This week, I am thankful:
that I got to have an EKG
During our school EKG lab, I volunteered to have my fellow students do an EKG on me, and ohhh, it is so cool to see my heart rhythm on an EKG strip!
I know it’s just a normal sinus rhythm, but after doing a deep dive into EKGs these last few weeks, it’s so interesting to see the electrical pattern my own heart is putting out.
I don’t know how to explain it, but I look at the strip and I’m like, “Oh my gosh, look at that! I produce P waves and QRS complexes! Whoa!”
that my EKG is boringly normal
I have looked at so many problematic EKG strips in the last few weeks, it is nice to look at my own and see how everything is working just as it should in my heart!
When my instructor was looking at the machine, she said, “Do you exercise?” because my heart rate was in a nice healthy spot. So of course, that made me happy. My walks and gym sessions are probably helping maintain my heart health. 🙂
I will say that learning about all the things that can go wrong with the human body makes me really appreciate things like having normal blood pressure, a good A1C, an unremarkable EKG, and so on.
that we got snow!
The snow didn’t stick around for long, but I did squeeze in a snowy walk in the woods, and that made my heart happy.
I so appreciate any breaks we get from winter brown!
that my boot fix held up
As it turns out, I shoe-gooed my boot just in time for the snow. And it held up just fine during my trudge through the snow.
for a job that is never boring
I picked up a little four-hour shift yesterday, and in just those four hours, so many interesting/funny/entertaining/wild things happened.
Life is never boring at the hospital! And I appreciate that.
that my clinical commute is short
I am realizing just how fabulously wonderful it is to have nearby clinicals this semester.
This is the semester with the most clinical days, so it is going to save me massive amounts of time to be at a nearby hospital. Clinical days are way more manageable when you don’t have to spend several hours driving!
that I am here in fourth semester
I was thinking about how much our class has shrunk since we started (not everyone passes each semester, so we lose a good number each time), and that really made me feel thankful to have the privilege of even being in fourth semester.
I know it’s gonna be hard and a lot of work but I am grateful to be here.
that my exam grade was pretty ok
I generally get As on my exams, but this time I got 52/60, which is an 86%.
That’s a little on the lower side for me (especially considering how hard I studied!), but everyone I talked to got lower grades than they usually get. So, I am just gonna carry on, keep on studying hard, and hope that the exams don’t get harder from here.
And I will be grateful that an 86% is still a very safe distance from a failing grade (which is anything less than 75%).
that I got my 1 point on my paper (ha)
We had an assignment to write a paper about the social determinants of health, with APA formatting and all.
But it was only worth one measly point! So the options were to get 1 point or zero points.
Thankfully, I got my one point.
I would have been annoyed to put in all that effort and get a zero!
Katie
Sunday 16th of February 2025
So proud of you!!! You’re almost there!! You’re keeping me motivated while trying to finish up my Master’s in Elem Ed. I need this to get a pay raise and to help retirement in 100 years!!;)
Kristen
Monday 17th of February 2025
I'm cheering you on too!
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate
Saturday 15th of February 2025
We call those four hour shifts a "Princess Shift." Over before it's hardly begun!
Kristen
Saturday 15th of February 2025
Yes! So so easy compared to 12 hours.
JNL
Friday 14th of February 2025
Thankful for
- garbage collection- such a mundane luxury - a fruitful day at my aunt's apartment, general tidying and making it more ergonomic in anticipation of her return from the revalidation home (if ever - she is in doubt about that but then still has 4-5 weeks of therapy ahead of her) - cheerful collaboration with another lady on this task. We made the chore as pleasant as we could and during breaks had interesting conversations on topics as getting older, the advantages of regular decluttering, and favourite holiday destinations - weekend ahead of us!
Jan
Thursday 13th of February 2025
I have a congenital heart disorder, so when I was in school or working in a rehab hospital when they got new EKG equipment (one of the first electronic versions with simple electrodes instead of the goopy squeezy balls you may be too young to remember), it was fun to make me the Guinea pig.
I'm thankful that despite my congenital heart disorder and surgery at age 8, I'm living a full and happy life. I have two amazing children, a loving husband (we celebrate our 36th anniversary next week) two crazy dogs, and I'm my second fulfilling career. This heart has been good to me.
Lindsey
Thursday 13th of February 2025
I know a lot of folks don't celebrate Valentine's Day, for various reasons. I am of the school that makes a big deal out of holidays, all of which are made up. (It is not like Christ was born on December 25th.) It just makes life a little more fun. I am thankful that the husband is of the same mind, and even more so. Because of him, we have birthday weeks, Easter weeks, Christmas month; this week is Valentine's week. We don't spend a ton of cash, a lot of times it is doing someone's most hated chore one of the days. I do most of the cooking so at least two days we have had foods he loves that I hate (looking at you, roast beef hash and corn dogs, not on the same day). But it is fun to think of things to do for him and to receive gifts of service or foods (Someplace in the week I will get brie and another day chocolates).
I am also thankful for four other things this week: 2. My three times a week iron infusions are done. 3. I had to take 50,000U of vitamin D once a week for 12 weeks. They ended today. A lot of northern Alaskans are D deficient but apparently I was worse than normal. 4. Sumos had disappeared for a week but now are back. I bought 10! 5. The dimwitted Dane was supposed to go out the front door and jump into the van. Instead, he ran across the street and jumped into the postal van and refused to leave. My husband had to go get the treat container and set a trail of dog bones from the USPS van to our van. I am thankful we have had the same carrier for years and he just laughed. He is wonderful, even if he does wear a pith helmet year round.
Selena
Thursday 13th of February 2025
@Lindsey, in today's world, wearing a pith helmet year round is nit. Whatever floats his boat. Someone who works at my employer (large one), posted -17 temps and hoping it was the end of the "cold". Honey, that ain't cold, that is brisk outside. Gotta get through invigorating to get to cold.