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THR Hipster Girl Recovery Thread

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@Hipster Girl, good vibes flowing for this work week, friend, and for leads on the perfect position for you. I am so sorry that your once happy work place has become so solemn. May your next position bring back the smiles and comaraderie!
I will never understand the push to hire 'green' workers over those with experience. A nice balance is what's needed. As a nation, we are throwing away some of our most valuable resources: the committed, seasoned worker. We will (and are) paying for that.
The massage sounded lovely! Hooray for you for being able to lie on your stomach! That has never been comfortable for me and even less so since surgery. Hopefully that improves with time. :)
Woot! I think some time at Kinsale by the sea would be a lovely thing when all of us hippies are ready!
Have a great day, Hipster. :)
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! and @DeepBreath and @Cynthia777

Thanks for popping in - it's been an interesting week and it just flew by. The new hires are very, very nice. I asked them to lunch the first day and we went and chatted and it honestly felt like I had known them for years. It was interesting when one of them blessed our meal, then it started a conversation about faith and hearing their stories about how they were out of work and praying to find a job, it was mind-blowing to me to see how God was working things out on their side while at the very same time I was getting the impression from praying that God had been leading me to not relocate and felt it was time for me to move on from this company. I am so grateful I got to hear their stories because it helped me to see the big picture and how God was working both sides of the mountain, opening their door while closing this particular door for me, if that makes any sense.

One of the ladies was in my exact position where she was told in December she was losing her job and she only had two months' notice. The other is a single mom of two kids who has been out of work for about six months.They are both strong women of faith. If they lived locally, I am sure we would become great friends.

Now the only puzzle piece left to fall into place is obviously for me to find a new job, but talking to these ladies helped me to kind of see how God was weaving this whole thing together so I am pretty sure He isn't going to forget about me now. My faith waivers sometimes because it's a very scary position to be in but hearing their stories made me feel so much better. They are even praying for me to find a new job, how awesome is that!

The training itself, well that's another story because I do a lot of intricate processes and it will months for them to truly "get it" and feel comfortable, just like it did me, and I think they got a little flustered with some of it. It took about a year for me to be fully trained and comfortable with my current responsibilities so there is no way someone can be expected to pick it up in two weeks. It's not realistic. But I have typed out detailed instructions and offered for them to call me any time after I'm gone and I will be more than happy to help them when they get confused on something. I want them to do well and succeed in their new roles. It is a great company and I have been blessed to work there for so many years. I wish my time there wasn't coming to a close but there is a time and a season for everything, right? :yes:
 
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Now isn't it interesting how The Lord placed those particular ladies right in your lap to minister to you? I think the most difficult lesson we need to learn is to trust in Him (especially if one is somewhat of a control freak like me). God is good and He will take care of you in HIS timing! Remember, nothing is by coincidence! In His timing (Whoa! Sorry about the Sunday morning sermon...I just couldn't help myself)! :heehee:
You have such wonderful work ethics, which is SO ha d to find! Whoever is fortunate enough to hire you, is going to be one VERY lucky company!
 
Hi @Hipster Girl, Yes. Things always seem to work out, somehow. You've really been making the effort to find work. I'm glad that you had a nice lunch and that you got to know these women. It sounds like you are an excellent teacher.

Oh, I read about your hoodie on my thread. If you take a large safety pin, and hook it through the drawstring, (and close it,) you can inch it around to the other side and pull it out from there. My mom taught me how to do that. It works really well. No sewing required.
 
I would like to know how people ice their wounds. When I put ice water in an ice bag, water condenses on the outside surface. How do you keep this condensate from wetting the stitched wound during the first couple of weeks post-op?
 
@Clipper, Hi and welcome! :) I think a lot of us have gone the freezable gel pack route (see picture below). They are readily available on Amazon and probably at stores like Walmart and Target. They are so nice because you can use them over and over and they don't freeze so hard that they're rigid...even straight out of the freezer you can bend them around the area of the hip/leg you want to ice.
Just a suggestion (because you are always welcome to post on any thread) but if you go to the upper right portion of the Hip Replacement Recovery Area page, you will see a black tab that says Post New Thread. If you click on that you can start your own thread and it's more likely that any questions, etc will be seen and more promptly answered. We're glad you're here and we'd sure like to hear your story and help you in any way we can. :)

[Bonesmart.org] Hipster Girl Recovery Thread
 
@Hipster Girl, aww, reading your update was wonderful. It is always amazing to me to experience the people I truly feel God puts in our path. I call them Undercover Angels. :)
Those new workers are so incredibly fortunate to have you there beginning their training. It might take them a good chunk of time to fully learn the needed skills, but they undoubtedly have the very best start from having worked with you.
You will find something, friend...I just know it. There truly is a time and place for all things (and it's hard as heck to wait for it sometimes!!!)
Sending tons of good wishes and prayers out for you. Keep the faith....
*HUGS*
 
@Cynthia777 how right you are that the most difficult thing to do is trust. I like to be in control as well and it is so hard for me when something happens that it outside of my control...it causes me a lot of anxiety, so I am probably learning a lesson in trust through this situation. Thanks for your kind words on my work ethic. When I was a young girl, my grandparents taught me that if someone is paying you to do a job, then you owe it to them to do the best job you can, and that's just something that has always stuck with me. Admittedly I also love that feeling of accomplishment after a particularly productive day - it's just a great feeling to know I've earned my paycheck. :)

@DeepBreath I love what you said about Undercover Angels. It does seem that God puts certain people in our path at certain times when you can't help but recognize it is from Him. It's like a big hug from above! And thank you for the encouragement on the training and the job search. I have taken a breather from sending applications until I am done with my current job because it was just too much, but like you, I think there is a time and place for all things. So I just need to practice patience, which admittedly has never been my strong suit :)

@Hip Hip Hooray! I just KNEW you would know what to do with the hoodie! Thank you, I am going to follow your instructions and hopefully I can get it to work. I will keep you updated! :yes!:

@Clipper hi and welcome! are you putting ice water in the bag or just ice? I noticed in your post you mentioned ice water? I have used those gel packs that @DeepBreath suggests and also bought one of those little old-fashioned blue ice bags with the cap that you screw off and put ice inside. I didn't have any problem with condensation from those. Another trick is to put your ice pack inside a pillow case. I hope you find something that works for you since icing is a natural pain reliever and very beneficial to this recovery, particularly in the early days. :yes:
 
@Hipster Girl, I hear ya about the patience thing, friend. Like you, I like to be in control. I have always said that I will put things in God's hands and then very quickly grab them out so I can fiddle with them again...of course, without any satisfying result. :heehee:
I think your approach to the end of your current job is a good one. It sounds like it takes a lot of physical and mental energy to do what you need to do. It also takes a lot to be putting in applications and interviewing. If you were to try to do both right now, they both might suffer. I'm wondering if the grand plan isn't for you to find something just right and then BOOM, your full attention will be needed for preparing for your new opportunity. Wrapping things up at your job now wouldn't be conducive to that situation.
You'll love how easy it is to rethread your drawstring for your hoodie. Much easier than trying to do it with a needle and thread. :)
Have a great weekend, friend!
 
@Hip Hip Hooray! it sounds like it should be fairly easy but I am VERY challenged when it comes to stuff like that. I'm anxious to try but now I can't find the drawstring! I had placed it somewhere so I wouldn't lose it and wouldn't you know it, now I can't find it.... I know it's around here somewhere although it actually came off when I was at the grocery store awhile back and I discovered it when I got home and drove back to the store and it was in the parking lot right where I had parked. I'll look for it some more today.

@DeepBreath you are so right, it takes a lot of energy to both work and look for work - it was just too much all at once and something had to give. I am surprised how tired I have been. I'm pushing through on coffee and adrenaline and I have slept in until 9:00 both today and yesterday and I never sleep that late. That darn time change doesn't help either and it always takes a good week or two for me to adjust to it also. I sure hope you are right about the grand plan - that would be awesomesauce! :)

Last weekend I went to the gym and was talking to my gym buddy and told her about my work situation and so she checked with a few people she knew to see if they knew of any jobs for me (which they didn't but it was so kind of her to check). Well yesterday I ran into her again and she told me she was blindsided on Friday by her company telling her to come in to the office (she worked from home) and they told her they were eliminating her position effectively immediately. No advanced notice whatsoever. My jaw dropped with how quickly it happened and she didn't see it coming.

She is middle-aged like me but has let her hair go completely gray. She was talking about how she feels the need to change her hair color now to make herself appear younger while looking for work. She said the same thing is happening at her company where they are getting rid of the highly experienced 50+ workers and bringing in the green 20 somethings. It's such a shame this keeps happening. She has decades of experience and 3 degrees and is out of a job?? The good thing for her is she is married and her husband works so they do have another income to fall back on. I told her about the career workshop I attended in January and there is another one coming up in May that we should go to if we aren't working yet by then. They sometimes have local companies there who are recruiting so it could be a good chance to talk to them in person and maybe get past that resume black hole. Of course I hope we are both gainfully employed by May so we have to cancel our reservation, that's the goal. :yes:
 
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Is letting go of older employees some kind of trend occurring? What's up with that? Boy, it makes my blood boil and makes me want to get out there and protest (don't get me started on politics)! Simply ridiculous!!! :tantrum2:

I really like the idea of face to face meetings, instead of sending resumes to the "black hole"! I know here in California, oftentimes there are job fairs one can attend and sit face to face with employers looking for those "right people" to fill their vacancies. I just know if you could attend one of these, your chances of being hired would improve drastically because you present yourself so well.
 
Hi @Hipster Girl, I'm sorry your misplaced the drawstring. I'm sure you'll find it...it's right where you left it. (I always tell myself that when I lose something.) Sometimes I wonder if the anesthesia has affected my memory. I'm glad you went back and found it in the parking lot! I think you'll be surprised how easy it is to thread it back through and push and pull it along to the other side. I feel the same way about photos and technology. I know I should be able to do it, but it kind of freaks me out.

That's too bad about your friend. In your case, though, I remember you saying that your company wanted to keep you. Moving at this age is so different than relocating when you're 20. It's challenging when we have to search for work. I feel the same way about keeping my hair brown. It's kind of a strange pressure. For some reason, when I'm grey I feel like it makes me look seventy. I hope you both find something soon. That was nice of her to recommend you to her contacts. The career workshop sounds like a good idea. You are smart to set goals.
 
@Cynthia777 yes sadly, this is the trend. There is an Age Discrimination Act that companies are supposed to abide by when hiring but in practice they don't. The job fairs are a good idea; I will have to look into those. I think I present myself better in person because I don't look my age. On paper, they may think I'm too old but I don't look like that in person, especially now with my new hips.

@Hip Hip Hooray! you're right, my company wanted to keep me - I just didn't want to relocate. There is downsizing going on throughout the company though. I'm glad I had a choice but sadly, not everyone was as fortunate to be offered relocation and some of them would have been willing to make the move. Those are the ones I feel really bad for because they had no say in the matter.

I know what you mean about the hair color - I only get gray stragglers but I try to cover them asap. The drawstring will turn up. You're right - it's right where I left it. :heehee:
 
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@Hipster Girl, you must need that sleep and it's no wonder. You're going through a lot physically and emotionally right now. Take good care of yourself. :)
That is just terrible about the lady from the gym. Your statement: 'She has decades of experience and 3 degrees and is out of a job?' really resonates. The same can be said about my husband as far as the experience and degrees go. He will be about 55 when he finally retires from the military and we wonder what his job prospects will be like. I guess time will tell. This ageist trend is terrible. I agree with @Cynthia777...it makes my blood boil. I also agree about face to face interviews. It is so much easier to 'sell yourself' if you can look someone in the eye and let them know about your experience and skills.
I loved your 'awesomesauce' reference. :)
I hope you have a terrific day and a wonderful upcoming week!
 
@DeepBreath it truly is awful - it's like they feel we have no value after we reach a certain age when in reality, there is no substitute for experience. Companies are following this trend to their own detriment and they don't even realize it.
I love your new spring avatar - very beautiful!:SUNsmile:
 
@Hipster Girl - Wow you have an awful lot going on! Lots to juggle! I'm glad you're taking a break applying to new jobs while you are training the new empoyees. Too much!

But I'm glad the training is going so well. Sounds like you are an effective and patient teacher. And the new employees were nice so things weren't awkward at all like you were worried they might be.

I think face to face is the way to go with the job hunting. (And wear your fabulous new interview shoes for good luck!) I bet that will get you some serious leads if not an interview and/or job!

I recall reading some data (probably when I was job hunting) about how workers over 50 are more reliable, loyal and amicable and have less absenteeism than younger workers. I wonder if employers just think they can pay younger employees much less? But the they may also get - much less.

I hope this week is a fine one for you and you continue to enjoy the company of those new employees. May the perfect job come to you at the perfect time! :yes!:
 
@Hipster Girl, it truly is a crying shame that some companies do not value experience. Gosh, I like myself so much better now and have a much greater sense of self than I did when I was younger. Not to bash young folks, but to just dismiss people because their hair might be showing gray and they have some laugh lines is ridiculous.
Thank you for the compliment on my avatar. I just love it. Butterflies are my favorites and I thought they looked so pretty and springy with the flowers. :) On this first day of spring here we are in the high 40's and it's raining. Oh well, it's the thought that counts. :wink:
 
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