words and phrases i've learned being a therapist

I'm sitting in the library diligently try to catch up on progress notes. I'm listening to some recorded session because apparently when you have 19 clients (well, 22 with my private practice clients), you can't quite remember everything. The thought occurred to me that I've developed quite a expanded vocabulary not only clinically as I try to write like I have a master's degree but also as I've interacted with the kids at my site. This in one new phrase that I've learned since being a therapist and a real life example of how it was used outside of my site:

"for a minute": A time span implying a very long time.

An example, the AT&T guy used this phrase on Monday night when we picked up a new phone for my husband. It went something like,

Husband: "I've been with Verizon since they were AirTouch."
AT&T guy: "Yah, you've been with them for a quick minute."

My husband looked perplexed. I just kept on keeping on. I know a quick minute means a long, long time. I had to let the husband in on the new definition of minute.

More to come...

alls you people are driving me nuts

I told my husband last night at 2:30am in the morning that everyone under this roof is driving me nuts...

Last night at 2:15am, I awake to the rattling of a cage. The dogs stay in a big kennel in our room for the night time. Scoti is a perfect angel and is just as content as can be in his kennel. Roy is mostly content but often DEMANDS to be taken out of the kennel at such fun times at 2:15am in the morning during a work week. I first ignore him then tell him to be quiet. Then I rattle the cage back at him which only works for about a minute which is comparably longer than the every second that ensued before that. Only to eventually take him out of the kennel and properly escort him outside to do his business. Oh, I didn't tell you the dogs WEREN'T house trained and James and I have been in the long, arduous process of house training. There is something to the saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Flip. Anyway, Roy (the dog who is my little furry, smelly and licky thorn in my side) barks to let me know he is done being outside. Then crawls into bed with me and James. He doesn't decide to sit at the bottom of our feet like ever other dog in America... he has to sit at the top of the bed right above my head. There he passes out for the rest of the morning only to wake startled when I would toss or turn...like I was inconviencing him. I'm so sorry...

Roy is obsessed with me. He follows me around everywhere! He wakes me up in the middle of the night because he wants to be next to me. Seriously, I'm not cut out for parenthood...and I think this little stinker of a dog would somehow hurt our child secretly because of jealously. Already, I am in the middle of a bitter love triangle between Scoti and Roy. Dare I show them affection at the same time. A barking brawl breaks out. It's not pretty.

I'm moving out to the backyard. Pewter, the cat, she doesn't drive me nuts. Her and I could live peacefully out in the backyard.

ancestry.com

Last night I got hooked on a genealogy sight called ancestry.com. I have longed wanted to do this and the mood struck me last...all that way until 3am in the morning. I still have some work to do on it and I wish I could find more current information on family that has been estranged but I did find a great photo of who I am sure is my father's biological father. He died when my father was 15 years old and by that time my grandmother had already married my grandpa. I also found the New York Passenger List of when my poppa and my nana and the kids (including my mom) came from England. Very cool.

the bubble bath

I'm here to report that the distraction I bought at the store yesterday in the form of yummy bubble bath was just that...quite yummy. There is a nothing like an aromatic, bubble-filled and relaxing bath. Well worth it.

I got a job!

I was officially offered a position as therapist at Pacific Clinics this morning. I had the interview on Friday and they told me in so many words that I got it but they couldn't tell me that I got it. References, blah, blah, blah. So, now I can officially say "I got a job!"

It is a therapist position working with at risk youth. They are in a charter school and it's kind of the last ditch effort to get them on track and graduated. That's the jest of it. It's a self-starter type of position where I'll be making appointments with kids and their families at home or in school. I get a laptop and a cell phone and I go in for supervision and a bi-weekly staff meeting.

So, I'm excited...to make money, to get lots of hours done and to meet a challenge I have not met yet. It'll be a tough and intense job with lots of paperwork and ambition but it's obviously the results that'll be the most rewarding! The cool thing (although we need the money) is that I still have several weeks until I'll probably start. Most likely my first day will be my 32nd birthday, October 20th.

The need to focus

Today on my way back from my therapy appointment in downtown Pasadena, I stopped by Sephora to get some makeup. I realized once I left the store that I have a succinct approach to going into stores like these. "Stores like these" meaning stores I love and want to spend lots of time in but if I do then I'll spend lots of money that I should not spend. That's "stores like these". I realize this because I zoom into the store trying not to look at anything. I just get what I need and then I get in line. Tonight it almost worked but then I saw the bottle of my favorite body wash/bubble bath/shampoo. The ones that have all the food scents. Black licore made it home with the make-up I really needed. But tonight I will enjoy a yummy bubble bath which in the long run, I really do need.

dread realized

All I could think of as I was waiting 1 1/2 hours for the transportation company to come pick us up from the doctor's office was a cold, stiff drink. The strong one this afternoon was certainly the MIL. I was near meltdown and I'll tell you why...

At 12:45pm, I started my preparations to take my MIL to the hospital for her follow-up appointment with her doctor. Got an extra diaper, wipes, pajama and vomit receptacle. I had my list of questions and her Kaiser card and ID. I was set to go. I successfully got her into her wheel chair using the Hoyer lift and almost comfortable. The butterflies in my stomach subsided at this point. The transportation company came on time and we were off. We got to the hospital, got checked in and into the doctor's office in decent doctor's off time. The appointment went well and I got all my questions answered, etc. Jane really didn't even have to be there. He all of listened to her lungs. Seriously that was it. Oh, the nurse took her blood pressure. Anyway, we did it and it was over. Then I called the transportation company to say, "Pick us up!" We'll be there in 30 minutes, they said. After 40 minutes, I called again. They are on the 10 freeway and it'll be another 10 minutes. So, when I called 25 minutes after that and then waited another 30 when they told me there were only a mile away...let's just say that I was a bit frustrated. Jane was good but I was near meltdown. Apparently, MTrans doesn't know that I don't have any nerves left! Finally after my MIL had been in the wheelchair about 3 hours and 45 minutes (her range is about 15 minutes to 1 hour!), they arrived. I was relieved to know we were about 10 minutes from being hope but then my MIL got a bit clamy and sure enough vomit-city was going to come upon us again. Thankfully, it subsided and we got home. James was home at the time so that helped to have him take over at that point.

We got her in bed and she was out (like asleep). I'm sure that I'll follow soon after I've had some grub and that stiff one I talked about.

The good news...for my nerves especially...is that we've hired a live-in caregiver. She's competent, affordable, great references and will be a huge help to James and I in having some time for ourselves. She'll provide Jane with great care. I hope it works out in the long term. We are interviewing someone tomorrow for interim weekend work. It looks like things are coming together. The new cynical side of me hesitates but the usual optimistic side wants to come out and say that this will all work out.