Category: Lifestyle

Happy Sunday, friends! I haven’t been around the blog quite as much the last two weeks. Life has been busy! My lovely mother in law & sister in law came to visit (as well as brother in law and his girlfriend) so I got to enjoy some family time and girl time! I had two days of cardiac testing- stress test, echocardiogram, and a halter monitor. Then, last weekend I spent in Orlando with my sister for her bachelorette party! It was so fun celebrating my person and I’m so honored to be her matron of honor.

Two weeks of family, celebration, and cardiac tests left me exhausted. I loved seeing my family and celebrating my sister, but by the end I was having a lot of joint pain, chest pain and exhaustion. This past week I spent a lot of time resting. Now, I’m finally feeling better and ready to jump back in to blogging! I’m also really excited to be working on a new project for Nurses Supporting Nurses and I can’t wait to share with all of you! Alright, let’s get back to the point of this post- Self-care Sunday! Self care is very important around here. Occasionally on Sundays I like to share self care idea, journal prompts, and more to help encourage you to take care of yourself not only today but throughout the week.

Cook a Meal

The clean up and for some the cooking can be stressful, believe me, I know! But, if you are someone who enjoys cooking, cooking one of your favorite meals (or trying something new) can be a great form of self care.

Try a New Coffee Shop

Before we took my sister to the airport we stopped at a new to me coffee shop and it was so fun! I love trying new places, enjoying a good cup of coffee or tea, and changing up my scenery for a bit.

Declutter a Space

We did some extra cleaning before family came to visit, and while we still have more to organize and clean, it felt so nice to have things like my nightstand and kitchen table clean and organized! Taking on your whole home is overwhelming, but choose one small task to tackle. For example- your bathroom cabinet or your bedside table.

Take a Mental Health Walk

Mental health walks will forever be one of my favorite forms of self care. Taking time to go on a walk- alone, with a friend or spouse, or my favorite- with a dog has a variety of health benefits including lowered blood pressure and lowered anxiety and depression. To change things up- go to a local nature trail or state park for your walk.

Join Our Support Group

The Nurses Supporting Nurses support group is open to all healthcare workers looking for a safe place to come as you are and find community and support. We meet every Wednesday at 8pm EST on Google Meet. The group also includes a weekly self care email with journal prompts and other self care tips. We would love to have you join us. For more information or to sign up, check out this blog post.

This list is just to help you get started, please do whatever works for you! I encourage you to not only practice Self Care Sunday, but pick one small way to practice self care every day this week. Schedule it if you need to to ensure you do it. Put it on the calendar. Even if you are working. Your body and mind will thank you for it!

How will you practice Self Care Sunday? Share below!

Check out this blog post to see some of my favorite self care products:

Self Care Sunday

For journal prompts and guided deep breathing (both excellent forms of self care) check out this blog post:

Self Care & Reflection

Happy Wednesday, friends! I’m sharing a little life update with you today. I have officially been away from the bedside as a nurse for 5 months. I talked about Stepping Away from Nursing in a past blog post due to mental health and severe burn out. I planned to return to another travel contract in February but unforutnely that did not happen.

On January 4 my sister in law and I both tested positive for Covid. We both had pretty severe flu like symptoms for a week. Fever, congestion, body aches, fatigue. I began to notice I was becoming very short of breath with any exertion- stairs, household chores, and showering. I began checking my vitals with a pulse ox and realized my O2 saturation (oxygen levels) was fine but my heart rate was jumping up well above normal- 130s-140s every time I was moving. I knew this was a symptom of covid and assumed it would get better. However, it continued to only get worst.

I finally ended up in the Emergency Room 3.5 weeks after testing positive. My heart rate was in the 140s and my BP was 155/99. I felt absolutely awful. The ER did a CTA to rule out a PE (clot in the lung) and it was negative. So, they sent me home with a beta blocker (heart medication) and a cardiology referral.

It took over a month to get into a Cardiologist. When I went to my appointment he told me he has been seeing this with other people around my age post Covid, and it can take 6 months or more for it to resolve (better than permanent but I was hoping for a shorter timeline). I am schedule for a variety of cardiac test at the end of the month- an echo (heart ultrasound), stress test (treadmill test), and a halter monitor (monitor to ensure I’m not having abnormal rhythms.) After this, I will return to the Cardiologist to review test results and go from there. I am currently taking a beta blocker (heart med) twice a day and it does help with my heart rate and seems to make me feel a little bit better.

Our first outing after ten days in quarantine- the grocery store

I am unable to work because the heart rate issue. I can barely make it a loop around the campground without becoming short of breath, I know I couldn’t not go through the stress of being on the floor and easily walking 5 miles during a shift. I’m also having brain fog. I tried to go to the grocery recently, and I really struggled to find what was on the list. It just wasn’t processing. I also was very overwhelmed and could not keep a train of thought with all the stimulation around me (and the store wasn’t even busy.) I struggled talking to my husband and understanding what he was saying. I know I can’t return to working as a floor nurse until that has resolved. It wouldn’t be safe for my patients.

Thankfully, I am to the point now where I can work on the computer in a quiet environment. I require frequent breaks and can take longer than normal to get things done, but I am able to do it. I am doing some work for the company my husband owns, HypedUp Studios. Social media management, content writing, designing graphics, helping write up contracts, ect. It’s not my norm obviously, but I am learning a lot and honestly really enjoying everything I am doing. It’s giving me some purpose and providing a nice reprieve from nursing.

I’m also doing a lot of work expanding on my Nurses Supporting Nurses: Support Group. So much is in the works to help with my fellow CNAs, nurses, and APRNs and I can’t wait to share it. The support group is also going well and I’m really enjoying connecting with other nurses and CNAs. If you are looking for community and support, please join us! We would love to have you!

Thankfully, there is still good things going on in my life. My husband has been absolutely amazing through all this and has gone above and beyond helping me. I feel bad so much falls on him right now, but I really appreciate all he has done. My parents, sister, and friends have all been great support as well. My sister gets married in less than 2 months and I’m the Maid of Honor so lots of fun and excitement there! I’m also working on exploring more ways to use and grow my nursing practice during this time I am unable to work as a bedside nurse. My therapist and I had a great session recently discussing my options and how I can grow. It was really nice to feel some hope and happiness.

If you made it this far, thank you! I had mentioned my long haul covid but never really got into to detail. I am hoping and praying for more answers soon and that I will be back to feeling like myself soon. If you are suffering from long haul c, I’m sending you love and light.

Also, YES I am vaccinated and boosted. YES, I wore and still wear a mask when I’m out. YES, I try/tried to mitigate my risk of exposure when and where I can/could. And YES, I’m still very thankful for the vax, I think it helped, and I think you should get it if your doc approves.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, friends!

Thank you those of you who took the time to read my post from yesterday and to everyone who reached out with love and kindness. If you miss the blog post, I talked about Behind the Covid Unit Doors- One Nurse’s Perspective. Today is a much lighter day on the blog. I’m sharing a short post about the origin of St. Patrick’s Day.

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick, alive during the 5th century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its nation apostle. He was kidnapped from Great Britain and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was a teenager. Later, he escaped but returned to Ireland, bringing Christianity to the Irish people. St. Patrick was believed to pass on March 17, 461. As time went on, tales of his life became more ingrained in Irish culture. The most well known tale is the Irish shamrock or 3 leaf clover. St. Patrick used this to explain the holy trinity- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Celebration

Since the 9th century, the Irish have been celebrating the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade recorded was in 1601 in a Spanish Colony that is now St. Augustine, Florida. In 1772, homesick Irish solids serving in the English military held a military march in honor of St. Patrick. The holiday celebrations began to grow across the country from there.

Today, people across the world of all backgrounds celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Some celebrations in American include Chicago dying the river green, Savannah, GA hosting the US’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade, and New York City hosting the largest parade.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patricks day! Will you be celebrating? If so, how? Please share below, I would love to know! 

Reference: https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day

Hello and Happy Sunday, friends! I can’t believe we have made it to another week! I want to encourage all of you to take a few minutes on this Sunday to show yourself some love with self care. I always like to point out that I realize self care is more than skin care and bubble baths, but sometimes what you need is skin care and a bubble bath. I have a wide range of things that bring me happiness and relaxation- from therapy to skin care.

Skin Care

I love a good face mask and a refreshing class of sparkling water or wine, depending on how I am feeling that day! Pair it with a good play list or a book and it can lead to a very relaxing night of self care. One of my favorite clay face mask is from Skin Pharm. A woman and NP owned skin boutique that is now in multiple states. It is a bit of an investment, but the mask has lasted me months and it works magic on my skin. (Note: It can be a bit spicy, but it’s great!)

Clay Time Face Mask

*The clay time mask is currently sold out but I highly recommend ordering once it’s available!

Bubble Bath

A relaxing bubble bath is one of my favorite types of self care. Again, paired with one of my favorite books or play list and it’s a great way to relax. Bonus, it also can help with sore and tired muscles after a loooong shift. Dr. Teal’s is one of my absolute favorites to help with sore muscles and relaxation. A bath in their lavender foaming bath helps me relax and fall asleep- both at night and post night shift!

Dr Teal’s Foaming Bath

Time Outside

I know a lot of the country is seeing snow, but spring is just around the corner! I love a wide range of outdoor activities (expect a full blog post on that coming soon!) but a few include walks with my dog, kayaking, and laying by the pool or beach! If you enjoy any beverage that come in the slim 12 oz cans- sparkling water, White Claw, Corona Light- whatever it may be- these slim can coozies are a must! I gifted both my sister and sister-in-law with one because I loved it so much and they love theirs too! I also have purchased the regular coozie for some guys in my life and they also gave excellent reviews! It comes in 24 different colors incase the mermaid vibes aren’t for you.

Slim Can Coozie

Alright friends, no matter if it’s on this list or something else- please take the time to practice some self care on this Sunday! Sending you all love and light for a good week ahead. 

**Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links. These are items that I have used and loved for a long time, long before an affiliate link. Purchasing through these links simply gives me a very small commission to help run the blog! Thank you!

I am going to do a monthly post where we all take a breather away from the heavy (yet important) topics we sometimes discuss here and talk about something much happier- pets. Welcome to the first session of “pet e-therapy.”

One of my dreams is to have a therapy dog and go to visit not only the patients- but the staff at local hospitals and nursing homes. Until that dream is realized we will be having monthly pet therapy on the blog. It is no secret I absolutely love my fur babies. They truly are like my children (keep any shade to yourself, please.) They have been my comfort and support through some of the hardest times in my life. They have helped me through depression, anxiety, grief, and PTSD. They also have been there for some of the happiest times of my life as well. To be loved by a dog or cat is a special bond that I hope everyone knows in their lifetime.

A few fun facts about pets & your health:

• Pets can help you manage anxiety by providing companionship & support.*
• Pets can help you be more active. They give you a reason to be outside, be active, and get fresh air. This also can result in better sleep!*
• The bond with a pet can help you feel not alone. When a pet owner sees, touches, hears, or talks to their companion, it brings a sense of happiness and nuturing.*

And now the best part- pictures of my pets! I will try to bring a collection of my own pets, my fur nieces and nephews, friends pets, and I would love to feature your pet! If you have any type of pet you would like to have featured on social media or the blog- please email me at info@peacelovenursing.com ! I would love to see and share with our community here! They can be earth side or over the rainbow bridge, all animals our family forever!

My cat, Annabelle- clearly the queen and full of sass.

Our dog, Declan. He is full of energy and just generally loves life!

Our dog, Southpaw who lives over the rainbow bridge. He was the best boy and the dog of honor/ring bearer in our wedding.

Declan when we first brought him home 2 years ago.

I know I love pet pictures, so I am hoping you do too! Pet E-Therapy will just be a fun, relaxing way to end our week once a month. Please send me your photos so I can feature your pets on the blog and social media!

Find a dog/cat/bunny/whatever animals makes you happy to love and pet this weekend! 

Source:https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-bond-for-life-pets/pets-and-mental-health

Happy Friday! I have gained some new friends around the blog and on social media so I thought I would do a little reintroduction.

Working the Covid Unit in Arlington, VA.

Hi, I’m Megan. I’m a Registered Nurse. I worked as a CNA in nursing school in both skilled nursing facilities and home health. I was an LPN for four years and worked in a Skilled Nursing Facility on the sub acute rehab unit as well as the long term units. I have been an RN for 5 years. I worked as a staff nurse on a cardiovascular telemetry floor for 3 years and was a preceptor for new graduate nurses. I then left my staff job and have been a travel nurse for the past 2 years. I have taken contracts in Arlington, VA (just outside of Washington D.C.) and Cocoa Beach, Florida. As a travel nurse I have worked float pool, cardiac PCU, and lots of covid.

Our wedding- and handsome dog of honor, Southpaw

My husband is a web developer and owns his own full digital marketing business, Hyped Up Studios so he works from home. We have been married for over 2 years and together for 9 years! When we decided to travel, we downsized to something we could take with us wherever we went. We now live in a 35 foot RV and love it! The tiny life isn’t for everyone, but it is for us. We have one fur baby in heaven- our dog Southpaw, and two earthside fur babies- our dog, Declan and cat, Annabelle. They both travel with us!

Our RV/Tiny Home on Wheels

Annabelle & Declan

When I am in better health (currently dealing with long haul Covid symptoms) some of my hobbies include hiking, camping, kayaking, trying out new restaurants, breweries, or wineries, and enjoying time with my family and friends.

Camping in Shenandoah National Park

Thanks for supporting the blog and being here- I really appreciate it! Tell me something about yourself below so I can get to know you! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.