Back to school.

I absolutely love my job.  I went to nursing school specifically to be a L&D nurse.  (I'm not a huge fan of being around actually *sick* people.  Stop laughing, yes, I am a good nurse, in fact, I've been referred to as an excellent nurse.)  But fifteen years later, it's beginning to take it's toll on my physical body.  (And heart, and mind...as goes our bedtime prayer.)  I spent a good portion of this past summer off work due to having my left foot pretty much reconstructed.  No, it was NOT fun, Texas in the summer is waaay hot.  And now I have a hip giving me trouble...I'm a little young for this, YES, I'm speaking to you, my joints, bones and tendons!  There is nothing as thrilling as being a part of a family's welcome to a new baby.  I haven't kept track of how many births I've been a part of over the years, but it never, ever gets old.  Each delivery is amazing and exciting.  I love that part of my job.  

I used to love the fact that I spent 36 hours a week literally running most of the day.  It kept my weight down - God only knows what I would weigh if I didn't work labor and delivery!   But I ache now, when I come home at night.  I ache walking up the stairs to our bedroom.  My back aches..my feet hurt, in spite of the best shoes I can find.  My hip throbbing wakes me up at night, and I can't sleep on that particular side.  This is not cool, I'm way too young for this kind of physical difficulty.  My family lives forever, trust me, and is in great shape.  My 97 year old Grandfather is getting around better than me, at this point!   So it's time.

I always thought to myself I'd go back to school "when the baby is older."  That baby is now 22, and I THINK he can deal with it.  That is meant quite sarcastically - I hear from him maybe once every two months, unless I track him down with kidding-veering-into-threatening emails, phone messages, and MySpace messages.  Is there a reason he won't add me to his Facebook?  Gee, I wonder.  :)

So - I start in a few weeks....an online RN to BSN program that will take me a little over a year. Of course, the Overachiever Within will probably try to rush that part of the process along.  Nearly five years later after my huge cognitive thinking overhaul, she's still there.   But we get along better now, and she doesn't run the show the way she used to.  After I finish the BSN program, I am going to do some sort of graduate program, and I'm not certain in which direction yet.  I have a year to think about this.  I would love to go into clinical psychology, counseling, therapy...something along those lines.   The other direction I could go into is CRNA, (challenging! interesting! but might involve working nights for a time! which I do not ever want to do again!) but I'd have to go out of town for schooling, and I'm not crazy about that idea.   I had toyed with the idea of being a PA years ago, I'll look into programs for that that are local.  I'm hoping to find a new career that is interesting, challenging, and easier on my body.  I'm praying for guidance and - I've got a year to decide.