2006-04-02

What am I doing?



Well, at the moment, I'm entering information on my computer. (At first I said "typing;" but then I realized that I almost never "type" anymore!)

I was really talking about "what am I doing?" in the larger sense: what am I doing with my life?

I spend a great deal of time taking care of my wife, Gay. She lost her sight nearly six years ago, has diabetes but can't do her own blood sugar, and has several other maladies that keep her worn out and me busy and tired. Since I am also the one who does laundry, almost 100% of the home cooking, keeps the apartment clean, does the shopping with her help and sometimes with her in a wheelchair cart, and pays the bills, I never have to "look" for something to do.

What I am particularly talking about, though, is what I am doing for pay. I am turning in my resignation from LabCorp at 1 AM tomorrow morning. It is my two weeks' notice that I have found another place of employment. On April 17th I'll be going through orientation at a local long-term hospital where I'll be assigned to general laboratory duties on the night shift of 7 PM to 7 AM. I'll work three days per week and every other weekend or so. I believe I shall enjoy this work much more because it isn't as "routine" and of such high volume as LabCorp. I shall also appreciate the multiple days off between night shifts. Since I occasionally worked 10 or 12 hour nights at LabCorp, I am sure I can handle the physical strain of this, and with the increase in pay I am getting we'll be better off financially as well.

I have some concerns, though:

  1. Will I like the folk with whom and for whom I am working? My first impression was positive; but what will they be like long term?
  2. Will I be able to handle the volume of a wide assortment of laboratory work taken on over night? Even though this is exactly the kind of work I was doing prior to being in ministry, I haven't had to keep blood bank, chemistry, urinalysis, microbiology, and hematology/coagulation work all going at the same time.
  3. Will their computer system and program be more or less "user friendly" than the one at LabCorp?
  4. Will my skills at drawing blood (phlebotomy) tax my 61-year-old hands even though I don't have a "shake" yet.
  5. Will my regular absenses from the apartment of 12 1/2 to 13 hours be a problem for Gay since she can't check her blood sugar currently for that full amount of time? Will she have other problems needing someone at hand to help her while I'm going?

Even though I am VERY rusty in some of these areas, I believe the skills I have will simply be improved with time; and I'll be more than "OK" in this new place of employment. I know a new "voice" blood glucose machine has become available and for sale at a very reasonable price (under $100). If all goes well I'll get the chance to see her try it; and, if she can, I shall find a way to purchase it.

I also know I'll miss my relationships with several of the folk at LabCorp; and I wonder if my resignation will strain that relationship with some of them during my next 10 work days. There are some very fine people working there; and all of them want to do the best work they can with the best equipment they can get.

But two weeks from today I'll be in a conference room with others discussing my new place of employment, it's benefits and expectations and a much stricter dress code for the future.

I hope for and expect the prayers of many who know me well.