The brain is still kicking! Called
in at midnight for a case, finally got the patient at almost 2am,
wheezy and tachy, so I call the anesthesiologist for orders and ask
DuoNeb, Albuterol, or Xopenex, and she says "Xopenex, because
that’s the one that doesn’t cause tachycardia right?" I
said "yes because it’s Lev-albuterol, it’s an Enantiomer of
the regular albuterol", and she goes "wow! I'm impressed!",
I just chuckle and reply "Yep, big words and everything at
2am!". Oddly enough I feel like an Enantiomer of myself
from 2 years ago: a stereoisomer that is a non-superimposable
mirror image – I'm still me, the nerdy critical care nurse who is
passionate about animals, coffee, good music, dry humor and fall
weather, but I am not the person I saw in the mirror 2 years ago –
I'm not grouchy, tired all the time, arguing with my husband,
depressed, and sleepy. Albeit being buried up to my eyeballs in
schoolwork, I manage to sneak in some fun in my free time, spending
quality time with friend and family, I do crafts, I bake, I go
outside. I feel appreciated at work, I feel like I contribute to
quality patient care, I feel like I actually matter and make a
difference. I can definitely handle 11 more months of school until I
graduate with my AG-ACNP. Hard to believe it's almost been 2 years
of school already; I am not only smarter academically, but also
smarter as a healthcare provider, smarter as an adult, more mature,
knowing a little bit more about which fights to pick and which to
ignore.
