Vida

Thanks everyone! I couldn't decide whether or not to do NC 5 before or after the baby comes - I couldn't decide when I would be more brain dead!! Guess we'll find out. Thanks again! :)

Thanks! It'll be our second boy. :)

Sweet - found a stupid answer to my stupid question. Going to do NC 7 next. Ignore me please!!! :bugeyes:

I get that I can do the NC exams out of order, but does that include NC7? I am doing NC 4 next week, and the way things are going I would only be able to squeeze in one more exam before the baby comes - NC 7 looks like one I could pull off fairly easily.. 9 mos preggo. (I still have NC 5 and 6 to do.. they just seem hairier..) Thanks!

And actually I am hearing now there are wait times for the RPN program as well. I did one in Ontario (ptbo) with no wait time, just a lot of pre-req's from HS, but that was 6 or so years ago.

Sweet Caroline, I hear ya sister on the immune probs. The same women in my family also have a slew of auto-immune probs, all of which are more tolerable with changes we've made to our diets. The most devastating is my little sis who was diagnosed with "IBS" (I hate that title, it's not a real dx when you don't know the problem!), and Lupus - which was giving her probs with her reprod system and thyroid. Beyond needing a little help with maintaining the thyroid fxn, she's symptomless if she eats right. The docs don't get it because her lab work comes back not making much sense. We both take this really seriously too, and have trouble not getting too preachy about diet and food being the answer to all medical problems!!!! Vida

Ps. ..Also, it's not necessarily what you don't eat, it's what you DO eat. Eat whole grains, fresh produce, and less processed meats - obviously in general, the more processed it is, the worse it is for you, and with this problem, the worse it makes you feel immediately. Try things that are less processed, have anti-inflammatory properties and that contain antioxidants. Yes the food can get expensive but there are ways around it - rice pasta isn't too bad, but just eat brown rice and other grains instead - quinoa, kasha, etc... inexpensive bought in bulk. I've been eating more eggs and legumes (your body adapts to the musical fruit aspect!) and I feel cleaner for it. Meat is sometimes flavored with gluten-containing stuff in it, especially ground beef, so I don't eat it often. Take a probiotic, and/or eat more plain yogourt. Make your own baked goods! Soy flour is even available at walmart, and there are endless recipes on the internet. Good luck.

I realize that. I have read that if you consume wheat for a week or two and then get tested it will show up. I've tried. I have 2 aunts, my mother and sister who also have the same problem, so we've done some reading. My one aunt who has had to be hospitalized more than once, was told she has celiac. She still suffered and has had poor lab results for a year, has started eating wheat again, and feels no different. She has extremely damaged villi and is looking into a genetic 'damaged villi syndrome'... I forget the name. I've been to a few docs myself, and have gotten nowhere - the last one told me to go home and offered me Prozac!!!! Apparently I'm crazy, but she wouldn't do any testing beyond blood work. We've found that ultimately, if we avoid some things in our diet we feel better - I don't need anyone to tell me that. Blood work every once in a while - we can sort of keep tabs on our general health. Good luck!

Seriously, try changing your diet. I developed "IBS" in my 3rd semester of LPN school and it was terrible. On top of the bowel probs I felt like it was getting harder and harder to focus and stay motivated. I felt depressed, irritable, emotionally volatile, groggy, and downright nutty. Tried everything until someone suggested not eating wheat. My life was completely turned around within a week of not consuming wheat-gluten. I've been tested over and over, and do not appear to have the disease, but apparently the US does not have great tests for Celiac Disease. AND, you can have an intolerance without the actual disease. I have avoided gluten since, now 5 years, and can really tell a difference if I eat something with wheat in it - a cookie isn't so bad, but a bowl of spaghetti will turn me into a crampy, crabby, monster. Amazing. I also went to one doc, who deemed I had IBS with a wheat-gluten intolerance... even if the prob is vague enough to still call IBS, there might be things in your diet that exacerbates the s/s, especially during those stressful times.

I think it depends on the area. I lived in northeast UT where there was/is a lot of gas and oil work going on, therefore a lot of highly paid tradesmen in town, and it was hard for the area to keep up with the growing pop. The hospitals were so small I couldn't get a job, but was offered an LPN job at a nursing home for $10/hr, 30 miles from home. 2 miles from home, Burger King was starting people at $12/hr, and Pizza Hut was offering $15/hr for drivers. Ridiculous. I stayed home. CNA's there made $8 or $9 per hour. So sad.

OH SWEET. Am I ever glad I found this thread! I was thinking of putting off an exam because we can't really afford the $65, plus gas, plus a sitter when we are moving in a couple of weeks.... but now I think I'll take advantage of this and be back on schedule! Thank-you! V

So sad. I understand doing what needs to be done, I just wish patients/people had more opportunity to make better informed decisions, in this sort of situation, and also regarding their general health. But maybe that's why I am interested in PH. :icon_roll V

Ok, relieved to hear that KY takes EC grads - we're moving there in two weeks... although I have much longer than that before I graduate, but ssh. Any conditions to being able to pracitice? Hours etc.? Thanks, V

The money for the EC practice exams are worth every penny! Many of the questions are very similar... :) Good luck! NC 1 is pretty straight forward, common sense sort of stuff. Cheers, Vida

If that was my baby I'd refuse THAT many sticks! Geeze - poor little guys!

oh great! I have kept my license active. Thank-you!

If it matters I had been working for about a year.

Hi, I have been out of work for nearly 3 years as well (God its gone by fast) to stay at home with a child. I have been doing an adn RN program for the past year, and actually re-did and passed the NCLEX-PN in June because I want to get back to work. I feel like I have been keeping up so to speak, but it HAS been 3 years. What's the rule? Is there a certain amount of time where it's required to do a refresher? I'm pretty confident in jumping back in and am happy to (and interested in!) job shadow for a while. Thanks for your help! Vida

Let us know what they say though!

Thats funny - I am Canadian. I still have an active RPN license in Ontario. Trust me I'd be up there if it weren't for my husband! Vida

Anyone know where we find out about what is happening in which area of the country? I will graduating next summer and we are wanting to buy a house in upstate NY. Not going to move there if I can't get a job!

We haven't been here long, but I am really enjoying Glenwood Springs. Nice hospital - Valley View Hospital. Good luck!

Public health? Depends on what sort of nursing work you are interested in.

Just have to say I'm feeling WAAAY better about taking this exam after reading the Kaplan study guide. Not the whole program thing, just the strategies book. I know I would have failed without this book. WHEW! :redbeathe

Yeah - no kidding... I paid ECE for my stuff in sept, and finally received the reports yesterday. Communication and customer service is poor. They finally overnighted 6 reports to me (I paid for 2) when they were telling me they hadn't received my transcripts and I threatened to call the BBB and a lawyer! Sheesh!