Juggling Life

Taking Stock

What a whirlwind of a month it was--and while it was unusual, there's no doubt that my life is tremendously busy and looks to stay that way for awhile. It confuses me that there's sometimes a sense today of the moral superiority of not being busy--I really do think we all need to honor our wiring. So while busy is making me happy and I am productive, busy I will be. 

Today I am enjoying some quality time with blogs and one can't help but miss the good ol' days. Here I actually met the mysterious and rarely-photographed Suburban Correspondent three weeks or so ago and I didn't even blog it.

SC is fantastic and we could have hung out and chatted for many more hours than we did. It was a highlight in a trip full of highlights. No blog friends at conferences in Coronado and San Antonio, but met and hung out with amazing and brilliant people. Thelma and I spent more waking (and unwaking and bathroom-sharing) moments together than most people can do with their own spouses before the nerves start to fray. And the nerves didn't fray. I think that's pretty special.

If a few days sharing a bed in a hotel counts for five regular friendship years, we're going on over 20 years of friendship. It feels like it.

My first non-running-full-speed weekend since 9/20-21 is in its last few hours. More's the pity. But I am caught up at work, have a massage scheduled for Tuesday and think I've replaced the sleep deficit (which I know is not possible but, in any event, I hope to commence being able to stay up past 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night).

Social Butterfly got into University of New South Wales for spring semester--so early March! So exciting! Also reassuring that I have some great connections for oversight on her medical condition--makes it much easier to be joyful. 

Maybe we should all agree to write one post a month . . . NaBloPo something . . . I am guilty of neglecting this blog and yet it's too hard to say goodbye to all my true friends--and to the writing and storytelling and the pictures and the authentic and often vulnerable voices. 

Thoughts?

 

In Which It's Been a Long, Long Time . . .

The last time I've written about me is April 30. That is a darn long time ago and a lot has happened since then. Facebook is so ubiquitous in my life, I assume everyone knows everything, but realistically no full stories are told on FB--it's pretty much just the highlight reel, right?

So many of you have been with me for so long--7 years--you've seen my life transform in some drastic ways. One of those major transitions has been career-wise. For the past 18 months, I taught pharmacy technicians and running the externship program (a vocational internship) for a  campus of a well-known chain of vocational schools (I started as a adjunct three years ago). My department was overseen by the Allied Health Program Director (the umbrella for the pharmacy tech, medical assistant and medical billing & coding programs). Since the M.A. portion is far and away the largest program, and has a separate accreditation which requires someone with an M.A. credentials, the program director (PD) has always come from that background. 

My former boss was a reluctant and interim administrator and, in the interests of making the position easier to fill and do, I was asked a couple of months ago to take over the role of PD for Pharm Tech and MBC, and the MA program would stand alone. I said yes and I really enjoyed the job for three weeks--which is the length of time I had it before they powers-that-be came back to me and shared an idea for bringing everything back under the Allied Health umbrella, having me run it, and having my former boss be my assistant. 

I didn't respond immediately as the position meant leaving the classroom, but after thinking hard and negotiating salary (women: men don't take the opening offer and neither should you), I knew yes was the right answer. I'm not even going to humblebrag this one: I got promoted twice in one month 'cause I rock my job. Women need to start owning their awesome like men do and I've decided to lead by example.

I LOVE everything about my new job. 

I get to counsel students and since I've always had a soft spot for the underdog, getting to meet and hopefully  help lots of underdogs is amazing. Some I will be able to save and some I won't, but what a cool thing to spend your time trying to do! 

I get to lead a team of 12 and so far everyone seems happy with how they are being led. 

I get to bring my ideas and the ideas of others to fruition.

I get to put my master's degree in Instructional Leadership to great use by learning the language of data analysis and doing things like evaluating year-over-year trends and then drilling down for answers as to why.

I get to develop talent. 

I took this position two weeks before an internal audit and I worked six days a week, 12 hours a day to dig out from a considerable mess, but I did it and was part of a very impressive result campus-wide. I got to establish myself as a person that expects results, not excuses, and that was helpful.

Several people have remarked that my eyes sparkle when I talk about this new position and that can never be a bad thing. 

What else? Let's do this up-to-date thing:

• Helping plan, as part of the social media committee, #MarchAgainstED
• Still working on the Jenny situation--frantically, on occassion. She was just in the hospital for a week getting an endocronological workup. Next step getting sorted still.
• I am writing a lot about eating disorders (links at bottom of the post)
• Danger Boy and Social Butterfly are just about ready to go back to school. Time flies. DB will be a senior and SB hopes to study at University of New South Wales in the spring.
• My nephew, Travis, is living with us. This falls under the never say never category. He's gotten older and wiser (he is 8 days younger than DB) and is ready for some Jenn-style tough love to set him on his way. It's a good thing and I'm really happy we are in this place.
• Grownup Girl and Grownup Guy took a memorable Alaskan cruise and are now ready to focus on starting a family. Can't. Wait!
• So looking forward to a trip this coming weekend to see MVP and Mandy and her parents and attend this concert at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado. The concert was a birthday gift and we're going on our 27th wedding anniversary weekend. How cool is that?

 

 

Ten Things Parents Wish Educators Knew About Eating Disorders (This has been very well received and has been shared internationally and incorporated into at least one schools teacher training curriculum. I'm over the moon about it).

A five-part series for the Dr. Greene site (I am glad I saw his TED talk--cool info I'm sharing with my kiddos about waiting to cut the umbilical cord. Also, DB is impressed with me for being affiliated with someone who did a TED talk).

This post, a rebuttal to a New York Times piece is one I am proud of as I got positive feedback from two writers whose opinions I respect based on their own amazing talents as writers--Mary Petrie and Jocelyn Philaja. 

 

 

 

 

 

In Which I Shamelessly Use My Impending 50th Birthday to Beg for Something

As you may know, I am in countdown mode to my 50th birthday. T-8 days to be precise. I was pretty angsty about the whole thing for about nine months and then I just sort of realized that it was happening regardless (God willing and the creek don't rise) and the internal whinging was not going to make a damn bit of difference so I ought to just move on. And I did. 

But . . .

50 IS a big birthday and it would be a shame to let it pass without some sort of bloggy celebration; after all I've been doing this since I was but a young woman of 42. (Good. Grief.) 

(Insert smooth transition that is just not happening for me writing-wise right now.)

A pretty amazing thing happened today; this piece was published on Yahoo. If you remember, the beginning of all of this was just last week, so it's been quite a whirlwind. The thing I'm most pleased about is all the new recruits to my long-dreamed of Twitter Army of Eating Disorder Awareness Advocates and Activists. People are beginning to believe!

What does this have to do with my birthday?

This journalist, Beth Greenfield, did a fantastic job with the piece; she asked insightful questions and her story reflects what we talked about--that's not always a given. I would love for her editor to see that a story like this--one that raises awareness and highlights advocacy--can generate traffic. 

To that end . . .

For my birthday, I would like all of you--regular commenters, intermittent readers and lurkers alike--to leave a comment on the Yahoo piece. If you would like to put icing on that birthday cake of mine, you could also retweet me--@jugglingjenn--as I am looking to take this story even further; national coverage would be a dream come true.

To get the message out that eating disorders are deadly diseases with a strong neurobiological component and deserve the evidence-based treatment and insurance coverage that is a given for other medical conditions is what I REALLY want for my birthday. 

Will you help a sister out? 

P.S. YES, you do have to have a Yahoo account to comment. It takes less than 30 seconds to sign up. I love you!

 

 

 

Houston, We Have a Problem, Part 3

As a nurse surreptitiously videoed Jenny's room we tiptoed to her doorway, until she caught sight of us . . . Jenny was in utter shock! Enough to hide under the covers, probably thinking we were ghosts!   It would have taken wild horses to hold us back, especially Alyson and Denise, from bee-lining it to Jenny, embracing her, stroking her hair, her face, her hands.  To meet her in person, experiencing the elements of touch, sight, sound and reality, was overwhelming for all of us . . .many tears were shed, and no words will ever be able to convey the magic in the room that night!

Faith, Alyson, Jenny, Denise (aka Jenn)

And to make this visit complete, much to Jenny's dismay, a meal was in order! We went to the cafeteria together. How could we not?   After months of Skyped meal support, It was time for the real deal--macaroni and cheese, french fries and a smoothie. We ate, we laughed, we loved on Jenny!

All too soon, our visit came to an end.  Our goodbyes were quick.  But the afterglow and the impact of that visit lingers till now, and for what will be a lifetime.  A day that forever bonded three PITA Moms and their PITA daughter, that, in a sense, completed a journey from cyberspace to reality.  Nothing can ever take the place of reality . . .a real touch, hug, an eye-to-eye gaze. We hold those moments close to our hearts as we move back into our lives and realities.

Jenny and PITA Mom Denise having a moment/Photo by Faith.

We rejoice that our goal of treatment for Jenny was accomplished, knowing that it took the full efforts of 13 dedicated, fearless and tireless women and all they brought with them, including supportive spouses and families. However, we all agree that this is just the beginning of something way bigger than our original singular goal . . . there really is a method to the PITA madness.  And madness it was at times, but the madness worked and it can work for others suffering from an eating disorder who are unable to access treatment in a conventional manner.  So with Jenny tucked in safely in treatment and PITA moms recovering from caring for her, we are working towards our long-term goals and mission(s).  

One thing we know for certain . . . life will never be the same for any of us again!   We are forever the original PITA Moms!

Like you, we are imperfect, and, like you, we are enough.

 

Meet the PITAs . . . Faith (subtitle: Houston We Have a Problem, Part 1)

My friend, Faith--she hails from Pennsylvania; I swiped this picture from her FB 'cause it's pure Faith! Faith brought acting talent to the PITA Group--which is how we learned Jenny is a talented actress.

I really wanted to edit this post down to blog size, but I couldn't find a single place to cut (except the gratuitous exclamation points; Faith understands that I post multiple exclamation points for no man or woman), so I am posting it in installments.

It all started during a usual PITA Mom FB chat one evening. On which Facebook chat thread I couldn't begin to tell you!  With many going on simultaneously, like MAED moms,Jenny in hospital, bah bah meals, Jenny legal, it's impossible to know which I was in that evening.   Something was mentioned about the FEAST conference, about Becky and Alyson and Denise sharing a room, and an invite to join them in Dallas!   Yeah, right!  Like I could just drop everything, jump on a plane from Philadelphia to Dallas and go to a conference!   Could I?   For a chance to actually meet a few of my fellow PITAs I'd been with on FB every day? Started to sound like something I wanted to make happen!  With a generous scholarship from the conference administration and a credit I could use on Southwwest air, and a hotel room split four ways...heck YES, I'm going to Dallas!

One by one, the four of us arrived, meeting in person for the first time!  We had already shared so many moments together on FB and Skype that sharing a hotel room turned out to be like a girlfriend reunion!  No ice to break, no awkwardness, just four crazy PITAs having a grand time.  Oh, we learned a few things about each other, for sure!  Denise needs ample hair time in the bathroom, and carries an array of combs, brushes, gels and goo to create her sassy doo!  Faith, that's me, can't seem to find anything she just had in her hand, or around her neck!  Where did that name tag go? I KNOW I just had it! (Looks down, in a blonde moment...one of many...and sees it hanging around her neck!)  Alyson, sweet Alyson, likes some quiet and down time....but the chatter in our room rarely stops, and Denise loves to converse at a speed faster than the human ear can detect!  And on many topics at once! How does she do that?   And how can Alyson find the quiet she needs? There are some positives to needing a hearing aid! Becky is our sweet, gentle, love, peace, joy girl.  We learn that zen can also be zany and she fit right in, although zen can only bear one late night of zany!  With many responsibilities at the conference, poor Becky was not going to get the sleep she needed with us in the room; she found a spare bed across the hall!

Tomorrow, we head to Houston!

Denise (aka Jenn @ Juggling Life), Alyson, Faith and Becky. Boy were the snowbirds eager to spend time outside!