rhalph

A.D.P.I.E.! (sorry- just had to!) -All I mean is, the wheel has already been invented- we should ask Nurses we know who are healthy (emotionally and spiritually, too- that stuff totally affects food issues) how they stay healthy, ask what they do, how they manage their time, plan meals/snacks, "build activity into their day", then tailor that info to this board/group... Seriously, how are support groups (like O.A.) structured, and could some of that be "built-in" here? Would we like ground-rules and specific topics to try to stick to? My gut is that a lot of people, when they're brain-fried, late at night, just sit in front of the TV, shut of their brains and snack- (I sure have) Can we find a way to do this less? I'd love to teach myself to do something else, or just go to bed earlier...

Hey, EBibeault- If you're currently working 12's as an LPN, G-d bless you, you've got all the exercise you need. YOUR exercise prescription? 1 massage q week! :) Peace.

Okay, lookit, I dont' know if it matters, but i'm a 46 y.o. guy- just finished an ADN- my dad was in the health club biz for decades. My advice: -Don't go extreme with anything- go nice & easy: moderation! Extreme and immediate weight loss does not last- Google it! - "slow and steady" works and stays. -building strength helps u get healthy and lose weight, b/c even @ rest, a person with a higher proportion of muscle has a higher basal metablolic rate: you will burn more calories, even at rest! - If you are exercising and doing strength training and not "losing weight", don't get discouraged! You may be decreasing body fat AND building muscle at the same time- remember, muscle weighs more than fat, so you may be getting in MUCH better SHAPE without any "improvement" on the scale! Just hang in and stay with it! -Do not "diet" -slowly try to make small, permanent changes in the way you eat (and so think about) food- changing behavior is hard, it can take time and repeated attempts! If you "slip", who cares? Nothing's "over"- just stay with it! - Strenghen and take care of your back: learn proper lifting and patient positioning techniques and build leg/hip/torso strength- strenghen your abdominals, do lower back exercises (a move called "good mornings", etc.), do squats and deadlifts- start EASY and progress slowly- pay a trainer, if only for a couple of sessions, to teach you proper technique and form, so you don't get injured! Many nurses live with chronic back pain- do what you can to avoid it. Don't believe me? Ask someone in P/T! (Then post the advice here!) -Drink water. A good bit! Find out how much! If, like me, you drink a lot of coffee/tea, drink a little more water, b/c coffee/tea are diuretics- need to replace the extra we pee. -Eat 4-5 small meals a day, esp. a good breakfast with fruit, whole grains & some fat & protein - it'll carry you, energy-wise, especially if you have school in the a.m.! I'm sorry it's so cliche', but breakfast is HUGE. And if you can, get those peeled baby carrots & some trail mix and graze through lecture- not heavy duty, just light snackin', to keep your brain in glucose! -Try to exercise (even brisk walking) at least 40 min/day, 3/days a week. Who can fit it in? Consider all the time you will "get back" from this: it will help you sleep, it will improve your emotional and spiritual health, will help you think more clearly, and will actually give you more energy- I swear to you, you will get back more than 40 minutes. Peace.

As a 46 y.o. man yet to pass the boards, but just having completed an ADN program, I think the ANA's statement is fair- maybe i'm not hearing their (disparaging) tone, but I agree that a BSN is a good ideal. Try to enter any other professional job market- business, advertising, finance, communications, education- with an Associates' Degree! In many of these fields you won't get in without a Graduate degree. So naturally, a four year degree is preferred: generally speaking, it provides an employer with an applicant with a more diverse, well-rounded education to draw on for creativity and critical thinking. To play devil's advocate: in many places your child's teacher needs to have an M.Ed.-- then why should your child's nurse have only a two year degree? I don't see the ANA's statement as a slam on us ADNs, but simply as setting a high goal and level of expectation for the profession. Peace.

OH! And if you believe in G-d, PRAY- each alone, and together.

Lookit, you don't know me from Adam, and you and your wife have been married for 21 years- I don't propose to "know" anything here, but you posted, so here goes: I would echo other posts: sounds like there's way more going on than a spouse's lack of a better-paying job and a poor attitude. Could the issue be your perception /judgment? It may or may not be true that she has "no drive" and should (or even could) get a better paying job: these are judgment calls. Your wife could be having issues with depression, it could be the stress/anxiety of your recent move (which can be huge) with separation from family and friends and having to make new friends... If she has a lack of drive, a withdrawal, is it a response to something (that you might not see)? You say you work nights, at least part-time- does she see enough of you? If not, and she doesn't know many people where you've moved, she could be miserable. Do you spend time together, hang out, have fun? Does her job / hours allow her to see you more? It sounds like right now, you put high value on her making more money- maybe she values other things in a job (or her schedule) more than how well it pays financially: maybe she puts more value on you two spending time together, or some other part of her life. Also, do you two have kids, and/or does she do most/all of the housework? If either is true, she already has a F/T job. It sounds like you're frustrated and worried about your family situation for both of you. I am not saying you don't already, but you've GOT to come at the discussion from a place of love and support- if she's wrestling with depression or insecurity or something similar, coming at her hard, critically, will only deepen the hole, if she's in one. Counseling sounds like a good move- but don't just focus on "the problem" as you see it- pull the frame out two clicks: discuss what you've each been feeling/ going through in general, what you each want and need, and what you both see as "problems" (and strengths), and why- she might have a whole different slant on your entire situation- including being perfectly happy with the way things are. And, natch, that would be where compromise (based in love) begins. 80% (or more) of communication is listening, and listening well is not easy. If she feels safe, loved and heard, it can only make things better. I wish you and your wife well, brother.

Ooo! I think I might have it! I read the thread, then googled it and think I found it in the paper at the address below: The phlebostatic axis points to the catheter tip or opening, or the vessel/chamber pressure at the catheter tip, where it sits in the RA or vena cava (or vena cava/RA juncture). Huh? Whaddya think? Am I totally off? Was this already said? Check it here: http://www.ciap.health.nsw.gov.au/hospolic/stvincents/stvin99/Karen2.htm Peace, and hope you're doing great, as this posting is 2 years old...