Sunday, August 23, 2009

Confidence

Setting aside all of that drama from Friday, I find myself in a different frame of mind today. I think the therapy I found at work Friday night helped. I met up with the perfect social worker to do a start of care and we had an opportunity to talk about all that had transpired. He helped me see that what had been said is not how my colleagues, the ones I actually work with in the field, perceive me. He told me that I do make a difference in the lives of my patients and that my thoroughness (another critique, because to some, this makes me appear slow) is what makes my practice special. He told me that when I leave my patients, their caregivers feel completely confident that they can tackle the tasks of providing care and managing symptoms. Then I came home to find all of your supportive comments and I'm thankful. It was just what this old nurse's soul needed.

I'm still not really knitting much, but I've been spinning. A lot. I made it through the skein of merino/tencel blend and right now it's resting on the bobbin. I'm thinking about how I want to ply this yarn--probably a simple two ply. It's going to be another seed stitch beret to replace the purple one I knit last year, wore a few times and then left behind in a patient's home. I hope it's keeping someone warm. I'm going to try and be more careful with this one. I'm selling the additional roving I picked up to a fellow spinner who admired the yarn I was making yesterday at circle. I knew there was a reason I bought two of those last week. One was for Nancy who didn't go to the fiber festival. I'm almost done spinning Sarah's hand dyed roving, too. This one I'll try a new (to me) technique of Navajo plying to try to keep the integrity of the colors together.

Another Sarah is inspiring me to try plying this way. Other videos I've watched on this technique have left me confused. This woman's video is so calm and thorough, slow if you will, that I feel confident I can tackle this method of plying with little fuss. I find her teaching style rather familiar.

It's all in the approach, isn't it?



11 comments:

Kathleen said...

Thank heavens for that social worker being there at just the right time to affirm what is so clear to those of us to follow your blog. Your practice is extraordinary, your level of care and compassion such a gift to people in desperate times. I am truly grateful right along with all the people who've benefitted from your care that you are in this world doing what you do!

Gail said...

How can I follow and improve on Kathleen's comment? She said it all and said it very well.

Jane said...

Nice to know how the people that matter feel about the care you give. Makes it all worthwhile in the end

Rose said...

Good, I'm glad you found some peace with all of the dreck that was thrown your way. It's a credit to you that so many people are in your corner.

Brenda said...

So glad to know things are going better. The video makes it look so simple and relaxing. That must take some pracice.

Anonymous said...

That example of what happened to you is so typical of any care that is give out in the home away from a supervisor such as in a hospital. One one knows that except one who has been there. Those folks out there want you and your TLC not a bunch of vitals, etc. on a piece of paper. I have been sent for pain management and had patient's ask me "Please don't write notes in front of me.I'm not just a BP or P or temp."
I would check BP, etc and if normal limits just write something normal on the notes after I got in the car. Sometimes all I could remember was normal. So I wrote down a normal BP. It can be long and lonely out there on the road by yourself Your're a WOW woman. Check on WOW-Peggy's other blog. Blessings
QMM

Stephanie V said...

Confidence is a fragile thing...glad yours was only bent - not shattered.

Ruth said...

Take care.
Ruth

laurie said...

rudee, do you sell your mittens and sweaters and hats at craft fairs? if not, i wonder if you should. the mittens you sent me last year are so wonderful, so beautiful and perfect and warm. you could make some good money (for more yarn!) by selling your lovely wares.

laurie said...

and re that other stuff: it's your patients (and their families) who are important here. absolutely. i remember the hospice people who took care of my father, and i know which ones i thought were good. and it wasn't the fastest ones, not by a long shot.

Rudee said...

Laurie, thank you. I'm so glad you like your mitts. I was inspired by one of your Hack stories to write them.

And yes, I've been thinking more and more about giving up this rat race and finding a different way to earn a living. My needle work would be one way if I could find a way to be faster about making things. I'd fear starvation otherwise.