Adventure is worthwhile. - Aesop

Suncation time!

I have returned to wonderfully sunny and almost warm Nome!  I much needed break from the twilight zone to somewhat reality.  My good friend Chris from Denver came to visit the 49th state for the very first time ever. And Alaska surely did not disappoint.

Epic monkey battles

Just outside of Nome 12 hours before I left town.

First off last week I got to participate in another emergent D&C with conscious sedation, and had to transfuse blood.  It was me, another nurse that has been at the hospital a few months and a new to Nome travel nurses first day New to Nome, she has been a nurse for over 10 years).  The new to Nome nurse sure got a hell of a first patient.  We worked so well as a team giving blood, monitoring, administering drugs and filling out all the paperwork.  It's moments like this in this lonesome ER that we all live for. It makes us remember why we are doing what we are doing. We saved this girls life that day.  A feeling that can't much be matched. We all rode the high of those 3 hours for the rest of the day.  After that it was a blur of hurry and wait, sore throats, alcohol related issues, and epic monkey battles with the plastic animals we have in the waiting room.  Sometimes the ER here is SO slow it's unbearable. That's when things like this happen.

So after my 3rd day in a row away I went to Anchorage! Ahhh the big city! I wore flip flops on the plane.  My friend Chris met up with me in Anchorage and we drove ALL over! We went to Talkeetna on Sunday, then to Seward on Monday, and hiked Flat Top, outside of Anchorage, on Tuesday.  Among all these adventures I hit up 2 hot yoga classes that helped to center my crunchy little soul.  Sometimes you must get upside down to get right side up.

It was so nice to drive a car again. And we drove and drove, and drove all weekend long. Windows down, wind in my hair, taking in all of the breathtaking views that this state has. Alaska surely is a state that just does not know how or when to quit.  It's a visual pleasure to drive endlessly in.  Our trip to Talkeetna was phenomenal.  I was bummed that Chris didn't get to see Denali in all her glory as she was cloaked in clouds, we could only see a bit of the base.  Talkeetna is a little town where climbers and sightseers alike flock to.  Climbers because they are chasing after the 20,300 ft mountain summit, sightseers because it's this little mountain town that is the starting point for any Denali adventure. (I call it Denali because that is what Alaskans call Mt. McKinley.  I respect the people here and I also just think Denali sounds cooler... No offence President McKinley from the great state of O-HI-O!)

Due to ice on most of the lakes there were no float planes to be found.

On Monday I took Chris on what is probably one of the most beautiful drives in the entire United States. Even my wonderful mom can attest to this when I dragged her to Seward as well! I made my second trip to the Alaska Sea Life Center in 2 months.  Maybe I should consider a pass at this rate! On the way down to Seward we were met with the site of a moose hanging out in a lake near the roadside.  This was the best picture I could get. Maybe I should think about investing in a really nice camera and a set of lenses.

Being in Anchorage on such beautiful days and seeing all of the diversity in terrain, and nature it's easy to see why people live here.  Although it's still pretty funny when people ask where I'm from and I tell them Nome.  Even the Alaskans that have lived here forever give me the pity look. Haha.  I found myself wondering if the ice had broken up on the beach yet (It has not), if the ice had released it's hold in the bay (it's really rotten ice, but it most assuredly still there.), I missed my 4-wheeler... did I have feelings of missing little Nome? It's growing on me what can I say.

Lenticular clouds forming over the Chugach

Just like aslide. Only snow :)

 Anyways back to the adventures. Tuesday we did the quintessential hike for those that live around Anchorage: Flat Top.  It's a pretty easy hike, with a little scramble to the top on a somewhat exposed face, but little kids do it, so obviously so can I.  It was 73 and blazing sunshine! And there was still snow all over the place! My trail running shoes were the perfect choice as they squish water in, and squish it right back out. So on the way up we kept getting to snow that was still mid-calf to knee deep, and open areas where the runoff just made it a mud pit.  It was wonderful! It was really slippery coming down. and in the end Chris and I made the decision to glissade down some otter slides down the side of the mountain. And this was TREMENDOUS fun! We got to do it twice!! I figured if the two 65 year old women we saw coming down the mountain, as we were going up the mountain, were doing it... I had no reason not to :P.

Me at the top!

So life is pretty freakin sweet right now.  I'm getting to explore my new state. I'm starting to miss my new hometown when I'm away from it (I didn't think that would happen!) I'm making incredible friends in Nome and in Anchorage. And my friends from the lower 48 are keeping me on my toes! I'm so excited for all the weddings that are coming up, and for my beloved friend Rachel who is expecting her first baby this year! I can't wait! You are going to be an incredible mama bear! I love you so much!  I have these stints at work that keep the fire inside me going, that encourage me to continue my love for learning and helping others, and those moments of excitement that keep us hoping and prepared for that next moment of excitement.

Well it's time to make my lunches for the next three days, and get ready for my next three days of work.  Who knows what will come to us in the Nome ER. Fingers crossed it's something cool ;)

Safe travels my lovelies!

Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Found this beautiful piece in front of a house about 15 miles outside of Nome. So cool! 

Hey Everyone!! I just wanted to let you know that after 3 days of nonstop work I am headed to Anchorage today to hang out with good friends, have good food, fun adventures and of course to restock on wine! Hahaha! I will give a full report of what all has happened in the last few days when I get back on Wednesday!

Bring on the sunshine and 70 degree weather!

So long tundra see ya in a few days!

Until then lovelies!

Think off-center -George Carlin

So it was May 15th and this was happening. Yup still snowing. In fact it is snowing as I type this! Even the natives are growing restless in this never ending winter.  I love snow and the cold, don't get me wrong; but, this is piddly snow. Either snow 3 feet or nature go home and leave the sunshine behind! So we keep getting about 1-2 inches a day, wind is blowing about 25 and around 5pm it turns into little ice balls... seriously. It's gross.  I'm still wearing an 800 fill down jacket, goggles, hat, and snow pants to go out and do anything! I want my sunshine back. Right now.

Hospital was good, it was a slower week. More FOS... but don't worry I stayed out of the line of fire this time ;).  I wonder how people can get SO backed up. It's crazy. What's also crazy is how much pop (yes I'm originally from the midwest. I call it pop.) especially when you think that a 12 pack is like $14.  You would be hard pressed to find a can of pop for a dollar here.

I've had the last few days off and it's been a culinary extravaganza! I have gone a little native in my food choices of fresh King crab straight from Norton Sound (that's basically my backyard) and caribou that my preceptors husband killed a couple of weeks ago! Jesse and her beau cooked up these delightful little guys (4.5lbs each!!)

We got to pick out which ones! We picked up two ;)

Before and After. YUM!

This morning I woke up to slight snow falling again, and the house swaying in the light wind we're having. So I decided it was time to cook up the caribou I received. Now the house smells INSANELY GOOD!

 All of this weather has me thinking again about where I have landed.  The pace is starting to become a little more tolerable, but the loneliness is still always sneaking up on me.  It's funny.  I used to feel so alone in huge cities, filled with everyone being so anonymous.  Here the loneliness stems from the feeling of complete isolation from the world.  Watching events happen on TV from parts of the country that are being devastated by storms, tornadoes, scandal, etc. I feel like I don't even know what is going on.  I just focus on how much closer the open water looks today than it did yesterday... because when that ice finally blows out to sea and the beach is mostly free of ice... I will obviously need a bikini picture! I don't care if it's 40 degrees outside! BEACH TIME!!! hahaha I'm sure it will last about 35 seconds before I turn blue.  I make for a really poor Eskimo.

Monday after all that snowy storminess I walked out of work to see this most beautiful sight:

I couldn't help but think of my departed grandfather and grandmother. Was a much needed sign that everything is going to turn out okay.  This big blue hole in the storm clouds shown to me immediately after walking out of work.  Note this picture was taken around 930pm.  I can't wait until I get to actually experience the midnight sun and ride my ATV like a total loon up onto the mountains just outside of town!  AHHHH WEATHER JUST F-ING BREAK ALREADY AND STOP SUCKING!! I want my 5 weeks of spring before it's winter again!

Okay I just needed to get that off my chest.  Well not much else going on. I got some sick new scrubs. They are of course HOT pink... and everyone loved them.  Bright colors are needed in this town.  If I have to be the one that ushers this incredible fashion trend into this town.. consider it done. This burden I will accept ;)

And a last picture from Friday evening. The clouds were parting and more clouds were on the way.  But I got this picture from the third floor. You can see the open water. It's the dark blue line on the horizon. 

I also want to say hello and thank you to my readers in Russia, South Korea, England, Australia, and Germany! Thanks for stopping by and reading! 

Until next time! Keep it real lovelies. 

Shit Happens.

Never able to turn down a cupcake... take all my money little kids! 

Saturday was Lemonade Stand day here in the great state of Alaska.  It is set up for little kids to set up lemonade stands around town, and being entrepreneurs by asking for start up money and local businesses to use space outside of their businesses or inside of them.  Jesse and I went around to as many as we could (there was like 55 stands!) I only had $23 cash so this is what ended up limiting us. That and I was pretty sure I was going to get diabetes in a single day.  These were far more than just lemonade stands... it was like 55 little bake sales that all sold lemonade of some kind, and cupcakes... God I love cupcakes.

I worked this past Sunday and Monday.  And I had a pretty entertaining experience. This patient comes in projectile vomiting, and just looked MISERABLE. It came to light that this person hadn't been able to poop for probably 3-4 days (Note when you stop passing things out the bottom... the body will get rid of it anyway that it can... yes.).  After we get back the x-ray that shows that this person is indeed FOS (Full of shit... literally) and there is a pretty serious blockage. I, the newest nurse on the team and the greenest, was told to give this person a soap suds enema.  First off, the look on this persons face was of pure horror at the mention of this treatment plan.  After explaining why we needed to do this and what the process was going to be they said that they would be willing to give it a try.  So alright lets do this.  My preceptor helps me get it all set up, we use the nice warmed sterile water from the warmer, a little castile soap, get the tubing set up, and the bed side commode... I am ready! So we get the person all positioned and they are still so uncomfortable, and I'm about to shove a tube up their butt and flood it with soapy water.  This person is so excited to meet me today.  So my preceptor is holding the patients hand, and I am on the business side.  Everything is going good, and we keep reminding this person to keep holding it in. DO NOT POOP ON ME! Keep holding it in. They are doing pretty good when out of nowhere the no longer sterile water comes at me like a cannon. My left leg was soaked. I started to laugh so hard it was nearly impossible to not audibly laugh.  My preceptor, bless her heart, managed a straight face through the whole thing.  One, two skip a few I was literally shit on by a patient.  They didn't know that it happened and at the end of the visit we had them all cleared out.  (Side note: this person was able to hold the almost 1 liter of soapy sterile water, minus what landed on me, in until they made it to the bedside commode.)  They were even able to joke about the whole ordeal after all was said and done and they were feeling better. When they were walking out of the ER we said our goodbyes, I said thanks for coming in, and they just responded "Thanks for letting me take a big shit". God Bless.

Thankfully this had all happened about an hour before it was time to go home. I changed my pants and chloroprepped my leg from hip to ankle 3 times. Then I went home and scrubbed a few more times.  Ahh the life of a nurse.

Monday was sooo pretty!

We've got 22 hours of visible light here now.  Granted it did start to flurry again, and the sea ice is starting to go away. We can see open water from shore, but it is still pretty far out.  Nomeites say that one day it will be there and the next it won't. So we will see! Six of the next 10 days are slated for the possibility of snow. Where did all that sunshine I showed up to go?! Bring it back. Bring it back right now!

Ugliest tape I have EVER seen. I had no problem
cutting this tape open. Didn't even hesitate ;) 

Today I got a couple packages from friends.  My airplane friend Dustin sent me a care package with some awesome toys and puzzles, and a few cat toys for when Bentley becomes a real tundra cat. McKenzie sent me homemade cookies!! Thanks you guys!! How did you know my candy supply went dry?!

SHINOBI AND LINK-N-LOG! McKenzie
and kitties sent me cookies!

Back to work Thursday and Friday.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Probably the gym, put together a puzzle and drink some wine. About par for the course when it's snowing and windy outside.




Take care lovelies!!

If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are? T. S. Eliot

If anyone wants to complain about their "cold" and "gross" spring weather please know that this picture was take May 7th:

All kinds of snow!

Winter likes to hold on tight up here! Secretly I find it nice that the sun isn't blasting into my apartment until midnight on days like that. 

At work we have been having a rash of attempted suicides, lots of alcoholism, and many many pregnancy issues.  One of the days I worked was so incredibly hard for me. And it didn't really hit me until later that night after all was said and done. A young lady came in and she was so excited that she was pregnant. Her and her sister were both pregnant and they were only a few weeks apart. This was her first pregnancy; she was beaming. She came in because she had been bleeding, and was worried that something may have been wrong. She was in the very early stages of her pregnancy.  We tried to find fetal heart tones and there were none to be found.  Telling that girl that there were no heart sounds that were detectable and watching her face, it was like her soul was slowly fading from her.  I asked her if there was anyone she wanted to call, or wanted us to call, or if she wanted to talk to anyone, and she denied all of them.  It was all I could do to not crawl into that bed with her and hold her. No one should ever have to see the face that I saw that day.  After she left the ER I wondered if had done enough.  And you know I did. I did everything I could do for that girl.  There was nothing else I could have said or done.  And I find that comforting.  We also got a lot of people in for alcohol withdraw, and hangover symptoms.  I'm not gonna lie, I thought CU-Boulder and the like all had pretty solid drinking as a sport reputations... No no no. This place takes it to a WHOLE.new.level.  We have had people that were walking, talking, completely coherent come in for suicidal ideations (as a precaution we always take a breathalyzer) this person blew a .247.... umm i would be in a coma. It's actually kind of amazing, and I am kind of impressed (in a very perverse way) that this person wasn't even remotely acting drunk or tipsy.  Incredible.  Just another day. I know I post the sad stuff a lot, it's the stuff that affects me the most. I'm just letting it out.  We have lots of very run of the mill and normal ER things like headaches, chest pains, phantom abdominal pains, broken fingers and toes and the like.  But we also see a lot of stuff a lot places don't see.  Did you know my hospital services over 44,000 square MILES?! that's bigger than the entire state of West Virginia.  Holy cow!

We also ran a mock mass casualty drill.  I got to be the person that stickered and braceleted the incoming wounded.  I think I did pretty okay. Now I get to help with updating the current protocol.  That should look pretty nifty on my resume, helped to reform our Community Medical Emergency protocol! I think at least it will. 

  

I now have 3 days of rest until I get back to it! The weather is starting to break, and the sun should be back soon! I haven't heard when I will be heading to Anchorage for a month. Perhaps I will know as soon as next week... but I'm betting that I won't know until about 24-48 hours before I'm supposed to be on the plane out of town. Seems pretty par for the course ;) 

Here are some pictures from the last few days. The clouds here are pretty incredible. and the pictures just look like paintings. I also want to give a shout out to my wonderful Jack! Thank you for the HUGE puzzle and the typed letter! I also got a package from my mom and grandma! I opened it in front of my friend Emily and she said I was so lucky to get such a yummy care package!! Thank you all so much! Well I suppose I will go to the gym now and get that over with.  I love you all!

The headwall coming in from Russia Sunday evening. Snow showers the past few days.

A view of the Bering Sea from the hospital. The clouds are starting to roll away.  

Brought to you from the Bering Tea! Homemade cinnamon roll with homemade frosting! YUM!

Cause really, why not? 

Until next time lovelies!

I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it. - William Shakespeare

Here is what the absolute middle of nowhere looks like. There is absolutely zero cell phone service and not a tower, another car, or another group of people in sight.  These pictures were taken on the Nome-Teller Hwy out of Nome and towards the village of Teller.  We only drove about 22 miles outside of town, but the Teller Hwy is about 80 miles long.  Perhaps next weekend we will drive all the way there!  

The pavement ended at about mile 6.  This is looking back towards Nome

The water was so still when it froze it froze blue.  This is still a frozen creek, it is naturally this blue! STUNNING!

Mountains outside of town

My best gun show in front of frozen Cripple creek.

Me and Emily! Yet it was air temp of 33... but the sun is so intense that we weren't cold at all! (Yes we did have winter clothes with us... always be prepared!)

For every dark night, there’s a brighter day. - Tupac Shakur

Clouds, the horizon and the sea ice

So sorry for the long delay in checking in! If I wasn't working on the floor I was in class renewing my Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification.  I was pretty glad I retook the course because we got one VERY sick kiddo soon after my class had ended.  2 months old and working REAL hard to breathe. We didn't have to intubate the little one, but it came real close.  After you intubate someone you have pretty much run out of ventilation options, so we hung real tight and watched this little ones sats real close and waited to see if the nebulizer treatments and humidified air going through the nasal cannula would be enough until the flight team from Anchorage could get to Nome.  This little kiddo came from a village and wasn't handling altitude well so they stopped in Nome to re-stabilize and have the flight crew from Anchorage with their nifty kiddo carrier (helps with keeping them oxygenated at altitude) come to Nome to pick him up and take him back to the big city.  Don't know if the kiddo made it to Anchorage, but I would like to think they did and that our little ER helped to save a life. Other than the sick kiddo we had LOTS of drunk ladies, and good old abdominal pain.

When I'm working and going to training classes I feel very comfortable here. It's the 3 days off in a row that I have a hard time with.  My life seems to be on pause/slow-motion whilst I watch everyone else getting married, starting new relationships, ending old ones, having kids, first stages of pregnancy, all these big life events. I'm just hangin tough at the edge of nowhere watching from the outside. Pros and cons to everything though.

This was yesterday (5/3), and the moon was all pink!

Let's see today we are at 17 hours and 21 minutes for the length of our day... we have 19 hours and 57 minutes of visible daylight... SOON there will be 24 hours of visible light.  This should be cool. Especially because I have finally given in and blacked out the windows in my bedroom.  You call them black hefty trash bags... I call them make shift curtains. And they are AWESOME at making my room dark.  I'm now actually sleeping soundly again.  The sun doesn't go down until around midnight and it rises around 5 in the morning. And I get to see this out my kitchen window when I wake up early for work:

Thursday morning over the still
frozen Bering Sea

 I got back to the Post Office this week.  Got another awesome package from my favorite uncle and aunt! I will have plenty of puzzles and sodoku for weeks now! THANK YOU!! I also got in a whole bunch of boxes that I had forgotten I was going to be getting.  You see in bush AK we don't have 2-day shipping all shipping is roughly 3-4 weeks.  So I bought my shampoo and conditioner body wash, etc. and promptly forgot about all the cool lady stuff I had gotten.  UNTIL TUESDAY:

It's like Christmas!!!! 

 I also received snail mail from my wonderful friend Lindy! I needed this card more than ever. I totally teared up when I got it. I love you Lindy-loo!  

I am headed to the rec center for some much needed gym time, and then off for a drive with Emily! Going to see how far the road is open in any direction we choose!  Then to the "Soup-er" Bowl... It's like a chili cook off only with soup.. here's hoping I don't get food poisoning.. and if I do at least I got an in at the hospital ;) If I get any cool pictures from my drive today I will be sure to post them! Take care everyone! 

Thank you all for your emails, texts, and facebook messages sending me your well wishes after my homesick post. It's incredible to know that I have so many souls to hold me up when my wings get wet. Thank you all so much! I love you all!