just another day at the "office"...

so yesterday i went into the "office", (aka, the chemo room), and as with other jobs i have had in the past....my social life got in the way of the work i was there to do. my new doctor, (who i still LOVE) is apparently the "it" doctor in town. its the place to be seen...if you HAVE to be seen, for cancer. so...i lugged my big heavy bag, (my "briefcase"), filled with work to do, (i.e...magazines, catalogs) and was set to spend the next few hours getting my fill of very important gossip updates, courtesy of "people" and "star" magazines. 

of course im late, as i always was to every other job in the past; but not as late as usual...because i had dan (my "co-worker") with me, and he is ridiculously on time. (its kind of annoying, actually.) before i even sign in...i see that the girl who just signed in before me is somebody i met at "relay for life" last month. we also have mutual friends. so i talk with her. i felt so badly...because it was supposed to be her last treatment, but had a problem with blood clots and had just gotten out of the hospital after being there for 11 days. (been there and done the whole blood clot/ hospital nightmare). 

on to my first task of the work day. the meeting with the dr., ("the boss") . dont most people come into work and have meetings!?!? we went over the main issues of the week. the first issue at hand...i want a raise. i told him that i f feel jipped from spending so much time there and i want a punch card to get paid for all of my hours i spend there. he thought it was a good idea and said he should ask blue cross about that. (i always did have great ideas at my previous jobs. i was the "idea" girl.) then we had question and answer time. as any good employee....i did a lot of research on my subject and was armed with lots of questions and concerns. as with previous jobs...i always had/have lots of questions. unfortunately...many of my concerns made him chuckle, and he told me i might want to consider doing my research in places other than the internet sites i was finding my particular statistics on. i also discuss some new cancer research on the horizon he might not know about. (a doctor in italy who is treating cancer with baking soda!  alkalinized water cures cancer!) more chuckles from him. but unlike some other bosses ive had in the past, he didnt make me feel stupid for my questions or new research ideas...even tho i knew full well some of them were dumb. i did tell him about my other friends who used the chemo drugs i was on, and they didnt work forever. he told me he wasnt planning on them working forever on me either. i knew this...but i didnt like hearing it. but then again....you cant always like what your boss has to say.

then i passed all of my lab tests for the day, (unlike my other "tests" i took and didnt pass at previous jobs), and went into the chemo "fishbowl" room. i went to my chair, which was not a window office, (note to self...request corner office chair), and plopped down my "briefcase" of "work". you should always start your day at work by learning something new, right? so i got a WHOLE lesson on veins and needles. i am not knowledgeable on the subject, so i mostly listened. but of course i had to contribute what i DID know about veins and needles; so i added my two cents of info which i learned about on the reality tv show "intervention". its a show about drug addicts. anyway...i informed the nurse that if my veins go bad, i can always use my toes or nail beds. i think she was slightly impressed with my creativity on the use of veins.

after i was all hooked up...i had to tackle the next task at hand. BREAK TIME! duh! so i sent my assistant/co-worker, (dan),  to fetch me some cheetos. thats what are assistants are for, right? i know this from personal experience...because i was usually the assistant at previous jobs. (another side note...i remember a job interview i had to be an assistant to a very prominent, but obnoxious and high maintenance beauty line product owner. the interviewer asked if i knew how to make coffee. um...hello?...no! you go to starbucks and have someone else make it!!!! needless to say...i didnt get the job. but in all honesty...it wasnt because of the coffee.)

after "break" time, i get some "work" done...(shiloh met the twins! jen and ben are expecting baby #2!) ya know...very important info to know about. i check my treo constantly...(ya never know when youre gonna get an important email). in this case... i did! playdate party plans! well, then i need another break! all work and no play makes for some very unhappy and non productive employees. and and after all...all employees legally get more than one "break time". so i do a little "office socializing" with my other "co-workers". i generally see the same people on visits there. (mr "woe is me me me me" wasnt there this time). everyone knows that it is not ethical to take a break for more than 15 minute intervals. (yet another rule i broke quite frequently at past jobs)...so back to 'WORK" i go.

now im determined to focus and stop screwing around. but then a new lady walks in and she sits right next to me. she seems so cool. she seems like my kind of person. and shes now my "office-mate" in the chair next to me. shouldnt i at least introduce myself to my new "office-mate"???? NO! i decide to read and keep my head down. very un lori-like. but its hard to keep meeting great people who are in this situation. it can be depressing. it can also be really inspiring. and besides..i am there to do a job. so i keep on reading. i cant help but hear her conversation with the man next to her. i hear that she has stage 3 lung cancer. so i decide, as i have in all of my past jobs..."why work if you can socialize"? so i start to talk to this woman. her name is nikki. she is so great. she wasnt a smoker. she is a hairdresser. she didnt even know she had lung cancer! she has another disease, which during a routine checkup showed lung cancer. bizarre. and the dr is pretty certain, judging by her cat scans, that it is from environmental reasons...the chemicals from her products (i.e. hairspray, etc). so scary. and this is a lesson for people out there to take note of this stuff. she is in her 40's...2 young boys. and she seems totally fine! how many sick people are wallking around out there that you pass every day, who look totally fine?!?! A LOT! its pretty overwhelming. anyway...she tells me about a drink to help prevent cancer; which is a mixture of honey, whiskey and aloe vera plant. she also tells me of an injection she heard about, which is given twice a year...but you can only get it in egypt!!! (*another note to self...discuss these treatments with the "the boss" at next weeks "meeting")

now the bell has rung and my work day is over. i pack my "briefcase" and lug it off. i say goodbye to my "co-workers" and dan my "assistant". (he has to go back to his real job now.) i see my chauffer; (my friend missy), waiting for me outside. she is there to pick me up and bring me home to sit by my pool. after a long day at the "office" you need to go home, relax and unwind, right??? 

so another day of "work" at the "office" is over. just like my previous jobs...i didnt make money there. well have to wait and see what happens with blue cross and see if they can work out some sort of plan to reimburse their "employees", (aka..."patients"), for their time.  but as with all jobs...i had meetings, break time, socialized with "co-workers", and even managed to learn some new things. looking back now... i can see why i was fired from various previous jobs. socializing and breaks totally interfere with having a career.

today im "working" from home. the task at hand...to rest after chemo. orders from "the boss". i swear! but im trading my magazines in for my dvr. i have lots of reality tv shows to catch up on. you never know when the stuff you learn from these shows can help the nurses or doctors learn things too. at the very least...itll give me new material for "question and answer time" at my next "meeting". and by the way...dont i have "paid vacation time" coming up any time soon?