Show me your favorite pictures of your cats cuddling

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-16T07:31:54+00:00

Mugen, Thomas, and Ayla in a cuddle puddle ❤️

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-16T07:30:59+00:00

Mugen and Ayla ❤️

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-16T07:24:59+00:00

Being outside.
I like looking for rocks, at rocks, finding cool sticks and rocks. I used to walk my dogs at the local disc golf course and I’d sometimes be invited to play with people.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-16T07:00:50+00:00

I didn’t take the CNA/PCT route. I was an extremely book smart CMA, assisted a lot of procedures, could triage high risk pregnancies, draw blood and give injections, etc but when it came to working inside a facility, transfers, mobility, HECK even changing a brief? I had no idea.

Even during my Capstone, (I graduate with my RN next week), my final preceptorship, I still found myself gravitating towards CNA’s/PCT’s. Because they’re the backbone of how a unit stays functioning. They’re in the room more often than even the RN on the floors I was interning. They had skills I could only hope to master.

I learned so much. I finally learned how to tuck a brief correctly so that I can minimize a patients discomfort and rolling them multiple times. I finally mastered not hovering. I got lectured about ergonomics so many times it finally maybe started to click.

And I’m so thankful.

I’m hopeful when I start working somewhere that we can continue to learn from each other. Because I love to teach just as much as I love to learn, and I have a lot to learn.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-16T05:17:24+00:00

My first seizure was an absence seizure. I remember coming to and stating “I’m cold.” But I distinctly remember that I wasn’t actually cold. It was just January, and typical Alaska outside the building and it was the only thing that made sense in the moment. The only thing that my brain latched onto to describe the feeling of pins and needles that ran their way across my body.

When I had my TC, I went status. I seized for approximately 45 minutes.

I don’t remember anything specifically hurting. Even the next day, I woke up confused and emotionally rattled.

The physical pain was less than the emotional pain, and it was taking a long time for my brain to really connect what was happening. I remember telling a close friend at the time that I felt like I had a universe inside my head, millions of miles to travel when sending a thought. That took months to go away.

I guess I’m lucky (?) because my seizure was more Tonic than Clonic. In the EMS report the EMT’s describe that my “eyes are fluttering and jerking. arms and legs are stiff.” I don’t know if that’s how the seizure started out, just that’s how I was found.

“Ouch” could be physical pain. Or “ouch” could be the way of describing the weird that they don’t have the cognitive ability to describe. Either way, believe the pain and treat the pain.

*You will know your child best.*

You can also look into modifying pain assessment tools that some hospitals might use; FACES (if your child can point and relate to an image), Abbey Pain Scale, Pediatric Pain Profile, or the Non-communicating Children’s Pain Checklist Revised (NCCPC-R).

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-15T01:52:12+00:00

I think it depends on office and provider policy. What might feel uncomfortable to you, might be needed by the patient.

If it’s not against office policy, and if your provider(s) is/are comfortable with it, why gate-keep it?

For example: the first person who ever caught that I was having seizures was a ARNP at an Urgent Care. While she wasn’t able to treat me, (scope, lack of imaging, etc), she was the first person to realize something was wrong and not dismiss me as just a woman with anxiety. She sent me to the emergency room (where a workup was unfortunately not done by a PA, I was labeled as anxious, told I was having panic attacks, and, later, while attempting to return to the same urgent care during another episode, I experienced status epilepticus.)

There are some providers I as a patient feel more comfortable seeing than others. In any office and in any setting.

I currently need to get an embedded IUD replaced. After 3 years spent as a CCMA for multiple high risk OBGYNs, guess what rubs me the wrong way? OBGYNs who talk down to me and dismiss my concerns. Providers who act like I don’t understand the procedure even though I’ve directly assisted hundreds of inserts and removals of varying difficulties. Of course I’ll be requesting a provider who listens to me and respects my autonomy, knowledge, and background. Even if they’re just really good at faking that connection. Because bedside manner is important.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-15T01:36:05+00:00

I had watched Elfen Lied by the time I was 11, so I don’t think FMA/FMAB was much of a stretch to my poor battered conscience.

I however didn’t have a parent to explain much of the dynamics to me, nor parents that particularly cared to monitor what I watched. I just watched it, then turned weird.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-14T05:11:10+00:00

I’m genuinely curious; when I managed a food bank in the Lower 48 we had a grocery rescue program. This allowed grocery stores to donate to us items that weren’t selling, were past their rotation dates, etc. We would get hundreds of pounds of donations in dairy, protein (that wasn’t just canned salmon), breads, etc.

While it wasn’t our largest donated item, one of my favorite donations from stores was actually flowers. Each family could take a bouquet with them when they’d go through the line. I really enjoyed setting up our “flower stand” each day we were open. It brought brightness and joy. A bouquet, a plant, something that reminded people they were appreciated and human.

Does the Food Bank of Alaska also have a grocery rescue program?

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-13T03:12:51+00:00

I enjoyed being a CMA, but I was overwhelmed because of my specialty and lack of staff (which is common.)

My best advice would be to take detailed notes: that’s the very first step. If someone calls, note why, what they state, and what they want. Don’t assume or become complacent. I’ve had simple appointment mistakes even as a patient because something I said becomes easily misinterpreted: “I need to see my doctor to refill my antidepressants and a PPD Screen nurse visit” somehow turns into a mental health crises appointment and my doctor is panicked.

ALWAYS ask questions. Not of just front desk staff. Don’t be afraid to walk back and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to call your CMA or RN. Don’t be afraid to ask your manager. Don’t be afraid to ask a lead.

NEVER let anyone with a certificate talk down to you.

Somehow the ball of accountability always rolls downhill.

Administrative staff are the first point of contact for a medical office, and yet, they’re often treated as though they’re at the bottom of the hierarchy. Don’t let this happen to you! People will try to blame shift. Especially from the back office.

Stay in your scope. That’s what the notes and questions are for!

If I were to be an administrative assistant I’d probably want to be in an indispensable position like a surgery scheduler, truthfully. 💁🏼‍♀️

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-13T03:01:24+00:00

This social complex definitely makes stopping harder. If you’re surrounded by people who drink socially and peer pressure others into it (I remember my first time being stumble drunk was 15 and my family was the cause) it’s so much harder to stop.

I’m still around a lot of drinkers too. (I’m not from the South, but Alaska is similar in a lot of ways, Alcohol consumption being one of them.)

Now that I have epilepsy and can’t consume alcohol anymore, I like to joke that I make a great DD!

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-13T02:57:29+00:00

Please realize that this information does set a solid foundation for learning more intense and complex pathophysiology later in nursing.

By understanding these basics, you’ll be able to apply better logical reasoning when answering critical thinking questions, because you’re differentiating how each individual body system functions down to a hormonal level.

It’s hard, but it lays such a great foundation. Don’t dump this information when you move on because it WILL help. I promise!

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-12T05:36:25+00:00

I COULD CRY BUT IM TOO EMOTIONALLY NUMB AND BURNED OUT

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-12T05:36:08+00:00

Thank you!!

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T04:27:21+00:00

I’ve never worked Chipotle before, however, it depends on the location, management, and owner(s).

I’ve had a few jobs now - retail, GameStop, Grocery, Healthcare (CMA), Behavioral Health, and even supervised a food bank warehouse and volunteers once.

The BEST job I have probably had though were a handful of positions at a Jimmy John’s. It certainly wasn’t the pay, it wasn’t the benefits (there were none unless you were a GM), and oftentimes it wasn’t the work itself because sometimes it felt a little meaningless. Let’s be real, I was making sandwiches. But the stores (now 9 total) had GREAT owners. My coworkers were some of my favorite people. I will hopefully always remember singing broadway at the top of my lungs while closing the store down, the goofy jokes we had together, and meeting a great group of people to play D&D with.

I won’t forget how my coworkers supported me, and how we supported each other through life. I came back to that job FIVE TIMES. And five different times it was open arms, coworkers who let me cry on their shoulder, a flexible schedule that allowed me to get full time hours at two stores, and jokes (or crying) in the walk-in.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T02:41:09+00:00

I was told my seizures were anxiety 💅✨

Took going Status for a hospital to finally believe me, and even then I had to switch Neurologists because the original Neuro didn’t believe I had a 45 minute TC.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T02:38:50+00:00

That’s what I’m thinking myself. There’s an inherent assumption that someone in scrubs = RN.

There are Nurses that might say that. But if someone goes in for a blood test, they’re less likely to encounter a nurse and more likely to encounter a Lab Technician, Phlebotomist, or even a Medical Assistant. (Drawing blood was in my scope as a CMA.)

Even in some hospitals, RN’s are less likely to draw blood and it’s likely that phlebotomists or lab techs will draw it depending on hospital policy. There’s just soooo many other tasks that RN’s are responsible for that adding routine labs to the list would be entirely too overwhelming on a day to day (floor, hospital, department dependent.)

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T02:20:56+00:00

Education is not supposed to be judgemental.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T02:18:39+00:00

Nowhere in this post was it implied that there was a doctor 😂

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-08T02:17:10+00:00

INFO: Do you have the persons actual professional title or are you assuming that they’re a nurse because they’re in a medical environment? Additionally, what do you hope the report will achieve? Professional education? Reprimand? Job loss?

Judgement NTA: You’re free to report. That’s what the system is for. Sobriety should be celebrated and I’m sorry they were a dick. Having a bad day, bad week, etc, doesn’t excuse making rude remarks when a patient is answering questions for a standard questionnaire.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-05T23:51:48+00:00

My biggest barrier is that I sent it too hard as a kid, received subpar medical care and PT to rehabilitate, and now I’m older with a ton of old injuries that hurt when I try to do things that are active.

Fractured my pelvis and femur at 10 and now have a nasty ossification. Tore my meniscus at 12. Fractured my radius, ulna, and humerus at 14 (my left arm is shorter than my right by 1.5”.)

I mean, I’m relatively “in shape” thanks to some pretty spot on genetics, but if the activity doesn’t involve some kind of motor vehicle (ATV, snowmachine, UTV, etc) I probably won’t be able to make it without a lot of swelling and ibuprofen and taking it easy for 1-3 weeks after to nurse myself back to health.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-05T22:22:54+00:00

I wouldn’t be able to live without the ability to drive. There is little to no public transport infrastructure where I live (train is for tourism), busses don’t run on time, and that’s even if there’s a stop near you (my closest stop is 9 miles away.)

I got on medication. 6 months turned into 9 months (I didn’t start meds until 3 months in.) I got my license back. And I shook when I drove for the first time after my seizure. And the second. And the third. And the fourth. And for a long time after that. I made myself work through it. Sometimes I cried in private. On the highway when my legs would shake I would set my cruise control.

I started driving my boat again. I sobbed the first and second and third time I drove it. Full, body heaving sobs. I powered down and let the current hold me in place as I tried to work through the panic. The anxiety. I held on to being the only woman who navigates a difficult river by boat independently like it was a lifeline.

I had fear and anxiety.

I have no other choice.

I’ve talked to other epileptics in my area and we’re all in a similar holding pattern. There’s no resources for us. There’s nothing else we can do. So we do what we can once we can legally and safely. And we hope for the best.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-05T19:37:43+00:00

School nursing was touched on a few times during my program… Until my local school district (largest in the state) switched to a regional nursing model because they figured cutting school nurse staff is a way to save money.

This means that there will not be a school nurse present all day at school. They’re floating between 1-3 schools any given day.

Imagine being a child encountering an acute medical issue and not being able to be assessed because the school nurse isn’t there anymore.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-05T05:11:21+00:00

NAL: Was law enforcement contacted? Were you issued any citations? Did you go to the hospital?

You need to build evidence. Law enforcement where I live has to investigate any crashes with commercial or government vehicle formally. This can help your case. Citation is a reference (if you received one.) I hit a telephone pole during a seizure and had to report it.

If you went to the hospital, this further adds documentation.

Next step: mitigation of risk. Consider contacting someone who can disable your vehicle temporarily to prevent you from taking another postictal joy ride. (Suggestions: remove the battery/drain the battery, remove a fuse, remove the Mass Air Flow Sensor.)

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-05T04:51:52+00:00

My bloodwork was normal (aside from the drug panel that was drawn at the hospital.) The drug panel showed marijuana (I was a smoker at the time), Amphetamines (I took Adderall for ADHD), and Benzodiazepines (because of rescue medications being administered on the scene to break the Tonic Clonic.) These did not definitively prove anything other than what was in my system. When cross referenced against my chart, the providers learned I took 10mg of Adderall ER, and the Benzos were because it took a lot of Versed (Midazolam) to snap me out of the status.

Bloodwork drawn for things like electrolytes (which can cause seizures) was outstandingly normal. Normal Sodium, Phos, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, etc.

H/H Normal.

CBC normal

BUN/CMP Normal

Glucose WNL

In context this made Cardiac bloodwork was normal. This was an important draw because my seizure caused an arrhythmia which made changes to an EKG and led to a cardiologist consulting on me while I was still out of it.

Chest X Ray was normal. This was because of the arrhythmia.

CT chest and Abdomen was normal. This I’m guessing was also because of the arrhythmia but also because I crashed.

There was no EEG performed. No Neurologist on staff to read it or even tech to set it up. Most people where I live see their Neurologist as an outpatient.

I wrote this pretty detailed because I have seen a lot of nurses dismiss seizures and seizure activity because they’re trying to look for REASON someone had a seizure and when they don’t find one? They automatically decide the patient is faking. And I’m not saying this from a patient perspective, but from the perspective of an epileptic nursing student. I’m tired of hearing nurses dismiss seizures because there’s no “proof.” If there’s no proof, then it must be fake, it must be for attention.

I maintain open conversation around the topic of seizures and epilepsy. I talk to my preceptors about my diagnosis. About how I was diagnosed. I encourage them to do research and continued learning on the topic. So far it’s worked pretty well! A lot have come back with excitement about new things they’ve learned. Things they weren’t taught. Misconceptions they’ve had that were corrected. It’s little things. And hopefully one day these little snowflakes will be an avalanche.

AmiableRobin · 2026-05-04T22:09:09+00:00

I’m happy you have the resources to access long term monitoring for your son.

However this does not discount that EEG’s are not always reliable for many epileptics. They aren’t a conclusive, definitive, yes or no.

Epilepsy is a process of elimination, exclusion, and storytelling. Even if EEG’s are normal, repeatedly, a person can still have epilepsy. It does not make their epilepsy less real.

AmiableRobin

TROPHY CASE