Be Respectful of others - another blog

Wasn't planning on saying too much about Terri Shiavo - my mind is usually on the medico side of what is going on in these sorts of cases. But the post in this blog and others after it (in date) is practically a replica of my views. This lady is a psychologist and has obviously done her research. I think the people who spend a lot of time believing Terri would be better off with the feeding tube back in, should take the time to do the sort of fact-finding this person has done. My goodness, the courts don't usually take the action of agreeing a tube should be left out lightly. It is a hard decision with all the facts needing to be strong for the husband to have won.

I know posting an opinion like that can bring forth many opposing views. But all of us have our own opinions, and the medical info I have been taught, has agreed with what this person has blogged.

Hesitant almost nurse signing off :S

Edit: Just had to add this link to another blog: clicky

Proud Mum moment

Just a quick post before Tennis tonight. I can't believe I didn't post this last night.

Phillip took his first un-aided steps last night. I saw them, Paul didn't - awwww. But a couple of hours later, Phillip gave a repeat performance and Paul saw it.

Then Phillip tried to walk around the whole house. He propelled himself down the hallway, and was giggling and nearly tripping all the way. He did so much walking, we were sure he must have been doing it at daycare, but when we asked, they were sure he hadn't.

Anyway, that is my news for today.

Proud Mum, signing off

Speaking Out

Today, I attended a forum at the University as they are conducting a review of the nursing degree. They wanted feedback from a 1st year group, 2nd year group, and a 3rd year group, of which I formed part of the 3rd year group. I felt that as I am always one to sprout off at things I don't like about the course, I should be one to volunteer to talk to a group of people about it.

Unfortunately, my baby boy is still sick so he came along. Fortunately, he is a happy sick boy *shakes head at oxymoron* so he didn't cause a hassle by being in the room.

I felt like it went well. There were eight panel members and six of us from 3rd year, and as I had also completed 2nd semester, I was able to give some feedback about some things in that regards too. And I did. I told them what I thought of clinical placements, some subjects in particular, some thoughts on the exam at the end of second semester, computer lab facilities, study advisors, Library and IT availability, and the ability to give feedback that is acted upon. There was more, and we certainly fitted alot into one hour of talking, but I think it was worth it.

At the end of the day, I don't know just how much of what we said will be acted upon, but if we had kept our mouths shut, then they would think nothing would have to be acted upon.

Whenever I have been in a workplace listening to complaints etc, I have always been one to say "Don't complain to me, DO something about it" I hope by attending and providing feedback to this forum today, I have shown that I take my own advice.

Oh, and afterwards, I took my son back to the Doctor - he has a throat and chest infection. So he is on antibiotics AGAIN. This time it is not Penicillin, so we will see how he goes.

Wow - 2 posts in 2 days!!

Good news/Bad news

Had some good news today. One of the hospitals here in town does actually do a mid-year intake for their Grad Program. On the website, it does not detail that, but fortunately, that is incorrect. So I also found out the online applications for the Grad Program opened up at the beginning of the week, so I had better get my skates on.

The bad news - well not so much bad, but more annoying, or unhelpful. We are still waiting to find out if my husband is transferring to the RAAF and if we are moving mid-year. If we are moving, there is no point to me applying for a position here - but if we are not, or even if it is not until the end of the year, I should be.

So I have to apply anyway. If we find out we are moving mid-year, then I can withdraw, but it is just annoying to be still waiting on that information when there are a few things that hinge on this move. Our deciding to put our daughter into a private pre-school is another thing waiting on this information.

On another note, we have found out my husband has an Army exercise that clashes with my clinical placement. The problem with that is: either I could be placed outside of Townsville again, or I could be placed in Townsville, but still have shift-work which means still no-one to look after the kids. So my husband tried to get permission to stay behind and work instead of going out on exercise - I mean, this is in May and after June he won't be in the Army anymore anyway, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.....right?? WRONG.

They have put us through the wringer - they even rang up the Uni to see if the Uni could help me out rather than them helping my husband out. They have asked why we can't pay the $600 for a family member to fly up here for the 4wks to look after the kids (our family works full-time though). Or why we can't pay for the kids to fly down to them for 4wks.

I will put the latter one in perspective. First, our children are too young to fly by themselves so we would have to fly down with them. That is $1200 for one of us to fly down and back, plus $600 for my daughter to fly down and my son would be free. We also pay $800 gross at daycare per fortnight. We would have to continue to pay this while they were gone, to keep their position, plus pay for a daycare in Adelaide (providing we could get them into one). So far, without the cost of the second daycare, we have a total cost of $3400 - just because they wouldn't want to let my husband not go on exercise. We told them to shove that idea. Then they suggested a babysitter. Well, the babysitters we use do not have childseats of their own to pick up my children from their daycare (which is what they would have to do while I am at work). One of our babysitters doesn't even have her own car - she walks to our house to babysit. Our friends have children of their own, and either couldn't deal with an extra 2, or I just wouldn't feel comfortable asking them. But the Army can not understand that either. The last thing was they suggested my husband apply for holidays for that time period - how weird is that. Rather than have someone do work for them back at base, they would have him take holidays, but even that may not get approved.

*sigh* It has really become one big hassle - all for my final placement to finish my degree.

That is how I am going to end this post. Nothing has been finalised - it is all up in the air and that is how I feel at the moment, up in the air.

Oh, and my little boy is sick too :(