I admit that I used to watch “Hee Haw.” I’m entitled: I was born & raised in Oklahoma. “Hee Haw” often featured this little ditty, which seems appropriate to me right now:
Gloom, despair, and agony on me,
Deep, dark depression,
Excessive misery.
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Gloom, despair, and agony on me.
Yesterday two bombs fell in my life. My doctor’s office phoned to say that my recent mammogram looked abnormal, and further procedures will be scheduled. Later in the day, I got the news that the company for which I’ve been doing contract work (my only source of income for four years) is shutting down the service I was working for.
So why am I posting? Dunno. Maybe I want to be cheered up. Maybe I want a shoulder to cry on. I am in a daze right now, and even gloom, despair and agony would be better than feeling blanked out, as I now am.
Hugs to you, and here’s hoping all is good for you on a future day.
I’ve had a couple of “abnormal” mammos, one even resulting in a biopsy, and they were false alarms. There’s actually a debate going on as to the true value of all the preventive screening we do, specifically because of the relatively high rate of false positives. If I can find the article I saw today, I’ll come back with a link.
On the job thing, yeah it sucks to be out of work. Will you be eligible for unemployement benefits? If the whole section is being shut down it is obviously not your fault, and if you’ve been there 4 years you have certainly put in enough time. Check with your state’s unemployment office.
Of the two, of course the job loss is definite, but here’s another way to look at it. I bet that a couple of weeks from now you will have confirmed that the “abnormal” mammogram was not caused by anything dangerous; you will be so glad to hear that, that the temporary loss of a job will be trivial.
Another “it was nothing” mammogram experience. Also, on the retake, the tech had to do the picture over because she was too shy to squeeze me flat enough. :smack:
Sending good thoughts.
pinkfreud :::BIG HUG:::
prayers that everything turns out to be a tempest in a teapot in the boobie dept
At least in FL they recommend filing at the earliest moment for UC so hop to it to deternine your next course of action and best of luck on finding something new.
No mammograms yet, but I did have a “false positive” Pap smear once.
As for the contract work, I’m sorry to say that you’ve fallen into the freelancer’s folly of “all your eggs in one basket.” Lots of us do it, but it sure is risky. I have four major baskets myself, and a few smaller ones here and there, and some think that’s not even enough. Take a few days to wallow, and then dust yourself off and use your experience to get some more baskets. Ask for referrals from the people you worked with. Start doing some serious networking, get your name out there. Tell everybody you know and meet that you’re looking for work and what fabulous skills you have. If you have biz cards, hand them out like candy. If you don’t have biz cards, get some! They’re a good investment.
Good luck to you! Keep us posted and keep your chin up.
I appreciate the support, y’all. Regarding unemployment compensation, I’m ineligible. I was an independent contractor, not an official employee. No benefits, no health insurance, no severance, no unemployment comp. Nada. Just an email saying that they’re shutting things down Friday at midnight and thanking us for our “tremendous contributions and dedication.”
Sending good thoughts your way pinkfreud. Is there a friend whose house you could go to and drink cocoa (or whatever) with and just have some sympathetic company? Do look into unemployment, I don’t see why you wouldn’t qualify for something. I’ll be thinking of you, and wishing you the best.
I just saw your post about being ineligible. Ouch! Here’s to hoping you can find at least a temporary pick up job that will hold you until you can find more steady work. Good luck.
Another “abnormal mammo turned out to be nothing” here. They did a couple more views, then a follow-up sonogram, and told me it was just a couple of fluid-filled cysts, absolutely nothing to worry about. Here’s hoping yours turns out to be nothing, too!
And good thoughts towards you finding another job quickly!
Sorry for your troubles. Here’s hoping it’s all a big nothing. We have lots of success stories here and I’m sure you’ll be one of them.