Red Sauce

It's been interesting. Yes, you know what that means. It's been hard. Two weeks ago, I got a phone message Sunday night that my doc would be out all week, due to some unexpected personal problems. So after just 3 weeks at my new job, I'm on my own. At first the work was manageable, well, yes, I did work late every night. Some days I worked 11 or 12 hours, but I was leaving with things done. One hard and fast rule I have is that I finish documentation on every eval and follow-up before I leave. I have found that if I leave things until the next day, I forget little things, and also I just hate to start the day already behind. Some days, I saw four patients and it takes me about 20 minutes to do a decent write-up (still learning this stuff). I have other responsibilities besides seeing patients (I lead two CBT groups, which requires preparation), I have meetings and have a single big project (we are trying to get accredited by the Joint Commission). I finally got started on the project yesterday. ANYWAY. I am starting to get my hands around things, the doc is back (after a week and a half, not just a week), and I think I can do this. What I'm missing is yoga. Once a week just sucks. I think I'm going to tack on a late Wednesday night class, there is one at 7:00 near me, I can go from work. It's hot yoga, not my favorite, but it's yoga.

The patients are fascinating, such smart, type-A, capable young people. But man, these folks are so far from your garden-variety depression and anxiety. Almost everyone has three diagnoses on Axis I, some have 5 (gulp). The medication piece is hard enough, but the part I'm really struggling with is connecting with young teens in hardcore denial. What we call "absence of insight". It's just not my style to be authoritarian, so I'm not saying "Look, sweetie, you have this disorder, and you just better accept it." Not that it would work well, anyway. So I'm trying to figure out ways to approach this that work. I'm not there yet.

I went to the Austin meeting for my professional group, we usually meet at Olive & June (oliveandjune-austin.com), which is a delightful central Austin restaurant; they have one of my favorite bars and patios. Anyway, it's an interesting group of strong-willed smart women (& a few guys), but they are having a little trouble keeping to the agenda and having the meetings not drag on too long. Maybe because all those smart, strong-willed women want to speak their piece. And honestly, I enjoy listening to them, ....but, it's trying after one of those 12-hour days I mentioned. One of my classmates proposed that we start using Robert's Rules of Order to even things out and move them along, I hope that comes to pass. I've been just leaving early, usually at 9:00, I just go. I absolutely have to get up the next morning and get to spin. Priorities.

We went to the Austin hot sauce festival last weekend, which turned out to not be so much fun. The lines were too long - over an hour just to taste the red sauces. We foolishly got in line without water, about halfway thru the tastings, Dani just had to leave and get water. Ken and I stuck it out. But this is August, man, in Austin, temp is over 100, so we did not get in the green or "other" line. But we did eat some great Torchy's tacos - carnitas, of course.

And finally, here's something funny. I called in a prescription the other day, trying to get it in before I left, it's late, so I didn't look it up in my reference. The next day, the pharmacist calls me - you can't split the pills (I'd ordered 1.5) because they are extended release. Also the second medication doesn't even come in the dosage I stated. Live and learn, newbie.