I need a pep talk.

[NewWaveChick1981]

My job has gone from bad to worse. :( Remember when I told you a couple of weeks ago that I put in 82 hours one week and over 70 the next? Well, even though last week was Labor Day week, I still put in 60 hours in 4 days, and I'm facing another 16-20 this weekend. The auditors were in our office last week (expected but still unwelcome), and the morans in customer service for our crappy integrated (yeah, right :eyes:) computer system made it impossible for me to run an important script to post $2 mil in student loans. They said they'd get to it "this weekend" after me repeatedly hounding them to fix their mistakes, and I told them that was unacceptable. Because students are screaming for refunds and we promised them to students on Sept. 14, guess who's got to enter each fucking disbursement for each individual student BY HAND??? I'm trying not to give up, but twice yesterday I came within a millimeter of getting my purse and leaving. For good. :yoiks: I don't give up easily, but I'm about ready to throw in the towel. Fixing other people's huge, gigantic, costly, idiotic mistakes is taking its toll on my ability to keep going.

And I'm worried about my brother. He's 41, and earlier this week, he came down with what he thought was a weird infection in his eye and the lower part of his face. He went to the doctor, who suspects Bell's palsy, but the symptoms are not really those of Bell's palsy. He's a heavy smoker, and I'm scared to death that he's had a stroke. I'm also scared that it's possibly a brain tumor. He had an MRI on his brain yesterday afternoon but won't know the results until next week. :( My mother has been helping him, and I'm grateful she's there. I'm trying to be positive and not add to the anxiety, and I'm trying to think positvely, but I love him and am scared for him. I know if it's Bell's palsy, it will probably go away eventually, but if it's something else, who knows? :scared:

Somebody talk me down, please...:) :hi:

[MrScorpio]

1. You need a hug

:hug:

It'll be alright

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. Thank you, MrScorpio.

:hug: I needed that. :) :hi:

[In_The_Wind]

3. Hey Chick!

Everything will get straightened out at your job.

Does your brother have shingles? Sometimes it is mistaken for Bell's palsy.

:loveya:

[NewWaveChick1981]

4. Thanks, sweetie!

:hi: :hug: That's one of the possibilities the doctor mentioned. I'm hoping it's shingles or a systemic infection rather than something else. :D

[In_The_Wind]

6. His doctor needs to start treatment within 72 hours if it's shingles.

If the paralysis is only from the neck up you can probably stop worrying about a stroke.
I did a bit of research after my doctor misdiagnosed my case of Ramsey Hunt Syndrome.

[Maine-ah]

5. I had bell's

It took about a month or so to over come, with meds. It's different for some though. But, for side effects....only I notice what didn't come back. It takes one side of the face. It starts with weird twitches. For me, I was putting on makeup after a shower. It was sudden. Then it came right back...another weird twitch and it was gone again...then it was back...that's when I called my mom and we went to the hospital. I was 18.

[NewWaveChick1981]

23. Thanks, Maine-ah...

:D :hug: I'm glad you recovered so well from Bell's. I talked to my brother last night, and he said he's going back to the doc on Monday for his report. He sounded better yesterday, so that's a good sign.

[Katina]

7. Sorry you are going through this

stress can really get to you. if you can, go outside and take a nice long walk. I find it helps me calm down and clear my head. You can't control the other things, but you can take care of yourself so that you can handle the other things. Hugs to you. :hug:

[NewWaveChick1981]

24. Thanks, Katina.

:D :hug: I did just that last night, and it helped a lot. I feel somewhat better this morning, so I'm hoping it just gets better from here. :D

[SPKrazy]

8. aww, NWC, sorry about all of this...

sounds like a lot of anxiety and worry, and frustration.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

here's to hoping that it is not something that won't go away. Even if it is a stroke, he can recover from that.

MRI results can be read immediately. It sucks that you have to wait for them so long.

:hug:

:hi:

[NewWaveChick1981]

25. Thanks, SPK...

:hug: :pals: You've had your share of frustration and anxiety lately too, so hugs to you. :D :hug: I talked to my brother yesterday, and he sounded better. He'll know more Monday, so I'll breathe easier when we know. :)

[Guava Jelly]

9. Tons of hugs my friend

Tons of Hugs :hug:
I'm sorry..

[Haole Girl]

10. Hi NWC!

Sounds like you're having the kind of morning I had yesterday-- an overwhelming one. Wish I could think of something to help you. Could you get a temporary worker to help you with any of it? Would the budget allow that? Or, student worker?

I hope your brother's test results come back normal and it ends up being something very minor. Doctors are good at frightening people, unnecessarily, sometimes. I was reminded of that in July.

Anyway... hold on! I hope you can get some rest soon. Sleep really does help, as difficult as it is to find in stressful times. I think we really do problem solve, as they say, with several hours of deep sleep.

Hugs... :hug: :hug: :hug:

[zanne]

11. You sound alot like my sister...

She had one of those jobs and she's a perfectionist, which doesn't help. She was usually overwhelmed and would call me and tell me that she was at the end of her rope. She was laid off a few months ago, and she's absolutely miserable. I don't mean to sound like you're damned if you do or damned if you don't. I just think you should think about what kind of person you are before you get up and quit. If you're a so-called Type A like my sister is, you'll regret quitting unless you already have a much better job lined up. I just think you'll always wonder what could have been.

[buddhamama]

12. hugs and well wishes...

for you and your family. :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Cabcere]

13. Here's wishing you love and peace, NWC81.

:hug: :grouphug: :hug: I hope things get better for you (and your brother!) soon! :pals:

[ThomCat]

14. All I can do is offer you a hug and moral support.

:hug:

Please hang on until everything calms down. Your brother will hopefully have an annoying but temporary thing to deal with. Work will slow down and improve. It will get better. :)

[Aristus]

15. Love you, NWC; hang in there.

Prayers and good vibes for your brother. :grouphug:

[wildhorses]

16. you can do it. and you can give your brother emotional support

:hug:

[skygazer]

17. Too much all at once

That can be overwhelming. :hug:

My only advice is to try to take one thing at a time and remember there's no sense in stressing over the things you can't change - the best thing to do is focus on those you can.

I have a tendency to immediatly expect the worst with medical issues but your brother's problems could be so many things that there's no sense panicking just yet. :hug:

Deep breaths, and as someone else said, if you can take a nice walk outside, that sure helps me. And of course, we're all here pulling for you. :grouphug:

Chin up! :pals:

[Maestro]

18. I'm sorry things are rough for you right now.

As far as the job goes, it will calm down eventually. Also, be happy for the job. (I know that is sort of lame, but sometimes just knowing that you have a job and aren't like some of the poor souls who are unemployed can help you get through difficult times at work.)

I'm also sorry about your brother but it looks like whatever he has can be treated in time.

In the meantime, :hug:.

[datasuspect]

19. doesn't SAP automate this?

once the funds are released from DOE, it should be pretty seamless data throughput to student accounts.

why would they allow a choke point for this through an administrator (insofar as data processing is concerned)?

i'm on your side, though.

seems they are putting too much on you.

i'm sure you have more to do OTHER than configuring a financial system app function.

do you get to sit in on executive meetings? you might want to bring up getting some funding for a systems consultant to come in and bring your organization into the 21st century.

sorry about your brother.

[billyskank]

20. Try not to second guess the doctor, dear NWC.

Remember that patients should not self diagnose because they always assume the worst. That might apply to relatives of the patient too. :hug:

[Ellen Forradalom]

21. From one vintage '63 baby

to another....

:hug:

[flying_wahini]

22. as far as your job goes, I know this sounds lame -

but sometimes you have to just say WTF!

Go in and do your work as best you can,take your lunch breaks
and do just what you feel you are able to do. Work hard when
you work and relax when you aren't.
When people complain, take a deep breath and just smile and say that that you are working as hard as you can. Maybe they need to hire help.
Hopefully, you are being reimbursed for overtime. If not,
then I would leave in a timely manner. and let them worry about
it.

sometimes when you can't change your circumstances you
have to change your attitude.

spend your worry time on your brother. not on your job.

[Crazy Dave]

26. Hang in there Sweetie

But if things get worse there's plenty of shoulders here for you to lean on :hug: :grouphug: :hi:

And if you can get the fuck out of that school please do it :)

[YankeyMCC]

27. You have a brother you love

You have a job where when you're fighting a frustrating fight to fix other people's screw ups (and Boy do you have my sympathies there, there isn't much worse than having to fix other people screw ups when they're supposed to be professionals pulling their own weight) you're fighting to help people that really need it and helping young people learn skills and about the world so they can contribute and maybe even make the world a better place.

Just want to point out the positive side of your story, No WAY do I want to dismiss your feelings of frustration and worry, that's what day to day realities of life do to us all and we need the people around us to help get us through, and sometimes going off alone to do something you love can help to (as with me getting out into the wilderness), but having people around to cheer you up with distraction or to help pull your view back to the larger picture and see the silver lining as it were.

Try to pull up some happy memories and if that doesn't work go grab someone you love or go off and do something you love and make some new memories, and let those good thoughts help pull you through this period of frustration and worry.

Be well...Be happy

[applegrove]

28. Wow. That is a week that would make anyone crumble. Best wishes

for your brother's health.:grouphug:

[Wapsie B]

29. Good vibes coming your way!!!

Sounds like you really need it.