long - Just need to vent AGAIN

[Guest guest]

I think I must be living the week from heck this week. Either

that or there has been a full moon. The first thing that happened was

that a home health aide was suppose to be here on Friday. She called and

said she couldn't make it but would be here on Saturday @ 1pm. Needless

to say she didn't show up and didn't call. I called the agency on Monday

and asked if she could be replaced. The aide finally got ahold of me at

3 PM on Monday afternoon. I explained that since she had not called or

come on Saturday I had requested she be replaced. It may take two weeks

if I am lucky. Fortunately we had already done my monthly grocery

shopping.

I do volunteer work with MHMR. I work with a young woman who is

developmentally delayed. She decided to refuse getting on her van on

Monday. I explained that if she didn't stop, I would not be able to work

with her the following day. It took her 2 1/2 hours to get on the van to

go home. On Tuesday when I showed up she figured everything was fine. I

reinforced what I had told her the day before at which point she threw a

temper tantrum for 2 hours which included cussing everyone of us out and

threatening to kill everybody. She also decided to go outside and cut

herself in the process. After 2 hours and having to call on

reinforcements, she finally calmed down. She did apologize to me for

misbehaving. I said that was fine but she would have to do 3 things

consistently for me to continue working with her - get on the van

everyday, stop cussing at everybody, and stop threatening to kill

everybody. She was fine the next two days and I was able to work with

her again today.

Yesterday, however, her mother came over to find out what

happened. Her mother lives 2 doors down from my apartment. Her mother

tried to explain that her daughter didn't know what she was doing (uh

NO). My client also insists upon coming over here and spending 1 to 2

hours with me when she is suppose to visiting her Mom on Thursday

afternoon. I have become the baby sitter. I really resent this. It is

a major conflict of interest. I am having to keep my door closed just so

she won't come down this afternoon. I don't know which drives me

crazier, not being able to keep my door open or my client invading my

space. Actually it feels like an invasion of my space either way.

The ironic thing is that this is truly the first time I have been

angry and upset for any length of time since I had surgery. I feel like

I am going nuts. I know I'm not but it sure feels like insanity.

Reminds me of my life prior to wls and it doesn't feel good. I have most

definitely mellowed over the last two years.

Lori Owen - Denton, Texas

SRVG 7/16/01

Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce

479/335/???