1

the stats: Eat a big meal, severe stomach pain, obese, female
the diagnosis: pancreatitis caused by gallstones

Gallstones

Cholelithiasis; Gallbladder attack; Biliary colic; Gallstone attack; Biliary calculus

Gallstones are hard, pebble-like deposits that form inside the gallbladder. Gallstones may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. They form for a variety of reasons but usually due to a fatty diet. An attack almost always happens after a huge greasy meal. The gallbladder and pancreas share the same duct or canal so when the gallstone blocks the passageway, both the pancreas and gallbladder get backed up and inflammed. It hurts like hell! Soooo......moral of the story: eat salad.

Case #2

the stats: 65 yr old male, presents with severe abdominal pain, back pain and shoulder pain. Severely low blood pressure and pulse. White faced and lethargic. Shoulder and back pain are significant and pointed us in the right direction.
the diagnosis: Dissecting Aortic Aneurysm

Aortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. The dissection typically extends anterograde, but can extend retrograde from the site of the intimal (lining) tear. Aortic dissection is a medical emergency and can quickly lead to death, even with optimal treatment. If the dissection tears the aorta completely open (through all three layers), massive and rapid blood loss occurs. Aortic dissections resulting in rupture have an 80% mortality rate, and 50% of patients die before they even reach the hospital. All acute ascending aortic dissections require emergency surgery to prevent rupture and death.

Pt was transferred to a heart hospital and directly into surgery. They need to stop the bleed before he bleeds out completely. His survival rate is approximately 5 %. We told him to call his family. He said he hasn't spoken to his kids in years. We told him now would be a good time to start. Moral of this story: you will ALWAYS need your family. Never stray far from them.

Case #3

WARNING...DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE GONNA BE OFFENDED OR PUKE EASILY.
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING


the stats: 36 year old male, severe pain upon urination. Swollen penis and testicles. Super embarrassed.
the suspected diagnosis: an STD
the ACTUAL diagnosis: Broken Penis

A penile fracture is an injury caused by tunica albuginea, which envelops the corpus cavernosum penis. It is most often caused by a blunt trauma to an erect penis. Usually from intercourse with the male ontop penetrating the partner from behind.

 

Penile Fracture

A popping or cracking sound, significant pain, immediate flaccidity, and skin hematoma of various sizes are commonly associated with the event. These symptoms are similar to a common bruising or contusion of the penis.

Moral of THIS story: This guy should NEVER have sex again.

 And may you never look at bananas the same way again.

till next time, Emma