Scenario:
3:00 p.m. First grader brought to health room by her teacher in a near hysterical state (the 1st grader, not the teacher) and only saying her neck hurts. Earlier in the day she apparently fell from either the big toy or the monkey bars, was given some ice by the secretary, and returned to class. I had seen her at 1:45 p.m. because she said her neck was still hurting. I did a brief exam, including palpation of the head and neck. She didn't flinch at any time even when I touched the areas she said was hurting. So I, too, gave her some ice and sent her back to class.
So now it is time to go home and the teacher is concerned about sending the girl home on the bus. And who would put a student on the bus when she appeared to be in immense pain? I tried to call her parents, but neither answered their phone and there were no other emergency contact numbers listed. I tried to assess her again, but she was so upset and crying so hard that it was difficult to determine what was going on. I asked her again to point to where it was hurting and this time she pointed to the front of her throat and said it went around to the back. Thinking maybe her throat was sore I got my flashlight to look at the back of her throat. I asked her to stick out her tongue. Not only was she unable to stick out her tongue, but when she tried it deviated to the left.
Red flags and alarm bells start going off in my head. I have a 1st grader who is hysterical. Doesn't know her sister's name or where she goes to school (I thought maybe I could look up the sister and see if she could come); can't get a hold of any parents; and maybe there is some sort of cranial nerve impact from the fall.
So I called 9-1-1. I didn't feel like I had any other option at this point in time. Sometimes it is hard to be the only medical person in the building and people are looking at you like you should have all of the answers. So I called in back up.
In the time it took for the first responders to arrive the girl, who up until this time adamantly denied needing to go to the bathroom and refused to go, decided she couldn't continue with the "potty dance" and finally went in to the bathroom.
She finished in the bathroom as soon as the first responders arrived. She walked out of the bathroom saying her neck felt much better. Her tears dried up instantly. She could stick out her tongue just fine without any deviation. She was just a totally different kid.
The EMT's examined her and gave her the all clear. And I sent her home on the bus.
Oh, and her parents finally called back at almost 4 p.m.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday Messages
Yesterday was one of those days when God was obviously trying to send me a message. First there was this video that I watched prior to going to church.
And then all of the talks in Sacrament meeting were about being aware of pride and seeking after humility. The Sunday school lesson focused on not setting our hearts on the riches of the world. By the end of the 3 hour block, I was pretty sure God was reminding me that he was the gardner and that Friday's events were just some pruning that needed to be done.
On a completely different note, I thought some of you readers might be interested in hearing from Kate. She appears to be doing great at BYU-I and enjoying college. Here is her most recent entry in her vlog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WDdULvdbMY&feature=g-all-u
I couldn't find her video to embed directly so you just get the link.
Well I hope everyone has a happy Monday and is off to a good start for the week.
On a completely different note, I thought some of you readers might be interested in hearing from Kate. She appears to be doing great at BYU-I and enjoying college. Here is her most recent entry in her vlog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WDdULvdbMY&feature=g-all-u
I couldn't find her video to embed directly so you just get the link.
Well I hope everyone has a happy Monday and is off to a good start for the week.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Ugh, That Wasn't So Awesome
When an allergy to smoke, exercise-induced asthma and a half-marathon collide it is not a pretty.
The air around here has been pretty junky, although not as bad as some other parts of the state and for our neighbors to the east about 3 hours. But it has been bad enough that running has not been very much fun for me. And most days I feel pretty lousy with a headache for the whole day. So what did I decide? I decided that a half-marathon would be a good idea.
Um, today I learned that that decision was not one of my wiser ones. I did everything that I usually do, including using my inhaler 30 minutes prior to the start of the run. But I should have learned from the previous long runs leading up to this half marathon that the smoke was going to be a problem.
Oh and of course I picked a half marathon that was 1) run on dirt road for most of the time (I am also allergic to dust); 2) had parts that were very rocky; 3) had some rolling hills and false flats; and 4) had a 2-mile hill from mile 4 to 6! Seriously, was my mind so mired in allergy-induced fuzz that I couldn't foresee that this all would create a mix of nothing good?
Apparently not. And so I had to run/walk the hill (and most of the race after mile 7). Felt sick to my stomach most of the time. And just shook my head at my stupidity. I also have this wonderful "smoker's cough" and headache that will probably be with me for a day or so.
Still I managed to finish the half in 2:12:39. Definitely not my best, but also a good 20 minutes faster than my worst.
The air around here has been pretty junky, although not as bad as some other parts of the state and for our neighbors to the east about 3 hours. But it has been bad enough that running has not been very much fun for me. And most days I feel pretty lousy with a headache for the whole day. So what did I decide? I decided that a half-marathon would be a good idea.
Um, today I learned that that decision was not one of my wiser ones. I did everything that I usually do, including using my inhaler 30 minutes prior to the start of the run. But I should have learned from the previous long runs leading up to this half marathon that the smoke was going to be a problem.
Oh and of course I picked a half marathon that was 1) run on dirt road for most of the time (I am also allergic to dust); 2) had parts that were very rocky; 3) had some rolling hills and false flats; and 4) had a 2-mile hill from mile 4 to 6! Seriously, was my mind so mired in allergy-induced fuzz that I couldn't foresee that this all would create a mix of nothing good?
Apparently not. And so I had to run/walk the hill (and most of the race after mile 7). Felt sick to my stomach most of the time. And just shook my head at my stupidity. I also have this wonderful "smoker's cough" and headache that will probably be with me for a day or so.
Still I managed to finish the half in 2:12:39. Definitely not my best, but also a good 20 minutes faster than my worst.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thoughts on a Sunday
This morning I woke up thinking about roots...plant roots and the parable about seeds being sowed in different types of soil. My mind wandered back and forth between those two things. I considered what roots did for a plant. The roots of a plant provide support and life as they absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
So with that in my I thought about clemantis--a beautiful flowering vine, but only if it's roots are cared for properly. The roots of a clemantis have to be kept shaded and cool to get established. Once established, the clemantis can survive many different weather elements. And the plant can live for a long time.
Then I was caught up in thinking about grass and how at the start of every summer Dave and I have aheated serious conversation about how much to water the grass. Dave thinks every day watering is necessary. I revert back to what I have read from gardening experts and they say if you water deeply every 2 to 3 days. If you water daily it is overwatering. With overwatering the roots don't develop correctly and you wind up with grass that cannot tolerate any stress. Grass roots need to learn to probe deep in the soil for the life-sustaining water.
And finally I remembered the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. The sower goes forth to spread seeds with some falling on poor ground, some falling in amongst the weeds, and others falling in fertile soil. It is those seeds that fall on the poor ground that I thought about when considering roots. For the scriptures say in verse 6: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
The seed is the word of God. The root is our spiritual relationship with Christ.
Now stay with me here as I finish up these Sunday thoughts.
Why did those plants on rocky soil wither up and die when the sun came out? Because on rocky soil the water does not penetrate the ground. The roots of the plant have it pretty easy, there is no need to dig deeper because the necessary water is right there for them to draw up. But because the water stays on the surface, when the sun comes it evaporates quickly leaving the plants without the essence of life. And because the roots have not learned to dig and probe deeper for the water, they wither and die.
Our spirits provide us structure. They give us life. They keep us in contact with Christ, the living water. However, just like plant roots must be trained to dig deep for water so the plant can survive times of stress, so must our spirits must be trained to constantly seek after Christ. And that during trials and stress is not always the right time to try and dig deeper, but instead is the time that will show how strong the Spirit already is.
Parents are given the responsibility of caring for and nurturing the tender spirits of their children. We are too help them establish a firm root system to use as a foundation for their life when they leave the nest. This establishment of the roots needs to be done by providing the necessary food and nutrients found through studying the scriptures, attending church meetings, and serving others. However, just like grass needs to learn to develop its own roots, so must our children.
And here are the questions I was left wondering about...have I taught my children how to probe and seek after the Living Water? Have I made things too easy so that their roots are only surface roots--by this I mean giving in when they do not want to attend church activities or acquiescing when one balks at attending Seminary? Will they have a strong enough root system to get them through their own times of stress, doubt, feelings of inadequacy? Will their roots be strong enough to cling to Chirst?
I think the answer is yes for one child; I'm not sure for the other. Being 50/50 makes me feel like I failed in that very important parenting task of teaching children to seek after and cling to Christ.
So with that in my I thought about clemantis--a beautiful flowering vine, but only if it's roots are cared for properly. The roots of a clemantis have to be kept shaded and cool to get established. Once established, the clemantis can survive many different weather elements. And the plant can live for a long time.
Then I was caught up in thinking about grass and how at the start of every summer Dave and I have a
And finally I remembered the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. The sower goes forth to spread seeds with some falling on poor ground, some falling in amongst the weeds, and others falling in fertile soil. It is those seeds that fall on the poor ground that I thought about when considering roots. For the scriptures say in verse 6: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
The seed is the word of God. The root is our spiritual relationship with Christ.
Now stay with me here as I finish up these Sunday thoughts.
Why did those plants on rocky soil wither up and die when the sun came out? Because on rocky soil the water does not penetrate the ground. The roots of the plant have it pretty easy, there is no need to dig deeper because the necessary water is right there for them to draw up. But because the water stays on the surface, when the sun comes it evaporates quickly leaving the plants without the essence of life. And because the roots have not learned to dig and probe deeper for the water, they wither and die.
Our spirits provide us structure. They give us life. They keep us in contact with Christ, the living water. However, just like plant roots must be trained to dig deep for water so the plant can survive times of stress, so must our spirits must be trained to constantly seek after Christ. And that during trials and stress is not always the right time to try and dig deeper, but instead is the time that will show how strong the Spirit already is.
Parents are given the responsibility of caring for and nurturing the tender spirits of their children. We are too help them establish a firm root system to use as a foundation for their life when they leave the nest. This establishment of the roots needs to be done by providing the necessary food and nutrients found through studying the scriptures, attending church meetings, and serving others. However, just like grass needs to learn to develop its own roots, so must our children.
And here are the questions I was left wondering about...have I taught my children how to probe and seek after the Living Water? Have I made things too easy so that their roots are only surface roots--by this I mean giving in when they do not want to attend church activities or acquiescing when one balks at attending Seminary? Will they have a strong enough root system to get them through their own times of stress, doubt, feelings of inadequacy? Will their roots be strong enough to cling to Chirst?
I think the answer is yes for one child; I'm not sure for the other. Being 50/50 makes me feel like I failed in that very important parenting task of teaching children to seek after and cling to Christ.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Leader of the Pack
Somehow I have wound up the spokeswoman for our school nurse group. Well, actually I know how I wound up as the spokeswoman. I am spokeswoman because I am on the union executive board as representative for special services. Nurses fall under the "special services" catagory, making me the spokeswoman.
Usually I do not mind speaking up and leading when changes need to be made. But I learned a hard lesson many years ago when I was in a similar situation during nursing school--being the spokeswoman for the group. What I discovered then is that sometimes when push comes to shove you find that you are the only one on the bandwagon.
I am hoping that history won't be repeating itself and when I meet with the powers-that-be I won't be an island. If a poll was taken of the nurses, I want them to own what they have shared with me and step up if need be. I know a few will; but I want to see us all standing with linked arms.
Usually I do not mind speaking up and leading when changes need to be made. But I learned a hard lesson many years ago when I was in a similar situation during nursing school--being the spokeswoman for the group. What I discovered then is that sometimes when push comes to shove you find that you are the only one on the bandwagon.
I am hoping that history won't be repeating itself and when I meet with the powers-that-be I won't be an island. If a poll was taken of the nurses, I want them to own what they have shared with me and step up if need be. I know a few will; but I want to see us all standing with linked arms.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
And Off They Went
Wednesday was the first day of school for Carson. I had to take my lunch at 10:30 so I could run home to take a picture of him before he headed off to start his junior year at CV. Yes you did read that at 10:30 a.m. he still was not at school. That is because at CV only the freshman start at regular time; everyone else comes at 11:30. But because of the late start, he was wondering how he was getting to school. Fortunately, his big sis was around and wanted to take him to school.
Carson figured that since we were leaving to drop Katelyn off at college later that afternoon, that was kind of like her first day of school so they needed a picture together.
When I got home from work, it was off to Rexburg. Silly Dave thought we would be able to pack all of Katelyn's stuff into the Subaru. Katelyn and I were wiser and chose the truck. It was stuffed to the top of the canopy the entire length of the bed of the truck.
We arrived at the Katelyn's apartment and started unloading. Of course her apartment is on the 3rd floor, but Dave makes a great Sherpa. She was the first one of the roommates to arrive, so she got to pick her room and where she was going to put her stuff.
Even though the saying good-bye wasn't too bad, I have had a few random cry moments over the course of the week. The first one occurred on Wednesday morning when I opened Katelyn's bedroom door to say good-bye before I went to work.
For the past several years, I have only entered Katelyn' room when necessary. Frankly, opening the door and seeing the disaster she called her room was pretty irritating to me. She had been instructed to have the room sorted, organized, and cleaned before she left. As of Monday of this past week, her room looked like it always does and no apparent progress towards cleanliness was seen. But on Wednesday, I could see her floor, a floor I hadn't seen since she started middle school! Her room was sorted and organized. Seeing that made me teary-eyed.
The second random crying moment happened after I took the picture of Katelyn and Carson together. I was so touched that Carson was the one who insisted on the picture and that his sister consented to such a picture. They, of course, were up to their usual antics of never quite smiling at the same time and overall making it difficult to get a good picture, but I did. And then I started to cry.
Another random crying moment occurred as we were signing the 3rd verse of How Firm a Foundation. This was the opening hymn for the President's Welcome. The third verse is built off of the scripture in Isaiah 41:10 that states: Fear not I am with you; oh be not dismayed for I am thy God. As we were signing, I knew this was true. I knew that Katelyn was at a place where God was. You could feel His goodness and presence. What a comfort that was.
The final random crying moment occurred was I was reading Maggie's post about sending Charlotte to kindergarten. She shared the words from her mother...that as soon as your child is born, your job is to get them strong enough to leave home. As I was reading her thoughts, I started to cry as I realized that we had successfully completed our task. But how can you remain sad when you leave your child looking like this...
Monday, September 3, 2012
A Big Week
At the close of the Labor Day Weekend, a new school year will be ushered in.
This year will be a little different.
Katelyn and Carson will each get their own "first day of school" picture. That hasn't happened since Carson started kindergarten.
Carson's will be on the front porch (as usual) on Wednesday morning as he heads off to start his junior year.
Katelyn's will be somewhere on the BYU-I campus on Thursday morning when we drop her off at college.
I picture this week filled with nerves, jitters, and probably a few tears (Carson is such an emotional soul).
Oh, and some news that I forgot to blog about at the end of August...
Carson got his driver's license. He will be driving solo as soon as he is eligible for the good student discount.
Katelyn had her last day at McDonald's. Don't worry, she'll be back when she comes home at the end of December.
This year will be a little different.
Katelyn and Carson will each get their own "first day of school" picture. That hasn't happened since Carson started kindergarten.
Carson's will be on the front porch (as usual) on Wednesday morning as he heads off to start his junior year.
Katelyn's will be somewhere on the BYU-I campus on Thursday morning when we drop her off at college.
I picture this week filled with nerves, jitters, and probably a few tears (Carson is such an emotional soul).
Oh, and some news that I forgot to blog about at the end of August...
Carson got his driver's license. He will be driving solo as soon as he is eligible for the good student discount.
Katelyn had her last day at McDonald's. Don't worry, she'll be back when she comes home at the end of December.
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