The Bittersweet Moments In Life

I can officially say, I have gone through Dental Hygiene School, survived, and reached the light at the end of the tunnel. I am Jennie Lynne Gilbert, RDH, BS.

I don't know that I will miss dental hygiene school. The classes, the endless studying, putting up with all the protocol in clinic, finding patients, etc. What I will miss my dental hygiene family. I met some of the most amazing women and was blessed by each and every one of them. We were the only ones who truly knew what each of us was going through. We knew how to support each other and lift each other up in the hardest of times. We've been through major life events together; divorces, deaths, heart-breaks, illnesses, marriages and pregnancies. We've cried to each other about clinic, complained about classes and shared with each other our fears. I met some of my best friends in this program and I will miss the built-in group of friends; all the dinners, nights out, swimming parties, slumber parties. For the most part, my class has scattered across the US and I will miss them tremendously.

My closest and dearest friends

Dental Hygiene Class 2009

It's just as surreal completing dental hygiene school as it was starting it. I knew that this moment would be bittersweet and it is, in every sense of the word. I've reached the end of something I've worked so hard for and it's sad and exhilarating all at the same time.

When my sister was a senior in high school she sang a song along with a picture slide show of seniors attending our church. I can still see her and her friends up on stage singing this song.

Here You Stand

It’s a journey you must travel
And where He leads you, He’ll help you to be strong
The Lord has taught you, and now He’s brought you
To a place where He wants you to move on

Here you stand
At the beginning and not the end
Here you stand
And with our blessing we will send you
And though it’s hard we will extend to you a smile

We will cherish all these memories
And we'll always hold a place for you inside
The Lord has planned it, we understand it
Still, we find it hard to say the word, "goodbye"

Your time here is over, another day is done
But we know that you’ve just begun

So, I passed my written board, my clinical board, I graduated and got a job! Wow! I will be working for Westover Hills Family Dentistry starting mid to the end of June. They are opening up a new practice and I will be the hygienist in that location. I am both excited and nervous to actually start working in a dental practice.

I've done all the things I've blogged about doing: I made it, I reached the light at the end of the tunnel, I've come out a changed person, it WAS worth it, tomorrow was a better day, I did survive, I am proud of myself and

I DID IT!

So, guess what?

I am about to start my LAST semester of dental hygiene school! Ahhhhh! This is the semester that determines it all... I take the Dental Hygiene National Board on March 24, my clinical exam the beginning of May and walk the stage May 23rd! Wild and crazy, huh?

This semester instead of being in the clinic, we are on rotation for 6 weeks. Meaning we are away at different sites around San Antonio. I looked today at my schedule and I am at Lackland Air Force Base. I was SO excited to see that! I was at Lackland last semester and loved it. It's a lot like private practice and it will be an awesome experience to have before I graduate. I will actually see 2 patients in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. Plus, my faculty won't be there breathing down my throat. The hygienist there is awesome and I am so happy that I will get the opportunity to get to work with her again!

This semester they are pushing us right into patient care. We start seeing patients next week. All day Wednesday and all day Thursday. But I'm glad. I need as much time in clinic as possible.

Our classes include:
Clinic III
Clinic III Seminar
Intro to Research
Practice Management (1/2 a semester)
Health Care Ethics (1/2 a semester)
Community (We will spend most of this class actually out in the community!)

What a crazy ride dental hygiene school has been. I will look back on this time and it will seem like just a blink of an eye. But what a monumental time in my life it has been!

Here are some photos of me gowned up and working away in clinic!

I should be studying for finals, but...

...here I am instead, procrastinating...what I do best!

It's amazing how much can happen in a month...

My dad is COMPLETELY cancer-free! Isn't that amazing?! He's done with his treatments and is getting his port out today. I saw him at Thanksgiving and his hair is starting to grow back. He looks really good. He amazed me with his strength as he fought through this battle.

My computer completely crashed a couple weeks ago. My hard drive went completely corrupt and I lost everything that was on my C drive. The hard drive was partitioned into a C and D drive and they were able to save some info on the D drive. Though, I'm not expecting it to be much. I have now become a good spokesperson, encouraging people to back up their computers.

I am still dating my precious Chad and for the life of me don't know how he puts up with me sometimes. But I guess him having 3 older sisters helps. I've been able to spend time with his family over the past couple months off and on and absolutely love them!! Last night one of his sister's was in town, so his parents, Chad, sister and I went out to eat. I left the restaurant feeling emotional, like something just wasn't right. I tried to put the blame on Chad and find something that he did to make me upset, but nothing really seemed to fit. As I was laying in bed thinking about the evening and what had made me so emotional, I realized I was jealous of Chad's family. Seeing his family interact and spending time with them made me miss what I don't have in my family. I felt the differences between his 'whole' family and my broken family. A part of my heart grieved the loss of my whole family unit. The loss of security, wholeness, completeness and bond that as a family unit they have. I'm not saying that I don't have that with my mom and sister. And I'm not even saying that I don't have that with my dad. It's just that those relationships are separate from one another which causes a feeling of brokenness within my family and in an unexplainable way, a loss of security. I know there will be other times in my life where I will grieve the reality of this loss again, but I find comfort in the fact that, although my family was broken, their continued love for me and my love for them, makes me whole.

I have a week from hell coming up...finals...where I don't sleep and study 'til my eyes start to cross. I absolutely cannot believe that this semester is over and that next semester will be my last.

Well, I'm finally off to read some Oral Pathology...or maybe take a nap...

UT Football and Beutiful Roses

I'm sitting in my living room and watching the UT v. Oklahoma State game. Chad is there in Austin cheering them on. Last weekend I was able to go with him the to UT v. Missouri game. It was so much fun and of course Texas won!! I don't have pictures from the game yet, but here are some pictures from the night we went out. We actually met up with one of my best friends, Kris in downtown Austin.




Also, my sweet Chad got me beautiful roses, just because. Here are some photos of them.




4 weeks til Thanksgiving!! And then after that I have one week of classes and then a week of finals! I can't believe how fast this semester is flying by!! After this semester, I will only have one more to go. I can't believe it! It's closing in on me...

Well, there's 4 min. left in the 3rd quarter and Texas is winning 28-21! Betcha, Texas wins...

The Little Sickling

For the past week and a half I have had a cold/severe allergies...nobody really knows exactly how to label it. Congestion in my entire head (I'm sure if you had x-ray vision you would see all my tissues floating in mucous), a runny nose and my worst symptom, an extremely sore throat. A week ago Friday I went to the nurse practitioner at my school. She said there were ulcers on my throat, gave me a steroid shot, prescribed me Magic Mouth Wash for the pain and sent me on my merry way. By Saturday afternoon, my throat was not really hurting and for the rest of the week, I just had a lot of congestion and have been taking Claritin every 12 hours.

Last night my sore throat started creeping up again and by 2:30 this morning I was miserable. So, for your viewing pleasure I took pictures!

This morning I went to see a doctor. He looked in my throat and said the same thing...he saw ulcers. I haven't been running a fever, been achy or feeling 'sick' so at this point, there is not much he can do. He gave me free samples of Allovert and two different types of nasal sprays. I went to CVS and stocked up on even more medications (at my doctor's suggestion) to try and alleviate my symptoms.



So, for this lovely little infection I am taking:
Vitamin C
2 different nasal sprays (One 2x/day and the second 1x/day)
Mucinex
Allovert
NyQuil (so I can sleep at night)
Magic Mouth Wash to alleviate the pain (gargle 3x/day)
The Netti Pot (The coolest thing ever! It really clears the sinuses!)

In other news, I am really missing Chad. I miss talking and laughing with him, his hugs and sweet kisses and just being with him. I feel like he's been gone forever. He called tonight and his friend asked to talk to me. He told me that they were having fun but that Chad was really missing me. So sweet... I'm picking him up at the airport tomorrow. I can't wait to see him! :)

Boredom

So, Chad is in Dallas this weekend. He is going to the UT vs. OU game tomorrow and I am finding myself pretty jealous even though I didn't really want to go. He's up in Dallas having a grand 'ole time and I'm stuck in SA with nothing better to do than read about Oral Pathology. So, you ask, "Jennie, don't you have friends to go out with?" Well, as a matter of fact, yes I do, but it just so happens that they are all either out of town, sick or had prior plans. Ugh! There's nothing worse than sitting at home on a Friday night. I know, you're feeling sorry for me...

Tomorrow, I've got another volunteer thing going on. I am going to a HEB health fair and may get the opportunity to place sealants! I'm looking forward to that!

I'm starting to get burned out with school. It's like I am completely submerged in school related things and I just want to be able to come up for air. It happens every semester about this time. Plus, I think I am starting to develop a case of senioritis. But I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I know there will be an end to this program and I know it will always be something that I will be SO proud and grateful to have made it through. It will have been worth all the tears, all-nighters, fear, anxiety, frustration and stress.

Well, I guess I'll get on with my evening. Need to go and fold a load of laundry...sigh...

A Free Moment

Well, life has returned to a state of craziness. It seems to come in waves. Tests, projects, assignments, volunteer activities...and sleep somewhere in there.

This morning I went to an elementary school and taught 3 different 5th grade classes about Gingivitis and Periodontitis. It was really a lot of fun getting to work and interact with the kids. Hopefully we scared then enough that they'll be super motivated to take care of their teeth!

I've got a major Oral Pathology test on Friday. We are all freaking out about it because the professor who lectured on the inflammation portion was terrible and we're all super confused and unsure about what info we need to know. Argh!

This weekend I am volunteering for TMOM (Texas Mission of Mercy). It's in Leander, which is northwest of Austin. I'll be working with my faculty and actually getting to clean some pretty nasty teeth. I'm really looking forward to it!

Yesterday, I had a patient come in who had serious periodontitis. His lower anterior teeth were extremely mobile and completely covered in tarter (or calculus as we call it). So much so, that I from the lingual surface I couldn't see the interproximal space between the teeth. Unfortunately, he is too hard for me this semester, but I will get to treat him next semester as a collaborative care patient. (Meaning that I will work with another student on his treatment.)

Next week, I have a test on Monday and Tuesday. Plus I will be tested in clinic on how accurate I am on my periodontal exam. I also have assignments due on Monday and Tuesday.

In other news, I am dating an amazing man who makes me so happy! We have great conversation, laugh all the time and enjoy each others company. He is so respectful of me and treats me so well! And it doesn't hurt that he's a handsome man!



And for those of you who don't know, my dad is back home and doing much better. His headaches are controlled with Advil and his temperature is down and has stayed down. He is going in for his 4th treatment tomorrow.

So, things are going well, just busy!