5 Months

December:

 I decided to skip Christmas this year and work at PCS. It was kind of like Christmas Study abroad. I started off with 4 consecutive days of 15 hour shifts...one of them I was left alone on the cottage (what other staff is willing to work Christmas Eve?)(Also, can we say major liability.) (Had like 6 emergency calls.)

 K said it was her worst Christmas Ever. We still managed to smile through it all.

I finished the 4 days and still found it in me to work some regular shifts, and three more doubles that week. Morale hit an all time low between staff. My last day of the ordeal, a patient tried to choke me twice--don't worry guys I used my Kung Fu. We were then trying to restrain her and she gave me a double black eye, kicking me in the face. I flew to Cali, took seven days off and told PCS not to call.

In Cali after the ordeal... I slept so much that week.

January:

I decided to test my limits on how many consecultive days I could work before taking a day off. I said yes to every shift they asked for...early mornings, late nights, and double shifts. I made it 3 weeks. I felt silly because there are people who work harder and last longer... but I knew I had to rest. I was finishing up my 3rd double in a row, at the end of three weeks, when a staff thought it would be funny to throw a snow ball at me. I went ballistic. That night I stood at the back of the hallway absolutely reeling and in agony from dealing with PCS BS... There wasn't enough female staff for anyone to trade me out. Looking back January Sucked.

This is what its like everyday at PCS.

 February:

 I used to work with the middle school girls all the time. Some of them are BIG girls...occasionally my anxiety will flare up and I'll be in a panic... What if I get beat today? What if there's a riot? What if a few gang up on staff and hurt us enough and we are sent to the hospital? KD and I were having the same feelings, but survived the day so we took a silly photo.

We're alive and didn't get assaulted today :)

On Valentines Day I woke up feeling awful. I was not sure what medically was going on, but was legit half asleep, till I was sent outside to facilitate gym time. The cold must have stimmed my brain. I worked up to the last minute and hopped a jet to Long Beach that night, followed by Disneyland.

PCS Break

                                                March: 

I started grad school interviews the first week and had a horrible experience in Omaha, which sent me jogging to the school/interview. BioCored Training, and a week in ATL. It was like a step back into my old life. PCS was fine. Though coming back is extremely difficult and 5 days can feel like 5 weeks... No Easter for me this year---We joked about the "Year Without Holidays." But let me shout out to all my amazing Atheist friends who worked Easter. You can always count on them stepping up to work during major Christian holidays.

April: 

PCS is not a place for the faint of heart, the weak, or the lazy. A staff who works extremely hard 70+ hours a week was running late one Sunday morning. I was panicking because in no way could I run the volatile middle school girls alone. She finally arrived, sat on the floor and started to cry. She was close to 80 hours and was facing a 14 hour day. I felt morally obligated to step up and  to take her place for the second shift. Having her work with such emotional distress was not right. Thank goodness for amazing friends like K who said, "If you're staying, I'm staying." Cue Troy Bolton.

 Also there was some Disney Time in April. I made a video of all my favorite California things, but new clothes and Disneyland were the highlights.

Princess Shot