Anyway, the facility I work at is beautiful. Everyone who walks in our doors that has never been there before always ends up commenting on how really cool it is inside. It's built to look like a town square. Our ceiling has been painted by a local artist to look like the sky. There are street lights and beautiful hardwood floors. Also the hallways make a large rectangle for those wanting to walk for fitness. 11 laps and you've walked a mile. There is a cafe/coffee shop, art room, ceramics room, a fitness center, game room with pool tables and a large dining hall. We also have companies that have rented space within the building that serve a lot of the seniors as well as the community in general such as a beauty salon, a medical clinic and a blood center. Our large hall is booked out often for events such as wedding receptions, birthday parties, etc.
The members are so fantastic. They have completely busted thru every stereo-type I've had about seniors, especially after working at the hospital. I sit at the front desk so I see pretty much all of them as they come in the door and while I don't know all of their names (yet) I do know quite a few and I think they ALL know mine. I love sitting there and hearing "Hi Amy!" "Good morning, Amy!" "How's Amy today?" over and over. The entire staff is great. My first week there I also had to finish up my last week at the hospital and I told all of my friends at the hospital that my new co-workers act like the employees of the hospital should act. Everyone is friendly to everyone and everyone only wants to help everyone else, no matter who they are, a co-worker, one of our members or even a stranger off the street. Of course we all have our moments sometimes, I don't want to make it sound like I work in some sort of fairy tale land, but for the most part it's pretty damn great.
Of course I did have them wondering what was happening about a month after I was hired when I woke up on a Friday and I couldn't open my eye. It was all crusty and gross. "Great. Pink eye." I thought. So I called in and headed to the express clinic where I was told, "Yep, it's pink eye. Here's some drops, you'll be good to go back to work by Monday." Come Monday my eye was still swollen but I was told I was no longer contagious so I headed in to work. Well our senior center also has an adult day center and I wasn't there 5 minutes when I was sent home by the RN from the day center. "Come back when you're better. Just in case." I went home, called my regular doctor and she saw me late that afternoon. She was a little worried by what she saw so she referred me to an opthamologist. My appointment with them was the day after that and by that time my eye looked a little something like this:
I couldn't open it much. Things got pretty interesting at the eye doctor's office. I was called back, the doctor came in, took a quick look at my eye without touching me, asked what happened and she then told me what I had has gone viral, it was EXTREMELY contagious and that it was probably going to get worse before it got better and that she can't prescribe anything for me. Oh, and it usually lasts about 2 weeks, at least. TWO WEEKS??? I've only had this for...one, two, three...five days and I still have another...a lot of days to go???? Then she called in a nurse, told the nurse I had some fancy word for "the funky eye" and please escort me to the door to ensure I do not touch anyone or anything. The nurse and I stopped by the front desk, she told the receptionist I had a fancy word for the funky eye and, "Please be sure to wipe down your entire work area after processing her paperwork." From there she actually did walk me to the door and she told me I would be billed for my visit.
WOW.
The next day, (Wednesday for those of you keeping track) my eye actually hurt. Up until this time it didn't really hurt at all but Wednesday was when it started to feel like there was sand under my eyelid and the swelling was putting a lot of pressure on my eye. Also until this point all I had pretty much been doing at home was washing my hands constantly and doing laundry. Wednesday afternoon I ran out of paper towels (from drying my hands) and laundry soap. I had to go out in public. I donned a pair of shades (which almost didn't fit, by the way because my eye was so swollen it would brush up against the inside of my sunglasses every time I blinked) and I headed to Wal-Mart. By Friday I noticed a big difference in my eye. It was actually looking better! On Saturday I was even so brave as to wear makeup and on Monday I went back to work. Two weeks, my ass! They don't know what caused it but I told everyone on Facebook that it's because Adam most likely farted on my pillow, and that's the story I'm sticking to, kids.
Next up...a surprise trip to the windy city!
