topamicha

Why don't you do an accelerated BSN program? You could get your BSN in 2 years if you already have a BA. That would cut your time in half.

When I was laboring, I definitely felt the urge to push. I couldn't resist it, it was so strong. I didn't need anyone to tell me to push! But, I can see how someone with an epidural might need coaching.

Thank you, Mrs. S :) I thought I was going to get ripped apart for that post. And, Deb, I'm sorry if I seemed snarky at all.

The benefits of breastfeeding remain the same throughout. Are they NECESSARY at age 5? No. Do they disappear at some magic weaning age? Of course not. The 5-year-old recieves the same benefits he did as when he was 2 or 1. Nutrition. Antibodies. Essential fatty acids. Hydration. And so on. The composition of breastmilk changes as the child ages. There is more fat and calories in the breastmilk a 3-year-old recieves as opposed to what a newborn recieves. So he is getting a nutritional bonus. Plus, he is getting protection against infection. That isn't to say I think he NEEDS these things at his age. But they certainly don't hurt. We give our children cow's milk. That certainly isn't natural or necessary, but we do it. I don't think it's any more odd for a child to be getting human milk at age 5 than it is for him to be drinking cow's milk. The WHO recommends breastfeeding for AT LEAST 2 years. The AAP recommends it for one years AND as long as parent and child desire. And, as I've said, the worldwide weaning age is 4. Certainly 5 is pushing the envelope, but I don't think the woman deserves to be mocked. As everyone is so fond of saying in this thread, it's her breasts and her child, and if her child is obviously not uncomfortable with it, what's the problem? I do agree that it could cause some issues with other children, but she may have weaned before kindergarten. We really don't know. In any case, I'm not saying it's ideal to breastfeed to age 5, just saying it isn't terrible, either. Everyone is all for not judging moms who don't breastfeed at all, why is it okay to so freely pass judgement on a woman who breastfeeds to age 5? My point wasn't that it's the best choice, just that it's no worse of a choice that formula feeding, plus as an infant and toddler, the child got the benefits of nursing.

Also, in reference to the mom breastfeeding her 5 year old...someone said she is serving her own interests ahead of the child's...pretty similar to a mom who chooses to formula feed "just because" - except the child at least gets the benefits of breast milk. The average age for weaning worldwide is 4...while I would never breastfeed a child to age 5, I don't think she necessarily deserves criticism.

Breastmilk contains essential fatty acids that are essential for brain development. It stands to reason that it would be the optimal food for brain development. Also, breastfeeding DOES facilitate bonding. Breastfeeding moms get the benefit of oxytocin, which is a "love" hormone.

What is your opinion on them? Are they qualified to be delivering babies (certified professional midwives)? Should they be able to recieve licensure? What are the pros/cons of a CPM as opposed to a CNM? What are the dangers of using a CPM? I was talking to someone yesterday and this came up...I'm curious what your opinions are on this.

Perhaps you are all professional enough to wash your hands regularly, but as the above poster pointed out, a huge number of healthcare professionals aren't. There are lives at stake here. I don't think it's such a terrible thing considering how much illness and even death may be avoided because some careless nurse/doc/cna was asked to wash her hands. Maybe this will get the point across, since nothing else has, obviously.

Intubation is within an RT's scope of practice, though it depends on the facility whether or not they get to do it very often. Also, pulmonary function testing, suctioning, etc. Concorde College, Pima Medical Institute, and Front Range all offer RT.

Or even be in the profession for that matter. When you go into nursing, you are dealing with the human body, period. If you are so worried about your libido that you avoid doing professional duties, there's a problem. Women have been in nursing since the very beginning, seeing all kinds of unsightly male problems, and I have never once heard a female nurse make such an unprofessional comment. Nursing isn't supposed to be a boost to your sex life.

What school did u go to? I went in Denver, too.

How unfair things are for him? Perhaps you are still stuck in the victim role. Marriage isn't always "fair." It wasn't fair to you for him to be an abusive alcoholic all those years, either. It certainly isn't fair to be telling you to get off your a** when you have bipolar disorder. I'm certain you love him, but it goes both ways. Nope, it's no fun having a 333 lb wife, but it's not fun being put down for years and neglected, either. Maybe I've misinterpreted this post, maybe he's loving & kind and I was just misled by some of your statments, but if not, I am utterly appalled that you would endure such treatment and even make excuses for it. He got through alcoholism and recovered because of your support. You sacrificed for him. Time to reciprocate. Through sickness and health, remember? And, he should adore you no matter what you weigh. Have you ever, in the entire course of your marriage, stood up for yourself?!

I think, as someone else mentioned, this has to do with preventing allegations of impropriety (what a good way to put it). Historically, women are victims of sexual abuse far more often than men, and this is just a safeguard. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I think that comparing this to racism is absurd. Preventing sexual impropriety and refusing to be cared for by someone because of the color of their skin? Just not comparable to me.

Regarding respiratory therapy, I don't think it's any nastier than nursing. The difference is RT's deal with sputum, nurses deal with poop. I advocate for RT a little too much on this board considering that I'm a nursing major, but I did spent a semester in RT school, and I loved it. It's true that it is very specialized - I mean, it's RT - you will be doing respiratory work...but there are some additional opportunities. Once you've been in the field for awhile, you can do case management, you can teach, you can do polysomnography (most hospitals will train RT's for that), patient education, etc. And, although you'll still be working with respiratory issues, you can do ICU, NICU, sooo many things. Most RT's in my state start around the same as a new grad RN, with tuition reimbursement and sign on bonuses. It's not a bad career. If you're very concerned about upward mobility, you can get your BS in RT and go to grad school.

Good thing women don't feel this way about caring for the reproductive organs of men. Not only would you guys rarely get care, you wouldn't get any sex either.

Just curious...what type of vehicle were you rear ended by? Anyway, I think that we need to remind ourselves that it is all relative. There are thousands upon thousands of people in this world who would consider even owning a car a luxury, who would thank God everyday for heat and clean water. It's difficult in the US because we are surrounded by materialism. But, honestly, let's broaden our perspective. There are kids who collect trash in waste dumps for 12 hours a day every day, and all they get is a stale piece of bread - people who labor in sweat shops for a dollar a day seven days a week...I'm sure you get my point.

Am I the only one who has a problem with this? Telling a depressed person to get off her a** is tantamount to saying "Snap out of it." Perhaps he should have gotten off his a** and gone to AA years ago? I'm sorry, but this really infuriates me. Certainly taking steps to recover from depression & improve yourself is wonderful, but you need loving support, not more verbal abuse! You stuck by him through ALCOHOLISM, which can be utter hell. He needs to remember that. Surely he wouldn't have recovered without your support. Perhaps he needs to take a look at himself as well.

I think school will be great, as others have said. Getting out of the house, with other adults, doing something for you - it helps with depression so much!!! But, while I understand your husband's concern for you, you said he hates the (paraphrasing here) weak, dependent person you've become. Not so supportive. I just don't think it's fair that you cared for him for so long when he was an alcoholic and in your time of need (bipolar and depression are diseases just like alcoholism!) he would behave that way. Perhaps I'm just not understanding correctly?

Surgical techs often have associate degrees.

I did a semester of RT school before I decided on nursing. I wanted to do total patient care, but RT was great. There are more opportunities in RT than are being said: you can work at a hospital, you can also do home healthcare, you can do asthma education, polysomnography, work in all different departments in the hospital, specialize in neonatal care, etc. There are case management jobs as well. You can be a flight RT. Many universities offer a BS in Respiratory Care. In fact, many RT's with associate degrees get their BS paid for. Hospitals are offering tuition reimbursement, sign on bonuses, and most start their RT's out at $20 an hour (in Colorado anyway). And you don't just bag patients and adjust vent settings. You do patient eval, breathing treaments, arterial blood draws, ABG assesments, even some form of physical therapy (I can't remember the name) to help patients breathing (CF patients for example), intubations, take sputum samples (yum!), and yes, vent settings. But setting a vent is not a piece of cake. It is complicated and can have a profound effect on patient outcome. RT's also have a great deal of autonomy and are specialized - they have vast knowledge of all things respiratory, so in reality, they are, second to the doctor, the authority on the issue. I'm sorry, I spent a lot of time around RT's that one semester. I hope I don't sound biased.

Have you thought about respiratory therapy? The job market is great, and the pay is comparable to what a starting RN makes.

I keep hearing about low pay, but is there really another career where you can get a 2 year degree and make the amount of money a nurse does? Even a four year degree? I have looked at so many, but nursing offered the highest pay. Am I wrong? Is there a degree that I haven't heard about that pays better than nursing (in 2-4 yrs)?

i don't know where to begin. i'm your age and have been through very similar circumstances. my mom is an addict, an alcoholic, very abusive, and very manipulative. she is great at painting herself as the victim, convincing those around her that their job is to sacrifice everything to rescue her. abusive people are experts at manipulation. remember this. they prey upon the kind. i am so glad you set boundaries. keep doing it. if you don't, she will take you and your kids down with her. i went through the guilt you are experiencing. it's terrible. even though you know it's illogical, it's there. and she knows it's there. that's how she controls you...or has controlled you. you need support and probably therapy. i know that a lot of people shy away from therapy, and i hope i'm not being rude by suggesting it, but from everything i've heard, it would benefit you greatly. i say this not just because of your past, but because you are having such difficulty setting boundaries that clearly need to be set. you need a cheerleader, someone who will support you and your choices...someone who can look at situations objectively and help you change thought patterns that are hurting you and your family. you have a struggle ahead of you. your mom is going to try every trick she knows to weaken your resolve, and you are going to need support to stay strong. if you can't afford it, try community services - there should be a county mental health center. you said that you don't want to depend on anyone for help...but the fact is, we all need each other. even under the best circumstances, we need each other. perhaps you were referring to finances? i understand...i dream of the day that i will make enough money, i won't have to pray that the child support keeps coming. but the fact is, right now, you are in dire circumstances, and you need support and help. you need to utilize every resource there is - if you can't bring yourself to do it for you, do it for your children. you have no income except a meager amount of child support. you will qualify (at least in my state) for: food stamps cash assistance housing assistance childcare assistance medical assistance go to your county's child support enforcement unit if you haven't already. they will prosecute him for you. if he is employed and not paying, they will garnish him, especially if you get on public assistance. i think you said he is sending you threatening messages. don't tolerate it!!! change your phone number. there is no reason you have to deal with that. as to your mother...she is your mom, not vice versa. it is not your job to mother her. she is a big girl. she has choices. your kids don't. you are their only advocate. so don't feel guilty, you have no reason to. if she had been a loving mom and had alzheimers and you locked her up and threw away the key or kicked her out on the street, it would be different. that is when you have a responsibility to a parent. she didn't keep her end of the bargain. you cannot help those who don't want help. period. there is help available. if she doesn't use it, there are consequences. it's not your job to soften those consequences at the expense of innocent children. this is why i said you need therapy - escaping that cycle of guilty is difficult. all of which you probably know because you got her out of your house. i hope things get better...don't endure this alone. resources are there because people need them. you are raising five kids!!! you are already doing a huge job, employed or not. don't feel bad for using the resources you paid your tax dollars into.