Thursday, August 15, 2013

change is good / rally thursday

It's been a crazy week, y'all!

For the last month, my boss/superiors have really been coming down on me about my work performance.  It is just so difficult to keep up with the productivity expectations we have, but still be ethical and honest, and give our patients the best care and give good customer service, without being crazy stressed out!

Anyway, after all the pressure and conversations about my performance and feeling like I'm constantly on the defensive, my boss came to me YET AGAIN this week, telling me that the opportunity they previously offered me (to cover three buildings in order to get my 40 hours) was now being taken back, and I needed to choose either my current building, or to leave my site completely and go full-time at this other site.  I was pretty upset about this at first, because I really do love my site, my patients, the CNAs I work with, and my co-workers.

I started to consider everything... my career, where I want to go next with it, my finances, my stress, and even how much gas I'm using to drive between all the buildings.  I decided it was best to take this opportunity and make this transition right now to work at the new skilled nursing building.  I made the official decision today and told my boss.  I found out I have two weeks until I will be starting there full-time.  Since I have been covering a few treatments at this other building this week, I told the other employees there today that I am coming to be with them.  They were all really excited!!!!  And that made me feel really good about this.  They were just so supportive, and they seem to be thrilled to have me on their team.  The manager (whom I've only worked with a couple of times) actually threw her arms up in the air and did a little dance when I made the announcement!  I think it is going to be a good change, and though all transitions are tough, I think this one will be made easier by the great team I am going to be working with.

Since the breakup happened on Sunday, I am feeling much better.  He and I have been so back and forth on this since the beginning, and it just has finally come to rest.  Even though I felt this way the last time we broke up, it definitely just feels more official now.  I wrote a private blog post of all the things that have happened in the last year and a half where he really upset me, or made me feel badly, had me worried, had me paranoid, and where we didn't match up.  If I ever start to question my feelings for him again, I need to go and look through that blog post and remember why we don't work.  I deserve to be loved back, and I definitely don't want to go through all of that EVER again! Okay but seriously I MEAN IT.

As far as reacting to the challenges I've had this week, I think I always just want things to be on my terms.  It explains why I was hesitant about the job change at first, and it explains why I was so shocked about the boy ending things at first.  Because now, I am realizing that for both situations, these are the right things for me right now.  Truly I have been unhappy with both situations, had concerns and doubts and worries about both.  Even though I didn't want to be broken up with and did not want our relationship to end, it was kind of an out from the negative feelings I had been having.  And even though I did not want for my job to completely change and lose my amazing relationships at my current site, I had been so stressed out and was really just waiting for October (my one-year anniversary) to leave... so this opportunity was an early out.

He really wants to stay friends, and although I was extremely hesitant about it (actually AGAINST it) at first, it is just so hard not to want to text him and tell him something about my day.  Admittedly we have talked every day this week.  I read through some old g-chat conversations, both from when we were dating last summer, and from when we were "just friends" this past winter.  The conversations weren't that much different in content, but I do remember feeling stressed talking to him when we were dating because I felt I had to make the most of my opportunities with him, and felt like I was walking on eggshells worrying about bringing anything up or hinting that I had concerns, that would make him run off.  Whereas the conversations from this winter, I just plainly enjoyed talking to him and catching up about life, being totally honest and open with him about things I was going through.  And it almost seemed like he was a lot more talkative when we were "just friends" as well.  Even though when we were dating we talked more frequently, there was less depth.  As friends, we talked less often but had great conversations and got closer.  But I know previously, I always continued to wonder if it would ever be more than that again.  And we tried... two more times.  Now, maybe we can be friends without that feeling in the back of my mind wondering if it would ever work.  Do you think it's possible to remain friends with an ex that you loved more than they loved you?  Is it worth it to try, or am I setting myself up for more hurt?

Monday, August 12, 2013

i want to be chosen.

They say past performance predicts future behavior.

And boys and girls, they were right.

For the umteenth time when the boy passed a milestone and had free time and actual choices, he decided to choose...   not me.

Needless to say, I was upset.  Particularly upset because he knows how much I want to have a plan and know what's going on, and he knows I miss him and that this was the only free weekend (and only one night of that weekend at that) I had for the rest of this month.  He knows I wanted to see him this weekend and he knows that I will drop everything and drive two hours at nearly any given moment to spend time with him.

Yet, he did not choose me.

I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I tried to be patient.
I tried to wait for my turn.
I tried to understand where he was coming from.
I tried to give him the opportunity to make it up to me.

But I couldn't, I wasn't, I wouldn't, I didn't... and neither did he.

Last night, we repeated the same conversation we have had a hundred (or maybe just 3 or 4) other times.

He does not have feelings for me the way that I do.
He doesn't feel excited how he should about having a free weekend and spending time with me.
He wanted it.  He tried.  He believed it would work.

But it just wasn't.

So "the boy" and I are officially officially officially over.

He finished step 2 on Thursday, and called me after.  I was thrilled he thought of me-- I felt like maybe he really was coming along to catching up to where I was.
He said he would talk to me later, and didn't.
We chatted a little Friday and on Friday night I was upset about something and let him know.  He said he would talk to me about it the next day.  And didn't.
In fact, the next day, he did not talk to me all day until a single text at 11:00 pm when I was in bed.
Sunday morning, it felt very wrong to me.  Yes sometimes he would go silent when he was on rotation or studying really intensely or with family.  But this somehow felt different.  I felt he should have been wanting to talk to me and sharing his world with me, if not especially because this was the weekend we sorta kinda un-definitively planned (or not) on seeing each other... him coming to see me.
I sent him a text requesting that he just try in the future to give me a head's up when he wasn't going to be reachable for an extended amount of time, that I needed some better communication, and that I wasn't sure if I should be worried or that he was ignoring me.

He was so hungover he could not commit to calling me.

For 7 more hours.

So at 7:00 last night, I finally heard from him.  And it was not the conversation I expected.

He said he really did want this, that there was so much about me he loved, but ultimately he felt there was something missing.   He felt that he did not care for me as much as I did for him.  He said he felt guilty.  He felt awful.  But I really felt awful.  Because we have done this again and again and again.  "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."  And we did that.

I thought we were insanely in love.  But I guess I was just crazy and he was selfish, thinking that trying it again he was going to be able to give me what I needed.

It is really heart breaking how long this relationship has drawn out.  It has been over a year and a half since we started talking and dating.  We only said "I love you" weeks ago, and to him that was even too soon and too much.  We never met each other's family.  We never hung out with each other's friends.  Amazingly we actually did see each other at a great frequency in the last 6 weeks than we did the rest of our relationship.

This is so tough.  Because I always think that I am "mind over matter" with things like this.  I never thought I'd be the delusional dater, or be the lover in the unrequited love scenario.  But, this was the first person I have truly loved, and I guess it's just a part of my story and understanding of what love is now.

I keep telling myself, I should have known and I should have seen it coming and I predicted this would happen and I still went for it.  But that is not helping.

I'm crushed.

But, when it all comes down to it, I WANT to be chosen.  I want to be the person my guy wants to see the first chance they get.  And while I hate hate hate hate hate dating a lot, and it is frustrating sifting through the duds... I really can't wait to meet the guy out there who is even better than the boy.  And not just better, but better for me.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

rally thursday

In traditional Thursday fashion, today started off CHAOTIC with every therapist already buzzing around when I arrived at a time I thought was early.  As usual, the clients I wanted to see wee distracted, agaitated, needed to use the bathroom ASAP, or just already in the bathroom, tired, grumpy, and overall just difficult to pin down for any time longer than 30 minutes.

but.... it's Rally Thursday!
Because it's the day before Friday, and the week is almost over, and even in the midst of chaos there must be SOMETHING good that happened today......it's time to rally!

This Thursday, I am happy because I don't have a real day of patient care tomorrow, so it feels a little bit like a Friday.  I have a two day live course on Physical Agent Modalities tomorrow and Saturday.  I am really excited to learn how to use the short wave diathermy and ultrasound, and learn a little bit more about the different kinds of electrical stimulation I can use with my patients.

Modalities are big for pain management, and as you can guess with the 80-and-over population I see, a lot of my clientele have pain!!  But it's important to remember that with occupational therapy, we don't just treat the pain and try to make the person feel better...  we aim to get people back to doing the activities they have stopped being able to do, like putting on a bra because they can't reach the hooks in the back... or reaching in the cabinet for spices to put in their soup.  Or we make doing those things just a little more tolerable so that they won't quit weaving baskets or playing golf.  As an OT, I get clients with hand/finger pain and shoulder pain.  I HATE pain.... It's my least favorite issue to get a referral for-- I always just feel like I can't help them.  But hopefully with this new training I will have a few more tricks up my sleeve to get some of my residents back in action.

The other thing I am really happy about is THE BOY IS ALL FINISHED WITH STEP 2!  One more thing checked off the list and that we have gotten past.  YAY!  I got only minimally frustrated during his study time and that was mostly because of extended silence (due to him being asleep or intensely studying) and the fact that I'm not allowed to make plans... which I still haven't done.

I was also really happy because it's been quiet between us all week and he said he would talk to me after he finished today... and he actually followed through, and he actually called me.  And so far didn't have any bad "I can't hang out this weekend news".....yet.  I know this sounds silly that I would be excited about this, but it just shows to me that we are better than we were a year ago.  And though we chatted really really briefly, he promised to follow up tonight... and hopefully that means willingness to make plans to see each other this weekend... since I haven't made any yet... although I really wouldn't mind having a date to ride roller coasters on Sunday, but I'm not holding my breath....... ok maybe just a little bit. ;)

Happy Thursday!

Monday, August 5, 2013

medically necessary

Hi!  I'm B, a new OT who dates a rising 4th year med student, long distance.  I like to write about my experiences as a new therapist figuring out how to do the right thing, and my experiences as a girlfriend... figuring out how to do the right thing.  I'm thrilled to link up with Medical Mondays this week!



This is a bit of a repeat post of this one, but slightly edited to be shorter. :)

I'm an occupational therapist.  While my work is medical-related, it's not blood/needles/discovery channel medical.  Too many people don't know what exactly I do.  No, I don't get people jobs.  No, I'm not just a physical therapist for the upper extremities.  No, I'm not a nurse.  Yes, my job is amazing.

I get to wear nice, cute clothes to work and I get to take my time, stop and have a lot of conversations with really interesting people... but I also sometimes get pee/poop on my clothes/shoes, am in a hurry all the time to meet productivity quotas, and can only take so much story-telling.  And my non-medical friends can only take so much of my story-telling... hence the blog!

I travel from an independent-living retirement community to a dementia/memory-support unit for folks with advanced Alzheimer's to a low-income assisted living facility to a skilled nursing center treating people from ages 50-something to 103.

I go from physically assisting a person to clean themselves after going to the bathroom, to training a lady how to use a power wheelchair when cooking a meal in her house, to engaging a resident with dementia in a craft project to curb their agitation, to teaching thera-band exercises and drawing stick figures on handouts so people can do them on their own, to measuring range of motion of every finger of the hand, to teaching a CNA the best way to help a non-ambulatory resident get into their shower, to enforcing hip or weight-bearing precautions following an ortho surgery.

My personality, tools, plan, and schedule changes every 45 to 60 minutes for 8 hours a day. I have to be articulate, detailed, and professional-sounding, and then I have to be simple, friendly, and personable so that people will understand what I'm saying.  I need to be assertive enough that other staff and professionals will listen to me, but I have to be approachable enough so I don't come off as a rude, arrogant practitioner.

On the evaluations, notes, reports and discharge summaries that I write (and write and write), there are always categories and questions relating to the "medical necessity" of the services I provide.  My creative mind mixed with my impatience for typing a lot of information makes me really good at quickly coming up with reasons for justifying 10 minutes I spent counseling a daughter on her father's transition to assisted living, or why it's meaningful for me to help the "pleasantly demented" lady to get to go to the sing-along (since she otherwise wouldn't know how to get there even though it's two doors down).  I get to justify why exercising all your fingers and squeezing putty is essential to a person being independent to brush their teeth or open their pill bottle... and I explain why installing a bed-rail to a person's bed is an essential that improves their quality of life.

What would all the medical stuff mean if the important (and some not-so-important) things you do every day still weren't achievable?  What if you got your hip replaced but still couldn't figure out how to put on your pants?  What if your doctor prescribed you medications that then kept you from being able to drive your car anymore?  What if you survived a stroke thanks to the miracles of medicine, but you had to depend on a caregiver to brush your teeth for you?  Or would you?  With OT, maybe all those "couldn't"s would be "can"s and "do"s.


Thanks for reading, and I hope you will follow along!!!!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

rally thursday

Today is the first of the month, which somehow equates to disaster in our company.  Computer/all technology was disabled today, so my 9 treatments that I crammed in all had to wait until the end of the day to document.  Very frustrating!  I am so used to documenting all my notes during each session, so when the end of the day comes, it's all done!  "Tech is down" may be the most painful words a therapist can hear on a busy day.  Booooo....  it still ended up being a fairly "productive" day despite it being a THURSDAY.....

but.... it's Rally Thursday!
Because it's the day before Friday, and the week is almost over, and even in the midst of chaos there must be SOMETHING good that happened today......it's time to rally!

Today, I had my second interview with the orthopedic hospital!  I think it went really well.  The back story on this is that I have been wanting a weekend OT job for awhile.  I've applied at the two big hospital chains here, and have been checking postings since the winter.  I finally got an in-person interview a couple weeks ago.

The reasons I want to work 7 days a week are (1) so I can make some extra cash at a nice "PRN" pay rate!, and (2) so I can gain some additional experience by working in a hospital setting, being around different therapists, and just build up my foundation of skills as a therapist.  At some point in the future (maybe sooner than later...) I may want to switch settings or focuses or careers altogether.  OTs are trained as "generalists", so with one degree we can potentially work in pediatrics, acute care, home health, mental health, private practice, consulting, and the list goes on.  But, it's not enough to have the degree-- you have to have the right background and experiences and references too.  If I never work in a hospital, it may be hard to get a job there 10 years from now.

I thought I blew the first interview, but I ended up getting called for a second interview!  Today, I met two of the full-time OTs on staff, and met with the "rehab" supervisor.  I think they liked me!  It was pretty casual, and all in all it seemed like they were trying to "sell" the position to me, rather than waiting for me to impress them.  I spent the most time talking with the "supervisor", and I thought we really clicked.  She gave me good feedback during the interview (nodding her head, agreeing with me, saying she liked my answers, etc.), and I think that's always a pretty good sign!  She did say they are interviewing a few others, so I will find out in a couple of weeks.  She also said the rehab manager "seemed to be impressed"... and one of the OTs asked, "So, how do you look in purple?"  The rehab team wears purple scrubs. :)

I think it sounds like a great opportunity.  I want to feel financially secure and start chipping at these loans, saving for a house and a wedding... but it's also important to me to be around more experienced OTs, and I want to feel like I am truly on the right track with developing as a good therapist.  I don't want to get to my next job and realize I didn't get enough experience from my first.  On top of that, I have soooo much free time, and it's not like I'm in a relationship where I would potentially have less time to spend with the dude! ;) In fact, this may make it a little easier to long-distance-date (and emphathize with...) my medical student?

Stay tuned!

Happy Thursday!