In our last "news", we wrote about the possibility of getting into the medical profession. Andrea wanted to become a nurse, and I decided to work in a related field--sonography. These fields were close enough for us to share medical experiences and education, but different enough to keep us out of each other's hair
Andrea is now an RN, working full-time for Mission Hospitals as a cardiac specialist in the stepdown pool. This means she is sent from place-to-place, depending on where she is most needed. It's nifty in many ways: She picks the days she wants to work (or, rather, nights), which she arranges so that we have (or, at least had) lots of time together.
At least, that was the plan until she started back to school again in search of higher degrees in nursing, ultimately shooting for her Masters. Maybe she'll become a Nurse Anesthetist, or a Nurse Geneticist, which would allow her to put some of her training as a biologist to work. She is attending Western Carolina University, and loving every minute of it.
At the moment, she is working with a mentor for her practicum management course. She loves her mentor, Ramona Whichello, who is the Chief of Nursing and VP for Mission Hospitals, and is a also a member of the North Carolina Board of Nursing. Andrea spends a lot of time with her; last week she rode with her for a series of meetings in Raleigh and this week, she is in Chicago for an interesting program concerning the transition from education to practice. She is still working full-time, too. What a ball of energy . . . and intensity. I am very proud of her.
I discovered after one term that I was no caregiver. You either is, or you isn't. Too bad, in a way; I was at the head of my class and sonography was the toughest class to get into. Only ten made it. I dropped, and a fellow submariner, Mark, committed suicide. I feel bad about taking a seat that someone who was truly motivated would have done a better job of filling. But not as bad as I would feel pursuing a career that I would have hated.
I work out five or six days a week with my buddy, Pete Nielsen. Pete is a NC Trooper, and he is responsible for physically shaping new troopers up. He is a great trainer; every session with him is a near-death experience. My weight has yo-yo'd down and up. I was at 172 a couple of years ago, now I am at 200. A bit of that is muscle, but a lot of that rides my belt. I think it's because I drink too much booze watching TV while Andrea is on the night shift. That's gotta change.
I'll re-join Mensa again too, I expect. Be nice to mix in a little mental stimulation beyond just fretting over our investments. As you would expect, we gave up the apartment and cars in Bregenz. We are full-time Ashevillians again, which is lovely until the wintery winds howl across the top of our mountain.
What do you think? E-mail us and let us know.
February 21, 2007