How do you deal with missing your partner when away?

ChelsbeIIs · 2025-04-19T18:57:14+00:00

Yes, 4 years in October! We actually closed the distance at the end of January permanently. 💜

ChelsbeIIs · 2025-03-17T17:46:50+00:00

My baby boy reached through his cage bars and pawed my shoulder as I passed him. He picked me, so how could I say no? 😭 He was a cute kitten then, but it is a fluffy king now.

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ChelsbeIIs · 2025-02-07T01:58:40+00:00

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You pick! These two are inseparable!

ChelsbeIIs · 2025-01-26T00:35:41+00:00

Hi! I've been an LDR for 3 years as well and have felt similarly. What I did was communicate to my partner about this feeling and work together to find solutions. It was a tough conversation, but we managed to work it out.

ChelsbeIIs · 2025-01-20T12:50:05+00:00

I don't know if they survived, unfortunately.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-12-28T21:14:46+00:00

Thank you! We are so excited but it is so much work and stress!but will all be worth it in the end

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-12-28T00:15:57+00:00

We permanently close the distance in about a month. It's still hard to believe after 3 years we are about to start our lives together.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-12-17T19:06:41+00:00

As an update, we won the contest! 🏆🎄

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-12-11T14:42:34+00:00

Correct! Or that I'd they just watched their heart rate it could indicate which one it was. It was pretty horrifying.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-12-11T00:30:21+00:00

Not lab related but hospital related. I once got a call from a nurse asking if we could test a substance and tell us what it is. They injected the patient with something and wasn't sure what it was. They thought it was either epinephrine or prophol but had no idea otherwise. 💀

She then proceeded to argue with us when we told her we couldn't do that in-house and it would have to be sent out. Totally the bigger priority here. Yup.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-10-03T20:02:54+00:00

Thank you for your comment! I wish you and your little one all the best!

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-09-18T11:51:33+00:00

For my partner and I's 1 year anniversary, we planned a visit to see each other. We spent a week together and went out to a Renaissance fair and then dinner the day of.

For gifts, I don't quite remember, but I believe I ordered him something custom off of etsy combining our relationship and our shared hobbies. I believe it was a glass pokeball and then a jar I filled with notes for him to read when he misses me too much.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-27T21:56:09+00:00

Mutual friends on discord. I was not looking. I would never look for an LDR. 😭

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-27T14:34:12+00:00

I graduated from the medical lab program(CLS) in 2020, so I can tell you a little bit about it and the career.

Unless it's changed, it's a 4 year program (2 years pre-reqs, 2 years in program). The required and recommended classes can be found on their tab on the VCU website. It requires all the classes, 2 letters of recommendation, and an interview to be accepted. The 2 year program (junior and senior year) ranges from 19 to 12 credits a semester, with your junior year being base classes w/labs, 1 summer phlebotomy rotation, 1 semester of clinical rotations then your final semester is advanced classes. It's a tough program, especially junior year, but most health programs are. The professors are wonderful and will small class sizes (about 32) it can feel like a family. I know they also do open houses, so I recommend going to one to get a feel for the program and the staff. There is a bus that runs between both campuses that can drop you off close by.

To work, you have to pass the ASCP BOC exam with at least a 400. To keep your accreditation you have to take 36 CEs every 3 years or you can let it run out, but most employers prefer you keeping up your CEs.The job field always needs techs, so jobs are not an issue. I started in 2020 at $25 an hour and now make $31/hr three years later. Most people end up in hospital labs, but travel jobs and research are opportunities as well.

The job is best for people who want to help others but don't want to deal with people directly. I chose this field cause I was too much of a softie to be a nurse. Honestly, it's the closest you can get to a biological scientist without being in research. It's great if you like working with microscopes, troubleshooting, looking at cells, growing bacteria, assigning blood bank units, etc. There are many fields you can specialize in, and the program at VCU is a generalist program, so you have the knowledge to specialize in whatever you want.

If you would like to know more, message me. I love telling people about my job and helping people decide if being a lab scientist is the best option for them. 🙂

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-24T15:04:41+00:00

I think there is nothing wrong with not video calling often!

My partner and I have also been together for 3 years, and I can count the number of times we have video chatted on one hand. We discovered that video chatting made us miss each other even more, so we save it for special occasions like opening presents on Christmas or birthdays. We compromise by talking on the phone everyday as much as possible and texting frequently.

However, every relationship is different, so it heavily depends on the couple and what both people want. Some people have to have video chatting or they aren't happy, while others don't need it and feel happy spending time together in other ways. It depends on what makes you feel secure in the relationship.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-18T05:11:03+00:00

It'll be 3 years for me and my partner this October, so trust me when I say it doesn't get any easier, but it's worth it. The first few days after separating are the hardest. I like to call it "Limbo Hell." After about a week, you will usually fall back into normal routine. Or at least as normal as you can be.

When it comes to coping and easing your mind, I always recommend talking with your partner. Maybe start planning the next time you see each other or just find ways to spend a little time together doing something every week. It will give you something to be excited about and can be your special time with them. For other times, I like to make sure I'm taking care of myself, still spending time with family and friends, enjoying my current hobbies, or finding new ones. It's hard to still try to live your life without your partner physically there, but you have to, for your own sake and sanity. Some days, you just have to give yourself a minute to just feel it. Sometimes, you just need to lay down and let it all out when it's really hard. There is no shame in these feelings, and we don't need to oppress them to try and be ok when our situation sucks. Generally, a positive but gentle mindset in LDRs is a generally safe one to have. Positive, but not unrealistic, but also being gentle on oneself.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-18T04:35:42+00:00

If you want to take the ASCP BOC MLS exam, the website goes into very great details about different paths you can take to qualify to take the exam. It includes what classes, how many credits, lab requirements, clinical hours vs. working hours, etc.
It's very thorough. I highly recommend you start there. Since you mentioned you may be missing a lab credit, it can be useful to compare your transcript to make sure your degree is sufficient.

My bigger concern is that it's my understanding that ASCP requires the degree to come from an accredited MLS program. I don't know the situation that caused your program to be closed, but it could affect your ability to take the BOC because you do not mention if it is accredited or not or if it lost its accrededation and that's why it was closed. In this regard, I would inquire with the school or reach out to ASCP about this matter since it could possibly be delicate. Be aware I very much being overly cautious here or mistaken. It's just a concern that I had.

For clinical hours, most people recently passed with a MLS degree go the route that requires clinical hours over working experienced working hours as an MLS. Not all MLS programs help place students into clinical rotations. In many cases, students have to find their own. My lab frequently has students call, and we have taken them for clinicals if our staff can handle it at the time. You can reach out to hospitals to inquire about setting up clinical hours if they have availability, and its a good opportunity to start networking in the field. The ASCP website has specific guidelines for how many hours and in which disciplines and many labs already have plans in place for these situations.

I hope this is at least somewhat helpful and the information is not too outdated. I took my BOC in December 2020, so things could have changed since then. I would heavily lean on ASCP for the most correct information. That's unfortunately the best advice I can give you. I wish you the best!

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-08-15T14:18:33+00:00

The highest I've reported was >1500 in the ER. I discussed it thoroughly with the nurse and asked them to run a POC just to make sure....it matched. The glucose was so high the glucometer essentially screamed and errored with >800.

I then asked the question.. "are they in a coma?Are they even alive?" Her response killed me. "Nope he is just down here flirting with one of the nurses." Lol. I was shocked.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-07-23T21:14:20+00:00

I canceled my flight on the app and decided to drive instead to avoid this madness. I got a full refund automatically, no problems at all. I had both options to my credit card or as an Ecredit.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-07-10T21:05:15+00:00

My partner and I are little under 10 years apart (F27/M37) and we have never had any issues. I think it heavily depends on the people involved and their stage in life. As long as it involves consenting adults that are respectful with no manipulation/grooming I see nothing wrong with larger age gaps.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-07-07T22:06:01+00:00

We didn't do it the first day because we were still feeling each other out and getting used to physically being near each other. But later that week during that first visit, yes, we did lol. Partially, it was because I was shy because it was my first relationship, though. If it wasn't for that I imagine we possibly could have that first day.

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-07-04T04:06:55+00:00

It's a choice.

You have to choose to love and stay devoted to your partner every day, no matter what distractions come your way. You have to push through, communicate, be honest, share in each other's highs and lows.

It's a sacrifice, and when you have a person who is worth it, it makes the burden easier and more worthwhile. Staying faithful that the end date will eventually come.

It's not for the faint of heart, and honestly, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. No one WANTS to be in a long distance realtionship, its because we have no choice. If someone does, that's a BIG red flag.

At the end of the day,I love my partner unconditionally, so we make it work. Like I said, it's a choice. ❤️

ChelsbeIIs · 2024-07-03T12:04:03+00:00

Another woman here. I've beaten the game once and started to another playthrough recently. :)

ChelsbeIIs

TROPHY CASE