somebody love's you...

i'm in my new office listening to Patti LaBelle's "somebody loves you" song and have decided that i want to blog. I still don't know what i'm doing with my life but so far i've started a new job. I'm a Patient Navigator/Research Assistant at the Oncology Clinic at UIC (University of Illinois) hospital. I work with newly diagnosed breast and cervical cancer patients. I meet with patients and try to assist them as much as i can through the whole process. i mostly do alot counseling and have the patient cry on my shoulder...this is the patient navigator part of the job. The research assistant part of the job is way more difficult i believe. mostly because i have to find a way to ask newly diagnosed patients a total of about 60 questions regarding their experience with the health care system in the past. REALLY?!?!?!? these women just found out they have cancer!!!! they don't want to answer questions about the health care system!!! I usually try my best to listen to them on their first visit. I explain to them what my role is and then tell them that i will be looking for them in a few weeks when they come back for radiation and/or chemotherapy to ask them some questions. i'm trying not to get too involved with these patients but i must admit that on my ride home i think about them. about the "WHY ME?" question they all seem to ask. my new boss is pushing me to go to the school of public health to get my master's. she thinks i have it in me to be a great researcher and with a master's she can get me to work with her on future projects. so far she has been GREAT!! but like i said before i still feel lost...i hope this is just a phase i'm going through and if it is i wanted to be over soon!!