Duke Univ...my son

[SandyRN]

I had the pleasure of taking my 17 year old rising senior (my oldest son) to check out Duke University today. Little did I know what an emotional toll it was going to take on me. We had a GREAT day...an amazing tour of an amazing university. He is qualified in every single way, from outstanding SAT scores to great grades, and a class rank of 44th out of 600 kids in his graduating class.

What got me is that he's going to college in a year! And, it could very well be DUKE...one of the greatest schools in the US. I dont want to sound like I'm bragging, what I'm doing is realizing a dream. Every parent wants for their child what they didnt have. I have a college degree, I'm a RN, but it's sure not from a school like Duke.

I see such a bright future for my child. I see limitless opportunity for my baby boy. He can do anything he wants with his life and he quite possibly can do it at this wonderful school.

This campus is beyond beautiful.. I'm still in awe at the grounds, the architecture, the chapel, even the dorm rooms. It's a city all in itself...and it's DUKE.

I know I'm rambling, but if you have kids, you know what I mean about wanting them to have what you didnt have growing up. My baby just might have this....and, he'd only be about 2 1/2 hours from home!! LOL

We have 3 more schools to look at, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest Univ and Davidson College...but he wants Duke, and more than anything I've ever wanted I want this for him.

Thanks for reading my ramble..

[ICNDonna]

Congratulations!

:)
Donna

[dancemomof2]

What a bitter sweet day.

[SandyRN]

Thanks Donna and Leslie. It was a bitter sweet day. The entire day I thought about when he was a baby, and ran his entire life through my mind. It's surreal to me. The hardest part about having children is letting them go. :(

[tigger_gal]

congrats... I am happy for you, and hope all his dreams and yours come true..
Brat

[csocain]

Indeed letting go of those precious blessings called children is really hard but God has a wondrous plan for him. I'm happy for him and praying for all of you. It's gonna be fine.

[SandyRN]

Thanks Brat, and Carolyn, I do appreciate your kind words. God does have a wondrous plan for my baby (my 6ft 2, 175 lb baby!). He's gonna be fine no matter where he goes to college, but I'm gonna fall apart! LOL Not in front of him, but when he's gone and all settled next year it's gonna be so hard. I keep trying to think of it as a new phase in all of our lives, that it's the natural progression of things, that this is how it's done. I have a 10 yr old and 12 yr old that will be going through the same things, but thankfully several years from now. That helps a little.

Hugs, Sandy

[Sarojini]

Congrats!! :woohoo: You may enjoy Wake Forest too; that's where I am -- although I work at the Bowman-Gray Campus downtown, which houses the Medical School and the NC Baptist Hospital. However, the main campus is not too far and is lovely. It IS smaller than Duke though.

[SandyRN]

Hi Jen,

How are you feeling? I've heard Wake Forest has a beautiful campus. That's on our list. We've got several places to see in a short time. He's applying for early decision at Duke so we will know by January. He's also going to submit apps to the other schools as well. I know he'll get in a good school no matter what. It's paying for it that worries me! Hopefully he'll get a scholarship, or two, or three!! LOL

What do you do as your job? You have probably said somewhere but I can't remember.

I hope you're over your nasty UTI!!!

Sandy

[Sarojini]

Hey Sandy,

Well, it seems my urine is clear of bacteria again, but as you know, with IC the pain of the UTI can hang on for a while after the infection is gone... so I'm better, but not quite back to my old self just yet ;)

I'm sure your son will get in wherever he likes -- and it's very likely he'll get some scholarship funds as well :) It sounds like he's an outstanding student and really deserves the funds.

As for me, I am a research fellow in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Biology Section at Wake Forest U. School of Med. My focus is looking at how normal brain tissue responds to radiation therapy -- it's important, because people who receive radiation for brain tumors often end up with some nasty side effects (like impaired memory/learning, tremors, balance trouble, etc) and they really reduce the quality of life for the patients. So, what we do is try to find out what is going on at the molecular and cellular level after radiation, so we can figure out possible new ways to stop all that from happening. I have about two or three years left in this fellowship period, and then after that, if my boss and I still get along as well as we do now, he would like to hire me as an Assistant Professor. Now that would be kewl ;)

What kind of nurse are you? I think you may have said at one time. Actually, one of my neighbors is a nurse and drives 90 miles to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Duke University!! I can't believe she does that commute but she really loves working there -- she does 3 12 hr night shifts a week (sometimes 4).

[SandyRN]

I think I forgot to answer you Jen....lol. sowwy.

I worked in the neonatal ICU, women's surgical unit, with new moms and healthy babies in the nursery, and then in a high risk obstetrics unit where we had long term pregnant ladies with all sorts of high risk diseases, and pregnancy related illnesses...some of them life threatening. I loved that unit.

I can understand why your friend drives so far to her job. I bet Duke has a GREAT unit there. I used to work 3 12's a week too, back in my other life!

Hugs, Sandy