Long story short. I (24 M) have/was seeing this guy (25 M) for a year now who I met off of Grindr. At one point we were hanging out with each other every week, met each other families, planned to live together in the future, said we loved each other, the whole nine yards. I felt like we were building towards a relationship however he never wanted to be exclusive until he started his nursing program for school and gave me hope that he would be open to a committed relationship once he started school so he wanted me to wait for him.
He also imposed the boundary that we could not have sex with other people, which was fine. Unfortunately, within the last couple months I feel like he has become distant and neglectful in our relationship as I always felt like I was the one trying to see him, calling him more then he call me, planned our dates etc and i generally felt like he was taking me for granted and feeling unappreciated. An example was that I am in Grad school and asked him to plan something to celebrate since I finished my first year of school and he only gave me the excuse that he "Wasn't in the celebration mood." Of why he couldn't do it.
Anyway, I brought these feelings up to him, and he always expressed that he would treat me better and put in more effort. However, I feel like he never did it consistently, and I was tired of bringing my feelings up as I was tired of him not even doing the bare minimum. Anyway, the last time we saw each other, we got drunk cried and got into an argument where I suggested we break up due to these feelings. He didn't want to break up and wanted to keep going, giving me hope again, and I agreed to stay if he was able to remain consistent. (He expressed my emotions also ruined the day for him.)
Fast forward to last Friday he finally got accepted into his nursing program for school, and I wanted to celebrate with him since I knew he was off this weekend. I texted him around 4 when he got off to make plans to see him, and he was beating around the bush in confirming my plans, and then he stopped texting all together. I figured he went to sleep because he was tired from work. Well, around 9, I go on grindr because I was bored and saw his profile in my city saying that he was 2 miles away from me. (We live 30 minutes away from each other in 2 different cities, so why are you in my city at night?)
So i screenshot his profile, texted him, and called him on why he has a profile in my city around 9. He ignored my phone call and did not text me back until 12 that night asking me why I am on Grindr anyway (The difference being is that I always been transparent that I was on the app looking to make gay friends since I have none in my city. Plus, I ALWAYS told him when I was in his city. So why was he being sneaky? As he told me, he deleted his account)
He said he was "Riding around with a friend" and that I'm acting like he was fucking when he was just looking on the app. Truthfully I didn't care because it was the principle of it that you went all afternoon not texting me and couldn't even confirm plans with me yet you're riding around with some random that you never even talked about before. If i didn't even catch him on Grindr then i know he wouldn't have told me he was in my city and that's why i had to end it. Like what else have you been doing that I don't know about?
Anyway, after I broke up with him, I unadded him from social media, and he blocked my number and tik tok. I thought about texting him from my friend snapchat or text now to reconcile but idk if I should. I feel like he played me and I hate how a year of my life with someone who i thought was my best friend went to us being blocked. I so badly wished he gave me a rational explanation of why he was on the app as I do care for him, but caring about someone shouldn't lead to me being hurt.

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Definition and Purpose

BMS is a centralized control system that integrates with various building subsystems to provide real-time monitoring, automated control, and data analysis. Its primary purpose is to create a comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient environment for patients, staff, and visitors while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.

Key Features of BMS

• Real-time Monitoring: BMS continuously monitors the performance of building systems and equipment, providing insights into energy consumption, temperature levels, and equipment status.
• Automated Control: BMS automates routine tasks such as adjusting thermostat settings, turning lights on/off, and regulating airflow based on predefined parameters and occupancy patterns.
• Data Analytics: BMS collects and analyzes data from sensors and devices to identify trends, detect anomalies, and optimize system performance through predictive maintenance and proactive interventions.
• Integration Capabilities: BMS integrates seamlessly with other Smart hospital systems, such as EHR and security systems, to enable data sharing, interoperability, and centralized management.

Lighting and Dimming PanelMood Lighting and Dimming systemSmart Hospital Systemscontrol systemsBuilding Managment System BMS

Benefits of Implementing BMS in Hospitals

The implementation of BMS offers a wide range of benefits to hospitals, stakeholders, and patients alike.

Efficiency and Cost Savings

By optimizing energy usage, automating routine tasks, and identifying opportunities for improvement, BMS helps hospitals reduce operational costs, lower utility bills, and minimize waste.

Enhanced Patient Experience

A comfortable, well-maintained environment is essential for patient satisfaction and healing. BMS ensures optimal conditions by regulating temperature, humidity, and lighting levels, thereby enhancing the overall patient experience.

Improved Facility Management

BMS provides facilities managers with valuable insights and tools to proactively manage building systems, prioritize maintenance tasks, and respond promptly to issues, minimizing downtime and disruptions.

Challenges in Implementing BMS

While the benefits of BMS are clear, implementing such a system in a hospital setting comes with its own set of challenges.

Initial Costs and Investments

The upfront costs associated with installing and configuring a BMS can be significant, requiring hospitals to allocate resources and budget accordingly. However, the long-term savings and benefits often outweigh the initial investment.

Data Security Concerns

With the increasing connectivity of building systems and devices, ensuring the security and integrity of data becomes a top priority. Hospitals must implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.

Training and Adoption Issues

Successfully implementing BMS requires buy-in from all stakeholders and effective training programs to ensure staff members understand how to use the system effectively. Resistance to change and lack of training can hinder adoption and limit the system's effectiveness.

Case Studies of Hospitals Using BMS

To illustrate the real-world impact of BMS, let's explore some case studies of hospitals that have successfully implemented and benefited from this technology.

Real-world Examples

• Hospital A: By implementing a BMS, Hospital A was able to reduce energy consumption by 20%, resulting in significant cost savings and environmental benefits.
• Hospital B: BMS helped Hospital B improve patient comfort and safety by monitoring air quality, controlling temperature, and detecting equipment failures in real-time.

Success Stories and Lessons Learned

Through these case studies, hospitals have learned valuable lessons about the importance of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing maintenance in maximizing the benefits of BMS.

Future Trends in Smart Hospital Systems

As technology continues to evolve, so too will smart hospital systems and the role of BMS within them.

Advancements in Technology

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced sensors will further enhance the capabilities of BMS, enabling predictive analytics, autonomous operations, and personalized experiences for patients.

Predictions for the Future of BMS

In the future, BMS will become even more integral to hospital operations, acting as the central nervous system that orchestrates and optimizes all aspects of the healthcare environment, from patient care to facility management.

Conclusion

In conclusion, smart hospital systems, powered by technologies such as the Building Management System (BMS), are revolutionizing the healthcare industry by improving efficiency, enhancing patient experiences, and optimizing resource utilization. While challenges exist, the benefits of implementing BMS far outweigh the costs, making it a valuable investment for hospitals seeking to thrive in the digital age., control systems, Building Managment System BMS. https://www.smartg4control.com/

Definition and Purpose

BMS is a centralized control system that integrates with various building subsystems to provide real-time monitoring, automated control, and data analysis. Its primary purpose is to create a comfortable, safe, and energy-efficient environment for patients, staff, and visitors while minimizing operational costs and environmental impact.

Key Features of BMS

• Real-time Monitoring: BMS continuously monitors the performance of building systems and equipment, providing insights into energy consumption, temperature levels, and equipment status.
• Automated Control: BMS automates routine tasks such as adjusting thermostat settings, turning lights on/off, and regulating airflow based on predefined parameters and occupancy patterns.
• Data Analytics: BMS collects and analyzes data from sensors and devices to identify trends, detect anomalies, and optimize system performance through predictive maintenance and proactive interventions.
• Integration Capabilities: BMS integrates seamlessly with other Smart hospital systems, such as EHR and security systems, to enable data sharing, interoperability, and centralized management.

Lighting and Dimming Panel

I've been with my boyfriend for a little under a year now. I know it seems very short and like nothing, but we were long time friends before and I was planning my whole future around him. We started as fwb and I probably wasn't ready for a full term committed relationship when we got into one, but yeah.
I left my previous bf because of my non-straight and non-monogamous feelings PLUS me liking him (current ending relationship). I feel sick. This man is truly husband material. He's everything I wanted and more. My mom loves him, he goes out of his way for me, cooks, caring, kind, strong, nurse, S-tier husband material, etc., but he's very traditionally monogamous. In the beginning, he said he was open to going to like bdsm clubs and sharing me, but recently it's been 100% no now. I've never explored with more than 1 person before and I thought that I could go with just him since I loved him so much. But these thoughts keep coming up between us and our conflicting views of love keep hurting us. It's a week before his birthday and 2 weeks before we dont see each other for a whole month due to family vacations. We talked about this on video call and he doesn't want physical contact with me.
He's my best friend, I don't know what I'd do without him. I saw a perfect life with him. My mom (most important) and ENTIRE rest of (hard to please, Asian) family absolutely adore him, he works hard and loves hard. He was there for me for my previous break ups. Hes bought me so much stuff and taken me so many places. I'm basically his only friend too. I dont want to hurt him. He's going through so much. My parents are already openly homophobic, what would they think of me breaking up with seemingly the perfect guy. I can't come clean that I'm queer.
None of this seems real. I want to postpone it but he doesn't. He said down the line we could be friends but I'm just so scared. I keep thinking that if I wasn't like this then this wouldn't be happening. I feel like i could be monogamous in the future. I hate that i am this way but at the same time i love when others are their true selves. My world is crumbling around me.
TLDR: my bf and I are in the process of breaking up bcuz of my polyamorous feelings and I'm hating myself because of it, and so scared for the future. Plus it's his bday soon

Heart transplant is a surgery that removes the diseased heart from a person and replaces a healthy heart. It is taken from a healthy organ donor. A heart transplant is the best treatment choice for heart failure. It is a last resort treatment for people who have end-stage heart failure or severe coronary disease. It means the heart has eternal damage or weakness that keeps it from pumping enough blood to your body. Heart transplants are more difficult than other organ transplant surgeries. A heart transplant is a deceased organ donation process. When the person is technically dead, brain dead but the organs are still functioning then it is acceptable for organ donation. After taking a transplant there is some medical care for any complications. There are many reasons for heart failure as such: heart defects present at birth, heart attack, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, enlarged or thick and stiff heart muscle, alcoholism, anemia, etc. The main two types of heart transplantation surgery are Heterotopic and Orthotopic Heart Transplant.
Heart Transplant Cost in India
In India heart transplant costs generally depend on organ recovery and transport charges. It is based on many different factors like city, hospitals, surgeons, doner and patients overall health. It is also based on pre-transplant evaluation and post-transplant recovery period. The average cost of a heart transplant starts from INR 9Lks up to 20Lks (10,000 USD-23,000USD).
Best Heart Transplant Hospitals in India
Most of the hospitals that provide heart transplants in India give the best quality of health care to the patient with the help of experienced nursing staff & latest medical technology. These hospitals provide many facilities like ultra-modern infrastructure, lab tests & diagnostics, emergency and trauma care, patient support & medical care as required for the treatment plan. Some of the hospitals are:
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (Delhi)
PSG Hospitals (Coimbatore)
Fortis Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre (Gurgaon)
Max Super Speciality Saket (Delhi)
Sri Ramchandra Medical College & Research Institute (Chennai)
Kovia Medical Centre & Private LTD (Chennai)
Top Heart Transplant Surgeons in India
Heart transplantation has a high success rate in India. People live long lives after receiving their new heart. Many well-known doctors can successfully replace hurt with their years of expertise and high knowledge. They all are the best cardiovascular surgeons. Some of the names are:
Dr. Naresh Trehan (Chairman&Managing Director-Cardiologist)
Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Chairman&Founder of Narayana, Cardio-Oncologist)
Dr. Yugal K Mishra (Cardio-Vascular, Robotic Surgery)
Dr. Rajnesh Malhotra (Director, Cardio-Vascular&Throacic Surgeon)
Dr. Naresh Trehan (Chairman& MD, Cardio-Vascular Seergeon)
Dr. Ganeshakrishnan Lyer (Cardiothoracic &Vascular Surgeon)
Al AfiyaMedi Tour is a leading medical tourism company in India. We offer medical tourism services such as finding the right doctor, the right hospital, and cost estimation for medical treatment in India for foreign patients. Some of the main countries are Bangladesh, South Africa, Egypt, Uganda, Zambia, Sudan, Dubai, Namibia, Iraq, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and so on. We provide free medical assistance for TURP surgery cost, lung cancer treatment, cosmetic andplastic surgery, heart surgery, kidney transplant, spine tumor surgery, cancer treatment cost, lung transplant, liver transplant cost, top knee replacement surgeons top shoulder replacement surgeons, shoulder replacement surgery cost, hip replacement surgery, best bone marrow hospital, etc.
Source: https://alafiyameditour1.blogspot.com/2024/05/heart-transplant-in-india-for-foreigners.html

Hi Reddit, so I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible while still giving you all the facts. Let us start from the beginning, my at the time 21 y.o. step-brother, was going through his first big break up. Instead of confiding in others or taking time to understand his emotions he instead picked up a book about the stages of love. Let me also explain that my brother has never been the smartest guy and mainly gets by on his good looks and charm in his life. Anyway this book gave the usual “love requires fighting to work it shows that you care about the other” you know stuff everyone already knows. I’m guessing because it came from a book ,or because it was plainly saying what he was too naive to understand about what he was feeling, he became infatuated with every line. Anytime I would have relationship problems he would quote the self help books he had read since and recommend me ones to read. This went on for while but eventually I finished nursing school and moved out of my family’s house (which is my mother’s house, this is important for later) to start working.
Now fast forward to four years later. I’m living on my own with my the love of my life, working the night shift in the hospital like I’ve always wanted. On my way home on night I called my mom to catch up on my drive home. We started talking and eventually I asked about my step-brother. She explained that he was still living at home and had no plans on getting a job or moving out (for context my brother graduated with a master’s degree a year ago). I found that odd and asked what he is doing now. My mom explained that he just makes music and does podcasts with his friends. He apparently says he wants to be an entrepreneur. Which is fine everyone wants to make it big doing what they love doing however. My mother also explained that he constantly invites people she doesn’t know to her house to hangout and when she gets off of work she comes home to strangers that expect her to cook for them. My mother then started tearing up saying “I don’t feel like it’s my house anymore”. That’s when I got upset. I asked her why doesn’t she kick him out or at least start asking for rent so he has to get a job. She explained that she wanted to do that but my step father wouldn’t allow it. My mother and step father have a wonderful marriage and never fight, but because my stepbrother is his son he has attachment to him. My mom recently had to kick her daughter (my blood related sister) into the camper as well since my step sister (19 y.o.) lets her boyfriend stay on weekends in what used to be the girls room. My mother keeps explaining that all of these situations are putting stress on their marriage and by kicking out her daughter she feels like she betrayed her just so my stepfather’s kids can get their way in her house.
After this phone call I was livid so I called my step brother to confront him. After asking the normal “hi how are you” I asked if he has started looking for a job and he said “why would I?”. I responded “so you can work and move out”. Then he said “im in my 20s this is the time you are supposed to chase your dreams” he then pointed out that I always wanted to be a YouTuber or streamer and I should go for it. I then said you know I have a job now and I have to give that job a lot of my time in order to afford the life I live. He basically laughed and explained that there is always enough time. Not much important was said after that.
Now fast forward a few weeks later I see posts from his Instagram talking about how “social media is poison, take back your life, put down your phone, etc.” (Crazy to post that on social media btw). I have also come across his podcast which are just him and his friend who both have the combined IQ of a beheaded chicken explain that the universe is big and has like billions of stars and stuff. 0.0 his entire personality now is saying basic facts at the surface level and then acting like it’s deep as fuck. Furthermore the constant insistence on following your passion mixed with the complete ineptitude of being able to comprehend how smug and pretentious he is during any interaction has breed some real distain from anyone who can see through his act.
All of these posts about self help combined with the complete ignorance of how his actions putting a negative effect on our family has really put a barrier between us. I really don’t think I can take it anymore and I want to either try to explain that he has become a pretentious douche who only keeps around yes men who all think a fact for 5th graders they learn at the zoo makes them better than everyone else, but I honestly think he will just say I don’t understand or maybe I should read this book about stress. I’ve went over the situation with friends of mine and they all laugh when they see his posts and hear him talk now. For God sake he held his 25th birthday party recently and said for everyone to bring a book to exchange knowledge to one another and wear business casual.
I just want my mom to feel like the home she worked tirelessly as a single mother all those years to afford for our family is hers. I have always been so close to my brother and I want him back as a friend. I want my sister to be able to live in the house she was raised in instead of in a camper.
Well that’s everything as of now left out a lot of stories about him being directly wrong about facts he tells us or times he got called out and embarrassed about shit but I think I’ll just leave it here. I plan on confronting him soon I just don’t know what to say. Thank you for your time.

TW: Alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, suicidal ideation, sex abuse
This is going to be a LLLLLOOONNNNGGGGG one. This story goes back quite a way, but yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the ending to this story and I'm feeling it, still got some guilt about everything that happened, wondering what I could have done differently and I just want to vent it out and hope to get some closure from it.
This story started in 2010.
Characters in this story (names are fake, duh!):

• Me, Guy, 32M at the time, 45 now.
• My BFF Stephanie, 33F at the time.
• Stephen, 40M at the time, Stephanie's boyfriend.
• Maryse, 27F at the time.

Background and intro
I had known Stephanie for many years and we had the kind of friendship that made her BFs and my GFs uncomfortable to put it lightly. We had never crossed that boundary and I wouldn't consider us in the friendzone, we were just friend, but the kind of friend where she would sit on my lap with her arms around my neck or her head on my shoulder.
At the start of 2010, Stephanie met her then boyfriend, Stephen. He tolerated me and my friendship with Stephanie because I also had a gf back then. She liked Stephanie, wasn't at all jealous of my friendship with her, so he didn't deem me too suspicious. Then my gf and I broke up for reasons unimportant and all hell broke loose for Stephen. He became convinced that I would try and steal Stephanie from him. He insisted that Stephanie introduce me to her female friends or female friends of his. Thus began what I called the year of the 50 blind dates. It was probably closer to 20, but still I like saying the year of 50 blind dates. Most of them were unremarkable and never went beyond the first date. There are some fun stories in there if anyone wants to hear them eventually!
In July of that year, I had to switch gears because I had to focus up and study for a professional exam for a certification important to my career. This exam required close to 600-800 hours of study over a 3-4 month period. So I hunkered down, told Stephanie to stop the blind dates for now because I had to focus on that. She respected my wishes and, other a text here or there, we went low contact for the last two months before the exam.
Except for one fateful night in September. Her birthday was in September and she always threw these big bashes at her house. She would throw a big pool party that started around noon and would go on to the wee hours of the morning. I knew she would harass me to go to her party, so I made some quick math and figured I would lose more energy and time trying to dodge her calls, texts and most likely visits at my place than by just going to the party itself. So when she called me to ask, I just said: "Okay I'll go to your damn party, now git." I texted her I would get there in the evening probably around 8. She texted back "Great, can't wait. Now study, bitch!"
So I ultimately get there around 8PM. Basically everybody is already drunk off their gourd. Stephanie sees me, squeals in excitement and runs to me in her bikini and just jumps in the air and slams into me, wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and gives me a big hug. I hug her back and just keep walking back to the pool where she had started, carrying her with me. I just duck my head around hers and say hi to Stephen, who just glares at me.
She drops back down and I give her her gift. We chat for a few seconds and says "There's beer in the fridge and food in the dining room." I told her I'd be right back.
I go inside and grab a beer from the fridge. I head to the dining room and the table is against the wall with a buffet of sandwiches, tomato pizza, salads, etc. I grab a plate and start putting food on it. I was focused on the task because I was starving. I barely noticed, sitting at the end of the table one of the most stunning woman I have ever seen. I just see her in my peripheral vision and I do a quick double take, quick glance at her and back to the food. I do that a second time. And finally a third time. At that point she is just straight up staring at me and I can't help but chuckle and whisper under my breath "Subtle Guy, sub-tle".
Thankfully she starts laughing too, saving me some embarassment. I look at her and greet her. She says "Hi, I'm Maryse and I'm guessing you're Guy?" I just nod and we start talking. At that point, I just thought I have no shot with her, she's so far out of my league that I'm just gonna talk to her until she sees one of the "models" hanging out by the pool and ditches me for him.
So I'm not feeling like I'm playing for anything, so I'm just myself and not nervous, just talking to her as I would any friend. We chat and she laughs at all my jokes, she gets all my cultural references. She never gets up or ditches me. The plate of food I had made and the beer I had gotten are sitting on the table next to me untouched, I was too busy with the convo to think about food or beer anymore.
After what felt like only 20-30 minutes, Stephanie comes in and tells me, fake grumpy: "So that's where you disappeared to. I invite my best friend to a party and he spends the whole night talking to someone else." I laugh and go: "What do you mean the whole night? I haven't been here that long." She says "Dude, it's 2AM. You've been here for 6 hours..." My jaw dropped and I just said: "Wow, time flies when you're having fun." Maryse chimes in, with a big smile: "It sure does!" That made me happy as you can imagine.
Now I was a little stuck because where Stephanie lived, there's no night service for the bus and the subway had been closed for an hour or so. I figured I would cab it. So I turn to Maryse and tell her: "It was absolutely lovely to meet you and I enjoyed our conversation very much." She says that she did too. I continued with "At the moment, my schedule is incredibly hectic. I'm basically working full-time, studying full-time and sleeping part-time. So I don't have a lot of free time, but if she was interested, whatever little free time I had, I would love to call her or text her to keep on getting to know her."
I see Stephanie in the backgroudnd, looking like a proud mama at how smooth that came out, knowing I was always anything but smooth with women, as proven by the string of blind dates! Maryse has a big smile and we exchange numbers. I go to Stephanie to wish her a happy birthday again. While I'm talking to her, my phone buzzes with a text from Maryse: "Just checking!"
I asked Stephanie "What's the best cab company to call in this area?" Maryse chimes in: "Where do you live?" I tell her where I lived and she goes "It's on the way to where I live, I can give you a ride if you want." Stephanie raised an eyebrow in surprise. I learned later, she did it because it absolutely was not on the way to her place, like, at all. I say that I would love that as it would give us a chance to keep talking.
We get in her car, driving to my place. We talk, she asks me what I'm studying as I hadn't mentioned it earlier. I tell her all about the boring maths I had to study. Much too quickly, we get to my place. She parks in front of my building and we keep talking. At some point, I tell her: "Normally, this is where I would try to "trick" you into coming up to my place..." She interrupts me: "You wouldn't need to trick me. I'm willing and able!"
I tell her that "As tempting as that sounds, I know who I am and I know that if you come up and things proceed to where they're going, I'm not going to be able to study for the rest of the month. I have a kind of obsessive mind and when I find someone or something I like, I can push everything else to the side in favor of that. So to make sure I can still focus on my studying, I have to go up by myself."
She looks at me, a little disappointed but then says, half-jokingly: "We don't have to go up, there's a backseat right there!" We laugh and I give her a kiss and wish her a good night. I managed to stay strong and go back to my condo. Damn it, why did I have to stay strong!!!
My exam was at the beginning of november. During the month of october, we texted a bunch of times and talked on the phone. We went for coffee a couple of times and dinner once. She respected my boundaries and never pushed for more, which I appreciated but also hated at the same time, if that makes sense. The exam came and it was a monster of a Friday. I slept for basically 18 hours after the exam as the adrenalin dropped and my system crashed.
I texted her when I woke up at around 1PM. She was working at the clothing store Stephanie owned. She said "I'm off at 5PM, wanna meet me." I said: "Duh! Why do you think I'm texting? ;)" So I met her at the store downtown. I asked if she wanted to grab a drink, go for dinner, or what. She proposed going to her place and getting some take out. Stephanie who was closing the store at that moment, came up to us and said: "Hey, so what are we doing?" I said: "WE, that is Maryse and I, are going to her place and getting some takeout. Bye!" I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you that no food was ever ordered that night!
Thus followed a whirlwind month of November where any free time we had was spent together, and I wasn't going to complain!
The troubles
By the start of december, things were still going great with us. One saturday night, we were having dinner at a restaurant and I mention that this coming Friday is my office Christmas party, that it's employees only, so we wouln't see each other that night. She tells me: "Oh sure, that's fine! It'll give me a chance to go see some girlfriends I've been neglecting lately." I said "Great! BTW I also got us a reservation at [this great restaurant she had mentioned a few times] for next Saturday, so we could go there and I'll tell you all about my party and you can tell me all about her night with the girls!"
That was settled, I thought. I was wrong. On Thursday, we had spent the evening together at her place and I was about to leave to go back to my place. She tells me: "So are you coming to meet me at the store tomorrow or do I go to your place?" I reminded her: "Neither, tomorrow is my office Christmas party and we won't see each other tomorrow." She said: "Oh right, I forgot." I asked her if she had made plans with her friends like she had mentioned last saturday. She said that they were all busy tomorrow and weren't available.
She suggested "If your party is boring, maybe you could come meet me." I retorted that it wasn't going to be, knowing who was going to be there.
"Yeah but what if?"
"But it won't"
"But what IFFFFFF?" she kept insisting and I kept saying no. After what felt like 30 minutes of that (probably only 2-3 minutes in reality), I had enough and just said to end the argument: "Okay, if it's boring, I'll come. but it won't be." She said: "Cool" with a big smile on her face. I came to learn that that smile meant "Challenge accepted".
The following night, my colleague and I were pregaming in a conference room before leaving for the party proper and my phone buzzes. Maryse was wishing me a good party. I replied. She texted me again. I replied. She texted again, but I was in a conversation with a colleague so I didn't reply or even look at the phone. My phone buzzes again. Still talking, and didn't want to be rude to my colleague. Another buzz. I just kept talking. Phone buzzes differently, she was now calling because I hadn't answered her texts.
"Why aren't you replying to my texts?"
"Hey, sorry, was talking to my colleague Patrick."
"What? you don't want to talk to me?"
"I am talking to you now."
"Why didn't you reply to my texts?"
"Because it would have been rude to my colleague to pull my phone out while talking to him."
"But you're talking to me now."
"Because I thought something was wrong, maybe it was an emergency."
"I wanted to talk to you, that's all."
"Well, gotta go back to the party. Talk to you later."
She kept texting and if I didn't reply right away, she would call after two or three missed texts. After about 2 hours of this, I stopped answering the texts. When she called back, I asked her: "Aren't you supposed to be working?" which started another round of guilt-tripping of "why are you asking me this? you don't want to talk to me?" At that point I had had enough and wanted to enjoy my party. I remembered that the Blackberry (no shaming old tech!) I had had an annoying feature, but I was hoping to put it to good use at that moment.
Whenever the battery would get really low, like less than 1%, it would let out an ear-piercing BEEP for about 3 seconds, reminiding you to charge it and giving you a heart attack all at the same time. It would do that even when you were in silent mode. It had happened a few days earlier when I was with Maryse. I figured, if I press a button on the Blackberry, it would make a beep too that could be heard through the phone. So while I was talking to Maryse, I pressed my thumb on the space bar for a good 3 seconds and sputtered; "what... the .... what?" trying to put on a somewhat believable performance.
She asked what that noise was and I tell her that it was my blackberry letting me know I was low battery and it might shut off any second. I told her "Listen I'm gonna wish you a good night, I'm having a good time at my party so I'll see you tomorrow at 5PM to go spend our evening together. I hope you have a good....." and hung up mid-sentence. I promptly shut my phone off and went back to the party. I concede that I may be a bit of an AH for that move.
The party was great, I got drunk much quicker than I expected owing to the fact that I hadn't had a drink in over two months because Maryse didn't drink so I didn't either when we were together, and we were always together. At 1AM, I went home and passed out on my bed.
This is another place where I may have been an AH. I didn't turn my cell phone back on and I unplugged my home line too, because I wanted to sleep the deep sleep of the drunkard. I woke up at around 1:30 PM, not knowing it was already too late. In my mind, I was meeting Maryse at 5PM to go out on the town that night. Maryse had other ideas as you'll see.
So like I said, I woke up at 1:30PM and was sticky with alcohol sweat, so I went straight for the shower to get clean again. While in the shower, my stomach grumbled with hunger and I started daydreaming of bacon and eggs. That pushed me out of the shower right quick. I dried myself off quickly, tied the towel around my waist and went to the fridge. No bacon.... booo. Looked at the egg compartment... no eggs... booo again. Okay then, how about a cream cheese bagel. No cream cheese, damn it. Look in the pantry, no bagels.... god. I was starting to get angry. Okay, cereals then. I pick up the cereal box, that mofo was empty and I get mad: "who's the idiot who puts the empty box back in the pantry?" I remembered I live alone.
I close the fridge dejected and see the grocery list stuck on the fridge, taunting me with everything I wanted to eat for breakfast written on it. But I felt like if I went to the grocery store hungry as I Was, I'm just gonna pay 600$ and not get one single healthy thing to eat. I then remembered there's a restaurant next to the grocery store that serves breakfast until 3PM. I get excited! I get dressed quickly, grab my wallet and keys, put my boots on, my coat on, wrap my scarf, my tuque and my gloves and go to the restaurant. If you notice, I didn't mention my phone in there.
I get to the restaurant and confirm that they still have breakfast and get even more excited when she confirms it. I order the "heart attack", at least that's how I nicknamed it: 3 eggs, 3 servings of bacon, 2 sausages, and, I guess to give one peace of mind, fruit (or to be precise, one single solitary slice of orange). Now that the food is ordered and coming I figured I would check if I have any messages. I pat the pocket where my phone always is. No phone. uh-oh. I start clutching evert pocket, no luck.
I wonder if I should go back home after the meal before going to the grocery store and decide against it, it would be too long a detour. So I scarf my breakfast down, rush through the grocery store. I get home and set my bags down in front of the fridge. I go pick up my blackberry. I turn it back on. The little tape icon tells me there are messages on my voicemail, at that time there were no red dots with a number in it to tell you how many.
I connect to the voicemail while starting to put the groceries away. The little automated voice tells me "You have 25 new messages." I pull the phone away from my ear, look at it in disbelief as if saying: "are you f'ing kidding me?" So I press 1 to start playing the messages.
Remember: Maryse knew I was at a party with a dead phone, no chargers and I probably wouldn't get home until 1AM. From 6:30PM, when my phone died, to 11:34 PM, when she went to sleep she left me 9 messages. BTW I know she went to sleep at 11:34PM because she left me a message saying "it's 11:34PM and I'm going to bed. Thinking of you." The 9 messages were in the same vein. These are the salient details, but the messages were all much longer.
She woke up at 7:15 the following day, I'll let you guess how I know that tidbit of information! She left me 5 more messages like those from the day before: 7:15 woke up. 7:35 going to take a shower. 7:55 out of the shower. 8:25 getting ready to leave for work 8:50 walking out of the subway to go to the store.
She leaves me another message at 9 that was different. She sounded very excited as if she had had the best idea in the world: "Hey it's 9AM, I'm about to start my shift. I know we're only supposed to meet after my shift, but what if you came and met me for lunch so you could tell me all about your party." I just did my best Scooby-Doo "Ruh-Roh" and chuckled that I blew that, not thinking the calamity that was awaiting me.
Another couple of messages to talk logistics: "I could take my lunch at 12 or 12:30, let me know which you prefer." "I'm taking my lunch at 12:30"
A slightly worried message: "It's 11:15 and you stil have not said if you were coming or not, are you okay?"
The first bomb goes off and I knew I was in trouble then: "Where are you? We're supposed to meet for lunch and you still haven't given me any sign of life, you're not answering your home phone either, what happened?" Reminder: we were not supposed to meet for lunch, she suggested doing so a couple of hours earlier and I never agreed to anything. I guess she told her colleagues I would meet her for lunch and it was now fact and could perhaps make her look bad in front of her colleagues.
The second bomb drops: "It's almost noon now, WHERE ARE YOU? Stephanie says you're probably sleeping off your drunk, but I don't believe her. I'm sure you got yourself a slut and cheated on me. Didn't you? didn't you, you asshole." Stephanie knows me very well, but that wasn't enough for Maryse it seems.
Ensued four more messages from 12:30 to 1:15, where she starts sounding more and more drunk and accusatory, spewing more attacks like in the message above. At that point I already knew it was over, there was no coming back from that. I can understand having trust issues, but that was nuclear. I don't tolerate jealousy because of horrible experiences with a couple of jealous toxic exes.
A final message comes in, and it's a different voice, that of my best friend being more than a little angry: "Hey Guy, listen, Maryse tells me you had a Christmas party yesterday, so I'm guessing you're sleeping off your drunk, still. But call me when you get this. I put Maryse, who's f'ing drunk, in the backstore so she can dry off and "do inventory". She can't be on the sales floor obviously and I just don't feel safe sending her home in the state she's in. Call me to tell me how you want to handle this."
At that point I had finished putting away my groceries and had put my boots and my coat on and was making my way to the subway to go to the store. I call Stephanie and tell her I got the messages and I was coming. She was right, I was sleeping off my drunk and had just woke up (didn't feel the need to mention the breakfast and grocery store). I ask her if she knows what I'm gonna do when I get there. She says that she knows and understands. She knows my bad history.
When I get out of the subway, I call her again before getting to the store. I ask her how she wants me to do this. It's her store and I don't want to create drama in front of her customers. Does she want me to wait outside and she tells Maryse to meet me in the street or do I go in the store and she takes me to the backstore and I do it there? She says to come to the store.
I walk in the store and every saleswomen on the floor looks at me and gives me the biggest case of the stink-eye. They only have Maryse's side of the story, so they think I did all these horrible things. I see Stephanie in the middle of the store and I walk towards her. She shakes her head and points me towards the cash register. I look over there and see Julia, a salesperson that I've known for a couple of years and really like, who also happens to be the biggest gossip in the store. I understand what Stephanie is trying to do. She's gonna make me tell her my story in front of Julia so Julia can spread the "good news" to the other employees and rehabilitate my name possibly.
So I get to the register and say Hi to Julia. She barely acknoledges me. Steph joins me. She asks me:
"How are you?"
"I was better an hour ago, before I listened to those voicemails. I had gone to our office party last night, had a great night, got drunk off my ass, got home at around 2 and woke up around 2."
Julia asks "Maryse told us you were supposed to meet her for lunch."
"No we weren't. I have a reservation for tonight at XYZ restaurant. I was supposed to take the day to do errands, stuff around the condo and meet her here at closing time. She suggested that it could be fun if I came at lunchtime to meet her, but that was never the plan."
Julia asks again "But why didn't you answer your phone?"
"It ran out of battery last night during the party and when I got home, I was so drunk that I forgot to plug it back in. I only plugged it when I woke up at 2. That's when the messages came in."
Julia asks "She says she tried calling your home line and you didn't answer and your machine didn't kick in."
"Yeah, that one's my fault, I knew I wanted to sleep and telemarketers have a habit of calling me early saturday mornings so I didn't want to be awoken by a call for a rug cleaning service, so I unplugged it yesterday morning, knowing I would be drunk when I got home and forget and be angry if I was awakened by a telemarketer."
Julia gave me a hint of a smile, showing me she was starting to believe me. She asked me a few more questions and then she asked what I was gonna do. I told her that whatever I'll do, I would tell Maryse first.
I looked at Stephanie and said: "Can you open the back store so I can go see her?" So we went to the backstore. As we reached the door, it swung opened and out popped Maryse, looking absolutely terrifying, I actually jumped back when I saw her. Her usual perfect makeup was completely smeared, her mascara streaking down her cheeks from the crying. Her hair was disheveled. She was a mess. Apparently, she had had enough of waiting back there and was planning on leaving the store to go home and had put her coat and boots on.
When she saw me, she went into an unhinged rant about me being an asshole for cheating on her, me not being great in bed, me not treating her right, etc. I let her vent everything she had to say, I looked at Stephanie and apologized for creating such a scene in her store. I tell Maryse we should go outside and talk in private. She keeps on yelling, but when I grab her hand to lead her outside, she follows.
When we get outside, her anger had started to wane a little, or maybe just her energy. I was able to talk to her to explain everything, how I had gotten drunk, had overslept (alone) and woke up at 2PM. I reminded her that we were only supposed to meet at 5PM not for lunch. The anger was leaving her and a smile almost appeared on her face. Through all of this I was being very calm and patient with her, which she interpreted as me not being mad at her. I then said in a firmer tone: "However..." and let it hang for a second.
The beginning smile vanished. I continued: "When you accused me of cheating on you, that broke me. That triggered memories of toxic exes who would always accuse me of cheating, not trusting me when I would tell them where I was, snooping on me, stalking me. Because of those experiences, I have a zero tolerance policy for jealousy. I told her that if she was behaving like after only two months of dating, it didn't bode well for the future and I have to protect myself."
At that, the tears started again and she just turned and ran/waddled away. I told her to wait, but she didn't hear me. I turned towards the entrance of the store to see basically all the employees and customers milling around the door trying to catch the drama. I went back inside to talk to my best friend. The mood had definitely changed and no one was giving me the stink eye anymore, but I didn't really care. I was just sad that it had ended, but proud of myself for having stood up for myself.
So AITA for getting drunk and keeping my phone turned off?
There is a lot more to this story and if you want to learn what happened afterwards, then read on.
The immediate aftermath
So I went back inside the store and talked to Stephanie. I told her that I had a reserrvation for XX restaurant and if she wanted to go with Stephen, she could take it, I wasn't in the mood for a dinner. She said "I already have plans for tonight, but thanks for offering." Julia said she would go with me if I wanted, but I just said that I wasn't in the mood to go out. I just wanted to crash and eat a pizza and get into a food coma.
Stephanie said she didn't feel comfortable leaving me by myself and I should join them at her house. They were having friends over to play board games and it could at least distract me a little. I said why not. So brimming with enthusiasm, I went to play bored games. I left early as I wasn't in the mood. I was feeling a little better, but still a bit down. I thanked Stephanie for the invite and left. I got home and just passed out on the bed.
I woke up at around 7AM the next morning and I saw along the corners of the window the tell-tale signs of a snow-drift and got excited as it was the first snow of the season. I pushed the curtains aside and looked on to see a beautiful white carpet outside. It was early enough that very few cars had marred the whiteness. I was admiring it when I noticed that, against the red bricks of the building across the street, there was a pink blotch. As I focused, the blotch became human shaped and I cleared my eyes enough to realize that it was Maryse and she was raising her cell phone to her ear.
On cue, my phone rings. I pick it up. Still sounding drunk, she asks me if we can speak. I ask her to give me five minutes to get dressed and I'll meet her down there. She asks why she can't come up. I say that I'm not sure I want her in my apartment. She says that it's cold out. I say: "Good, then this will be quick."
I get dressed and meet her outside. I'm still bleary-eyed from having woken up 5 minutes ago, but I try to get my wits together. I tell her that we're going to walk to the subway. It 's a 10-minute walk normally, but with her drunkenness, it might take 15-20 minutes. That's how long she has to tell me what she wants to tell me.
She wants to apologize for accusing me of cheating on her. She says she knows I'm a great guy and... I may be the A-hole at this point too, but I start to drift off in my little bubble and start daydreaming about, if I go back to bed, would there still be some residual heat or would it be cold? I could take a hot shower and warm the bed that way. I could still hear her in the background making excuses, saying how she had been cheated on, but I wasn't really listening.
During the daydreaming I notice it got quite quiet. I look on my left and she's not there, I turn around she's a good 5-6 steps behind me looking angry and she says: "you're not listening" I just say: "when you're right, you're right." I tell her that I understand she's been hurt too in the past, and I hope she can work to resolve her issues, but I was done and I'm going back to bed. I was a bit harsh there, but I was tired and still down.
I walk past her and get maybe 10 paces past her when I hear a scream coming from her. I turn around and I see her messing with something inside her coat. She pulls out a chef's knife with like an 8-inch blade. That wakes me the fuck up. Byebye bleary eyes, hello wakefulness. better than a cup of coffee or a red bull I tell you!
So she's got the knife, she's screaming something that I can't quite understand. She gets quiet and then she charges at me with the knife. If I'm being honest I could have stayed where I was and she probably would have missed me anyways, but someone charges at me with a knife, I'm gonna nope out of there. I take a massive side step and once she gets to where I was and realizes that I'm no longer there, she turns her head towards me and says heyyyyy.
At that point, I have a moment of clarity and see what's gonna happen. She's drunk running one way and looking another, I know she's gonna trip. As I predicted, she stumbled over her feet and starts falling to the ground. I start praying to god and anybody who would listen: "Please don't let her cut herself. I don't want to have to explain this to the doctors, EMTs and nurses. I don't want her drunk ass deciding to take revenge on me by saying I did it."
Thankfully, she winds up in a sitting position on the sidewalk holding the knife up and it was clean. Thank god for small miracles. She starts crying and, other moment of clarity, I know she's gonna turn the knife on herself now. I jump towards her and I realize I was right, the knife starts moving towards her left wrist. I tackle her, grab her right wrist and twist it so she drops the knife. I pick the knife back up and put it in my pocket. She looks at me crying and says: "Why did you stop me?"
I pick her up and take her back to my building. In my building there was a couch in the lobby, so I take her there and I sit her down and plop myself next to her. I look at her and wonder out loud: "What am I gonna do with you? What can I do?"
She goes: "Just let me go, I'll be good." I tell her that's not going to happen. I realize I have three options and I give her the three options.
"So here's the choice I give you.
1- I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted murder back there and they send the police to arrest you. I don't want to do that because that could derail your life and not get you the help you need. Besides, they might not do anything anyway as it's your word against mine.
2= I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted suicide back there and that you need to be placed on a 72 hour hold. I could do that, but at the same time, again it's my word against yours, so maybe they don't believe me.
3- I'm gonna hazard a guess here. From what I've seen, you have alcohol problems. So I'm gonna guess you were in AA, had been sober for a while, I want to say 6 months, maybe less, when we met."
She confirms my guess.
"alright so option 3, I'm guessing you had a sponsor in AA." she nods "we call them up and tell them about your relapse and what happened this morning. Can they come get you and take care of you?"
She takes her phone out and picks a contact and calls. She hands me the phone. Someone answers and I explain the situation. They said they were coming right away. I give them my address, they get here 15 minutes later. Maryse had fallen asleep in the meantime, so I wake her up gently and help her to the car. Off she went.
I went back to my apartment and just crashed back to sleep.
A month later
Mid-january, my phone rings and I see Maryse's number on there. I send her to voice mail. Another call. Voicemail again. 5 minutes later, Private number calling. "Gee I wonder who that could be." Voicemail once more.
Afterwards, I didn't get any unidentified callers for a little over a week. One afternoon, I was at work and my phone rings and it's a number I do not recognize. I pick up.
"Hello."
"Hi, is this Guy?"
"Yes, to whom am I speaking?"
"This is Hannah, Maryse's sponsor. we spoke last month." I started fearing the worst.
"Yes, I remember. How can I help you?"
"Maryse tried to reach you last week and you rejected the calls. I think it could help Maryse if you listened to what she had to say. You're obviously not obligated to entertain her, but I think despite everything that happened, you still care about her or you would not have called me that morning."
"You are right, I do still care about Maryse. I'm just not sure how good it would be for her to meet me this soon after everything that happened. I understand wanting to work through the 9th step and making amends, but..." She interrupts me.
"So you know about the steps."
"Yes I have friends in the program. which is how I could guess that she was in the program too that morning."
"You know it's important."
"I know. I know. How about this: we meet in public at a cafe, you would have to be there. Not necessarily at the table with us, but nearby in case she needs help, in case meeting me causes her pain. Tell her I promise to be in a more receptive mood than I was that morning."
So we make an appointment for that saturday afternoon.
I get to the coffee shop. She's already there, and so is her sponsor. I realize happily that she's not wearing makeup. I say happily because that means she understands that this is not a date, but something serious. She's still stunningly beautiful, and I feel sad almost right away.
I grab a coffee and go join her at the table.
"Hey" I say,
"Hey. So this is gonna be uncomfortable, but thank you for agreeing to meet me and for coming, I appreciate it more than you know. I'm sure you heard I quit the store."
"I have, I'm sorry about that, I hope you didn't do it just because of me."
"No, I needed time to focus on myself for now."
She proceeds to tell me about how I wasn't far off with my guess. She had been sober 4 months when we met. Now she had 39 days. She tells me that in AA, if you are single, they recommend not dating anyone new for at least the first year of your sobriety as it can cause issues, similar to what happened with us. I was like her "drug" and as long as I was available, she could get her fix. But the moment I wasn't available all hell broke loose, and that is what led her back to drinking that day.
I told her I'm glad to see her back sober again this quickly and I hope she can get all the help she needs from it. I ask her if she wants to talk to me about her drinking.
She starts to share a story about how she started drinking at around 11 years old. When puberty hit her, she got into a deep depression because the sexual feelings she was starting to feel were triggering responses. As a child she had been abused by two of her uncles repeatedly and her parents never believed her. They accused her of trying to make herself interesting. That was until they caught one of those uncles red-handed.
They finally believed and took the necessary steps to protect their daughter. But they were poor and they couldn't afford therapy. So she never really got help for it. At 11, she started self medicating the depression with alcohol. When alcohol wasn't enough, she added drugs.
At that point, I was full on crying. She asked me if I wanted her to stop. I told her that she doesn't have to stop. That the tears are there because that was one more thing we had in common. I was also a survivor of sexual assault as a child. In my case, it wasn't a family member, it was only a stranger, so it only happened once. But I also self-medicated with alcohol at the onset of puberty, switching to drugs later on too. I was lucky to avoid the pitfalls of addiction, but I was still dealing with my demons, slowly making peace with them.
So there we were, sitting at a coffee shop, both crying and holding each other. I tell her that I think it's great she's getting help for her alcoholism and addicion, but was she doing anything to help with the underlying issue, the original trauma? She said no, she couldn't afford therapy. I tell her that I am a member of a survivors group and if she is interested, I could get her into a meeting and perhaps learn to heal that part of herself too.
She said that she could give it a try. I tell her I have to talk to the other members to know if I can bring someone new and I would let her know. If they said yes, we would go to her first meeting together, I would introduce her and then we would coordinate so that I never went to meetings where she was. I wanted to do that because I wanted her first few meetings to be about healing and I didn't want our own history to be intertwined or mixed in with that.
After that, we left both feeling content and, while not necesarily happy, at peace if you will. Later on, I contacted Stephanie who was one of the "pillars" of the support group (that's how we met) to ask her if it was okay for me to bring in a new member to the group. She said sure. She asked if it was anyone she knew. I told her she would have to meet her at the meeting if she decides to come.
We were having a meeting the following day. I called Maryse, told her the time and place, and she said she would be there. She came to the group meeting and was shocked to see Stephanie there but Stephanie kinda guessed that it was Maryse I was referring to.
I introduce her, we start sharing stories, talking about how we're feeling, etc. The meeting was good and Maryse liked the vibe. So for the first six months after that, I never saw Maryse and we planned which meeting we would be attending to ensure we didn't cross paths. She started feeling much better.
After maybe 2 and a half years, she finally felt ready and she started dating again. She met someone and she fell for him. They were together for about six months, she looked happy. Unfortunately after about six months, she caught him cheating on her. We tried supporting her, being good friends, cursing his name, doing all the things we could to make sure she didn't relapse. But on April 5th 2014, she ODed on heroin. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks after that.
Hannah took her in and she set up a room for Maryse. She was still in a fragile state, so a group of her friends and I started taking turns watching over Maryse, making sure there was always at least one person there with her to keep her company.
Despite our vigilance, on May 14th 2014, when Hannah was out running a quick errand, she was gone maybe 15 minutes tops, Maryse found a way to cut her wrists and she died. We found a note saying that "the OD was not an accident, and neither was that. Thanks for everything you did for me. I love you all, but I can't do this anymore."
It feels good to write that story (I'll just ignore the fat tears rolling down my face!). Thanks for reading this far and sorry for the long story, I just started writing and couldn't stop. I apologize if it was a bit of a bummer.

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/WholePomegranate5342
Originally posted to TrueOffMyChest
My Parents Tried to Screw Over My Dying StepMother, Blew Up All Of Our Lives Instead
Trigger Warnings: infidelity, imminent death, terminal illness, financial exploitation, physical assault, emotional abuse and manipulation
Original Post: February 13, 2024
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
My (17F) stepmother "Jane" is a wonderful, wonderful woman. She and my father got married when I was 4, and she's been a rock in my life ever since. My mother was always my primary caregiver, but up until that point her relationship with my father was acrimonious and I basically never saw him. Jane was the reason they developed a stable co-parenting relationship, she encouraged everyone having a good relationship with each other and was always there to support me and my mom when things got rough.
Jane was always a really hard worker. When she met my dad, he was living out of a hotel and my mother was doing everything in her power to keep me away from him because she was petty and angry that their relationship didn't work out. Meanwhile Jane had a great job, a nice house, helped my dad get back on his feet, negotiated a visitation schedule with my mom (who hated her for a long time), and made sure my dad sent us money every week because neither one of them could afford an attorney to negotiate child support payments. Jane had no reason to do any of these things but as I got older she made it clear that she loved me as much as she loved my (half) brothers who were born a few years later. I even have my own room in her house because at the time we lived with my grandparents / various boyfriends of my mom and Jane felt that I needed a more stable environment than that. She's like the opposite of the evil stepmom.
When I was 15, Jane won a big lawsuit against an airline company and got awarded upwards of a million dollars. She used the money to build sizable trust funds for me and my brothers so that we would be taken care of later in life. Despite having a lot more money she still wanted to live a fairly modest life, so she paid off the house she has and has been living there ever since with my dad. Sure she bought a new car and they went on a few nice vacations but she didn't blow all her money on stupid things, which I respected.
About a year ago, things started getting really weird. Whenever I saw Jane she seemed to look sicker and sicker, but no one would tell me or my brothers why even though I know they knew. All we knew is that she was at the hospital a lot. Around the same time, my mom has been coming around my dad a lot more and acting really strange, basically like she was trying to romance him. Whenever Jane was in the hospital my mother would insist on spending the night at their house and playing mom to my brothers, which was so weird to me because she never liked them or Jane. She'd be the perfect little housewife and my mom is NOT like that at all. It was super fake.
Worst of all, my dad started falling for it. I'm not stupid - I'm pretty sure they were sleeping together. I tried to shield my brothers from it but they're not dumb either. I tried talking to my dad too but he insisted it wasn't like that.
Then a few weeks ago, my mom started talking about all the places she'd like to visit, how she wanted a new car and was looking to invest... which is weird because my mom has been a bartender her whole life and has lived paycheck to paycheck since before I was born. She was acting like she was about to get a lot of money, which started to make me really suspicious. Between Jane being sick and my mom acting all nouveau riche, I had a lot of questions.
Finally I decided to visit Jane in the hospital and ask her about my trust fund. I found out that if anything happened to her, that my dad would inherit all the money including full control of the trusts for me and my brothers. She asked me why I was so interested in the trust fund so I told her what's going on with my parents and how my mom has been acting with my dad. I didn't want to but after everything she did for me, she deserved the truth. It really hurt me to break her heart like that, especially once I found out that she was basically in hospice at this point because of irreversible kidney failure. She's only got a few more months. We both cried so much.
Then, two days ago everything came to a head. My mom stormed in furious and started arguing with my dad. Apparently Jane met with her lawyer and changed the trust so that my dad would get nothing and all of the trusts would be controlled by my step-aunt. She demanded to know how Jane found out about their relationship and I came out and told them that I told Jane everything. I told them that if they wanted to play stupid games they would win stupid prizes and that I wasn't going to let them screw Jane over after all the help she gave my family when she didn't have to.
My mom slapped me and my dad just looked so defeated. Then my mom told my dad that she didn't really love him, that she was just pretending to so he would marry her and she could get all of the money. The worst part about it is that my brothers witnessed the whole thing and now on top of their mom dying they have to deal with a cheating dad and his vindictive ex. Our whole family is in ruins and I feel like it's my fault even though I know it's not.
Yesterday I visited Jane again and told her about the fallout. She apologized and said that she had to dissolve my trust fund to make sure my mother didn't get a hold of the money, but that as "her oldest" I will inherit the house/property after she is gone and that's worth more than the other two trust funds combined. My father won't get anything because she's going to divorce him before she dies, and honestly I'm happy for her. She made me promise to take care of my brothers and told me that once I turn 18 this summer I can kick my dad out of the house if I want to. And I FULLY plan to do that btw.
I haven't talked to my dad since and I can't even look at my mom. I can't believe they would conspire to do this to Jane after all this time. Just proof that they deserve each other and I'm embarrassed that they're my parents. Once I turn 18 I'm going to cut my dad out as much as I can and cut my mom out completely. I hope she rots. Meanwhile I'm going to try and be at the hospital as much as I can until Jane passes away.
Anyways. I just needed to vent. I'm really messed up about the whole thing and I feel super betrayed, although I can't even begin to imagine how Jane feels. I'm gonna be so f-ed up when she dies. I can't even think about that right now. But at least she's not surrounded by people who just want to bring her down.
Thanks for reading.
Edit: Some people are asking a lot of the same stuff so I'll just clarify here --
My brothers - My plan is to use some of the estate money fight for guardianship for my twin brothers so that they can live in the house while I kick my dad out. If I can't get guardianship then I will have to let my dad stay in the house. However once I turn 18 I will technically be an adult so even if my dad leaves I'm still legally able to be responsible for them. The only thing I won't be able to do is stop him from taking them if he leaves. But they will be 18 in six years so even if they do have to leave they will always be able to come back whenever they want. In a perfect world my dad would just leave and let my brothers stay with me which I'm sure my bio-mom would be very supportive of because right now she hates all of us and I doubt that will change anytime soon.
The trust - from what I understand, my brothers will inherit 1/3 each of the estate and the remaining 1/3 will be used to keep the house running until they turn 18. After that it will be up to me if I want to keep the house or sell it. At that point my brothers will still have money left in the trust so they can branch out or do whatever they want, otherwise I will not sell the house and just pass it on to them or keep it and maintain it myself and they can just stay with me as long as they need to.
(Edit to the edit) So I just spoke to Jane and she told me that the reason she dissolved the trust is because originally it was going to be split 3x between us kids and my dad would inherit the house. She dissolved my 3rd and switched it over to make it to take care of the house maintenance, and instead put the house in my name so my dad wouldn't get it. Plus by doing that at least financially I would be getting a much bigger share (the house is worth about 1.5x the amount of my brothers trusts) I just wouldn't be able to do anything with it until my brothers are 18, which I'm totally cool with. Sorry if I don't have a better answer but I'm just trying to translate what she told me.
My parents - The big fight happened on Sunday and I haven't spoken to either of my parents since, I think they're both at my mom's place right now but that's fine with us because we're all still mad at them so they can stay gone for all we care. I know technically that's not legal to just leave us alone but I've been taking care of my brothers for over a year I can handle a few days while he gets his shit together. Screw both of them.
Hope that clears some stuff up.
TLDR; My bio parents tried to screw my terminally ill stepmother out of trust fund money, but she caught on and now no one on my side of the family gets anything.
Additional Information from OOP on her parents, stepmom’s health, trust funds

OOP: (Why isn't Jane on dialysis) - I don't remember the exact details but Jane has a genetic condition where she gets cysts on her kidney. She already had a transplant a few years ago but now she developed problems with her arteries or something in her legs so she doesn't qualify for dialysis. She could get another transplant but she doesn't want to because the last time was so traumatic (rejections, etc). So she decided to just let herself go onto maintenance medications to prolong her death until she gets her affairs in order. She has a few other health problems that make the typical treatments really dangerous and according to her she'd rather die surrounded by loved ones than on an operating table.
(Dissolving the trust fund) - Jane told me she didn't technically have to do it, but she didn't trust my bio parents not to do something shady and get a hold of the money before I turn 18. Even if my aunt controlled the fund my dad would still be able to collect if something happened to Jane before I turn 18. Her lawyer suggested it's better safe than sorry and I agreed that it was the best option. I'm not an expert tho I don't know the details.
(How my mom knew) - Like I said before I'm pretty sure Jane told my dad, who then told my mom and that's how the argument started. I can't think of any other way and I didn't really care enough to ask.
(Jane's thoughts on my mom) - she didn't know my mom was doing all of that. My mom has her own place and would only come over whenever Jane was in the hospital for a few days at a time. I've been living with my dad for a little over a year so he probably told Jane that my mom was there to spend time with me, if he told her at all. Besides she didn't "move in" until a few months ago, which I guess is when they started hatching their plan. Jane never outright banned my mom from visiting so there really wasn't anything she could do.
Hope that helps.
Edit for the last part: The remainder of the money belonging to the estate that hasn't been put into trusts for my brothers is going to be used to maintain the house (utilities, taxes, etc) until my brothers are 18 and then I can either choose to sell the house or keep it and maintain it myself if I'm able to. I plan to go to school in that time and get a better job with the goal of keeping the house, but if I can't then I have the option to sell it. Not that I will but that's how it was explained to me.

OOP on her stepmom and their relationship, provides thoughts on her bio mom

OOP: Honestly it's because she's more of a "real" mom than my actual mom.
My bio mom is kind of ambiguous about my existence but Jane was always extra involved, sending me to sports teams and paying for dance classes and just showing interest in my hobbies as I got older. Plus as the only girl I think we bonded on a level she can't with my brothers so she always made sure to let me know I was on equal terms with them. When I was younger we would watch movies and have girl time where it was just us 1:1 and those are some of my best memories with her.
Jane is also really mature and someone I wanna be like when I get older whereas it feels like my mom is a teenager in an adult's body. She was constantly picking fights with my dad about dumb things and Jane was always there to smooth things over and keep my best interest at heart over her own feelings. I know my mom made Jane's life really difficult for a long time but Jane never complained or said anything to me about it whereas my mom CONSTANTLY complained about Jane. As I got older I just always felt more at peace when I was around Jane than when I was around my mom.
If you want your step kids to love you just be there for them and treat them like your own. Ignore whatever drama you have with your husbands ex and just love your kids. Trust me if you really care about them they will know.

Relevant Comments
mattdvs1979: My only advice is make sure you work with a lawyer once she passes so you get your inheritance and your parents can’t try to intervene, and then you keep your promise to use that money for you and your brothers’ welfare.

OOP: Oh absolutely, Jane already gave me the lawyer's info and between him and my step-aunt I'm sure I will be able to do what I need to do for them. I don't even care about the money, most people don't have trust funds and turn out just fine. I'm actually more glad that she gave me the house because you can be damn sure it's going to be a safe space for my brothers whether I end up getting custody of them or not. My brothers are basically Jane's legacy so my goal is to give them the life and guidance that I got from her, and that they won't get because she'll be gone.

OOP on the relationship between her father and her stepmom before they got exposed

OOP: Honestly it hurts a lot because before Jane got sick they seemed to have the perfect relationship. Until my birthgiver (I like that) came in and fucked everything up with her toxic personality. Honestly in a perfect world my mom will end up broke and alone and in a shitty nursing home with bed sores. And when she calls me and begs me for a relationship (because she needs the attention) it'll feel so good to hang up on her over and over again.

OOP on Jane (stepmom)’s health and if Jane is mentally okay on the whole situation

OOP: I think so. Apparently it's a genetic disease so she always knew she was going to get sick she just didn't know when so mentally I think she was prepared for it. I just hope that she can find peace knowing the truth and knowing that I'll be there to make sure her sons don't grow up all fucked up.

OOP on her brothers getting therapy to deal with their mom/step-mom’s health and her imminent death

OOP: Yeah. I've already sat them down and talked to them about what's going on, they seem to understand but they're understandably really sad about the whole thing. I told them that when they go to school they should ask about a grief counselor and I'm trying to get their health insurance info from Jane so I can find them a therapist for kids. As much as all of this sucks I think it's brought the three of us a lot closer together.
Thanks a lot. I really love my brothers and I know it's my job to take care of them properly now that they won't have a mom around. Jane did so much to raise me and my brothers won't have the opportunity so it's only right that I help them.
Since finding all of this out my plan has always been to have my brothers live with me, I'm already in charge of taking care of them and the house for the most part the only thing my dad does is help pay the bills. Unfortunately I won't be able to kick my dad out as long as he's their legal guardian which is why I'm trying to find some other solution to that. But if/when that gets resolved he can live under a bridge for all I care.

 
Update: May 8, 2024 (3 months later)
Please check my profile for my previous post. :)
Hi guys it’s me again, a lot of you asked me for an update on my situation with Jane and my family so I’ve come back with a few things that have happened since I initially posted. I will try to organize this in a way that addresses the major points of last time.
Jane is still alive and doing surprisingly well considering the circumstances. She’s always been a fighter and although her disease has been progressing she’s keeping a positive attitude with everything that is going on. She says she’s grateful that she was able to see everyone’s true colors before she passed so she could go into the next life knowing the truth. We have become so unbelievably close in the past few months and it’s getting harder and harder to know that she’s getting close to the end. She doesn’t ever talk about it though and I know it’s because she doesn’t want to hurt me but we both know the situation so we’re just making the best of our time. I'm also not being completely transparent about all of the drama at home but tbh I don't think she needs to hear all of that.
We did end up having that surprise celebration of life that I planned, a lot more people showed up than I thought but they all got an airbnb near the hospital where Jane is and we were able to take her out and spend some time at the lake near the facility. It was super lowkey which I know Jane preferred and I was even able to get her old college friend to come after I found him on Linkedin lol. We had food and there was music and we played games and it was overall a really great time, except Jane started crying at the end but she promised me it was just because she was grateful.
My brothers are also doing okay, my aunt (Jane's sister) is currently paying for them to go to therapy and they've become a lot more open about talking about the situation. They just turned 13 but a lot of the time it feels like I'm talking to actual adults lol. They've become really independent lately (in a good way) and aside from me driving them places I don't really have to do much for them anymore. Their grades aren't super great but they're not failing and considering the circumstances it could be a lot worse. They still hang out with friends and I'm keeping an eye out for like depression symptoms and stuff.
The situation with my mom is as funny as it is embarrassing tbh. She spent a few weeks ignoring us and then she tried to crawl back into my life basically begging me to let her move in because her lease is about to expire and she has nowhere to go. That convo went about as well as you'd think and she ended up calling me an ungrateful b**** and that I couldn't just ignore her because she's my mom. I told her to get out of the house before I call the cops and to go back to my dad (who at that point was only coming home every few days to "check on us" and grab some clothes.)
After that she tried coming by a few times and when I wouldn't open the door she would lose her mind and start yelling through the neighborhood. After three instances of this I finally called the cops but because I'm 17 they told me there's a possibility that I would have to go home with her since technically I'm a minor and need to be with the custodial parent. I told them no way because I was the only one watching my brothers atm. That led to a whole thing where after a few hours my dad basically showed up and I was allowed to stay there because there was finally an adult present and I'd basically lived there for over a year.
After that the cops firmly told my mom that if she keeps showing up and causing drama (my neighbors confirmed that she'd been there a few times screaming) that they would arrest her for trespassing since technically it was Jane's house and not hers. She left and hasn't tried coming to the house anymore but for a while she would call me constantly telling me I owed her and all kinds of stuff. She's now blocked on everything and anything she needs to say to me gets filtered through my dad.
As for my dad... well, since he's basically required to be here for another 2 months until I turn 18 we've basically just avoided each other. It's not too bad though because I've been heavily relying on guilting him for everything to get my way. For example he was going to contest the divorce but I threatened to kick him out when I turn 18 if he does that so he just signed all the paperwork for a "quickie divorce" and is basically doing whatever Jane tells him to do. I don't openly disrespect him or anything (he's still my dad) but I've made it clear that I have no intentions on doing anything he says ever again and he doesn't fight me on it. Most of the time he's just in his room and sometimes he'll go back to my mom's but only for a day or two before they argue and she kicks him out again lol. I haven't decided whether or not I'll kick him out yet and we haven't talked about it either so I'm kind of playing it by ear.
As for me, I'm handling everything as good as I can. I found a new job where I make a little more money so I've been focusing on saving as much as I can and just being there for my brothers. Between working and school and visiting Jane I've been so busy I haven't really had time to really stop and think about everything, but I know it'll come. One of my friends has really stepped up and helped me manage everything and I'm super grateful to him for being there for me and my brothers so we'll see how that goes.
Anyways I wish I had something more exciting to share but that's what's happened since my last post :) Thanks again for all the support on my last post.
Relevant Comments
OOP on the possibility of her stepmom being poisoned from her parents to get Jane’s money

OOP: Hi there,
A few people have mentioned this and yes we are absolutely certain she is not being poisoned, it’s a genetic disease causing her kidney failure and we have known about it for a long time but she shielded us from the worst of it hence why her “sudden” decline in health was such a shock to us, we thought she had more time.
My brothers have also been screened for this disease and thankfully neither of them have it.
Edit to add: I’m turning 18 in a few weeks so I don’t need to get emancipated and my dad has already agreed that my brothers will stay in the house with me because they have nowhere else to go.

OOP on Jane making video clips for her brothers

OOP: Yes actually a few people suggested this on my last post and we have been doing this for a few weeks now. Jane has a little digital recorder that she’s been putting her thoughts down on and she’s also written a few letters to us for major milestones. My brothers do not know about this as we want to surprise them but that said they have been coming to the hospital more now that they’re in therapy and able to deal with it. I know they do not want to have any regrets even though it’s a difficult situation.

OOP on her father after being exposed and her bio mom trying to manipulate him

OOP: I do think he’s remorseful, he hasn’t said it but the way he’s acting is telling me that, he’s being really passive when normally he gets a little belligerent if he really feels like he didn’t do anything wrong. Also I know I have every reason to kick him out but he’s still my dad even tho what he did to Jane was terrible. He’s just kind of a weak minded person and my bio mom really manipulated the crap out of him and continues to manipulate him but I can tell he’s getting tired of her BS because he’s spending less time with her.
He didn’t know she was showing up at the house and when he found out he was super pissed at her, they’ve been fighting nonstop and I can tell he’s not as much under her spell anymore because he’s at home more but who knows.

 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

Thank you for reading my post!
I'm thinking about doing a 2-week nanny gig in a few weeks.
The responsibilities are: - caring a 2-year-old for 11 hours

• prepping lunch and cooking dinner
  
• picking up from school and dropping off from the activities for 3 kids (using my car)
  
• lighthouse keeping (didn't specify but I'm guessing loading/unloading the dishwasher, etc??)
  
• working 11 hours for 9 days
  

I never had this kind of gig before (4 kids and 11-hour shifts). So I'm pretty nervous but would like to know if I'm capable of this kind of intensity as I'm planning to work as a nurse in the future.
Could someone guide me on how much you would charge the family in this situation? I would really appreciate any insights! (reimburse gas, contracts, rate per hour, liabilities, etc.)
Thank you again!!

Sorry for the long read, skip to last paragraph if TLTR. I guess this is more a rhetorical rant, but could just use someone to listen and breakup advice.
My boyfriend (29M) and I (26F) just broke up after 6 years. We have been best friends since day 1 and have been proud that our relationship has been based off of a very strong bond built on support, patience, the same humor with an uncountable amount of inside jokes, and at the risk of sounding cringingly corny… pure love and respect. When I met him, I just knew he was it. He was kind, funny, dorky, and gave me butterflies long after the honeymoon phase. When we first moved in together people said “careful, moving can put stress on a relationship.” Not a single fight. We crushed it in one day. He had to move a heavy couch in knee deep snow and didn’t complain once. Our first roadtrip people said “careful, roadtrips can cause tension.” Again, not a single hiccup. Best 2 weeks of our life that we planned to a T and not a single negative thing happened - except too much sun causing some uncomfortable burns and some snippiness that didn’t escalate. Gentle aloe massages and a nap in the AC’d hotel room fixed it. We met early 20s so did a lot of growing together, even a little bit where we grew apart, but pushed through the other side stronger… or so I thought. This past year I started working at a new job and going to school for Nursing. Then his mom died very unexpectedly and honestly horribly. We stayed supportive of each other, went to individual therapy, we kept working. I knew he was holding it together too well and I told him “you’ll be fine until you won’t be.” After she died he barely got any time off work and I could see it wearing on him, but I still feel like everything I was doing for him and taking care of stuff at home and focusing on my own stuff just wasn’t enough. We were fine for the 2 months after his mom passed. Then 2 weeks ago we had a small argument that blew the fuck up. I don’t snap when I’m mad, I shut down until I can calm down, process what I’m feeling and properly articulate it. He said so much stuff he couldn’t take back. He told me that I needed therapy when I’ve been consistently going (he went to 2 sessions then quit), I’m properly medicated, I eat properly, I exercise, I’ve made an effort with friends, I’m working towards my goals… and he hasn’t made any effort with anything which I never blamed him for because HIS MOTHER DIED. Point being I’ve done what I could to better myself. And I knew he was struggling so I did what I could to let him grieve on his own time. But he just decided to treat me like his door mat. He told me he hasn’t been happy with me for a year (first time hearing about this even though I’d try and ask him what I could do to better support him or do to better our relationship or be a better partner for him and he’d always say nothing I’m good). He said he loves me but isn’t IN love with me anymore. He has done this in the past where I feel like we are good then suddenly he hates me or isn’t happy with me and what not. But I just can’t do this anymore. If he doesn’t want to communicate or work through it after 6 years together, then there is nothing I can do.
What is wrong with me though? I don’t know what I could have done any differently. Why am I not good enough? Why wasn’t the 6 wonderful years together not deemed enough to work through stuff, to be open and tell me “hey it bugs when you do this”. To communicate. I’m at a loss. I’m crushed. And I just want to be alone. But I can already tell this is going to suck for a long time and probably affect how I’ll be in future relationships. How the fuck do I get over this? I genuinely thought he was the one.
Thanks if you actually took the time to read all of that. Even more if you reply.

TL;DR - I’m 24w pregnant and at my breaking point with my current job. Have a new job already but it won’t pay me for 2 months. My family thinks I’m stupid bc I want to quit right now. Would It be a bad decision?
First of all Ty for reading. I’m at a huge dilemma right now that is causing me extreme stress.
I (19F) am 24 weeks pregnant and a FTM. My fiancé (21M) and I have been together for 4 years, we own a house together, have decent paying jobs and have been living together for almost a year, about to be married in July, so we are pretty put together for our age. We also have everything in order for our son, if he was born tomorrow (which I obviously don’t hope for!) he’d have everything he could ever need for his first few months of life, including crib, car seat, clothes, diapers etc. I have been very excited for this pregnancy and also wanted to prove myself as a young mom so I made sure of this before I even hit trimester 3, plus with so many big events coming up, we had an early baby shower with a diaper raffle and everything.
So my problem is I’m working full time as a CNA to help with my half of the bills, and I absolutely HATE my job. Not only is the job itself grueling, but as I get farther along in my pregnancy it has become exhausting and every day is a mental battle. My job consists of constant bending over, lifting 300+ lb residents either in bed or into chairs, sitting on my knees (well really my butt bc of circulation issues) and being on my feet majority of the day. I could put up with it easier if I had any inclination of help throughout the day. Healthcare facilities are usually understaffed, but my building recently had a walk-out of literally 20 staff members, most of them CNAs, and it leaves the rest of us short handed pretty much every day. I have had several instances of asking nurses and MACs for help and they outright refuse or come up with stupid excuses why it’s not their job. Just yesterday I reported a nurse for walking out of the room when I pretty much TOLD her to help me because I couldn’t do cares on a specific individual myself, she walked out because I was “arguing” with her. I had a huge screaming match with my managers a couple of weeks ago basically threatening to sue them if they kept putting me on this one unit, which I am almost guaranteed to take on 20 patients by myself when I work there. They are so short staffed that they can’t even afford to fire me. My paychecks have been inconsistent for months starting back when they cut all of my hours, now half of the employees left they are constantly asking me to pick up extra shifts. I constantly say no because I can barely make myself go work my regular scheduled shifts. My paychecks continue to be inconsistent because of the amount of times I’ve called in. I just have stopped caring and the only reason I haven’t walked out yet is because I want to be responsible and I know I won’t get fired for missing work anyway.
I am BEYOND over it. I have been wanting to quit for weeks, but struggled to find another job that suited my wants and needs, as I DID NOT want to be a CNA anymore so I told myself I wouldn’t quit until I had something good lined up. It’s difficult to get hired while pregnant because most employers see it as a loss due to maternity leave and pay. The thing is, I actually did find another job and have already been hired and technically making money, I just won’t get paid until after I get my license which will take bout 2 months. It’s 100% commission based but the company has trades in the NYSE and I can make really good money there if I can get clients. I am ready to throw myself and my focus into this new career, and I’ve been looking for any excuse to leave my current job, I really don’t care if I’m not getting paid atm.
I talked to my fiancé, my parents, and my bsf about this and they all pretty much told me I’m stupid for thinking I can quit my current job right now. My fiancé is actually the most supportive out of all of them but he is scared about our finances and worries about how he’s going to pay the bills on his own. Mind you, he has $5000 in personal savings and our shared account that we put money in for our bills is about two months ahead of our monthly expenses, so it’s not like we don’t have ANY money at all. I definitely don’t want to drain our savings in the meantime, but with this new career I could potentially make more than I am currently making, meaning I could soon put way more into savings than I ever was since we moved in. My parents think I should wait until after the wedding to quit my job so I know I’ll have money for the expenses, however, we already paid for majority of the venue costs and they agreed to help us with the rest of the expenses like food, my dress etc (I am NOT getting an expensive dress, it’ll be $300 at most.) they act like I will be constantly asking them for money, which I haven’t done once since living on my own, or that I won’t be able take care of myself. My plans were to get my last paycheck from my current job and put it all towards our bills. We are also expecting one last rent payment from our roommates who are in the process of moving out. At worst we will only need to take a bit out of savings and I can’t allow myself any frivolous spending until I start making money again.
I just feel trapped and like nobody close to me understands what I’m going through. I cried for like an hour last night just thinking about having to go back to work, I just have no idea how I can keep this up for another two months. My self confidence in my ability to prosper in this new job is also deflated due to my family’s reaction. Pregnancy hormones aren’t helping … I thought I’d ask y’all bc ik my family is just worried about my financial security and doesn’t want anything bad to happen. I just want to message HR tonight and never go back.
BTW my current job doesn’t offer paid maternity leave so there’s no reason to wait for that.
Any thoughts?

I’m a 30 yr old EMT in Seattle, I have around 2 years of EMS experience in Seattle (OD’s, stabbing, shootings, MVC’s) . I’ve been applying for LE and getting disqualified recently. I’ve noticed a trend and I’m wondering if it’s nationwide or just this area. PD’s around Seattle that claim they are understaffed are still pretty picky with applicants. I’ve applied with Seattle PD and many surrounding depts, all DQ’ed.
Background on me: I experimented with harder drugs in college 2012-2016 (coke, LSD, shrooms, adderall, whippets), smoked pot a lot, drank underage, partied hard but still went to class and got my BA. One buzzed driving incident in 2017 from a bar close to my house. (4 strong beers in the span of 2 hrs then drove a mile home, whoops)
Quite a few jobs but clean work history my entire twenties except for a fire academy that asked me to resign in 2023, and a previous EMS company that I was fired from in 2022. In the fire academy I liked to ask the instructors a lot of questions and I think I annoyed some of them unintentionally and they saw it as disrespectful, my physical performance and skill retention was great. The EMS company did only interfacility transfers of people, nursing home to hospital, no 911, I refused a call with 5 minutes left of shift because I had very important plans after work, that got me fired, this company would exploit employees end of shift times constantly. I wouldn’t have refused the call if I was doing 911 obviously. But since I was doing interfacility transfers the patients were never in an emergent situation, they just needed a taxi ride basically.
During my oral board interviews I’m completely transparent that I’m not a perfect Boy Scout type applicant with my drug use and work history, and they seem to have appreciated that. But the depts I’ve gone to backgrounds with I will get a disqualification letter after they screen my background. Should I keep applying and hope to find a dept that is willing to hear my job explanations or take a break from applying?
I find it very strange a department like Seattle PD is that picky with applicants when they are in a staffing crisis. Thanks guys.
Update: thanks for all the replies! If you could keep the rude and snarky comments to yourself that would be nice, I came here for feedback not to be torn a new asshole. I had a BI from a dept I applied at recently tell me today, it’s my recent negative work history that’s concerning, they don’t care about the drugs or intoxicated driving that much cause it was so long ago. I’ll get more time at my current employer and reapply. That’s what she told me.

I planned on visiting her at the nursing home this Thursday. My grandma is 84 and has 3 types of cancer and had a heart attack the other day. Her brain cancer is making her forget things already but she did ask for me.
Only my sister knows I’m pregnant. I’m 16 weeks along, and I thought about giving her a baby onzie that said game day with grandma because growing up my little brother was in baseball, she took care of us and we went to all the games together.
I ran the idea by my sister and she said not to because she doesn’t want to make my grandma feel left out or like she is missing out, she said it would give her false hope.
My grandma and I don’t have the best relationship and we haven’t talked since 2021, because I moved to a different state.
I told my sister it wasn’t from a point of unkindness.
I don’t know. Is it unkind? Is it better left unsaid?

Campaign of Fur & Fang
Act:1 We are here for you “To be honest with you Mr. Speaker, as representative of my fair species, I must inform you and everyone at home watching this debate, that the Lycans only wish to help humanity with our gifts. We are here for you. Yes, times are very scary, especially for the human population that sees not one but two of cultures most feared mythical creatures in the fresh and not just frightening tales and big budget motion pictures”.
(The Rep. of the Lycans, Mr.Olaf Corvin starts the proceedings strong with a voice that demands one’s attention with his deep soothing tunes and leadership-like inflections)
“Why thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your small intro, as we all know, we are here tonight for a debate of most importance. According to the peace treaty signed by both the Lycanthrope and the Empusa. A treaty that ended thousands of years of bloodshed and horror that came into focus for humanity in the past 50 years. Both Lycans and Empusas decided that their treaty was holding both sides at bay but no more, both sides came to a way to end this fighting once and for all. Oddly enough, you both decided on a campaign in the vein of an election, one that is between the Empusa, vampires for the common human knowledge, and the Lycanthropes also known as werewolves. This will consist of a 3-night debate between Mr. Olaf Corvin for the Lycans and Ms.Elisabetha Harkin for the Empusa. At the end of the 3 nights, humanity will vote on either side on who is the dominant species, thus eliminating the other and holding power over us all. This first night will be for Mr. Corvin and the Lycan’s then the 2nd night will go to Ms. Harkin for her argument for the empusa. This being the first night we shall start with you, Mr. Corvin. So I’ll start with the question all of humankind wants to know. Just why did you and your kind think we (humans) should vote for you since we have dealt with werewolves for decades, that we know of at least? Do we have a chance in hell, pardon my speech, of continued existence”?
(The Speaker is direct and surprisingly unnerved by the intense presence of Mr. Corvin being, his stare alone is enough to make your hair stand on end.)
“First off, Thank you all for your cooperation, I know this is uncommon for anyone let alone all of you watching here and at home. So to answer your first part, Mr. Speaker, I have seen centuries of bloody battles both as a human and as a Lycan and one thing has remained constant, no matter who is doing the fighting, blood on both sides will fall and innocent lives will be lost to the violence…to end that I felt this was the better more humane way to go about it.
“So, Mr. Corvin, are you saying that this “Debate” is to determine who is to RULE over all of humanity and use us as nothing more than food and labor”?
“No, both the lycans and empusa met on neutral ground and under special conditions to ensure that no side had an advantage over the other and to hopefully come to a fair compromise to ending the rivalry that has hindered not just the Lycans, not just the empusa Mr. Speaker…but all that calls Gaia home. To the concern and the outlook for humans, do not worry, for we do not condone forced labor among anybody, although if humans wish to share in culture and knowledge we are more than willing to. We wish and welcome it. As for food, hmm, yes we do eat…meat but that's not to mean that we strictly eat humans, on the contrary many of my kind eat animals and most vegetation that the great Gaia provides us all. Not unlike humans do. Don’t forget Mr. Speaker, we lycans have learned to live among humans for generations and hope to continue to do so. Only this time, not to hide what we are and grow together”.
“Well said Mr. Corvin but on the point of what you just said about living with humans for generations. You and others have heard the legends and stories regarding depictions of were…excuse me, Lycans, throughout history and in many different cultures. My question for you is, of most of these claims and even eyewitness accounts of your kind…SLAUGHTERING humans by the thousands in the name of your God Gaia, some as recent as decades ago right here in the country alone. How can we (humans) expect to co-exist with the Lycans after all their destructive actions”?
“The horrors that humanity has both witnessed and have been a part of are not unknown to my kind. We (Lycans) want to set the record straight, as you humans have said. History has been looking at us Lycans as like a plague, a horrifying virus that is contracted through a bite on a full moon, all that isn’t true. You won’t be turned through a bite or a scratch for us. To be one of us, you must first denoise all ties to materials, all bonds for greed, to truly understand freedom…the true freedom of no restrictions to your bond to the Almighty Gaia for she has given us this blessed freedom. Us, yes my family, my pack if you will, have seen the glory of Gaia on that glorious day so many many centuries ago when she took pity on my ancestors. Seeing them in chains of iron, beaten by their masters with barbed whips and prodded with their silver-tipped rods, the great Gaia saw out of all this display of cruelty and hatred that she began to weep”. (Corvin stops and takes a minute to compose himself, turning away slightly from the crowd hiding a small swell of tears.)
“Are you telling me... that to be counted among your kind, to become a Lycan in your community one simply can’t just be bitten but has to fully give themselves over to your way of life? That is truly a far cry from the movie monsters of old have portrayed. It sounds like it is more than some affection contracted from a bite or a curse, sounds like it’s more of a religious act than anything. What is the history of your kind then? Help us understand what the path of Gaia means and how it’s the true path to walk in life”.
“Well, Mr. Speaker, the first thing to learn from us is that under the guiding hand of Gaia, we (Lycans) have lived together with no sense of division amongst our own. No civil wars between ourselves, no reason to, when we all share a common goal of pleasing the great Gaia. Her ways are not strange to anyone honestly, she first bestowed these charges to our progenitor, my father, over 324,000 moon phases ago. It was on that night my father fell in battle against his rival and at that moment, she gave him a choice. Either turn away from the folly of the false gods and temptations of man and follow the path of her grace and in doing so will unite him with his enemies and end the wars that drove them to kill and taint the grounds of her body, or to simply deny her and embrace the world as one big lie and die alone on the ground and to be nothing more but a footnote of the grand story yet to be told”.
“So he chose her over death, to be her devoted one. Her avatar to bring out and show that she is the way to peace and prosperity. Whereas others only want to destroy and claim pieces of her through war and death. She gives it freely to her children. That is what it means to be one of us. Unlike my opposition, who brings death to all, they have the sink of death on them and should not be allowed to continue…I’m sorry Mr. Speaker. I wish to not have it end the way they offer and truly wish for peace for all who LIVE…and share the gift that has given my kind such a grander way of life”.
(Corvin drinks something from his ornate flask & after a moment makes his claim for why his kind should win over the Vampires)
“To all of those who still don’t wish to join us or are skeptical, Let me make it plain as spring rain. We offer you no chains or servitude, we offer you a way to live by us not under. If you decide to choose us over them I promise you this…People will live and live well within. But, I do warn you all, if you do choose Gaia and her gifts, they come with rules and rules that help with holding everlasting peace. Rules are what separates us from the savageness that has been shown by others not blessed by Gaia. Rules are fairly simple to practice”.
( The Rules Corvin laid out were as he said, simple, yet I fear they are not ones easily practiced among most humans. 1. All those who reside on blessed Gaia must swear an oath to not cause her any harm, which includes pollution of any kind. 2. All who receive Gaia’s blessing are to at no point shed the blood of her blessed ones.[Lycan] 3. Once a year an offering to Gaia is MANDATORY. Anything offered up must be prepared for her glory and must be taken with the utmost respect and care. (examples from anything from a blood offering to a prized crop of that year.)
“With this, I offer you true purpose and a life worth living. No more war, no more famine, or even the threat of a short mortal life can be a distant dream with the gift of Gaia”.
“I’m sorry to repeat myself Mr. Corvin, but are you telling us that if we choose you we will no longer be humans? Forgive me sir, but if the humans out there didn’t want and refuse this “gift of Gaia” as you call it, then what comes of them”?
“Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, Not everyone is a good fit for most humans and the gift Gaia offers is not something easily given, but rest assured that we do not wish to persecute nor do we have any intention of hurting anyone without cause. If you don’t have the gift or refuse it as you say, Mr. Speaker, we simply wish to not have the continued harm that has already been done to our beloved Gaia. we will cease all harmful pollution that all your factories, workshops, and all the mining, It all ends under our rule. Life will return to simpler times When the sky above wasn’t flooded with false lights made to blind you from the glory of the stars that blanket Gaia like a grand tapestry”.
“So, you are saying you would see an end to all of our functionality, as we know life, and drive us back centuries in technology and advancements in medicine? This feels like a subject that would cause much strife among humans, it may even be fair to say that this declaration you just put out there, might just make you seem more of a threat to what we hold dear. Forget about phones, the internet, and neon lights. What about the people whose very life is prolonged through this technology? Like a child who lives on dialysis or in a village somewhere far away, that has no access to fresh water or healthcare that would help them. Are you telling me that under your rule as a Higher species, what you offer us is a fair replacement”?
“The simple answer to that Mr. Speaker is yes. But I’ll go a bit further in explaining it for you and everyone watching here and at home. To all those who are fearful for your life as you know it, when the rule of the Lycans is secured, our first action is repairing as much damage as possible including the humans that are at the worst. The ones who are forgotten by their own but not so easily forgotten by our blessed mother Gaia, will be the ones who have earned the gift of Gaia. She has spoken of this directly, she sees all and has a place for the ones no one loves, the ones life has done wrong by. She will embrace them and on to her, they will find peace. As for their practice, you humans have done in the name of “progress” need not fear either. We will not cut your way so swiftly, we will show you the better path through example and have you see that your harmful, hateful ways that have been around since Cain threw the first stone are not the true ways to live on Gaia. Don’t think you will continue this without a gilding hand. We will be that guiding hand and as the hand of Gaia, you will see your harmful ways are not worth the cost”.
“Thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your time tonight. We sure have a lot to reflect on with what you say. The people here, myself included, have never truly given enough thought about just how much we harm the planet…Gaia, my apologies. Your words stir quite a few mixed feelings for us and your proposal is one we shall very much consider. Just one last question before we adjourn for the week. If/When the Lycans take full control, do you plan on completely whipping out the opposition”?
{Corvin lowers his head and looks at his soal powered wrist watch and then drinks again from his ornate flask]
“To that I have only one thing to say” {Corvin smiles and looks directly into the hard camera as it zooms in closer, more distinct features show on Corvin's face. Bushy yet maintained brow that is furrowed into an angle that shows his distaste for his vampire opposite.}
“To my opponent, our agreement will stand whether we win or lose this race but win we win and WE WILL WIN. We expect you and all your kind to do what is promised and hand yourselves over to us so that we can return you to the embrace of Gaia that all your kind has turned away from. Yes, Gaia has not forgotten you as well. She sees all and will welcome you with open arms. Thank you all for your time and my Gaia bless you all”.
{Corvin waves and walks off stage right as the curtain draws and the crowd murmurs and scatters. We truly have some thinking to do and I for one will say that sleep for me tonight will not come to me easy, that for sure. That’s going to conclude our broadcast here come back in a fortnight when we have the pleasure of hosting the Representative for the Vampires, Ms.Elisabetha Harkin.}

So I’m applying to accelerated nursing programs and a masters entry program in my area (Bay Area) this summer. My stats are: 1.5 years of CNA experience working at a children’s hospital, 50+ hours of hospital shadowing, and more healthcare related volunteering experiences. A’s in all my prerequisites except for one class, chemistry. 3.91 undergraduate gpa. I’m studying my butt off for the teas and plan to get a 90+% grade.
My options are this summer I can work full time and move to a prestigious hospital, where I’m making a lot more money and can get my patient care hours up to 1,000 hours. It’s been a goal of mine to work at this hospital and it would look great on my resume. I am in communication with a recruiter who offered me a position.
Or I can retake chemistry for an A and stay at my current job. Chem is Monday-Thursday. Then, I’d have a 4.0 GPA, which I feel like is baseline in my area. I’m really insecure about the B I have in chemistry, which factors into my pre-requisite GPA.
To those who have applied to nursing school and know about the process, what is more valuable, getting my pre-requisite GPA up to a 4.0 or getting more diverse work experience at a prestigious hospital?
TL;DR: Applying to accelerated nursing programs in the Bay Area; should I retake a class for an A?

So I’m applying to accelerated nursing programs and a masters entry program in my area (Bay Area) this summer. My stats are: 1.5 years of CNA experience working at a children’s hospital, 50+ hours of hospital shadowing, and more healthcare related volunteering experiences. A’s in all my prerequisites except for one class, chemistry. 3.91 undergraduate gpa. I’m studying my butt off for the teas and plan to get a 90+% grade.
My options are this summer I can work full time and move to a prestigious hospital, where I’m making a lot more money and can get my patient care hours up to 1,000 hours. It’s been a goal of mine to work at this hospital and it would look great on my resume. I am in communication with a recruiter who offered me a position.
Or I can retake chemistry for an A and stay at my current job. Then, I’d have a 4.0 GPA, which I feel like is baseline in my area. I’m really insecure about the B I have in chemistry, which factors into my pre-requisite GPA.
To those who have applied to nursing school and know about the process, what is more valuable, getting my pre-requisite GPA up to a 4.0 or getting more diverse work experience at a prestigious hospital?
TL;DR: Applying to accelerated nursing programs in the Bay Area; should I retake a class for an A?

How It Ended
by Ethan O’Driscoll
A thrilling Post apocalypse story
Intro
HRV-1
22 July 2024
Dr Olivia Warren Head of Biotech NARU
This is my latest report on the HRV-1 Virus we were instructed to design by the Russian Government.
The HRV-1 is an incredibly viral and infectious Retrovirus similar to HIV. Changes have been make on a genetic level to provide the request modes of transmission and symptoms.
Those symptoms are:

• Profuse bleeding from the mouth, eyes, lips, gums and pores of the skin
• Confusion
• Coma
• Total organ failure leading to death
• Reanimation after death and post-mortem hypo-aggression

This all included in a highly infectious package
The infection vectors are:

• bodily fluids
• contaminated area
• ANYTHING that has come in contact with infected bodily fluids
• airborne droplets

This is by far the most dangerous diseases we’ve ever designed. I pray to god the Russians only want it as a means of deterrent because if they use it I have no doubt it will end the world. The first sample should be ready to ship next week.
Chapter 1
The Outbreak
1 January 2025
Dr Olivia Warren Head of Biotech NARU
I can’t believe the bastards used it. The first cases came in from Kiev in December from there it spread like a wild fire through Europe the death toll now sits at 65 millions. The hordes rampage through city after city by the millions. There is no way to stop this. What have I done.
NATO forces have established a quarantine of Europe but I can’t help but feel like its too little too late. My estimate is that all infected nations in Europe will be consumed within the next month or two. The Corporation has started the construction of a company safe haven for us higher ups. All we can do is hope the construction is complete before this thing breaks quarantine.
15 February 2025
Dr Olivia Warren
The world is ending. Europe is gone. The quarantine is broken. We’ve got cases in Asia, South America, Here at home in the US, Australia and Africa nowhere is safe. I did this.
Infection number right now:

• Africa 100 Million
• Europe 890 Million
• Asia 250 Million
• North America 250 Thousand
• South America 120 Million
• Australia 24 Million

There is no hope
The safe zone is complete at least we are planning on moving all operations and personal within the week. I don’t know how I’m going to live with myself. Dixie is my only saving grace and at least she’ll be safe. I pray for the soul of all those my creation has killed.
20 March 2025
Dr Olivia Warren
Dixie is at the Safe zone.
I can’t live with myself any more. 4 billion people dead
Chapter 2
A New World
My name is Dixie Warren. Daughter of Dr Olivia Warren. Not that I’ve seen her in 15 years. I remember like it was yesterday. She told me to get on that NARU helicopter that she’d meet me at the safe zone. Those were the last words she ever said to me. I was 8 when the world ended.
Its been 15 years since the Outbreak. There isn’t really anything left of the old world. NARU still exists and turns out they created the virus and my mom was the head of the department that did it. They sold it to the Russians hoping they wouldn’t use it but they did.
It was specifically designed to spread and destroy as fast as possible and it did. I left the safe zone 2 years ago after I learned this information. Now I just spend my time wandering from town to town. My training on the NARU security team helps. At least I know all the best places to shoot a Freaker. That's what we call the infected and for good reason. Most of the time you’ll find them wondering around in groups of 5 to 10 if the group gets too big they turn on each other and form a pile of bodies devouring each other. They moan and scream to communicate and once they see you they will hunt you till you kill every last on of them or you get far enough away. They can run and are abnormally strong if there bodies aren’t damaged they’re a bitch to kill but I’m pretty good at it.
Right now I’m outside Richmond I’ve been stuck here for a week waiting for a large horde to move through. I’m hoping to hunt some of the stragglers and re-up on some supplies. A big horde like this usually leave a few hundred behind. My new AR has been waiting for some fun, I’ve got a new red dot and laser so I should be able to pop headshot after headshot but for now I should go find something to eat.
I’ve made it to a small department store outside the town. It looks like the horde is almost gone. Tons of freaks roaming around though. I can hear a few in the store. I’m going to try getting in through the back and take them out.
Made it back home and wow that store was a gold mine. I got food, water, bullets and even some whiskey. I’m going to enjoy the night then its time to hunt some stragglers. Then I’m thinking of going further south maybe New Orleans heard there might be a small settlement out there from another traveller, might be able to get another courier job or at least I’ll be able to stock up on supplies properly after all these years there isn’t much left in the cities to scavenge.
I better get some rest got a long day of freak killing and walking tomorrow.
Chapter 3
The Road to Home
I left Richmond yesterday. It’s a long road to New Orleans I wished I lived in the days when cars worked. NARU are the only people with working vehicles left and they aren’t exactly the sharing type. Its so lonely out here its been weeks since I last saw another living person the only things you see out here in the ruins are freaks by the hundreds. Its hard to believe the whole world was reduced to nothing by something my mom created. I remember her being the kindest most caring person in the world to think that she could create something so destructive is unbelievable. I’ve still got a long way to go the first city I should have to go through is Raleigh.
I’ve been walking for about a day and I can see the ruins from here. Its always so surreal to see the cities now, so desolate so empty. I remember growing up in Seattle, the city lights, the noise it was always so alive and busy. Now they’re all empty husks or mostly empty at least can’t forget about the freaks. Must’ve killed a thousand of them on my way here almost got bitten when one jumped me under an overpass about 10 miles back. Luckily my machete seems to be as good as ever at cutting up freaks. I should make it to Raleigh within the day.
Made it to Raleigh and its a mess, thousands of freaks I could hear the moaning and screaming from a mile away. I’m going to try finding my way around the city no point in trying to fight my way through a wall of freaks.
Heard crying coming from a house I walked past I decided to check it out and I found a young boy name Richie hiding in a bathroom with what looked like his infected parents trying to break the door down. I took both of them down with a clean headshot. The look on his face when he saw them dead breaks my heart. He says they’ve been hiding out in this house for a month or two after there homestead was overrun by freaks. Its a sad story but it gives me hope that people are at least trying to survive and rebuilt. He’s only 16 yet he’s seen so much and has nowhere else to go so I asked him if he wanted to stick with me and he was elated so I guess I’ve got a sidekick now. I’m not complaining should make the long lonely road more interesting. He’s got no combat experience but he can shoot a pistol so I gave him one of my backups at least I always carry extra. We’ve decided to hunker down for the night and do some scavenging before we leave for Charlotte tomorrow. I’ll be nice to have company for once I’ve been alone for so long.
I woke up to a gunshot and Richie screaming in the other room. When I got there I found Richie pale as snow and a little girl that was clearly infected shot lying on the floor. When I asked Richie who it was he replied in a cold distant voice “My little sister”. It was a heart breaking moment in less than 24 hours Richie had lost everyone. That was a feeling I knew too well my mom was all I had my dad died when I was really young and all I knew after the Outbreak before I left the safe haven was NARU but that wasn’t the best place to build personal connections just a bunch of science types that destroyed the world. Not exactly the most social lot and the security forces were just a bunch of military types that didn’t like the fact that as a teenager I was doing better than them in every metric except raw physical strength but even in that I was better than a lot of them. It’s almost time for us to get going I should pack up and make sure Richie’s okay.
We decided to stop by the old gun store on our way out of Raleigh. Richie mentioned seeing it when him and his dad went out to scavenge one time. He says it looked all locked up meaning there’s a good chance that there might still be something left to take. When we arrived there Richie was right it was locked tight it looked like there might be a way in from the roof so we decided to climb up when I got up there I was jumped by a freak that was just waiting but this one was different smarter in a way it heard me climbing up but instead of screaming and jumping off to get me it decided to hide and wait. In my years of freak killing I’ve never seen one that waits and ambushes. I hope this isn’t a sign that the infected are getting smarter. Anyway Richie popped it in the head and we got in to the gun store and what a find it was. I managed to get a brand new Glock 9 with a torch attachment and extended mag to replace the pistol I gave Richie. Speaking of Richie he decided on a 12 gauge pump with a tube extension and a AR-15 with a suppressor, extended mag and front grip. We also found enough ammo to keep us stocked even if we have to shoot our way to Charlotte now that we’re locked and loaded its time to leave this shit hole and start walking to the next shit hole at least for once I won’t be alone.
Chapter 4
The Road to Charlotte
We’d been walking for 60 miles before we were jumped by a gang of thugs. I caught a round to the leg before I knew what was happening Richie was more awake than me and managed to put a round through the bastards chest before his friends jumped out from behind two cars in front of us we managed to take cover behind a ruined car and we returned fire. I could see the thugs had no skill they just fired randomly in our direction while we were in cover I waited till they had to reload and tossed a molotov at one of them burning the bastard to a crisp. Richie rushed the other and unloaded some buckshot into his head. My leg hurts like a bitch. Richie bandaged it up for me he’s really starting to get used to life on the road. Looking at our map it looks like there is a gas station about 10 miles away so I guess I’ll limp my way there so we can hunker down while me leg heals. I still can’t believe I let the bastard catch me lacking but it won’t happen again
We made it too the gas station. The place looks almost perfectly preserved except the group of freaks that were shuffling around outside nothing that we couldn’t deal with. There is a lot of food and water here and we should be safe here while my leg heals. I hope we don’t run into any more problems till then. I trust Richie but he’s still learning and I’m not sure he’d be able to deal with any major problem on his own.
Its been 4 weeks since I took that shot to my leg and I’m feeling a lot better. Richie managed to find some painkiller so he was able to get the round out and everything healed nicely. He really is an amazing guy young and naive but he really is a good person. I don’t know how I did it without him for so long. It nice not being alone any more. I think I’m ready to get moving again we have about another 100 miles left to go before we get to Charlotte so we better get moving.
We’re about 20 miles from Charlotte, the roads been peaceful we ran into a group of survivors living on a pretty well fortified farm about 25 miles back. They were having issues with some freaks hanging around their water pumping station so we dealt with them for them in exchange for some antibiotics to help with an infection Richie got in his leg where he cut himself jumping a fence while a freak chased him before I could dome it. Only god knows how I didn’t get an infection in my leg after getting shot but he did from cutting himself on a rusty fence guess I’m just lucky. After helping them back we continued on our way. Nothing else interesting happened and Richie is looking a lot better and his cut is basically healed. We should get to Charlotte within the day but I want to stop on a hill on the Outskirts to set up base and get a look at the situation in the city because the farmers mentioned that a horde had passed through recently and they usually get held up in cities they should have moved on by now but better safe than sorry
Chapter 5
Charlotte
We made it to the hill outside Charlotte and the place is infested millions of freaks. I’ve never seen so many of them in one place and I think I know why. In the middle of the city is an old NARU emergency treatment centre. A place where all of the cities first infected were sent. A good plan till there were to many of them and quarantine was broken then all it was was a collection of infected right in the middle of the city which lead to the whole thing being infected much faster. I’m guessing this caused most of the freaks to pile and the smell was attracting more. Oh I forgot to mention the smell imagine a pile of thousands of rotting corpses that’s the smell I’m talking about. There’s no chance we’ll be able to get through the city but I need to get to that NARU site. There might be some old documents or something about my mom I need to find out what happened to her. I’ve spoken to Richie and we both agree that we should try and divert the horde away so we can have time to get to the NARU centre.
Richie has volunteered to draw the hordes attention away while I get to the NARU building. The plan is he triggers an explosion at an old gas station on the other side of town while I get to the building and look for information about the virus and what happened to my mom. All I know is that my mom created the virus while working for NARU. I need to find out what happened to her. I hate putting Richie at risk but it needs to be done.
I just heard the explosion and it works thousands of freaks started moving like a tidal wave of flesh towards the sound I hope Richie is on his way to the meeting place at the abandoned NARU checkpoint on the south side of town but I don’t have time to think about it now I’m almost at the NARU centre I need to be as fast as possible
I made it to the NARU centre and it’s covered in bodies there’s no way I can get in it looks more like a pile of living human corpses than a building I’m guessing the freaks all turned on and consumed each other till they were all stuck and fused together. I’m making my way to the NARU checkpoint I hope Richie is already there and safe.
I made it to the NARU checkpoint and reunited with Richie. He was covered in blood and gore. He had to kill hundreds of freaks to make it here. He says he was almost bitten a few times. I can’t believe I risked his life for nothing. I’ll never do it again. While exploring the place I found this.
20 March 2025
Dr Olivia Warren
Dixie is at the Safe zone.
I can’t live with myself any more. 4 billion people dead
The final communication between my mom and NARU it turns out she couldn’t live with the guilt and decided to kill herself. I can’t blame her I would probably do the same if I was the reason the world ended and killed billions of people but it still breaks my heart. I am happy to know she’s dead and not infected lumbering around somewhere.
Richie is exhausted and so am I were going to take a brake here and continue on to Atlanta tomorrow.
Everything is packed up and we’re ready to go. Last night was rough I kept watch while Richie slept I hate to admit it but I think I’m falling in love with him. I never really had a first love I live for 13 years at NARU but I was the oldest kid there by far by the time any of the boys were close to my age I was already jaded and thinking about leaving so I didn’t pay any attention to them but Richie is different when I found him he was so helpless and lost now he’s strong, confident and he’s so loyal to me. I don’t want to speak to soon by I think he might feel the same way I guess time will tell we still have a long road to walk together. Speaking of walking Atlanta here we come.
Chapter 6
Road to Atlanta
We ran into a group of survivors hiding in a shed on the outskirts of Charlotte on our way home two parents and a little girl they were all bitten and waiting to turn they begged us to put them down before they turned so I did but I think it took a toll on Richie. He’s been almost silent since it must’ve reminded him of his parents and little sister I hope the day never comes that one of us get bitten and the other one has to decide whether or not to do it but if it does I hope Richie has what it takes to put me down if not I hope I get to do it myself before I turn but I shouldn’t be thinking about things like that. Thinking about your own death is a pretty sure-fire way to make it happen.
We ran into a pretty large group of infected must’ve been about 20 of them but all of them behaved the same as the one that jumped me on the roof of the gun store back in Raleigh. I guess that confirms that it wasn’t a once off thing but I still wonder what causes it maybe I’ll find out one day. We took them all down and continued on I hate to admit it but I really enjoy killing freaks call it therapy I guess. Richie is running low on ammo for his 12 gauge. There should be a gun store in about 30 miles so we should be able to restock there. My ammo supplies are also running a bit low only got about a hundred rounds per gun left. I know that sounds like a lot but with all the freaks on the roads it barely enough after Raleigh I had about a 500 per gun. Lets hope we don’t run into any large hordes till we get to the gun store.
We made it to the gun store just to find it controlled by 2 less than friendly guys. They opened fire as soon as they same us. We returned fire and we’re about to enter the store. Richie kicked the door down and I rushed in I let of two shots taking down the one guy the other was a second away from filling me with bullets from his Uzi but luckily Richie put a round through his chest and another through his right eye before he could. Thank god. I don’t know what I would do without him. We’ve decided to rest tonight and continue tomorrow morning.
Dixie: “Hey Richie”
Richie: “Hey Dixie”
Dixie: ”How you feeling buddy”
Richie: ”Oh you know always OK”
Dixie: ”That’s good buddy”
Richie: “Hey Dixie thank you for everything you really are the best thing that ever happened to me”
Dixie: ”Don’t mention it buddy I love you”
We’re almost 20 miles away from Atlanta and I’m not hopeful judging by smell. I’m guessing its going to be a lot worse than Charlotte but we’ll have to wait and see.
We’ve made it to the outskirts of Atlanta and its as bad as I thought there are hundreds of body piles almost the size of buildings. The living freaks move around the city streets like blood through the veins of the body. Some of them are engaged in massive fights with other groups ripping each other apart.
We’re going in tomorrow but for now Richie’s hunting while I scope out the area. I hope he brings some venison anything but rabbit. I’m sick of rabbit meat. When he comes back I want to try and cuddle up to him and see what happens
Richie and I have eaten and we’re getting ready to sleep. I asked Richie if I could sleep in his sleeping bag with him. He looked at me like I was crazy but once I insisted I was serious I could see the joy on his face so we cuddled up for the night and went to sleep
Wow it felt so amazing sleeping in Richie’s arms and today everything feels different but in a good way everything just feels more intimate we had an amazing conversation about life this morning and it feels like our bond is on a whole new level. Its time to go explore Atlanta there should be an old NARU field hospital on the North-side of town but we’ve got a whole city to get through before that.
Chapter 7
Atlanta
Atlanta is a nightmare right now we’re stuck in a pharmacy bunch of freaks trying to get to us. I’m busy wiring up a pipe bomb while Richie holds the door then when I’m done BOOM
Richie Move....
BOOM....
Well that’s one way to deal with freaks. Always hate being covered in gore though. We’re near the city centre now and its as bad as we thought the place is infested with freaks every building, street and alley we’ve been fighting for every mile we’ve been moving basically carving our way through the city leaving streets flooded in blood but its worth it I can see the NARU hospital and it looks like I might be able to get in this time.
We’re Exploring the NARU hospital and its a goldmine I found a bunch of old documentation on the virus and even some reports of small towns keeping quarantine for years after the Fall. There’s also apparently an old supply and weapons depot nearby so were going there next.
Richie has been opening up a lot his little sister was out playing when a freak got her. Her parents couldn’t put her down so she turned and bit them he hid in the bathroom for 2 days before I got there and put then out of the misery. I wish I could understand how he feels because I never had anyone except my mom and I lost her so young so it never really affected me. I love him so much. This would be so difficult without him.
We made it to the NARU supply depot and it basically empty I mean it make sense Atlanta was one of the first city to fall due to vast number of infected that moved in from the nearby NARU detention camp. That was a bright idea locking up a bunch infected in one place and expecting the place to last. So the city fell to chaos pretty quickly and NARU withdrew most likely taking everything with them that or it was looted after the city fell doesn’t matter now its almost night and we should get some rest we’re going to camp on a nearby rooftop.
Sitting on the roof with Richie and a fire I can’t help but feel like life isn’t that bad yeah its not what it used to be but I mean I have food and freedom and someone I love what more could someone want from life. Looking out at the desolate streets full of freaks well except the streets we pushed through I see the death of the old world and the birth of a new one.
I should get to sleep we got a long road to Birmingham tomorrow. Its so warm and cosy pressed up against Richie.
Chapter 8
The Road To Birmingham
On our way out of Atlanta we ran into a huge freak and I mean a huge motherfucker must’ve been at least 10 feet tall and covered in muscle it looked like it was made of at least 5 other freaks. He tossed Richie against a car and knocked him out I managed to chop one of its arms off before it threw me 10 feat in the air and I crashed down on my back and passed out when I woke up Richie was putting round after round in the things chest and it still wouldn’t go down to I ran jumped on its back and used my machete to chop the freaks head off and burnt the body with a molotov just to be sure the thing was dead
Richie was pretty beat up and I’m not going to lie so was I my back hurts like a bitch but we keep on going no matter what because we still have each other. Still I wonder how those freaks got combined into that thing. Maybe that’s why they pile the way they do so they can combine into something bigger I remember something in one of the NARU document mentioning the virus being able to cause “cellular recombination” so I wonder if that’s not maybe what happened and if it is it means things are about to get a lot worse and a lot more dangerous.
We’re about 50 miles always from Birmingham now. The road has been pretty quite only the occasional group of freaks and the group of raiders we ran into outside a gas station awhile back but this time we got the drop on them and not the other way round gave all three of them a new hole in the head Richie was worried that they might be survivors till we found Sandra tied up in the gas station bathroom turns out the bastards grabbed her from her family farm during the night a few days ago and have been taking turns on her over and over since then. We agreed to take her home its the least we could do after everything that happened to her. When we got her home we found the place burnt down and her family butchered outside. I’m guessing after they grabbed her the bastards came back to finish the job. She’s decided to stick with us she’s a lot older than me and Richie. She used to be a nurse before the Outbreak she dealt with some of the first infected until NARU took over the hospitals. When things really started to go bad she moved back to Alabama to her old family farm to live with her parents they managed to set everything up before the Fall and have been living there since well till recently. She’s pretty shook about the whole situation but she should be okay in a day or two. We’ve all lost something in this new world.
We’ve made it to the outskirts of Birmingham and the place is a fortress looks like remnants of the US military and NARU have fortified the place they have watch towers, auto-turrents and armed patrols. Also looks like they have a lot of military hardware. I know better than to approach the main gate NARU has a shoot on site order for all there quarantine zones no reason to assume this place would be any different. Still I have to get a look inside. Tonight while Richie and Sandra set up camp I’m going to look around and see if I can find a way in. I have to know what’s going on here.
I’ve taken a look around and I’ve found a way in through an old sewer pipe running into an old factory from there I should be able to sneak into the city and have a look around maybe they have some new information on the virus or at least I should be able to find some weapons for Sandra
Chapter 9
Birmingham
Richie and Sandra are waiting for me back at camp while I go explore the city. I left most of my kit behind except my Glock and combat knife. I’m not planning on getting into any fights and if I do I want the finished as quickly as possible. I’ve made it to the sewer pipe it should lead me to the sewer grate I saw on the other side of the fence from there I should have free reign over the city as long as I avoid the NARU patrols and don’t draw to much attention to myself.
I’ve made it into the city and it looks like something out of a George Orwell novel. Security cameras on every street, I’ve seen security forces beat a man to death and another group drag a young women kicking and screaming into an abandoned building. I hate to say it but I think life is better outside with the freaks than in here. Can’t say I’m surprised there’s a reason I left the NARU security forces and the safe zone. Lets just say civilian life and happiness has never been on their priority list. I can see a NARU supply depot I should be able to get a uniform and standard load out last I remember NARU doesn’t have a way of removing employees from the database so my security id number should still work.
I was right NARU never changes I just used my id to get a brand new NARU-P-2a NARU's home grown assault rifle basically its everything the AR-15 is but better its literally a gun made for killing freaks and you can feel it. I always wished I stole one when I left but I guess better late than never I also scanned through a few of the latest security reports and it seems like big guys like we fought back in Atlanta are becoming more common as well as a new faster infected with razor sharp claws that hunt and ambush their victims. We haven’t ran into one of those yet and I hope we don’t any time soon. I hope Richie and Sandra are okay, they should be we have no shortage of fire-power but I still worry. I’m going to keep taking a look around and maybe find out how they’ve maintained quarantine for so long
Well I got my answer and its not a good one. The NARU higher ups here basically outlawed being sick. Anyone with any symptoms that might be HRV-1 are immediately executed and burnt without exception I guess that’s one way to maintain quarantine but I can’t help but wonder how many thousands of innocent people have died to maintain it.
I think its about time I get out of here and back to Richie and Sandra.
I made it back to camp. I’m so happy to be back with Richie. He went out hunting and brought back a nice fat wild pig for dinner. Sandra is looking a lot better as well she still has that distant look in her eye but that should go away soon
Next stop Montgomery Alabama.
Chapter 10
The Road to Montgomery
I still can’t get it out of my head. The freaks are changing getting more dangerous, if I understand correctly the longer they are infected the more unstable the virus gets leading to mutations. I hope this doesn’t mean that the longer we survive the harder its going to get but there’s no point in worrying about whether or not the freaks are going to be stronger in the future as long as we make sure we get stronger too it should work out just fine. Richie and I are doing really well our love kinda makes everything a lot easier. Gives us a reason if that makes sense Sandra on the other hand is kinda dead weight if I’m being honest but its not her fault. She’s been through a lot Richie and I do our best to look out for her and take care of her. I just wish she’d start to adjust to life out here she still winches every time we take out a group of freaks or thugs and she’s a bleeding heart. Yesterday as we were going past a little abandoned convenience store we heard a little girl crying when we asked what was wrong she said they were trapped and needed help. It was obviously a trap we could see the store was fortified and the little girl looked too happy for a kid whose parents were stuck and dying but Sandra insisted we go in and help and what do you know the kids parents are perfectly healthy and holding us at gun point luckily I’m pretty quick on the draw and managed to put two rounds through the fathers chest and Richie tackled the mom. I walked up to the big dude and put one through the head to make sure the mom learns her lesson. We agreed to let her and her daughter live as long as the promised to stop robbing travellers. Sandra couldn’t handle the fact that I finished the dad off even though I think that was better than leaving his family to watch him bleed out because there was no way he would have survive I shot him through both of his lungs they would have filled up with blood and he would have chocked to death I did him a favour by putting him down but she didn’t see it that way even threatened to go it on her own until Richie and I told her to go ahead if she really thought it was the best thing for her. She then decided to stick with us
We’re nearly at the outskirts of Montgomery, we just passed the old civil rights monument. The roads been a bit too still I have a bad feeling about what we’re going to find when we get there

Can someone please help me with this situation, I’m desperate! So I am a marketing specialist at a med spa. I get paid $23 an hour with no benefits and no PTO, I clock in and out. I come from corporate making 55k salary with all benefits and unlimited PTO. That job was extremely boring and I wanted to get into an industry I am passionate about so I took this opportunity. I also have my bachelors in marketing.
So there are 2 owners, one is a doctor. There is one front desk, on patient care coordinator, and 2 nurses. I have been there since January and I have revamped their entire website, worked on SEO and google ads, I have taken months worth of content and scheduled it out for months to post across multiple social platforms. I have planned and launched multiple promotions that have make 20k+, I have implemented a customized sales CRM to create automated follow up scheduling and I complete those follow ups and have trained staff in it. We have seen growth in revenue, bookings, and engagement. I am currently working on creating monthly memberships to build loyalty and have more consistent income.
I had a meeting with my boss today and she expressed concern about the instagram staying steady in terms of followers for the past 2 weeks. She asked if I have done research as to why that is and been up to date with trends in marketing. She asked me what are Instagram “threads” and why am I not utilizing them. She said that this whole time I have been putting out “fires” and installing things that they didn’t have before but were necessary. She expressed that I should be spending less time on the day-to-day and be working on business to business partnerships, working with influencers, planning extravagant events and have those planned for the following year as well, and pop ups on weekends to take them to the next level to open up other locations. She said that these are things I should be bringing to them on my own and not be told to do.
In my opinion, I feel like I am not being paid enough to be sales manager, web designer, social media manager, google ads specialist, influencer marketing manager, partnership marketing manager, event planner, and more. Is it realistic to expect one person to make all of these changes while doing everything else? I am genuinely asking. They scheduled a meeting with me to go over everything I have done and talk about my plan moving forward to take initiative and help them grow.
I don’t really want to bring up salary because I don’t want it to seem like that’s the reason I haven’t done all of these things, but I feel like it is a gradual process and a lot to expect out of one person with a lot of other responsibility that is often overlooked. I do genuinely like the job and I don’t want it to come off like I can’t do all those things, but it will take a lot of coordination from them and a lot of research. Sometimes I don’t even know where to start with huge events and business to business partnerships.
Can someone please let me know if you have any advice? I really appreciate it! I’m just stuck because I don’t have many marketing mentors in my life. I feel like typically in marketing you are a “specialist” in one or two paths of marketing, not doing everything for a business on your own.

Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of any business, and the vending machine industry is no exception. Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business is essential to attract more locations. Effective marketing strategies help create awareness about your business and its offerings, build credibility, and ultimately drive more customers to your vending machines. By implementing a well-planned marketing strategy, you can differentiate your business from competitors, establish a strong brand presence, and increase your chances of securing profitable locations. Investing time and resources into marketing efforts can yield significant returns for your vending machine business in terms of increased sales and long-term growth.

Identifying your target audience and their needs

Identifying your target audience and their needs is a crucial step in effectively marketing your vending machine business. By understanding who your potential customers are and what they are looking for, you can tailor your advertising strategies to attract their attention. For example, if you are targeting individuals interested in starting a saree business, you can highlight the benefits of vending machines for saree retailers. Additionally, you can emphasize the convenience and cost-effectiveness of using vending machines as a way to advertise their products. By addressing the specific needs and interests of your target audience, you can create compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with them and attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives is essential for boosting profits for startups. By defining specific targets and outlining a strategic plan, vending machine businesses can effectively attract more locations and increase their revenue. To achieve this, it is crucial to identify the target audience, understand their needs and preferences, and develop tailored marketing strategies that highlight the unique selling points of the business. Additionally, conducting market research and competitor analysis can provide valuable insights for positioning the vending machine business in the market and gaining a competitive edge. By setting clear marketing goals and objectives, vending machine businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and attract more customers, ultimately leading to increased profits and business growth.

Researching the Market

Analyzing the current vending machine market

Analyzing the current vending machine market is crucial for any business looking to expand its operations. By examining the trends and demands in the industry, businesses can gain valuable insights into the buying behavior of customers. This information can help businesses make informed decisions on where to invest and which locations to target. Understanding the current market also allows businesses to identify potential opportunities for growth and stay ahead of the competition. When it comes to attracting more locations, having a deep understanding of the current vending machine market is key.

Identifying trends and opportunities

In order to effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations, it is crucial to identify trends and opportunities in the industry. By staying informed about the latest advancements and consumer preferences, you can position your business to meet the changing demands of the market. Conduct market research to understand the current trends in vending machine products and services, and identify any untapped opportunities that can give your business a competitive edge. Additionally, keep an eye on emerging technologies and innovative vending machine solutions that can enhance the customer experience and drive more foot traffic to your locations. By proactively identifying trends and opportunities, you can develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience and attract more locations to partner with your business.

Researching competitor strategies

Researching competitor strategies is a crucial step in developing a successful marketing plan for your vending machine business. By studying what your competitors are doing, you can gain valuable insights into the market and identify areas where you can differentiate yourself. One effective strategy that has proven to be successful for many businesses, including nail businesses, is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to directly reach out to potential customers and promote your products or services. By implementing effective email marketing strategies for your nail business, you can attract more customers and increase your sales. Here are some highlights of email marketing strategies for nail businesses that can help you stand out from the competition:

Developing a Marketing Strategy

Defining your unique selling proposition

Defining your unique selling proposition is crucial in the competitive vending machine industry. It is important to clearly communicate the value your business offers to potential customers. One way to differentiate yourself is by providing convenient credit card payment solutions. This allows tailors and other customers to easily make purchases without the need for cash. By offering this service, you can attract more locations and increase customer satisfaction. Implementing credit card payment solutions for tailors will not only streamline the purchasing process but also position your vending machine business as a modern and customer-focused option in the market.

Creating a compelling brand identity

Creating a compelling brand identity is crucial for any business looking to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. In the vending machine industry, where competition is fierce, it becomes even more important to establish a strong and memorable brand. A well-crafted brand identity not only communicates the values and personality of your business but also helps build trust and credibility with potential locations. One key aspect of creating a compelling brand identity is through effective marketing strategies. By incorporating elements such as auto repair shop website design, you can create a visually appealing and user-friendly online presence that showcases your unique offerings and attracts more potential locations. A well-designed website can serve as a powerful tool to communicate your brand's message, highlight your key features, and provide valuable information to potential customers. With the right combination of design, content, and functionality, your auto repair shop website can become a magnet for attracting more locations.

Choosing the right marketing channels

When it comes to choosing the right marketing channels for your vending machine business, it is important to consider your target audience and the most effective ways to reach them. One effective marketing channel to consider is starting a sewing and embroidery business blog. By creating informative and engaging content related to sewing and embroidery, you can attract a niche audience that is interested in these topics. Additionally, you can highlight your vending machine business within the blog content, providing a seamless way to promote your products and services. Another marketing channel to explore is social media. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with potential customers and showcase the benefits of your vending machine business. By using targeted advertising and engaging with your audience, you can increase brand awareness and attract more locations for your vending machines.

Creating Engaging Content

Writing persuasive product descriptions

Writing persuasive product descriptions is a crucial aspect of marketing your vending machine business to attract more locations. Effective product descriptions have the power to captivate potential customers and convince them of the value and benefits of your offerings. By using persuasive language and highlighting unique features, you can create compelling descriptions that differentiate your products from competitors. Additionally, it is important to consider the target audience and tailor the descriptions to their specific needs and preferences. A well-crafted product description can generate interest, build trust, and ultimately drive more locations to choose your vending machines over others.

Producing high-quality visuals

Producing high-quality visuals is essential for effectively marketing your vending machine business. Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of potential customers and conveying the value of your products. By investing in professional photography and graphic design, you can create visually appealing images that showcase your vending machines in the best possible light. Additionally, utilizing high-resolution images and eye-catching graphics in your marketing materials, such as brochures, websites, and social media posts, can help attract more locations for your business. When it comes to producing high-quality visuals, it is important to consider factors such as lighting, composition, and color scheme to ensure that your images are visually appealing and communicate your brand message effectively.

Leveraging social media for content promotion

Leveraging social media for content promotion is an essential strategy for any business, including the healthcare staffing business. In today's digital age, social media platforms provide a valuable opportunity to reach a wider audience and engage with potential clients. By creating compelling and informative content, healthcare staffing businesses can position themselves as industry leaders and attract more attention to their services. Additionally, social media platforms offer various advertising options, allowing businesses to target specific demographics and increase their visibility. With the right social media strategy in place, healthcare staffing businesses can effectively market their services and attract more clients.

Implementing Marketing Tactics

Running targeted online advertising campaigns

Running targeted online advertising campaigns is a crucial strategy for marketing your vending machine business and attracting more locations. By utilizing online platforms such as social media, search engines, and display advertising, you can effectively reach your target audience and generate awareness about your business. With targeted campaigns, you can tailor your messaging and advertisements to specific demographics, geographic locations, and interests, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. Additionally, online advertising allows for precise tracking and measurement of campaign performance, enabling you to optimize your strategies and maximize your return on investment. By incorporating targeted online advertising campaigns into your marketing efforts, you can significantly increase your chances of attracting more locations for your vending machine business.

Building strategic partnerships

Building strategic partnerships is crucial for the success of any business. By forming alliances with other companies, you can leverage their resources and expertise to expand your reach and attract more customers. In the context of the vending machine business, one strategic partnership that can be highly beneficial is with temporary nurses. Temporary nurses play a vital role in healthcare facilities, filling in for staff shortages and providing quality care to patients. By partnering with temporary nurse agencies, vending machine businesses can tap into the healthcare industry and target locations such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. This collaboration can create a win-win situation, as healthcare facilities can provide convenient and healthy snack options to their staff and patients, while vending machine businesses can gain access to a steady stream of potential customers. To make this partnership even more effective, vending machine businesses can offer special discounts or customized vending options tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. By building strategic partnerships with temporary nurses, vending machine businesses can enhance their visibility, increase their customer base, and ultimately drive more revenue.

Utilizing email marketing for lead generation

Email marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation in the vending machine business. By utilizing email campaigns, businesses can effectively reach out to potential locations and establish meaningful connections. With a well-crafted email strategy, vending machine businesses can showcase the benefits of partnering with them, such as increased foot traffic and additional revenue streams. Furthermore, email marketing allows for personalized communication, enabling businesses to tailor their messages to the specific needs and interests of each potential location. By leveraging the reach and targeting capabilities of email marketing, vending machine businesses can attract more locations and expand their market presence with ease.

Measuring and Adjusting

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for the success of any business. It allows entrepreneurs to measure and evaluate the performance of their vending machine business, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions. By tracking KPIs, entrepreneurs can monitor the number of locations their vending machines are placed in, the revenue generated from each location, and the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing efforts. This information enables them to optimize their marketing strategies, identify the most profitable locations, and allocate resources effectively. In addition to tracking KPIs, self-care practices for entrepreneurs are essential to maintain their well-being and productivity. Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and prioritizing self-care activities can help entrepreneurs manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By incorporating self-care practices into their routine, entrepreneurs can enhance their overall performance and ensure the long-term success of their vending machine business.

Analyzing marketing campaign results

Analyzing marketing campaign results is a crucial step in evaluating the effectiveness of your vending machine business's marketing efforts. By carefully examining the data and metrics gathered from your campaigns, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of different marketing channels, identify areas of improvement, and make informed decisions to optimize future campaigns. This analysis allows you to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing activities, determine which strategies are generating the most leads and conversions, and allocate resources accordingly. With a systematic approach to analyzing marketing campaign results, you can refine your marketing strategies, target the right audience, and ultimately attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Making data-driven adjustments for better outcomes

In today's competitive business landscape, making data-driven adjustments is crucial for achieving better outcomes. By analyzing key metrics and trends, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into their vending machine business and make informed decisions. One important factor to consider is the kindness factor. Showing kindness to customers and employees can have a positive impact on the success of the business. By providing exceptional customer service and creating a supportive work environment, entrepreneurs can attract more locations and build strong relationships with their stakeholders. This not only enhances the reputation of the business but also fosters loyalty and trust among customers and employees. Implementing data-driven adjustments with a focus on kindness can lead to improved business performance and long-term success.

Conclusion

Recap of the importance of marketing for vending machine businesses

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of vending machine businesses. It is essential for attracting more locations and increasing revenue. One important aspect of marketing for vending machine businesses is the effective rate sheet creation. A well-designed rate sheet can effectively communicate the pricing structure and benefits of partnering with the business. It allows potential locations to make informed decisions and understand the value proposition. By creating an effective rate sheet, vending machine businesses can showcase their competitive pricing, variety of products, and exceptional customer service. This not only helps in attracting more locations but also in building long-term partnerships with them.

Key takeaways for successful marketing strategies

To ensure successful marketing strategies for your vending machine business, it is crucial to keep in mind a few key takeaways. Firstly, understanding your target audience is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify the needs and preferences of potential customers. Secondly, develop a compelling brand image that resonates with your target market. This includes creating a professional logo, designing attractive vending machine wraps, and maintaining a consistent brand message. Additionally, utilizing various marketing channels, such as social media platforms and local advertising, can help increase brand visibility and attract more locations. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts is vital. Regularly track metrics like customer engagement, sales conversion rates, and return on investment to make data-driven decisions and optimize your marketing strategies. By implementing these key takeaways, you can effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations.

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right strategies and a solid plan, you can tap into a market that is constantly growing. If you want to learn more about how to start a vending machine business in 2023, check out our website. We provide step-by-step guides and valuable resources to help you get started. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business. Visit our website today and take the first step towards financial independence.

Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of any business, and the vending machine industry is no exception. Understanding the importance of marketing for your vending machine business is essential to attract more locations. Effective marketing strategies help create awareness about your business and its offerings, build credibility, and ultimately drive more customers to your vending machines. By implementing a well-planned marketing strategy, you can differentiate your business from competitors, establish a strong brand presence, and increase your chances of securing profitable locations. Investing time and resources into marketing efforts can yield significant returns for your vending machine business in terms of increased sales and long-term growth.

Identifying your target audience and their needs

Identifying your target audience and their needs is a crucial step in effectively marketing your vending machine business. By understanding who your potential customers are and what they are looking for, you can tailor your advertising strategies to attract their attention. For example, if you are targeting individuals interested in starting a saree business, you can highlight the benefits of vending machines for saree retailers. Additionally, you can emphasize the convenience and cost-effectiveness of using vending machines as a way to advertise their products. By addressing the specific needs and interests of your target audience, you can create compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with them and attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives

Setting clear marketing goals and objectives is essential for boosting profits for startups. By defining specific targets and outlining a strategic plan, vending machine businesses can effectively attract more locations and increase their revenue. To achieve this, it is crucial to identify the target audience, understand their needs and preferences, and develop tailored marketing strategies that highlight the unique selling points of the business. Additionally, conducting market research and competitor analysis can provide valuable insights for positioning the vending machine business in the market and gaining a competitive edge. By setting clear marketing goals and objectives, vending machine businesses can optimize their marketing efforts and attract more customers, ultimately leading to increased profits and business growth.

Researching the Market

Analyzing the current vending machine market

Analyzing the current vending machine market is crucial for any business looking to expand its operations. By examining the trends and demands in the industry, businesses can gain valuable insights into the buying behavior of customers. This information can help businesses make informed decisions on where to invest and which locations to target. Understanding the current market also allows businesses to identify potential opportunities for growth and stay ahead of the competition. When it comes to attracting more locations, having a deep understanding of the current vending machine market is key.

Identifying trends and opportunities

In order to effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations, it is crucial to identify trends and opportunities in the industry. By staying informed about the latest advancements and consumer preferences, you can position your business to meet the changing demands of the market. Conduct market research to understand the current trends in vending machine products and services, and identify any untapped opportunities that can give your business a competitive edge. Additionally, keep an eye on emerging technologies and innovative vending machine solutions that can enhance the customer experience and drive more foot traffic to your locations. By proactively identifying trends and opportunities, you can develop targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your target audience and attract more locations to partner with your business.

Researching competitor strategies

Researching competitor strategies is a crucial step in developing a successful marketing plan for your vending machine business. By studying what your competitors are doing, you can gain valuable insights into the market and identify areas where you can differentiate yourself. One effective strategy that has proven to be successful for many businesses, including nail businesses, is email marketing. Email marketing allows you to directly reach out to potential customers and promote your products or services. By implementing effective email marketing strategies for your nail business, you can attract more customers and increase your sales. Here are some highlights of email marketing strategies for nail businesses that can help you stand out from the competition:

Developing a Marketing Strategy

Defining your unique selling proposition

Defining your unique selling proposition is crucial in the competitive vending machine industry. It is important to clearly communicate the value your business offers to potential customers. One way to differentiate yourself is by providing convenient credit card payment solutions. This allows tailors and other customers to easily make purchases without the need for cash. By offering this service, you can attract more locations and increase customer satisfaction. Implementing credit card payment solutions for tailors will not only streamline the purchasing process but also position your vending machine business as a modern and customer-focused option in the market.

Creating a compelling brand identity

Creating a compelling brand identity is crucial for any business looking to attract more customers and stand out from the competition. In the vending machine industry, where competition is fierce, it becomes even more important to establish a strong and memorable brand. A well-crafted brand identity not only communicates the values and personality of your business but also helps build trust and credibility with potential locations. One key aspect of creating a compelling brand identity is through effective marketing strategies. By incorporating elements such as auto repair shop website design, you can create a visually appealing and user-friendly online presence that showcases your unique offerings and attracts more potential locations. A well-designed website can serve as a powerful tool to communicate your brand's message, highlight your key features, and provide valuable information to potential customers. With the right combination of design, content, and functionality, your auto repair shop website can become a magnet for attracting more locations.

Choosing the right marketing channels

When it comes to choosing the right marketing channels for your vending machine business, it is important to consider your target audience and the most effective ways to reach them. One effective marketing channel to consider is starting a sewing and embroidery business blog. By creating informative and engaging content related to sewing and embroidery, you can attract a niche audience that is interested in these topics. Additionally, you can highlight your vending machine business within the blog content, providing a seamless way to promote your products and services. Another marketing channel to explore is social media. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with potential customers and showcase the benefits of your vending machine business. By using targeted advertising and engaging with your audience, you can increase brand awareness and attract more locations for your vending machines.

Creating Engaging Content

Writing persuasive product descriptions

Writing persuasive product descriptions is a crucial aspect of marketing your vending machine business to attract more locations. Effective product descriptions have the power to captivate potential customers and convince them of the value and benefits of your offerings. By using persuasive language and highlighting unique features, you can create compelling descriptions that differentiate your products from competitors. Additionally, it is important to consider the target audience and tailor the descriptions to their specific needs and preferences. A well-crafted product description can generate interest, build trust, and ultimately drive more locations to choose your vending machines over others.

Producing high-quality visuals

Producing high-quality visuals is essential for effectively marketing your vending machine business. Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of potential customers and conveying the value of your products. By investing in professional photography and graphic design, you can create visually appealing images that showcase your vending machines in the best possible light. Additionally, utilizing high-resolution images and eye-catching graphics in your marketing materials, such as brochures, websites, and social media posts, can help attract more locations for your business. When it comes to producing high-quality visuals, it is important to consider factors such as lighting, composition, and color scheme to ensure that your images are visually appealing and communicate your brand message effectively.

Leveraging social media for content promotion

Leveraging social media for content promotion is an essential strategy for any business, including the healthcare staffing business. In today's digital age, social media platforms provide a valuable opportunity to reach a wider audience and engage with potential clients. By creating compelling and informative content, healthcare staffing businesses can position themselves as industry leaders and attract more attention to their services. Additionally, social media platforms offer various advertising options, allowing businesses to target specific demographics and increase their visibility. With the right social media strategy in place, healthcare staffing businesses can effectively market their services and attract more clients.

Implementing Marketing Tactics

Running targeted online advertising campaigns

Running targeted online advertising campaigns is a crucial strategy for marketing your vending machine business and attracting more locations. By utilizing online platforms such as social media, search engines, and display advertising, you can effectively reach your target audience and generate awareness about your business. With targeted campaigns, you can tailor your messaging and advertisements to specific demographics, geographic locations, and interests, ensuring that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time. Additionally, online advertising allows for precise tracking and measurement of campaign performance, enabling you to optimize your strategies and maximize your return on investment. By incorporating targeted online advertising campaigns into your marketing efforts, you can significantly increase your chances of attracting more locations for your vending machine business.

Building strategic partnerships

Building strategic partnerships is crucial for the success of any business. By forming alliances with other companies, you can leverage their resources and expertise to expand your reach and attract more customers. In the context of the vending machine business, one strategic partnership that can be highly beneficial is with temporary nurses. Temporary nurses play a vital role in healthcare facilities, filling in for staff shortages and providing quality care to patients. By partnering with temporary nurse agencies, vending machine businesses can tap into the healthcare industry and target locations such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. This collaboration can create a win-win situation, as healthcare facilities can provide convenient and healthy snack options to their staff and patients, while vending machine businesses can gain access to a steady stream of potential customers. To make this partnership even more effective, vending machine businesses can offer special discounts or customized vending options tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals and patients. By building strategic partnerships with temporary nurses, vending machine businesses can enhance their visibility, increase their customer base, and ultimately drive more revenue.

Utilizing email marketing for lead generation

Email marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation in the vending machine business. By utilizing email campaigns, businesses can effectively reach out to potential locations and establish meaningful connections. With a well-crafted email strategy, vending machine businesses can showcase the benefits of partnering with them, such as increased foot traffic and additional revenue streams. Furthermore, email marketing allows for personalized communication, enabling businesses to tailor their messages to the specific needs and interests of each potential location. By leveraging the reach and targeting capabilities of email marketing, vending machine businesses can attract more locations and expand their market presence with ease.

Measuring and Adjusting

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs)

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial for the success of any business. It allows entrepreneurs to measure and evaluate the performance of their vending machine business, identify areas of improvement, and make data-driven decisions. By tracking KPIs, entrepreneurs can monitor the number of locations their vending machines are placed in, the revenue generated from each location, and the return on investment (ROI) of their marketing efforts. This information enables them to optimize their marketing strategies, identify the most profitable locations, and allocate resources effectively. In addition to tracking KPIs, self-care practices for entrepreneurs are essential to maintain their well-being and productivity. Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and prioritizing self-care activities can help entrepreneurs manage stress, avoid burnout, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. By incorporating self-care practices into their routine, entrepreneurs can enhance their overall performance and ensure the long-term success of their vending machine business.

Analyzing marketing campaign results

Analyzing marketing campaign results is a crucial step in evaluating the effectiveness of your vending machine business's marketing efforts. By carefully examining the data and metrics gathered from your campaigns, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of different marketing channels, identify areas of improvement, and make informed decisions to optimize future campaigns. This analysis allows you to assess the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing activities, determine which strategies are generating the most leads and conversions, and allocate resources accordingly. With a systematic approach to analyzing marketing campaign results, you can refine your marketing strategies, target the right audience, and ultimately attract more locations for your vending machine business.

Making data-driven adjustments for better outcomes

In today's competitive business landscape, making data-driven adjustments is crucial for achieving better outcomes. By analyzing key metrics and trends, entrepreneurs can gain valuable insights into their vending machine business and make informed decisions. One important factor to consider is the kindness factor. Showing kindness to customers and employees can have a positive impact on the success of the business. By providing exceptional customer service and creating a supportive work environment, entrepreneurs can attract more locations and build strong relationships with their stakeholders. This not only enhances the reputation of the business but also fosters loyalty and trust among customers and employees. Implementing data-driven adjustments with a focus on kindness can lead to improved business performance and long-term success.

Conclusion

Recap of the importance of marketing for vending machine businesses

Marketing plays a crucial role in the success of vending machine businesses. It is essential for attracting more locations and increasing revenue. One important aspect of marketing for vending machine businesses is the effective rate sheet creation. A well-designed rate sheet can effectively communicate the pricing structure and benefits of partnering with the business. It allows potential locations to make informed decisions and understand the value proposition. By creating an effective rate sheet, vending machine businesses can showcase their competitive pricing, variety of products, and exceptional customer service. This not only helps in attracting more locations but also in building long-term partnerships with them.

Key takeaways for successful marketing strategies

To ensure successful marketing strategies for your vending machine business, it is crucial to keep in mind a few key takeaways. Firstly, understanding your target audience is essential. Conduct thorough market research to identify the needs and preferences of potential customers. Secondly, develop a compelling brand image that resonates with your target market. This includes creating a professional logo, designing attractive vending machine wraps, and maintaining a consistent brand message. Additionally, utilizing various marketing channels, such as social media platforms and local advertising, can help increase brand visibility and attract more locations. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts is vital. Regularly track metrics like customer engagement, sales conversion rates, and return on investment to make data-driven decisions and optimize your marketing strategies. By implementing these key takeaways, you can effectively market your vending machine business and attract more locations.

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps

Encouragement to take action and implement the outlined steps.
In conclusion, starting a vending machine business can be a lucrative venture. With the right strategies and a solid plan, you can tap into a market that is constantly growing. If you want to learn more about how to start a vending machine business in 2023, check out our website. We provide step-by-step guides and valuable resources to help you get started. Don't miss out on this opportunity to create a successful business. Visit our website today and take the first step towards financial independence.

Can someone please help me with this situation, I’m desperate! So I am a marketing specialist at a med spa. I get paid $23 an hour with no benefits and no PTO, I clock in and out. I come from corporate making 55k salary with all benefits and unlimited PTO. That job was extremely boring and I wanted to get into an industry I am passionate about so I took this opportunity. I also have my bachelors in marketing.
So there are 2 owners, one is a doctor. There is one front desk, on patient care coordinator, and 2 nurses. I have been there since January and I have revamped their entire website, worked on SEO and google ads, I have taken months worth of content and scheduled it out for months to post across multiple social platforms. I have planned and launched multiple promotions that have make 20k+, I have implemented a customized sales CRM to create automated follow up scheduling and I complete those follow ups and have trained staff in it. We have seen growth in revenue, bookings, and engagement. I am currently working on creating monthly memberships to build loyalty and have more consistent income.
I had a meeting with my boss today and she expressed concern about the instagram staying steady in terms of followers for the past 2 weeks. She asked if I have done research as to why that is and been up to date with trends in marketing. She asked me what are Instagram “threads” and why am I not utilizing them. She said that this whole time I have been putting out “fires” and installing things that they didn’t have before but were necessary. She expressed that I should be spending less time on the day-to-day and be working on business to business partnerships, working with influencers, planning extravagant events and have those planned for the following year as well, and pop ups on weekends to take them to the next level to open up other locations. She said that these are things I should be bringing to them on my own and not be told to do.
In my opinion, I feel like I am not being paid enough to be sales manager, web designer, social media manager, google ads specialist, influencer marketing manager, partnership marketing manager, event planner, and more. Is it realistic to expect one person to make all of these changes while doing everything else? I am genuinely asking. They scheduled a meeting with me to go over everything I have done and talk about my plan moving forward to take initiative and help them grow.
I don’t really want to bring up salary because I don’t want it to seem like that’s the reason I haven’t done all of these things, but I feel like it is a gradual process and a lot to expect out of one person with a lot of other responsibility that is often overlooked. I do genuinely like the job and I don’t want it to come off like I can’t do all those things, but it will take a lot of coordination from them and a lot of research. Sometimes I don’t even know where to start with huge events and business to business partnerships.
Can someone please let me know if you have any advice? I really appreciate it! I’m just stuck because I don’t have many marketing mentors in my life. I feel like typically in marketing you are a “specialist” in one or two paths of marketing, not doing everything for a business on your own.

Importance of compliance in healthcare staffing

Compliance in healthcare staffing is of utmost importance in order to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of healthcare facilities. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality of patient care and protecting the well-being of both patients and staff. By adhering to compliance regulations, healthcare staffing agencies can not only avoid legal penalties and reputational damage but also foster trust and confidence among clients and patients. Additionally, compliance in healthcare staffing can contribute to the growth of business by attracting new clients and retaining existing ones. To grow business, healthcare staffing agencies must prioritize compliance and implement effective strategies to ensure that all staff members are properly trained, licensed, and qualified to provide the highest level of care.

Legal and regulatory requirements

Legal and regulatory requirements play a crucial role in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. It is imperative for healthcare staffing agencies to adhere to the set guidelines and laws to maintain the highest standards of patient care and safety. These requirements encompass various aspects such as licensing, certification, background checks, and training for healthcare professionals. Additionally, healthcare staffing agencies must also comply with federal and state regulations regarding employment practices, discrimination, and privacy. By diligently following these legal and regulatory requirements, healthcare staffing agencies can establish a solid foundation for providing reliable and qualified healthcare professionals to meet the demands of the industry.

Consequences of non-compliance

Consequences of non-compliance Non-compliance with healthcare staffing regulations in New York can have severe consequences for healthcare organizations. Firstly, it can lead to legal penalties and fines, which can significantly impact the financial stability of the organization. Additionally, non-compliance can damage the reputation of the organization, leading to a loss of trust from patients and the community. This can result in a decline in patient satisfaction and a decrease in the number of patients seeking care from the organization. Furthermore, non-compliance can also jeopardize patient safety and quality of care, as staffing shortages and improper credentials can lead to errors and substandard care. Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare organizations in New York to prioritize compliance and ensure that all staffing practices adhere to the established regulations.

Understanding New York healthcare staffing regulations

Licensing and certification requirements

Licensing and certification requirements are essential to ensure compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. It is crucial for healthcare organizations to manage their staff effectively by ensuring that all employees possess the necessary licenses and certifications. By doing so, organizations can guarantee that their staff members have met the required standards and are qualified to provide quality care to patients. Managing your staff in this manner not only ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements but also promotes patient safety and enhances the overall quality of healthcare services.

Staffing ratios and patient safety

Staffing ratios and patient safety are crucial aspects of healthcare staffing in New York. Ensuring appropriate staffing ratios is essential to maintain high-quality patient care and prevent adverse events. However, healthcare facilities in New York are struggling to find the right balance in staffing ratios, which can impact patient safety. It is important for healthcare organizations to address this issue and implement strategies to optimize staffing levels. By doing so, they can improve patient outcomes and minimize the risks associated with inadequate staffing. To learn more about the challenges and solutions related to staffing ratios and patient safety in New York, click here.

Background checks and credential verification

Background checks and credential verification are crucial aspects of ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. These processes help to ensure that healthcare professionals have the necessary qualifications and meet the required standards before being hired. Background checks involve thorough investigations into an individual's criminal history, employment history, and educational background. This helps to identify any red flags or discrepancies that may affect their suitability for the position. Credential verification involves confirming the validity and authenticity of an individual's licenses, certifications, and other credentials. This helps to ensure that healthcare professionals are properly trained and qualified to provide quality care to patients. By conducting comprehensive background checks and credential verification, healthcare organizations can mitigate risks, maintain regulatory compliance, and safeguard the well-being of patients.

Developing a compliant staffing plan

Identifying staffing needs

Identifying staffing needs is a crucial step in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. One of the key factors in maintaining a compliant healthcare staffing system is the ability to retain medical professionals. Retaining medical professionals is essential for providing consistent and high-quality patient care. By creating a supportive and engaging work environment, healthcare organizations can increase the likelihood of retaining skilled medical professionals. This can be achieved through offering competitive compensation packages, providing opportunities for professional development, and fostering a positive workplace culture. By focusing on retaining medical professionals, healthcare organizations can ensure compliance by maintaining a stable and qualified workforce.

Recruitment and selection process

The recruitment and selection process is a crucial aspect of ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. It involves a systematic approach to identifying, attracting, and hiring qualified healthcare professionals who meet the necessary requirements and standards. This process begins with a thorough analysis of the staffing needs and the development of job descriptions and specifications. Recruitment strategies, such as advertising job openings, utilizing professional networks, and partnering with educational institutions, are then implemented to attract a diverse pool of candidates. Once the applications are received, a rigorous selection process is carried out, which may include screening resumes, conducting interviews, and performing background checks. The goal is to identify individuals who possess the required qualifications, skills, and competencies to provide safe and high-quality care to patients. By implementing a comprehensive recruitment and selection process, healthcare organizations can ensure that their staffing practices align with regulatory requirements and promote compliance.

Training and orientation programs

Training and orientation programs play a vital role in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. These programs provide healthcare professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to adhere to the strict regulations and guidelines set forth by governing bodies. By implementing comprehensive training and orientation programs, healthcare organizations can effectively educate their staff on the importance of compliance, thereby reducing the risk of non-compliance and potential legal consequences. Moreover, these programs also contribute to boosting revenue by improving staff efficiency and productivity, leading to enhanced patient care and satisfaction.

Ensuring ongoing compliance

Monitoring and auditing practices

Monitoring and auditing practices play a crucial role in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. These practices involve the systematic review and evaluation of staffing processes, policies, and procedures to identify any potential gaps or areas of improvement. By implementing robust monitoring and auditing practices, healthcare organizations can proactively identify and address compliance issues, such as ensuring that staff members have the necessary qualifications and licenses, adhering to patient privacy regulations, and maintaining accurate documentation. Furthermore, regular monitoring and auditing can help healthcare organizations stay up-to-date with changing regulations and industry best practices, thereby minimizing the risk of non-compliance and potential legal consequences. In summary, monitoring and auditing practices are essential components of an effective compliance strategy in healthcare staffing in New York.

Documentation and record-keeping

Documentation and record-keeping play a crucial role in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. It is imperative for healthcare facilities to maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of staff qualifications, licenses, certifications, and training records. This includes keeping track of background checks, immunization records, and any disciplinary actions taken against staff members. By maintaining comprehensive and organized records, healthcare facilities can demonstrate their commitment to meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring the safety and well-being of patients. In addition, proper record-keeping enables healthcare facilities to easily provide evidence of compliance during audits or inspections. Therefore, healthcare organizations should prioritize the implementation of robust documentation and record-keeping systems to effectively manage their staffing compliance obligations.

Continuous staff education and training

Continuous staff education and training is crucial in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. As the healthcare industry is constantly evolving, it is essential for healthcare professionals to stay updated with the latest regulations, protocols, and best practices. By providing regular training sessions, workshops, and educational resources, healthcare organizations can equip their staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex compliance landscape. Additionally, ongoing education helps healthcare professionals stay informed about emerging technologies and advancements in patient care, enabling them to deliver high-quality services. With continuous staff education and training, healthcare organizations can ensure that their staff members are well-prepared to meet the compliance requirements and provide optimal care to patients.

Addressing challenges in healthcare staffing compliance

Managing staff turnover

Managing staff turnover is a critical aspect of ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. With the constant changes in the healthcare industry and the high demand for qualified professionals, healthcare organizations must adopt effective strategies to address staff turnover. One key strategy is to prioritize employee engagement and satisfaction, as this can significantly reduce turnover rates. Additionally, implementing comprehensive training and development programs can help healthcare staff feel supported and equipped to handle their roles effectively. By focusing on these strategies, healthcare organizations can maintain compliance and ensure a stable workforce.

Adapting to changing regulations

Adapting to changing regulations is crucial in ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing in New York. As the healthcare industry is constantly evolving, it is essential for healthcare organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest regulations to maintain the highest standards of patient care and safety. This requires a proactive approach to monitoring and implementing changes in staffing requirements, licensure, and certification. By closely following regulatory updates and collaborating with regulatory bodies, healthcare staffing agencies can effectively navigate the complex landscape of compliance and ensure that their staff meet all necessary criteria. Adapting to changing regulations not only helps healthcare organizations avoid penalties and legal issues, but also promotes a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to providing quality healthcare services in New York.

Dealing with staffing shortages

Dealing with staffing shortages is a critical challenge faced by healthcare organizations in New York. To ensure compliance in healthcare staffing, it is essential to develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses the recruitment and retention of qualified professionals. One key aspect of this strategy is the implementation of a comprehensive marketing plan for dental practice. A well-designed marketing plan can attract potential candidates and highlight the unique opportunities available within the healthcare organization. By leveraging digital platforms, social media, and targeted advertising, healthcare organizations can effectively promote their dental practice and engage with qualified professionals. This proactive approach not only helps in addressing staffing shortages but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements in healthcare staffing in New York.

Conclusion

The importance of compliance in healthcare staffing

Compliance in healthcare staffing is of utmost importance, especially in a highly regulated industry like healthcare. It ensures that healthcare organizations and professionals adhere to the necessary legal and ethical standards. The importance of compliance cannot be understated as it helps in maintaining patient safety, protecting patient rights, and promoting overall quality of care. In New York, where healthcare staffing is a critical aspect of the industry, compliance becomes even more crucial. Healthcare organizations in New York must comply with state and federal regulations to ensure the well-being of both patients and staff. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in serious consequences, including legal penalties and reputational damage. Therefore, it is essential for healthcare staffing agencies and professionals to prioritize compliance and stay updated with the latest guidelines and requirements.

Benefits of maintaining compliance

Maintaining compliance in healthcare staffing in New York offers several benefits. Firstly, it ensures that healthcare facilities are operating within the legal and regulatory framework, promoting patient safety and quality of care. Compliance also helps to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in the healthcare system, safeguarding public resources. Additionally, maintaining compliance enhances the reputation of healthcare organizations, instilling confidence in patients, employees, and stakeholders. By adhering to compliance standards, healthcare facilities can also avoid costly penalties and legal consequences. Overall, the commitment to compliance in healthcare staffing in New York is crucial for maintaining ethical practices, protecting patients, and upholding the integrity of the healthcare system.

Commitment to providing quality patient care

Healthcare organizations in New York have a strong commitment to providing quality patient care. They understand the importance of ensuring compliance in healthcare staffing to maintain high standards of service. By adhering to strict regulations and guidelines, these organizations prioritize patient safety and well-being. They invest in rigorous screening processes, comprehensive training programs, and ongoing professional development to ensure that their staff members are competent and qualified. Additionally, they regularly evaluate and monitor their staffing practices to identify any areas for improvement and implement necessary changes. This commitment to compliance not only ensures that patients receive the best possible care but also contributes to building trust and confidence in the healthcare system in New York.
In conclusion, starting a healthcare staffing business online in 2023 is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs. With the increasing demand for healthcare professionals, there is a need for staffing solutions. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily start your own healthcare staffing business and tap into this lucrative market. Don't miss out on this chance to make a difference in the healthcare industry. Visit our website, How to Start a Healthcare Staffing Business Online 2023, to learn more and get started today!