I'm Back!

Hiya Strangers!

I've finally started university! & am officially a student nurse at the University of Northampton!

I started on the 2nd of March (which is also my birthday! & happened to be the day that Bobby started basic training for the army!)

Busy Day!

So now I have finally started training expect a lot of posts about mental health!

I start my first placement in June working with younger people with Dementia.

Should be really interesting.

& on the 5th of June Bobby has his passing out parade (tissues at the ready because I will cry!)

I've already handed in my first assignment and have 2 more due so busy, busy.

Anyway just a short post for now until I get more time

Stay safe

Paige

x

Guess who's back...

Hi Guys!

It's been ages I know so let me catch you up on what been happening since my last post!

I bought a new car!

Yes it kind of looks like a boy racer car but it will do me nicely!

I have named him Pepe La Pew (because lets face it, it looks like a skunk!)

I cannot drive it yet because my logbook still has not arrived sooo, I can't tax him :/

I have been working my butt off at college and placement and get this, my placement have said that, and I quote, I "am the best student that they have ever had"! Arrgghh! Feels so good to be appreciated for all the work I do!

I have an interview at Northampton Uni on the 28th so am really excited about that! I have also finished my student finance so now it's the waiting game!

I have been working non-stop with one of my clients since the other unfortunately went into hospital. :(

I am completely drained!

There has been ALOT of family drama! 

Which hopefully will sort itself out.

I have obviously already said what I needed to the rest is in others hands.

I have been to see my family this weekend which was so nice!

I know that my little sister is taking the 'drama' hard so spending time with her and my little brother was exactly what was needed. Huge cuddles were had!

I've spent loads of time with Bobby which has been lovely! 

I only came back today so I will have to get used to sleeping alone again :/

Oh and my tyre blew up on the home!

Mortified!

Well I think that's about it.

Hope your all well!

Stay Safe

Paige

xo

Jump

Hi Guys!

So never mind my 21st, it was Bobby's 21st 5 days before mine! I completely forgot to post this sooner because Bobby was over and I rarely get a chance to see him so was kind of consumed in spending time with him. Well any way I got him a birthday present which I gave him a week before his birthday and this was it:  

Yep I took Bobby skydiving! 

(Thats him in the orange :)) 

It was incredible! He jumped out of a plane at 13,000 feet! 

He loved every second of it and I am so glad that I could make it happen for him.

 It means a lot that he enjoyed it seems he is going into the paras in April (and as far as I can figure, jumping out of planes is a daily occurrence in that job!) 

So here's some more of the photos!

Personally, I love this one :)

Hope you all like the pictures :)

Stay safe,

Paige

xo

Valentines is coming!

Hi Guys!

So now we're in February and Valentines day is looming I thought I create a post about the day that centres around love and affection. Oh and that I think it is completely pointless!

Bobby and I have been together for over 3 years now and haven't celebrated the day once!

The reason being that I feel that I love him (and he me) every single day. I show him and tell him how much I love him everyday not just once a year. Valentines day has become extremely corporate and exists purely to make money out of the head-over-heels. Cute teddies, I love you hearts, huge cards and now even the expectation of expensive jewellery and other gifts. 

I just don't understand why people spend and spend, year after year, their hard earned money on a gift and a card that tells the person their with how much they love them. 

Instead of spending ridiculous amounts for Valentines why not just find experiences to enjoy together on anniversaries. Days that actually mean something to your relationship.

Then on the flip side of the day, you get the people that are single. That can't escape the commercialism of Valentines day. That are constantly reminded that they are single and haven't yet found the person that they can be happy with. What about them? What about the depression it causes and in extreme circumstances the cases of suicide!

I know that for the people in love this day can be magical and romantic but so can any other day of the year. You can't rely on one day to keep the romance and intimacy in a relationship. Real relationships require dedication and sacrifice. 

Trust me they aren't all I love you hearts and expensive jewellery!

How do you feel about Valentines day?

Stay safe.

Paige 

xo

DISNEYLAND PARIS! 2013

Hi Guys!

So like everyone, I hear the words Disney and land and I turn straight back into my 5 year old self!

I never had the chance to go when I was younger, always promised but never followed through. So last year Bobby decided he had to take me and I was not disappointed!

Obviously the first point of call was to purchase Minnie Mouse ears!

We stayed in the Santa Fe hotel which was lovely!

Bobby still being a big kid!

We went to the buffalo bill dinner show.

  

This was the best ride without a doubt!

The Disney Dreams show was spectacular!

And to top it all off we discovered Annette's diner. Beautiful food!

I would go again in a heartbeat. Even the 3 days we were there just wasn't enough to see everything!

Hope you like the pictures.

Stay Safe

Paige

xo

Gran Canaria 2012

Hi Guys!

So in 2012 Bobby & I went to Gran Canaria (obviously I couldn't post it then as I didn't have a blog) and I want to share our holiday with you all now. This holiday was a big deal for us as it was our first holiday alone without family. As we don't have our own house it was just incredible to spend some time alone with each other, completely alone, just us two. In the 2 weeks we were away we learnt so much about each other, some good bits and some bad but the experience and holiday was beautiful.

The view from our hotel room was gorgeous! You look one way and there's the beach and the sea, yet the other way looked like desert. The sun always set over the desertish side so later in the evening we could sit on the balcony and just watch. So peaceful and calming.

Bobby got sunburnt on the first day! It was getting dark when we arrived and he still got sunburnt. The man is just too white :) (well in this picture, red). 

We went to this beautiful little town called Pueto De Mogan. They call it little Venice and you can see why. There's tons of tiny rivers flowing through the town and the scenery is just spectacular. It's a truly beautiful place.

Whilst in Pueto De Mogan we went for a submarine ride. Both of us were quite excited. Well safe to say it was a bit of a let down. It literally circled a sunken ship about 5 times. But seeing all the different schools of fish was amazing.

We went to this place called Sioux City. I completely recommend it! It was great! An old western themed town were they put on shows for the children and serve beautiful food. 

And obviously when they did boot polish beards for the children, Bobby just had to have one too!

If you are considering a holiday Gran Canaria is such a beautiful place and I would definitely go again!

So that was my holiday, obviously not all of it some things are more of a personal nature!

Stay Safe,

Paige

xo

Mental Health

Hi guys,

Sorry I know I haven't posted in a while, I've been really busy with college, placements, work, uni interviews, trying to see my family and fiancé and so on. 

I have actually been doing some charity work raising money for a charity called YoungMinds. The cause is incredible and honestly deserves as much publicity as it can get, so please visit the website and check it out http://www.youngminds.org.uk/ 

Yes I am eating a bacon sandwich!

I raised £30.08 which is quite good considering it was a slow day at college. 

So anyway as you know come September, my chosen area of study will be mental health. 

Today I spoke to someone who has a daughter that is in a mental health facility and she asked some of the staff what kind of qualifications they had or what training they had undergone to get into the sector. She was quite shocked (as was I) to discover that mental health nurse assistants actually don't need to have and qualifications or training! 

I understand that in a way they are like health care assistants but health care assistants still have to undergo training such as health and safety and often request more training when they have to start 'specialing' patients. This information has, in a way, scared both myself and the woman involved as the mental health nurse assistants literally do the majority of the work and knowing that they are not actually trained in what they are doing is harrowing.  

When asked one of the mental health nurse assistants said that she hadn't undergone any training and that she just learnt on the job. Personal I feel that learning on the job is a good way to pick up bad habits.

Obviously it is not their fault that they have been employed without qualification or training but training should be offered at every chance. For instance what if a inpatient has to be restrained and the assistant obviously hasn't had any training, all it would take is a bump in the wrong place and in a worse case scenario the inpatient could potentially die.

I feel that all that qualifications in the world doesn't make you right for every job but training in the field should be mandatory. It makes the workplace safer for both staff and patients and helps to avoid implications. 

I don't believe that mental health nurse assistants are incompetent in any way but like they say, better safe than sorry.

Let me know what you think.

Stay safe

Paige

xo

Lets talk depression..

Depression and anxiety is an illness very close to my heart as I myself suffer with it. 

A lot of people don't view depression as a mental illness. I get it I didn't either until I was diagnosed. I felt hopeless most of the time. It took all of me to get out of bed some days. I thought constantly about suicide. The little voice in my head telling me I was worthless and that no one cared if I did die. Sometimes it would feel like the voices weren't just in my head and that I could actually hear them. It only made the already sleepless nights worse. I would cry endlessly and feel like there was no way out of the despair I was hounded by. Even though everyday was a constant struggle I still managed to pull myself together and go to college and work because I knew that if I didn't try things would only get worse.

 I was diagnosed at 19 and was told that I'd had severe depression and anxiety from a young age. At first I couldn't take it in. I wasn't behaving out of character, I didn't self-harm and I was still managing to get out of bed. I saw three health and mental health professionals before I realised that the sooner I accepted my diagnoses, the sooner I could start getting better, or at least coping with my illness. I saw a mental health nurse every 2 weeks to discuss how I was feeling and progress I had made. My doctor put me on antidepressants which was very daunting for me; I'd never had to be on long-term tablets before, especially ones that are so easy for you to develop and addiction to. 

For a while things got worse, increased suicidal thoughts, no sleep at all and crying constantly. I couldn't focus on anything no matter how much I tried, college work seemed to get away from me. Eventually things got better, I was signed off from sessions and my tablets ended. Things were looking up.

A couple of months later I suffered a panic attack. My first big panic attack. This sent me back into depression so again I was put back on the antidepressants. I soon realised that this was an illness I would never get rid of. I'd had it for so long that it had somehow formed a part of my personality.

Now: Things are good. I haven't had a big panic attack in months. I haven't been on antidepressants in months. 

Having a mental illness is not the end of the world. You just need to learn how it works and how it affects you.

I'm not a doctor or a medical professional in anyway but if you may have any questions about depression and anxiety, don't hesitate to ask.

Stay safe,

Paige xo