"Do you mean what was my career? Or are you asking what I was doing when the injury happened?
"Both." the curious doctor answered
"Well I was/am however you say it now a legal advocate for domestic abuse victims. However, the day I got hurt I was cleaning out an empty office for my new assistant. I lifted a banker's box full of files and boom I was hurt."
"Oh wow, some of those boxes can get pretty heavy." Ken sounded surprised.
"Yep, it was very heavy. I asked my boss if I could get help but she said she wasn't paying two people to do one person's job." Lola explained.
"That must have been very hard to think about after your surgery." Dr. Litch was trying to dig more out of Lola.
"Dr. Litch, I am still very angry at my boss. If she would have let me have the help I wouldn't be here now talking to you."
"Lola, I usually do not share my private life with patients, however, I do feel that you may benefit from this. My mother became disabled due to a back injury. She still suffers as you do, however, she leads a very fulfilling life. She found a hobby that she could do at her own pace and now sells her homemade blankets online and at craft fairs. It took her ten years to figure it all out. Now I'm not saying that is what you should do. All I am saying is hang in there things will get better. Life I mean." the doctor shared.
"I'm glad you told me about your mother. But is she on workman's comp? Because that's a whole nother issue I am dealing with."
"No, I don't believe she was. Tell me about workman's comp."
"Don't get me wrong" Lola started with "I'm grateful I am seeing some money coming in. However, I can't even try new things because if they are watching and taking pictures they will say I'm not hurt. They don't have to be around to see the outcome." she paused "I mean, let's say I wanted to just try to cut my own grass using a riding mower. Let's say they get pictures. Then in the middle of mowing I find that it is just to bumpy and my back can't handle it so I stop. Then I go in the house and lay down on a heat pack. They can take me to court and show those pictures or videos and boom I just lost my workman's comp. The part about me having to stop and go lay down is my word against theirs. In fact, my lawyer told me to even be careful inside my house because they can take pictures through the windows. How is that even legal?" Lola finished.
"I see how you can be upset by that. You're right, it hardly seems fair. Is mowing the grass something you would like to do?"
"I was just using that as an example. I already know it's too bumpy. My family has all made that loud and clear. But it would be so nice not to have to rely on other people in order for it to get done." Lola told him.
"I see. Do you have to rely on other people for a lot of things?" he asked
"More than I want to. I was always an independent person and now I'm not." Lola started tearing up as she said the last sentence "I guess more than anything I really wish my daughter would try to be more understanding. Then maybe she would be willing to help out more." She finished saying.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Page 2
The next morning Seth was up and ready for the school bus. His sister, however, running late as usual.
"DaniMarie, get a move on or you are going to miss the bus." Lola yelled.
"You know we wouldn't be late if we didn't take the bus." Dani stated as she came walking down the stairs.
"No Dani, you wouldn't be late if you would pick out your outfit the night before." her mom reminded her.
"Why do we have to take a bus anyways? It's not like you have a life. Why can't you take us?" Dani's shoddy attitude was back.
"Dani, you know there are days I am in so much pain I can't even get out of bed." her mother explained.
"Whatever!" the teen said as she went out the door to catch the bus.
"I understand mom. I hope you have a good day." Seth comforted his mom. He gave her a kiss and he too went outside to wait for the bus.
Today Lola has an appointment with her counselor. Ever since her injury she has fought off depression. She found the best way to do this is by talking. Since she doesn't want to sound like she is complaining all the time she chose to talk to a professional instead of her friends.
From the day she got out of the hospital her best friend, Carrie, has been there for her. However, Lola felt Carrie had heard enough about it so she wanted to give her a break.
When she arrived at the counselor's office the secretary told her that the person she normally sees just received an emergency phone call and had to leave for the day.
"However, Dr. Litch is willing to see you. He is a very good counselor and I think you would like him." the secretary offered.
"Okay. I may as well since I am here." Lola agreed
He was maybe a few years older than Lola. He had salt & pepper hair with a beard and mustache.
"Hi Lola. I am Dr. Litch. How are you today?" He said as they walked into his office. "Fine." Lola answered.
"I will be honest with you. Without having the chance to read your chart I don't know a whole much about you. So please why don't you share with me why you started seeing a counselor to begin with." the handsome doctor said
"Okay. Well... Six years ago I was injured at work and I ended up having back surgery because of it. That surgery left me paralyzed for six months. I then had another surgery and tho it took me awhile I started walking again. However, I have to deal with chronic pain ever since. Because of this I am unable to work. I could feel depression setting in so I figured I better talk with someone." Lola explained.
"Oh my, that had to be very scary for you. Do you have help at home?" Dr. Ken Litch asked
"I have a ten year old son, Seth, who worries about his mom more that any ten year old should ever have to. And I have a sixteen year old girl, DaniMarie, who is very angry at me. According to her I have no life and I'm selfish." she answered.
"Have you ever brought your children into a session?"
"No, I would rather them not know I'm seeing a counselor."
"May I ask why?"
"Seth already worries enough about me and DaniMarie would just say "what ever." That is her reply to everything." Lola explained
"Lola, if it helps; that seems to be the word teens use the most these days. So what type of work were you doing?" Ken said as he tried to make her feel a little better.
"DaniMarie, get a move on or you are going to miss the bus." Lola yelled.
"You know we wouldn't be late if we didn't take the bus." Dani stated as she came walking down the stairs.
"No Dani, you wouldn't be late if you would pick out your outfit the night before." her mom reminded her.
"Why do we have to take a bus anyways? It's not like you have a life. Why can't you take us?" Dani's shoddy attitude was back.
"Dani, you know there are days I am in so much pain I can't even get out of bed." her mother explained.
"Whatever!" the teen said as she went out the door to catch the bus.
"I understand mom. I hope you have a good day." Seth comforted his mom. He gave her a kiss and he too went outside to wait for the bus.
Today Lola has an appointment with her counselor. Ever since her injury she has fought off depression. She found the best way to do this is by talking. Since she doesn't want to sound like she is complaining all the time she chose to talk to a professional instead of her friends.
From the day she got out of the hospital her best friend, Carrie, has been there for her. However, Lola felt Carrie had heard enough about it so she wanted to give her a break.
When she arrived at the counselor's office the secretary told her that the person she normally sees just received an emergency phone call and had to leave for the day.
"However, Dr. Litch is willing to see you. He is a very good counselor and I think you would like him." the secretary offered.
"Okay. I may as well since I am here." Lola agreed
He was maybe a few years older than Lola. He had salt & pepper hair with a beard and mustache.
"Hi Lola. I am Dr. Litch. How are you today?" He said as they walked into his office. "Fine." Lola answered.
"I will be honest with you. Without having the chance to read your chart I don't know a whole much about you. So please why don't you share with me why you started seeing a counselor to begin with." the handsome doctor said
"Okay. Well... Six years ago I was injured at work and I ended up having back surgery because of it. That surgery left me paralyzed for six months. I then had another surgery and tho it took me awhile I started walking again. However, I have to deal with chronic pain ever since. Because of this I am unable to work. I could feel depression setting in so I figured I better talk with someone." Lola explained.
"Oh my, that had to be very scary for you. Do you have help at home?" Dr. Ken Litch asked
"I have a ten year old son, Seth, who worries about his mom more that any ten year old should ever have to. And I have a sixteen year old girl, DaniMarie, who is very angry at me. According to her I have no life and I'm selfish." she answered.
"Have you ever brought your children into a session?"
"No, I would rather them not know I'm seeing a counselor."
"May I ask why?"
"Seth already worries enough about me and DaniMarie would just say "what ever." That is her reply to everything." Lola explained
"Lola, if it helps; that seems to be the word teens use the most these days. So what type of work were you doing?" Ken said as he tried to make her feel a little better.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Page 1
"We have thirty minutes to kill while your brother is at his guitar lesson, what do you wanna do? Lola asked her sixteen year old daughter.
"Go home!" the teen snapped.
"DaniMarie, I don't know why all of a sudden you are sportin such a shoddy attitude; it doesn't make sense for us to go home. By the time we get there we would have to turn around in the driveway and come back and pick up Seth." Lola explained
"Sport this" Dani said under her breath.
"Excuse me? What did you just say?"
"Nothin"
"That's what I thought. There is a second hand store down the street do you want to go and check it out?" Lola asked.
"Fine, whatever." The teen agreed
As they walked to the store Lola couldn't help but to wonder why her sweet child had grown horns over night. Once inside they went their own ways.
"Mom, check it out, I found an album" Lola heard her daughter call out. Walking away from some old clocks she had her eye on Lola walked over to where Dani was. "Oh sweetie" mom chuckled "this isn't an album it is a 45." she explained. "What's the difference" the now curious teen asked. Lola reached up and pulled an album off the shelf, "This is an album" she told her. Lola then found an old record player and showed her daughter how everything worked.
"Wow, pretty cool" Dani stated. She then saw something that was peeking out from behind the record players. It was shiny and sparked her interest. She reached in and carefully pulled out the beautiful eye catching item. It was a box, a wooden box. It was stained very dark almost like a cherry oak and it had one large gem in the center of golden swirls that were covered in glitter.
"Mom can I get this?" Dani asked.
"What is it?"
"A cool looking box that I can keep my earrings in."
"How much is it?"
"I don't know there isn't a price on it." Dani explained.
Both women walked over to the counter where a little old man was sitting working on what appeared to be an old radio.
"Excuse me sir, could you tell me how much you want for this? There isn't a price on it." Lola inquired.
"Oh boy, that is a very good question. I'm here just filling in for my sister while she went on vacation." the old man started to explain. "Do you feel it's fair of me to ask seven dollars?" he finished saying.
"Sure that sounds fair." Lola reached in her pocketbook and paid the man.
After leaving the second hand store Dani asked her mother if they had enough time to do something else. However, they had used up most of the thirty minutes they had to kill leaving enough time to walk back to the music store to pick up Seth.
"If you'd like, you can come with when I drop Seth off at next week's appointment and we can 'hang out' then." her mother told her.
"Whatever." Dani stated.
On the way home Seth popped up with a question. "Are we still going to the water park on Saturday?"
"Sweetie, you know we have to take each day as it comes. If my pain level is low, yes, we will still go. If not, then we will have to try another day.
"Fair enough." the ten year old agreed.
"Fair, how is that fair? If she's hurting we have to suffer? That's not fair." Dani said loudly.
"It's not her fault she gets bad days." Seth protected his mother.
"It's not our fault either." Dani told him.
"Kids, let's talk about this tomorrow. We have had a long day I want to get ready for bed." Lola told both kids.
"Go home!" the teen snapped.
"DaniMarie, I don't know why all of a sudden you are sportin such a shoddy attitude; it doesn't make sense for us to go home. By the time we get there we would have to turn around in the driveway and come back and pick up Seth." Lola explained
"Sport this" Dani said under her breath.
"Excuse me? What did you just say?"
"Nothin"
"That's what I thought. There is a second hand store down the street do you want to go and check it out?" Lola asked.
"Fine, whatever." The teen agreed
As they walked to the store Lola couldn't help but to wonder why her sweet child had grown horns over night. Once inside they went their own ways.
"Mom, check it out, I found an album" Lola heard her daughter call out. Walking away from some old clocks she had her eye on Lola walked over to where Dani was. "Oh sweetie" mom chuckled "this isn't an album it is a 45." she explained. "What's the difference" the now curious teen asked. Lola reached up and pulled an album off the shelf, "This is an album" she told her. Lola then found an old record player and showed her daughter how everything worked.
"Wow, pretty cool" Dani stated. She then saw something that was peeking out from behind the record players. It was shiny and sparked her interest. She reached in and carefully pulled out the beautiful eye catching item. It was a box, a wooden box. It was stained very dark almost like a cherry oak and it had one large gem in the center of golden swirls that were covered in glitter.
"Mom can I get this?" Dani asked.
"What is it?"
"A cool looking box that I can keep my earrings in."
"How much is it?"
"I don't know there isn't a price on it." Dani explained.
Both women walked over to the counter where a little old man was sitting working on what appeared to be an old radio.
"Excuse me sir, could you tell me how much you want for this? There isn't a price on it." Lola inquired.
"Oh boy, that is a very good question. I'm here just filling in for my sister while she went on vacation." the old man started to explain. "Do you feel it's fair of me to ask seven dollars?" he finished saying.
"Sure that sounds fair." Lola reached in her pocketbook and paid the man.
After leaving the second hand store Dani asked her mother if they had enough time to do something else. However, they had used up most of the thirty minutes they had to kill leaving enough time to walk back to the music store to pick up Seth.
"If you'd like, you can come with when I drop Seth off at next week's appointment and we can 'hang out' then." her mother told her.
"Whatever." Dani stated.
On the way home Seth popped up with a question. "Are we still going to the water park on Saturday?"
"Sweetie, you know we have to take each day as it comes. If my pain level is low, yes, we will still go. If not, then we will have to try another day.
"Fair enough." the ten year old agreed.
"Fair, how is that fair? If she's hurting we have to suffer? That's not fair." Dani said loudly.
"It's not her fault she gets bad days." Seth protected his mother.
"It's not our fault either." Dani told him.
"Kids, let's talk about this tomorrow. We have had a long day I want to get ready for bed." Lola told both kids.
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