Of Nursing School and Rainbows.......

I found a definition of me in my dictionary tonight. I looked myself up because I listened to a song and it made me happy and I wondered why. This is who I am:

Indomitable: not easily discouraged, defeated, or subdued.

I have written frequently about my trials and tribulations as a nurse. I have been knocked down to my knees, reduced to tears and kicked in the teeth. Over and over again. Yet, here I am. Why??

Indomitable: not easily discouraged, defeated, or subdued.

I started nursing school when my children were 4, 7 and 9 years old. Between going to school fulltime and having a husband and three children to take care of, I never had to worry about what to do with my free time. At the end of my first semester as a nursing student, I qualified to work at the local hospital as a Student Nurse Aide. So, I worked 2 or 3 pm shifts a week, in addition to everything else.

I had to take Microbiology in summer school between my first and second semesters of nursing school. The night before the class started, all three of my kids came down with chicken pox. Dad had to take the week off from work.

Between my second and third semesters of nursing school, I had surgery on both my legs. I was in school, on my feet all day, just three short weeks later. During my third semester of nursing school, my mother found out she had colon cancer and had surgery. I was in school, at her bedside or asleep for the next three weeks.

I started wearing my name tag at home so the kids would know who I was. I remember doing the supper dishes one night, trying to memorize something, and Rob, who was 8 at the time, came out in the kitchen and helped me. I had index cards, with all the information I needed to learn, taped to all the kitchen cupboards. Rob had already memorized almost as much as I had.

I also remember having an index card taped to the front door. It had a check list on it: feed the dog, lock the back door, brush your teeth, don’t forget your lunch, Mom loves you. The kids read it every morning as they headed out the door to school.

I also remember my younger son’s fifth birthday, right at the end of third semester. I always baked and decorated the kids’ birthday cakes but, this year I couldn’t. There was just too much going on in school. So, after finishing clinical at the hospital, I dashed off to the bakery to get Matthew a birthday cake with cowboys on it. I was worried about his reaction to a “store-bought” cake. Matt was fine with it; Rob, on the other hand, was incensed! How come Matt got a store-bought cake and he got stuck with homemade?? Who knew?

Not to be outdone, my daughter decided during my last semester of nursing school that her eyebrows were “too thick” so, she shaved them off! So, in addition to getting myself cleaned up and ready for school, and getting the kids out of bed, fed, and ready for school, I got to pencil eyebrows on my beloved daughter. Let’s not even talk about the fact that she “volunteered” me to be Room Mother for her class at school.

My mother decided to have a graduation party for me. We sent out invitations to friends and family. When I got discouraged about school, I would think about my party and how fun it would be to not have to go to school anymore. A week before graduation—and my party—my mother announced that she did not want to have people come over to her house and mess up her new carpet. Okay. I made 25 or so phone calls, moving the party to MY house. Hey, why not?

Was it all worth it? I have no doubt in my mind that it was the best thing I ever did. I love nursing: it is what I do…….and who I am.

I also love sunshine, blue skies, puffy white clouds, sunsets, the moon and stars, rainbows, flowers, people, and the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean.