Where has the time gone???

Sorry I have not posted much as of late, it has been CRAZY busy here in my world.

July- Sarah's wedding, Maggie's wedding and coming back to Germany where the hospital was busy!!

Aug- still busy, went on a few day trips, had a birthday, Kate came and visited for a spell then went on to see her family!!

I will post the pictures from all the events I have done so y'all can see all the cool stuff I have seen!!

Just to show you HOW crazy it is here I've included a picture of me driving in Scotland (will get to that in a moment) on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I was sooooooo stressed at that time...but not enough to not smile for a close up!!)

Love,

Me

Meeting new people

I got to meet the first female four star General, Gen Ann Dunwoody the other day

June well what has happened so far

June has been a good month for me. I have been here in Germany now nine months, yeah a number that does not escape me. So in nine months my new life here has grown into something I can be pound of. The work at the hospital gives me a great deal of pride in my profession. As some of y'all may know becoming a nurse was a bit of a leap for me. I was not the type of gal or person (just to keep it pc here folks) who has always wanted to be a nurse since they were small. I was just driving home from a friends house in TN one summer (I had already been at UT for two years at this point) when God and I had a little talk and I decided to become a nurse from then on.


Who knew that one little talk and a few years of school would have me living in Germany taking care of our Nations heroes!!!!!! I just wanted to thank everyone of y'all for your support!


And now for more pictures, come on its the real reason people visit blogs we love the pretty pictures and music!







Our town

Inch, Ireland

Maggie and I



Me on the coast of Ireland

Maggie and I at Ladies View point

On the border of Kerry and Cork Ireland

Driving the circle of Kerry

Too funny!!




I have tons more but these are some of the highlights of the trips.

May (wow I got behind again)

So just in case you are wondering I am doing well. Have had a few weeks between now and the last time I wrote that were pretty heavy work wise. It seems to be feast or famine in the amounts of patients we have. Some days we have all locals whom have bogus chest pain (aka indigestion) that the our doctors here like to put in the ICU. Other days we are busting at the seams with vents, burns, blast wounds etc. I have learned to roll with it and am enjoying myself here learning new things each and every day!

Enough talk here are some pictures from the month of May;

Milan Italy

Me on Como Lake

Rhonda and I at Lake Como, Italy

A view of Milan from the top of the Domo


Rhoda and I on top of the Domo

Milian city center

Pray all is well with y'all!!!

Visitors

We had some senators visit the Unit the other day and so we (just a few of us) took a picture with the Illinois Senator who happened to have had a son who was injured down range and was taken treated at LRMC. Just thought I would share. There were more people there but mostly this groups is nurses, doctors, techs and of course the Senator.

So as my dad was in town so were my friend Rhoda's parents. So like any good kids who need to find ways to keep your folks entertained we took them to dinner together!!

Pa comes to town

My dad came to visit me this past week or so. I was very excited to see him since really in January I don't recall much of our get together since I was so sick. I did have to work two of the days here was here but no worries he found things to do. Such as build me a shrunk!! On my days off we went to Heidelberg, Trier and then for three days went up to Holland.

Trier

Heidelberg

Holland

I have a million pictures of all the flowers and tulips but I will not bore you with them now. On a side note I accidentally erased every picture in Holland and Amsterdam till we were at the tulip fields, yes I was very sad!!! When my dad left yesterday he took the chip to see if he could recover the files ie the wonderful pictures I had taken. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

In review

Let me think back and share with you my family all the things I have done this past month while I have stepped away from the computer.

In the beginning of March I switched to a new team, team 2. They work days which is agreeing with me ten times better than nights for my mental health. I adored my team on nights (team 4)and they will of course be my family here and I am sure I will stay in touch with them as time goes by. Working nights in Germany was a bit hard just due to nothing being open after six or seven. It was also a bit hard this winter since I really never got to see sunlight due to our geographical location in the world. All is well now and I am loving seeing sunlight. As I told my boss flowers need sunlight to grow me being the flower that is.

St. Patrick's day here is just as festive as it is in the states

I have had my first visitors here in my new home. The first being Flat Ava from Cincinnati

The second visitor being my father whom I will be so kind as to devote a whole post to!

Life is going smoothly so far and the traveling is picking up. Dad and I just did Holland and parts of Germany. I will be going to Ireland next month and possibly Barcelona come June.

Just me

Yeah Just me, just thought I would pass a decent picture along. Love each and every one of ya!!

Rachel

aka Rockstar of Landstuhl

News links

A video of what our process over here looks like



http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1407952648/bctid1664436922

The Nurse

This is a poem that sits in my front hall that was given to my by Mrs. Z whom I took care of while she was undergoing chemo for breast cancer. She was given this poem when she graduated from nursing school and then gave it to me when I graduated. I treasure it beyond words.

The Nurse


The world grows better year by year,
Because some Nurse in her little sphere,
Puts on her apron and smiles and sings,
And keeps on doing the same old thing.


Taking the temperatures, giving the pills,
To remedy mankind's numberless ills,
Feeding the baby, answering the bells,
Being polite with a heart that rebels.


Longing for home and all the while,
Wearing the same old professional smile,
Blessing the newborn babe's first breath,
Closing the eyes that are still in death.


Taking the blame for the doctor's mistakes,
Oh dear, what a lot of patience it takes,
Going off duty at seven o'clock,
Tired, discouraged and ready to drop.


But called back on special at seven fifteen
With woe in her heart, bit must not be seen,
Morning and evening and noon and night,
Just doing it over and hoping it's right.


When we lay down our caps and cross the bar,
Oh Lord, will you give us just one little star,
To wear in our crowns with our uniforms new,
In that city above where the Head Nurse is you.

*The picture above is "Night Vigil," by Robert Benney

Madrid

I had the wonderful pleasure of going to see Kate in Madrid about two weeks ago. I must admit it was just what this gal needed. The sun was out, the temp was just right to walk around in a light coat and nice pretty scarf, what more can a girl ask for!! Not only for the reasons listed above but also to just to see a familiar face and just totally relax and be your self!! Also with the odd work schedule that we have here it feels like (esp with working nights) you don't really get days off. So taking a small vacations is how you make sure you keep your head on straight.

Here are a few pictures

Bowling with my homies

So as a farewell get together for an AWSOME nurse Jeanie team four, my team went bowling and we had FUN!!!





Love y'all
Rachel

The next up date should be really FUN since I am headed to Madrid in the am!!

You are not alone

In my line of work everyone knows you can't do it alone. Where I am now is no different, you need support.

There is an organization that I truly am humbled by and would like to make sure their support is appreciated. The Soldiers' Angels is whom I am talking about. They not only take the time to make care packages, have quilts for wounded soldiers, food and all the other items a person might need. They also take care of the staff. If we really needed something they can get it for us. Not only do they have material items in their arsenal they also have a huge heart of gold. I have seen a Soldiers' Angel sit and hold the oxygen mask while trying to make sure a Marine had a means to get a hold of his family. Their mottos is "may no soldier go unloved" and they truly do a good job of following this.



Being in the ICU I can be rather focused on my patient and not see the people at the desk or that come and check on the unit since really they don't talk to the nurses much. The SA are not of that habit though. They ask how you, yes you the nurse are doing, will wait till you come out of your room to talk to you no matter how long. I truly believe they really do want to know how I am. In all honesty I have met only two people from SA being on nights, that being said they put in far more hours than it seems humanly possible. I am unsure how "big" the staff is but they do get stuff done!

I am truly humbled by their dedication.

As many of you know I have done packages once a month for about five years sent to the troops down range and away from family. I just wanted to pass on this site to see if while I am here in Germany you might continue this tradition for me. Please Adopt a Soldier and send a few items.

http://soldiersangels.org/

On a personal note let me tell you why I think doing this is important and what for me it is like to get mail over here. It adds a little pep to your step as you walk to the mail room just thinking there might be a little slip in your mail box or a letter from a loved one. Then there is that moment when you see that you do in fact have a mail. If you happen to have a little white slip then that means there is a package and you go get in line to pick it up. Everyone in line is the same weather you are a young baby faced soldiers or a old high ranking official. Its not really the content of the box that give you the trill. It the sweet knowledge that someone took the time to think about you. I have yet to see anyone no matter how small the package or letter put it in their backpack. Nope you carry that box or envelope the long way to your car!!!!! That is how I see the whole scene play out and that is in Germany not further away like Iraq is.



Thank you for putting up with my looooonnnnggg post and please check out the site.

Love ya,
Rachel