From September to November 2022, I had intravenous antibiotic treatment. I went through some personal hell during this time - trying to maintain my independence even though staff thought I was an old woman in need of all kinds of help. My discharge paper read that I was an "alert, oriented, 66 year old female." I am very independent - I told the nursing home I didn't need a walker, that I took care of myself at home regarding cleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry. I had some trouble with mental health case management, I had to make several phone calls and urge the case manager to help me with moving into a new apartment (October - November) She got angry with me when I said something to her about "putting the whip to her" in order to get her to do anything in my behalf, and she came to the nursing home while I was in an IV hook-up and gave me a tongue-lashing, then she waded into the paperwork about the new apartment without giving me a chance to defend myself. She drove me that same day to my bank to fill out a paper that I needed for the new apartment, and she was getting ready to come into the bank with me. I said, "I can go in by myself." So she gave me the paperwork, and I found a bank official who filled it out. I felt just like a little girl from the treatment some of these people gave me.

There were two women who refused to give me any more transportation to and from the facility. As a result, I had to pay $26.00 round trip in cabs several times. One of them, a fellow mentally ill woman, left me text messages: "DO NOT CALL ME. I blocked your number and I do not want to hear your voice!" The other woman was getting sick with Covid at the time, and left me a harsh voice mail: "Don't call me for any more rides!" I made up with her though. And I got presents and cards from people from the churches I attend. I am now getting ready to move into a one-bedroom apartment, a big one in one of the mill buildings in my city.

Today I went on a job interview for a receptionist position. It went well. Hoping to hear from the lady who interviewed me soon! I had a nice Christmas with my friends Rachel and David, and I will be the lector at Mass on New Year's Eve. Earlier in December I went on a trip with the church to see Christmas Lights at a place called "Our Lady of LaSalette" We went to Mass, shopped at the gift shop, I took a ride with two other women around the place to view the hundreds of lights on display, and we ate a buffet dinner. This year I completed 26 years of ringing the bell for donations for the poor and homeless at the Salvation Army. We stand with a kettle outside grocery stores. In addition, I went to a city in my state to attend a training at a club for the mentally ill there, so we could bring back new ideas and plans for our own club. So the curtain falls on 2022. I celebrate my 67th birthday in January. See you next year! Happy New Year and God Bless!