What did you sacrifice to get where you are?

Cerebrum · Aug 12, 2006

You're lucky...

Try losing a flat stomach for a beer belly,

no weekends off or vacation for two years (worked Fri, Sat, Sun 11p-7a)

and... losing hairs on the top of your head!

:gandalf: :jester:

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 13, 2006

Sleep and free time. I ran on an average of 3-4 hours of sleep a day the first time i was in school. I'll never forget how tired i stayed, how crappy i felt all the time.

I had to put a stop to my craft hobbies, one because i didn't have the time, and two, didn't have the funding for it.

Stayed on dial-up internet, since it was cheaper. Getting cable in about a week or so, though.

moongirl · Aug 13, 2006

time with my children and husband that I can never get back. sleep. free time. watching a movie. reading a book for fun. lost a friend who doesnt understand how hard nursing school is and why I dont have time...

dano · Aug 13, 2006

I sold my Mustang my second year into school because the reliability just wasn't there. Racing and going to car meets was all I knew and you're right, it's a lifestyle change. It's amazing how much a simple thing like a car can affect your life huh?

I'm getting rid of the truck I've got and getting a '00-'02 Lincoln LS within the next month or so. If I can't have a fast car, I can at least have a nice car. :)

I've given up much of my social life because of school. I can't go to the bar to socialize with friends during the school year because I go to school in the morning, work nights 5 days/week, and any free time is dedicated to studying or doing what's necessary; eating, sleeping, taking care of errands/bills, etc.

Don't worry about it because it's very much worth it. One day you can have 10 Mustangs and join up with car clubs and get back to racing/cruising like you used to do. I know before I'm 30 I plan on having a 1970 Candy Apple Red Mach 1 with a 428 SCJ and Toploader tranny. I can deal with doing nothing but working and studying to know I'll own one a few years down the road!

777RNThatsMe · Aug 13, 2006

Sold my nice couch and chair, sold all my horse stuff..sold anything I could sell to get to school. Fought my ex to move the kids to school 3 hours away. Lost all dignity when being degraded for crap I didn't deserve in school.... (truly). Lost 1/2 the hair on my head (doc says from stress; we'll see now that I've graduated and passed my RN nclex and got a job starting monday). Lost my nice figure and gained an awful one. Lost poverty.....lost an abusive ex....lost time with young children as they watched me struggle through school, shut them "off" in my mind and concentrate on school....

Let me tell you what I gained: 36,000 in school loans. But it gets better from there. I gained my dignity. I gained the confidence that I am valuable and can make a difference in someones life. Gained the respect of my kids who watched me struggle for their betterment. Gained time I now will have with my kids and an income to support that as time goes on. Gained the ability to help people's quality of life on my job...gained alot more knowledge than I had before. Gained respect of even my abusive ex - showed him I COULD do it (he told me to quit school and work as a secretary to support my kids).... I gained weight but the ability to buy a new home gym which I will now have time to use daily. I gained the ability to buy a brand new SUV which is now parked in my garage, ready to take us 3 hours away tomorrow so I can start my new job.... where I wil gain expertise and polish my skills to be worthy of being called an RN (a title anyone should be proud to have earned).... I have gained more faith,...more hope...more wisdom. Simply put I gained everything ..not to mention the ability to support my kids well......promote a schedule that will be beneficial to them...etc.

So yes I sacrificed...it was hard (4 years counting prereqs)...but I'm now building my life. Kids are still young, now we have time ....and will have more time as time goes on and my income grows.... God willing that I never make a mistake that I should loose my license.

I don't count what I've sacrificed...but what I've gained. :balloons:

royr · Aug 13, 2006

Sold my nice couch and chair, sold all my horse stuff..sold anything I could sell to get to school. Fought my ex to move the kids to school 3 hours away. Lost all dignity when being degraded for crap I didn't deserve in school.... (truly). Lost 1/2 the hair on my head (doc says from stress; we'll see now that I've graduated and passed my RN nclex and got a job starting monday). Lost my nice figure and gained an awful one. Lost poverty.....lost an abusive ex....lost time with young children as they watched me struggle through school, shut them "off" in my mind and concentrate on school....
Let me tell you what I gained: 36,000 in school loans. But it gets better from there. I gained my dignity. I gained the confidence that I am valuable and can make a difference in someones life. Gained the respect of my kids who watched me struggle for their betterment. Gained time I now will have with my kids and an income to support that as time goes on. Gained the ability to help people's quality of life on my job...gained alot more knowledge than I had before. Gained respect of even my abusive ex - showed him I COULD do it (he told me to quit school and work as a secretary to support my kids).... I gained weight but the ability to buy a new home gym which I will now have time to use daily. I gained the ability to buy a brand new SUV which is now parked in my garage, ready to take us 3 hours away tomorrow so I can start my new job.... where I wil gain expertise and polish my skills to be worthy of being called an RN (a title anyone should be proud to have earned).... I have gained more faith,...more hope...more wisdom. Simply put I gained everything ..not to mention the ability to support my kids well......promote a schedule that will be beneficial to them...etc.
So yes I sacrificed...it was hard (4 years counting prereqs)...but I'm now building my life. Kids are still young, now we have time ....and will have more time as time goes on and my income grows.... God willing that I never make a mistake that I should loose my license.
I don't count what I've sacrificed...but what I've gained. :balloons:

This is exactly the positive mental attitude that determines the altitude a good nurse can achieve! You go Girl - my hats off to you!

Cerebrum · Aug 13, 2006

sold my nice couch and chair, sold all my horse stuff..sold anything i could sell to get to school. fought my ex to move the kids to school 3 hours away. lost all dignity when being degraded for crap i didn't deserve in school.... (truly). lost 1/2 the hair on my head (doc says from stress; we'll see now that i've graduated and passed my rn nclex and got a job starting monday). lost my nice figure and gained an awful one. lost poverty.....lost an abusive ex....lost time with young children as they watched me struggle through school, shut them "off" in my mind and concentrate on school....
let me tell you what i gained: 36,000 in school loans. but it gets better from there. i gained my dignity. i gained the confidence that i am valuable and can make a difference in someones life. gained the respect of my kids who watched me struggle for their betterment. gained time i now will have with my kids and an income to support that as time goes on. gained the ability to help people's quality of life on my job...gained alot more knowledge than i had before. gained respect of even my abusive ex - showed him i could do it (he told me to quit school and work as a secretary to support my kids).... i gained weight but the ability to buy a new home gym which i will now have time to use daily. i gained the ability to buy a brand new suv which is now parked in my garage, ready to take us 3 hours away tomorrow so i can start my new job.... where i wil gain expertise and polish my skills to be worthy of being called an rn (a title anyone should be proud to have earned).... i have gained more faith,...more hope...more wisdom. simply put i gained everything ..not to mention the ability to support my kids well......promote a schedule that will be beneficial to them...etc.
so yes i sacrificed...it was hard (4 years counting prereqs)...but i'm now building my life. kids are still young, now we have time ....and will have more time as time goes on and my income grows.... god willing that i never make a mistake that i should loose my license.
i don't count what i've sacrificed...but what i've gained. :balloons:

you sound like several of my female classmates....

luckily i was poor enough with excellent grades to get a free ride from the feds, state, and school's pockets...

good job 777rnthatsme! drive on!:balloons:

rpbear · Aug 13, 2006

I moved into my in-laws winter home, which means we all lived in the same house 5 months out of the year for 2 1/2 years! But I lived basically rent free, paid utilities, taxes and home owners insurance so I could afford to quit my job and go to school jull time. Was it well worth it YES! I couldn't have done it otherwise.

I also, like many other gave up time with my family, new clothes, a social life, vacations, sleep, and a little dignity just to get through school.

Give up everything but your selfworth and pride in order to make it through school, it is well worth it. You can get back all the material things and you will gain a new perspective on life and the human spirit, not to mention a nice paycheck!

Good luck in school!!!

GTChick01 · Aug 13, 2006

These are the exact kind of stories I wanted to hear. I wanted to hear about what people gave up, but thought it was all worth it. :) Thanks everyone!

dano - the LS is a really nice car! Congrats! Have you seen the 2009 Camaro? It's beautiful... and I'm a Ford person. Maybe that will be my graduation present to myself when I graduate.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2006

Like Marie, basically it was sleep and free time. I went to school during the day and worked in the evening. I worked every weekend, so basically had no day off for the time I was in school. I remember the fatigue real well.

It was worth it.

royr · Aug 13, 2006

My story in a nutshell - I sold my beach home in Carolina Beach NC, moved my wife and daughter here to the frozen North (Binghamton NY) and came out of my comfortable retirement because I felt I could still make a difference in this world. In spite of my age and the difficulty of back stepping from my MBA in corporate finance and 14 years as a CEO of one of America's top technology companys - I have undertaken a "return to the trenches" in a new field where everything I do is questioned and second guessed. I give up sleep, time with my wife and daughter, and lots of physical exhaustion in my attemp to keep up with 19 and 20 year olds in clinicals. What I have gained is a deep knowedge that one person can in fact make a difference in the lives of good people, and that money is not everything - it is only a tool to achieve a desired result. Life finds a way - and helping it work out is the gift a nurse can give. I feel that I have found my true calling and the sacrifice has been worth it. One more year to finish my BSN, and then with God's help I will pass my licence exam and be a Nurse. See - you can teach an old dog new tricks - you just need to buy him Bifocal glasses so he can keep up with all the reading. LOL