Change.

It's been nearly 6 weeks since I started my new job and moved house. To be honest I've had my moments when I've thought I'd made a huge mistake. I don't know if that is normal but I guess it's natural to have some doubts. Moving to another county away from everyone and everything you know is tough. I miss my old life sometimes but then I think of the new one I have in front of me. I'm still getting to know my new surroundings but so far it is ok. Living next to a main road is a bit noisy but I can sleep through anything. I've had a couple of run ins with downstairs but I try to be patient with them. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask someone to turn their music down when it is making your crockery rattle. I try to keep my noise down to a minimum but I have to admit the last time they had their music loud I found some heavy metal radio station and pumped up the volume. Two wrongs don't make a right but I wanted them to realise how loud their music was. I love my new flat other than that. It wasn't left in a great condition but I've cleaned it up nicely. I have a new futon and wardrobe so I have even more to cart the next time I move. Hopefully that won't be for a while.

As for work I really enjoy it. Obviously there are positives and negatives but there are with anything. The variety you get in the ED is great as it really challenges you especially when you are new to it. I feel more settled now and that I know what I'm doing a lot better. There are still times when I feel the need to ask for advice but that is nothing to be ashamed of. I'd rather ask for advice than do something wrong. Emotionally it can be difficult to deal with at times due to the nature of the things some people come in with. I've never had to deal with things like miscarriage, overdose, intoxication, drugs etc. Learning to cope with these things is a continual learning curve as every case is different. I feel like the opportunity I have is an amazing one and I must embrace it. Nursing on a ward is nice in some respects but you just deal with one speciality. It is only when you go to ED or somewhere similar that you have the opportunity to be exposed to every speciality. As I was told recently, an ED nurse is a jack of all trades. This is what makes it so exciting to me as there is so much to learn and I love learning. I have noticed that there is a specific pattern of certain complaints and then you get a spattering of everything else. The other thing that can happen is you get loads of one complaint. For example I had a run of chest pains, I've had a run of trauma and a run of children. This is why I love it though. I definitely made the right decision but it's just taking time to adjust to it.

Now I have settled in at work what I feel I need to do is get out and about. I'm not the most social person and am quite happy with my own company but I think I should make an effort to do something. There's a sports centre near my flat so I may go and investigate but so far it's only been a thought. It's the next thing on my list of things to do though. One thing is for sure and that is I'm glad I took a chance.

Talking

Trying to explain how you feel is so hard. I talked to one of my friends about everything that has happened. How do you explain to someone who has never experienced something how it feels? They will never truly understand. Apparently I am still me. It obviously appears that way on the outside but it doesn't feel like that on the inside. How can you be two people? Is it just a mask? A sort of self preservation by your body. By coming across as fine on the outside means nobody will ask questions.

I'm worried about this week and next week if I'm honest. I've been away from home for nearly a month and on Saturday I will be making the dreaded journey home. At the moment I feel ok. My days have been busy and filled with lots of exciting things. The minute I set foot in the airport I know it will be over. This was never an adventure holiday, it was an escape and I have escaped but now I have to face reality. I have to face all of the things I left behind, all of the things I don't want to face. Am I just being a coward or is it fear? What will happen next? Will it all be fine? Am I scared of the fight or am I scared of what the fight will uncover?

One thing is certain, I am scared.

I don't want to return to where I was. That was the single most terrifying experience of my life. I don't want to feel like I did. The only person that can change it is me. I may need some help but ultimately it will be down to me. Sometimes I don't think I have the strength to do it. I have to find it though. There is still so much I want to do and see. I'm never going to be one of those people that finds the positive in everything. I am not that sort of person. I can however learn to find the positives in most things. I am always going to find negatives because I am a cautious person but it is just a matter of limiting them to when it is necessary.

I need to find out who I am. I feel like I'm in limbo. Until I do that I'm not sure I can move on and be me. I know that some people possibly won't accept me if I tell them what I do know about me. Maybe that is part of the reason I am in this mess. I worry about what people think of me too much and I try to please them. Maybe it's time I did things for myself rather than others.

Brighter day

This last week I've really felt like I've been going downhill and rapidly. I've been struggling. In all honesty I have felt like going home. I don't know what to do to make things better. I don't know what anyone else can do to make things better. Today was different. I was given an opportunity and I embraced it. I got to experience a whole new way of working with a completely different group of patients. I even got to get hands on which was great. The whole experience was fantastic and it made me feel great. It reignited the fire in me. Talking to other people from different cultures about how they live and work was eye opening. It made me realise that I'm not stuck and that there are plenty of opportunities out there, I just need to find them and take them.

This experience has by no means cured me or fixed the problem but it made me think in a more positive light. That is the problem sometimes, feeling positive. It's easy for people to say just be positive but when you feel like I have felt it seems almost impossible. It just takes little moments like this that make me feel that actually not everything is as dark as it seems. I can see a sliver of light and if I keep searching I will find the source. I don't know how long it is going to take to find this elusive light but I will keep looking, I have to.

Today has been good and I hope for more days like this. The pessimist in me is expecting something rubbish to come along, it always does. Well it always seems to so why should I expect anything different. For now I'll try to be happy with the good that came from today.