Story time!

[lfig]

Chapter 1: The Babysitter

We had a wonderful babysitter who was watching S that got pregnant and was suffering from pretty severe morning sickness. So she needed to take a step back from babysitting. So I was left to find someone new after I returned to work after SIP ended.

Enter new babysitter. She is addicted to games on her phone. The entire time I’m there she’s looking at her phone.

She is also always talking trash on the parents of other kids she’s watching. Which makes me wonder what she says to them about me.

She also seems to just always be binge watching something on Netflix. All day. Every day. Which, fine...I like to do that too sometimes. But not when people are paying me to watch their kid!

S comes home looking like a raga muffin every day. I don’t expect her to keep her hair and clothes perfect by any means, but her hair is barely held together by he ponytail at the end of the day. How hard is it to re-do the ponytail so her hair is out of her face. Also, I’ve never had trouble with diapers leaking. But now she comes home in different pants about 3/5 days. Which tells me she is not changing her when needed and she’s leaking because it’s too full.

She also doesn’t want to help with potty training. Her exact words were “I’d rather change diapers all day then run a kid back and forth to the toilet all day. “

I’m seeking other options but it’s limited. I’m hopeful that we can switch next month when we go back to school. But....ugh! It’s just annoying, frustrating, and sucks.

[nam2013]

lfig this is all beyond ridiculous... this is a job not a way to pass time!!! I’m so for you, and for S, for not having a baby sitter who can appreciate what a wonderful girl S is who deserves time and attention.

Any chance the other baby sitter can return if her Morning sickness subsided a bit?

[lfig]

Chapter 2: The Nurse

So S had an infusion 2 weeks ago. We got a new nurse because the one we had for the last year switched companies.

New nurse arrives and looks like she picked her scrubs off of the pile on the floor. Smelled like she hadn’t showered in days. She goes to start the IV and is shaking horribly. Not surprising, she misses the vein. Does it again and gets the vein but almost lost it because of shaking and not holding S well. Then she fumbles with with IV pump. Can’t figure out how to get it together. Then has trouble with the IV line. Has to switch lines. Fumbles more. Drops the glass bottle with the medicine in it (thankfully didn’t bust). What should have taken 6 hours, took 8. She told me about her brother in prison. Then about her kids deadbeat dad. Things you don’t really tell strangers. 🤷‍♀️. Then when MH walked in uniform she got real nervous and started shaking again. She started cussing when she couldn’t get the pump going right. Just overall unprofessional.

I mean, I hate to be picky. But she legit seemed like she was having withdrawals from something. And her hygiene was terrible. When you have someone sticking needles into you child, you’d kinda like someone with good hygiene. Thankfully she wore masks and gloves.

I called the nursing company and apparently I’m not the first complaint they’ve had. But from the sounds of it, I might have been the last one for her. They assured me she would not be back at our house!

[lfig]

Chapter 3: Work and Rona and Family

So most of you know I work at a National Park. Amidst all the Corona Virus stuff, everyone feels safer going camping for vacation than to Disney. So EVERYONE is coming here. NO ONE is wearing masks. It’s basically life as normal here. I am run ragged at work trying to cover all aspects of my job the best I can. But it’s so busy it’s hard to squeeze everything in.

On top of that, MY FAMILY decided to come a month ago and are back now too. My aunt was going to come this week and bring her daughter that just traversed Arizona and California for something photography class. When I told her I wasn’t comfortable with them visiting the day after my cousin returned from this 10 day trip she got mad and hung up. She thought we were making a big deal out of nothing. Well, she now has the Rona and is miserable. And her daughter has a fever and is still waiting results. Needless to say, they aren’t coming anymore.

[lfig]

Chapter 4: Epilepsy

With S’s seizures not getting any better despite being on 4 different seizure meds, we have decided to pursue the next option. So in a month or so we will have a VNS (vagus nerve stimulator) device implanted in her. It’s basically like a pacemaker for the brain. It will send electronic signals to the nerve (which goes to the brain) for 30 seconds every 5 minutes. It’s supposed to help stop seizures and/or minimize them. With the potential to come off some meds IF it works. It’s about 50/50 on if it will help or not.

[lfig]

Whew. That’s the gist of the stuff I eluded to yesterday. I didn’t want to clog up the daily with it. And I really just wanted to gripe about a few things. Lol.

[lfig]

Jul 18, 2020 13:02:47 GMT -6 nam2013 said:

lfig this is all beyond ridiculous... this is a job not a way to pass time!!! I’m so for you, and for S, for not having a baby sitter who can appreciate what a wonderful girl S is who deserves time and attention.

Any chance the other baby sitter can return if her Morning sickness subsided a bit?

Unfortunately no, she said she is not going to babysit anymore with the baby on the way. 😞

[peachsmama]

Jesus. Thats alot. What a shitty baby sitter! And big fuck no to a shaky person putting in an IV on anyone, let alone a child! I hope things calm down for you guys soon!

[jewels]

Wow lfig that is a lot to deal with

[tgrimes]

Goodness lfig! I’m so sorry.

[wineallthetime]

Woahhhhh. So much!

Have you tried talking to babysitter about your expectations?

There's more I want to say but I'm drinking wine with kids crawling on me so it's escaped me!

[tallb]

Oh man lfig I'm sorry you are dealing with all of this. The sitter sounds like misery, I'm not sure how to deal with that but hoping you can find someone better. Glad the nurse won't be back, yikes. I bet work is overwhelming and we are stressed about family and how to navigate that too, I'm sorry they aren't understanding 😔

[wedding]

I’m sorry lfig. That sitter is horrible. There’s got to be other options. It sounds like she has no care for S. That makes me so sad.

[lahdeedah]

lfig It’s like everything is hitting you at once. I’m sorry it’s been rough. Especially for S with the bad babysitter and infusion nurse. I hope things turn around in the next few weeks and y’all can get back on track.

[kim22]

lfig I’m so sorry. How do you feel about Ohio? I vote for peachsmama to be S’s new sitter.

[peachsmama]

Jul 18, 2020 20:20:04 GMT -6 kim22 said:

lfig I’m so sorry. How do you feel about Ohio? I vote for peachsmama to be S’s new sitter.

Yes please!!!

[Sunny41]

Wow! What a ride you are on. Adding ask this stuff on top of normal summer work and Rona is a lot. I hope there is a better sitter in your future. Have you checked with local churches, maybe they know of someone responsible?

[guster]

That is A LOT, lfig. I really hope you can find another babysitter!

[flamingo]

Ooh that's a good idea Sunny41, maybe someone affiliated with a church nursery or something? I know at our church all the helpers are background checked, etc. Some are teens but there are older women, too, and many do sitting for church families on the side.

lfig I have been thinking about you b/c I noticed you haven't been around as much. Sorry this is all hitting at once. WTF to that sitter (and omg to the nurse...yikes!). Hope someone much better is on the horizon. You sound like you have a remarkably good attitude about everything, all things considered. Hang in there!

[lfig]

Thanks everyone! I’ve got some feelers out right now trying to find another option babysitter wise. We are in a very rural small town so we don’t have the kind of options a lot of you have. And with no family here it’s even tougher.

[trtlcrzy]

Hopefully all that bad stuff is behind you so now things can start looking up. I hope S doesn’t have to wait too long for her surgery and you can find a better sitter ASAP.

[mwhip]

Wow lfig, sorry you are going through all that at once.
I would sit the sitter down and tell her your expectations. Maybe she will change, but likely not, all while looking for someone better. There has to be someone out there that can provide S the care she deserves.
And WTF to that infusion nurse. If they had complaints previously, why would they send her? I'm so glad you called and complained so no one else has to deal with that bullshit. My first thought was she was hungover and overslept, regardless, not someone you want putting a needle into your child!
I hope your aunt apologizes for hanging up on you.
I hope things turn a corner for you and life gets less stressful!

[yummeecookee]

Oy..... what a mess. I’m sorry you have all these issues to deal with at once! When does the next nurse come in? I’m really hoping they have someone more professional to send you!

[vino]

Oh my goodness, this is a lot. I agree to sit down with clear expectations from the babysitter, all of what she is doing is not good. Yikes! FX that you're able to find someone quickly, if not peachsmama is a perfect solution

That nurse can GTFO, I am glad that you complained and she wont be back.

Sorry but I am laughing at the people who are all, 'COVID is nothing, it's just a cold/flu'...oh wait I've got it now and feel like shit, please feel for me....hmmmmmm.

[vino]

oh and also, camping is taking off here as well. There isnt a campsite to be found and RV sales are through the roof. It's not working out for us this year cause MH was away but I'll be waiting cash in hand when the people who bought all these brands new RV's on a COVID whim are inevitably ready to sell next year.

[klong11]

Dang, that's a lot. I hope you are able to find a new babysitter that works. Glad you complained about the infusion nurse, she soudns like she needed to be fired.
What is the recovery period for the vns? Is that similar to the one they use for parkinson's patients?

[lfig]

Jul 20, 2020 8:29:12 GMT -6 vino said:

Oh my goodness, this is a lot. I agree to sit down with clear expectations from the babysitter, all of what she is doing is not good. Yikes! FX that you're able to find someone quickly, if not peachsmama is a perfect solution

That nurse can GTFO, I am glad that you complained and she wont be back.

Sorry but I am laughing at the people who are all, 'COVID is nothing, it's just a cold/flu'...oh wait I've got it now and feel like shit, please feel for me....hmmmmmm.

Yes, I kinda snickered a little when I found out she had it. Not that I want her to be sick...but...it did kind of drive the point home. 🤷‍♀️

[lfig]

Jul 20, 2020 8:43:22 GMT -6 vino said:

oh and also, camping is taking off here as well. There isnt a campsite to be found and RV sales are through the roof. It's not working out for us this year cause MH was away but I'll be waiting cash in hand when the people who bought all these brands new RV's on a COVID whim are inevitably ready to sell next year.

Smart lady! I’m certain that you will be able to get a deal!!

[lfig]

Jul 20, 2020 8:48:34 GMT -6 klong11 said:

Dang, that's a lot. I hope you are able to find a new babysitter that works. Glad you complained about the infusion nurse, she soudns like she needed to be fired.
What is the recovery period for the vns? Is that similar to the one they use for parkinson's patients?

I hadn’t heard that it was used for Parkinson’s as well so I just googled and looks like it’s the same thing.

It’s an outpatient surgery, and they said she’d only need to stay home a day or two after.

[vino]

Is the surgery scheduled already lfig? Is there anything major you need to do before?