Hey Kelly! (Noah's Mommy)

[rg_girlca]

I think about you often Kelly and would also like to know how you and your precious kitties are doing.

Hope to hear from you soon.

[NoahsMommy]

Hello my LOVES!!!

I'm doing OK. My plans back in February as far as job/keeping most of my settlement for savings, etc, has changed due to a medium severity Crohn's flair. It pretty much is just finally getting over...I was feeling pretty good this weekend and then today I was good until I started getting ready for my monthly pain doctor appointment. It turned out to be a "BAD day" for me pain-wise...but now I'm much better.

Lets see. Since my last post regarding my very own little soap opera ( ), I informed you all that I was let go from CyberTouch. Not really given an actual reason, just, "We will no longer require your services". Its a real, real long story and to make it short and sweet with a happy outcome, I didn't have to quit a utterly horrid job with even worse co-workers and management, they did me the favor of making me eligible for unemployment which helps so that I can find a job and finish up my Phlebotomy externship (more on this later), take my exams and then be a Class II Phlebotomist. Yay!

*Note: FYI, my boss is the president and CEO of the company*

That was March 4th, at about 5:00 p.m. (pacific standard time), "that" being the letting go of my services. (Do I get to go too? doh!) Long story trying to get to the point that matters is, earlier that day I recieved a text message from my boss asking if I was still working for CyberTouch. I thought this to be odd considering I and my doctors provided him and HR with "get outta work cause she's trying to make balloon animals with her small intestines" (Sorry, I know that's kinda gross.) with dates of my return. I would also call him and the office daily (...or less when he understood I would be out the week...) keeping them updated, offering to come in for even an hour or two just to help out, etc, etc, etc.

I was FLOORED when he said (on Thursday, March 4th) that he hadn't heard (nor had anyone in the entire company) from my or my doctor since the Tuesdat prior!! WHAT??? I have phone records and text messages (<-- while not as professional as a phone call, he didn't need to hear me getting sick every 20 seconds, he agreed - it was a preferred form of communication for the both of us.) Explaining EVERYTHING I was doing each day on an out/patient basis and when or when not to expect me. He responded fairly caring and concerned. BTW, this whole time, he thinks I have a serious case of gastritis (I probably did) and that my team of doctors were doing a lot more tests to see why I was staying so ill. He was VERY MUCH aware of when I was coming in and when I wasnt. BOTH of my doctors sent him a note each week with a very basic status update and how many days or hours they felt I could work.

I didn't NOT work. I would come in and work until I was about to get sick and then go home. One week I survived the entire work week, even 1/2 hour of overtime! Woohoo! Back to what I did do while trying not to be admitted....I even discussed doing my job from home - maintaining and creating all he need can be done anywhere. He was all gung ho, and then shut down.

OK, I tried to keep it short and I didn't I'm sorry.


Ever since March 5th, I've been trying to get my phlebotomy externship (drawing blood in a hospital, medical practice or lab) done as now is the perfect time without WORK getting in the way. Its a 1- or 2-week committment (M-F), I've chosen and externship that lasts for 2 weeks. Its pretty much 8 to 5 in the beginning and then depending if you're interning in a hospital or a lab, I'll get to work a few late night/early morning shifts waking up patients in their beds to be their own personal dracula!

Its been set up twice and twice I've had to ask to reschedule. First time, I barely pulled over on the freeway in time to get sick. The second time, I thought spending all that time in bed would help, yea, no. Felt even worse.

I've seen my doctors so much lately, I feel as though they're my family! I'm lucky to have good ones, finally. They finally convinced me to try a low-dose, 7-day pack of steriods. You all know my "fondness" for steriods (prednisone). I fought and fought and it was either take the 7-day LOW dose Solu-Medrol (which is prednisilone, NOT prednisone) or go get admitted for who knows how long. Guess which one I picked? Each time I went to see my docs, they gave me injections of anti-inflammatories like this Solu-Medrol or Toridol (sp?).

I got better enough to start my intern/externship and found out my school was on Spring Break which meant my liasion couldn't set anything up for me because it was her break too.

This liasion, Darren, matches the students with the facility (Kaiser's larger hospital in Woodland Hills, CA, a few small Kaiser urgent care and large doctor groups and then also the draw stations - labs, like Quest Diagnostics, etc.) of thier choosing. Some students pick places because they are close to home - I think about 85% of them do that. I chose going to Kaiser, Woodland Hills because I know its going to be a HUGE challenge. Its also going to offer me the skills I never, ever would have learned at a draw station where seeing 10 patients in one day (remember, this facility is ONLY for drawing blood) is a busy day! At the Kaiser hospital I'll be at, I've heard there are usually 60 patients to be drawn on an hour - and these are the walk-in public with a doctors order. That 60 (on a normal to slow day) does NOT count the ER patients, the surgery patients, the hospital patients and whatever other LAB test that are ordered for certain patients (ie: blood test taken quite freqently for people that take blood thinners - a PTT and APPT, or those lovely glucose tolerance tests you get to take if your doc thinks you have some problems with insilin, or along the same lines, the pregnant women who have to come in to drink their 100 ml of glucose and SIT there for 4 hours. That '60' doesn't count ANY of those patients!)

See why I chose it? Yea, it'll take me about 1 hr to get there and about 2 to get home, but its only for two weeks and I like my talk radio and then singing to the songs on my iPod.

Because of the gargantuan difference between students that intern at Kaiser Woodland Hills and the other, slower doctors offices or draw stations (which can abosolutely be very busy), we get a special certificate and anyone who looks at where i got my training would aparently put my resume above the rest because they know what I've learned and how. Another SUPER COOL thing about intering at this hospital...I get to observe an arterial draw. This is a draw, meaning someone takes blood from the patients artery instead of the much safer, smaller veins. Arteries are larger and have A LOT of pressure behind them, so whoever preforms an arterial draw must have a lot of experience at stopping bleeding, etc. From what I remember, this is usually a Class III Phlebotomist, an RN or other medical professional. A hospital is the only way for us to observe an arterial draw - a requirement for our exams.

So....I'm finally feeling better, but just very slowly. I have my 'unemployment' interview on the 14th between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., but my paperwork says my claim is continuing. Hmmm, I wonder why....is it because I keep getting fired for my health!?!?! You'll ALL be happy to know that I'm looking into disability...even if its partial. I'm planning an arsenal of questions to ask my interviewer in hopes they can help me, or at least direct me correctly.

I'll keep you updated on all that fun stuff.

Not much else is going on. I'm real boring these days, just trying to stay well and get back on the horse again. I do actually feel something inside me (in my heart? my head? my stomach???) getting stronger. In the sense that my body and my mind are finally meeting and working together to deal with the attacks and then get on with it and get to where I want to be. Its taken a while, but I know that there is no way I would have gotten there without the AMAZING support and love from you all. And God been there too....that "Footprints in the Sand" poem seems to ring true for me sometimes. He brings us things that He knows we can accomplish, with His help. I truly can do ANYTHING with God's help and the love and support of my Pet Talk family and I'll be forever grateful. You are all the family I would have chosen...by FAR!

Speaking of family...I LOVE it when I don't live under her roof. Our relationship goes back so nicely to adult daughter - adult mother and I'm really happy about it. She's respecting my space, my decisions, ect. Finally. Despite the stress and all that, I believe that everything she's done in regards to me came from a good place with good intentions. Even if I don't agree with them, well, who cares....if we were all the same life would sure be boring!! I'm just REALLY glad to be back on my own with my 4 little fur angels - oh, and with my roommate and her bunny, "Darling" too.

Kristin (my roommate) and I have a lot in common with the dynamics of our family life and things we deal with daily. Its nice that I'm not the only person with an adult parent that says and does the stuff she does...and can listen to Kristin tell similair tales too. I know its probably not the most 'happy' of conversations, but it truly helps to talk to people who know how you feel sometimes.

Anyway, I've about written my first PT novel...and it wasn't about much at all. I'm sorry guys.

I'm going to try and get online with Kristin's laptop until I can afford mine. She's been really great about it. After all, I AM paying for 1/2 the DSL or cable line or whatever it is we have. ha ha, joking, I don't think that way. Its so nice of her to let me use her computer whenever I need/want it. This is kind of a new development, so you'll see more of me now.

OK, ending this.......NOW!

Love you all!!!!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Kelly, I'm glad to hear that you're starting to feel better and that you're able to post here again. I'm sorry to hear that you lost your job but it sounds like you didn't like it there any way. It's their loss.

I hope that your phlebotomy externship will go well and I know that you'll be the star pupil. I'm glad that everything is going well with your roommate and furkids too. I wish you the best. Please take care.