My Head Is Fried, My Dough: Baked

I have a dilemma. My mind is way too much back in California at the moment to reflect yet on my internship...and my cells can't seem to migrate with it! Don't panic; a special plane will come Wednesday just for this very task at my frontal cortex's request.

So really, I have nothing to say at the moment! Except this: All you relatives of mine will be very happy to know that I can now bake a VERY awesome almond cake. I am going to have to try a healthified version of it sometime - I'll be the guinea pig, I promise. But for now, feast your eyes on this. I will bake all of you some to those who would like to try. Judy, I can make one without the almonds and a real/fake almond extract, instead!

Love,
Theresa

Shit Happens

I would have to say that the number one duty that disturbed me the most about this internship was taking care of something we all do: take a dump. For having worked two weeks already, I would call myself lucky to not have had the pleasure up until now to actually do the wiping myself. I had done just about everything else you could imagine that had to do with feces: witnessed, carried, heard and...smelled. Well, yesterday was the big day. My first time. Unfortunately, it involved a little more.

I never thought I would be wiping the butt of someone in the future other than a plausible child of mine, when it finally came time to do it for my current internship. As I snapped on some rubber gloves I went on with the duty as I heard a sudden "clang," only to realize that a key from the sink had fallen right into the chamber pot - this was, in fact, a plastic pot attached to a seat for patients that are not yet ready to use the toilet.

What did I do? Well, I explained to the patient what had happened and gingerly fished it out, deciding to clean it AFTER I had the patient back in bed. The whole thing between hearing, fishing, and wiping really only happened in a matter of minutes, even though I am writing several paragraphs about the experience. I mean really, if I am not ready to deal with poo, then I am not ready to deal with this internship, nor the possibility of studying to become a registered nurse. And all in all, none of it is that bad so long as you breathe through the mouth.

I want to say I have seen it all but, really, what's next? Bring it on!

In Uniform

So...this is what I look like on a regular basis.

Tacheles

Germany won once again, this time 4 to 0 against Argentina. After a day of people cheering on the streets, trumpeting from their windows and yelling out from the roofs of their cars, I went out for some ice cream and coffee with my aunt. Everyone was celebrating, and just about everyone was a little drunk.

So in the middle of conversation, two young men suddenly sat at our bench - tipsy, of course - asking us where a good place to dance is and whether I wanted to come. I told them I wasn't going anywhere without my aunt, haha.

After a little conversation we all found our way to Tacheles, a bar and dance club. Everyone was dancing away their German pride. I got a free shot of vodka, and a beer which I re-gifted to my aunt. After they left, I squeezed myself into the middle of the crowd and kept dancing. My aunt wasn't having a bad time herself.  ;-)

Getting Older

It's kind of hard for me to believe that I am helping people eat, walk around, and even go tot he bathroom on a daily basis. It shocked me a little at first, seeing everything and all. But it hasn't depressed me, and I think I know why.

Yeah, it's sad that a lot of us, as we age, need help for things we take for granted - even being able to hold a spoon. I see that for some it is very frustrating and it affects their every day mood. But not everyone reacts to mother nature that way. Part of what makes my job enjoyable are those who are still young at heart - sometimes even in very good shape for their age.

There have been a few times where I felt discouraged. With a few patients I would have difficulties helping them due to mumbling and dialects. As I learn new things I also sometimes take a bit longer. But there was one incident that reminded me to look past being a newbie and having a not-big-but-significant language hindrance.

About a few days into my work, I began washing and changing the socks on my patients legs alone. I had seen the way the stockings were put on a few times but with my first few tries, the left stocking always came on backwards - heel side on top of the foot. I came to a very kind woman to wash up and to my disappointment, got the socks on wrong. Embarrassed, I opted to have another nurse assistant come in.

The lady looked at me and said, "No! Try it again. You'll get it. Stay here. Don't get someone else." I got it right the second time. =)

The reason why work is not depressing is because many of the patients have a lot of love and faith- sometimes more faith in me than I have at first for myself. And I am reminded that life can still be beautiful and, as an intern, I should never give up because I can do it.

P.S.
I can measure blood sugar, now, too!