Goodbye 2006

I realize that I am a week early bidding farewell to to the year, but I am expecting my schedule to be a bit busy next week, and I thought it better to be a week early than not at all. First let me say... 536 down, 14 to go!!!

The senior class of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nurse Anesthesia, graduated a week ago, and my class is now the senior class. It really does seem like the time has flown by, but at the same time it seems like we have been living in Pittsburgh for ever.
The course load at school is much more thin this semester. I have an anesthesia class, a research practicum, and an elective. Just one more week to go at the hospital in Clarion, PA. before moving on to Danville, PA. and Geisinger Hospital, for an 8 week rotation of CV surgery, Trauma surgery, Neuro Surgery, and Transplant Surgery. I always look forward to moving on to the next hospital because it feels like progress toward the final goal of graduation.

We have had a really great year, which was highlighted with a visit over the summer by my family over the summer. It was great to see Ralph, Gail, and Becky, and to travel around the northeast to see some of the sights. I hope we have the opportunity to do it again before our time here is over.
Being so far away from friends and family also has a negative side.
My dad had another knee replacement surgery this fall. Something must have gone really wrong with the proceedure, because he ended up requiring several blood transfusions, but in the end everything came out fine.
Fae continues to fight her metastatic cancer. I don't know where she gets her strength from. George tried to pull an Elvis, and is now the proud owner of a pace maker. The nurses in Edmonton are a bunch of dough heads. I tried to get some answers to some simple questions, and everyone's answer was either; "I don't know", or "It's not my job". I don't know whether it is a "union mentality" (as in, it's not my job), or whether they just don't want to be bothered by families asking questions. I mean really, I asked the ER nurse what the ECG looked like, and she said she didn't know how to read them. An ER nurse!? Go back to school if that's true you retard.
My mom's brother Gil was diagnosed with stomach cancer a few weeks ago, and by accounts it is very far advanced. I called the hospital in Milk River, AB. and had a nice chat with him. He sounded tired, morphine has a tendency to do that to you, but very lucid. I haven't seen him in about 3 years, and won't get the chance to see him again. I really enjoyed our brief talk.

Adam is doing well in school and scouts. He is now taller than his mom. Susan and Adam are looking into the possibility of moving back to Idaho over the summer, since that is where we are planning of ending up after school is over. The kicker would be that they would have to be self-supporting, because I couldn't cover all of the expenses on my student loans. Adam has not really enjoyed our time here in PA. Standing at the bus stop with 13/14 year old, chain smoking, foul mouthed kids kind of bums him out. He gets along well with his friends in the ward, but mostly spends his time at home with mom and dad (which we really enjoy).

I am looking forward to the New Year. I haven't heard anything about the trip to Cambodia recently, but I am hopeful that it will materialize in March. There is also the possibility of doing a rotation in West Virginia over the summer, instead of back at Shady Side Hospital, where I spent part of last summer. Either way, it's all good.

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy New Year.