I'm Confident You're Incontinent

Sabbath Greetings from this one-horse town! Here we are Sunday afternoon and my afternoon shut-eye is approaching. This weekend has been slow and relaxing, I just wish the rain would stay away. I woke up this morning early because it sounded like the cabin was in a tunnel. Alas, it was not a tornado but I did worry.

TGIF Buzzard Meeting at the Fairgrounds

Best I could zoom in. I didn't want them to eat Bella if I got closer. 

So by the end of the work week, I've made the decision that Bella and I are going to make the trek to Target on Saturday, about an hour southeast (?) of Bland in Chrisitiansburg- a town next to Blacksburg where they both appear to share Virginia Tech. Anyway, it was an eventful drive and I wanted to spend my gift card from my lovely Mullanphy SpEd friends (thank you again so much!!!!). Got some new colorful spring shirts and other items. 

On the way home,  BJL and I stopped at Claytor Lake State Park to walk around a bit as she was getting antsy. It was a nice day out and we walked a bit. 

Frog legs

Claytor Lake

I will scratch here, I will scratch there, I will scratch everywhere. 

Today was uneventful, aside from waking up to the wind tunnel. I went into Wytheville and went to House of Wal Mart for some more scrub pants and other items (No Mom, I didn't spend a lot). People are serious about their Sabbath because Geez la Pete the antique store I wanted to go to was closed on Sundays! WTH. Came home and we went on a walk and now here I am. 

View from the porch. Don't be jealous of my slides, you can get your own pair from HoWM.

Sing as Rihanna, "I found love in a king-size bed!" I love this bed. More comfortable than mine at home.

Due to safety reasons, I couldn't get a better picture than this but this is one of my favorite views on the way to work- a lovely pastoral scene complete with cows and a silo. 

Let me get real for a moment on 3 things:

1. I'm disappointed in the lack of recycling services down here. You must have a county sticker to recycle and then if you do you can only recycle paper and plastic. And there are not recycling options at any place I've been to other than the state park. I'm saving my cans for my parents to take home, a job I know they are thrilled to take on. I fear for the baby dolphins, sea turtles, and other creatures who are going to be marred by the lack of cutting up soda can rings. 

2. I miss my kids and my school friends. Well, most of my kids. I don't mind working with seniors but there is something to be said about the kids. I think I would prefer nonverbal participants than those who share the same story every day and are always hurting everywhere. Anyway, when you've worked somewhere so long, it's hard to let that go overnight. I know they're being taken care of but since I have control issues, it may not be how I'd do it. But they have great teachers and supports!

3. Incontinence is a BITCH. Don't fret, I'm all good in that department. It is sometimes really difficult to deal with certain odors because often, people are not aware of their incontinence. So the therapy question can be: do I use therapy time to change pants and do toileting (if it's not too much work, like a max assist of 2 pt.) or do I let the smell linger while we work on more pertinent things?  Sometimes it really is nauseating. So friends and family, when I get to that stage in life again where I experience such issues please for the love of God tell me! Say "For Christ's sake Lindsey! You smell like a urinal!" or something of that nature. Also, I have a patient who thinks its appropriate to hit on me because I'm single? a woman? not ancient? He said to me a couple days ago, "I wish I woke up with you"- yeah dude, top on my list is waking up to an 80 y/o incontinent man. Thus going full circle back to the issue of continence. 

That's all she wrote. Have a good week! 2.5 weeks down, 11 to go! 

Peace, love, Sour Patch,

LMJ

PS: I've decided water chestnuts are the vestigial organs of ingredients.

Lookout for Jesus

Happy Sunday! It's been a lovely sunny day in Southwest Virginia! So glad the sun came out.
Bella and I went out and about today to see some sights along with a trip to Burke's (think Marshall's) and Petco.

These are shots from Big Walker Mountain Lookout, situated between Bland and Wythe counties on Big Walker Mountain. There is also a tunnel on 77 through the mountain I drive through on the way to work. It comforts me to know there are exit doors in the tunnel. Anyway, I wanted to wait and get here when the sun was out. Probably will come back when everything starts turning green.

View from Big Walker Mountain Lookout

View from Big Walker Mountain Lookout

Unexpected Leg Day! roughly 200 steps to the top!

There was a trail behind the store that used to be part of the Appalachian Trail but I guess isn't anymore. So I took my little mountain goat on a walk but we didn't make it all the way to Monster Rock as we were both de-conditioned. I 'lichen' the state of fatigue from those stupid steps. See what I did there?? Lichen? You moss admit it! 

After that, we took a sojourn to the Smallest Church in Wytheville (and one of the smallest in the US) before we set out to Petco (where the pets go!). I'm going to be honest and admit I don't know the history of this church. But it's cute. 

There are 4 small pews in here

I signed the guestbook, took a look around, and went on my way. Meanwhile, I stupidly left out these homemade dog treats I'd bought today and she not once, but twice got in to them!

See Mom? I did go to church this Sunday!

Peace, love, and cheese-
LMJ

Know Doubt, No Drought

Current Mood #1

Current Mood #2

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Current Mood #3

In the words of the Bay City Rollers- 
S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!                 
Here we are again Saturday Night. It's nice to see you but you play hard to get.                                                                 

I just ate some chicken taquitos here while listening to Mom Jean Jams on Google Play music. It's fantastic- the music and the food.

This week has felt like a really long week. I'm working my ass off and still feel like I'm not quite going to catch up. The productivity piece really stresses me out. I feel like I'm being watched and it annoys/frustrates me. It's getting better but I'm still struggling with it. I am not good at a lot of things in my life (math, sports, maintaining relationships, wearing makeup, etc.) but I know that I am a damn good OT (take THAT Mrs. C.) so it is really is just the other bullshit that frustrates me. I think it goes without saying that I am also a damn good dog mom, friend (for the most part), and daughter (Mom's favorite).  Also, ask me about my cranial nerves song. I digress.  

So these pictures are from last weekend but they might as well be from this weekend as well. Bella and I went back up to Princeton WV to get our other prescriptions and more rain. I've never been so tired of rain in my life. Snow is better than this. Tomorrow it is supposed to actually be sunny and I plan to go down to Wytheville and get us out. 

Two Things I've Learned This Week

1. We have a resident at one of my facilities who is a flight risk. Nothing unusual there. But this gentleman used to be in the mafia (Maybe they were related to the Corleones?) and owned a 'trash' collection business. I believe in mafia terms those kind of murders are of the 'communion' variety. 

2. Prostitution is alive and well in the area (I mean, isn't it everywhere?). Around these parts though the ladies of the night linger outside and carry soda bottles; each bottle indicating a different service. If you're ever driving through Bluefield WV or VA, keep your eyes peeled (or averted, depending on your preference). 

Pudding or Poop?

"Bitter, party of 1? Your table is ready"

Hello viewers on this dreary piece-of-shit day. This day, holiday or not, can go straight to hell. 

It's been a LONG work day. I'll just leave it at that. I'm so stressed about not screwing up and this freaking productivity. I've never had to stress about this before at work and I'm flipping my lid. I think it is just my personality combined with a desire to succeed and the stress of being a traveling therapist. 

Other than stressing out and drinking Diet Coke, the week has been uneventful. It's been raining so much I feel like this whole area is a soggy piece of bread. Last weekend, did some antiquing with Bella and drove up to Princeton WV to get my prescriptions. We have to make another trek up there this weekend to get the other one. There's a 'mall' up there so we may give it a look. 

OK, here's a good story for the day that has to do with the title of this post.  I did a part B eval for this resident and she is a hoot who is HOH (hard of hearing, not hand-over-hand- depending on your setting) and therefore makes these outrageous statements louder than the average person. 

I take her down to the therapy gym. When I'm ready for her to stand, I take off the blanket over her lap and there is a big-ass glob of brown on her thighs. 

** After giving 2 patients showers this week, I am no stranger to bodily functions (however I made it a point to NOT do those for a while with patients, dear me). ** 

Both of us had this WTH look on our faces since neither of us knew it was there. It is one thing to wipe a butt (hey, it's billable) but it's quite another for me to stare at a glob of shit on someone's legs. 

THANKFULLY, I remembered there was pudding for lunch and my heart slowed down. We had a time cleaning it off and had to re-hash the situation 2x more before we were finished due to memory. Got her cleaned up for the Valentine's party and made sure to tell the nurse that it was NOT poop on those pants as I put them with the regular dirty linens. 

In the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day."  

Peace, love, and Sour Patch,

LMJ

Rolling Hills and Refilling Pills

Current Mood

It's FRIDAY FRIDAY! It's winter Olympics time! Get out your American flag and cheer on the only winter sports people care about- skiing and figure skating! 🌎⭐🌟🗺 Bella and I are going to watch the Opening Ceremonies tonight while piddling around on the computer and do laundry. Currently watching the Weather Channel meteos freak the f*ck out over winter storm Matteo and whatever storm is coming in after (Naomi? Nala? Nina? Nun-chuck?) 

It's supposed to rain enough to build an ark this weekend down here in the south, not supposed to get storms here, just lots and lots of rain. We're under a flash flood warning til Sunday. I'll go crazy if I'm stuck in Bland all weekend... which leads me to:

PILLS PILLS PILLS! 

Don't ever take your corner Walgreen's for granted (by the way, they are at the corner of Happy and Healthy). I need to refill my beauty pills and will have to drive 18 miles North or 19 miles East to get them. I'm going to refill them in Princeton, WV.  And I'm pretty sure that any of these locations down here are not 24 hrs.

HILLS HILLS HILLS

Nothing is flat around here. My drive to work is hilly and will be pretty come spring- right now it's barren hills with farms and cows. Like I said, there are a ton of places I'd like to go. Just may not get to that this weekend because of this impending rain slaughter. 

Today marked my the end of my first week at work. In the words of Orphan Annie "I think I'm gonna like it here!" I think productivity is a load of bullshit but other than that it's fine. The main SNF I'm working at in Rural Retreat is low so I went this afternoon to the Wytheville location and ended up doing 2 part B evals. I just LOVE that nursing says 'jump!' and we get to say 'how high?' I am not used to having such low-functioning rehab patients- pretty much everyone picked up at RR is on LTC. So more medical part A admissions than ortho part A admissions (typically higher-level patients). I'm not complaining (just about the productivity), it's just different. We'll see what is to come. I'm gonna say though that is really nice to have CNA's who actually appear to care about the patients. Also, there is a resident who likes to throw and eat shit. No joke. 

Have a good weekend! Just remember- it could be worse. You could be living light-years away from a Walgreen's and a Target (about an hour away). 

Bobcat Bites

I'm sure you're all worried about my health right now. I did NOT get bitten by a bobcat so your heart can go back to its regular rhythm- unless you have a-fib...

More to the bobcats in a minute.

The town of Bland is the county seat for Bland County so the majority of the traffic in town appears to be from the courthouse. Sheriff's office is also in the building. Mom suggested I bring them donuts... because every police officer likes donuts. Maybe they're on a diet and I should give them a fruit basket? Grits?

We've had a lot of rain today and last night. It was lovely sitting by the fire last night and in my bed listening to the pitter-patter of the rain. This creek here in town looks about to spill over. It was a bitch driving to and from work today through the mountains on a 2-lane highway with semis, whom apparently don't care about the "4-wheelers" on the road (per a co-worker). I drive through the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel on the way to work and anywhere south of Bland.

So I started work on Tuesday. I am the only OTR and I have two full-time COTA's who are hilarious. Everyone there is really nice and welcoming. The gym is big, a lovely sight to see. But there are also less therapists than I am used to in one space. There is even a rehab tech! I don't know what to do with myself- I'm not used to anyone help me take patients back or help with transfers. It is a 120 bed facility, fairly new (3 years), and the majority are long-term care patients. There are about 15 patients on OT caseload right now, the majority of them who are LTC residents... which leads me to my story.

I am about to go into a patient's room for a sup/10-day visit and mind you, I don't know any of these patients and their backstories, but I can see crazy just as much as the next fella. This patient has a new diagnosis that requires contact isolation. So when I go in with my gown and gloves, I ask this patient what happened to her to get this infection. She told me a bobcat came into her house and attacked her in bed. I didn't put it together at that moment that she lived in in this facility and what the hell do I know about wildlife in this area? But as things continue and I'm helping her in the bathroom I've figured out that she does not have all of her mental capacities but I'm just rolling with it. If she wants to think a bobcat came into this facility and attacked her (19 times) then by all means think that. But it makes for a good story.

I am learning things about Virginians and learned some local terms. So 'rescue squad' does not mean heroic wild life-saving efforts, but is basically their ambulance and fire department. If you're dying on the edge of a mountain or perhaps attacked by a bobcat in the wilderness, the game warden will find your lifeless body, NOT the rescue squad.  Rescue squad makes me think of Paw Patrol.

GOODNIGHT AND GOD BLESS

This was last night but I look the same tonight.

Greetings from the Commonwealth of Virginia! Today marks my first blog post while beginning this traveling journey. I will likely share my posts to Facebook but there is also an option to the left of the page to subscribe by email and it will let you know when a new post is made. 

I'll clear up two things that may be confusing. 

1) Obviously, Sheila Clarkson is not my real name. Years ago, my sister and I were goofing around and made up what our disco names would be. If you haven't figure out, I LOVE disco. Put me in some purple sequins and send me back to the light-up dance floor. Anyway, we decided Sheila was a good disco name. Weird, but whatever. 

2) For those of you who are not as informed about my new adventure, let me fill you in. I have left my school job with SLPS to take a traveling OT assignment. It was time for a change for many reasons. However, I have made so many friends for life through SLPS and I will still worry about the future of my kids- but I know my friends will keep me posted. They better. 

Staffing companies are always looking for therapists and nurses to travel to unheard of towns (usually) where there is a need. These positions are contractual and usually up to 13 weeks or more, if there is an offer to extend the contract. Sometimes it is to cover a leave or sometimes just until they can hire someone full time. That is my situation- I'm going to be the lead OTR at a SNF in Rural Retreat, VA. I'm staying in a different town called Bland and I live right in town across the street from the courthouse and down the street from the P.O.

So now that those are cleared up- we made it fine. My folks came down with me and drove my dad's very bright and big truck with all my necessities for 3 months (i'm not selling my house). Mom and Bella pretty much slept the whole way; one of them curled up in a booster seat next to her favorite squeaky toy... It was an easy drive with no real problems. It was really cool coming down into West Virginia through Charleston- a curvy mountain drive through their very industrial city. Their capitol building was really pretty. I can imagine how pretty that will be in the spring. Everything here is basically in the Blue Ridge mountains from what I'm gathering and vast and hilly. I've seen a lot of cows out and have come to terms that bovines must have good balance to hoof it (LOL I'm so funny) up and down the hills.  Mom and Dad stayed the night and took me on errands Sunday and then trekked home. It had snowed overnight here and was freezing rain most of the morning. I did some computer training stuff in the evening while watching the Justin Timberlake concert with funny commercials.  Also, it was killing my geriatric soul to not be able to stop at every antique mall on the way. But there appear to be plenty locally to explore. 

                                    

This area has a lot of hiking trails and nature sights to see. There's a lot I want to see. But I may wait to do anything more adventurous until it's nicer out. I don't want to plummet to an icy death. Today we went to Dismal Falls, in Bland County off the roads away. Thankfully the non-paved roads weren't terrible on my sedan. After searching for some sort of marking for the aactual trail down to the waterfalls, I finally found a path but it was not well marked. There was a log across the stream but I 1) wasn't in the mood to play Dirty Dancing and 2) I didn't want Bella and I to fall into freezing waters and turn into John-sicles. 

That head sticking out of the backpack is Bella.

It was a lovely drive down the route, I think called the Blue Ridge Trail? Stopped at a neat Amish Furniture and Market Store. I bought some fudge and knitted washcloths since those are the best. 

Hope you enjoyed. This girl is off to start her first day of work on Tuesday!