Moving Woes and Finding Home

I just hate moving and the whole process that goes with it... looking for a place to live, for a job, applying for licenses, notifying people and business of my new address, cancelling current utilities and putting up new ones, planning for the whole move itself, hiring movers, packing, unpacking, getting to know the new place, looking for new doctors, dentists, eye doctor. Aaaaaaaaaaah... I could go on and on.

Vince and I have only two months left before we move to Indianapolis, and yet I haven't started looking for a job or signed a lease yet on a place to live. What is wrong with me? I know that I am a procrastinator princess, but things like these should never be put on hold. It will give me more distress than I can handle later on. I just can't seem to motivate myself on doing the important things to do. I finally called the Indiana Board of Nursing to ask about my application for license, and I was told that it's on the mail. At least I have one thing checked from my growing list of things to do. Now maybe I can continue to the other 999 things left for me to do.


I think the reason why I keep putting this off is that I know this move will only be temporary. Vince and I plan on staying in Indianapolis for about a year or two at the most, since our ultimate goal is to move back to the West close to our families... maybe to Arizona or back to California... hopefully back to San Diego(ok, that's my goal. hey, one can dream, right?) So, knowing that I will be moving again after about a year just makes me tired and lazy.

I've been uprooted a few times that I feel like I don't know where home is anymore. Philippines will always be called "back home", but when I am there, I feel like I don't belong there anymore. Sad to say, but everytime I come home for a visit, I just feel like a mere "visitor"--someone who will be going back to where I was before. San Diego is the place I called home for eleven years before I was convinced to move to Chicago. I admit I resisted liking this place at first, because I didn't want to leave the Philippines. But eleven years is more than enough time for this place to grow on me. I discovered its beauty(nice beaches, temperate climates) and accepted its flaws(expensive living). Two years have passed since I moved to Chicago, and I still haven't called it home. I enjoy this exciting and vibrant city. I love being able to take the bus to go downtown to windowshop and watch people. But I hate the weather, and the fact that my family is miles away. Soon I will be moving to Indianapolis. Will I love it there? Will it become a permanent place to live or will it be just a temporary one like Vince and I planned? Will I call it home or will I just be a visitor passing by? They say home is where the heart is. If that is so, as long as Vince and I are together, I should feel at home.

My Hospital Experience

Last Tuesday, I found myself in the receiving end of healthcare. I had an EGD(esophagogastroduodenoscopy or Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy-- a procedure done by inserting a long flexible scope in your mouth into the esophagus, stomach and duodenum to visualize the upper gastrointestinal tract.) My primary doctor referred me to the GI guy after my complaints of nausea, frequent heartburns and gas problems(belching...not the other end-- although either way, it's gross.) So, off I went to see Dr. S, the GI doc I know from my unit. He's a gentle doctor, always very nice to patients and staff. And very knowledgeable, too. So last Tuesday, after fasting since dinner, no food or drink, I woke up at 530 am to be at the hospital at 6 for my procedure at 7. I arrived at the hospital with so much apprehension. I knew that I would have a simple procedure. I would be given sedation, and be able to go home after recovery from the procedure the same day. Yet, the fact that I would be turning myself into the hands of the heathcare team was daunting. And the fear of finding the cause of my problems was greater.

After registering myself in the admission office, I went up to the GI lab. I was a little early, so there was no one in the unit, except for E. She showed me where I would wait, had me change into the hospital gown, and gave me something to read while waiting. As I lay down on the gurney, the big hospital gown swallowing up my small frame, I perused the celebrity magazines E gave me, but somehow reading Angelina's and Brad's vacation in Africa couldn't keep me from being nervous. Another nurse, M, came in and went over my medical history and had me sign a consent form for the procedure. While she was doing that, another nurse P, came and inserted an IV on me. P learned that I work on the 5th floor. And she said, "That's why you're here, 'cause your job is giving you an ulcer." We both laughed since we both know how busy my unit gets.


She and M, then wheeled me into the procedure room. M attached me to the monitors, took my vital signs; my BP was 120/68. I am normally on the 90s/50s. Dr. S, came and explained what we might find out from the procedure from my symptoms, blah, blah, blah.. By this time, I was already too anxious to listen and care, and just wanted to get the procedure over with. So finally, they made me lie down on my left side, E gave me oxygen, and M told me she would give me some Versed ( a sedation drug.) The last thing I remember was Dr. S inserting the tube in my mouth. Then I heard M telling me that the procedure was done, and that I did well. Then I was wheeled back to the waiting area to recover. I dozed on and off, M or P came to check on me a few times. Then after about an hour, I was more alert. P took the IV off my arm and told me that I could get dressed and wait for Dr. S for the results and instructions.

Dr. S came and told me the EGD showed reflux esophagitis( and hemorrhagic gastritis(inflammation of the stomach). Great, now I have to take medication everyday to reduce the acid and avoid caffeine. He also recommended low fat diet, as he said that fat tends to make the esophageal muscles weak, thus causing more reflux. Does that mean no more greasy Filipino foods? He also said no food three hours before bed. So that also means I will have to sleep an hour later on work days, when I go home around 8 and finish eating dinner at 9. I usually sleep at 11. Wow, this is going to be a major lifestyle change. Perhaps it's time to look for another job where I could eat my lunch on proper times, without inhaling it so I could go back to my work, and go home on time to have dinner early. Just some thoughts. Anyway, after Dr. S's instructions, Vince picked me up and brought me back to my apartment where I slept some more.

From this experience, I learned a few things:

• how nerve-wracking it is to have a procedure. So it is very important for me to educate the patient about the procedures(the more you know, the less scary it is) and give them reassurance.

• how uncomfortable the hospital gurneys are.

• it's better to be the caregiver than to be the receiver.
  

• how important it is to take care of my own health. I know what to do, and yet don't always do it.
  

Could Be

I got this from Marie's site:

Pick 5 occupations out of the list below and post my answers. I tag anyone who visits my blog. You can post your answers on your blog or on the comment section.

If I could be a scientist. If I could be a farmer. If I could be a musician. If I could be a doctor. If I could be a painter. If I could be a gardener. If I could be a missionary. If I could be a chef. If I could be an architect. If I could be a linguist. If I could be a psychologist. If I could be a librarian. If I could be an athlete. If I could be a lawyer. If I could be an inn-keeper. If I could be a professor. If I could be a writer. If I could be a llama-rider. If I could be a bonnie pirate. If I could be an astronaut. If I could be a world famous blogger. If I could be a justice on any one court in the world. If I could be married to any current famous political figure.

Here are my choices:
If I could be a chef, I would be a dessert chef and create delectable cakes and pastries. My family and friends would need to exercise more.
If I could be an athlete, I would be a figure skater. I love how beautiful and graceful figure skaters look. Plus, I would have great-looking legs and a nice butt.
If I could be a gardener, I would grow different varieties of orchids and tulips... my favorite flowers.
If I could be a scientist, I would do research and help discover cancer treatments.
If I could be a llama rider, I would save a lot on gas, but I would need a bunch of grass. (hey it rhymes!)

Doctor Appointments

Last week, I called my doctor's office to make an appointment for an initial check up. The person who picked up the phone did not introduce herself. After she took down my information such as name and insurance( I am a new patient) and scheduled me for the next day's appointment, I asked her if the doctor could also do a pap on me. She said, "yes, I can do that." I got a little confused because usually the Medical Receptionist or the Nurse take down appointments, so I asked, "Are you a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician Assistant?", since some doctors hire NP or PA to do some of their tasks. Then the lady said, "No, this is Dr. G." Ooops. I was impressed, though. Not many doctors answer their office calls or schedule their appointments.