I Stand.....With Controversy (Planned Parenthood)

I Stand With Planned Parenthood.

I do....I really do. I am LDS. I am not liberal by any means. I don't agree with abortion.

But, my experience with Planned Parenthood has been nothing but positive. And it has nothing to do with abortion.

It has to do with compassion. Kindness. Love. Empathy. And, the best nurses/nurse practitioners I have ever had contact with. I am a Registered Nurse...And my professional opinion is, I think that Planned Parenthood does not get the credit that it deserves because of its' liberal stance on abortion.

I take birth control not because of intercourse, but because it helps regulate my cycle (sorry for the TMI, but I had to). Blue Cross Blue Shield's Co-pay for my BC= $50. Planned Parenthood's= $12. I understand the government funds the discount. But hey, I am giving more than enough to the government for taxes, and the amount they want to take away is nothing compared to what I pay as it is. Why not use their resources?

Every time I've been to Planned Parenthood (since I was 15 years old), I've had a wonderful experience compared to that of a private OB-GYN Practice. At a private practice, I'm ungratefully greeted with overworked receptionists/RNs/Doctors that are seeing you because seeing you equals their paycheck. They are rude, they aren't understanding of financial circumstances, they aren't willing to call you and tell you if an opening is available. Instead, it's "Our wait is 3 months. Sorry."....My response, "But wait....I'm going to college in August (what if I were having active intercourse?) . "Can't I get at least 3 months of Birth Control until then?" and..."Sorry, no.". Alright then, Planned Parenthood it is. They get paid nearly not enough for the care that they give to every single patient.

As for the LDS perspective, I don't agree with abortion. But...I know many Mormons that use birth control when they get married, even before, for health reasons. Can we agree that gynecology practices for low-income patients (as well as people like me who make money) deserve respect and receive exceptional gynecological care?! Where are you heads at? Love one another...Don't cast judgment, that's Christ's job.

Sign the petition. I usually don't do this nonsense...But this is worth it. Click here and help fund/just sign a petition to keep the majority of what Planned Parenthood stands for--- STD screenings, contraceptives, cervical cancer testing, and sexual education. THIS IS A MAJORITY OF WHAT THEY STAND FOR. SET ASIDE ABORTION, AND PUT INTO FOCUS REAL LIFE.. Please.

/end rant of what I stand for.

Life Can Be Pretty Sometimes...

So I had this night a few days back....

Where I cried a lot for no reason. I listened to jams from high school and reverted back to my teenaged emo-self, just for those couple of hours.

That was really stupid.

The listening to high school jams = not stupid. But everything else? Amy, what were you thinking...
I can cry. I'm allowed to cry, and boy do I cry with the best of them. But being emo? NOT allowed.
Thoughts running through my head ..."This sucks..I wish I could go back to being little again, why am I a grown up? I have no idea what I'm doing right now...."

I was told by a very smart person that a big sign of depression is wishing you could go back to the old days. I am living proof of that big sign. Whenever I get depressed, I stop living in the moment and start re-living in the past...Hence my blog a few nights back about my old blog from when I was 15 (which may or may not have been the night I'm referring to).

The past is nothing but a memory.
Like my last post's quote from "Cutting for Stone" (which yes Melanie, that book is absolutely amazing...I love everything about it!).........A memory is something important, proof that you're alive. I think that the ability to have memories is a privilege. That being said, it should be used with caution....It shouldn't be a crutch. Beautiful ones you can look back on fondly (but not dwell upon)...And Ugly ones you can learn from (but NOT dwell upon, either).
The dwelling upon?
I have trouble with that.

I am proud that I can admit my flaws, though.


Things got brighter when I saw the sun for once this morning....
I'm serious though. I'm aware that the sun has reared its' head in Manhattan the past 2 days, but I wasn't awake to enjoy it. I was sleeping, like the nocturnal being that I must be in order to make a living.
This morning, it was too bad that it plummeted a good 20+ degrees, but for me it was happiness. I was so happy to see that sun. Be it the Vitamin D, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or "Night Nurse Disorder" (my own coined term)...I needed that sun. I stopped on the street in my scrubs at 8:45am and took pictures. These were all taken on my 4 block walk from Grand Central Station to my apartment.
The Concrete Jungle is more bearable when there is light shining down on it.

Stopped here at the Chrysler Building and thought...Do I really live this close to the Chrysler Building? Do people even know what the Chrysler Building is?



Obviously everyone knows what this is..The Empire State Building peeking through..With the sun shining down on it. The only building not shadowed in this picture. And it's right next to my favorite public roof-top park. I live to read on the roof of 622 3rd Ave and people-watch sometimes. It's silly that it looks so small in this picture. That being said, it's ALL perspective!!!



In other news...
It's nice to know that someone really cares about me.

I know flowers aren't a tell-tale sign of being cared for..But I know that driving for one hour + a 4.5 hour red eye + a 45 minute taxi cab ride with a bouquet of flowers in your hand means a lot, right? (and it matches my blog theme oh, so well)

Memory.

"The hands of my clock turned elastic while I imprinted these feelings in memory.

You must remember this.

It was all I had, all I've ever had, the only currency, the only proof that I was alive.

Memory."



--from "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese

Times they have changed.

Me, 7 years ago from Today.

Feb. 17th, 2004

[	mood	|	aggravated	]
[	music	|	TBS-[[GreatRomancesOfThe20thCentury]]	]

quickie today. busy dayyy.super saturday meeting, then worked out with nichole (mile and a half whoooo) THEN went home..then play practice for 2 hours. whooohoop arty. dan called me today, it was weird.but he is my friend. of course. and i ate too much chips and dip. and now i have to do homework, i am procrastinating. goodbye sweethearts.

you made me love you, i didn't want to do it. :)

I love that I still have this journal in existence. Read it if you choose. I was 15. I was naive. I was me, but I was a different girl. It was sad. Use caution: it involves drinking, boys and emo-ness.

SeasonAffectsDisoders.

It's that time of year. The time of year where I want to hibernate..Sleep, eat, repeat. No more, no less. I can get snappy and angry, and sad and cry. Especially on a consecutive night of work...I'm a known crier at my job.


Jackson came out for Valentine's Day and I was so happy that I wasn't the one that had to travel. All we really did was stayed up late and spent the days being lazy, but it is so much more fun being lazy with someone else instead of by my lonesome.


Work has been so busy. So many times at that job I just feel defeated, like I feel as if I can't mentally do it anymore. But...Life goes on. So does working. So does the night..Eventually there is that light at the end of the tunnel, the sun is rising, and you know it's time to go home soon. That's the moment we all love. The other employees come in with their coffees...And we're ready to go to sleep, already picturing what it will be like to hit the pillow.

On that note, hitting the pillow.

Truzzled.

It's February.
I just got home from work (my first night in over a week)...I'm attempting at relaxing.
Then, I hear the incessant honking of a tractor trailer's horn (counted at around 15 times) right outside of my window.

Well hello back to you, New York.

Last night- Long. The time change definitely hit me. If you didn't know, I was in Utah for the past 6 days. The last day was accidental- I got snowed-out. That means, New York was hit with snow, my flight was canceled, I got to spend an extra night in Utah and miss a night of work. It was a success.

Work is good when it snows for one thing and one thing only-- a "Snow Day". When we hear it's a "Snow Day" in the morning, all of us nurses (and all other employees) get excited. We try to get our work done extra early. Basically, we're like little kids waiting for the School Closings to show up on television. Why? Free breakfast. Glorious breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, grits, all kinds of bread, bagels, orange juice (Tropicana)....And did I mention it's free? That's the only good thing about a snow day.

The last snow day I was nervous about missing my flight to go out to Utah. I made it out no problem. I had a wonderful time...I ate lots of food, jumped on lots of trampolines, relaxed and spent time with a very cute guy that is nerdy like me, which I love.

Short Blips....A patient that I really came to love died, and it upset me very much. Thankfully, I know (have a pretty good, good feeling) that there is life after death and more than anyone, he deserves such a beautiful after-life, which I know he will receive. He was the first patient that I have really cried over.
I just watched a movie, "Mary and Max". 1) It is a great clay-mation movie that really captures the feel of mental illness. It's inspiring and depressing. 2) It has been decided that Toni Collette is not only my favorite actress, but my favorite "voice" character.

Anyway, I've told about as much as I can tell. For now. Until then....