If you've got a spare prayer laying around, I'd like to borrow it.

Hey guys, I'll try to keep this short.

Bad luck with some beaters is one thing. Frustrating, but trivial in the grand scope of life. I've got two big things that are going down right now that aren't as trivial. It's real life stuff and I need as much help from the man upstairs as I can get.

1. I just turned in my application packet today to be considered for (re)admission to the UM-Flint Nursing Department. They only take 40, and I signed in as #97 with 2 more hours to go before the deadline. Getting in EVER is hard, but I did it once. Getting in a second time is unheard of, but I'm going for it anyway. It would put my life back on track towards a career. I won't know anything until sometime in October though.

1B. My dad goes in for a pacemaker tomorrow (thursday) afternoon. I know it's not supposed to be a big deal, but it is. He's 73, and obese, and only has one chamber of his heart that does any work - and his heartrate has been in the low 30's for quite a while - and there are other variables that also have to be tightly managed with him as well .... so I'm sure you can appreciate the concerns I have with them sedating him. Not to be dramatic about it, but it seems to feel like he may die getting a surgery that he can't live without.

Anyway, if you could keep us in your thoughts and send us some good juju over the next couple days, I'd appreciate it.

Peace, Love, Horsepower,
John

John:

Never been big in the prayer department but without qualification, my thoughts and moral support go out to you. Standing by and watching as a loved one goes through something like your dad is going through has to be one of life's hardest tasks. Alot of it has to do with having to depend unequivocally on the expertise of others. Probably has something of an impact on your choice of professions. It always feels better if your in there helping.

As it pertains to your career, is there a reason you have to get your nursing from the University of Michigan? Up here we have a number of options available in the nursing field ranging from a BSC plus nursing training for a full fledged RN to good comprehensive RNA, Medical/Lab Technician and Paramedical courses available at our community colleges. You can get your BSC at any university and take your nursing at the community college to qualify for your RN ticket. It doesn't all have to be from a university. Judging from the number of head hunters up here every spring from US hospitals, obviously they must think our system works.

Keep your stick on the ice and stay focussed. All the crap you have gone through this year is just a phase in the cycle of life. We all have to go through it to some extent but it does tend to make the good times that much sweeter.


I was once told "smile...things could be worse". So I smiled and sure enough...things got worse.

Bill

best wishes john,..
Nick

Good luck and hope everything works out Bud.

-Mike

Man, you KNOW I'm on board.

Sent.

convert2diesel wrote:

John:

Never been big in the prayer department but without qualification, my thoughts and moral support go out to you.

Thanks Guys, and this is a good point Bill. I get that not everybody prays, so I really appreciate you doing whatever it is that you do. That's all I'm really asking for.

convert2diesel wrote:

As it pertains to your career, is there a reason you have to get your nursing from the University of Michigan?

Well no, but there's not a LOT of local options. There are 3 schools - a private college, a juco, and UM. Here's the lowdown:

* The private school costs more than UM - and they do quarters instead of semesters, so what few of their classes DO transfer out to other colleges - you don't get full credit. I've gone there and didn't care for the way they did EVERYTHING different than any other school, even on things that COULD be simple - and it was rarely for the better. Case in point - they won't even print off an unofficial transcript and stick it in a sealed envelope for you because, "That's not how we do things here at Baker." Ya can't even come back and pick it up the next day. The only way to get a transcript from them is to have them mail it to you - and it could take a WEEK. Every other school will let you pay your $3 and walk out with one. Collectively, they're idiots to the point that admissions at UM who requires a sealed copy of your transcripts waive that rule when it comes to them. That said, I'll probably apply there too if I have to out of desperation.

* The juco is a great school. I love it there. I got my associates from there and have over 100 credits there from taking so many other things. Their nursing program though - it's a well thought of program - but the big hangup is that you can only get a 2 year degree. In the grand scope of becomming an RN, it's inconsequential. An RN is an RN is an RN for the most part - but doing anything beyond that requires a 4yr degree in nursing - so that's what I'm REALLY after. It's not about WHERE the degree is from. It's about getting the degree I want so that I can progress from there.

* UM - It's really the best local option. I'm not afraid to drive, but UM is very local. Expanding my radius, there's Oakland University - that when UM was accepting students for winter of 2010, I had a classmate also get accepted at OU and was told she could begin in 2013. UM makes logistic sense, they offer the 4 year degree I want, and I'm not going to lie - there's also the pride factor of finishing what I started WHERE I started it - especially since my dismissal was such BS on their part.

So that's that about that. I'm not someone who bleeds Maize and Blue. I just want what I want, and they have it. The problem is that I need them to want me back - again.

I usually have a list of people I pray for. Since you are "Family" you get to move up several notches behind wife, kids, and mother-in-law.


Technically you could still beat out the mother-in-law, but then you'd have to be able to cook up one hell of an Italian Thanksgiving, and invite me.

Thanks Dave - and FWIW, you're always welcome to join us - and Pat can vouch how big we do Thanksgiving here. And my wife is Italian!

My prayers are with you and your father..............

We are pulling for you and your Dad. Godspeed.

I just got home. It only took about an hour and a half - and everything went very well. He's doing great so far and they're going to send him home tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for your support.

One down, one to go John. Happy for the good news so far!

DBeaSSt wrote:

One down, one to go John. Happy for the good news so far!

+4 over here

Good luck John! I know what your are going through, my Grandmother had a pacemaker done about 10 years ago, and my father went through a tripple bypass. About 6 years ago my mother had a brain anurism and nearly died from it. Never racking doesn't even begin to sum it up.