The Haircut and a Swiss Army Knife

So, yesterday, my daughter and I went to get our hair done. This is a little something we do every couple of months or so on our "girl's day out." Anyway, I just love the German lady who does my hair- USUALLY! Yesterday, it seemed as though she was in a hurry to finish me up so she could leave for the day- I wish my work days ended in the middle of the afternoon. (Anyone that lives in Germany knows that "when the whistle blows" the Germans are DONE for the day. They never work one minute overtime- NO LIE!) Back on track, so I was getting the usual color, highlights, cut, and style. Now, my hairdresser does a good job, but she is a little sloppy with the color on occasion and dripped on my neck. She did not notice until the color had set (with heat) on my flesh. Not a big deal, except I have my hair cut very short in the back. She decides to scrub my precious skin with bleach and then shave my neck... OUCH----HELLLOOOO- chemical burn. I also have a slight burn on my cheek from the same thing (minus the shaving part).

Afterward, my daughter and I go about our day. By now she and my husband have generously pointed out the enormous red splotch on the back of my neck- mind you, I CAN and DO feel the spot burning like crazy. The day can only get better and it does... by the time bedtime rolled around, I decided that I could not take the discomfort any longer, and would just shower and apply antibiotic ointment to the area. As I am undressed in the bathroom, I grabbed my hand mirror to look at the burn before showering and noticed there was a "long spot" in my hair. Unable to let it go (it is the old cosmetologist in me) I thought, "Let me just snip this off before I shower!" Here is where the fun begins... Rather than get my hair scissors from the drawer on the other side of the bathroom (one step away), I opt for the SWISS ARMY POCKET KNIFE in the medicine cabinet. With mirror in one hand and SWISS ARMY KNIFE scissors in the other, I was ready for action.... that is when the knife slipped from my hand and headed straight for my bare breast, as I grabbed, it happened- I STABBED MYSELF IN THE *expletive* WRIST!!! That DID NOT and DOES NOT feel very good!! On a serious note, I am very fortunate to have not cut an artery, but I am not convinced that I did not injure a tendon. I pretty much shrieked, my husband responded with a, "What the hell were you doing?!?!?" and then proceeded to laugh as I lay crumpled on the bed in shear agony- still naked! (AWW, the love!) I never did get a shower, instead I re-dressed in case I might need an emergency transport to the ER.

Today, the chemical burns are better, but the wrist is extremely sore. Might I just say if there is anyone out there contemplating slicing their wrist(s)... don't do it- IT HURTS BAAAAAADDDD!

inSANE

I don't really have much to BLOG about today and am not in the right "frame of mind" to post an ethical question (besides, maybe those questions require too much thought, as I'm not getting much feedback), so I will just BLOG about my past week. Last week I was privileged to attend a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) course. This was a really big deal for me for a couple of reasons... 1) I have been working on my SANE certification for over a year now and 2) I am getting ready to move to a new assignment and the hospital I am currently at did not want to train me since I will not be staying here to benefit this facility. Basically, I had to do a little begging, but it paid off. So, Monday-Friday, I sat through long days of classroom lectures and videos of some pretty interesting and, at times, disturbing stuff. I have been learning how to collect Forensic Evidence from a victim of sexual assault. This is probably much more difficult than it sounds and is nothing like CSI makes it out to be. We did some role playing in class that was very difficult. Having been given scenarios, we were put in teams of three and were told to act out the part of the SANE, the victim, and an advocate. I can only imagine how hard it would be for an assault victim to come in and tell a perfect stranger of the atrocities that have taken place. I found it humiliating just acting out a scenario that was made up. As a trained medical professional, it is hard, as well, to use language that is on the level of the victim... because this is a medico-legal exam, you must remain unbiased throughout. I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in being a victim's advocate (this is the role of the caring/compassionate person) to contact their local emergency department or women's shelter to find out how you can volunteer. If you are associated with the military, contact your SARC (sexual assault response coordinator) to learn how to volunteer. To be an advocate, you do not need any medical background, just a kind, compassionate heart and a desire to give time to someone in need. This is not just a position for women, but men, too. There are many men out there who are assaulted who could use a helping hand in dealing with this crisis. This coming week, I have to go through a mock exam on a live model (who would volunteer for such a thing as vaginal speculum exam?!?!?) to prove my worthiness. I am very nervous about this part. As a NICU nurse, I do not really do adult assessments, so this is a new arena for me. Most others in the class are nurses that deal with adults, many from OB/GYN, labor and delivery, etc... Wish me luck and I will post later in the week to let y'all know how it goes.

Ethical Question #3

Well, here it is, the next BIG QUESTION! But first, I need to ask, how often should I post a new question? I am thinking one or two a week is good. Anyway, I guess I will just play it by ear until I get more feedback. So, here we go... "At what point does money stop making people happier and have you reached that point, yet?" I remember a time when I thought money held all of the answers. Sadly, for some folks I am related to, it seems they think it still does. When my husband and I were first married, we lived paycheck to paycheck, as many people do, and it was hard. At that time, I often thought if we just made a little more money life would be so much easier. I was wrong! Now, I am not saying we make a load of money these days. (Remember, we serve our country as military members!) As many of you know, this military thing is not some "get rich quick" scheme, more people would be knocking on recruiters' doors if that were the case! All I am saying is my husband is no longer an E-3 AND we are a dual military family now, so we do OK. Back to the question... As time has passed, I have come to realize that happiness comes in many forms and most of those have absolutely NOTHING to do with the almighty dollar! Take for instance my job as a NICU nurse. There is nothing more rewarding than being in a room when a new baby is born (you can actually feel the presence of the Lord) OR when a new father holds his baby for the first time- my all time favorite! Also, I get pure pleasure from being in the same room as my husband and kids, I could sit and soak them up for hours. I love them beyond belief!! Don't get me wrong, it is nice to not have to worry where our next meal is coming from, we can even eat out more than our fair share; but, that is NOT what makes me happy. I used to think that someday I would have my 1/2 million dollar home and my 7 carat diamond ring and all would be grand with the world. Not so anymore. All I want is for my children to be good, happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults and for my husband and I to have a good, loving relationship for many years to come.