So, things got a lot worse since my last post. To the point that I started getting stomach pains over the stress and ALMOST made an appointment with my doctor. I did talk to HR again though and was very clear that I am at my wit’s end and completely burned out and overwhelmed. But, since then, things seem to be getting better. I have one huge project submitted, so that feels really good. My mentor told me that site was only the 2nd most complex site he has seen in his 25+ year career. So, obviously it was a heck of a one for me to work on as a beginner in this field! He said he was going to email my boss and the PM to let them know just how complex it was – I think they may actually listen to him since they don’t seem to be getting it when I tell them how complex it was.
My mentor invited me (and hubby and daughter) over for lunch after church on Sunday. He offered to talk to me about workplace stress since he has dealt with it a few times in his career (once it got so bad he had to take medical leave for a summer!). So, I was completely honest with him about how things are going and that I am concerned for my health at this point.
I also joined the YMCA since physical exercise might be a good way for me to combat the stress. So, I went for the first time on Wednesday and I am going again tomorrow. I’m going to try to go at least twice a week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. If I can go more often, great, but that will be my minimum.
Also, my mom and I had a meeting with our lawyer on Thursday. Basically, since all the documents have been received, we know that my uncle doesn’t have a case. But, he wants to proceed anyway. I think he is hoping to drag this out so long that we’ll have to give in because we can’t afford to keep paying to fight him. So, we’re thinking at this point about whether there may be opportunity for settlement. We are open to some possibilities and want our lawyer to ask his lawyer if my uncle has any suggestions for a reasonable resolution. If we are going to settle, now would be the time to do it before things get a lot more expensive. If there is no settlement, then we need to go through examinations, which will likely cost us another $5,000.
We had a meeting yesterday with my brothers to talk about how they feel. Surprisingly, we are all on the same page where we would be open to some sort of compromise. We have realized that sharing the cottage with our cousins would not work since we are afraid they would sabotage, etc. We would rather not have to go through all that stress.
So, we’ll see what happens. We are praying that my uncle will be reasonable. I’m hoping we can reach some sort of settlement. He has got to realize that is better for him than continuing since he will only lose in the end. We just can’t afford to keep fighting for much longer – our lawyer costs $350/hour!