Friday, October 17, 2014

What I'm learning about that will help me post ebola

Guess you could say I'm a bit obsessed. Much to hubby's disapproval. He thinks I'm over reacting.

But being prepared for the shit hitting the fan (SHTF) could mean the difference between life and death in a few months time.

Tampons will be more beneficial than just stemmin the flow of my menstrual cycle - it can be used as a bandage if the gauze is split open flat and applied to the wound.

Nylon can be used for filtering or as a tourniquet rataher than on my legs.

Fruit cake is an excellent food source to hoard as you don't have to worry about storage because it will last outside cling wrap or storage containers for MANY a years and it's high calories (if a bit empty).

For heating a room - put black plastic bags on the windows - but leave a gap in the bottom and the top - that way the cold air is drawn into the bottom gap, is heated and flows out the top gap.... thereby heating the room.

Did you know that snow with a red tinge is bad for you?! Don't know why exactly but don't eat it or you'll regret it!

You're going to want to keep warm - boil water, heat or even cook some food - in order to do that you're going to have to make a fire..... a couple of tips from survivorman -
1. Use cotton balls and petroleum jelly to create a fire long enough to ignite wood
2. Use corn chips as well
3. Did you know that DUCT TAPE will work too?!
4. You're going to want to bring your fire with you so that you don't have to go through the steps all over again at your next stop..... so bring cigars with you - a puff here and there will keep it ignited
5. If you think it's going to rain, build a big fire and then put big pieces of wood on top and protect the fire as much as you can and that way you don't have to rebuild and sacrifice valuable resources!
6. If you don't have cigars, make your own with wood products and simply roll a big enough package of them into a giant cigar.

I just hope I can make it to my parents cottage in time instead of trying to make it through the winter weather on foot because you knkow that if you don't leave early enough EVERYONE is trying to be leaving as well and you'll end up stuck where you are. If you leave too late then you're going to get screwed over because then you'll experience anarchy where everyone is trying to take from everyone else... and I don't want to be on the receiving end of that crap storm. If by some unfortunate possibility, I don't make it before hand or I only get part of the way there, then that means I have to somehow get my family north by foot - and it take 8 hrs by CAR... so just imagine how long it will take if we have to go by foot. Also - how in the world are we going to survive the wilderness in the WINTER?!

So ya, I'm worried - just a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee bit..... and personally I think everyone should be. Ebola isn't being stopped in its tracks and that means it WILL spread to here in North America. It's only a matter of time where it's not being contained over here as well. Time shall tell really.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Ebola should scare everyone!

I don't know how many people are paying any attention to the news... Check out this most recent report Ebola is out of control and its effect on nations. Don't think just because we're a 1st world country that it won't be the SAME THING! Schools will shut down, as will hospital - look how many health care professionals are losing their lives because of this virus.... you honestly think ppl will VOLUNTEER to care for the sick when they have families that they don't want to infect.

You better believe that the first signs I see of infection in my province I am hightailing it out of here! I WILL go north - to my hometown - so that we can ride out the storm and SURVIVE! Yes I became a nurse to help others but this virus is going to kill BILLIONS of ppl before it is stopped or putters out. If you don't believe that you're nucking futz. Hell, the CDC believes that 1.4 million are going to contract this virus by January - right now that number sits at approx. 5 THOUSAND right now (though they don't quite know because these countries have a lot of back countries and so numbers being reported aren't exactly accurate by any  means) - so rest assured that they are UNDER reported... but that's besides the point.

The point being that the numbers are only going to exponentially go further out of control. Just you wait and see. Things are so close to out of control - and yet things are being downplayed so to not create riots - though those are coming as well. It's just a matter of time. Hubby is STILL in denial tho.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Dead in the water.... and Ebola

I've gotten the official word that I'm dead in the waters for this semester. I couldn't make clinical work out to get to the university so now I have to start from scratch next semester. I'm so pissed I got screwed over. I hate that clinical objectives are subjective. At no point am I being told that I'm a bad nurse, or are showing bad skills - quite the opposite. I was told that I'll make a great critical care nurse but that the hospital I was in was run by physicians and once you set that in motion, then you're doomed. Man I feel fucked over!

I guess the only good part about this is that I will have the time to dedicate to the elective I'm taking. Especially because I felt overwhelmed taking the elective with the nursing course. I felt like I had to dedicate all my time to the nurse course and so of course the elective took the brunt of the hit. The only lucky thing is is that my mark hasn't suffered (yet) because of it.

Now changing gears....

I tried to have a serious talk with the hubby this AM after he came home from work.... about Ebola. I'm not sure how many of you have Ebola on your radar but you should! I've been watching things and I am afraid of what I'm seeing.

For those of you who don't know, the rates of Ebola are doubling every 21 days - almost literally. I don't put myself up as being very adept at writing about this sort of thing. Another person on the web is though.... Aesop is quite proficient at scaring the shit out of me. The great thing is that it is entirely realistic.

Population as well as the press are stupid if they think that Ebola will stay contained in Africa. Yo ppl, wake the fuck up, it's coming across the pond and doing so soon! Once it does, don't be surprised at the swiftness that it spreads. It's VIRULENT!!! Like as in 70% of the ppl infected DIE!

I tried to explain this sort of thing to my husband - who is a biochem major - and he LAUGHED AT ME!!!!!!!!! Wow was I furious! I couldn't believe how foolish he is to think that it won't come to Canada! It's already come to the US so what makes him think that it'll stay on their side of the border?!

Frankly, all this makes me want to run north to my mommy's cottage and stock pile a whack load of food and hope for the best! Hubby said that he wants to wait another two months to find out whether it will be contained on the other side of the world.

I'm willing to wait a bit but man am I nervous. When I was at clinical I got together with a girlfriend and talked to her about Ebola. Now, I'm in healthcare.... I know nothing about how to get by without modern things - I certainly don't know how to break down wheat into flour, make my own soap, etc... So how the hell would I get by in the world if 70% of the world's population died?! I'm not sure I would want to. However, who's to say that I wouldn't be one of the 30% who survive or are immune to this (unlikely tho cuz I'm pretty sure I have an autoimmune disorder - more on that in another post - I have an appt with an immunologist for November so we'll see how that goes).

Would I really want to live in a world where my husband or my children no longer are around - where I'm all alone? Or what if my parents die? How in the world do I survive? I suppose I could go live around the memonite (there's a community of them outside my parent's city) and learn from the experts.

The good thing about being up by my parents is that there's an ample supply of firewood and fresh water, and quite a bit of land to potentially get food to survive - so at least it has that going for it. Too bad it's 8 hrs away and there's no way that my husband would allow us to stockpile gasoline and we would need two tanks of gas to get to my parents.... so how in the world do I convince hubby of the seriousness of this situation???? ANY ideas are appreciated!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

I'm so pissed and embarrased

Hubby thinks I should keep things to myself. However, this is my blog and it's my story and frankly I need to get it off my chest.

I was failed for clinical because they didn't like me!!! I was failed because I was too much of an eager beaver!!! Because I am too assertive!!! Is that enough punctuation marks for you?!

I'm pissed at them... and at myself that I can't keep my emotions in check. That I am passionate about being a nurse and trying to get my BSN.

Hubby warned me that my placement had stuff on the internet that indicated that they are known to be like this.... of course this was the last day that he informed me of this. And it was rather too late to do anything about it.

I can't believe that I get 3 1/2 yrs into my degree again and this sort of thing happens and puts a big stop to it. I can't believe I'm being stopped again. All because clinical is subjective.

At no point was anything that was told to me about whether I was a bad nurse/incompetent - just that I rubbed people the wrong way. And that they were under the impression that I was there to OBSERVE and not actually DO anything!!!! like WTH???!!!! What clinical placement is observational?!

The only upside is that my clinical faculty advisor sees things as being primarily interpersonal and is willing to give me a second chance.

Unfortunately, she wants me to come to the university but I can't get a temporary license because I can't get one of the aspects required for it and so now I think I'm pretty screwed. I will find out tomorrow I guess. I don't know what options I have now :(

I had difficulty finding a hospital in the first place and now I can't do placement at this one (not that I want to anymore). UGH!!!! WHY MUST THIS BE SO HARD????????