A Vente Vent

Holy cow.

http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2014303020038&nclick_check=1

This article says that the VA regional office here is the slowest in the country to process claims. Guaranteed, this article is getting attention, but it sounds as if that fire has already been lit. Seems like they would need extra help in catching up on that backlog, doesn't it? Yeah, that would be the job I applied and toured for and really wanted. As the article points out, it takes two years to become proficient in processing claims, but you'd think they would at least be getting some people in the pipeline while they figure out a better plan. Why do I care now? This is exciting to me for two reasons:

1- My coworker and I have had our eyes peeled for those claims processing jobs. I may be out of the running now, but I've got my fingers crossed for her.

2- There were rumored to be four openings for Veterans Service Reps, and the job posting was taken down just after we toured. This was the prospect that made me bypass the library technician job, which was also taken down, but reposted shortly afterwards. I figured that was a sign, and applied for the library job. I interviewed last Monday, and they were finally able to convince me that I had the job on Friday. TODAY I hear about this article and realize that the VBA is likely going to post those jobs again. So Reason #2 for me being excited about this is that I am clearly meant to be taking the library job. I love those corrections that the universe makes: Here, let's present you with a crossroads. Choose wisely. No, no, not that way. Let's try this again.

So. This job.

I'll be at the hospital, which is maybe 3 more miles away and not horribly convenient to the freeway, the parking sucks, etc., but it will be fine. I'll be taking over the PERC, which is the Patient Education Resource Center. It consists of an office, a computer room, and a classroom. A lot of departments use the PERC classroom, so I'll be in charge of the schedule. I will be helping vets use the computer for various things, but mostly the idea is for them to be able to research their conditions, etc. I'll be at least partially responsible for the MyHealtheVet program, which is an online tool to help vets order meds, check on appointments, and send secure messages to the doctors. I will also be in charge of keeping the VA in pamphlets (How funny that that goes back to high school too, huh Camille?) as well as developing and editing new ones. I'll be trying to promote the PERC, helping providers get access to medical journals, working with the librarian at the Sacramento VA, coordinating inter-library loans, and, I suspect, learning a LOT about online research. Thankfully, I have some experience with that from school, but I know I've got a long way to go. If that's not daunting enough, I'll be overseeing the volunteers that staff the PERC. The only supervisory job I've ever had was Latrine Queen in Basic Training, so that ought to be interesting.

I'm trying not to focus too much on what I am lacking. Mom says that you should not be a perfect fit for any job- you need room to grow within it. I also really feel like I was honest in answering questions about the experience I have, so I hope they are not expecting me to be some hacker wizard, but I feel highly motivated to learn the things I don't know.

The main thing is that this feels like I am crossing a line- that all my jobs have been entry level, and this is the first time I'm doing something at a higher level. Thankfully, I saw my counselor last week. She gave me some strategies to help alleviate my anxiety, and said I have had a major change in mindset since this whole trainwreck. I agree (now that it has been pointed out to me), and I realize that the mindset change is what allowed me to apply for this job in the first place (along with lots of encouragement).

The big thing she says I am doing is embracing the word "and." As in, "Yes, I'm terrified AND I'm doing it anyway." This instead of "but," which I was apparently quite a fan of.

"But I won't know anyone."
"But I need to know what I want first."
"But I LOVE cheese."

What's funny to me is that it feels like this is the first time where the pros outweigh the cons, but she gave me a raised eyebrow on that one and brought up school again. Ok, ok... but this feels bigger.

Jennyway, so I've been busy overhauling things at home too. I feel so positive about these changes. I will not bore you with all my reorganizing/rearranging, but I will tell you about Riley. She's been crying for about a week when someone touches her shoulders, and it took me until Saturday night to figure out which shoulder is bothering her, and then I froze. It's the right shoulder, which has had a lump in it for several years. I asked the vet about it every time I went in, and they always said it was fine unless it started to bother her. I had an appointment today at a new vet office, but the vet is sick, so they got me in tomorrow evening. I'm trying a different vet because I need ONE vet, not six. I never see the same vet at Klaich, and when I do request the same one, they show no signs of recognizing Riley. I knew she was going to start having problems and wanted someone to be familiar with her and know what's normal. The other problem was that the visit would last all of five minutes- I'd be out the door before I could collect my thoughts. I can relate- I've got this call center process down so well that if a vet knows the drill, we can knock out the call in 30 seconds, but the problem is that a lot of them want the extra time. That's yet another reason for me to move on and let someone else come in here who doesn't know the drill.

So I'm worried about Riley, but she's walking, going up and down the stairs, jumping in and out the car... all with no yelps. It's only when someone pats her shoulder. Saturday night, she was lying on my bed while I brushed her, and when I moved her to closer to me, she bit me. I needed a moment to be stunned, then I wrestled my mind back to her position and walked through the scenario to make sure which shoulder it was. She didn't break the skin- there wasn't even a red mark- but she never, ever bites me. I'm scared that it's a tumor. Even as I sat there realizing that it was THAT shoulder, I was thinking about the appointment I already had set up and the fact that my new job means more money. This is probably going to be costly, but I'll be able to manage it. So, ok. I'll go find out more tomorrow.