What's New?- Friday, October 8, 2010

Oh, Velveeta and Rotel?  How can you NOT go to that.  I could live on it... hmmm.how did I gain that 7 lbs?  Cheese and tomatoes?  How could that harm you?

Today is Friday and it's jeans day at work.  I'm late for Starbucks so guess I'll run.  After today, I'm on vacation.

Soo, don't know what I'm going to do the first part of the week to keep from going stircrazy. I usually take a week-long trip. First time for vacation I've not been gone a week.

Everyone have a good day!!

See. here's the deal. I'm from San Diego, married to a man who is 1/2 Mexican. I grew up with REAL Mexican food, learned to cook from real Mexican moms, and believe me, no self respecting Mexican woman would have a can of Rotel in her cabinet or a slab of Velveeta on the shelf. I didn't even know what "cheese dip" was until I came to the South. BLEEEEECHHHHHHH

Congratulations, Julia.  I couldn't make a total of 27 years with TWO husbands!  Doesn't say much for my "picker", as a dear friend always says.....

I give those of you who can do it a lot of credit.

Enjoy your day.  Do something fun.

Candy

I think "my" secret was waiting until I was almost 30 to get married AND kissing (etc.) a lot of toads! (I know I'm being sarcastic- what I'm really saying is that I dated quite a few men before I decided what I wanted.)

The thoughts I choose to think and believe right now are creating my future.  These thoughts form my experiences tomorrow, next week, and next She told me she is against me filing for disability because she fears I will just give up and go on a downward spiral.  My depression is improving and I think it is because I am away from the workplace.  I can't take it anymore.  The stress has just become too great to handle.  They suggest I try another aspect of nursing.  I have.  I am tired of the hyprocracty and downright fraud that goes on on all levels and the lack of good patient care due to shortage of staffing.  That doesn't even take into account the constant pain of one sort or another I am always in.  Usually by mid-day I am to the breaking point and can't concentrate due to the discomfort.  I just don't know which way to jump.  Oh well, time will tell.  I'm about ready to stop going out there and paying the big bucks for seeing a shrink that only looks at my meds which my PCP already had me on, and a therapist that doesn't get the picture.  Ya'll have a good day.

It is a sad day indeed that the nursing profession is suffering the loss of good nurses because they chose to ignore the concept of good patient care, but I know there are plenty of things you can do with that career, as I have other friends who have suffered similar to you in relation to cutbacks and the stressors revolving around it. . .  did you ever think of perhaps doing home visits?  I understand they pay pretty well and it is a lot less stressful, not to mention you can make your own hours. . .

My youngest daughter became a nurse in December and when she was here this past weekend, she told me how difficult it can be, she works the night shift on the oncology floor and she said it can be very frustrating watching some of what goes on, but she also loves doing her job and she finds it sad that the day shift things the night shift doesn't work hard, she said, if she gets 15 minutes to sit and eat dinner, that's a lot. . .  oh the paperwork, etc. . .   teachers and nurses get my vote for a job that is definitely underpaid and somewhat unappreciated. . .

Wishing you continued return from your depression.

Hugs, Laureen

Sybul,

 I see a therapist occassionally when my anxiety disorder flares up. Just normal "every day" stress I handle pretty well but I came to a point in my teaching career that I became physically and emotionally very ill. Only  you know when you get to that point.

 I think the most that I got from therapy was talking and LISTENING to what I was saying. Somehow saying it out loud and sometimes writing it down helps me to OWN the situation. Then and only then can I decide what can be done about it. You are at that point in your life. Sounds to me like you are trying all of the suggested avenues and they are not the solution. You do what you need to do to become healthy and whole again.

I'm sure this therapist means well as in no one wants you to give up on life. Everyone wants you healthy again. There's nothing wrong with trying a new therapist either. You might ask friends for a recommendation or you primary care doctor. Let your doctor know that this one isn't working out.

Sending positive thoughts  your way.

I remember my deepest and longest depression. I had bouts with depression from childhood on, but didn't recognize what depression was until I hit bottom that year. I was off work the last month or so of school. Several "events" happened to push me over, but I thought I had a disease it felt so bad. Looking back I see that the events (taking my long time paraprofessional away and giving me a new person that spoke Spanish, announcing the move of my class to a different school, making me share a classroom with a teacher that was hard to be around, and the icing, watching the space shuttle explode with the students and trying to explain what happened to that teacher on board). I think the day the shuttle exploded was very close to my last day working that year. I was physically sick, very anxious, and thinking that something was wrong with my body. I know how bad it feels. That summer my brother Jim broke his neck in a car accident and was paralyzed- he almost died, but pulled through with this really scary handicap in his late 30's. Then my closest brother Jon was diagnosed with AIDS and died slowly for the next 8 months. I only tell the details so that you will understand that I was very depressed- cried all the time, had agoraphobia (I was having to force myself to leave the house, drive, etc.) I'm looking at your depression from both sides and trying to be the devil's advocate. I had a great therapist and she knew that I was in the position to spiral down forever or rise triumphantly from the ashes. (I know- sounds really corny, but that is what I see from it.) She pushed me hard to keep working when I begged her to let me be disabled. She had me call her at home in the mornings when I could not bring myself to walk out the door to go to work. I called her a lot on those mornings. To make a long story short, she was right. She saved me from a deeper hole and she helped me to learn to be brave and take care of myself first. It took many years of therapy and I will always be on an anti-depressant, but I am very strong now. I am not saying that what happened to me is right for you- I was much younger and I did love my job when I was well. The part I want you to hear is that I did the work of years of therapy and had to be very brave and stick my neck out of my comfort zone. Even now when I am in a scary situation (and if you have read about my last few years you'll know that I've been through a few scary things) I tell myself, like a mantra "Be Brave, Be Brave, Be Brave!" If you do go out on disability you need to keep fighting for your new life to be full. Don't let the depression win...it is a formidible enemy but it can be conquered.
Big hugs to you Sybul.... know that you are not alone.
Julia

Happy Anniversary Julia,
I to know about the nursing job. Im not a nurse but I work with them in the Emergency room. I work triage sometimes and when the nurse is busy crazy checking in pts and me too I dont get much downtime. I am always crazy busy right along side of them.
I am home from chicago. I got here yesterday morning and then proceeded to go to work yesterday afternoon. I am off today and work tomorrow and Sunday.
I have to pack cause I am  flying on Wednesday to the Northland again. I hope it isnt cold like it was in chicago but Oh well it is fall!!!!!
I bet you are wondering what the northland is. It is anything North of Florida!!!!!
Carla

Good Morning Julia and the rest of you all OFFr's,

Happy Anniversary Julia, so wonderful when I read about a marriage like yours, unfortunately, I did not do as well, though I am in a very happy relationship with a wonderful man now and while we don't live together and marriage is not something I need, I do hope that we will grow old together (hey we're almost there (lol)). . .

Today is my Friday and right at the moment it is quiet, my one attorney is on vacation, the other at an offsite meeting that may last the entire day. . .  I have a few lose ends to take care of and then I am going to review some things, after which I will do some excel training. 

Lots going on and just too much to post here, but life can be challenging, I am doing ok, jus****ching friends of mine going through some rough times and I am right now trying to figure out a way to help one in particular.  Anyway, my life is good, for the moment. . .  did I tell you all, that the "front desk nasty person" gave notice on Monday?  Well she did and is leaving next Friday!  Oh and I have an interview on Monday, not sure I want the position, but my job in life is to show up and the rest the Universe will handle. . .

Well folks, have a great day wherever you are and if you are one of those facing serious life challenges, I certainly wish you the peace and strength to get through it!

Hugs, Laureen