sddlnscp

Thanks Tweety! Sorry to hear about your car troubles, that is never any fun. Well, I have been off & on the stairstepper, but on a good enough amount of times that I am happy with it. I have been buying no junk food and cooking healthy, so that translates to my family eating healthy, which is making me very happy! :) I am back on my goal here - I want to be where I was before my life all fell apart last spring, I felt good, I looked decent enough, now I feel all blah again, so that's enough of that. I am in a new place, with a new job, and a new life, time to take back control! I'm ready! :) Hugs to all . . . off to drink some water & hit the stepper! :)

Hi all! Yes, it's the disappearring, reappearring sddlnscp, lol! Well I am now finishing up level II orientation in the NICU and getting ready to start level III. I have finally found an eating plan that is working for me, at least on work days, lol! I am taking only healthy food to work, making myself take both my morning & evening breaks, and lunch, and am eating only what I take to work and only at work. That way I'm not tempted to eat anything bad for me. Seems to be working! I also inherited my Mom's old stairstepper for Christmas and so have started using it. 20 minutes a day every other day to start since I have been out of the exercise loop, but hopefully can work up on that. :) Ok . . . off and running, have a great day y'all!

I'm glad you're going for it!!! I absolutely recommend that! I just graduated last August and I did my preceptorship in the NICU where I wanted to work. They almost never hire new grads, but because I went in and did awesome during my preceptorship, they hired me! If it hadn't been for that, I know that (in this area at least) there would be no way I could start off in a NICU. I wouldn't worry about it hurting you for boards . . . just study well before you take them with a good preparation book. It will be so worth it to do what you love, regardless of whether or not you get a job there. And it is great to get that taste of it that lets you know if it's truly where you want to be or not. For me, that was what sealed the deal . . . I always knew I wanted to work NICU and having that preceptorship just added exclamation points behind that for me! Best of luck!!! Enjoy it!

thanks tweety!!! i'm so thrilled!!! i'm in the process of moving and i start orientation on monday, woohoo!!!

Wow guys! Hi!!! I know I've been completely sporadic and I'm afraid that may continue. However, while I was MIA I finished up school, passed my boards, got my RN license, and got a job at the Neonatal ICU at the hospital I wanted to work at! WooHoo!!! (I start the 24th!) I'm soooooooo excited!!! As far as healthy goes . . . I have been absolutely horrible lately due to stress and having no time. I am moving though to the city that I am going to work in and I am hoping that helps. I will be away from the negative influences and really on my own completely, so that should help!!! I can't wait! Well, must run, busyiness continues. Hope y'all are doing awesome!!! Take care & HUGS!

Yay blue! Yeah, my body does better with the low-carb thing too, but I am like you and have a weakness, lol! Anyway, so far today I've eaten veggies & some meat & cheese, yay! I did have one cinnamon-biscuit for breakfast, but it was small so hopefully it won't totally do me in, lol! Anyway, going to eat a big salad for supper & have some fluids & exercise, yay!!!!!!! Hope everybody is having a productive day, I start my preceptorship on Friday and I cannot wait! WooHoo!!! Have a great rest of the week & weekend y'all, I will be gone quite a bit in August but will try to catch everybody somewhere in-between! (((((HUGS))))))

Thanks Zoe - I thought it very appropriate for my feelbe-student-mind at the moment, hehehe!

Steph, I think I'm with you on the low-carb thing. That always seems to work to give me a boost to healthier eating, so I'll give that a shot. Dang-it! LOL! Oh well, back on track!!! Have an awesome day!

Hi guys! Aaaaah sleep, I remember that from some time long, long ago, lol! Sounds like y'all are surviving, same here! Ugh, I feel like a balloon, I have so dropped the ball on the exercise/good eating what with school coming to a close and I need to get back on top of it because I am feeling it now. Blah! I think I'll start today- I haven't eaten anything yet today, so I can start with a fresh slate! Ok, no more messing around - no junk food for me as of right now! I can do this! I can survive nursing school thus far surely I can get myself back into the health groove! I need to get some groceries tonight so I'll try to keep it on the healthy level while I do that, hopefully having good food around will help me. :) (((((((HUGS)))))))))) Everybody!!!!!!!!

Hi Tweety!!! Thanks so much!!! Ok you guys, I have been awful!!! I'm gonna try to behave now because I am really starting to feel it! I have class tonight & my goal is to stop by the fruit stand on my way and pick up a bunch of fresh produce (I believe cantaloupe & watermelon are in season out here right now) and work on filling up with that stuff instead of junk food throughout the week!!! Hi everybody, hope all is well - just breezing thru at light speed again today, lol!!! ((((((HUGS))))))) to all!

Totally counting down the days! Not yet on the job search, lol, all of the hospitals that I want to work at require you to have your license active before you can apply with them. Phooey! It's ok though, we have survived this part, the wait can be a little longer. I am sooooooooo stoked for you!!! (((((((((HUGS)))))))))

Aww, thanks Zoe!!!!! (((((((HUGS))))))))) to everybody!!!

Ok guys, I give up trying to keep up at the moment. Every time I think I'm back on here for the long-haul, school & life attacks me & I'm MIA again, sorry, lol! Anyway, since I last spoke to y'all, my divorce was finalized and I am now a month & a half away from graduation! WooHoo!!! I cannot wait! I am so in love with nursing, more & more every day & I can't wait until I can do this for pay rather than pay the school to do this, hahaha! My preceptorship starts in August & I am stoked! Ok - on health - uh - yeah - the end of nursing school has sorta killed that for me so I need to get back on track - have regained some weight & feel like blah right now. Have been eating horrible & never sleeping, so hopefully this will settle & I can get back on track after graduation. Before then would be great, but doubtful at the moment, lol! Sorry I don't have time to catch up with everybody, but wanna let y'all know I miss 'ya & am still alive out here, still working towards my goal & dreaming big dreams, hehe! HUGS to everybody!

:yeah: congratulations! that's wonderful! i"m so excited for you! i know what you mean, i joined as a pre-nursing student myself & am now a month & a half away from graduation - woohoo!!! enjoy the nicu - that is my dream as well, i hoe you do incredible there! i am sooooooooooooo excited for you! (hugs)

Hi Tweety - good to see you again too! Hey Steph! Zoe - thanks so much, I have missed you too! Gentle - thank you so much, I will never turn down a good prayer and appreciate it so much! Heya Hiker! Hi to all I may have missed! I'm prepping for my OB/Peds Final - so this is just a quick run-through. See y'all soon! Miss you guys! Thanks to all for your support! I am so grateful to have such awesome friends, even in my absence it is good to know that you guys are still here. :) Have a great day everybody!

Aww, thanks! I will do that, I am hoping to do my preceptorship in a NICU, so perhaps that will help. I have my fingers crossed. LOL! Yes, we shall bounce all over the place & exercise like crazy! hehe. Hi Steph! Good to see you again! I love the elliptical, we have one at the community building in my little town and it's wonderful! I use it at least 3 times a week and it really helps me I think. Hi everybody! Have a great day y'all!

Hey Hiker! Good to see you too! Yes, the NICU is still my passion & I'm hoping against all odds I can get a job there, hehe. Guess perhaps we shall get back on track together, eh? lol

I would definitely apply for the student loans! From what I have done, I pay the school with my student loans and then any extra money I receive I can do with it what I want, but I just have to remember that I have to pay it back once I graduate. I do believe you can get loans in addition to your Pell grant without any problems and you may even be able to receive the full amount, just check with your financial advisor. Best of luck!

Hi guys! Sorry I have completely dropped off the face of the planet lately. I am going to try to show up more often, my bad. I am now 4 months away from graduating - thank goodness! I ended up finding myself in the middle of a divorce & that has overtaken my life at the moment. Let's see, as far as healthy goes, I was doing really good until the divorce stuff began & I got off track, but am getting back on track now. Back to health food and exercise! Have added some light weights to my regimen & am feeling better for it! WooHoo!!! Hopefully I will have time to do some reading & catch up with y'all. I have missed you guys! Catch everybody soon - have a great day!

My school requires ERI testing to be passed at 4 points above the national average in order to proceed each semester. If the requirement is not met, then the student cannot progress to the next semester. The questions are designed to simulate NCLEX and, so far have been very helpful to the students in my class although many people have had to take the tests multiple times to achieve the required 4 points above national average. However, since our school has implemented this requirement, we have had 100% pass rates for NCLEX exams. Best of luck! I'm not sure if ERI testing is required everywhere yet, but it is becoming the norm and I don't think it will be going away as it is getting good results from the schools that are using it. Many of the students do not like it, but it really is showing a great improvement in the ability of students to pass boards the first attempt that have graduated from my school. Our school also has the higher level for grading with 93-100% for an A and anything below 77% is failing. Best of luck to all who are in nursing school!!! :)

ROFL Tweety! Yeah, I know what you mean about making the food thing a new year's resolution, I keep having trouble with that one myself. I am great about the exercise, but the dieting is rough. Yesterday, my diet consisted of several gingerbread men, some pudding, and for supper a bit of roast with jalapenos, potatoes and carrots. The latter was not too bad, but the complete sugar rush before hand was not good for me and I am feeling it this morning, LOL! Suesquatch, I like the wog too, that is totally me, hehe. Glad I have a name for it now! Hi Zoe & everybody! Hope y'all have a happy, healthy day!

Wow, you guys have been busy. Well, no weight loss for me, but I think I'm pre PMS, so I'm all bloated, so no surprise there (sorry guys). Still exercising like crazy though - I'm doing an hour a day, no slacking, so that is good and I feel much better. I can see a difference in my leg tone and it is really nice to see - I forgot what shape legs were supposed to be, LOL! I really need to work on my thighs and my tummy, and I still need to lose weight to get past the "overweight" part, but I am feeling a lot better and so that is keeping me motivated! Sorry this is short guys, we are in test crunches, I have a simulator lab tomorrow, and our final is next week, so it's craziness right now! Take care & have a happy, healthy day everybody!

LOL! Yep, definitely time to ditch the scale & trade it in for a new model, hehe. :) I'm lucky, I have a friend who has a very accurate, fancy scale that goes to the 1/2 lb and she brings it in once a week, so yeay! Plus, that's good, it keeps me from weighing constantly and driving myself crazy, hehe.

LOL! I love it Zoe!!! Except Saturday sounds absolutely exhausting - picking up the pieces after all that other, hehe. Edited to add: I am down 2.5 lbs. since I last weighed. Not quite what I wanted, but better than the alternative, so WooHoo!!! Have a Happy Turkey-Day everybody!!!

On the contrary Tweety - Enjoy your break!!!!