Update

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted on my blog. I'll see if I can catch up. 
I don't have fibromyalgia. I have a condition called polymayalgia rheumatica. Sounds interesting, huh? It's an inflammatory condition that rarely occurs to people under the age of 50 (ok, so I've given away the fact that I"m 50+). I've been on prednisone for a month now, and I'm feeling a lot better. Prednisone is one of the wonderful yet awful drugs. I've also started on amytriptiline at night. So far so good.
I'm also finding long lost relatives. I've been trying to find my natural father's family (that I've never met), and have found quite a few. It's really exciting. I'm seeing old pix of them. I'm hoping to meet them sometime.
I'm planning a vacation in August. Going to NY to visit friends and family. Probably stay in Long Island, but take the train into the city a few days to get my fix of food and culture, and family. Then in Long Island I'll have more friends and family to visit. I'm really looking forward to this.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week. Keep smiling!

Christmas day

So there is a chance that I have fibromyalgia. I never knew that this disease involved so many symptoms, and I have quite a few of them. I am so tired all the time. Pain most of the time. The pain even wakes me from sleeping, which doesn't help my being tired! It's so difficult to get to work each day, but I have to. I love being a nurse, but I'm just so tired. Depression is setting in as well, which now becomes a vicious circle. Christmas means very little to me today. Sad but true.

Another day...

Well, my bloodwork came back looking good :)
Nuclear stress test scheduled for 12/21/12. Hmmm, isn't that the day of the apocolypse? Maybe I won't need that test LOL.
I was scheduled to go to a wound care conference today but the speaker came down with the flu so it's been canceled. Bummer. Now I have to go to work.
Made my gravy yesterday. NYC Italians call spaghetti sauce gravy. Don't know how it came about, but that's the way it is. When I moved out of NYC and said I was making gravy, people thought brown gravy - like you put on roast beef. I learned to specify that it's spaghetti sauce. Funny how different sections of the US have their own little idioms. Grinders, subs, heroes, hoagies - all the same thing.
Anyway, I made my gravy so on Friday I can make my lasagna for Saturday. That's when my boys are coming up and we're having our Christmas gathering. It's going to be at my youngest son's place this year so all I need to worry about is the lasagna!

A day off.

So I went to the doctor today (actually saw a NP). Explained all my symptoms (God I felt like an old kvetch), and voiced my opinions (of course). She's new at that practice, and my doc is semi-retired. She's good though. She ordered some blood work and a stress test. Diagnose by ruling out. Maybe I'm just getting old LOL. Don't know when the stress test will be yet. They are sending the referral to DHMC, and I'll call them Monday to make the appt. She said she'll let me know about the bloodwork when those results come in. I do have a regular appt with my doc on 1/22 so unless something stands out I'll go back then.
In the words of the immortal Gilda Radner, "It's always something".
Did some shopping today. Working this weekend, but have 2 days off next week as we are having our family Christmas gathering next Saturday, and I have to make the lasagna - even though the gathering is at my youngest son, Justin's place this year. It's become a tradition - lasagna for Christmas.  And, I have to make enough for the boys to all take some home! Thank goodness it freezes well.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Linda

Came across this recipe. It is cold season so it's a good idea to have this recipe!

What a day!

So I worked a double shift yesterday 3pm til 7am! Didn't think these old bones were going to last LOL. But they gave me today off for it.
In the meantime I think I may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. No, not just from working the double, but I've felt like this for months now. Other symptoms are cropping up too. I'll go to the doc on Friday and see what she says. There is no definitive way to diagnose this, just go by the symptoms, of which I have quite a few. We'll see.
I am getting excited about seeing my boys and grandchildren again. We are having our Christmas on Dec. 15th. We all have such varied schedules it's difficult to find a day when most of us can get together. There's usually at least one of them that can't make it.
Hope everyone has a great day!

This is my first time blogging. I don't expect to be posting every day - I do have a life outside the internet. I would like to post my feelings, gripes, likes, dislikes, whatever happens to be on my mind. I would love to hear comments from others. Well, here goes.

Nursing is not just a job, or a profession, or an occupation. It's a way of life. It's something you must have a passion for to be a good nurse. You have to love to help people - listen to their tales, ease their pain (physically and emotionally), and all the time assessing them. Are they talking right. Are they making sense? Are they breathing well? Are they oriented. Are they in pain? Yes, you can tell a lot about someone just by talking with them. This is one of the first things you learn how to do as a nurse. I love it all. It's a challenge.