Watch what you ask for

I strapped the broken foot together with tape, literally, and somehow got into an office for an interview without the manager being able to see me limp in or out. Magic, really. I had worked really hard on that new state application and made myself super resentful in the process. It took about half an hour of Work for me to tease myself back into a human state of mind after finishing it, I was just so annoyed by the ten pages of paperwork. So the job is not a great one by any standards; it's in a really gritty hospital, pays fairly poorly, and offers no benefits besides the paycheck. But it's a foot in the door, if I pass my boards I would have a good shot at any good openings that came up, and it's eight-hour shifts and no lifting. Plus, hey, they offered it to me. Seriously. Only five months out of work, and I finally got a job offer here in town. I'm trying not to worry about being too sick to pull off a whole day of walking and working; I'm telling myself it will help my stress to not worry about money and have the opportunity to get a better job in the system.  Now: heal foot, pass boards, buy street clothes that will accommodate big swollen belly as none presently do, and set off to work in a month if my background check comes back okay. It should, I just passed two of them for other hospitals. My belly's huge, unexpected, and unpleasant response to the good news of the job offer made me really glad I had turned down that New Orleans gig. I can't really cope with the stress of a change here in town without a lot of deep breathing and belly pain, so trying to move house and start that new career would have meant a very bad end indeed. I'm so overdue for a remission on this colitis. The docs looking pained and hopeless do not make me feel better when I ask them when I will get some relief.
In really good news, OoA#1 got a meeting with the professor she wants to do research with and it looks like she will no longer be wandering in the wilderness, but is now invited to lab meetings and will be given access and be welcome in the group. They were super nice to her this summer, then the academic protocols of the grad school dictated they keep their distance; another prof tried to poach her but she only wants to do research with this group and it's been a lonely two months for her until now. I feel better and have less stress already knowing that she will have a group to join since the campus in general has been such a bust in terms of potential friends.