Dimple's Discoveries

I am no longer a Certified Nursing Assistant. Even as I type this post it hasn't quite sunk in. No more will I answer a call light, use a Hoyer, or assist with a straight catheter. I have officially resigned from one of my jobs, and I can honestly say that job has changed my life. The work I've done, the patients I've cared for, the coworkers I've loved, it has altered my life in a way that nothing else could, and I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the blessing of working there. There were ups and downs, tears and laughter, good days and bad, but it will never be forgotten. So many people there have touched my heart and taught me lessons that will never fade from memory. I want to name a few of them and the lessons they taught me, more for my sake than for anyone reading. Jared : who patiently taught me maintenance skills and was always kind to me, no matter how bad his day was. Susan and Barbara : who cheered me up countless days with their bright smiles,...

I am working as a CNA for the last time (I know I've said that before, but I'm heading back to school to begin my new job as an admissions counselor on campus, so now it's official) and I had forgotten: forgotten how satisfying it is to help a patient, to provide for their needs, to leave them happier than when they called you; however, I had also forgotten how utterly frustrating it can be to be unable to provide the care you would personally love to give, how aggravating it can be to run for 9 hours and feel like you haven't even made a dent in the cares you should, how emotional it can be to stand by the bedside of someone in pain and realize you could have cared for better had you only had the time. Missing one of my friends named, but I'll post a picture once he and I take one together! :) But most importantly I found that I had forgotten what treasured friendships I have at my job. I have a coworker who I love dearly who is like family to me, and she is ...

As caregivers, we tend to be loving people. This means that we frequently get hurt. You'll find that caregivers across the board will have the biggest hearts of anyone you could ever meet. Who else could care for patients who can be crude, harsh, cruel, and even abusive for hours on hours without mirroring the same? The weakness of the caregiver is that they feel too much, care for too many, they give of themselves to so many people that they are often getting hurt by those they care for. Why is that big of a heart a problem? Well, patients die. People change. Friends walk away. It's all a part of life. Caregivers have a hard time letting go, even when it is time. I was sent a forwarded email one time that this reminds me of, it's called "A reason, a season, a lifetime". It talks about how we are sent others in our life for a reason, such as to help us through a problem, a season, to guide us through a season or period of change, and finally, once or twice a lif...

Tuesday night was a pretty exciting night. My roommates, my close friend and I were trying to decide what to do for the night's entertainment. Wrestling matches ensued, and we were having fun Indian leg wrestling each other. Indian leg wrestling is laying side by side with your heads opposite each other, link arms and connect legs and try to flip each other over. I threw one roommate twice, then challenged another roommate. I flipped her once, and then we went one more round. This one didn't go quite so well. I got pinned in fetal position on my neck for a few seconds, and when I sat up, I knew something was wrong~I had full movement, no tingling or anything, but the pain was dizzying, from the crown of my head down to the bottom of my shoulder blades. I sat for a moment, then carefully laid back down. After a few minutes we started the movie and I started cryotherapy in an attempt to numb the pain and lower any swelling. By the end of the movie I knew I needed a priesthood ble...