A Wise Mind… Conquering Calamities with Calmness and Clarity
Sherry H. is a friendly and engaging person, who possesses a resolute will to triumph in every aspect of her life. Talking to her was an absolute delight; her positivity and optimism shines through, despite the obstacles life put in front of her. This ease of being, coupled with her determination, and a well-built support system, has allowed her to succeed. She is now employed at a new job and place in life—a second chapter, which she is about to conquer.
Sherry has been a nurse since age 17. “It was a job I sort of fell into,” she explains with a bit of mirth. “My parents told me to go get a job and I answered an ad in the paper for a Certified Nursing Assistant at a nursing home.” That position set her on the path to a meaningful career in nursing. She developed a knack for understanding patients’ needs and found the work rewarding and enjoyable. It’s been a lifelong vocation for her ever since.
After completing her C.N.A. training, Sherry became an LPN through the BOCES nursing program at Fredonia. She moved to South Carolina, working there for a decade. Upon her relocation to the Buffalo area, she enrolled in ECC where she was able to complete her degree as an RN. She loved her job and continued to work for another decade. Then, in 2016, her life hit a snag, and everything began to unravel.
While dealing with some mental health and substance abuse issues, as well as managing her rheumatoid arthritis, Sherry fell into some trouble that resulted in legal consequences. As a result, her RN license was revoked, she was placed on probation, and had to complete substance abuse counseling.
“As rightfully should have happened,” she states while describing the penalties with a weight of ownership in her voice. Suddenly faced with the reality that the career to which she had dedicated herself for thirty years was no longer part of her life, she was simultaneously confronted with the financial burden of being barred from the profession. Instead of turning to despair, she tapped into her resiliency to overcome her new challenges. The experience humbled but didn’t hobble her. This sudden jolt of humility helped her rethink her perspective.
After completing a three-month substance abuse program, Sherry realized how helpful talking to a therapist could be—that looking inward—metacognition (thinking about thinking)—had tremendous benefit, beyond its initial bearing on the immediate problem. Unlike, some who treat counseling simply as a concession, “to do the time to pay for the crime,” Sherry decided to truly invest in it. She was interested to learn more about the profession, and how it could make a difference for others.
In response to this new discovery, Sherry embarked on an 11-month course, dedicated to dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). DBT is a form of therapy that helps develop coping strategies, to step outside of yourself, and discuss what you see. It consists of 4 main components: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. When explored, and mastered, these strategies can enrich life, subdue pain, and help a person evolve as an individual.
After being enrolled in ACESS-VR, Sherry’s counselor, Amy Szymula, put her in touch with Andrea Todaro at Innovative Placements. Together, she and Andrea began an intensive nine-month long job search. There were several obstacles they had to overcome almost immediately. Due to her probation, Sherry was excluded from most nursing jobs. Andrea helped Sherry get prepared. “I had never really interviewed before. Even though I have been a nurse since I was 17, it was always—you’re a nurse, here’s the job.” The interview coaching proved integral. “It really helped to know what to say in what ended up being a new experience for me.”
Sherry works at a biotech company that uses plasma to research and create lifesaving pharmaceuticals. She works at the facility where people come to donate their plasma. Sherry is responsible for doing donor intake and screening. Her skill as a nurse allows her to set the patients up, draw their blood, and then replace the red blood cells. (They take the blood, filter out the plasma, and replace the unnecessary cells.) The plasma is then stored in a giant refrigerator and samples are collected to be shipped to another facility. Sherry oversees this transfer of samples. This position fulfills her employment goal of working in healthcare, dealing with the public, and making patients feel relaxed and comfortable.
Sherry is also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. To treat its symptoms, she takes medications including NSAID’s for inflammation, which recently led to a stomach ulcer. In a scary turn of events, shortly after starting her new job at the biotech company, the ulcer perforated, and she had to undergo emergency surgery. Her new employer was understanding and has been paying 60% of her normal wages while she has been off on medical leave.
Sherry has great coworkers, and the company is making working for them easy. She gets paid well and has access to several helpful benefits. She is also able to work 30 rather than 40 hours a week. Those extra 10 hours are helpful for Sherry as she juggles other aspects of her life.
Sherry is set to return to work on December 3rd after spending the last six weeks recovering from her surgery. She is excited to get back to work! “Work makes you accountable and I’m looking forward to getting back to that.” Sherry recommends Andrea Todaro to other people with disabilities who are seeking employment. “Sometimes life is overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start, which is what it felt like for me. Her assistance was priceless.” Sherry is beyond happy to be able to set an example for her two daughters.
Martin Kilroy, Writer, Innovative Placements