ANd now I'm off to the doctor to see if we can figure why my foot still hurts - almost up to 2 months of pain now. Joy. Just one more thing on my list of CRAP.

Sunday - we leave for vacation on Sunday. Can't come soon enough.

I hate that this whole mess has put distance between K-Bug and the rest of the family since that is one of his ploys - pulling her away from everyone she knew before him.

Ugh, that is such a red alert. I'm sorry things are rough, Suzi.

I hope the doc figures it out, Suzi.

Ginger, that would be a wonderful thing. I'd even take it as a shot. And I hate needles.

My apologies if I've offended anyone.

None taken by me. I agree that it is a very charged issue, and a tricky one to discuss in the best circumstances. Personally I've extremely anti gun, but in this case it isn't so much about the gun, as it is about who is asserting power and control.

Ginger, that would be a wonderful thing. I'd even take it as a shot. And I hate needles.

Amen. Speaking of shots, I got cortisone shot in a different spot. Hopefully this does the trick. At least he isn't suggesting the electro shock therapy thing anymore.

Suzi, this is setting off all kinds of alarm bells for me. It sounds like a set-up for control, followed up by abuse.

ND's suggestion of getting off-site storage at a gun club might make you more comfortable; it also means that if the asshole bf comes by, there won't be a gun on the premises (since he has the bolt). I'd be nervous about having him and a functional gun around; it'd be too easy for things to escalate. You might supplement the off-site storage with a gift of range time, gun safety courses or something.

So I got this email today from one of my supervisors:

I am excited to let you know that I have registered you to receive an [company] Spirit Award. This award is given to those employees who exhibit outstanding commitment to the [company] Mission and Vision. Thank you for the many things you do that allow us to serve others with confidence and compassion. I am thankful to have you as part of the [location] Team.

...Here are a few words that I shared with the committee about your work at Northstar and LSS:

Ms. Andrea Miller is very knowledgeable about her work as a Direct Support Professional and performs all her duties well with great reliability. She carries herself in professional manner and is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty when asked. Ms. Miller is recognized as a fine mentor for new employees and is willing to support co-workers by openly sharing her knowledge and drawing from personal experiences. Her work documenting progress on personal programs and completing necessary data tables is of great quality. She can always be counted on to do the right thing the correct way. Northstar is fortunate to have such an outstanding Direct Support Professional as part of its team!

This makes me doubly glad that I 'fessed up to a goof I made last week (before he sent put this in the works). It's one thing to be 95% Awesome and 5% Honest Screwup, and another thing entirely to be a Sweeper Under The Rug.

Aw, go you!

Advice: So, I meant to call in a refill for my anti-d yesterday and forgot. This morning I realized I only had one pill left (I take it twice a day) and went "oops" and called...only to realize I didn't have any refills. I called my doctor's office, and they supposedly sent an "urgent' note in the system asking for a refill, but said they'd call me, and I haven't gotten a call (supposedly it can take 48 hours, and complicating it is the fact that my doctor has apparently left the practice--I got a letter in the mail last week).

Issue being, not only do I not have a dose for tonight, I am leaving for a work trip tomorrow morning, and not back until late Friday night. Which would be 3 1/2 days off, which is bad.

Anyone have recommendations other than "try calling doctor's office again in the morning and begging"?

WS, that's wonderful! And totally expected, given everything you've ever said about your job. You never puff yourself up or brag, but it's always obvious just from how you write about it that you understand all the intricacies of it and how deeply it matters to you that you do your utter best for the patients and for the whole workplace. I'm so glad your supervisor noticed it too!

meara, just keep calling (including right now, after hours, when it'll probably be picked up by an answering service who can page whoever's on night call, which would get around the issue of your original doctor being gone). Do you use a chain pharmacy that could take the refill and transfer it to a branch near wherever you're traveling to?

I'm glad they recognize your awesomeness, WS.

I hope you can get some, meara.