The Final Stretch

I can't believe it's here but my first semester of hygiene school is coming to an end. I know I still have a couple more weeks and a few more tests but I can't help myself, I'm excited! I have loved school and I know I will continue to love it but I'm in definite need of a break. Then I can come back in the spring ready to go! This semester really has flown by- Looking back at how little I knew and how little I still knew makes me feel like I didn't make a ton of progress but I know I did. I will definitely need to do some reviewing over the break so I don't forget the little I did learn. But it's good and I wouldn't change a thing! I just have to get through: the clinic manual test, the final in radiology, my end of semester counseling with Professor McCoun.... ya I don't know how to spell it and I don't want to look it up, the final anatomy quiz and test, and Costley's last test-- Then I'm done!!!!... for the semester at least. That list makes it sound like I have a lot to do but this coming Monday I will take care of three of them so I will be able to check those off the list! Well that's all I have for this semester but don't worry (whoever YOU are) I'll be back smiling bigger than ever! Happy Holidays!

The Great and Dreadful Day

Yes I know I'm using a second coming descriptor but I felt it was accurate so that's my justification. Anyways, today was the day I saw my very first patient. I wasn't that nervous about it until this morning, maybe that's because I didn't think too much about it until then. I feel like I experienced a lot of emotions today- nervous, excited, anxious, scared, you name it! BUT everything went pretty smoothly. My mom was the lucky soul I got to work on and she was a great patient. She laughed with me and I was able to learn a lot from her mouth because it's a lot different then everything else I had seen. She's actually a Class V so that was really interesting to see. I am still not the best at diagnosing the perio class but hopefully I'll get better at that with time. I realized there are a lot of things I need to go over and review. I still have a lot of improvement to make in areas such as: BWX- I struggle, being thorough and not rushed, using all my resources, and getting things done in a timely matter. I really could go on and on with that list but I'll spare both of us the time. But yes today was good, I'm glad it's over with but it makes me a little nervous that I won't work on another patient for a month and a half! That patient will still be my mom but I hope I'm not too rusty. We'll see I guess! I'm still smiling believe it or not- And yes it's partly because today is over but also because Thanksgiving is in two days! I love Thanksgiving! So have a happy one and be grateful- I know I'm blessed, there's not a day that goes by that I'm not reminded of that. Well, well, well we'll all go stuff our faces and I'll be back before the semester ends at least one more time :)

A Day In the Shoes of A Patient

It was my turn today- I got to be the patient. I was looking forward to it because it meant three hours of laying there doing nothing. It was a good break. Ashlee worked on me and we'll say we lived by the motto "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". Don't get me wrong she did a great job but just as I did to her we caused our hearts to beat in places we have never felt (our gums) and we both may need a blood transfusion due to large amounts of blood lost. Haha but in all seriousness she did a great job and it was good to feel how it feels to be worked on so I know what my patients go through. Lucky for Ashlee I had some calculus built up on my fixed lingual bar so she got to dig at that for a while. You would think being in the hygiene program and all I shouldn't have such a thing as calculus but I do! I'm one of those blessed souls who builds it with ease. So no need to be embarrassed it was just a favor to Ashlee- I'm such a kind person. Overall today was great! I really do love my class and so glad that we are all in this together. Although it may be oozing with blood I'm smiling :)

Mock Patient

So today was the day.. Mock patient day. I don't know why but I was pretty nervous. Mostly because I was afraid I would make a stupid mistake- But don't worry I didn't make one! I made many! It started out in radiology- We were learning how to take panos and I was the smart one who decided to expose and attempt to process the cardboard that the films are sandwiched between. It brought on a good laugh though so I would say it was worth it and plus I learned my lesson so I won't be making that mistake again!

Then we had clinic where we had to see our first 'real' patient.. Not really real I guess because they were still a student but we were supposed to do everything we have learned up to this point. I made it through everything so that was good but I wouldn't go as far to say it was smooth sailing. Ashlee was my patient and she was a gem! She was very patient and understanding with me which I am very grateful for because I wasn't necessarily a master. I made her bleed a few times when I was scaling and I won't lie when I first started I felt like I'd never done it before but it SLOWLY started to come back to me. I was a little frustrated because I felt so behind at the end but after talking to some other students they said they felt the exact same way which was good for me to hear. It's bad but sometimes I find myself thriving on other people's failures and struggles because it makes me feel better about all mine. Not to say I don't want them all to pass and to pass with flying colors it's just good to know that I'm not the only one.

Well, well, well.. I'm peacin til next time. On Wednesday I will see Ashlee one more time and scale her remaining two quads, polish her, and give her fluoride then I will get to be the patient. And boy will I be smiling then :)

Time is Flying

Holy nuts! It is already November! I can't believe it! I said to someone today how it shouldn't be this cold but then I remember it is November and it maybe should be. But guess what?! We only have two more PEs! CRAZY!!! I passed of three today- air-powder polish, fluoride, and sealants. It was great- I love days like today, it boosts my confidence and makes me feel on top of things but I have a feeling these feelings won't last long. Next week are our mock patient days and then on the 21st we see our first patient. Mine is my mom so that will be nice but it's still nerve wracking! There is a whole lot to remember and with a lot of things I don't have a ton of practice. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and keep smiling and all should be good! :)

A Salt Shower

It was a good thing I didn't take a shower this morning (gross I know) because I got one in clinic today! I don't know if it was necessarily a good substitute however. A shower was not the intended purpose of clinic today but it was definitely the result. We used the air powder polisher which blasts air, powder (sodium bicarbonate- aka baking soda), and water on your teeth to remove extrinsic stains that may be caused by tobacco or chlorohexadine as well as biofilm. It isn't the easiest thing to use and from what we hear we won't use it all that often but it's good to know how to do. Misty and I were partners today and she was great! Not only was she patient with me and my rookiness but she also did  a great job when she was working on me. We both got a shower but that was to be expected. We also learned selective polishing (prophying) as well as varnish. I have varnish coated on my teeth right now and it literally feels like I have a coat of fur on them, I don't know if I love it but it's doing good or so they tell me. But nontheless I'm still smiling, even with a furry mouth.

Trial Run

So once again in clinic we did or I guess were supposed to do everything we have learned so far. Talk about impossible! We were supposed to do one arch (the mandibular arch) and I barely got through my OD check... AHHHHH!!!! Sometimes it's so discouraging because I still feel like I don't know anything and have a lot of questions and I either feel too dumb to ask them or feel dumb when I ask them- It's a lose lose if you ask me. I got to work with Sierra today- She was such a good patient and a great hygienist. I really enjoyed working with her and it was nice to talk to her so I don't feel like I'm the only so far behind. I know it all will come with time I just don't have a ton of patience so it makes it a bit difficult. But I'll deal with it, I just need to keep my head up and keep pushing on- It will come one day, or at least so I'm told. I'm hoping for a lot more of these trial runs so I can hopefully somewhat get done everything I need to do in an appointment (at least up to what we've learned to this point) and be able to do it in a timely manner- AND when I'm able to do that I'll be smiling bigger than ever :)

Intra Oral Camera- Psych!

So today was a little out of whack in clinic it seemed. We got there and did the usual- set up for patient treatment and waited to receive instruction from our instructors. BUT... We didn't get any, supposedly we were just supposed to get going on the day. So that's what we did.. It was kind of like the blind leading the blind because none of us really knew what was going on but somehow we all figured it out! We went through everything we have learned thus far (except curets and scalers) on a paired up partner, mine was Kelsi- We had a grand ol' time together! I'm so lucky that my class is full girls (and boys) that I feel totally comfortable with and are so willing to help so it never matters who I get paired up with. I was able to go through everything and I passed off two PE's! The only problem was... I only did a quadrant and it took me FOREVER!!!! Looks like I need to pick up my game. Everyone says it will come with time and boy am I telling you I cannot wait for that time! Oh and about the whole intra oral camera- So that was the concept we were supposed to learn (that's why we were all sitting around waiting for instruction at first) but it kind of slipped the instructors minds so the last 5 minutes of clinic we 'learned' how to use it. So ya, that was clinic today and I'm done boring you (even though YOU don't really exist I'll pretend like you do) with the events of today. So long, until next time.. And you know I'll be smiling :)

Circles, Dots, Oulines- What do they all mean???

So I decided my blog is kind of boring considering there is no pictures so I guess it's a good thing no one reads it! Haha.. Well today is going to be short, first of all there isn't much to tell and I also really need to study. Today we learned how to chart our findings in our patients' mouths. I won't lie, I'm not the best at identifying the proper location of composite fillings but hopefully I'll get the hang of it. Overall it wasn't too bad though. After we learned all that we got to practice scaling on each other- And guess what? I MAY slowly be getting the hang of it! It's a good feeling BUT I still have A LOT to learn! Well that's all for today and as always, I am smiling :)

Secrets, Secrets Are So Fun

Brush your teeth? Well we found out today! We all used the disclosing agent and discovered all the places in our mouths where we were missing while brushing or flossing. It was pretty cool to see all of our mouths purple but kind of gross to see all the little places we were missing. I was glad I wasn't the only one who isn't a perfect brusher though. I definitely need to focus more on my anterior linguals where my lingual bar is as well as my 2nd molars. It really was fun though. We also had a lot of time to practice scaling on each other and I definitely needed that- I'm still struggling but making small increments of  improvement each day, or at least I hope I am! Today was a good day and I smiled nice and wide with purple teeth :)

The Ins & Outs of Scaling

Sometimes I feel like I need to reintroduce my title when I start my post, I don't know why I do but I do so therefore I'm going to continue doing it. So... Today in clinic we learned the ins and outs of posterior scaling and guess what? I really liked it and felt pretty good about it! Monday was the day from you know where but today made up for it. I guess that's why you have to have bad days so you can appreciate the good ones. I didn't get a ton of practicing scaling on a patient (Misty) but I did a little and practiced on my typodont and I feel like I'm FINALLY sort of getting angulation down. I don't know why I struggle so much with it but I'm sick of it so hopefully I'm catching on! I also need to work on using my mirror for indirect  vision and working on more difficult surfaces- Not just mandibular surfaces towards me. But scaling was fun and I'm really looking forward to scraping large amounts of calculus off of my patient's teeth :)

Oh and another great thing about today- I passed off my probing PE! I was so nervous for it but I did it! I wasn't able to do a whole quad in under 3 minutes but I did mine in under 4 so I felt pretty good about that and I can see I'm catching on, slowly but surely. And thank goodness for Misty, she is just the sweetest nicest thing and puts up with me and all my crazy instrumenting. Well know today was good and be happy because I am- Happy and smiling :)

Sucks to Suck

Yes that basically sums up my day. It was long and I'm glad it's over to say the least. X-rays, probing, and scaling- Three thing that brought about some feelings of frustration and inadequacy today. I don't know what my deal was but I just couldn't get anything right it seemed and I feel like it's never going to click. But I know that's just me being dramatic and I'll get over it. So ya.. That sums up my day. Sorry to be so pessimistic. I'm going to keep it short so you don't have to deal with it anymore and hopefully I'll be smiling tomorrow... :)

Pod Champs!

Yes, you read correctly! My pod, pod #1, truly is #1! We had a set up race today and we most definitely won! We got Baby Ruths for it but more importantly we got the satisfaction of knowing we won. Haha.. It was actually pretty fun because our pod was scheming of how we were going to win but everyone else didn't even seem to think about it. But I'm glad we won! Leisa won fastest over all (I came in a close second just so you know :) ). It was great! So here is a picture of the winning pod! Doesn't get better than this :)

 

So about clinic today. We learned all about our instruments and how to distinguish between them all. I definitely don't have them all down yet but I'll get them down pat! They are either names with a letter number combination or after states so it shouldn't be too hard, right? After we learned all that and bagged sets for sterilization I passed off my Intra-Oral PE with Misty then we practiced probing. I'm a horrible at it! I must have no imagination because for the life of me I can't get the proper adaptation for the mesials. It's killing me and to think I have to probe a whole quad in under 3 minutes next Wednesday is a bit daunting! I'm stressin' but I just need to relax! Sometimes (like today) I feel like there is no way I'm ever going to catch onto everything but then I look at everyone else who's done it and I know they had to struggle to get where they are at too so I just have to be patient- Which isn't easy. Well that's my spill for today.. Wish me luck! And yes, I'm still smiling :)

Exploring the Explorable

Yes, I know my titles are getting better and better. I try. So today was kind of a crazy Monday. Started out in radiology lab a little discouraged after attempting to take a FMX but not really know what we were doing. Mine didn't turn out horrible but I was still a little discouraged especially after I found out all the PEs I have to pass of next week. But come to find out we did more than we needed to in lab so we really aren't that behind. What a relief.

Clinic was pretty good today. I got caught falling asleep in our pod discussion (what's new) but I appreciate someone who will wake me up so it was good! Then we learned all about exploring. Talk about torture for someone who is angle challenged! Aka me!!!! Trying to figure out the working end for each tooth is kind of a joke. I slowly started to get the hang of it though. I'm just so glad I have such a great class to work with. Misty was a trooper today, she dealt with me poking her all over and was just as nice as can be. Our instructors were very encouraging today though so that made it nice. And I was a little bummed because we passed off our extra oral PEs today so that means I don't get any more massages. Oh well.. It is nice though to be able to lay in the chair and get worked on, it's nice and relaxing and a time I can fall asleep without feeling guilty or getting caught.

Well I'm glad today is over with. Not that it was that bad Mondays are just long so it's nice to get them out of the way. I better get off to studying for the dreaded Costley test.. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'm just going to keep smiling in hopes that I will do well! Buh bye now!

Probing to New Depths

When I say probing to new depths that really could mean anything considering I had never done it before until today. We are finally getting through the (boring) stuff and getting to the good stuff- I mean this is why we are in the program, right? Don't get me wrong, although I do believe some of the stuff may be on the more boring side but we really do need to learn it, it was just fun to work in the mouth today and learn something we will be doing on patients for the rest of our careers.

As I mentioned above today was my first time probing- I've seen it done before and have known what it is and honestly didn't think it would be that difficult but just as usual it was a little more difficult than expected. Focusing on ergonomics, chair position, patient position, the modified hand grasp, and making sure not to stab my patient to death is a lot to think about and I made that very obvious. Every now and again I would start hunching but my instructors kept me in line (literally). I think the hardest thing for me with probing is the angle of the probe. I don't know why that was such a difficult concept for me- It seems so simple, FOLLOW THE TOOTH but for some odd reason my brain hasn't been able to wrap itself around that one yet. But it will and if I have to force it I will. I brought home Mr. Typodont (I still haven't named him) and am going to practice a bit on him (the lucky guy). And even though I don't think she is going to read this I'm going to give a shout out to Danielle- Not only was she an excellent patient for me and put up with all my rookie mistakes like a champ but she probed my lower right quadrant and did an excellent job! I lucked out getting her! So thank you Danielle :) Oh and her and Karen found  a little calculus on the lingual of my lower anteriors, talk about embarrassing! Haha no, but I guess that just means I have got to pick up my game and do the dreaded task of flossing between my lower retainer a little more often. And who knows, when we learn how to scale maybe I can practice on myself!

Oh and guess what else? I successfully stayed awake the whole time in clinic today. I know that doesn't sound like an accomplishment to most but it really is for me. I have a dozing problem and Costley has noticed! So yes, I was proud of myself today I guess going to bed early helps with these kinds of things- Who would have thought!? Well I've blabbed for long enough and considering no one is reading this it might be a slight waste of time, but oh well I'll keep smiling :)

Up Close and Personal

Today I got to know Danielle inside and out.. Inside and out of her mouth of course. We did intra-oral exams on each other today and it was actually kind of fun to start working in someone's mouth. I still am a bit awkward but I liked it! It was a bit foreign, the whole mouth thing and all the anatomy of it but it was interesting to feel all the structures and hopefully it made me learn a little bit. Then I was able to pass of my Instrument Grasp and Fulcrum PE today and I did it on Danielle not my typodont. She was pretty brave to let me in her mouth with sharp instruments but I successfully didn't poke her and passed off both PE's. It always feels good to pass them off- They seem to stack up pretty fast but today was a good catch up day. I need to pass off the Health History PE on Wednesday so I'm looking forward to having that over with.

Then in radiology (I guess I should have talked about it first considering I do have it first) we practiced taking digital bitewings. We did it both on Scan X and Schik. I have come to the conclusion I don't love Schik nor do I love Dexter #2- He gave me a tough time today trying to open his contacts on the pre-molar bitewing. But according to Instructor Vining he said Dexter #2's dentition is a lot more messed up than any patient we will see so that's good to know!

Well, well I'm done writing for today and believe it or not I'm still smiling. Why? I don't know but I won't complain. Until next time.....

A Good Day

Today was a good day in clinic for me. I came in a little stressed and worried about how I was going get everything done I needed to but now I feel a little better. I have come to the conclusion it's easy to be stressed in this program but as long as I take it one day at a time I'm good. There is a lot to do but it's not impossible and I look at all the people that have done it before me and it gives me a little hope.
Anyways, I guess the reason clinic was so good for me today was that I was able to pass of my vitals PE and I feel like I'm starting to get into the groove of how things work. We learned the Extraoral Exam PE today and I actually feel pretty good about it. Instructor Hafen was with us today and it was great! She made me feel so comfortable and confident in myself. It was the boost I needed!
Well I better go read through my stuff for class tomorrow and get ready for our next radiology exam. Today was a good day and it made me smile :)

Sleep- Does the Body Good

I never know how to start these. It seems like everyday is a little crazy and we always learn a ton but I feel like a broken record saying that every post. But.. Today started out great! Mostly because I went to bed at 10:30 last night and woke up at 5:30 ready to work out! I need to get better at going to bed at a decent time- I've kind of struggled with that this semester but last night proved that I do a lot better with sleep. And it's a good thing I got some last night because my day started at seven o'clock this morning with an institute meeting, then I went straight to school until 4:30, and then right to work until 10:30. So I'm more grateful for those seven hours of sleep last night then I ever have been before!
Well I guess I better talk about clinic today because I guess that's kind of the point of this whole blogging thing. So here we go... We started out in radiology and we took ten x-rays. Eight PA's and two bitewings. The PA's were pretty difficult because we had to take them on Dexters #2 &#3- they have some pretty messed up mouths to say the least but I guess it's good practice for when we start seeing actual patients. My bitewings actually turned out really good! I was proud :) I have been struggling with cone-cutting lately but I had no problems with that this time. Most of my x-rays actually turned out pretty well so it boosted by x-ray confidence a bit. However, this all changed when we learned how to use Schick. I am not the biggest fan of Schick. We have used it in the office I work at and I didn't like it then either. The sensor is big and hard making it difficult to go with the curve of the arches of the mouth. We did bitewings on Dexter #2 and I did fine on the molars but I couldn't get the distal end of the canine on the pre-molars for the life of me. It was slightly frustrating but it did make me feel a little better when Instructor Vining struggled with it as well. Overall today was a good day in radiology.

Then we made our way to clinic. I was kind of nervous for clinic today because we were learning how to take vitals and I have no experience with them. I had heard from my friends who had gotten their CNA's that blood pressure is pretty tough but I actually didn't too much of a problem with it today, unless I'm doing it completely wrong. I did struggle finding the radial pulse though and being able to focus on counting that and not the seconds on the clock but hopefully I'll get that down. I took my blood pressure cuff and my stethoscope home so I can practice :) Clinic was really nice today because we had some free time where we were able to pass off some PE's. I passed off two and I'm so glad I did because I felt like they were starting to pile up. They are kind of never ending so I just need to stay on top of them. But clinic was good today I felt good about things and maybe saw a tiny bit of hope that I'm going to get all this someday :)

Well I better get off to start studying for our bazillion tests this week (we only have three but it's a lot more fun to be dramatic, of course). Wish me luck! And don't you worry, I'm still smiling :) Whether it's out of happiness or absolute bewilderment of how I'm going to figure out the time to get all I have to get done this week- I'll leave up to you!

Charting Charts

I have come to the conclusion that I will never really be on top of things with clinic or with the whole dental hygiene program for that matter. There is just a lot of information that needs to be taught, studied, and learned and I'm convinced that you can't study enough. But that's what makes it all fun, right? Well today clinic added a little more to my workload as well as my stress levels. We learned how to chart. There is a whole lot of stuff that needs to go in these. I need to be observant of the information the patient fills out and be ready to ask them questions and write everything down. You'd rather be safe than sorry. As Professor Costley said, "When it comes to charting, you do what you can do." No one is perfect, Miley Cyrus said it perfectly, "everyone makes mistakes, everyone has those days" however, we need to try to be as perfect as possible, paying attention to all the little details. The PE we learned today involves a lot of memorizing. We have to memorize all the scenarios in which a patient would need to pre- medicate- a bit of a daunting task at the moment but it will be fine. I'll just add to it the list of all the other things I need to do. But clinic was good today. It's always a good reminder that I'm not in this alone and everyone is here to help each other out. I need to go study for my radiology test- Wish me luck! And no matter how stressed I am I have no choice but to smile :)

Pinky Problems

So I've complained before about feeling awkward doing things and today definitely surpassed all the rest. Today we learned all about ergonomics, instrument grasp, and fulcruming (yes, I just made up that word). When they explained it all to us and showed us the how to's it seemed fairly simple until I tried it myself. I would be focusing on my grasp on the instrument then all of sudden my neck would be craned, my back slumped, and my pinky flaring out to who knows where. I was quite the sight to say the least. After a little bit of practice though I started to kind of get the hang out of it, I still felt slightly awkward but with more practice I better get the hang of it. Fulcruming (yes, I'm going to use my made up word again) was kind of hard for me- Not only does my pinky have a mind of it's own but my ring finger didn't want to cooperate too well either. I might need to do a few exercises to strengthen him up, he's a bit weak. But once again, my patient was a gem. He didn't utter one word of complaint even though I poked him and stretched his cheeks out far too many times. He's a gem. Actually, I like him so much I brought him home with me and a few instruments and if he'll stay open for me I think we will be having a date this weekend! I can't wait :) Oh and I also passed off my exposure control and set up PE so that's nice to have out of the way. Now I just need to master the exposure control post-appointment and equipment maintenance PE,  the patient/operator positioning, and the instrument grasp and fulcrum process evaluations then I'll be good- That is until we get another one! Well I think that's about it for today and although I've considered chopping my pinky off today was good and I started feeling a little more comfortable with a little time. We don't have clinic for a week so I better study up! And guess what? I'm still smiling :)

Information Overload

So I've come to the conclusion that they went kind of easy on us the first week. Don't get me wrong, the first week was still challenging, mostly just getting used to everything and trying to organize myself, but this week was a bit more intense. I guess I better get used to it because I have a feeling this is how it is going to be from here on out, if not worse. I might be being slightly dramatic when I say information overload but we did learn a lot of new things today.

We started out in radiology learning about bitewings and tips of how to properly take them. I'm slowly realizing I have done things wrong ever since I've been working in the dental field but at least I'm now learning the proper way to do things. We learned all about horizontal placement and angulation as well as vertical. And when I say learned I definitely haven't mastered it yet but I have been taught the information I need to know, I just need a bit more practice and I need to study. We took eight bitewings today- four horizontals and four verticals. I don't have much practice with bitewings but I have a little and I have never taken a vertical one. Mine turned out alright. We had to go through and critique them and I wouldn't go as far to say any of mine are "sexy" (in the words of Instructor Vining) but some of them aren't too bad. I need to work on the placement of the PID- But I'm not too worried, it will come with time and practice and I feel better because I at least now how to diagnose my problems and fix them now.

In clinic we learned how to set up, clean up, and maintain our pods. That was the information overload of the day. It's nothing hard, it's just a lot to remember. But I'll get it down- What I need to remember is barrier EVERYTHING!!!! It seems a bit excessive but it really is good protection for us, our patients, and of course our loved ones. I passed off my PPE PE today and I did great according to Professor Costley (and I would say that's quite the accomplishment) until she noticed I was wearing two bands on my right ring finger, we are only supposed to wear one. Rookie mistake! I guess I'll need to decide what is more important to me: Choosing the Right or Love. I guess it might just depend on the day. Oh and we also got to practice using the A/W syringe, suctions, and the blue boa on each other. Misty was my patient and I was her's- It was great! We gave each other a few showers, suctioned each other's cheeks, and laughed a ton but all together it was fun.

I'm looking forward to when I can do all these things and not look and feel awkward. It will come with time and practice so I'm not too worried. All these things that are so abstract to me now will be second nature by the time I finish the program and go out into the real world- I can't wait! I still can't believe I'm in the program- It's been two weeks since I found out and it still seems so surreal. But I'm so happy and just can't help but smile :)

My First "Patient"

Today I got the opportunity to meet my first patient. He is going to have to suffer through my learning and awkwardness for the next little while. He consists of lips (that are extremely stretchy I might add) and a full mouth of teeth including: wisdom teeth, plaque, and a couple loose ones. He does not have a name yet but he definitely deserves one so I will come up with one and more formally introduce you to him at a later date. He was an excellent patient for me today, he didn't whine, moan, or groan as I dislocated his jaw, jerked him around, showered him with water, suctioned his cheek, and practically drowned him with water. I'm pretty lucky to have him and hopefully he'll eventually be feel lucky to have me

We learned a few new things today. One of them was how to use the Blue Boa. The inventor and creator of this nifty device personally came and showed us how to use it. It is made for suctioning while using the ultrasonic so I won't have much experience with it for a little while but I know the basics of using it. I got to experiment with the different shaped suctions, using them, placing them, and bending them in a way that is most beneficial to me and the patient. I really liked this device and could see myself using it in my career.

Another thing we got the low down on is Personal Protective Equipment used in clinic. Quick summary: wash your hands a billion times, cover yourself completely, clean everything, and don't conserve (aka use as many gloves, masks, and towels as you want). Although we can all make fun of the tediousness of it, it really is for our benefit, our patients, and of course, our loved ones. As health care workers we have the responsibility to not only care for and protect our patients but also ourselves and the ones we are close to so these precautions, as funny as they may seem truly are steps we all need to always take in the health care world.

I also passed off my first PE today! It was the Eagle Soft one. It wasn't hard and a lot less intimidating than I thought it would be. I'm glad we are starting out with easier things so I can gain the confidence to do the harder things in the future. Now, I just need to work on my PPE PE (it's quite the title!). But that's about it for today, it was a good one. I'm still smiling :)

The First Day...

Well it came whether I was ready or not and surprisingly I was actually a little more prepared than I had thought. The first day didn't entail of much, however, it was good to calm my nerves and become even more excited about the program. We were familiarized with the radiology lab and clinic, I will admit I was a little intimidated about today but my nerves were calmed by my instructors and classmates. It's nice to know that there are 29 other people in the exact same position I am- slightly lost and confused but ready to get going. The people in my class seem great and I can't wait to work with them for the nex two years. I am glad today is over (well in 10 minutes). I was so nervous today mostly because I didn't know what to expect. But I learned first and for most I'm not here alone, I have classmates, professors, and instructors who want me to succeed. And also, that this is going to be a hard but fun two years. I can't wait!

It's Here

After two days of anticipation it is here- I'm starting the Dental Hygiene Program! I can't believe it. I'm full of emotions- excitement, nervousness, overwhelmness (I don't know if that's a word), and so many more! But it's here whether I'm ready or not! I can't wait!