Wow, I can't believe it has been over 3 yrs since I last blogged. What a slacker I have become. :-) Well I am now a Famly Nurse Practitioner stationed in Germany. While I love being an NP, I feel very overwhelmed by the pace expected by the military to produce #'s of patients seen per day. I feel all I do is live at work and I miss out on alot of time with my family.

Unfortunately, my obligation to serve is coming up quick and I am considering seperating. I am hopeful that a new plan in the military will present itself and I can continue to serve.

We really love Germany and enjoy all the sightseeing throughout Europe. We would really like as a family to stay overseas.

Well HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY and be sure to stop and thank a Veteran, one of only 1% of the US population who choose to serve.

Graduation

Well its hard to believe that I will graduation in less than 48 hrs. When I started at the Uniformed Services University (USU) in May 2007, it seemed so weird and difficult to get back into the swing of being a student. Very quickly without realizing it, I transformed into a graduate student and not a half bad one at that. What I have learned over the last 2 years is that it is impossible to know everything there is to know in primary care and that 90% of being a good healthcare provider is listening. I know I am a good talker, now I just have to perfect listening to my patients. I am excited and yet scared to go out into the real world of family practice, but this is what I had envisioned myself doing ever since I decided to become a registered nurse. So this Saturday, I will take a deep breath and tell myself that I am ready to do this and become the best Family Nurse Practitioner I can! I will work hard everyday to balance my family life and the needs of my patients. I with strive to serve my country well and hope for some great opportunities to grow and try new things! Wish me luck!!

CPT Yllescas

Boy, have I been a slacker not posting in a while. Clinicals have kept me very busy and we are trying to get the end of the semester class work finished. But I felt compelled to write about a fellow military family in need of your prayers, thought and possible donations. CPT Yllescas is a US Army Ranger, who was injured by an IED while serving in Afghanistan. He was injured back in Oct and has undergone many surgeries, one of the most serious yesterday. His wife is staying at the Fischer House at the National Naval Medical Center so she can be with him daily. And they have 2 young daughters, one who is here visiting now. Imagine what this must be like during anytime in your life, but now imagine it near the holidays. Please consider visiting their website and making a small donation to their family. Trust me, you will read about the family and the trials they are going through and will want to do something. If you would rather, feel free to make a donation to the Fisher House. Without the Fisher Houses located at Military Medical Centers around the world, military family would not be able to afford to stay close to their active duty loved one as they recover from wounds of the wars.

CPT Yllescas blg site: http://yllescasfamily.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Fisher House website: http://www.fisherhouse.org/contribute/contribute.shtml

Still hanging in there

Well all the papers for school are completed as of now, I just have several final exams to go Friday of this week and next week. I took a Pediatric Simulation Lab exam today with simulated patients who are real human people trained to be patients, or in my case patient's parents. I think it went well. I still feel like I know just enough to be dangerous, but only time will tell. About 3 more week of school counting Research Week, where everyone a year ahead of us and the medical students present posters on their research projects, then 1 1/2 weeks of vacation. Vacation just means an opportunity to spend time with my boys. :)

Well, I'd better catch some sleep.

Papers, papers and more papers!

Well, I just got one of my three papers that need to be completed this weekend completed. I currently taking Pediatrics and had to write a clinical critique about a patient encounter when I could have done better. Let's just say I know more now about eczema than anyone would ever want to know. Now I just have to get my paper for my Family Theory class regarding the effects of the sudden death of a parent on a family's structure and function, focusing on both the civilian and military family. Then is off to Statistics to complete a full anlysis of a parametric research study. I know your saying to yoursel, boy I wish I could be so lucky. Never mind the fact that I have an exam in Pediatrics on Tuesday! Oh well, I'd better get some sleep!

Getting Started in the World of Blogging

In recent months I've become a big fan of reading military blogs, especially those who are deployed. For some crazy reason, I have decided to start a blog. I wish I could tell you for sure what my postings will be about, but I don't. I figure I should stick to what I am most familiar with and go from there.