Knee issues (again)

Well, I'm going on day four of my knee being what I refer to as "puffy and swollen." Look back through my archives and you'll find that I blogged about the EXACT same thing last year about this time. I put in a request for my medical records from the Rheumatologist that I see. I'd like to see specifically what tests have been run on me, versus the watered down version that sometimes Dr.'s give me because I'm a lay-person and not a medical person. I feel like this is the only way that I can REALLY take control of my knee issue and figure out what's going on here. I figure since I am baffling the Docs it's time to take this thing into my own hands and get to the bottom of it. I was hoping that with my weight loss I would be done with all this, but it looks like I'm not.

Bamboo Shamboo

Bamboo Shamboo, originally uploaded by rachaelsherfield.

Today was a good day--except for the fact that my knee is about the size of a small basketball and I cannot walk worth a shit. I sort of hobble right now. Grandma like. Oddly enough, it was about a year ago that I made a similar post about my knee. Update: No one still seems to know what's wrong with me.

I heard through the grapevine. . . . . . . . .

Some of the people that matter the most (and that would, actually, NOT be my immediate supervisor) believe I am good at the job that I am leaving. I sort of thought I was "the supervisor of screwing up orders."

Kids say the darnedest things!!!

Oh my, I got a BIG chuckle today! I was surfing some blogs between clients and I came across Troll-baby. Take a peek at this post! Very funny! I can't believe the things that come out of kid's mouths sometimes!

And another thing!

If you have not peeked at this blog, do it! Not only is it insightful, but pretty humorous too. Makes me think that it's about time for me to stop blogging about the neat-o things that I find to read and start blogging about something else. It seems like when I write about something controversial, the readers flock in. When I write about the daily, boring, better life stuff, not so much happens. So, what is a blogger to do? Where do I find my niche in the blogosphere? Do I rant about my life? Nah. I'm not really much of a ranter. Besides--I have a lot to be thankful for. Do I rant about work? Nah. I'm leaving my current job and moving into something else. Anyway, I really like my job as a whole. Do I follow suit and blog about postcards? Nope. That would be copyright infringement, I would guess. There are blogs about lists so that one is out for me too. I can't blog about art. I'm not so artistic. Life? Well, I'm pretty young, so not much to say! Really! Who wants to hear about my life when you can read about this guy's! So--I'm putting it to you, my dear readers! What should I write about next?

The quest for personal development

So--I have finally gotten around to writing my personal mission statement. This is one of the many things that I am doing to move in the direction of being a healthier, happier person. Given the my workaholic tendancies, this is something that I really needed to get done! I've found some wonderful websites and blogs devoted to personal development, goal setting, and just becoming an all around better person. Take a peek and see if any of them tickle your fancy! Personally, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People has been the most helpful for myself, but you have to find what speaks to you!

Developing Excellence
Cultivate Greatness
The Seven Habits
The Seven Habits Discussion
The Positivity Blog
The People Pro

A chuckle or two

I grabbed this photo from Uncivil's blog and couldn't help but add it to my own. It's been a crazy week and for some reason, no matter how bad the week, I chuckle when I see this photo. I always had some VERY lame excuse for speeding. I am a little bit of a lead foot, so I've pretty much used every lame excuse in the book. At this point, I have pretty much given up on excuses and just say, "yup I was speeding. I don't even have a reason. I just was." Besides, I'm sure they've heard it all and no matter what I come up with, I'm not going to get out of the darn ticket anyway--so why bother!!!! I wonder if someone really had the nerve to actually say that to an officer, outloud!

I'm not sure what's going on in the universe, but everyone and their mother seems to be having a bad week. I had to talk with my boss about leaving my job, locked my keys in the car while it was still running, and had to survive on about $40.00 for the week because I made a mathematical error when it came to my expenses.

My dear beau, David, has lost his cell phone. We've checked everywhere for that darn thing and cannot seem to find it ANYWHERE. Fortunately, I have the work phone for a few weeks and I can leave my cell at home for him to use.

In other news, here are some other people who were not having a good week:
Isaiah Washington
Public Cuddlers
Ferrari

OH MY!

Well then! It's true. ANYONE really can be a supervisor. Even those of us who lock our keys in our car, while it's running with the a/c on and only a 1/4 tank of gas.

I did it! I did it! Yeah, I did it!

nataliedee.com


I gave my notice at work. It was not fun. Now I have to give it to all my client's and their families. Wish me luck. Give me stregnth.

I don't typically post songs in my blog. . . .but this one sort of sums up how I feel about leaving my job (even though the song has NOTHING to do with that sort of thing)

Music Video Codes!

Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry Video Code


Fergie Music Video Codes

Holy-Cow Batman!

nataliedee.com

Well, it looks like I might be making the leap into another job SOON. The issue at hand now--how to tell my current employer and my clients that I'm leaving!!! Okay folks--I need some advice ASAP!

Neat-o!!!!!!!!

I found this neat-o link while posting a comment at Ms. Mama's blog.

Ask the Blondes

From the Floortime News Group

I pulled this article from the Floortime news group. I found it to be an interesting article, given the post I made earlier in the week about forcing children to comply and accepting and loving children as they are (all the while, helping them be the best they can be).

For those of you not familiar with the technique, "Floortime, [is] a vital element of the DIR/Floortime model, is a treatment method as well as a philosophy for interacting with children (and adults as well). Floortime involves meeting a child at his current developmental level, and building upon his particular set of strengths. Floortime harnesses the power of a child’s motivation; following his lead, wooing him with warm but persistent attempts to engage his attention and tuning in to his interests and desires in interactions. Through Floortime, parents, child care providers, teachers and therapists help children climb the developmental ladder. By entering into a child’s world, we can help him or her learn to relate in meaningful, spontaneous, flexible and warm ways." (Floortime Foundation, 2004).


WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOUR CHILD IS CALLED AUTISTIC
James D. MacDonald Communicating Partners Center

At least once a week I hear a grieving, frightened parent tell me herchild hasbeen called autistic or PDD or "on the autistic spectrum". Usuallytheydescribed themselves as 'devastated' , 'depressed', "confused" and ata total loss for what to do. I have worked closely with such parents for over 35 years.
Here is what I say to them. Please share these messages with anyone you know inthis position. First, autism is not a developmental death sentence. I know a greatmany persons who have been diagnosed with Autism and then they progressed into very social and communicative and productive persons.
Second, many diagnoses are made very quickly with very little information about the child other than a few minutes observing some "strange'behaviors. The younger the child is, the less reliable and correct is the diagnosis.
Third, Autism means the child has three pervasive impairments: problems ininteracting with people, problems in effectively using language to socialize with people, and problems in acting in unusual ways and not readily modeling the socially acceptable behavior of his life partners.
Consequently, any treatmentmust address three goals: 1. Helping the child interact and sociallyplay with others, 2. Helping the child use language in social situations for conversation, 3, helping the child to learn to act in ways life partners act and toadapt tothe internal and external over stimulation in their lives.
Fourth. Be aware that the majority of treatments offered for autism, at thistime (beyond medical approaches) focus on trying to make the child into a dependent and compliant student.
The problem is that autism is not primarily a problem in cognitive, academic or compliance development; it is a problem in failing to socialize and build relationships. So, be very careful assuming that a program that teaches your child mainly to learn for school and to be obedient is what he needs.
Many children have succeeded in becoming compliantstudents,learning for school success and to not bother many people. But these children are just as or even more autistic (socially isolated and inappropropriate,non-communicative and unaccepted) than they were before they were trained to be what others wanted them to be.
Autism is a disorder in socializing- --the first and most importanttreatmentapproach is to teach the child and his family to build a highlysocial life withany behaviors the child has available.
Fifth, the family is the most effective tool for helping a childcalled autisticto socialize and communicate. Children will not learn to be generally social and communicative with strangers or in groups of over stimulating children. They need one to one relationships with people who are emotionally attached. Expecting a child to learn to socialize and communicate in therapy lessons is like expecting a child to learn piano with weekly lesson and no practice at home.
Expecting a child to socialize and communicate by being taught to be a passive student is equally unrealistic. And expecting a child to socialize and communicate in environments that overwhelm and compete with his abilities is also more a fantasy than a reality.
Sixth, the common view that autism is forever can have very dangerouseffects-itcan lead families to give-up, and to focus more on the differences than the child's strengths. And the fact is that the only way any condition can be determined to be permanent is to perform an autopsy. As of today,there are nodefining medical signs distinguishing persons with autism withothers. The'soft" neurological signs that do occur are often temporary in children whose nervous systems are very changeable.
This is not to say that some persons with autistic features may always have some of them-but even with them,many live very productive lives. Families are learning all the time how to interact with children inways that get them to gradually but surely socialize and communicate more and more. The family is the answer. The most effective role of professionals is to learn how to work with parents as mentors and coaches who join the child as closely matched and responsive partners in the child's own daily life.

Dr. James D. MacDonald, Director Communicating Partners CenterFor more information see the website: www.jamesdmacdonald .org





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Update on the Hedgehog Front

It looks like it's going to be awhile before my little hedgie arrives home. Here's why.

Como Park Conservatory

When David and I head over to Minnesota, we always stop at the Como Park Conservatory and Zoo. It's free (or a whopping $2.00 per person if you choose to make the voluntary donation), so it makes for a cheap, fun-filled date. If zoos are not your cup of tea, you can just visit the conservatory where there are many lovely plants and flowers. There was a Bonsai exhibit this time around. I took many photos but the one I chose for my blog was my favorite.

Hudson Burial Mounds Park

David and I went to Minnesota for part of my vacation time. On the way back, we stopped in Hudson, WI. Hudson was a favorite place for me when I was working on my bachelor's degree at UWRF. I was so disappointed to find that there were many changes in Hudson. There was considerably more development than when David and I made a trip over there last year. Pleasantly, one thing that remained the same was Birkmose park, where there are three burial mounds.

Historic St. Paul

One of the old homes in a historic St. Paul neighborhood located near the Minnesota History Center.

TGIOV!!!!!

Thank Goodness I'm on Vacation!!!

What did I do today??! Nothing!!! Ha! I didn't do work. I didn't do fun. I just did NOTHING. And you know what? It was GREAT!

Position: Why I think therapists of children with autism should read blogs regarding Autism Advocacy

My thoughts on Autism Advocacy got some traffic today. Interestingly enough--that was the most traffic that my blog has EVER received in one day. I guess I need to start writing about more issues and less about Post Secret and random Google searches. Fun things, indeed, but not much for conversation, I guess. Anyway--since I posted about Autism Advocacy and then stated that I think therapists should read these blogs, I thought I might take the time to state why I believe that.

Let me preface my position by, again, stating that this is a PERSONAL opinion and not the opinion of my current nor any of my previous employers.

I believe that people who support, teach, or provide therapy to people with Autism should take the time to understand how someone with Autism might feel about all these things that are done on their behalf. I feel the same about someone who works in a Domestic Abuse shelter--it might be nice to get the perspective from a victim.

Another example would be someone who is a drug or alcohol counselor. It might be nice for some one who is counseling an addict to listen to the addict's perspective directly from the addict. Not only from the addict's family, teachers, caregivers or other supports. All those people have the addict's best interest in mind and want to help, but there is also benefit in taking the time to listen to the person being helped--even if that person is communicating nonverbally. As a therapist, I believe that I am MOST effective when I understand the person I am directly trying to help. That is--the person with Autism.

Because I expect this of myself, I expect my staff to strive for the same understanding too.

It's 7:15 PM. Do you know where your banana has been?

I googled "Do you know where":
your banana has been?
your kids are clicking?
your children are?
AND OF ALL THINGS. . . . . . .
your sperm are?
AND IN OTHER NEWS . . . . . . . .
Big Lizards

The Answer is NOT always C.

Answer is C

A personal favorite. . . .

I love post secret.

Autism Acceptance and Advocy

One of the things that I struggle with most as a Senior Therapist in an intensive in-home therapy program is the advocacy and acceptance of autism. I struggle with this not for myself, but for many of the staff I supervise and the parents I support. I struggle with this because I see each child I work with as a unique and interesting person just as they are and it saddens me that so many of the families support feel like they need to "fix" their child. Don't get me wrong--I want to help each child be the absolute best person that he or she can be. I want them to reach their full potential. But--I want them to do it with dignity and honor. I want them to do it with understanding on my part--not with me forcing them to "comply" with their loved one's standard of normal. I walk a fine line as a Senior Therapist. Here are some wonderful advocacy links that I think ALL therapists who work with children with autism should take the time to read.

The Autism Acceptance Project
Autism Diva

Job Options. . . . moving on.

Well--I've been on the job hunt (again) for a month or so now. It's not that I don't like my job. I do. I really, really do. I have a job where I really get to help people and get paid pretty well to do it.

The problem, you ask? Well--there's the working out of my living room instead of getting an office. This makes it VERY difficult for me to step away from work at the end of the day. There is always something that needs to be done and there is no leaving it at the office.

Then, there's the 700-800 miles per week that I drive (I DO get reimbursed after 400 miles). I am well aware that some of my coworkers drive considerably more and this used to be a non-issue for myself. I used to love to drive to all over the place, but now with gas over 3.00 a gallon, I just can't do it anymore. Not to mention the wear and tear on my car. I still owe 15,000 on my car and it's not worth half of what I owe because of all the mil age.

Finally, there's the scheduling issues. I'm ready to move into something that is a little more 9-to-5 than what I'm doing now. Some days I may only work 5 hours--others it might be 15 hours. Some of this is done by my own hand and some of it is just the nature of this sort of work.

Because of the inconsistency in my schedule, it's difficult for me to fit in the other things in my life that are important. I'd like to learn to cook. Right now, I have a difficult time finding the energy/time to microwave something. I'd like to be able to spend more time in the gym or outside hiking and such. Right now I'm having a tough time devoting a 1/2 hour a day to some type of activity. . . . I'd like to have time to read for recreation again or have some sort of hobby. Volunteering. Ugh. I'm doing it right now, but I'm not doing it well. Right now, I feel like I don't have the time for these things--all of which are VERY important to me.

I've reached a point where I have to decide (as selfish as this seems) what is more important--enriching the lives of the clients that I work with or my own health and sanity. I'm dedicated to what I do. I love this type of work and I truly enjoy helping the children and families that I work with. I have, however, become dedicated to a point that it's a fault. I'm putting my clients before myself and often my loved ones. I'm having a difficult time separating work time from home time.

I'd like to say that I can stop work at 7pm when I get home at night, but I can't. There's reports to write, programming to develop and research to do. Families have problems that need assistance and they can't wait because I'd like to get in my gym time. I'd like to say that I could keep doing this job and find a way to fit in all the other important things in my life. To find a way to separate myself from my career. After all, no matter how much I love it or how driven I am to do it, that's what it is: a career. It should not define me, but yet, I let it.

So, for my health and sanity, I feel that I really do need to step away. I know that I will always have my foot in the autism door. I feel like I'll always be drawn to this type of work. What I need to do is find a way for me to have this sort of job where I can go to work and work and then come home and be home. That doesn't mean that I won't do occasional weekends or nights or extras at home. What I want is for those extras to be just that, extras. Right now those things are the norm. This is not my employer's fault. It is my own and it's something that I am going to change.

So--what are my options? Well--one would think that someone with an Elementary Education degree with an early childhood minor and a Master's Degree in Education and Curriculum and Instruction would be able to find something pretty quickly. Not so! I've submitted my resume and transcripts (this a 3.96 GPA mind you!) to 15 to 20 posted job openings and I've gotten 3 interviews. I guess that's really not too bad though. When I used to sell Party Lite Candles, I was told that for every 10 people you ask to host a party only 1 will say, "yes." The other nine will be a "no" or a "maybe." That's pretty much the approach I take for everything now. So--If I submitted 20 resumes, the fact that I got three interviews out of this is pretty good! ;-) Not quick, but positive, at least!