Four months ago I was angry and depressed about our financial and housing situation. Feeling like an utter failure for not making the right decisions in life to be "better off" and provide more for my family. Then it hit me ...what good is wallowing in my own self pity? If I want to be "better off", then I'm gonna have to do something about it! So ...that was it. My mind was made up. At that moment I had no idea what was next, but I knew I wasn't going to sit and have any more pity parties.
I knew whatever job I was going to get, it would have to be part-time, and work-from-home. I tried temp agencies and old employers to start, but with no luck. There was no way I was going to get sucked into an online marketing scheme or some other false "easy" money making jobs. Then I thought of a friend, who does medical coding at home. So, with that idea, I decided to do a job search for part-time medical coding jobs. Right away I found two! I took note of what the requirements were to obtain the position, and went with it. I briefly told Danny what I was wanting to do, and without any hesitation at all, he said Yes! Do it! All of this played out in a matter of 1-2 days. (for those who don't know, i have limited working knowledge of the medical field, and it is an environment i enjoy and feel comfortable in)
The next morning after this final decision, I called THE school that those jobs required, and signed myself up for a 4-month professional medical coding course. We used a portion of our "moving money" to pay for the course in full, and just like that, I was a student of higher education!
It would have been completely justifiable to not jump into this head first with the excuse of having too much responsibility already. Just having 3 young kids, homeschooling, and each one in therapy services would be a good enough excuse. Of course there's also the added responsibility of having our home listed for sale and still having regular showings. But when there is a will, there is a way!
At some points during this 4-month course I felt as if I bit off more than I could chew. I felt overwhelmed, confused, and anxious. Then I remembered, none of this would have happened unless it was meant to happen. God has a plan, and even though all of this came about incredibly fast without any hesitation to throw myself into this responsibility, God knew all along, and He had faith me even when I did not.
Today, I have officially completed the 4-month, 20 chapter course... one week before the deadline! The months have gone by faster than I can say. I spent many, many hours each week dedicated to learning how to code a very wide range of diagnoses and procedures, with various locations from the ER to home care. I can honestly say, this was harder than I anticipated and far more complicated that I ever imagined. But with God's help, blessing me with a wonderful, supportive family, and giving me the endurance and abilities, I did it!
So what's next? Preparing for the exam! I have three practice exams I can take, and some good references to help me prepare too. I should do well on the big day, March 14th. Soon after that, I know of one company who will be hiring a large number of new coders in April. I may go with them, or someone else. We'll see. I'm in good hands and I think all this will continue to work out beautifully!
Thanks so much for reading my blog!
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