Need some Love

Well ladies and gents, I haven't posted about how I'm doing because I have felt really ok.  Tired, but ok.  I took 3 weeks off from work on STD at 100% paid.  It was all good.  Except today when I went back to work, I found out that as of March 13th, I will no longer have a job!!  Now, I am thankful as all hell for my company and I will be getting a decent severance.  Well, a nice severance, really.  They are providing placement services for us, too.  It has come as quite the shock, and I hate to admit it but I stress ate today.  We all ended up in the conference room this afternoon crying in our beer - yes, really beer - we're a small biotech firm.  They ordered pizza, and I ate the top off one piece.  It sat like a ton of bricks in my chest, and even now that it's gone, I still feel like a ton of bricks is on my chest.  I am a research scientist and this was my dream job.  I tried to get on with this firm for 4 years before it happened.  They are cutting all of Research and Preclinical Development.  At least I am in good company - some folks had been there for 15 years and were the longest employed folks in the company.

Now, I will get the chance to compete for and apply for a couple of key new positions in the company, and I am totally employable in this area, but damn it hurts like hell.  So right now I just want to cry in my beer (especially since I can't drink it).  I know tomorrow is a new day, and I will be ok one way or the other.

I'll tell you how great my company is though.  Our HR Director called me in to her office after we were told and we cried together because she felt really bad about this being my 1st day back from surgery.  I'm really thankful, and I can at least say one thing - at least they gave me a chance to get my life back, and for that I will eternally be grateful.

Damn, this sucks.  Thanks for listening, and for being there.

Wow Angela!!  I am so sorry.  But it sounds like you have a great company behind you.  Hopefully they will find something else for you.  I think you'll be fine with your background.  This is a good market for you to be in.  Just hang in there, and dont beat yourself up too bad.  We all have those bad eating days.  Tomorrow is a new day. 

Dalton

Wow, Bummer Angela,
Not much of a welcome back. It is a blessing that you got approved and got your surgery before this happened. Well good luck and keep us posted.

(((((((Hi Angela,)))))))

I'm so sorry to hear that you've joined the ranks of the unemployed, but I'm so glad to hear that there are positions within your company that might keep you employed. It's pretty tough right now, but you have a skillset and I'm sure a network that can help you stay employed. I'm sure that like Ben and I, you are so grateful to have had the opportunity to have had the surgery that while the layoff is painful and distressing, it softens the blow just a bit.

I understand the concern about the stress eating... in some ways I think you may be ahead of the curve because you now know that it is something that you will need to address and manage... and just think of the damage you would have, could have done just a month or two a ago... You know have a powerful tool to help you change and control your behavior. Remember they operated on gut, not your head... it takes time to develop the new coping mechanisms that we need to put in place to identify and manage dangerous behaviors. The big difference now, is that you recognized the behavior and are going to move forward instead of giving up and wallowing in the distress. That's a huge move forward.

Wishing you every good thing in the future my friend.

Sorry to hear about your job, but I think you seem to have it all in perspective.  They were able to help give you your life back.  :)  Keep your chin up..   Remember, when God closes a door he opens a window!! 

Fuck!

I meant to call last week -- but people were sick, celebrating Daniel's party.. etc.

Give me a call anytime.

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I'm so sorry. This economy is scaring the crap out of me. It's so hard as a single mom anyway but it just makes me wonder about the job opportunities out there for my sons (17 & 18) who are both just recently out of highschool.

Andrea's post summed it up well.

- Iris

Before surgery I am sure I would have eaten the whole pizza or at least a good portion of it. You only ate the topping from one piece and I bet it was a lot less than you thought anyway so give your self a break. I hope you get the new position instead of the layoff but as so many of us are going through this we can all relate. The job market isn't what it has been in the past but It has to get better soon right?

Angela,
        I am sorry to hear about you loosing your job. My DH and I will be loosing our jobs the same day as you, March the 13Th. We were going to go to a job fair thing today in Charlotte. For one reason or another we didn't go but saw it on the news, long lines of people were there and they said at noon if you were not already in line they would not be able to see you. There are THOUSANDS of people in NC alone loosing their jobs for one reason or another. I just hope and pray that or government realizes the magnitude of what is happening to our economy and lively hoods. Hang in there it seems like you are with a good company that will look out for it's employees, you are VERY blessed there. I just wanna give you a big hug from one fellow future laid off employee to another!... again..hang in there...Pollyann

That really, really sucks. :(  Allow yourself the beer crying, I'd say it's well-warranted.  I'm glad you at least have the chance to go for another position, it sounds like it's a really decent place.  Those kinds of jobs are few and far between nowadays.

Good luck.  *hugs*