Tag: wellness
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A Change for the Better
It can be hard to make a change. I graduated nursing school in the middle of COVID, having gone back after my kids were older and my ex and I had separated. I worked full-time in retail and then hospital pharmacies, going to nursing school part-time. After working for about a year on my unit,…
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Palliative Care vs Hospice Care
“Aren’t palliative and hospice the same thing?” No, they are different, but do share similarities! While both palliative patients and hospice patients are facing life-threatening illnesses, a palliative patient can still be receiving curative treatments. Hospice patients, meanwhile, are no longer receiving curative treatments. Palliative Care Both palliative and hospice care are holistic, taking the…
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Are “exercise” and “fun” mutually exclusive?
It’s so subjective. But what I’ve found is that the exercise for me that’s the most fun is the exercise that I do without noticing it. It’s the long hikes in the woods, the 5ks where I’m jogging with lots of other people. It’s the times when I’ve played soccer with my kids. When I…
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Let Me Tell You About Shep
He was a good boy. Really. Yes, he wanted to herd anything and everything. He would eat whole sticks of butter and chewing gum with xylitol (which would have to come back up). He’d steal whole sandwiches when you weren’t looking. But he was always up for an adventure. He would go walking with you…
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Understanding Common Chemotherapy Side Effects (Part 1)
There are a wide range of side effects associated with chemotherapy treatments. Some are serious while others are more a nuisance. Here’s a look at seven common side effects and ways to cope. Fatigue Fatigue, or tiredness, is one of the most common complaints that I hear from patients. Depending on the treatment regimen, there…
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Pandemic Adaptations
I graduated from nursing school in the middle of the pandemic. Started my nursing career working on a PCU unit, watching people yank their bipap masks off in the middle of the night because they were so confused by hypoxia. To say that I adapted would be somewhat accurate, I suppose. Like everyone, I coped…
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Morning Rituals, and That Precious First Hour
In the morning, I typically do the same things: When I wake up, I often pray before I even get out of bed. I get up and make my bed, before I’m even awake lol (it’s better to do it and get it over with!) I go down and drink my coffee (that I program…
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A Vocational Call… to the Convent
So, it didn’t happen when I was five. I didn’t want to be anything then. I was just vibing in my kindergarten class with Mrs. Lewis (best kindergarten teacher ever), cutting out construction paper with those giant, rounded plastic kiddie scissors that literally don’t cut anything. But let me backtrack. By kindergarten, I should add,…
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Understanding
“What’s something most people don’t understand?” Something most people don’t understand is how much things can change in an instant. Or maybe it’s more like people choose not to recognize this. It’s easier to think that “it will never happen to me.” I see a lot of patients on a weekly basis who are getting…
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Set Back (Or… What to do When Life Gives You Lemons and a $2500 Car Repair)
Throw them back. Immediately. Take those lemons and nail life in the face. It happens. Something out of your control. And you have a big setback. Whether the setback is with a personal goal like going to the gym, a work goal, or a new habit you’re trying to lock in. Sometimes it’s finances. You’re…
Writing RN 