I Have Been Personally Victimized by Noro Virus

It seems like everyone and their mother are being victimized by Norovirus. Norovirus is the bug most commonly known as the stomach flu. Last week was Thanksgiving week and we had a total of 12 family members come over to our house either just for Thanksgiving or overnight. Of the 12 of us, 4 of us were struck down with stomach flu, myself included. This year's round of stomach flu must be really strong because this was the worst round of stomach flu I've ever had in my 22.5 years of life. To put it lightly, I was bound to the bathroom for almost 3 hours and was so dehydrated that I almost fainted a few times.

Anyway, here are my tips for recovering from the stomach flu.

1. The most common symptoms of stomach flu are diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and headache. These symptoms can cause dehydration, so you want to monitor your fluid loss and watch for signs of dehydration. These include

• dry mouth
• thirst
• decreased urine output
• headache
• being dizzy or lightheaded, especially upon standing

2. While the diarrhea and vomiting are present, focus on replacing your fluids. This doesn't mean drinking water. Yes, you are losing water but you are also losing salts in the form of electrolytes. The best drink on the market that you can get over the counter is Pedialyte. Pedialyte is essentially pure electrolyte. Try to drink at least one bottle per day. If your symptoms do not improve or worsen after 2 days, it would be wise to go see your doctor.

3. Once your symptoms start to improve, keep a simple diet of bland carbohydrates and lean proteins. Foods that are easy to digest are things like bread, saltine crackers, and rice for carbohydrates and turkey and chicken for lean protein.

4. Slowly add more fruits and vegetables into your diet as your appetite improves. Once you have a normal bowel movement, you should be okay to continue your normal diet.

I hope this helps those stricken by the stomach flu feel better. Please be advised that I am in no way a medical expert. I am just going off of what has worked for me. If you have any concerns, please consult your doctor or other medical professional.

Senior Game

Tonight was a great night for Notre Dame players and fans everywhere. They played a shut-out game with a final score of 38-0 and are now number 1 and the only undefeated team in the nation. I must admit, I teared up several times during tonight's Senior Game. Watching tonight's game brought back many memories from lasy year's Senior Game.

I don't remember who we played, what the final score was, or even if I did push-ups. Here is a list of the things I do remember, including things before and after the game:

• Watching the band play in front of Bond Hall and then rushing over to see the trumpets under the Dome
• Taking pictures under the Law School arch
• Sneaking a picture of Nick and Jake as they marched by with the trumpet section
• The Marshmallow fight
• My feet being plastered to the seats by marshmallow goo glue
• Praying for a win
• Chanting "Go Irish, Beat Aztecs!" as the stands cleared out and only the seniors remained
• Precariously making our way down to the field and holding hands with Joe and Mary on the way down
• Playing a round of ninja on the field
• Doing cartwheels on the field
• Taking countless pictures as we celebrated our victory
• Cody's post-game party

Of the various pictures we took, this was my favorite.

This was probably one of the happiest moments of my senior year. Not only had we just won the senior game, but I was surrounded by the best people I know. I could not have chosen a better group of people to be in a football group with after much deliberation a few months before this picture was taken. I have this wonderful picture on my nightstand (Thank you, Joe!) and it can always bring a smile to my face when I look at it and remember all the great times I had with this wonderful group of people.

I only have one final thing to say. LOVE THEE, NOTRE DAME!!

A Ballet Lesson

A couple of weeks ago, I posted that I have started doing pre-pointe work and bought my first pair of  pre-pointe shoes. A few of you may be wondering "What in the world is a pre-pointe shoe?". I am here to enlighten you.

There are three types of shoe that ballet dancers use: a soft ballet shoe, a pre-pointe shoe, and the coveted pointe shoe. Each is built differently with different fabrics and are used at different levels.

The Soft Ballet Shoe:

This shoe is the first shoe that a dancer will wear. They are made of either canvas or leather and are either full-soled or split soled. The full-soled shoe will have the sole running all the way down the bottom of the shoe. The split soled shoe only has the sole on the ball of the foot and the heel of the foot. There is no sole on the arch of the shoe. Split-soled shoes are more flexible and are preferred over full-soled shoes. They will usually come in pink, black, tan, or white. My soft shoes are pink and split-soled

 

 

 

The Pre-Pointe Shoe:

 

This shoe is the next step to the coveted point shoe. Pre-pointe shoes are also known as half-toe shoes or demi-pointe shoes. They are harder and less flexible than the soft shoe. The main difference between a pointe shoe and a pre-pointe shoe is that pre-pointe shoes is that pre-point shoes don't have a shank. The shank makes the sole of the foot more rigid, which provides more support to the arch. This is why pre-pointe dancers are still able to rise up to the ball of the foot, but not fully onto the toes. These shoes are covered in pink satin and come with ribbons which help support the arch.

 

 

The Pointe Shoe

 

 

Pointe shoes are what every little ballerina wants to end up wearing on their feet. Pointe shoes are also called toe shoes. Pointe shoes, though highly coveted and beautiful are also very hard on the feet because of how inflexible they are. Point shoes have all of the same components as pre-pointe shoes, except they have a shank. They also are covered with satin and have ribbons. Both pointe and pre-pointe shoes have a full-sole.

 



My First Shift

Today was my first shift at the hospital as a CCE. I was supposed to start on Monday, but I got sick with congestion and wasn't well enough to go in on Monday. My first shift was exciting. I am up in the Medical Pulmonary floor which means the patients are there if they have a respiratory related issue. I didn't get to do too much with the patients, mostly because a majority of the patients were isolation patiens and CCEs are not allowed  to go into an isolation room. The four hours went by rather quickly except for the final hour due to slight dehydration and fatigue.

I was able to discharge a couple of patients, which I was glad to do. Since patients don't choose to be in the hospital, they are pretty happy when they get word they get to leave the hospital. I would say the most rewarding experience I had today was with a confused patient. I was paired with a CNA and we were changing her. She was nervous about it so my job was to hold her hand throughout the task. That woman had a strong grasp. I found this particularly ordinary task to be the most rewarding because even though it was simple, my holding her hand helped to make her less nervous. Since this was my first interaction with a bed-ridden patient, I was nervous and started to feel like I was going to faint or have a panic attack. All it took for me to get out of my head was one look at the patient and reminding myself over and over again "You are here for her."

Next week I will be working two shifts during the week. By the end of the next two weeks, I hope to become more comfortable with the floor, have more patient interactions, and start showing my assertive side.