jboykin5

I can't say how happy I am (with good meaning that is) to have found this. I'M IN YOUR EXACT SHOES! I'm getting my pre req work done right now. My biggest problem with being bipolar is the depressive episodes...Before realizing what the problem was, I ended up dropping out of college twice , once during a major depressive episode and once during extreme mania (I'm 23 now and that was when I was fresh out of h.s.). Let me tell you, last semester was my first, and 6 weeks into it I hit another major low and totally freaked -but I bit the bullet and went for traditionally help (I was only on limited meds-I wasn't seeing a behavioral therapist or psychologist). I managed to finish the semester with a 3.7. Again, the same has hit me this semester (and recently) and I can't tell you how I've lost hope in myself in ever becoming a nurse, but my therapist has been SOOO REASSURING (and she's a nurse practitioner!). We aren't the only ones, and certainly not the only ones in or going into the medical field. We have vacation days and medical leave for these things. It's a matter of finding out what our special needs are with meds to get ourselves stable. I'm terrified too-this happens about every 2-4 months. I often ask myself how the hell I'm going to get through nursing school and perform my job duties, but you have to stick with it! You can't let the "hiccups" stop you from doing what you want to do in life...take it from someone who has had to learn that the hard way. If there is one thing I have learned, and I pass this one to everyone: IF YOU WANT SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH, THEN THERE IS NO REASON WHY YOU CAN'T HAVE IT. YOU WILL DO WHAT IS NECESSARY, AND SACRIFICE WHAT YOU MUST. :heartbeat I know it's hard-I'm living it too. The last thing I can say is finding other people like yourself out there gives me renewed hope. I hope I've done the same for you :) GOOD LUCK IN SCHOOL!!

Thanks for the replies! Yeah, I thought it was a good idea, I guess you can say that it was a matter of getting my husband feeling confident about it. I know if it doesn't work out, for whatever reason, then I can switch (but only once!) into the full time track.

Okay, so I would like the general opinion and advice on something a tad bit complicated. I have a year until nursing school to make up my mind on this issue. Currently my husband is the only working member in the family, with myself being a full time student and a mom (I have a 1 year old little girl). My husband is a pipeline welder and makes amazing money - when he works. This is usually a seasonal occupation and he is usually unemployed for 4-6 months out of every year . When this happens, we go through our savings and things get tight and stressful. I have found it very difficult to find a part time job to fit in with my 18 hour credit load this semester (which includes 2 condensed A&P courses). I am an A student and a hard worker by nature though. My question then is whether or not to go into nursing school part time. After researching this site, I found out that nursing students can work as nurse techs, and with a little more research, found that the money isn't all that bad (especially in times like this, when the supplemental income would be very welcomed). Working in the hospital would provide: excellent health benefits, my foot in the door to work at that same hospital when I graduate, and them reimbursing tuition (and the school I plan to go to is expensive). The catch is that it would take me 3 years, instead of two, to graduate So my question to y'all is which would be the better option given our situation: an extra year in school to help supplement our income and give me an edge both for employment and experience, or grin and bear it for two while taking the added stress? THANK YOU!!