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Instagram post 2185954718529320955_6816277 And as you become more successful,⠀
The amount of haters will grow. ⠀
There is a direct correlation⠀
As you check off more boxes⠀
Smiling as you go⠀
They are watching⠀
But do not forget⠀
You were not born to please other people. ⠀
Getting their approval ⠀
Was not part of your bucket list.⠀
Keep your head up 
And
Eyes fixed on your daydreams⠀
Because soon⠀
They will no longer be daydreams⠀
It will be your reality⠀
If you keep this mentality. ⠀
So⠀
Envision your future self often. ⠀
Set your intention daily.⠀
And get to work.⠀
-⠀
Sincerely,⠀
My exhausted jotted-down thoughts post nightshift 3 in a row. 😂 .
💾 Save this post for motivation 👍🏼
Instagram post 2184325088189709002_6816277 Y’all asked for ECMO education...I’m gonna break it down real simple. 👌🏼 ECMO stands for ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. “Extra” = outside, “corporeal” = body so, outside of the body. Membrane oxygenation = oxygenation by a membrane. Outside of the body. Ya?

There are two types of ECMO. VA or VV ECMO. Veno-arterial or Veno-venous. First letter is where you’re pulling from and the second is where you’re returning blood. VA ECMO provides heart and lung support. VV is solely lung support. Blood is pulled from the body via cannulas and travels through an oxygenator to be oxygenated and for CO2 to be removed. We control the amount of CO2 removed via something called “sweep.” Then it is returned back to the body. ⠀
⠀
This treatment is a last resort for patients when other conventional therapies don’t work (max ventilator support, max pressors/inotropes, end stage heart failure etc) and there are contraindications of course. But it does work and use of ECMO is growing. ⠀
⠀
Examples of patients who may require ECMO include but are not limited to: septic shock, aspiration pneumonia, ARDS, pulmonary embolism, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, cardiac arrest. The list goes on.⠀
⠀
These patients are SICKY SICK. K like not well. The ECMO specialist cannot leave the bedside, we are constantly monitoring these patient’s vitals, intake & output/fluid balance and also typically manage the CRRT machine along with it. We are responsible for maintaining therapeutic anticoagulation to maintain circuit integrity, checking pre and post oxygenator ABGs as well as patient ABGs, serial electrolytes, hourly pulse checks to make sure the big cannula doesn’t occlude perfusion to the lower extremities..managing sedation for patient and circuit safety, and sometimes paralytics for ventilator compliance or to decrease oxygen demand. ⠀
⠀
There is also another nurse doing patient cares, medications, possibly managing another device in addition. Who here does ECMO and who wants to?! Doesn’t want to? 😂😝 .

Save this for reference later 📋
Instagram post 2182341693549085563_6816277 TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. ⠀
⠀
Wow. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be designing and opening an online shop I would have laughed 😂. I have been working very hard over months and months to design some #nursemerch with a sassy and trendy flair to it. Over the years I’ve had numerous situations where I wanted to buy a nurse a graduation gift, thank you gift, etc, and I was so disappointed in the tacky stuff that’s out there today! (ive seen enough incorrect EKG clip art designs, thanks) Next thing you know I’m designing my own products... that I’m actually excited to gift to my friends and family that are nurses or in school! 🏩📝⠀
⠀
I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing combined with excitement combined with extreme gratitude FOR YOU. You guys that have followed along my nursing journey... YOU have made an amateur blog that was created to get through personal trauma, into a community that gets me excited to keep going, move past my struggles, and continue to spread positivity in nursing. So thank you, THANK YOU 💖⠀
⠀
Shop link will be posted tonight at midnight MST in stories. 💋
@lipstickandlifesaving
Instagram post 2180256768918308180_6816277 Rest In Peace Nonna ❤️
.
My sweet grandmother passed away this weekend surrounded by family. It was very unexpected and sudden, and I am so fortunate to have gotten to Canada in time to be with her when she passed. Also feeling so grateful she was able to make it to my wedding in Arizona just last month.

This was my first family member being cared for in the ICU. I always wondered over the years how this would go for me, and I am so wowed by the hospital staff who were so accommodating to me and my giant loud Italian family that took over the entire waiting room with people, pizza, and biscotti 😂
.
Not only that, our family included 5 nurses, 2 RTs, 1 medical student, and a million questions. You can only imagine how annoying we would be for that night nurse...but wow. She pulled up every CT, ABG, CBC we asked for, without a single roll of the eyes. This was closure for us. She also made EACH of us one of these EKG strips that she hand cut, and placed a heart bead with her favorite color. THIS is nursing. Don’t ever forget the little things you can do as a nurse in these situations. This meant the world to us.

Nonna you were a light in all of our lives. Always so happy, and had a social life I could only dream about. Heaven gained a beautiful angel this week 💖
Instagram post 2175612208598498198_6816277 This guy here is a Total Artificial Heart (TAH). 🖤⠀
⠀
It is implanted as a last resort for biventricular failure either as a bridge to heart transplant or as destination therapy (this stays in forever). The patient’s ventricles and valves of the heart are completely removed and this goes in their place. Crazy right? 🤯⠀
⠀
In this picture you can see the mechanical metal valves and if you look closely in the middle you can see yes, that is VELCRO that attaches the two plastic ventricles together. The flappy suction cup looking parts around the valves are sutured to the patient’s atria. ⠀
⠀
These patients are usually in the ICU for months...but once they become stable, they are able to go home attached to a 13.5 pound portable pump that runs on battery, and worn as a backpack or shoulder bag. This becomes their new way of life. 🎒⠀
⠀
Who’s taken care of a TAH patient before? Opinions on this therapy? Would you say yes to this if it was your last option to live⁉️
Instagram post 2171229601102553105_6816277 One of my posts from a few years back but still a good reminder to my fellow nurses as winter rolls around 🏥⠀
⠀
“Patients do not put their trust in machines or devices. They put their trust in you. You have already spent years studying, training, doing research & seeing patients. And you likely have many years of education before you. ⠀
⠀
But please remember the more skilled you become, the more specialized you become, and the more dependent on technology you become — the easier it becomes to lose your humanity, forget your compassion, and ignore your instincts. ⠀
⠀
I have one last piece of advice: Never ever lose your moral compass.” 🖤 Margaret Hamburg, MD⠀
⠀
In this photo the patient is on ECMO, Impella, CRRT, and a ventilator.
Instagram post 2167776739236018984_6816277 Back to reality, but forever in the honeymoon phase with you 🥰💕
Instagram post 2166988458923700901_6816277 No costume necessary for this little boo 😻⠀
Happy Halloween!! 🖤🎃👻
Instagram post 2164105909876567483_6816277 and then i realized⠀
that to be more alive⠀
i had to be⠀
less afraid⠀
so i did it⠀
i lost my fear⠀
and gained my⠀
whole life 🌿
Instagram post 2163375963684331623_6816277 Behind every successful woman,
is a tribe of other successful women who have her back 💕
.
Nursing is too stressful of a profession to tear each other down. We all need to support one another, & nurture each other’s growth - whether you have days, months, or years experience. We all have something to share and contribute. YES YOU. Girls compete with one another. But women empower each other.
.
Tag some of your work bffs that build you up 🙌🏼 or laugh WITH YOU when 💩 hits the fan 😂
.
Mine are @em_bracken @brianabuenoo @jusi_j @elyshabeth @_thatsamoangirl @beebreezy @maryykaii and of course @themaddiward if we worked together haha maybe one day 😜🤷🏻‍♀️

Lipstick & Lifesaving

yellow gold engagement ring
Life

Our Engagement Story

July 2, 2018July 3, 2018

The story of us didn’t start out so romantic, but hey it’s me we’re talking about. Two years ago, one of my best friends was getting married and everyone had flown in to Phoenix. I had been hearing about Christopher from my friend for a long time now. “Marissa you’d love Chris blah blah blah.” I was currently getting out of a relationship and hated all of the male population at the time. I was not in the mood.

The night before their wedding the wedding parties were all hanging out and drinking at their house. My friend’s husband (Chris’s best friend), basically took advantage of my drunken self and told me that if I kissed Christopher he’d give me his camo hat. Seemed like a good deal to me at the time, and I just went up to him and gave him a fantastic drunken kiss.

Which obviously left him wanting more and he probably fell in love with me that day.

 

At their wedding, I decided I should ignore Chris even when our friends sat us right next to each other at the dining table. Funny guys. But I guess it’s still pretty funny now. And the time when he asked me to dance and I said no. AW BUT I SO REGRET THAT NOW BABE!

Four days later I fell off a cliff and that left me pretty damn single for awhile.

A year after my accident, I was still receiving random photos of Christopher from my friend in Phoenix and that I should date him. Me and my roommate were talking in the kitchen and I was like “she keeps sending me photos of this guy, and he’s so nice but..” And my roommate was like, “dude, why won’t you talk to this guy he sounds perfect. If you don’t then I will.”

Challenge accepted.

I liked how interested he was in me, still persisting me for over a year. Like that can’t change right? Even if I am being a total bitch and ignoring him. I thought it was so cute how long he had liked me. Aw.

I texted him that night. I was planning a visit to Phoenix anyways and thought I would make him aware of that. Then maybe I could get a better feel of things in person now that I felt ready to date again. Needless to say we never stopped texting from that day forward. And here we are.

 

vince camuto pink shoes

So on to our engagement story.

It was a Friday, and we had planned the day to stay at the hotel and relax by the pool. It was a comfortable 109 degrees outside. Naturally my sister Amanda and I separated from the crowd for our typical hotel photo shoot. My sister wanted a picture of the both of us and pointed to a row of palm trees to stand by. Christopher started taking pictures and all I hear in the background is some bitch saying she accidentally got in the picture. I turn around to glare obviously, and find one of my very best friends from South Africa running up to me. OMG WHAT I was literally in shock. I start crying and all the parents are taking pictures and I’m like this could only mean one thing.

 

 

Mel hands me an envelope to open. Envelope number 1.

“If you are in shock seeing Mel, things are going to plan. Let me start by saying how much I love you…Don’t worry I will expand more on this later. For now though it’s time to get dressed. I’ll let Amanda take over from here.

-CM

PS: You knew I wouldn’t make this easy

So, since it was smoldering outside, somehow I got distracted (shocker) and told Mel and her sister (who so graciously accompanied her), to put on their bathing suits to get in the pool. Or maybe someone told me we had time to swim for a little. Honestly, the entire day was a complete blur once I knew what was going on so I hope the majority of this story is accurate.

 

engagement ring pictures

 

Obviously since we are celebrating my premature engagement here we all start to drink. Well except Christopher, who I can tell is so nervous, so I just keep drinking cause I’m getting really awkward at this point. I actually hate when all the attention is on me. All I want to do is sneak away. But I can’t cause I mean, I’m getting engaged.

 

engagement ring on rock

 

After Christopher’s dad finished shoving tequila shots down my throat, my sister tells me it’s time to get ready upstairs. The girls go up the hotel room and I throw on a white jumpsuit with white earrings. Casual. Nothing felt real, it had not hit me at all that I was about to get engaged. It all just seemed natural and easy. I knew I was going to marry Christopher before our first date.

We walk outside to the car and I’m surprised by a black Mercedes parked in the valet. Good job Christopher, you know me so well. I received another letter in the car telling me we were headed to the place where we first met. Both of our best friends’ house. We get there and my sister hands me a gift bag with a camo hat in it.

 

 

 

We get back in the car, and I get another letter. Now we’re off to where we had our first date. This super fun virtual shooting lounge that had a full bar and restaurant. It was a really great place for a first date. So back when he picked me up for that date, it was July in Phoenix so it was 200 degrees out. I got into the car and he told me he had gotten me flowers but they had already died in the car LOL.

So on our way to the lounge, my sister gave me alive flowers from him and a note saying to go have fun inside. So we follow directions and start shooting virtual things.

 

 

I’m getting antsy now and I’m ready to see Chris. We have a drink and get back in the car. Another envelope. I’m told to head to our new home currently being built, where we will start our lives together. At this time of building, the house had just been painted this God-awful dark brown that I SPECIFICALLY requested not to have. Shout out to D.R. Horton FTW.

We arrive to the house, and it’s still brown. It’s tragic for me to see really, but we get out of the car. My sister hands me a gallon of paint with another letter telling me that today is a day of commitments, and that repainting the house is just the start of them. Heart eyes for him (and my future repainted house).

 

 

Getting back into the car I receive another letter. While we were dating we would always play the question game going back and forth to get to know each other better with the long distance. So I open the last letter and it reads:

“I’m not sure if you’ve caught on, but it always seems to be your turn to ask me a question…well now it’s mine”

I’m getting so emotionally excited at this point. I have no clue where we are going next but I’m definitely ready to see him. We start driving through these beautiful red rocks and the sun is starting to set. We park at the Desert Botanical Gardens, a place I had wanted to go for some time, and that also has a million cacti (my newest obsession since I’m going to live in Arizona, duh). As we walk in, I’m greeted by Christopher’s dad who starts to rub chapstick on my ring finger. The guy is nuts I’m telling you. He hands me a card from himself, and then tells me to follow the rose petals along the path.

 

proposal in Arizona

 

Next I see Chris’s mom who wrote me a note. It’s all starting to get real at this point, and we both start tearing up. Then I keep walking and I see my mom down the path. And further down I come up to my dad. All giving me their own note for this very moment. It was so special.

 

 

Finally I see Christopher smiling at the end of the rose petal trail, with lanterns on either side of the path. I can’t tell you what he said cause I really don’t remember! I was so happy and excited and overwhelmed with the whole day. He did an amazing job – everything was perfect.

 

 

We are so excited to finally live in the same state of Arizona and start our lives together! This year has been tough with the distance, but also so easy because of how much we love each other. Cheers to no more meeting halfway in Yuma, and seeing each other for a few days a month! Now it’s time to start wedding planning! Wait, I started that like a year ago. I can’t help my type A self sometimes 🙂

 

TAGGED WITH: engagement, how he asked, Nursing, proposal, wedding, wedding planning
2 Comments on Our Engagement Story

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2 comments on “Our Engagement Story”

  1. Mollie
    July 3, 2018 at 6:02 pm

    Literally crying. At work. Thanks Marissa. So, so happy for you & Chris.

    Reply
  2. Joselle
    July 2, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    This definitely bought tears to my eyes. So romantic. I am so happy for you. I love love love your writing too! Cheers to the wedding plans!! So cool. Its getting even hotter in AZ! 🙏🏻

    Reply

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author

Hi, I'm Marissa.

I'm an ICU Nurse on the nightshift. Here you can find some education & motivation, along with a touch of sarcasm to keep you sane in a difficult but rewarding career. Thank you for stopping by!
signature

instagram


Instagram post 2185954718529320955_6816277
And as you become more successful,⠀
The amount of haters will grow. ⠀
There is a direct correlation⠀
As you check off more boxes⠀
Smiling as you go⠀
They are watching⠀
But do not forget⠀
You were not born to please other people. ⠀
Getting their approval ⠀
Was not part of your bucket list.⠀
Keep your head up 
And
Eyes fixed on your daydreams⠀
Because soon⠀
They will no longer be daydreams⠀
It will be your reality⠀
If you keep this mentality. ⠀
So⠀
Envision your future self often. ⠀
Set your intention daily.⠀
And get to work.⠀
-⠀
Sincerely,⠀
My exhausted jotted-down thoughts post nightshift 3 in a row. 😂 .
💾 Save this post for motivation 👍🏼

Instagram post 2184325088189709002_6816277
Y’all asked for ECMO education...I’m gonna break it down real simple. 👌🏼 ECMO stands for ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. “Extra” = outside, “corporeal” = body so, outside of the body. Membrane oxygenation = oxygenation by a membrane. Outside of the body. Ya?

There are two types of ECMO. VA or VV ECMO. Veno-arterial or Veno-venous. First letter is where you’re pulling from and the second is where you’re returning blood. VA ECMO provides heart and lung support. VV is solely lung support. Blood is pulled from the body via cannulas and travels through an oxygenator to be oxygenated and for CO2 to be removed. We control the amount of CO2 removed via something called “sweep.” Then it is returned back to the body. ⠀
⠀
This treatment is a last resort for patients when other conventional therapies don’t work (max ventilator support, max pressors/inotropes, end stage heart failure etc) and there are contraindications of course. But it does work and use of ECMO is growing. ⠀
⠀
Examples of patients who may require ECMO include but are not limited to: septic shock, aspiration pneumonia, ARDS, pulmonary embolism, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, cardiac arrest. The list goes on.⠀
⠀
These patients are SICKY SICK. K like not well. The ECMO specialist cannot leave the bedside, we are constantly monitoring these patient’s vitals, intake & output/fluid balance and also typically manage the CRRT machine along with it. We are responsible for maintaining therapeutic anticoagulation to maintain circuit integrity, checking pre and post oxygenator ABGs as well as patient ABGs, serial electrolytes, hourly pulse checks to make sure the big cannula doesn’t occlude perfusion to the lower extremities..managing sedation for patient and circuit safety, and sometimes paralytics for ventilator compliance or to decrease oxygen demand. ⠀
⠀
There is also another nurse doing patient cares, medications, possibly managing another device in addition. Who here does ECMO and who wants to?! Doesn’t want to? 😂😝 .

Save this for reference later 📋

Instagram post 2182341693549085563_6816277
TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. ⠀
⠀
Wow. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be designing and opening an online shop I would have laughed 😂. I have been working very hard over months and months to design some #nursemerch with a sassy and trendy flair to it. Over the years I’ve had numerous situations where I wanted to buy a nurse a graduation gift, thank you gift, etc, and I was so disappointed in the tacky stuff that’s out there today! (ive seen enough incorrect EKG clip art designs, thanks) Next thing you know I’m designing my own products... that I’m actually excited to gift to my friends and family that are nurses or in school! 🏩📝⠀
⠀
I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing combined with excitement combined with extreme gratitude FOR YOU. You guys that have followed along my nursing journey... YOU have made an amateur blog that was created to get through personal trauma, into a community that gets me excited to keep going, move past my struggles, and continue to spread positivity in nursing. So thank you, THANK YOU 💖⠀
⠀
Shop link will be posted tonight at midnight MST in stories. 💋
@lipstickandlifesaving

Instagram post 2180256768918308180_6816277
Rest In Peace Nonna ❤️
.
My sweet grandmother passed away this weekend surrounded by family. It was very unexpected and sudden, and I am so fortunate to have gotten to Canada in time to be with her when she passed. Also feeling so grateful she was able to make it to my wedding in Arizona just last month.

This was my first family member being cared for in the ICU. I always wondered over the years how this would go for me, and I am so wowed by the hospital staff who were so accommodating to me and my giant loud Italian family that took over the entire waiting room with people, pizza, and biscotti 😂
.
Not only that, our family included 5 nurses, 2 RTs, 1 medical student, and a million questions. You can only imagine how annoying we would be for that night nurse...but wow. She pulled up every CT, ABG, CBC we asked for, without a single roll of the eyes. This was closure for us. She also made EACH of us one of these EKG strips that she hand cut, and placed a heart bead with her favorite color. THIS is nursing. Don’t ever forget the little things you can do as a nurse in these situations. This meant the world to us.

Nonna you were a light in all of our lives. Always so happy, and had a social life I could only dream about. Heaven gained a beautiful angel this week 💖


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