The end of that

Today was my 8th and last day of the job assessment at the thrift store. Next week, I’ll meet with my VocRehab counselor and the group that does the job assessment and hear how I did.

This doesn’t lead to a job at the thrift store, and I’m not clear on what exactly this will do for me – par for the course, really, of my recovery from the car wreck 15 years ago – I have just done what I was told, but haven’t done very well on my own.

Getting out of the apartment was good – having a place to go was even better. I liked working at the thrift store – it gave me opportunities to talk to people (women, mostly). I was on time or early (mostly early) to "the job" every day, and did my work as best as I could, was cheerful and smiling (which is my face’s default expression now anyway), and enjoyed having a purpose in life.

The medications really helped (they aren’t going away) my mental state, and I’m grateful that Finally I got them – the tests I took last July said it would be best for me to be on meds, but 14 years without the chemical help I apparently needed? Not good. I’m "getting used to" the Adderall; the doc said that would happen and after work, on the way home on the bus, for the last week I’ve been yawning and tired before the sun goes down, and have been using the left-overs from I began this journey to keep me up for the evenings. (otherwise I’d get my "schedule" screwed up again – up too early and in bed while the sun is still up)

Tonight I’ll go up to the hospital a little earlier than the last few times, so I can talk to my friend’s nurse; today my friend would have met his rehab team and would have learned of the course of recovery they want him to pursue. Tomorrow I’ll meet with his lady friend; there’s supposed to be a conference call tomorrow so my friend’s recovery can be mapped out for all of us.

I think I’ll look into if or what I need to do to become his care-giver; perfect timing, in a way; I don’t have a job and can be "the guy" who helps my friend recover and to get to and from appointments. I don’t if that’s possible, but it would be a good thing – I am not some stranger who’ll have to get used to my friend’s manner.

Time will tell, I guess.

 

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