I called in sick to work today. I never do that even if I am sick unless I have something really contagious like pink eye. However, this week with working, studying for and taking finals, writing a huge paper, and keeping the house going I hit "the wall." I took a final yesterday morning, worked all afternoon, saw my family for literally about 15 minutes then DH took them to astronomy night at school while I went and studied statistics with a friend. I got home at 9:00 and then DH and I were talking about how our days were and I started bawling and couldn't stop. I had been on the verge of tears at work all day and just held them back. I am exhausted and have been getting 5-6 hours of sleep a night, plus going full speed all day. My eyes are shot from all of the hard, technical reading I've been doing, and I've had a headache behind my right browbone for 4 days and pain reliever doesn't touch it. I hate work right now (and I typically love my job) because I have no time for the mountains of paperwork I have, I get so many phonecalls, and they keep screwing up my schedule. I also had to do swallow studies on two severely impaired kids and that just puts me through an emotional wringer. Plus I have 5-7 nontalking 2 year olds back to back and that is just so physically and emotionally exhausting, plus several of them have major separation anxiety and cry the whole 50 minutes (with mom IN the room and me just getting the kiddo out of mom's lap sitting on the floor beside her) or tantrums. There's more to the work situation, but I won't bore you with additional details. Suffice it to say that my boss and I are having a heart-to-heart next week and I hope I do cry then. I want her to get an idea of the severity of the problems and my stress level.

So, after I fell apart DH made me promise to call in today and he said I could have no guilt over the fact that my patients would have to be cancelled. He got up and made lunches and got the boys to school. I called in and left 2 message for my boss and got the secretary to call my patients...and no one from work called me back. That's huge. I just got out of bed at 10:00 and I slept really hard with lots of crazy dreams. I'm going to review my stats, take my final at 1:00 and then work on my paper and spend some time hanging out with my kids for the rest of the afternoon before church. And my headache is mostly gone! I'm so thankful that my DH can be bossy sometimes.

By Tayjar on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 11:50 am:

Good for you. Sometimes you have to take a Me Day. I hope you enjoy your day.

By Mommmie on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 12:05 pm:

Mental Health Days are muy importante.

By Cat on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 12:17 pm:

{{{{{Pam}}}}} Good for your dh for making you do it, and good for you for listening to him! Have a great day.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 12:28 pm:

GOOD for your DH! You need the break!

By Nicki on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 12:31 pm:

I'm so glad you your dh decided you needed a day to recover. I can't imagine the level of stress you are dealing with daily.
Have a great day, and glad your headache is better, too!

By Dana on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 01:24 pm:

What a schedule! My heart aches for you. Hope your day of "rest" is enough to get you thru.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 02:31 pm:

I think you needed to take some time for YOU, even if you stil had to study! I bet sleeping late was a relief in itself for you!

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:25 pm:

You needed some time to rest!! I hope your "mental health day" helps you to get back on track Everyone needs one of those once in a while!

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 07:26 am:

{{{{{{{{{Pam}}}}}}}}}

How are things today?

By Insaneusmcwife on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 12:17 pm:

Its good to take a mental health day every once and a while and it sound like you sooo needed it. I hope it was everything you needed and more.

By Kiki on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 02:31 pm:

A hookie day much deserved. Hang in there. All the extra work you are doing is well worth it.

By Debbie on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 02:45 pm:

Yes Pam, how are you doing today? I hope your day off gave you the break you needed. I got tired just reading your schedule!!

By Alberobello on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 04:43 pm:

Oh darling! That is really a lot, no wonder you are so tired stressed. I was like that for the past 8 months and i don't even work, and mine was an undergraduate degree... I coulnd't imagine what you are doing and working and caring for your family at the same time.

You're almost there Pam, i hope you get to rest a bit more this weekend. Many many hugs.