A Big Day like so many others, but different

Good morning. Just me. I wanted to write just a quick note this morning, because we really have to concentrate on school. Each day we get further behind.

There was a problem yesterday. Macadam IM’d, then asked if he could call while I was still at work. I don’t have a home phone. He said that Lee had gone into the hospital and they’d both slept there over night. Lee’s mother has Abbe (4 years old). Lee is 25 weeks pregnant. She had started to spot and had gone in 4 days previously, and the situation called for another return visit. They kept her in, because she had started to dilated, and because the baby was 75% faced. I don’t know a whole lot about these things. But, it’s been explained this is what happens when the baby is about to be delivered. But, it’s much too soon.

They are trying now to slow things down. The first goal is to hope the baby waits at least another couple of weeks. Then, if that, waits yet longer. However, Macadam says there is a chance sooner. He was going to go back to the hospital after work and they were going to get test results back last night saying whether or not she would stay over night another night or come back home. One way or another, the doctors are saying complete bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, due to the risks. Macadam says that she is not even allowed to stand to be making dinner. That’s going to be a hard thing to explain to Abbe, but it’s the way it has to go.

We’ll find out more today, but if there were a few extra prayers said, that would be ok. If it looks as if the baby cannot be held back, then they will switch Lee to a different bigger hospital that specializes in pre-natal. She’s in one called Elmhurst now, and the switch will be to Loyola. I know that one way or another she and Abbe are in good hands. Lee’s mother has been taking care of Abbe during the days all along.

The next concern is Macadam. He is worried most of course, about his family. We are thinking he is pretty traumatized by all of it. He’s told his boss so will get the time he needs, but he says he’s not had a couple good last months. It didn’t help him psychologically that Tanner just left. It was like a support loss. Macadam and Lee are a two-income family, so while she is out there income is going to go down substantially.

Ok, back ... sorry, slipped out for a while. Got to say g’morning to my morning buddy and check out a few things on the web. It seems like workman’s comp is only for getting hurt on the job, and disability is only if you have or plan to be incapacitated for a year or more. But, that still leaves us with the Family Medical Leave Act FMLA. I’m not so sure of direct benefits, but I am more firmly of the opinion now it is difficult to fire people from needing to take care of emergencies. From what it sounds like, Lee has the status now of a serious health condition. So, we’ll gear our next search toward that degree. From what it sounds like her 12 weeks FMLA starts now, unless she wants to use up some sick days first. V suggested that Macadam call her human resource department today and Dr. M. Suggests that Macadam calls the number on back of his insurance card to check for coverage.

There is an extra problem, in that Macadam was feeling down about work and his relationship, but now with this he is pretty sure he wants to go back to anti-depressants. That had happened one time before right after having to switch from my household to his fathers. He felt it helped a lot. Plus, he needs someone to talk with. If U of I is covered, then maybe he will take the suggestion of Dr. M. He said he would check to see who is open and who is good. That made me feel a lot better.

There is always the chance that his father and his family are going to come up with a name too, just so that I’m not involved and they think things coming from me are not good enough. But, I am willing to stake my name in a good recommendation by Dr. M. Ok, ok ... that’s pretty much it. I did get ahold of Jacob’s phone message thingy, because Macadam said he was only going to talk to the parent level, meaning his father, her mother, and me. I made a mistake in thinking it was important enough to fly into Tanner’s no fly zone. Was readily zoned out of that area! He stated someone else would have told him. Felt the standard hurts and anger. Trying to let it go. But, its hard.

I did have the opportunity to be with friend last night so that was comforting. And, we barely cried! He saw us all the way to bed. YAYYYY!!!

There is about an hour left before work. It was a troublesome day yesterday, because two weeks in a row the parents did not show for a staffing where the person from the state did show. *Sigh* We are getting to know each other better ... that’s a nice side bar. Big excitement for the staff level stuff is that one of my co-workers attacked her sister-in-law. Kinda beat her up. Kind of made me wonder aboutthe crowd I am hanging with. She stated that she’s been holdin back for 4 years while watching the sister-in-law and her husband neglect 6 kids. They are all on welfare and living a pretty slovenly life. We’ve met a lot of poor families through our job, but none of them maintained such carelessness for their family members. So, in the long run, I guess the sister-in-law might have had it coming. Just can’t imagine myself in a fist-fight with anyone! I say, if it’s as bad as she describes call children services DCFS.

Tried to attack a behind section of getting out formal goals and objectives. Each of the DSPs have the informal copy from annual meetings, but one made a big issue of it to boss. It was like fine ... this is where the squeaky wheel is today, get right on it! At the end of the day, I told the Q-Asst. At the end of the day, you just make nice neat piles of whatever is on the desk, turn off the light and go home.

Hmm, someone seems to have dozed off for a moment. I woke up not knowing who or where I was. That can’t be good. Hmm, took a shower last night, I wonder if I should go to work early and get a jump on the day? Pshwoo - where’d that Idea come from? It certainly wasn’t pre-thunk.

I had found a notebook where I had previously written observations from the clients one-on-one. Apparently, I kept it up from 2000-2003. That would have been about the time my father died. I haven’t been caught up since, because nobody did my work the three months I was gone, and I came back with heavy CARF obligations. That was also the time I started writing in this journal. Been an odd couple of years. Sure would like to turn the tide. Hmm, don’t want to go down that road. Thing is though that besides dreaming I was in the observations again, the notes remain good. They are typed up as little vignettes of the clients life. I found myself being drawn back into their time and priorities. It also got me to be thinking of the double life the clients lead. There is one part where they are paying attention to staff, and there is this other part where they are only paying attention to each other. I’m not sure which party distracts from the other. But, if you don’t understand their motives you are left out in the cold.

Ok, ok so much for going in early ... just paused to read another observation. This last one by one of the clients heavily into the hard part of a pineapple in the middle of a letter recognition exercise. That was four yearsago. I wonder how it has really affected his life, or that since then. Definitely during that moment in space, getting the pineapple pieces out from between his teeth held a certain amount of priority. :) But, the thing is that act, by that client, is still being recalled today, this moment, by me. It gives me an avenue to think of this client in the present. Certainly, that wouldn’t have been done, if I had not stopped to look so carefully at points during his development. Ultimately, it goes to show that everyone has meaning. Each of the center’s participants have affected me and others in some manner. Ahh, there is a beauty to life. And, with thought, I leave by the wish for my son that he will stop for a few moments during the day and appreciate ... This is the day created for him. It is his birthday. Happy B-day Macadam!