Ok stress, knock it off

Just to vent a bit. Here are a few more not-so-fun things that happened this week:

• I was told that I could rent a gown and hood from the bookstore at UTMC for the person who is hooding me for graduation. When I called, they made a big stink about it and I ended up paying another $100 to just purchase it for the person who will only be wearing it for a grand total of about 2 hours.
• I received a bill in the mail from the doctor's office telling me that I owe them over $200 for something I had done in May of 2009. The bill says I owe that much because it is "over 90 days past due." Well, I never got a FIRST bill or any other bill. And I think it would only make sense for me to have received THIS bill 90 days after the charge took place, not 365 days later. I refuse to pay it and the doctor's office is going to hear from one angry patient on Monday.
• I ended up staying a half hour late at work tonight to help out with a late addition evaluation for a patient. After it was over, I got all the way home and realized that I forgot to submit my billing charges for my patients when I left. I didn't want to drive all the way back, so I tried to call and everyone had gone home. I have no idea what to do now, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this can wait until Monday.
• I just received an email from the director of our program telling me that I HAVE to come in on Friday for Exit Interviews in order to be "fair" to the other students in my program. I had initially told her that I had another appointment that day (my background check in Wauseon) and wouldn't be able to get there until late, if at all. She now says that I need to come in, even if it's late, to talk to my instructors about what I think needs to be done to the program to improve it. There is not enough time in the day for me to tell them all I really want to say, so I know I will be there late.

I would just like to say that this had better be the last time I post any more negativity. I have enough stress right now! All of these things are just piling up and I feel like I'm about ready to freak out. Everything was going so good a few weeks ago. I don't want to be on a roller coaster! I just want smooth sailing!

My screaming back

Oh goodness, I am tired and stressed. I can't even focus on what I should be studying tonight. I had really high hopes that I would actually be productive tonight, but it's not looking so good at this point. Looks like I'll be taking a shower and going to bed early and dreaming about the day when some of this stress is taken care of.

My presentation at work went well today. I am not a big fan of public speaking at all, but I managed to get through it without chopping my words up too bad or sounding like an idiot. I was only asked 2 questions at the end. To top it all off, an "anonymous someone" paid for my lunch, which was really nice! I just ended up thanking everyone, because the person who did it would not step up and say who they were. I felt pretty special though.

As much as I do love being where I am at, we have a very "interesting" mix of patients right now. My CI and I have a caseload that consists mainly of patients who require moderate to maximum assistance. It's really hard on my back. There are a couple of patients who I have to pretty much lift their entire body weight to get them up out of a chair. That's hard work, especially when you are trying to stand close to the side of a wheelchair and lift. There is no good way to do that without straining your back. Let's just say, I'm pretty sure I will have finished this bottle of Bayer Back and Body by the end of this week and will need to re-stock ASAP. This is actually good for me though. I have actually learned a lot this week by working with a different variety of patients and I am definitely learning a lot about using proper body mechanics and what can happen when you don't!

It's so hard to believe that I only have one week left at this clinical. It has just flown by so fast. That's how you know you're in the right place to work. The days/weeks fly by so fast and you don't dread getting up in the morning to do it all over again.

oh and one other thing...

I forgot to mention in yesterday's whining that on top of everything, UPS lost a $32 item that I ordered and refuses to take responsibility for it. Apparently we have a new UPS guy who likes to deliver things to the wrong houses. I hope whoever received my Michigan scrubs enjoys them.

In other news, I'm giving my big inservice presentation tomorrow at lunch! Wish me luck!

Not even the greatest day ever.

The past 24 hours have definitely not been the greatest. I guess you can't expect that things will always be going smoothly. Here is what my past 24 hours have consisted of:

• Waking up at approximately 12:45am to a "drip, drip, drip" sound and realizing that the roof of my bedroom is leaking. I proceed to lay awake for a good 2 hours worrying that the whole roof is going to cave in, while I realize that using a plastic bowl for a catch bucket is not a good idea because it makes the rain drops sound even louder.
• Getting around to leave this morning, reaching for my coat on the coat hook, and realizing it's not there. I apparently left it at the salon on Saturday when I went to get my hair done.
• Leaving work and having the handles to my bag break in the parking lot, spilling the contents of my bag everywhere.

Needless to say, I am having "one of those" days. I'd like to think that maybe my roof will get fixed before the next thunderstorm comes through (which is supposed to happen this weekend). I told the people at the salon that I would come pick up my coat sometime this week (they're in Wauseon, the total opposite direction that I travel every day). And...now I have to find some other bag to carry every day that is big enough to carry all my stuff.

This on top of studying is not much fun. On the plus side, I have scheduled my Ohio laws exam for May 24 at noon. I can't schedule the other (bigger and more important) test until all of my paperwork is sent in from graduation. Stress has become a pretty normal part of my life right now.

Worthwhile advertising

I forgot to post this the other day. This is a link to a video for the clinic that I am going to be working for after I pass my boards: click here

I don't know if that link will work or not, but if you are able, I think it's worth watching the video. JC is my clinical instructor and he talks a couple of times on it. I also work with all of the other employees who speak, so it's pretty neat. Can you tell that I am so excited to start working! I can't wait.

Same story, different day

I can't say that anything has really changed in my life during the past few days. I'm still trying to get everything arranged to be all set to take the NPTE and Ohio laws exams ASAP after graduation. I still haven't prepared the inservice presentation that I'm supposed to give next week. I'm still SO SO SO relieved that I have a job lined up though! I can't stress enough what a huge relief that is and how grateful I am. I can't imagine the amount of stress I would be feeling right now if I still didn't know how I was going to pay my bills in another couple of months.

I'm also so glad that the weather has finally warmed up. We still have had a few chilly days, but it's been so nice to leave the windows open and go outside and go for walks in the evenings. It's so much nicer than coming home to a cold, dark apartment at the end of the day. It's distracting that it's so nice outside, but it's nice. I got to go observe a home evaluation today in Blakeslee. It was nice just to get out and go for a car ride in the middle of the afternoon. Too bad we couldn't stop at Sam's Place and get some Mose Hoppers before coming back to work.

I just can't help but keep thinking how it's so funny how things work out sometimes and how obvious it is to me that God had a hand in the way things have turned out for me. I'm praying that He also has it in His plan that I will pass my boards on the first try and get to start working by June! Maybe that's why we're supposed to get rainy and cold weather this weekend - I shouldn't have anything better to do than to curl up in a chair with my review book!

3 weeks

I definitely wasn't as productive as I should have been this weekend (or during the days leading up to this weekend). I know I could have and should have accomplished a lot more than I did, but I just needed a couple of days to veg out in front of the tv. I did get a few things done. I got some more paperwork done for my registration for boards and the Ohio laws exam. The only thing I have left to do (I think) is go get my background check done at the Sheriff's office. My cap, gown, and hood arrived by UPS for graduation, now I just have to decide if I need to order a second one for the person that is hooding me.

I also took the first of five practice tests for the NPTE yesterday...and failed it miserably. On the plus side, I now have a better idea of what the real test is going to be like and I know what I need to focus on when I'm studying. I've been so focused on trying to learn every single fact, not realizing that the actual test questions are based more on incorporating those facts in to real life situations. I'm glad I took one of the tests early, even if I did fail it. My whole study plan is going to be more efficient now.

I still have an inservice to prepare, but at least I don't have to do another service project. I'm so glad I got that out of the way during my last clinical. It seems like a lot of work as it is. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. I just wish things would slow down a bit so I could take some time to breathe. Graduation is in less than 3 weeks and I feel so unprepared. If I can make it through this, I can do anything. I can not wait to join the real world at this point. It will feel like a vacation compared to this.

A lazy day of being busy

I just spent over an hour doing one of the most NON-fun things a person can do: exit counseling for student loans. Ugh. What a long and drawn out process. On the plus side, by looking the total amount of money that I owe and looking at the different types of repayment schedules, I was able to chose the repayment plan that is set up so that I have them all paid off in 10 years. How amazing is that? :) I am so excited! I am so thankful and feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to have a job that pays me enough to be able to pay back my loans so soon. I will have them all paid off by the time I'm 40! Yay! Plus, by signing up for the automatic payment plan and electronic billing (where they send my bills by email and I have the payment automatically deducted from my checking account), I'm saving 0.25% of interest per year. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it really is when you are considering the ridiculous amount of interest that has already accrued on the loans that I have.

So basically, I didn't get any studying done tonight because of this ridiculous exit counseling that I had to get done, but at least I have one more thing checked off of my "to-do" list. I also called the bookstore today and ordered my gown for graduation. They are shipping it to me and it should be here next week. I also got my topic approved for the inservice that I am supposed to be giving in the next couple of weeks at my clinical. So I guess even though I got absolutely NO studying done today, at least I accomplished a few things. I also managed to get a 2 mile walk squeezed in there. I feel like Superwoman.

My clinical is still going well, however, I feel like I have been too overwhelmed to really focus on it as much as I should. I feel like I've been giving it my full effort and that I am improving a lot, but there are still some things that I know I could use some extra practice with. I am so thankful to be starting a job at a place where I've had so much experience. I can't imagine how intimidating it would be as a new graduate, to start a new job somewhere completely new. I never realized before how much of a huge advantage I am going to have when I actually start working and already know most of what I'm doing as far as paperwork and procedures. I'm also excited about the fact that we ordered t-shirts today that we're going to be able to wear to work :) I can't even begin to say how much it means to me to be able to wear scrubs or t-shirts every day. I ordered 2 t-shirts just so I would have an extra one and not wear the same color shirt every week, because it's pretty safe to say that I am going to pretty much live in scrubs and t-shirts from now on.

So, after a "lazy" day of not studying, my plan is to get back at it tomorrow and this weekend. Thank goodness I do not have to drive to the bookstore in Toledo on Saturday, so that should save me enough time to get more things accomplished.

news and happenings...

No new posts in a while..you can tell I'm slacking, or stressing, one or the other.

I'm continuously stressing about graduation and taking the NPTE and laws exam and getting licensed. I've said enough about that. All I ever do is complain about it and it pretty much controls my life, but it is what it is and soon it will be all done and over with. I've just got to be thankful that I have JOB and that I'm actually getting trained at my job ahead of time so that I won't feel like an idiot when I actually start.

Speaking of my clinical (since it's not really my job yet), things are going well. I'm getting more and more involved in the patients' care every day and I am starting to get a lot more confident. It's nice to have my colleagues asking me what I think about when my patients might be ready to go home and asking for my input on things. It makes me feel good that I am finally a part of a team and that I'm starting to get recognized for all of my hard work. I'm not perfect by any means, but I'm learning more and more and that counts for something.

There's not a whole lot else new in this boring life of mine. All I do is go to my clinical, come home and study, and try to get things accomplished from that to-do list below. I wish I had something more exciting to say, but this is pretty much my life: work all day, sit at my desk with The Weather Channel on in the background for "noise" while I'm studying, complain about my life when I really shouldn't, go to bed, do it all over again.

To Do List

Although I am still very relieved over the fact that I have a job lined up, it has just recently hit me that there are about a million other things that I need to get taken care of before I can even start working. Last night and today have been pretty stressful after looking over my big to-do list for the next few weeks. I'm wanting to pull my hair out. I am almost finished, yet all of the most stressful stuff is going on right at the very end. My goal is to have all of the following items taken care of by May 8:

• Get my FBI (and some other form of that I can't think of right now) criminal background check done and sent in. I have to go to one of the nearby sheriff's offices to have this done I guess. And apparently I can't send it in, they have to send it in. Something about electronic fingerprints and making sure that wherever I get the background check done at is certified by some acronyms that I can't even think of right now. I'm sure that none of them are open on Saturdays, so I'll be screwed.
• Get two passport photos taken. I thought it would be fine that I just plain have a passport. Oh no. I have to go have 2 more official photos taken that are the size of a passport photo and attach them to all these official documents and send them in to the state of Ohio.
• Fill out either an online or paper registration form for the state of Ohio and send in.
• Go to the post office and get a money order to pay my fee, because they do not take personal checks or credit cards.
• Figure out if I have to then fill out a whole other application form for the NPTE from some other website or if this one for Ohio takes care of both.
• Register for the actual exams. The NPTE and the Ohio Juris Prudence (sp?) exam.
• Figure out where to even get the information I need to study for the Ohio exam.
• Study for and pass both exams.
• Figure out how in the world I am going to go get my gown for graduation. I am supposed to go get it from the bookstore at MCO. They are only open on Monday through Friday from 8-5. Awesome.
• Figure out if I am supposed to get a separate gown for the person that is hooding me or not and then purchase one of those (or find a way to get it picked up since I can't even physically go do that while I'm on a clinical in Montpelier from 8-5 up until graduation).
• Figure out how to get SOMEONE to email me back about where the person that is hooding me is supposed to go on graduation day. I already know where I am supposed to go and what time I'm supposed to be there, but I don't know where he is supposed to go or what to do. I've sent out 3 emails and no one will email me back. ugh.
• Write up a "Plan of Care" assignment for school by Friday.
• Complete the Midterm CPI by Friday and the final CPI by May 5.
• Prepare and give an inservice presentation at my clinical by May 5.

I have a feeling I should probably print this list out and check each thing off as it gets accomplished. It's just so stressful to look at it! I think I need an evening to just relax and breathe and wait and think about it tomorrow.

Happy Easter :)

I hope everyone has had a wonderful and blessed Easter. I know mine has been pretty great. I woke up early this morning to go to Sunrise Service and got to eat breakfast and visit with a lot of folks at church. I have the most wonderful church family. I am pretty much the ONLY person in their 20s who attends my church, but it's still nice to have a big group of people who care about you and care about each other.

My Easter Sunday has been great and has given me a whole new perspective. I feel like there is so much to my life that I need to be thankful for. Not only do I have a great job lined up for after graduation, but I have some great family members who have supported me and helped me to get to where I'm at today. I couldn't have done it without them. Playing outside with my little cousins today got me wondering just how I got so lucky. I have made some mistakes in my lifetime, but I sure wouldn't trade this life for anything. I'm just so thankful for all that God has blessed me with. I can't wait to give back to others and share some of the happiness that I have.

new horizons

I accepted a job today :) Although the other site that I had my interview at does not know this yet, so word doesn't need to spread too fast. I am so excited though! Who would have thought that it would all work out like this! I now have the peace of mind of knowing the following:

• I am going to be able to pay my bills after graduation. I will have enough money to live on and pay back my student loans.
• I am going to have a job that is 20 minutes away. This is HUGE, because I have been driving so far for so many years. I am so thankful to have a short commute from here on out!
• I am already going to be oriented to this job before I even start. I will have 8 weeks of experience at this location, so I will not have to go through the process of feeling stupid because I don't know where anything is or what paperwork needs to get done in each situation.
• I already know all of my coworkers and love working with each and every one of them!
• Have I mentioned that I get to wear scrubs every day? :)

Isn't it amazing how God works. Everything happens for a reason. Last year I thought I was going to be doing this clinical at Concept Rehab. A few months ago, they ended up canceling on me and I was placed at this site instead. Technically the last clinical internship is supposed to be your "specialty internship." It looks like mine really has been after all!