Gratitude

I obviously have a lot of gratitude for my recent employment. I can't adequately express the relief that having another position lined up provides for me. I feel like I did a pretty decent job of finding work quickly and efficiently after being laid off. I was laid off on (and my last day of employment was) November 7th, and my first day of my new job is November 29th. So, it will be three full weeks of being unemployed. I probably didn't do the best I could on searching for work, but I worked fairly hard to get my resume out there. 


But what is my job, you might wonder? Well, I'm going to be a Process Specialist at a medium size rebate and data processing company in White Bear Lake. The job description is as follows:


Organize various components needed to initiate, run and conclude special projects:


Responsibilities


• Customer service via phone and other correspondence.
• Identify, research, and resolve customer issues using the computer system 
• Research errors that are generated and correct claims as necessary 
• Check dates, UPC, model, terms & conditions, and error codes to validate for program 
• Edit and Proof projects and Data Entry 
• Research and respond to BBB and Attorney General complaints directed to our clients 
• Monitor client note queue and assist with Account Manager work and email load


The only thing that I have to think about is how I'm going to approach my appointment schedule and work. I know that I shouldn't be too demanding in the probationary period at a new job--because they can literally let you go for any reason, but at the same time I want to make sure I get the most out of my treatment. It's going to be a rough go. The most questionable part is what hours I'm working. Nowhere in the interview, the acceptance phone call or in the starting paperwork did it say what my hours would be. Depending on what they are, I may need to miss my treatment altogether. My treatment hours are late in the evening, so I'm hopeful that it won't interfere with that too much. We'll see. I'll hopefully have my answer for that on Monday...which will give me one whole day to prepare.

I was thinking about what it would mean to see my therapist or psychiatrist on a minimal basis for awhile and it seems like a scary predicament. It seems even scarier to talk to the HR department at my new job, disclose my disability and demand reasonable accommodations so soon after being hired. This is all new ground. Stuff I've never had to deal with before, and it's happening so fast that I'm not entirely sure how to make sense of everything. First things first... get my hours in order and then see what I can do to work around them. I already know that I'm going to need to do something about my individual therapy, dietitian and psychiatrist... I haven't figured out what I can do yet. 

Just trying to take it in stride.