My Health Care Journey

When I began this journey I thought for sure I would be one of those CSI girls helping stop people from harming others. In high school that's what I thought I was gonna do. The school I attended had a program called Med-Prep and it prepared you for a job in Health care. We learned in the first quarter of school all the Medical Terminology and got college credits for this class if we wanted. We studied Anatomy Physiology, we inflated pig lungs in the mechanics shop with an air compressor, we learned how to staple pig hearts from surgery. We learned how to be incredible first aid and certified nurse aids if you could pass the test. I didn't pass the first responder test, my teacher had so much faith in me she pushed me to succeed and I loved her for that. But no matter what I just couldn't take the test or any tests for that matter, I would black out and loose everything I was taught. It kinda ruined my belief in myself to succeed in the traditional way going to school was pointless if I couldn't take tests. I took the Certified Nurse Aid state test like 6 times and failed them all. I still went to work as a care giver on the floor of a Nursing home and worked for a year and a half, until one of the ladies I was close with passed on. I was so young and this caring for 105 people was just too much, who died in threes every month. I hoped I could find something else that would suit me better and I did shortly after I quit and wrote to state and turned in the whole operation at that particular place. For the things they did at that place were appalling and I vowed then to never work that kinda place again. I haven't set foot in another institution since then, 10 years now.
I have never been the traditional person to believe in education was my only ticket to winning in life. I began work at a very small assisted living, where I tortured these poor residents with my horrible cooking at the time and lack of experience with doing anything. I started working with a young man who I had gone to high school with he had autism and we had so much fun together. We would go out to eat and movies, ride horses, do his job and just read and hang out it was a blast.
I was then wondering what else could one do in a valley this small what other places could I conquer, feeling that youthful I'm gonna take over the world. I landed my next job that was the best thing that ever happened. I was working for a Hospital owned Assisted living. I loved this job I quickly worked my self up in rank and became the Administrative Activities Director, and I preformed all the jobs that were required to fill this spot. I did medication administering they got me licensed for that, then I did all the laundry helped with prepping meals and helped give baths and showers and managed the activities calender. I learned how to cook from world class chefs it was such an amazing time. We had students come in for poetry reading, play rehearsal, Valentines Day, Christmas was always sad but a lot of fun. We tried to make it a wonderful place and help the residents with what they needed and wanted.
There were two ladies who were so particular about their food intake that it was driving our kitchen staff nuts along with us who had to serve it. I mean they were going to start a war with the Hospital about the quality of food they were given. Both coming from the generation when it was okay to have slaves and living in south Africa these women knew what it was like to eat right from the garden. That was something I never experienced before. They wanted food right from the ground and I didn't realize at the time why they wanted this so badly. I get it now and have my own garden I produce most of my own food with.
 I didn't know what was next for me so I quit and left that job so sad but I was ready for another adventure. I spent two years there, then I just kinda goofed off for a year or so, played in the snow, lived the high life in the Mountains of Snowmass in an unhealthy relationship. I got a call from my dad who was asking me what the heck are you doing Monique. I said dad I don't know why? He said I have a job for you its like nothing you have ever experienced and probably will not want to do. I said okay whats the job?
I need you to go to San Francisco and help a friend in need out, the job, he paused for a bit to catch his breath and tell me that it was to care for Transgenders going in for Facial reconstructive surgery. I was shocked but intrigued. Well I did't have much happening here for me and I was honestly getting board so I called the person up and said I will go with you, I have a back ground in care giving  and I am licence to give medicine and I can go along and make sure you heal quickly. So they got me a ticket and I met them at the air port. Here I am tiny 5' 4" and what I see riding the escalader down to my level was a middle aged lady with hair that went to her butt, dressed in a jeans and tee shirt with a Shiva goddess on it I was like yes cool we will get along great. Next to her was what surprised me. I'm not easily shocked this person was extremely tall 7' give or take dressed in a long skirt and ruffled pink shirt, adams apple very present and a facial structure that was clearly a man. I looked as excited as I could to support the reason I was here, gave hugs and introduced ourselves. We all went down and got our vehicle for the trip and headed off to our hotel. I felt outta sorts but comfortable with both of them. We had two days before the surgery and we went to a Broadway show I had never been to one, I LOVED it! We caught eyes where ever we walked but I felt so welcomed and loved I couldn't let it bother me, because really it was them being unhappy with themselves, being projected onto someone else journey and life. I went to all the appointments and learned some tricks to talk like a guy from the private vocal coach she hired. Then I also learned that San Francisco is amazing and open and wonderful, we stayed in the Castro District. While she was in facial surgery we took off to the Muir Woods forest for a little bit of nature to help everything go smoothly, took some awesome pictures and had so much fun waiting and I was wanting more of this traveling care giving. Later that day she got out of surgery and we took turns being at her side helping her through it. We spent the days and nights with her, watching the transformation take place before my eyes. The surgeon was amazing he created this procedure for transgenders. He found his calling and that was what he wanted to do was help people feel more comfortable in their bodies. What a trip!! I had been on a whirl wind over that few weeks which felt like a life time of experience landed in my lap.
I was over watching her after the nurse came by to check up on her at the safe recovery house they had for her. We were chatting about all the amazing times we had and what a joy it was to be gifted this trip. She asked me one of those questions that just changes your whole life in a second, "Monique what do you want to do?", Right then I just knew, I said to her " I want to travel and take care of the world." She smiled and said, "Well you will". When we departed I got a note from her and it was one of the sweetest most amazing notes I have ever received and we have not had contact since then. I do miss her and I thank her with all my heart for this journey she let me share with her. I hope she is well and following her heart still.
I felt it in my heart my whole world shifted into that frame of thought and thinking how could I do this. I went back to Colorado and was changed, I spent a year doing odd jobs selling art at my families Gallery and working for my parents General Store when I got the call to care for a man who had Parkinson's disease. Meeting in the beautiful home town of Marble, Colorado then realizing that guess what I'm going to spend my winter in Hawaii. Little did I know it was not going to be the beach house life that everyone dreams of and what your typical Hawaii is thought of. This was going to be a culture shocking, world rocking adventure!
When I arrived on this amazing manicured lawn and orchard I was in total awe of what I got myself into. We were 100% off grid we didn't use electricity, in fact the power lines just stop before you get to the properties drive way. Its really cool to see that on one half of the view is the last power line then no poles or wires in your view of the ocean and passing ships. AMAZING! We ran the whole place off of Hydro Power and solar, 14 acres of orchard and farm 13 acres of jungle paradise. I learned so much about sustainable life, I want so much to build my own sanctuary like that place and live off grid. It was empowering, scary and sometimes just unbelievable that people can live like that without the consumption of products and manufacturing everything you know. The trash out put of this entire ranch of 8 people was less then a single family in a week. We just re used everything and what we couldn't we tossed very little out. I was so amazed because the awareness of just how much we waste was instilled on me. I had to develop my own ways of what we had to create first aid stuff, I had to learn about the body and how it metabolizes when infected with disease. I had to learn how to handle problems with communication with in myself and with those around me.
Funny when we have our words its hard to say what we need to say, then when we loose our voice all we want to do is say what we needed to say all along. Honesty is so vital in all situations, it doesn't matter if you have to say something just say it because it hurts so much more to hold it all in. Dynamics are so diverse in this world and it is so hard to find an easy way to communicate when we have our own issues and others have issues with talking. But I did it and I had my falls and fears, I over came them in the end and I am a stronger woman because of all these wild experiences. I'm ready for my next adventure and its writing this stuff down and hopefully finding a way to generate a life with it. This experience in Hawaii was my last travel for care giving, I now work with two companies for people who need in home care. I have a daughter now and a husband house and I run two businesses from home. This one and my jewelry company Enchanted Charms, I have a great time sharing with everyone and I have lived some crazy moments but would go back and do it all the same because it was such a trip! Hope you enjoy Aloha!