Another blog...

I've started another blog for both Rusty and I to write on when we return to Thailand. I will still keep this one going, but if you are interested, it is:
http://rustylynette.blogspot.com/
(I just updated this other blog)

Wonders of Wonders

This morning I nervously got online to check if my results were there yet. I was almost ready to hyperventilate and was preparing myself for the worst, and low and behold saw the tiny word "pass" by my name. Apparently I am no longer a student nurse, but a registered nurse. Let me know if you need an enema or shot and I'll be right there :>).

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Deep breaths...

So today two of my friends from nursing school called me after they took their exam and both felt horrible and like they didn't pass. Now they have the joy of waiting two whole days to find out the news. I figured out today that if I don't pass my boards this Thursday that I will have to retake them most likely in Asia. Previously I thought I could test in Bangkok and realized that is not the case and if I need to retake them I will have to fly to New Delhi, India or to The Philippines...now that wouldn't be sooooo bad would it? I am doing my best to remain calm such as singing my favorite songs at the top of my lungs and I will admit it...dancing by myself at home. I think its helping.

A ball of stress

So these days my time has been filled with studying for nursing boards. I could go ahead and make up some exciting stories, but the truth of the matter is that I'm at home every day studying my brains out. I have recently starting becoming a ball of stress realizing how soon the test date is coming, and trying to reassure myself...though that has been quite ineffective.

So, after next week I will try to update my blog with happenings of the last month and hopefully will be much more carefree at that point. Hopefully.

Burma has begun to accept help from it's neighbors.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/19/myanmar.aid/index.html

"Myanmar has agreed to let its South Asian neighbors send medical personnel and an assessment team to the cyclone-ravaged country, more than two weeks after a storm that killed tens of thousands of people. People in the worst-affected areas say they have received no help at all from their government, a CNN correspondent in the country has discovered. The ASEAN assessment team will go to Myanmar on Wednesday to gauge the impact of the disaster and the scope of aid needed, Wirayuda said. In addition, each ASEAN country outside of Myanmar committed to send 30 medical personnel -- for a total of 270 -- to help with the medical needs of the displaced population. ASEAN is comprised of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Aid agencies have struggled to gain access to the country from the secretive military junta that rules Myanmar, though some relief flights landed. The regime has indicated that it would like supplies but not international aid workers."

Aid not reaching Burmese Victims

I'm sure most of you have heard by now about what has been going on with Burma and the effects the cyclone had on the country. The U.N. World Health Organization says the official toll of dead and missing now exceeds 132,000, with more than 19,000 injured. The U.N. estimates that 2.4 million people have been affected by the storm.

With about 2.4 million people clinging to survival in the delta, and the military government refusing to admit large-scale outside relief, disaster experts say the death toll from Cyclone Nargis which struck on May 2 could rise dramatically.

Please pray for the Burmese people who are suffereing, as well as for their government who is not allowing AID to enter the country at the rate that it should.




http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080517/wl_nm/myanmar_cyclone_dc

Graduation Week

Last week I graduated from nursing school and was lucky enough to have both Rusty's sisters, parents, and my parents here to celebrate with. After graduation we went out for some delicious Italian food at the Rosebud restaurant and savored spending time together. I've been having odd moments since graduating when the realization comes to mind that I have no test I should be studying for, no quiz I should be taking, and no reading that is required to do! I love it.

Over the weekend we drove to Grand Rapids to spend time with Rusty's family and celebrate two of our neices birthdays and Mother's day together. This was the last time we will be seeing Scott and Shawna (Rusty's sister) and their children before leaving for Thailand so we were met with some rough good-byes. The realization that we are leaving for a good chunk of time is starting to hit, especially with neices and nephews being so young and knowing how fast they change at this stage. Good-byes are without a doubt the hardest part of moving.

Here are some pictures of the week...


It's tradition for UIC nursing students to jump into the pool wearing our scrubs to celebrate before graduation


And this pretty much sums up my feelings about finishing nursing school.

Some of my Thai friends or Thai mothers who are studying in the graduate program at UIC.
























Nothing like a group photo of your father, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law to create some awkward and giggly expressions.