Books: Recommendations?

Though it still hasn't quite hit me yet, I have successfully completed my undergraduate degree in nursing. Finals are over, the grades are mostly in, and I'm still studying. "What?!? Why?" might be some questions you're asking yourself. Well, I still have the NCLEX or the National Council Licensing EXam in front of me. That aside, I am going to finally feel okay in reading books I want to read. I'm done! I'm free! No more 50 page reading textbook reading assignments or incredibly academic research papers to read. So, now that I have all this time on my hands I'm searching frantically to find ways to fill it. I feel like reading is a worthy use of time as it is intellectually inspiring and informative. Of course that depends on what you are reading. As I've stated in previous posts I enjoy Fantasy/Sci-Fi type novels, but I have been known to dabble in the classics. So, the reason for this post is two-fold. I wanted to let everyone in the world know that I'm done with my bachelor's degree (check). Secondly, I would like to get recommendations on what books you thought were fantastic that I should read. Hold nothing back, give me what you got!

More: Social Media

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What are your thought? I think it's very interesting but scary in a lot of ways.

Books: Mistborn Trilogy

I don't read books as much as I used to. Perhaps tat's a function of being in school and reading for class. Summer provides a welcome relief from textbooks and research articles. This summer in particular has been good for delving into the pages of a new story. Earlier this summer I wrote about Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology. However, the most satisfying read for me had been the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The books individually are Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages. Each book is riveting. Sanderson weaves a beautifully complicated tale of love, trust, faith and magic, of which he introduces three unique new systems.

Similar to other fairly recent fantasy books I've had the time to read there is a dark feel to the books. The heroes must overcome insurmountable odds in their quest. Of course the basic principle that the main characters are reaching for is hope in a hopeless situation. Perhaps that is a common theme in our world today and these authors are just trying to buoy up their audience.

The story begins with Kelsier, the first hero, pulling together the elite of the Final Empire's underground. Along with these talented characters Kelsier finds Vin, a young street urchin with the as yet unknown potential of a hero. Vin is a mistborn, one who can "burn" certain metals and their alloys to perform certain magically abilities. This is called allomancy. Sanderson, in the other this books introduces furochemy and hemalurgy but explains them in more detail in the next two books. These new magics systems show Sanderson's creative genius and tie in perfectly with how the story unfolds and finally concludes.

To sum up the first book and perhaps entice you to read them, Kelsier, Vin and the crew plot to overthrow the Final Empire and the Lord Ruler, a feat that has been attempted but never completed over the last 1000+ years. Along their journey they teach each other about the power of trust and love. We see how Vin, Kelsier, and the other main characters are able to do what they need to by drawing on the power of these traits. In the end we learn why faith is so important as well.

I would say more but that would give away the story. Let's just say that I stayed up late a couple of nights because I had to finish the books. At 3:00 am on a Saturday morning I finished The Hero of Ages and thought, "That was the most incredible finish to a book/trilogy I think I've ever read." Sanderson pulls in pieces small details from each book that were seemingly unimportant and threads them together with the increasingly tense story line and leaves you with a complete conclusive tapestry. He more than resolves the story, he creates a new beginning that leaves you breathless. I loved these books and would recommend them to anybody who likes fantasy books.

Bikes: Ulcer Revisited

The fact that I'm typing this blog implies that I survived the ride. In fact, my goal of finishing the ride and feeling good the following days was met. I still have a few aches and pains but they are much less than the agony of the IT band syndrome pain that I experienced last year. Furthermore, I rode my bike to and from work today with minimal discomfort. My right calf hurts a bit when I plantar flex my foot (go up stairs, etc) and my  thighs are still a little full of lactate but other than that I'm doing very well.

My timer chip shows I left at 6:59:53 am. The first miles were a breeze. I was trying to keep at least an average pace of 15 miles an hour to be back at around 2:30. I feel like most of the miles between Thanksgiving Point and the 48 mile break were mostly downhill which made riding fun. I did have a pinch pop at about 10 miles which I fixed in record time. I hooked onto a group with some experiences riders a little further along that pulled me and some others behind them at 22-24 mph.

"Lunch" was provided at mile 48, right before we started up the biggest climbs of the day. As far as climbs go the ULCER doesn't really have any. I think the website says the 105 (really 107) mile course has a climb of 741 feet. That isn't really a climb, but all throughout the second half of the course are long steady uphills/false flats that can really punish a rider. Especially if the rider has a heavy headwind. There were a few portions where we had a stiff headwind which pushed our pace down to 11-13 mph riding in a group. The only way I was able to make it through these portions was the help of other riders who I drafted behind.

The last 30 miles we had a pretty good tailwind which pushed me back to the finish line. I'm not sure if I didn't sleep enough the night before, or if I wasn't used to riding for so long in the heat or what but I was extremely tired by the time I got to the food stop at mile 87. If I hadn't had the strong tailwind I don't think I would have made it. My rear tire bubbled from the heat of the road, my chain was popping occasionally on certain cassette cogs and I was exhausted. Seeing a couple of people from the groups I tagged along with at the water and food stops helped me along as well.

I finished my ride at 15:04:23 pm and my cyclometer said I had been in the saddle for 6.5 hours. I was pooped but I was done. As I was telling someone yesterday, the ULCER is one of those things that you can look back and feel great that you've done but while you're doing it you think, "Why did I ever get myself into this?" I'm glad I did it and I might just do it again. Maybe...

Bike: ULCER (Utah Lake Century Epic Ride)

For the third time I have signed up to ride the ULCER. This is a killer ride for a couple of reasons. First of all it's in the beginning of August... in Utah. It can be super hot. It's not a super hilly ride but it's around a lake so wind can be all sorts of crazy. It's not a race per se, just a ride. It's still a 112 mile ride, that's hard no matter what.
The first time I did this ride was the summer that I got my bike and had a buddy to ride with. I trained pretty hard for a month and did the 67 mile version. I finished the ride and felt great. In fact I thought I could have done the whole thing but I thought I'd start slow because this was the longest ride I'd ever done. The night of that first ride I was playing soccer with a youth single adult group and almost got compartment syndrome playing soccer. That halted my enthusiasm and training for a log time. That's also when I got the nickname Lexi-hop-along.

The next year I did the 112 mile version of the ULCER. I didn't train as well, didn't stretch the week or day of the race. I attribute the fact that I finished the race that to a group that I latched onto in the last 40 miles of the race. However, I didn't really walk for the next week or so because I really injured my left IT band.

This year I plan to repeat the good things and leave out the bad from my previous experiences. On August 6th I will be giving this ride a third go-round so can't really slack off now. I've already started training and I'm implementing lots of stretching in the workout. The first few training rides were a little rough and I felt really out of shape - mainly because I was. The most recent rides have been much more encouraging and my endurance and speed have increased. I've included a couple of pictures from my rides this year. I will continue to update here and there about my progress and how the race goes. Wish me luck!

So much more: Lily Hokanson

I know a lot of people have been anxiously waiting to hear news of this little one. She’s finally here! Lily Hokanson was born at 8:27 pm on June 30th. She weighed 8 pounds 14 ounces and was 21 inches long. Both she and mom are doing fantastic. The doctor checked her out this morning and said, "She sucks better than a Hoover vacuum.” That’s a good sign if you ask me.

Because Lily decided to stay comfy instead of coming on her due date (June 21st) we decided with the doctor to have Serena induced. We came in to the hospital about 8:00 am. Serena was started on Pitocin at about 9:30. The doctor broke her water between 12:15 and 12:30 pm. After that it took a while for things to get started. At about 3:15 or so Serena got an epidural. Lily was quite the stinker and she dodged all the monitors. The nurse and doctor finally put internal monitors on to make sure she was doing okay. Before shift change at 6 pm our nurse checked Serena and she was only dilated to 4.5 cm or so. When the next nurse came to check her about 45 minutes later she announced Serena was complete and she’d go notified the doctor. That surprised us a lot but I was happy because I really wanted a June baby. Serena started pushing about 7:10ish pm. She was a star pusher even though she couldn’t really feel anything. Lily came out very lively. I got to cut the cord and watch as the nurse cleaned and weighed her. Mom and baby had some quiet time together before I took Lily down to the nursery. Both mom and baby are doing very well. We’re so excited that Lily is here to teach us and to bless our lives. We’re so grateful for all of the wonderful medical staff and all of the support from family and friends.

Lily is such a beautiful baby. She has gorgeous long eyelashes (thanks to yours truly), elegant fingernails and lots of silky soft strawberry blond hair. We decided she waited so long to come so she would be beautiful when she got here. Serena and I are so in love with our little child already. We’re so happy!

Book: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

After getting back from Finland and Russia I didn’t have much to do. I work for BYU and they didn’t schedule me till Summer term, which was two weeks after I got back. Ergo, I had a lot of time on my hands. I don’t generally read for pleasure during the school year because I’m constantly reading for my other classes so I took the opportunity to read the first Percy Jackson book by Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief. 
Let me preface by saying that I have always been fascinated by Greek/Roman mythology. I would even say any kind of mythology or theism interested me. I’ve learned a little of the Asgardian mythology and the Egyptian theism as well. However, I’ve always had an affinity for the Greek mythology and it’s effects are very prevalent in our society. References are all around us. We might hear a phrase like “By Jove, I think she’s got it!” or hear of a substance called an aphrodisiac, we call a self-absorbed person narcissistic and person’s weakness is their Achilles heel. You get the idea. I’ve enjoyed learning the stories of where all these things come from and the Percy Jackson books do a good job of telling these stories in a fun way.
I’m not going to go through the story of the Lightning Thief or the four other books, which I read in a week. Let me just say they were very entertaining books would that I highly recommend. What I think I most enjoyed about these books was the manner in which the author mixed the modern world with the world of the Greek Pantheon and their influence. Monsters were archetypes and resurface after a certain amount of time, therefore beasts like the minotaur came back again and again. There was also a mist that obscured the eyes of normal mortals so they couldn’t see the “truth” of the Greek monsters and gods as they mingled in our world. I found it amusing that the gods hadn’t really changed in 3000 years. They still fell in love with mortals, messed with their lives and believed that they were acting for humans’ benefit. In the end of the books the gods had to learn a lesson from humans, an interesting twist.
I very much enjoyed the books and again I recommend them to anyone looking for an interesting and instructional read. These books rekindled my interest in Greek mythology and may spark an interest in you!

More: Russia pt. 2

In Russia I learned a lot about their healthcare system in the short time I was there as I discussed in my previous post. However, I was able to enjoy many of the sights available in St. Petersburg. We watched Romeo and Juliet at the Marinsky Theater, toured the Hermitage, walked through the fountains of Peterhoff, tossed coins at the Hare monument near the Peter and Paul Fortress on Enisaari, was awestruck at the Church of the Spilled Blood and St. Isaac’s Cathedral. We got to see a lot of St. Petersburg while there, as you can tell. It was an incredible experience and I’d like to share some of my favorite pictures from those moments.

More: Russia pt. 1

While I had the privilege of visiting Finland for about 19 days I also had the amazing opportunity to stay in St. Petersburg, Russia for 5 days. While there we learned about the culture and healthcare system of the country just as we did in Finland. Russia has a socialist healthcare system but it works very differently than Finland’s. There are almost as many doctors as nurses in Russia which was a surprise to me. Largely that is due to the public opinion of nurses. If you’re not sure what I mean Google ‘Russian Nurse’ and you’ll understand; children, don’t try that at home or anywhere else. Also, the country is much larger and resources are not evenly distributed. That causes problems because taxes raised in the area directly affect how much money there is for healthcare. The regions of Russia with more oil and other natural resources sustain a much higher quality of care. It’s unfortunate but very true.
I’d like to touch on the nursing profession in Russia again. We were given the opportunity to visit with the president of the Russian Nurses Association and some of the faculty and students of the St. Petersburg College of Medicine. One of the most fascinating things I learned from those moments was the importance of professionalism. Those who have chosen to practice nursing in Russia usually feel like they have a calling to do so. They really want to make a difference in people’s lives. Because the stigma that nursing has there nurses aren’t given a political voice, they don’t have the power to bring about the changes that will increase the quality of care they can provide. This is where the Nurses Association comes in. They are trying desperately to rally the nurses across the country to come together as one voice. Here in the United States the American Nurses Association has a very strong political voice and has made many important and vital changes to healthcare as we know it and will continue to do so. When in Russia nurses are listened to I have a strong feeling that healthcare there can be an example to the world of quality and change.
I’ll admit, there have been times during school that I have questioned my professor’s emphasis on professionalism. Now I understand what it would be like if there wasn’t professionalism in nursing. I would postulate that nursing would still consist of emptying bedpans, wiping bums and following every order from the doctor. That type of nursing was appropriate in its time but currently nurses are much more respected. And as such we have the potential to do so much for patients because they trust us.
I guess what I’m trying to explain is that I learned a great deal about Russia and about myself while in St. Petersburg. I learned a lot and had a great time. This last picture has nothing to do with anything I’ve said so far, it just makes me smile.

More: Finland pt. 3

While in Finland, specifically Savonlinna, I had the opportunity to follow a few nurses, a doctor, and a paramedic as well as discuss with them their professions and the Finnish healthcare system. It was a fascinating experience for many reasons. The Finnish healthcare systems is a socialist system based on the Beveridge model. Therefore, medical professions are regulated in many ways by the government. Since we are going through reform here in the United States I thought it would be intriguing to learn about a social healthcare system, especially in light of Obamacare which definitely leans towards socialism. I found that I liked many aspects of socialist healthcare but I don’t think that Americans would accept it generally.

As a side note I want to mention that education in Finland is free. Students take aptitude tests to see where they will succeed and to find out what their interests are so they can be directed to programs that will best suit them. Explaining that education is free is important because salaries are regulated somewhat by the government. Think if in America only salaries were regulated and medical education continued to be as exorbitantly expensive as it is – none would want to be a doctor!
So we know that the system is socialist and education is free. Continuing on to how the system works. The country is divided into districts, each of which takes care of the residents in their respective areas. Every year the districts submit a bid to the government detailing how much they will spend on healthcare. In this bid the district best estimates the amount that will be spent to pay the healthcare workers, to provide needed medical supplies and facilities and for all other healthcare expenses. The government then provides the funds to the districts to use. That is how healthcare is funded.

The population in Finland focuses a great deal on health promotion and disease prevention. This greatly decreases the total cost of healthcare because people are not going to the doctor as frequently for acute or chronic illness. Public health nurses also are much more important and involved. They follow a woman through pregnancy, a baby throughout his or her childhood, workers during their careers and the elderly till they die. Basically there is a nurse available to you at any and all points of life. Nurses are dependable, knowledgeable and efficient thus decreasing the cost of healthcare. Not all Finns eat healthily or exercise frequently but it is much more common than America. Food is simpler and more hardy. Public transportation is well organized and most people use it instead of buying their own car. Interaction with nature is a large part of Finnish culture which means people are outside a lot more. There are, however, some large scale problems. Most people drink and it is common for people to smoke. These two risk factors lead to a lot of kidney, liver and cancer problems. HIV also creates a large strain on the healthcare system although it is not terribly common.

So there is my quick description of the healthcare system in Finland. I liked that no matter where you were in life you were being followed by a competent healthcare worker, mostly nurses. I also like the emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and on good nutrition. When we were talking to a couple of public health nurses about prenatal care we asked if they often prescribed or suggested mothers take folic acid or multivitamins. They looked at us like we were crazy and said, “No, we just eat healthy food.” I believe that if in the US we focused more on prevention and healthy living instead of overtreating and overmedicating our healthcare system would not have the massive and complex problems we are facing now. So go for a walk, eat more vegetables and get a colonoscopy!

More: Finland pt. 2

Here are some more pictures from my adventures in Finland. After being in Helsinki for about 5 days (with travel and all time was a little hard to keep track of initially) we went to the city where we spent the largest portion of our trip. It is a beautiful little city called Savonlinna. It is an absolutely gorgeous town of 20,000 people or so. It's on of the many cities that sits on the shores of Lake Saimaa. There are many things about Savonlinna that warrant a visit but two stand out. One is the castle, Olavinlinna, and the other is the annual Opera Festival. We weren't there during the opera festival but we did get to tour the castle. I've always been in love with castles and medieval times so I was super excited to tour my first castle.

Let me just say a few words about our hostess, Leena (lay'-nah). She is a physician who has a private practice in the main level of her beautiful home. She allowed 12 of us to invade her home for 14 days. She met us at the train station and gave us all a hug and called us by name. Now that's hospitality! I must say, if it hadn't been for Leena we would not have had nearly as many cultural experiences as we did. She showed us all around Savonlinna, taught us about sauna, swimming in nearly freezing lakes, the endangered Lake Saimaa seals and much more. I will never forget her or her family for their amazing support while we were in Savonlinna.

I'll post more about the things we did while in Savonlinna later but here are some pictures of the city. I loved Savonlinna and would go back in a heartbeat. Absolutely beautiful!

Finland pt. 1

I’m back!
Never thought you’d see another posting on this blog, did ya?
I’ve had some amazing adventures this summer and they’re not over, so before things get super crazy I thought I’d start sharing.
I had the fantastic opportunity, thanks to my beautiful wife and BYU, to go to Finland and Russia for nearly a month to learn about different cultures and healthcare systems. This study abroad is part of the nursing curriculum at BYU. The students in this class were spread out to Tonga, Ghana, Ecuador, Finland/Russia, Urban/VA population, Utah refugees, Utah At-Risk population, Taiwan, Navajo Nation and India. I’m sure all the groups would say the same, but my group definitely had the best experience.
I think the whole trip will have to be spread out over a few posts because we did a lot and learned a lot. I don’t have the focus to type up a huge summary nor the mental capacity to condense it all into a short summary. So here are some pictures from the first few days of our trip. We flew from Chicago to Copenhagen, then to Helsinki. We stayed a few days in Helsinki to adjust to the time change and get some cultural experiences. We also visited Tallinn, Estonia for most of a day while in Helsinki.

The whole group right outside the Helsinki Airport (our last member is taking the photo)

This is half an archway leading into old Tallinn. I thought it humorous that underneath the small arch you can see a McDonalds. Typical.

Me and Jean Sibelius. Sibelius, through his music, helped Finland form a national identity when it was trying to gain independence from Russia at the turn of the 20^th century.

I just had to include this one, it has my name on it!