The new girl is calm, generally not excitable. I like her and hope she works out for at least a few months.
I will not be the type, this time, to let abuse go until it gets crazy. As an abuse survivor I asked myself what I was doing to make the other CNA behave that way. I could tell too that I was having a very hard time saying no to her which gave her a license to run over me, and she did. I hope this girl has better boundaries than the others.
One quick thing we will have to get settled is that we will go to the store I shop at! Today she wanted to go to a Goodwill by her house where she could shop for her kids while I got what I went for. I said I need to go to a different Goodwill. She complained that it was far and had clothes for older, white people. I reminded her that the trip was for my purposes and that getting clothes for her teenage kids was secondary. She was quiet after that.
Monday I go see Dr D in his office. The CNA will take me and will complain about the distance. I'll remind her she was told we're going to this 20 mile round trip appointment every other week AND her company pays mileage.
We will go to the Kroger I want to go to, not to grocery store she wants to go to. I shop at Kroger and Walmart, much to the chagrin of my CNAs who express that I could shop much cheaper at other stores. Shut up! I shop at those two stores, leave me alone! She got on the kick today, too, about how I should go to Safeway and Aldi. (rolls eyes) I shop where I shop, leave me be.
So anyway, it was a quiet week, nothing major. Some minor irritations like which store I should go to, but other than that it was good.
I did very little work on dolls but I did get half the hair done on my neighbor's doll.
I had Korean BBQ but now I'm craving Japanese food.
It's been a good day. Pain has been low and stress is near zero. It's been good.
I did a little cleaning, drank some hot chocolate and talked to friends and neighbors.
I'm also feeling good about the firing of my CNA. I didn't think the company would care nearly as much as they do. As a matter of fact, they have filed a grievance against her license based on verbal abuse. They also tested her and will include the test results in the grievance for when she drove me under the influence. It appears this young woman will lose her license for these egregious actions. This does not please me because she is the provider of 4 small children, but I understand that there are consequences, in this case steep ones.
Monday morning at 9am a new CNA will arrive. Lord! Help me!
My neighbor says she is grieved when she hears I have "yet again fired a CNA." She texted me this morning to say that I have sent these girls away "without hope," that I should be preaching to them. I asked her ever so politely what she knows about the privacy of my home and the conversations that take place?
Being a student of the Bible means I talk briefly about the Bible to whomever comes through my door. It is not sinful, as she suggested, to fire an employee who endangers you or who is abusive. I am not required as a Christian to take abuse like this just in case someone eventually listens to the Good News about the Christ and his father Jehovah. I am not a Christian punching bag. I am also tired of people and their judgements. If I were someone else, such guilt for firing her could make it harder to speak up next time.
I have a problem with worrying things will be seen as my fault and I'll be publicly humiliated as it comes out. I worry somehow I am responsible for the missteps and abuses of others, so I didn't need to hear that I failed these girls spiritually by sticking up for myself. That hurt but, I have to remember that neighbor has no clue what she's talking about and no right to tell me I am obligated to stick it out and give them "hope" despite knowing about the ill-treatment. Just wow.
Despite the early morning shocking words from my neighbor, it really has been a very good day.
"Take your stump and lay down." It was said so cold and cruelly by my CNA. Somehow she thought it was funny. I didn't. The words seared my heart, blocking a way to forgiveness.
There were a multitude of offenses like that which lead up to today's firing. She had been here several months but in that time she managed to offend me deeply and break rules that everyone knows shouldn't be broken.
I had to tell my CNA that she can't drive me while high on Marijuana. I have nothing against pot, but driving under the influence of anything is dangerous. Monday I had an appointment to see my therapist in his office. I made it but I found out she was high. She admitted it!
In addition to driving high, she was constantly calling me stupid. She said she was joking but she constantly said, "Shut up stupid." Hurtful crap! So today I made the decision that enough is enough. You can't sit with headphones and ignore me. You can't come to work high. You can't laugh at how I walk or call me "daddy" like you asked. She is so inappropriate. No kind of manners whatsoever!
Today she showed up with McDonald's breakfast and ate it at my table (on the clock) BEFORE getting up to make my breakfast. She had me wait until she was finished. Really? Basically she was angry because I stopped providing breakfast and lunch. I stopped because if she can't respect me I'm sure not going out on a limb for her.
Feeding her was my fault. I eat better if someone eats with me so I fed her if she didn't bring her own food. Well she stopped bringing her own food so next thing you know, I'm providing two meals. Well, I cut her off. No food. No more homemade wine. Right now I've got so little food until the 3rd that I seriously considered asking a friend for a little assistance! Pathetic! Pathetic!! The cat has everything he needs. He's good to go. I'm struggling at my own fault.
My CICOA person will call tomorrow to set me up with a new company. I don't expect much but I have learned a thing or two from this experience. Give an inch and they'll take a mile.
We talked about figuring out how to live with instability, with the unknown. I'm not a very flexible person. I'm not spontaneous, don't like to have someone jump out and surprise me. But my health is one big unstable lion that is silent for awhile but waiting for the moment to roar. We talked about being able to find a way to enjoy life with a lion lurking around.
I was encouraged by the Oncologist the other day to keep moving forward and let them worry. He wants me to leave it with the doctors and as he said, "Keep shooting yourself." In other words, keep taking the shots! He's so funny, and so positive.
Dr. D and I discussed the financial side of chronic illness and how that can bring added stress. I'm doing a lot better about getting dolls finished. I've got one near completion and another well along. There are 3 total in the works with 2 being commissions. I've also completed one painting and am working on others. This should help add more to my Etsy shop for extra income.
We also talked about my own inner child doll. I was unable to hold her or even look at her much but now she's out in the open and I just love her. Dr D asked how I feel about the little girl I once was. The first word to pop in my head was "respect." I have great respect for her and what she was forced to survive. Not only did she survive abuse, she was living with Lupus since age ten! That little girl fought hard to live. I have nothing but respect for her.
Dr D noted the change in tone and emotion for my child self. A few years ago I hurt for her immensely. Before that I was angry at her vulnerability. I was stuck on anger for a long time. I remember the humiliations like they were yesterday and thought she should have done something different to make my mother love me. I blamed her. As I move further along in healing I see so clearly what the child self had to endure. I think having an inner child doll helped me see my young self as little, defenseless, innocent. In my head I couldn't see me as young but for some reason the doll gave me something to relate my size to. Well, it worked. I see in my head a tiny kid and I have great respect for her.
This is my first biracial handmade ragdoll with long curly hair that can be combed.
Part of me just wants to curl up in bed and do nothing. I just want to get in a little ball and sleep. There's stuff to be done but I sure don't want to move from this spot.
Tomorrow is therapy. I wish I was going in instead of talking to him on the phone. I'm clinging to him right now.
I keep wanting to reach out to people but I don't. I don't know why. I know better than to isolate. It doesn't help at all.
I know I'm depressed and frightened by the news from the doctor. I'm down because of not being able to get pain meds but one really good thing is that I have cbd oil covered for October. I don't have to worry about that at all. October will certainly be tight, but I'll have all my needs met.
Though I shouldn't stay in bed much longer, it is nice to snuggle with my buddy Joey Schmoey. šā¤ļø
I think tomorrow life gets back to normal. My regular CNA has been off sick with the flu for a week. Poor girl. During that time I've had hit and miss care with a period of 2 hours for 3 days. No CNA but for 2 hrs out of 3 days can be rough, but I think she'll be back tomorrow. Let's hope.
I need a shower and a hot cup of tea. The reality is, I'm going to lay here w my warm 7up and fuzzy cat.
I decided to draw a little line drawing with my funky triple lead colored pencils to depict all those "what if" roads I've been going down. It's not a great photo but the idea is there. It's a drawing of roads going everywhere, fast.
What if I die in my sleep? What if I only get a few months more? What if the doctor is wrong and they somehow save me again? What if I live with this and Lupus for a really long time? What if I defy the odds, again? What if I don't?Ā
All what if roads lead to nowhere. I figure when I start obsessing again that I'll pull out the paints or pencils and do a "what if" line drawing. This is my second. It's helpful to put it on paper and get it out of my head.Ā
(smh) What do you do with people sometimes? I wonder if she's truly oblivious to the message she's sending or if she's aware and having additude issues.
My CNA is sitting in the chair with her radio on w both earbuds in. She's either watching a movie and making comments about the movie or she's singing to her radio.
I live in a 500 foot studio apartment. We are all but against each other, six hours a day, 6 days a week. If a person tunes the other out w BOTH earbuds that says they don't want to talk. It says they want to be left alone!
So she came in this morning and didn't want to do anything so she asked if instead of making me a breakfast sandwich if she could buy me one instead. (sigh) That sounds ok to some but not to me. Toss two frozen biscuits in the convention oven, heat up some sausage, fry an egg, shut up! Let's not forget that while she's doing it she's clapping her hands and singing to the music on her phone! She can't hear me say anything to her.
Today I told her I'm having a hard time interrupting her music or movie just to ask for something. She said, I'm just over here waiting for you to tell me what to do. She said, I'm not doing anything but watching a movie, you can just interrupt. I said, did you not hear when I said I have a hard time interrupting you? I said, I have to interrupt your phone calls, your movies and your music. Besides, it's considered rude to interrupt.
I object to her music. The language is unacceptable. We aren't going to watch her kind of movies either and I've been part of one too many phone conversations of hers. Who accepts phone calls from PRISON then tries to get you to be part of the conversation? Who does that? So no, I don't want any part of any of it.
I'm so irritated! I've got to be able to talk to her about this when I'm calm. She doesn't see that there's a problem with it.
Lastly, this girl is so loud and animated when she does talk to me that the cat goes and hides in the restroom. (smh)
She shows up every day. She cooks well when she doesn't try to get out of it. She keeps my home looking nice and she gets me to the doctor when I need to go. There are pluses to keeping her. If only we could get a hold of her trying to get away with crap. She knows full well it is totally against company policy to be on the phone at all during work hours, let alone accept calls from prison or watch movies and listen to music with her back turned to me.
Where are my coping skills? Where is my ability to handle my health issues?
I wish I could say I am emotionally better than the last time I was in the hospital but I'm not. I'm just as shocked and stunned asking, is this really my life? Seriously, they were going to take the rest of my foot had Dr L and his team not come in and said you're looking at this wrong. I am shocked at how close I came to more pain! That's what I'm afraid of, the pain. And I'm stuck in the fear of hospitalization trauma. I'm stuck.
How many journal entries can I write where I talk about my health? So I write yet another bc my platelets are low. I'm physically exhausted! I'm emotionally exhausted from the up and down, from the constant medical crisis... one after the other.... I'm just exhausted. And I'm stuck in fear and shock. Can I get through next week without some health issue, please?
I can't seem to get my emotional footing. How do I do that when there's so little time between crisis? Due to health issues it feels like I stay in fight or flight. I keep waiting for the other shoes to fall. How do I breathe again? How do I feel calm inside and trust the moment? I fear becoming bitter!
I've not drawn in a month. Nothing at all. I don't even have art supplies by my bed anymore and I don't care. I have a ton of supplies, no shortage here, but there is no drive. Let me sleep, that's all I seem to want to do.
I don't tell my friends these things in detail. I have tried to tell a few but they seem shocked. They say stuff like, I'm so encouraged by you or you dealing with a lot and you do it so well. I know that's supposed to be positive but I can't reconcile it with how I feel. I am devistated and lost and afraid and tired of crisis after crisis.
Where is Faith? Where am I? I miss the girl who could find light in just about anything.
I talked to Dr D about this as well as my nurse. Both were quite shocked by it. My current CNA has been showing up for work. She does good work, learns quickly, doesn't burn my food or anything like that. As a matter of fact, she cooks pretty well.
Friday I was sitting at the table eating bacon, pancakes and eggs. As I chomped, the CNA shocked me with, "You can be the daddy. Can I call you daddy?" This is the same CNA that months ago said I look like a lesbian stud. Now she has asked to call me daddy! I reminded her that there is nothing masculine about me and that we are not playing house.
The same day my nurse visited and the CNA up and left the house 3 times while her supervisor nurse was here. She took 2 phone calls while the supervisor nurse was here. I was shocked that she behaved that way. If my supervisor was around I think I'd watch myself, but not her.
The nurse and I discussed her performance. I said that her work is fine but it'll be her mouth that gets her fired! This CNA won't last long. I can't tell you how disturbed I am by what was said. It's not ok to call me anything but Faith.
We talked about the dream I had where my mother beat my sister without mercy. It was brutal. She did so in a separate room from me, my cousin and 2 aunts. It was so bad and went on so long that I risked myself by knocking on the door to interrupt it. It worked and she stopped.
After the mother and sister emerged the cousin told my mother that I had made negative comments about her. I denied it. The mother took me in the room behind closed doors where she questioned me under threat. I swore I didn't say it. She believed me and let me go unharmed.
When we left the room the cousin admitted she lied. Everyone flipped out and yelled at her, why, why, why? She said that what my mother did to my sister was wrong but that my sister shouldn't have to do it alone. She said if I was beaten too then there would be an equalizing. My sister and I would be on even ground, sharing an experience. She said that it wouldn't be that one sibling witnessed the humiliation of another but that both would know and so one wouldn't be in a higher position than the other.
The dream was interesting to say the least because it touched on how it feels to watch a sibling abused and what it feels like to have your abuse witnessed. Someone saw the emotional and physical impact it had and that in itself is abuse and traumatic, to have someone see you like that. It also touched on the trauma of watching the horror show helplessly.
In the dream we were all at the mercy of the mother. The answer to making sure my sister and I were emotionally connected was for me to be beaten. Never did anyone step in and say, "You can't beat them this way" or "What you're doing is wrong and we aren't going to allow it." No, the answer was to beat me so that neither one of us was alone. One would be alone in that she watched the abuse. The other alone in that she experienced the abuse.
Dr. D and I discussed how my mother rarely went off the rails and just started beating us. She was more focused. She beat the palms of our hands, our feet with a dowel rod quite often. She beat our lips with a wide tooth comb. Rarely did she slap us in the face. When beating us with the dowel rod while laying down it was focused on our back area: legs, butt, back. There were times we got punched in the face but it was rare. My mother's rage was focused on areas of high pain, with an item she said she used because it hurt.
Robert spoke to Dr. D today. I can't say it was a good session at all. Robert is still very protective of us after the suicide issues with the CNA. Dr. D asked why we didn't report the CNA sooner than we did. He then said, "You usually protect yourselves so well." Robert reminded him that the CNA his the 'mother cord' with her suicide threats. We felt responsible! We felt guilty! We felt small and like we were in fight or flight. When it got bad it got bad quickly and we were in fight or flight. Why didn't I tell? Well dang it.....(sigh) what kind of question is that? Listen, I have mother issues and this girl played right into them. I'd even look her in the face each morning to see what kind of mood she was in to see what type of day we would have, just like my mother. If she cried then I cried with her. If she (the CNA and my mother) wanted to laugh then we laughed. I did exactly what I would have done had I been in the presence of my mother because I still have mother issues. She's the only person in the world who could make my knees shake. I told on the CNA when I could, period!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. D and I talked about hallucinations recently. I've been smelling blood and urine even though its not there. There's been a bit of depersonalization as well.
You know what? I'm not strong enough. I'm just one person and I've been through a lot lately. I've had so little time to recharge from the hospitalization, the amputation and the new life I'm leading. There's been so little time to get firmly rooted, then for the whole suicide thing to pop up and her behavior to mimic that of my mother is just too much. So yeah, things are messed up right now. My head is messed up right now.
