I'm close to not being able to take it anymore.....stressors galore!!

[Tony1790, BSN, MSN, NP]

I'm just about to hit the wall, it's 5:38am and I've had one heck of a week/month. Emotionally and mentally I'm holding up well but I can feel my body starting to falter. Here's my situation:

I'm working fulltime LPN in my ER, I've worked 20 hours OT this week.

I'm enrolled fulltime in a BSN program taking 16hr load.

I'm enrolled with Excelsior, took and passed Repro last week (2nd time) 3 more tests before the big Assessment tests and Practical phase.

I just evicted non paying tenants from my old house this week and the house is trashed

I received an offer to buy that house for a $10,000 loss (which I'm accepting)

My youngest son 19 won't get a job, quit the one I found for him after he got his iPhone

My eldest son, 24, moved back home as he can't find a job & I'm paying for his school

Yesterday my sister in law moved in with us with her 3 small children, age 6,8,10

I'm refinancing my primary home and trying to get locked before rates change.

I haven't done my 2010 tax return, I filed an extension but then never got around to filing

But wait it gets better, last night I took my sister in law to the ER due to abdominal pain x4 days, got worked up for cardiac and belly..........she's eat up with tumors, cancer, she's being admitted to the hospital and for all I know will be dead in a few months. She's had a lung mass for a few years now, that was supposedly benign.

It's now 0550, I've not slept in 24 hours, I've been lucky to get 3 hours sleep a night, every single moment of everyday I need to be somewhere doing something, I have way too much to do. So far I'm getting it done, but in 4 hours I'm supposed to be in Patho class, I'm afraid if I lay down to try to get a quick nap, I won't wake up.

I'm still full speed ahead, but I can feel my self getting run down and I feel my patience with BS at work is real thin right now.

Like they say, if it's going to happen it will happen in Nursing school, but why does everything have to happen in the same 2 week period?!?

I'm just really, really, really tired. How did you guys juggle work, family and school??

Tony in TN

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

You sure have a lot on your plate! I'm sorry for everything that is going on and I hope things get better :hug:

[Tony1790, BSN, MSN, NP]

Thanks, I've been a nurse (LPN) for 2.5 yrs and 20 yrs in the military before that, but it's been a long time since I've had to push myself so hard, my household went from 3 to 8 people, but was supposed to be an empty nest. What do you say to someone who just landed on a plane yesterday and literally the next day is told "you've got cancer".

This is the 2nd person close to me that's been diagnosed with cancer in the last 2 weeks, my co-worker who had abdominal pain x 1month, dx with Pancreatic cancer last week.

Whats the secret to dealing with all these stressors, so far, I've managed them by compartmentalizing them. I know I'm not the only one who is stressed during nursing school, but this has just been an extra stressful week.

[alisia1]

Hey Toney, hope you are doing well. Just try to feel these emotions for a while, let them run its course for a while, cry, scream, throw things. Then try to work your way up the ladder when you are ready to feel better. Keep talking to yourself to feel better. say things such as "in the end things will work out", "Bad things have happened before, and look at me, im still here". "i will find my way and im open to opportunities to help me in this". Use your community resources and don't go it alone, there are alot of people and orginizations that can help. My prayers are with you!