Good morning! TGIF-
NIC- Your dinner with the family sounded cozy! I have had the cali casserole it is delish. Of course it had dairy which made it so frekin good! But for you who can have it, it is a great substitute for Mac and cheese! I wouldn't miss it at all!
It is hard when you are used to having the hubby home to have him gone so much I am sure. I liked it when I had the family sit down for dinner! Those are some of my favorite memories of the kids growing up. Then of course was sports!
Your CASA assignment sound a little tough this time around! I am hopeful you will be able to work your magic! If any one can it would be you!
The dark and looming man.......Yes I am reading my first romance novel in the last few years. Mostly what I have read is all for either school or learning. This novel is just for fun. Been awhile sine I have been able to do that. So I have been adding commentary as I go along in the story! There is always the brooding / looming / dark and scraggly guy that turns into the prince! But lest not forget the first kiss, followed by the first fight- then longing and happy ever after! Yup- predictable. But hey what the heck- sure beats a school book right now.
LORI- - Yes, Nic is right- had you been lounging in a chair with a tall drink you never would have had an injury. We will help you with this in Charleston!!!!!
Honesty though- it sorta sucks and I am glad you are having it looked at. Bruises will fade! Any idea how long you will need to have it wrapped? They are talking surgery are they? Please keep us posted! Safe travels home!
TRIG- OMG, barn work! Makes me happy I have a dime stamp lot. I know there is so much to do on property that big. I am so not the farm gal type! This brought back a funny story- so who my son was about 13 he was into HAM Radios- (still is). But he joined a HAM club and the host was having a BARN PARTY out on their grounds. Everyone was supposed to bring their radios and play for the day. They had a big spit they were roasting a pig on and the entire gig going. It was a large working DAIRY farm, with animals. So I was dropping off my son (yes I trusted the adults) for the farm party. I show up in HEELS and a SKIRT and a designer handbag. Promptly got out of my kiddy van and stepped in cow manure. I was APPALLED. GROSS!!!!!! The rest of everyone else had on overalls and jeans and flannel. Yes- I did not stay and drove home with my windows down the entire way home! I am not farm gal! And the looks I got while I was there.......... Yeah..............
Anyway- your barn reminded me of that. Have you ever through a BARN PARTY? I hear they are the rage now!!!! People are even getting married in them! God love 'em.
At least sunshine and cool temps back for us!
BLUE-- I know my voice of reason most times. I should take the lemons and make lemonade. Most times I do. I will hang with my patients and give them what they deserve a caring and concerned advocate on their behalf. It is not their fault I was lied to. They do not deserve the brunt of displaced anger towards big corporation and lack of caring towards employees. No I won't do that- not my style.
These patients are the most fragile. They are a dual population- meaning they are both Medicare and Medicaid. = elderly and very sick and mostly home bound and low income. Just that alone is a huge challange for a senior- then add big Pharma, big Insurance, and doctors that don't speak their language and it's rough.
I just loved the job I HAD- and I am still grieving it. I know I should just GET OVER IT. I am still employed and making the same pay for less stress. But I did LOVE what I was doing. I believed in it. Until I found out it was a lie. I think that is the thing. I thought what I was doing was important- but it really wasn't in the big scope of things. I see that now. I feel duped and betrayed. Yes I have a paycheck and the opportunity to teach and make a difference - so I SHOULD stop belly aching.
Plus they took away my CHOICE to go back to school. I think that is the crux- MY CHOICES were made for me. Like choices were made for you. Didn't matter how good your prior work was. Some bean counter high up cut your job- boom- gone. Ya grieve it. You weren't even consulted or given the opportunity to speak for yourself.
All the blood sweat and tears that had gone into your work didn't matter. Boils down to budget. It sucks- across the board! And I know you are just as good as when you were busy as can be. But when you are given a gut punch like that- it is hard to see a silver lining for a while. There does have to be that - "new normal". Granted our situations are different, yet they are similar. Choice was taken and our work was not even considered.
I am thankful you had some resources to pull from and you are in a good spot $$. I would be homeless if I didn't have a paycheck. It is not about money. - but I know you know what I am talking about. Anyway- I will make the best of my new normal until another door opens. I may be here for a reason and that ONE patient that really needs me.
I wrestled with the same thing when I lost the grant funding in Greenville, and was out of a job. It was less painful though because I went into the position knowing that could most likely happen. I understood that from the beginning. I got 3 years of being able to live on just one of my paychecks and saved the other one for just in case. So when it came- I was ok- I saw it coming. - While I was there though I know there were 2 patients I still think of even now that I will carry with me.
They made me a better nurse and person. I was with one from the beginning. She was a type one diabetic. I became part of her family. She was 31 and African American- her family didn't trust the "system". I gained their trust and they knew I truly had their daughters best interest at heart. I was invited to their home, they offered me what they had so little of- food and water. I visited her while she was in the hospital- several times a week-and accompanied her to her Endo appts. I called her every other day.
She was getting sicker and sicker and sicker. She needed a transplant - insurance would not pay. So I went to the surgeon and took her files and showed up in his office and told him her story. He agreed to do the surgery for free. He also had the hospital waive the surgery charge as well. Everything was set.
When I showed up at her home to tell her the great news her family was jumping up and down. She looked at me square in the eye and thank me at giving her a shot for a normal life. She also had 2 babies under 5. She lived with her mother because she was too sick to care for them.
Surgery was scheduled for the next week. I saw her on a Thurs. I will never forget it. I told her I would be there before she went into surgery.
On Monday morning about 2 am I got a call from the ICU - she had taken a turn for the worse and was in a coma on a vent- just like that. Then she had a massive seizure that killed her. the family was screaming for me to come in and EXPLAIN!!!!!-
The hospital wanted to remove the vent since there was no brain activity. The family thought the hospital was lying to them. It was a horrible thing. But had I not been there and walked them through that situation they would have carried a different picture of what happened. She had drinks that night, followed by ice-cream and forgot her insulin.
She was brittle, and had a seizure at home too. She had been on the floor too long before she was found. It was a tragic accident. She was celebrating and just forgot her meds.
Did it have a happy ending no. But I know I made a difference. They knew that not everybody in the "system" was out to get them. The patient trusted me too. I went to her funeral. What did I learn?
That as a nurse - people need advocates when they are the most sick. Not only that- for those that society might kick to the curb- they need that voice of fairness as well.
Would I do it again- YUP! There are tons of people just like her out there.
So I will suck it up and see who needs me on this assignment. I have really written a book on your post. It was therapeutic- thanks!
I am glad you are back on your WOE!!!!! - Nothing like a dressing room you knock you back on track!!!!- THIS I KNOW too well!
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I have ribs for the oven. It will be good, because yesterday we were 80 degrees and I was sunning myself- today is sweater weather and ribs, 53 high.
Thought for the day: (I like these)
"Nothing is impossible says the word itself: I'm possible"- author unknown