Fit&Fruits Blog

Birth Control is a beautiful thing, it's just not for me. Birth control prevents so many unwanted pregnancies, it allows women to be proactive toward their future, it helps people with hormonal disorders like PCOS. It prevents the spread of STI's. It allows people to be sexually expressive. It gives women and men around the world peace of mind. It is a wonderful invention that has helped on a grand scale (i.e. population control). But, it's just not for me. I was a Junior in high school and went on my first pill- Beyaz. I became a depressed, couch potato, with a bloated belly, and erratic thoughts. I thought going on the pill was the cool thing to do- even though I wasn't sexually active. Little did I know it would open years of medical issues that probably would have never existed if I hadn't used hormonal birth control. But, one thing is for sure, when I did become sexually active, I didn't get pregnant, so there's that. A few months on my first pill, my

It's the end of an era. August 2017 I got my Paragard inserted. It lead me to find out I had a tumor on my ovary (I like to say it saved my life- but that's another blog). It gave me many months of horrid periods, cramps, and spotting. And it also gave me many months of relatively normal periods. About four months ago I started getting an odd dull tickling/pain feeling on my right side (which is where I had my tumor removed). I started spotting all month long. My periods were getting uncontrollable (I couldn't leave my house or I would leak everywhere). After lots of procrastination, I scheduled my long overdue annual visit with plans of IUD removal. But... as I was getting closer to my appointment , I couldn't bare the thought of getting it out because 1) what was I going to do for birth control? and 2) It was damn hard to get in there. So, with all of the supplies to take it out on display in front of me, I discussed this with my doctor and requested an ultrasound. A

Ahh Yosemite- one of the most beautiful places I've ever laid my eyes on. My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to spend a week there in May. Now let me tell you, we aren't hikers. We enjoy spending time outdoors but we aren't the type to strap on a enormous back pack and do 13 miles in the mountains. We are more the type to pack a lunch and go on a 2 or 3 mile "mild to moderate hike" on paved paths with minimal black bears 🐻 . I'm going to tell you what we did- cause it worked for us- we got to see everything we wanted to & we weren't flat out exhausted everyday. DAY ONE- Wednesday Flight from PGH to Oakland, CA. First thing we did was pick up our rental car (which is a MUST HAVE) for Yosemite if you're not staying in the valley. Everything is so spread out and you want to be able to drive to each location & groceries, etc. Then we headed to Safeway and bough shelf stable foods for the week (we survived off of PB sandwiches and ban

Here I am about to go on vacation again and some freak health incident happens to me, once again. I have shingles. I had the chicken pox when I was two years old, thanks to a friend at gymnastics. I knew shingles was a thing that typically old people get, and I NEVER suspected I would get it because I am a young healthy person. Truth is, one in three get shingles in their lifetime and it is more common in elderly but does develop in young people as well. Usually it manifests itself when your body is under some degree of physical or emotional stress. Am I stressed? Typically I like to think of myself as a care-free person, but I do get stressed. I am in the first six months of my first job as a registered nurse, I was working over a month of night shifts and then suddenly switched to days, and I recently applied to graduate school which stressed me out for some reason. So I guess I am, but I didn't feel too bad. It all started on a Sunday, I had a headache and a stiff neck. I

Hi Friends! Just a few months ago I was in nursing school dreaming of the day I could afford to buy nice things😇. I searched high and low for the projected salary I would earn as a registered nurse and always came up with a broad range💰. I am not going to disclose exactly how much I make, but I will give a very narrow window. KEEP IN MIND: Every geographical area is different. High cost of living= Higher earnings. I live in Pittsburgh, PA which I think is expensive, but in comparison to Los Angeles, I pay 1/3 of what they pay for rent every month. Experience= Higher earrings. New nurses do not make as much. Overtime, weekends, nights, holidays, on call are all part of my work. I make more for each of these. Overtime, holidays, and on call are time and half. Weekends and nights are $1 more per hour. Area of nursing (i.e. Labor and Delivery, Med/Surg). I am not sure how much they vary but I know in some areas they do. I know I make pretty much the same (like a few cents less p

Hi Friends- I'm bringing you another blog about my Paragard IUD! Please read my other posts for more information: Insertion Story The First Cycle Does It Get Better? Month 4 Update I got my non-hormonal copper IUD in August 2017. I've had it for 7 months. I had some crazy anxiety about getting it in. The first few months I was very crampy and had heavy periods. The last FOUR months I've had wonderful periods. They haven't been crampy at all and aren't ridiculously heavy. Although, now I have developed a new issue. I've been bleeding twice a month... Once for my period, then after I ovulate. I track my cycle very closely with the Glow App. My period comes as normal each month, then it stops for about a week and a half. Then I ovulate, then I bleed pretty much until my next period starts. I only have nearly 5 days a month where I am not bleeding... THIS IS GETTING RIDICULOUS. I've called my doctor and have set up and appointment with her. I have heard

Hello Nursing friends! It's official! I have survived my first night shift (EVER)! I was so anxious about switching from days to nights. I was googling and asking my friends how I should prepare and it seemed like the best advice was from friends, not the internet (haha). ps- I am posting this blog months after writing it, I have done many night shifts since! THE NIGHT BEFORE I tried so hard to stay up late, but I couldn't do it! I was so use to going to work early and going to bed early. I usually would go to bed around 9-10 PM on a regular 7A-7P shift. I made it until 12 midnight, and decided to go to bed. My advice- stay up a little bit later than normal, and as late as you possibly can. Don't stress your body out, if it needs sleep, go to sleep. There could be a chance you stay up late the night before and then cannot sleep in the next day. THE DAY OF I slept from 12-9A. Then I took 1.5 mg of Melatonin and took a nap from 11-2. I got ready for work around 5P an

Being a new nurse sucks . Here's my blunt and honest post, I'm hoping someone out there identifies with. I have been working my first nursing job ever as a labor and delivery nurse for about three months. I am still on orientation, which is soon coming to an end. I am nervous as ever to be "on my own". There is comfort being with my preceptor- who always has my back. Especially in situations where my patient is hemorrhaging or we are having a prolonged fetal deceleration that requires an emergency c-section. On a day to day basis I feel like there is so much to chart- stupid little things, which eventually add up to be important. It's hard to learn what to chart, where to chart it, and when to chart it. Charting is one of the most difficult and time consuming things when you're new. It literally is one of the things that gives me the worst anxiety During nursing school, I was so ready to be done. I was so excited to be a "real" nurse and finally