Victory is Yours, It's in the Way You View Life

Happy November to you all! Can you believe that it's November already? It seems like yesterday was summer. Time goes by quick, almost too quick for my liking. Before I know it, I will be applying for nursing and then medical school.

I am relegated this fine Tuesday morning to wait for the 7:30 bus, so I have some time to burn before I have to leave for CCU for my counseling appointment. I thought I would update everyone on how I've been doing these last few weeks. The change from the medications I'm on is starting to become noticeable. Here are the things I have noticed most:

1) No more thoughts of suicide: This is really important and great, since antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults especially during the first few months of therapy. The question that my doctors have been asking the most has been if I have had any suicidal thoughts, and frankly it kind of makes me annoyed. I went on antidepressants to keep from feeling this way, why on earth would I be thinking about these things? Then again, I realize that they have to ask these questions to make sure that the medications are working, which is the only reason why I don't say anything about these questions or act particularly perturbed when it has been asked for the seven millionth time it seems.

2) More confident, natural flow of conversation and interaction with others: This was a big problem for me. My schizophrenia made it difficult to trust others and because of that,  I wouldn't talk to others readily. I feared their rejection. Now I feel like I can talk to other people and that they genuinely care about me. I have no more doubts about whether or not they will shun me. I know that they love and care about me and won't do anything to purposely harm me. If they do turn me away, I feel confident that I can voice my concerns and be heard without feeling like people are totally and irrevocably angry at me for all eternity. I also want to mention that my primary care doctor commented that my conversations were more natural and not so strained, like they were in the past. She hardly knows me and even she noticed this, which means that this is more noticeable than I once thought.

3) My thoughts are organized: I can actually stay on one topic and complete a thought without jumping all over the place. This makes writing papers a whole lot easier and I am getting higher marks because I'm not going on tangents, which makes me a lot more confident in my own writing abilities. As you can even tell in this post, I am able to focus for long periods of time on one topic, which makes me incredibly happy.

4) I can remember things easier: I thought my memory was good before I went on the medications, but now it is better than ever. During my morning workouts, I would often space out on what number rep I was on because I had so many thoughts swirling around in my head. I now don't have this problem. I also can remember facts, statistics, and what I read a lot easier than I was in the past.

5) I no longer have the delusions of being a horse: For once in my life I feel human and know that there is no possible way that I could be a horse. Granted, I still love the wind blowing through my hair, I believe that my hands are hands and not hooves. There will still be that love for horses, but there will no longer be that prancing around, neighing like one.

6) I can concentrate on my schoolwork for long periods of time: This was becoming a problem and was one of the main reasons that I sought out professional help like I did. I felt like my grades were starting to slip because I couldn't concentrate long enough to get anything done. I wanted to either pretend to be an opera singer at Carnegie Hall or I wanted to prance around like a horse, both of which were not conducive to what I wanted to accomplish in life.

These are all the good things I have noticed, but there are a few bad things I have noticed as well:

1) I can't drink alcohol: This is a huge bummer for me, depending that my 21st birthday is coming up in a few months. I was looking forward to getting a drink on that special day, but I won't be able to do that now. In place of getting a drink I have planned a night of bowling with friends, so this should turn out to be an excellent night, even though I won't get to drink.

2)I can't take NSAIDs (Aspirin, Ibuprofen) with the Prozac: This is a huge downfall for me, because I had nothing but NSAIDs to get rid of my headaches. What will happen if I take an NSAID with Prozac? Nothing immediately noticeable, but depending on the NSAID, it could render the Prozac ineffective or could increase my risk for bleeding. Prozac thins the blood, and so do NSAIDs, so the two combined could be fatal. The only thing I can take for my headaches is Acetaminophen (Tylenol), and even with that I have to be careful to not go over 3,000 mg (3 grams or 6 pills per day) or I could damage my liver. Lucky for me, most of my headaches respond to two Tylenol. I have only had one that didn't respond to two Tylenol, but what I did was take two more, and it went away until later that day when I needed to eat. Then it responded to food and caffeine and two Tylenol. I guess it's a small price to pay to feel in touch with reality.

3) If I don't get enough sleep, I end up tired/with a migraine: I, before going on these medications, would get a migraine after several nights of cutting on my sleep. Now it only takes one and I will have a migraine. This sucks because my rhythm is one where I go to bed at 8 PM and wake up at 5 AM, and if I skimp on that, I am either running on empty or feeling like my head will split apart.

4) I clean the house and count my pills constantly: I don't know if this is necessarily a bad thing, as we desperately need to keep the apartment clean most days, but I have put it in the bad category because I normally would hate to clean. I also count my pills every time I take them to see if I am still on track with them and to make sure that I haven't taken more than I needed. So far so good! However, this tells me that I have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but I don't necessarily think that they are all bad.

5) My emotions are dulled down a lot: This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but my emotions have been really dulled. I can still feel emotions, but they don't drive me as much as they did before. I loved being able to feel emotions deeply, but some days it feels like I am dead in emotions (these are also the days that I end up tired/with a migraine because I haven't gotten enough sleep and I haven't had my cup of joe). I guess there is a price to be paid though, and the dulling down of my emotions will help me focus more on what I need to do rather than on what I am feeling. In the past, my emotions were crippling, and now they are dulled down to the point where they are no longer this way. See, there's always good in something that's intended for evil!

So far, I am satisfied with what I have been experiencing on these medications. While I may experience headaches every so often, it's never something that a few Tylenol can't take away. I am on the mend and can feel it in my heart and mind.

I wanted to end on this note. No matter what your family may communicate to you, they do care. My father, after learning that I had consulted a psychiatrist, is starting to spend more time with me. The lack of time spent with my family was the one thing that drove me into depression, so this is a very good thing for both me and my dad. Granted, I haven't told him my diagnosis yet (I plan to do so this Friday, because I wanted to tell him when I was a little more stable on my medication), I know that I have the confidence to tell him and the courage to accept what may come (it will be good). Your family loves you and doesn't want to see you go down the wrong road. If you don't have a family, you do have a makeshift "family," a group of people that genuinely care for you and want to see you succeed. Me, I have both, and I genuinely believe that there are few people that want to see my destruction. I hope you feel the way I do and if you don't, I pray that you will feel the way I do in the end. Victory is yours, it's all in the way that you view life.

Life...One Step at a Time

For those following my blog and not on my Facebook, you aren't aware of the struggles I've had over the last week. Anyway, I recently attempted suicide, wanting to slit my wrists and sit in a hot tub of water. Seeing myself like this scared me, so I sought out the help of a psychiatrist in the ER, which made me feel much worse. A few days later, I had an appointment with a different psychiatrist, where I not only mentioned what happened on Tuesday, but what I was experiencing. On the outside, I portrayed a life that was well put-together. On the inside, I was falling to pieces.

I had made the appointment a week prior to when I actually went. I was concerned because I was manifesting what I thought to be symptoms of Schizophrenia, and then I began to show symptoms of depression. I couldn't concentrate on the things I loved the most, and I didn't have any desire to do things that I used to love doing, which were the symptoms of the depression. I also didn't trust people and I didn't want to help others because of the fact that I felt that they would use me. I also questioned what other people thought of me, and thought that when people were silent, they were indifferent or they all-out hated me. I also manifested myself as a horse, believing that I had the abilities and functions of a horse. I really believed that my body and my mind was that of a horse, and that I could gallop like a horse. I reared, kicked, jumped and whinnied like a horse. I wanted to be around horses, to socialize with them because I knew, inside, I wasn't human, but I was horse. I had no interest in people, but I had interest in animals instead. These were the symptoms of Schizophrenia that I was so scared about.

I was declining gradually over the last few years, becoming more and more cautious about people. The relationships I used to form became distant and something that was only external. I could never truly relate to others, nor could I actually become close to them. I began to hate them, and because I hated people, I hated myself.

For many years, I was afraid of going to a psychiatrist, fearing that the drugs that I would be put on would make me a walking robot, always sleeping and having no emotion. However, I had the decision to make, if I did have Schizophrenia by chance, would I rather deal with the decline to what my mother experienced, thereby exposing my family to a life similar to mine, or I could deal with the side-effects of the medications? Seeing other people dealing with depression and seeing the other route made the choice easy, I would face my fears and seek the opinion of another.

The diagnosis was major depressive disorder and I was prescribed Prozac for during the day. I was also prescribed an anti-psychotic, Risperdal, that I would take at night. I did my own research on this and Risperdal is used to treat Schizophrenia, so I may have Schizophrenia. If I do, this will be treated with the Risperdal.

It has been two days since I have started the medication, so there is still a ways that I need to go before feeling the full effects. I am starting to sleep and eat better than I was over the past week, but I know that I won't feel the full effects until about two or so weeks. Thing is, I am not experiencing negative side-effects yet, which is a good thing.

As this week ends, I am thankful that the worse is over and I am optimistic about the future. I hope that some of the problems I have experienced will be resolved, and that maybe one day in the future, I can help my mom, who is more mentally ill than I, to get the help that she needs. For now, I will take life one step at a time.

The Importance of Double Checking

So, yesterday was a great day. I rubbed elbows with some of the medical students on campus, ones that are aspiring to become psychiatrists. What was scheduled and what I attended was termed an interview, but you couldn't really call it that. I would say that it was more of a counseling appointment with a group of second-year medical students training to become psychiatrists. It was incredibly refreshing, like a refreshing cool down on a hot summer's day right after a refreshing downpour. Granted, no rain from these eyes fell that day, it was no less impactful.

So here's the narrative of all that went on yesterday. I sat down in a small room with about 8 medical students and one professor, and I spent an hour and a half talking about the experiences that I had with my mother. In the past, even the mention of my mother threw me into a rage, but I am now working on keeping that rage caged. Rather than view my life as something that my mom has messed up, I view my life as something that my mother, through her often careless and downright heartless actions, has improved. How can I view my life this way when my mom has clearly done so much to try to destroy it? Simple, I view the things that have intended to bring me down to my knees as something that has improved me. What was intended to tear me down I have utilized to build me up. I guess that is what I partially got across to these students. I have been handed great adversity and I have used it to improve my life. Adversity, in my opinion, can either tear us down or fortify our walls; it's all in how we view it.

Using a combination of witty humor and cookies (yes, I did cook cookies for this occasion, proof that I do things other than studying on occasion), I hope my story is one that they will remember for a while. I know that the experience that I had yesterday will be one that I will not forget for months at the very least. At the end of the session, the floor was opened up to questions, and one male student, who I thought was very compassionate and understanding, had clarified a few things for me. I don't know what his intent was, but I think by asking the questions that he did helped to clarify the immense power I had to overcome the obstacles that I was handed, and how I will overcome any other obstacle that I may have in the future. I forget if it was the same student or another one that brought up an excellent point. I had communicated earlier that I was afraid of my mother finding me and harrassing me, whether it would be at home, at work, or elsewhere. He asked me this question:

"Do you think that perhaps you are not afraid of your mother, but more of the uncertainty that she brings?"

I had never thought of this before, but he hit the nail on the head. Thinking about it logically, I am more scared of the uncertainty that she brings. I have finally found stability in school and volunteering, and I know that if she finds me, she will throw a wrench in my day. My perfect days of studying, singing, and watching those that I admire would then be tainted by court battles, verbal and physical arguments, constant fear of being followed by my mother, and my mother's unpredictable actions in response to my words and actions. These were all things that characterized my teenage years and are all things that I have sworn to myself that I would not allow in my life or the lives that I care about. If I were to have my mother in my life, I would view this as a broken promise to myself; something that I learned to resent in my childhood. I believe that if promises are made, whether to yourself or to someone else, those promises should be kept. My mother would force me to break that promise; something that I fear and resent at the same time. That is partially why I end up resentful when I hear my mother mentioned.

Another thing that another student had brought up was that I felt that I feel that I have the responsibility to protect my family from future harm from my mother. This, again, was hit right on the head. Whenever I hear that my mother has caused emotional or physical harm to someone that I love, I immediately go into protectionist mode and I want to do all that I can to prevent it from happening again. One of the students then said this:

"Isn't that a heavy burden to carry?"

While it is a heavy burden to carry, it is one that I must carry (just look at all the books I carry, do you think I am used to carrying a heavy load?). I am the one that is closest to my mom and am the one that she has formed as close as she will have to an intimate relationship with. That means that if something will change in her life, it will probably be through me. If she is to get help, it will most likely be as a result of the boundaries that I set with her. While I am aware that I carry this burden, I know I do not carry it alone. I have many people that I converse with that have gone through the same thing that I have that come alongside me and help me get through this. After all, I do learn best when someone is there to challenge me in multiple ways.

I am not the normal person. I am what Reba McIntyre would term a survivor. My job currently is to overcome the hurdles that are thrown in my way and to grow into a very strong person that will one day be able to help others carry their burdens when they can't carry them on their own. I already have many others confiding in me, looking to me to help them find their way when they are lost in the twisted maze of confusion and raging emotions. I am a helper, I will be there when others are not. I am a friend, a teacher, a healer. I realize the potential I have, but I do not desire to keep it for myself. I want to share the power that I have felt overcoming my fears and obstacles with others, especially with those that could share the same role as I share. That is why I spoke with these students as I did. After all, the most memorable people are those that turn shards of glass that are thrown at them into glitter. I certainly have done so.

In thinking about how this day had went, I totally spaced that I had a class ending. I ended up getting an e-mail from my instructor wanting to know why I hadn't turned in my final assignments. I had assumed that it was due on Sunday, and I wrote this back to her. Before she could respond, I looked up the due date and realized that it was past due (insert face palm here). The professor had grace and allowed me to turn it in today without penalty, but having not started on it wasn't in my favor (I think I had the professor's respect when I had gotten a C on a paper and decided to rewrite it). I had to volunteer the next day, so I started to freak. I contemplated taking the day off of my volunteer assignment to work on it, but decided to volunteer anyways. I'm glad that I did, as I showed the people that I volunteer with and for that I realized my mistakes (I was beginning to slack off, or more like I was starting to experience burn-out) and could learn from them. I worked hard then decided that I would go and work on my paper and presentation. I worked for six long hours on it, and when I finally got it done, I felt a great deal of accomplishment. I even wrote a note to myself, which said:

"Good job, I'm so proud of you. You got this done before it really got dark outside. That is absolutely great. I know that you will do well in Nursing school and you will get in and succeed in medical school as well. You have the drive to do well and you will not give up on something until it is done. And I'm glad that you chose to eat well today. Overall, it was a job well done and worth the effort. It was fun doing this project and I know that you will go far in whatever you do.

Love bunches,
Yourself (LiL A)"

Sometimes we need to write ourselves letters like this. We don't believe we need to encourage ourselves and we can wear ourselves thin and stop believing in ourselves. When this happens, we experience burn-out. We need to believe in ourselves more than we do sometimes. We have done and can do great things, I think we need to remind ourselves constantly how far we have come and how far we are going to go.

What I learned from the paper being late: I don't believe in my own capabilities and you have to look at the due date before assuming anything. In the end, I really wasn't hurt by my mistake, but it will cost me in the future. By looking at the due date, I will ensure that this will not end up being a repeat in the future, thereby ensuring success on my part. As for believing in myself, that will be a process that could take many years to learn. At least I am starting on that long road now rather than never travelling it. I hope and look forward to meeting those that will walk with me on this road, as I don't travel it alone.

What Will I Do With My Life?

Lately I have been looking at Nursing schools in Colorado, and this journey has led me to CU. Now, I have had the experience of being a Ram, but never a Buff. I admit, while I came from CSU, I never really liked the school itself. It was too big and I found myself getting lost among the faces. CCU has been a refreshing venture away from everything big and busy.

However, life isn't always what we dream it to be. Sometimes it hits us where it hurts, as it has me. Looking at CCU, I realized that attending this small school is something that may not be realistic for me to strive to attain. The requirements are too much. So, I, a mature adult, must consider looking for something a little more reasonable. And that is where the idea of becoming a Buff got into my head.

I have been to the medical campus many times before, and am setting my goals high. I would like to enroll in medical school, the ultimate demonstration that hard work, determination, and the ability to dream will help you achieve much. However, last night proved to me that my dreams are once again grounded.

So, here is the problem, before I can even think of applying to the school of Nursing, I must have all of my pre-requisites done. Unfortunately, applications are due by October 15th for the program I am eligible for, and I still have one additional semester of pre-reqs to fullfill. What this means is that even if I do finish these classes, I have to wait a whole year before I can even apply. I would then have a whole year off or a whole year to flounder around. Maybe this isn't a bad thing, as it would give me plenty of time to complete any medical school pre-requisites that I would have, but then again, it moves my graduation date out even further. It's a mixed blessing in a way. Then again, if I do complete all the pre-requisites for medical school, I might as well apply for medical school alongside applying for Nursing school. If I fail in getting into medical school, I still have Nursing school to fall back on. However, if I get into medical school by chance, I will hop on it. I probably need to take a different view on it, but right now, I'm not too thrilled about it. There is still a lot that needs to be investigated before I take that step forward.

The Plight of the Poor

As a college student whose mother was a single mother, I have had to really think long and hard about finances. When I came to CCU, that kind of went out the window, but now that I am thinking about completing my Nursing degree, I realize that I really need to start putting my finances in the forefront of my thinking again. I only have a certain amount of funds to work off of, so I really need to utilize what I have now. I have a dilemma, which means no matter what I do, there will be some bad done, good done, and some beneficial things left undone.

Here is my dilemma. While at CCU, I ended up really messing up, and got 3 Cs and one D, thereby lowering my GPA to below 3.0. To get that up to where CCU's Nursing school wants it would take an act of God almost literally. In addition to this problem, there is the high probability that if I do get into the Nursing program, that there would be some part of my tuition left unpaid (CCU doesn't want to increase my financial aid award letter even though I would be considered a full time student and would be eligible for it). To add to this confusion, my dad wants me to keep my options open and wants me to take the Chemistry and Nutrition courses as a non-degree seeking student. The kicker to that: I would have to pay for these classes myself as I would not be eligible for financial aid or scholarships. I digress.

I did some investigating and maybe I'm jumping the gun a little and thinking too far ahead, but I was looking at CU Denver (someone wanted me to look into the Community College of Aurora's partnership with CU Denver's Nursing school, and that program is useless and meaningless to me, as it requires too many prerequisites). From what I see, transferring in the Spring of 2012 would leave me with 10 credit hours of further prerequisites that I would have to do. Not only that, but the cost would be much less (a little over half the price), I would have more financial aid to work with, and the GPA requirement would be attainable for me. If all works well and I would only have 10 more hours of prerequisites, I would even be able to take some of my pre-med courses as well. My dad says for me to keep my horizons open, and I am doing that. By transferring to CU, I would be aiming for admittance into medical school or something higher than the BSN I would be receiving and I would be gaining more science education than I could be getting at CCU. While it is wonderful that I would be integrating my faith into medical practice, I really need to keep in mind the reality of attending CCU's Nursing school. I don't meet the minimum requirements and it would take me twice as many credit hours to attain these requirements. Really, CCU was something that going to was a dream, but completing was a fantasy. While I wasn't ready for state college a few years ago due to allowing my faith to rule me, I now have learned to put my faith aside and to work hard without allowing it to dictate my life. I do still have my faith, but I need to stop allowing it to affect me the way it does. It really separates me from those that I could be reaching.

So my dilemma is do I contradict my father, risk his disappointment and anger to go to CU or do I risk not being able to pay for Nursing school or not getting admitted due to low GPA and make my dad happy? I know that this is within my boundary, that this is a decision that I have to make, and this is one that I will not make lightly. I'm really investigating the likelihood and benefits and costs of each. I'm going to contact an admission counselor for CU soon, and I hope to get in touch with the Dean of Nursing to be able to talk about the likelihood of being accepted into CCU's school of Nursing and how heavily my GPA would weigh on it. If it's like I think and they won't budge on the GPA requirements, than indeed attending CCU is a fantasy and my best bet is to transfer to CU. If the GPA can be negotiated, then I might have a chance. However, from the way that I see it, I will most definitely make it into CU's Nursing program at the very least. This wouldn't be too bad a position, but I really need to think about some things now rather than later, or I will be caught upstream without a paddle.

My Promises in Medicine

This is my version of "my Hippocratic Oath" that I formed while contemplating what my role of health care worker would entail.

21 Promises

1) I will respect and honor those currently teaching me, both inside and outside a formal teaching setting.

2) I will never forget the past lessons I have learned and the people who have helped me to learn them.

3) I will strive to learn something new every day. I won’t be closed off to trying new things unless they have the potential to injure or otherwise compromise my service to others, or have the possibility of seriously injuring myself or others, or in which the benefits do not outweigh the risks.

4) I will never forget that the people I serve and the patients I treat and work with are ­people and that they have their own unique set of scars, both physical and otherwise, that they bear that tell the stories of their lives as well as what they may be currently feeling. I will do my best to honor the person behind these scars and to respect the story that these scars tell.

5) I will show empathy to and encourage those I serve to the best of my abilities. If they are doing something that I perceive may be harmful to them, I will not be afraid to let them know and extend courtesy and support for them should they desire to change.

6) I will strive to forgive readily. I understand, in life, you will be hurt by people and that forgiveness has immense healing properties, both physically and otherwise.

7) I will strive to be an example to all what compassionate care entails.

8) I will remember that no person is perfect, and that even I will fall short sometimes. I refuse to hold others, including myself, to unrealistic expectations.

9) I will remember that there is great gift in life, and that I have the power to give it or take it away. I will never abuse this power, and I will honor each person’s right to life and death, that which is still within the constraints of law and ethics.

10) I will be grateful for every person I serve and treat, as any person can teach me a very valuable lesson. From the newborn baby to the frail, elderly person dying in their deathbed, I will remember that each life is valuable in God’s eyes. I will thank God for every opportunity to interact with people, especially when they transform me or they, themselves, are transformed. I will remember that these interactions are often fragile and can be broken at a whim, and will respect the decision of those that decide to go elsewhere for care, as it is their decision and within their boundaries, which I have no right to violate.

11) I will strive in making the person feel better, not just in improving a list of symptoms. I will be open to people’s desires and needs and will strive to meet them the best I can.

12) I will not be afraid to say, “I know not,” knowing that by being honest, I may risk losing or angering the patient. I pledge that this will not become a means of avoiding treatment. I also pledge to, when appropriate, follow these words up with either a referral to someone who can help, an explanation as to why further treatment is no longer necessary, or the willingness to learn more about its diagnosis and treatment, possibly in conjunction with the patient’s learning should they communicate a desire to learn.

13) I will not do unnecessary tests or prescribe medication as a means of making money off the patient. I will prescribe when I feel that the patient will benefit from the prescription.

14) I will not hesitate in saying no to something I feel is not in the patient’s best interest, be it procedure or drug.

15) I will offer the patient knowledge into their diagnosis when appropriate, and will not discourage them from doing their own research into their diagnosis and drugs. If the patient brings information before me that I feel is inaccurate, I will explain why it is inaccurate and provide correct information. If I feel that a patient has misinterpreted information, I will not be afraid to let them know this, and encourage them to think differently about what they have. I will strive not to withhold information that may be pertinent in their care, and I will present difficult information in a caring and empathic manner.

16) I will strive to allow patient input when appropriate. I will listen to the patient and will try to come to a consensus with them. If I deem a treatment or request inappropriate, I will offer an explanation and, when appropriate, a possible alternative. I will strive to help them understand why this may not be appropriate, and why another might be more appropriate, in a way and using language they understand.

17) I will not talk down to patients, as I do not desire to be talked down to as a patient. It would do me well to remember what it felt like to be a patient, and to avoid doing things that I would not want my physician to do to me as a patient.

18) I will remember that, in medicine, the roles are easily reversed. I may be treating people one day, and the next, I could end up being the patient. I will not forget the responsibilities that either patient or physician have, and will do my best to ease the burden on my doctor when I am put into the role of patient.

19) I will remember that medicine is an inexact science, and that certain treatments take time and many trials and errors to perfect. I will remember that each body is unique and will react differently to different procedures and drugs. I will be sensitive to any resulting pain and suffering, but I will also not do or prescribe anything unless I have a plan in place for what to do if things do not go as planned.

20) I will remember that my role is not only that of a healthcare worker, but that of a healer. While some people may need healing, I realize that others may not need healing. However, eventually all people will fail and will need a healer, and I will gratefully step up to this role. I will remember that people have emotional and psychological needs, and as a healer, I will respect and meet the needs the best way that I can.

21) I will not forget the transformative power of good health on people’s lives, and will be open to this power teaching me valuable lessons. I will strive to pass this transformative learning that has taken place in my life to people of various roles, patient, colleague, and even stranger.

Happy July 4th!

For all those reading my blog, happy 4th of July!

I don't really have any important things to say. Just going off to be with family like I usually do this time of year. Just a few friendly reminders.

Enjoy time with family, as there may be a time where you will not have them.

Don't set off illegal fireworks, as that can get you arrested and/or fined.

Don't drink and drive, as this decision may end up impacting the lives of other people in a negative way.

Enjoy the professional fireworks displays, as good money is invested in them.

If you are working during the 4th, thank you so much. I know how hard it must be not to be able to celebrate the 4th with family and friends because you have to work a shift.

As always, be careful and spend time with those you love. Don't do anything that will hurt you or others or land you or others in jail.

This is the greatest nation in the world, so celebrate your freedoms, but do it in a smart way.

Happy 4th of July!

Love,

LiL A