CNA Job Search Update

[ashaw]

Its been a while since I've updated everyone about my job search. Two weeks ago, I had my first interview at Spring Branch ISD as a Clinic Assistant. I really thought with my CNA license (not even required), BLS Cert, experience working with children and being a former volunteer of the district both in tutoring second grade kids for 6 years and helping the librarian for 2.5 years, I might've had an edge over other candidates, but unfortunately I didn't get the job. I can say that the interview didn't go as well as I'd hoped due to circumstances beyond my control. The night before, I turned down our a/c because I was for a good night's sleep and to have my game face the next day. After 20 minutes, I realized the air never did come on and we found out the next day that the blower motor went out, so I ended up barely sleeping in a very hot house, doing all I could to try to stay cool during the day and by the time my 3:30 interview rolled around, I was exhausted, had a splitting headache and wasn't at my best.

I've applied for the same position at Cy-Fair ISD and followed up with the district on Friday and was told they have openings, that they are in the thick of hiring and the hurricane set them back a bit, but the entire district has my info and if I fit their profile I'll get a phone call. I even went online and took a standard first aid class for a 2 year cert because they want that so once again we'll see. I still have applications with a few hospitals and a home health agency out there as well, but because of this applicant tracking system, its hard to follow up with them.

Things at my house are extremely stressful right now. My husband just borrowed another $5 grand from a friend and believes that the gold recovery is imminent and he can pay everyone back many times over. He's not even looking for real estate business. All he does it sit around the house, watch news, and do stuff on the iPad. He was actually going to some employment seminar, but the hurricane hit that week and now he's not going.

The problem I'm dealing with right now, is I'm already emotionally and mentally stressed before I leave the house and I don't know at this time if I could keep up with working at a nursing home, hospital or assisted living. I would like helping in the school clinic and its a much better work life balance as well. Insurance and a predictable schedule.

So, if something doesn't happen, I'm going in one of two directions. My friend in San Antonio told me about Care.com and they have pet care, senior care, tutoring, housecleaning and babysitting. I could get on there and try to make a living on some side hustles. I know senior care, pet care and babysitting I could do. The other is a few local housecleaning services. Its like I want and need to work, its just so darn hard to find work. There are people pouring into the greater Houston area and one job I applied for with HCA Healthcare had 12 applicants on Linkedin alone, that's not even counting the company site and other job boards. Once again, I had all that they were looking for and didn't get selected.

I'm not saying I won't work in healthcare, but right now things are even more stressful than when I went to CNA school. Even if cleaned houses and started earning a living and maybe could find a way out of this house, then I could reconsider healthcare. My CNA license is good for 2 years. The other possibility is a hospital cafeteria, which from what I understand might pay $17 per hour, the same as a patient care tech, which is what I would do as a hospital CNA.

Just trying to figure out what direction to go in.

 

[Lady Vol Fan]

Maybe you could spend the night before your interviews with your parents?

Job hunting is HARD so you gotta dig deep to take those hits of no calls or denials.

Hang in there! Your persistence will pay off. Side jobs could be good thing as long as they won't interfere with potential interview times.

 

[ashaw]

Maybe you could spend the night before your interviews with your parents?

Job hunting is HARD so you gotta dig deep to take those hits of no calls or denials.

Hang in there! Your persistence will pay off. Side jobs could be good thing as long as they won't interfere with potential interview times.

Thank you! The ac got fixed the next day so that’s not a problem. It was just bad timing the night before my first interview. My mom and step dad live an hour away from me as well.

I miss the days of going in and filling out a paper application and actually making a connection with someone at the office.

 

[vivbc]

It often takes many tries before finding a position. Don’t be discouraged. You are doing what you need to do to get on with your life. Taking any job often leads to more opportunities. Continue on your path.

 

[nickisteen]

GOOD LUCK! You will persevere!

 

[ashaw]

GOOD LUCK! You will persevere!

Thank you so much. It just seems like its getting more and more difficult. I spent 6 hours in the ER on Wednesday because of lower left abdominal pain. I knew I had some ovarian cysts that have been under close surveillance for 5 years as well as some fibroids, but I found out after a abdominal CT and ultrasound that the cysts seem to have gotten bigger. At my last gyn visit, all was stable, I've had tumor makers done and was told come back in a year.

When the doctor walked in and said possible cancer, I burst into tears. I grabbed my phone and showed him last years ultrasound report. So, right now I'm uninsured and I know I can qualify for financial aid for the ER visit. In fact, I told everyone who treated me that I'd applied for a few patient care tech jobs with the hospital system only to get turned away due to lack of experience. One nurse told me to lie on the application about experience just to get my foot in the door. I don't want to pretend that I know more than I do, especially because we didn't even get a week clinical rotation with real patients because of a covid outbreak at an assisted living facility.

I've got a message into my current gyn, I put in for the medical records to be sent to her and I'm hoping she'll let me know what she thinks should be done. I did read that the corporation that her practice is with, and that I've applied for and gotten two rejections for jobs, does offer financial aid for people in certain income brackets. She already knows about my marriage situation and she was the one who told me last year that my husband is "delusional, impulsive, bipolar, mentally ill and needs help". So if I need surgery, I think she will help me get what assistance I need. I was supposed to follow up with one of the gyn's from the hospital system that the ER is with but I couldn't because payment is due at time of service and we don't have it right now. And its like my husband doesn't want me to get medical care either. The only reason he took me to the ER was that by law they can't turn you away if you're uninsured.

The problem is I need a job with insurance, but when it comes to something like surgery that means time off and recovery and some jobs don't even have insurance kick in until a few months after hire much less time off early in employment. I feel like I'm trapped in quicksand and I just keep sinking. Right now, I can't take care of anyone until I take care of me and find out what is going on in my body.

Last night I was on anonymous chat with Houston Area Women's Center and I found out that their shelter has a safe pets program meaning if I had to go there, Luca would be cared for until I could get on my feet. I told them that I was trying so hard to be strong and independent, get a job, get on my feet and get out. I also found out that having a car doesn't disqualify me from going to their shelter because some places consider a car to be shelter. After telling them about my situation, I asked the person straight up "Is this abuse?" and they said yes.

A person can be abused without a hand ever being laid on them. After my conversation with HAWC last night, I can say that I've been verbally, emotionally and financially abused.

 

[vivbc]

Thank you so much. It just seems like its getting more and more difficult. I spent 6 hours in the ER on Wednesday because of lower left abdominal pain. I knew I had some ovarian cysts that have been under close surveillance for 5 years as well as some fibroids, but I found out after a abdominal CT and ultrasound that the cysts seem to have gotten bigger. At my last gyn visit, all was stable, I've had tumor makers done and was told come back in a year.

When the doctor walked in and said possible cancer, I burst into tears. I grabbed my phone and showed him last years ultrasound report. So, right now I'm uninsured and I know I can qualify for financial aid for the ER visit. In fact, I told everyone who treated me that I'd applied for a few patient care tech jobs with the hospital system only to get turned away due to lack of experience. One nurse told me to lie on the application about experience just to get my foot in the door. I don't want to pretend that I know more than I do, especially because we didn't even get a week clinical rotation with real patients because of a covid outbreak at an assisted living facility.

I've got a message into my current gyn, I put in for the medical records to be sent to her and I'm hoping she'll let me know what she thinks should be done. I did read that the corporation that her practice is with, and that I've applied for and gotten two rejections for jobs, does offer financial aid for people in certain income brackets. She already knows about my marriage situation and she was the one who told me last year that my husband is "delusional, impulsive, bipolar, mentally ill and needs help". So if I need surgery, I think she will help me get what assistance I need. I was supposed to follow up with one of the gyn's from the hospital system that the ER is with but I couldn't because payment is due at time of service and we don't have it right now. And its like my husband doesn't want me to get medical care either. The only reason he took me to the ER was that by law they can't turn you away if you're uninsured.

The problem is I need a job with insurance, but when it comes to something like surgery that means time off and recovery and some jobs don't even have insurance kick in until a few months after hire much less time off early in employment. I feel like I'm trapped in quicksand and I just keep sinking. Right now, I can't take care of anyone until I take care of me and find out what is going on in my body.

Last night I was on anonymous chat with Houston Area Women's Center and I found out that their shelter has a safe pets program meaning if I had to go there, Luca would be cared for until I could get on my feet. I told them that I was trying so hard to be strong and independent, get a job, get on my feet and get out. I also found out that having a car doesn't disqualify me from going to their shelter because some places consider a car to be shelter. After telling them about my situation, I asked the person straight up "Is this abuse?" and they said yes.

A person can be abused without a hand ever being laid on them. After my conversation with HAWC last night, I can say that I've been verbally, emotionally and financially abused.

I agree with that completely.
We know an older couple who are being cleaned out financially and emotionally manipulated by the nicest person you will meet. All smiles and concern on the outside, but the only person she is there to help is herself. She has never hit them, but they no longer see their children, and she has total control of the finances. She is spending money on herself. Not her money.
It's hard to leave an abusive situation, as strange as that sounds. It takes a lot of courage, and being honest with yourself. I can't tell you what your next step will be, but it sounds like you are finding your way.

 

[Cathewofan]

A person can be abused without a hand ever being laid on them. After my conversation with HAWC last night, I can say that I've been verbally, emotionally and financially abused.

Thank you for sharing your update. I can feel the sorrow and pain in between your sentences.

I wish I were both eloquent and wise enough to provide substantive solutions.

As a form of marital violence, psychological maltreatment has received far less attention than physical abuse.

Psychological injuries are the most difficult to heal. It hurts more when one can't see the injury (psychological) than when one can see it (physical).

In clinical practice, when abused women talk about their own trauma, they often mention that they have suffered mental injuries. The severity of abuse is often greater than the trauma caused by physical abuse. This is also the main reason why cases often need to go through a long-term psychological recovery process.

There's a difference between people who LOVE you and those who care AT THEIR OWN CONVENIENCE.

I hope HAWC can provide you and Luca shelter as well as healthcare assistance in this turbulent season of your life. Sometimes darkness is needed in order to see the stars. That's applicable to every one of us.

Please keep us updated.

 

[ashaw]

Thank you for sharing your update. I can feel the sorrow and pain in between your sentences.

I wish I were both eloquent and wise enough to provide substantive solutions.

As a form of marital violence, psychological maltreatment has received far less attention than physical abuse.

Psychological injuries are the most difficult to heal. It hurts more when one can't see the injury (psychological) than when one can see it (physical).

In clinical practice, when abused women talk about their own trauma, they often mention that they have suffered mental injuries. The severity of abuse is often greater than the trauma caused by physical abuse. This is also the main reason why cases often need to go through a long-term psychological recovery process.

There's a difference between people who LOVE you and those who care AT THEIR OWN CONVENIENCE.

I hope HAWC can provide you and Luca shelter as well as healthcare assistance in this turbulent season of your life. Sometimes darkness is needed in order to see the stars. That's applicable to every one of us.

Please keep us updated.

Thank you for your kindness. I never imagined that I’d be in such a mess at this time in my life. I feel like every time I take a few steps forward, I end up taking 10 back. I can’t focus on anything right now except my health and I’m scared that the abdominal pain might come back. My husband is not the same man I married 17 years ago. When I had the cyst removed from my brain in 2007, I couldn’t have asked for a kinder man. He didn’t get angry when I got scared. He didn’t yell at me. He even yelled at his sister when they were on the phone a few days ago. She told him if you keep that up, you’ll have a heart attack.

The tough thing is he’s always going to Bible study meetings and makes everyone think he’s the perfect husband and we have the perfect marriage.

But you’re absolutely right, when you deal with psychological abuse, the scars are on the inside. But I’m grateful everyday that alcohol is no longer my coping mechanism this marriage.

 

[Debinmi]

Ashaw, I'm sorry to read of your issues. Sending my well wishes for you to come out strong & healthy.

 

[rcsaros]

I wish there was something I could say to take it all away and make it better. All I can do is send my prayers and love to you. You are a strong person and hoping you get the help you need for your health and a job will come along for you. Hoping for the best for you and Luca.

 

[ashaw]

I wish there was something I could say to take it all away and make it better. All I can do is send my prayers and love to you. You are a strong person and hoping you get the help you need for your health and a job will come along for you. Hoping for the best for you and Luca.

Thank you so much. I was able to see my gynecologist this morning and found out what I already pretty much expected to hear. I need surgery. She said my left ovary just needs to come out completely because of the cluster of cysts and my uterus has a few fibroids, one of which is quite large and she said no wonder you had pain on your left side, there's a lot on that side that's being pressed around. She doesn't believe there's anything potentially cancerous and I should still be left with one ovary. Luckily, HCA, which is the company that owns the practice, has a pretty generous financial assistance policy and I know we would qualify because of our income (or lack thereof). And I even told her that I tried for two patient care tech jobs, was one of about 20 applicants for each, and didn't even get an interview.

When I saw her in November, she knew what I was going through and trying to better myself to find a way out of this marriage. Although the thought of my husband being the one to take care of me while I'm recovering, which is a 6 week period, doesn't sit well with me. He's the type who won't ask anyone for help and this is one time that I won't be able to drive for a period of time and do a lot of what I normally do. I told him that I can't move further with anymore job applications until I know what's going to happen to my body. Over the years, I've taken care of everyone except for myself.

We got into an all out argument this morning because his friends mean well, but they're all telling me something different without knowing the whole story, he won't even tell any of them that I'm facing a health challenge and I've already gone in so many different directions I just told him to please leave me alone that I'm just about at the capacity of what I can mentally and emotionally handle. This health thing caught me by surprise because for 5 years its been watch and wait.

She said something about doing surgery within the next 6 weeks plus a 6 week recovery, so that could put me around Thanksgiving before I'm finally healed up and ready to go again. I've decided that gig work is the way to go until I have surgery. I can try to get some babysitting, pet and senior care jobs on Care.com as well as do Door Dash and Instacart. At least that will keep me busy, have some cash flow and get me away from him.

My mom's birthday is September 3 and she and my step dad have invited me to go to Waco with them on a few day getaway, which I'm now considering since the job search has hit a pause. I know it would do me good to get out of this house and be with my parents and be able to have some conversations. I'll just have to see how the rest of this month goes and if I have anymore episodes of pain.

 

[Lady Vol Fan]

I'm sorry to read about the health hurdle you now have.

I know you said your mom is an hour away but could you just stay with her during your surgery recovery period?
I guess the doctor didn't mention any help with a job prospect at her facility or elsewhere?

 

[aqua girl]

Wishing you the best ashaw!

 

[rcsaros]

Oh ashaw, so sorry to hear this. Your mom's birthday is the same day as my dad's
I hope you do go spend some time with your mom and get away. I'm sure that will do you a world of good. wishing you all the best and again so sorry but you are a strong woman.

 

[ashaw]

Oh ashaw, so sorry to hear this. Your mom's birthday is the same day as my dad's
I hope you do go spend some time with your mom and get away. I'm sure that will do you a world of good. wishing you all the best and again so sorry but you are a strong woman.

Thank you so much! And happy birthday to your dad! I was originally planning to join my mom and step dad on their trip to Waco but that was before the ER visit and although its been two weeks since I've had an episode of pain, I have had similar episodes of discomfort over the last 3 months, just not as long or intense as what happened to two weeks ago. I wouldn't want to be away from home and have an emergency situation. I'm definitely planning to spend some time at their house once I've had my surgery, have had some recovery time and am cleared to drive again.

I'm still trying to get a self pay cost of this procedure and its like going in circles. I've been in communication with someone at the HCA corporate office in TN, received a "Good Faith Estimate" from them and there was one problem - they had right ovary excision and not left. When I tried to call her back this morning I found out that there's no such person and the number she called me from isn't even a working number. I'm already nervous enough about the surgery, but to be trying to do all this legwork and feel like I can't get a straight answer is maddening.

I've also come to a cross roads in a relationship with a person in my life and I'm not sure if I want to continue the relationship because its now become an emotional drain for me and I don't need anymore stress with this upcoming surgery and dysfunction in my home life. I just don't know how to extract myself from it because I've never been good with stuff like that. I'm always the one worried about hurting people's feelings.

On another note, I did Boss Loops Glutes and Core this morning, doing everything except for the superman because I don't its a good idea to be doing anything laying facedown on my stomach. But it was great to move and be back with Cathe. While I like P.volve, some of the movement patterns are a little confusing and no workout can come close to what Cathe produces. Tomorrow will be some light cardio. I'm just erring on the side of caution on really heavy lifting right now, especially lower body. I certainly wouldn't rule out a week of ICE because there's just something about that series that's addictive.

Now after seeing the latest LMR video clip for Functional Upper Body, I think this series is just what the doctor ordered, no pun intended! I preordered a while back because I felt like this would be a great fitness option for my upcoming CNA career and to stay fit while not overexerting my body from a job that's nonstop on your feet and maybe even 12 hour shifts, but now with this medical situation, I think this will be a great way to get back into fitness without jumping back and doing too much too soon.

I wanted to thank everyone for their kindness and support.