I Passed

Monday, May 23, 2011

This morning I took and passed the Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker exam!!! Wait, let me throw in a few more exclamation points...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This means that I can practice the full range of social work (within my personal range of competence) without working under another licensed social worker. In 2 years I'll also be able to provide supervision for others to get licensed. I have a LOT more career options now. At some point I'd like to semi-retire, do private practice, supervision, maybe some training & consulting and now that's a possibility. Oh, I can also bill insurance now if I get contracted with insurance companies.

That's the long term stuff. Right now I'm at Starbucks drinking tea & taking advantage of free wi-fi while I calm down. I need to see if I can make my anemia clinic appt earlier since it didn't take 4 hours for the test, stop by the MS Society office, and treat myself to a cheap and very fatty lunch at Dick's Drive-In. (If you ever visit Seattle, it's a must-do. I recommend Dick's preceeded or followed by window shopping at Archie McPhee's and the Erotic Bakery as the ultimate fun budget date. But I digress...) The best part of lunch at Dick's is my about-to-graduate college daughter will have to wait on me, he, he, he.

Tonight it's back on the diet and start doing hip exercises. I've got surgery in 3 weeks, after all.

Whew!

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License Exam Tomorrow

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Ack! Tomorrow is a big-deal high-stakes license exam for me. I have to be on time or they won't let me in. I have to bring 2 forms of ID and 2 permission letters or they won't let me in. I have to put everything I own in a locker and let them scan my palm or they won't let me in. I'm not allowed to pee unsupervised at the test site. And THEN I have to go try to pass the damned test!

It's supposed to be a test of things I should already know (hah!) but social workers do such a wide range of things there is no way anyone can know the whole field. I probably should have been studying harder but with husband's health, my health, up-coming surgery, re-fi on the house, 2 jobs... well, you get the idea. My recurring dream from the end of my Master's program is back, the one where a last review of my records finds me deficient and they take away my degree and I lose my job. Oh, and my neck and stomach hurt. Last night I ate a pint of Haagen Daz and today I can't eat at all.

So, today I cram. Tomorrow I get up pre-dawn & go fight Seattle traffic to be sure to be early--or they won't let me in. Take the test. If I pass, all is good and the worry is for nothing. If I fail, I'm embarassed, out $300, and take it again after my hip is better. I am so looking forward to Tuesday...

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Back at it!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I have been stuck at/around 305 lbs since at least the last time I posted. Very frustrating! I think I've been making relatively good food choices, but have not been consistently tracking my meals or posting here like I did in the beginning. Hmmm...think that might have something to do with the scale being stuck? If nothing else, I know I'm retaining more water than when I was semi-obsessing about my sodium intake.

Ordinarily I'd be more than fine with a brief plateau. It gives my skin time to catch up to my weight loss! But I'm on a deadline for surgery June 14th. So...to make myself accountable I'm announcing that I WILL resume tracking what I eat daily and WILL post either a blog or a comment at least 5 days per week. There, that should fix everything!

On other fronts, my social work license exam is Monday! Ack!!! Pray for me, lol. That afternoon I go to the anemia clinic for a pre-surgery shot of EPO to raise my red blood count. Can I plan a fun day off work or what?

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6-14-11

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

My hip replacement surgery date just got moved up 10 days. Now I'm on the calendar for 6/14/11! Guess that means I'd better get back to logging my food & being an active Spark person--need to lose at least 10 more lbs by then. Ack!

Diane

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Reset

Monday, April 11, 2011

I don't know if anyone but me is paying attention, but I changed my start weight. I lost 5 lbs the week before starting SP and didn't include it originally. BUT, it has been driving me slightly batty to have to add 5 lbs to everything on here. So, even though I didn't loose it with SP, I'm adding in the 5lbs. Which now "officially" brings me to 30 lbs lost instead of the 25 that would have shown without the correction. Can't blame me for wanting credit for it all!

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