A Little Extra Time

I'm currently immersed in a social experiment, it is called how much can I take. My week Monday - Friday is wall to wall school and clinical. And when I'm at clinical, it is often late. Tonight I have a therapy group to co-facilitate for parents of seriously ill kids and I won't be home until 8:30. That is, if nobody needs a little extra time. I just tried to make an appointment for a haircut in October and failed.  The only times open on the weekend would have gobbled up my exercise time on Saturday -- and sorry, that is sacred. So is this really so bad - come on, right, I'm a full time student, not working? Well, a couple things are killing me, the first is that I have to drive all over for clinicals. And Austin traffic is terrible. I have to drive up to Dell Children's Hospital tonight, for just a one hour meeting. The second thing is my professor (for 3 of my 5 classes) is pathologically disorganized. She has many other good qualities -- she's smart and experienced, and not a hard-ass, but I'm so tired of things not being posted for class until a couple hours before, and things forgotten, and .... if I was not the opposite kind of person (you know, the one always early to the meeting), it would be easier. I hope that when I graduate my family doesn't have to visit me in jail. Because I so want to strangle her with my bare hands (please....just a little strangle....I'll stop....I promise). So since Mon - Fri is taken that means my weekends are all study, all the time. Ken and I make it point to go to Vino Vino (best wine bar ever) one night, but that's all the fun I get, folks.

Clinical is fantastic. It's humbling to be allowed into such personal interactions, where people reveal their innermost fears and tribulations. I'm at a private therapy office, I'm the only NP, everyone else is a social worker. But that's good -- they offer a different perspective, and frankly I have so much to learn. The range of issues is huge. From serious abuse and addiction to just learning better relationship skills. I can't wait to see patients on my own. That may not happen this semester, but I'm gratified that I want to get there. Soon. My other clinical site is the Austin State Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit. It's dramatically different, but the two psychiatrists I'm paired with have been very generous with me, treating me as a junior colleague. I'll have some stories for my next post, but they will be heavily disguised. I will make absolutely sure that no personal data gets transmitted. I guess the biggest surprises I've felt so far are these: it's amazing how hard parents have to work to cope with a mentally-ill child. Just the school accommodations require a great deal of discussion and involvement. These parents are incredible; and the other thing (in the therapy office) is that boy, we sure don't have perspective on ourselves. I've heard jaw-dropping things where I struggled to hide my reaction that the patient minimized (oh, I smoke pot every day, but I'm not an addict because everyone does that), and OTOH I've learned to discount it when a patient says "this session will really be a big deal." (the ex wants to reconcile, sorry....well within the realm of normal.)

Dani is busy making a list of famous people she sees in NYC. Here's it so far: Edward Norton, Carla Gugino, Alec Baldwin, Coconut Records guy, Louis CK, Pineapple Express actor, a Sprouse twin. Some of those mean nothing to me, but I'm not 18. Ha. Every interaction we have, it's "I'm so stressed because you mean parents have me on a budget." Yes, Dani, this is a task that most of us in life have to learn. Get cracking. She figured out, though, that she can go try on Herve Leger dresses for fun in SoHo. It was a revelation - hey mom! I don't have to buy them! I told her I'd buy her one if she gets straight A's. (Well, it would work for me. You should see those dresses.)