So very tired...

I don't have the energy to be witty or creative right now, so I apologize in advance. I survived the infamous "first two weeks" of the term, but the stress is taking its toll! I took my second exam this morning, covering eight chapters that we managed to cram into our heads in the space of one measly little week. It was nice that Hypertension, Diabetes, and Peripheral Vascular Disease all went hand-in-hand, but some of the other chapters, like Anemias and Dyscrasias or Medication Management in the Elderly were their own little universes. Instead of having a single Pharmacology course, Chemeketa's program incorporates the medications into each disease chapter, so there's a lot of memorization required. (And could they possibly make those drug names any more similar?) I was up late once again, with poor Kevin struggling to keep his eyes open while he reviewed my 6+ tables of drugs and quizzed me on their actions and side effects. And for all this effort, I feel like I could have done better on that dang test! It was very difficult and I sat there forever, hemming and hawing over various answers, and some that I got correct were hard-won battles. But the ones I got wrong? Stupid! I usually miss the easy "Duh" questions, because I'm not paying attention. But, I need to stop being a perfectionist and just be happy that 1.) the test is over and 2.) I passed with a decent grade. I do feel like I really understood the material, and that's all that matters.

Now we get a 3-day weekend and clinicals will be starting soon, so they back off on the theory content. For example, our next test also covers eight chapters, but we get three weeks to learn the information instead of one. I haven't been sleeping well because my mind seems to think that sleeping is study-time being wasted; I either wake up every hour and stare at the alarm clock, or I have dreams about what we are studying, usually in relation to myself! After we covered wound care in Skills Lab, I dreamt that I had a horrible open wound inside my mouth and wasn't sure if I should try to treat it myself or get help. I'm not alone in this tendency... after we watched a video on sterile surgical technique, my friend Lala dreamt that she had to assist with a surgery on her own abdomen! I've also had dreams where all I'm doing is reciting drugs names and side effects. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've actually turned to Excedrin PM to drug myself into a stupor so I could briefly escape all this nursing information. (Unfortunately that makes getting up in the morning a lot more difficult. I can't win.) Needless to say, I'm ready for a break! I think I will do absolutely NOTHING today, except take naps, eat, and watch frivolous television. Have a great weekend!