Inspiration

This is the last week of my internship with the Navy. Next hurdle, Oral, Practical and Written Exit Exams! With Exit Exams coming up about a week and a half, and the pressure/overwhelming feeling building (it feels impossible to get through all the material), I thought I would take a moment to remember what inspires me and why I got into physical therapy in the first place...

I can only hope that I would be so brave in the face of this kind of adversity. I am so inspired by these people. To not let anything stop you. To go out there and seize life and live it. That is why I got into physical therapy...to give my little part to help them do it. OK exit exams...you can't stop me!

So since I'm on a roll...!

Well, since I'm on here I probably should actually write about what is going on! Here are the highlights since there is a lot I could write about...

1) Nebraska neuro internship: I haven't really written yet about the internship itself. I worked with stroke patients at an inpatient rehab facility attached to a hospital. It was kind of trial by fire. My CI(Clinical Instructor) just kind of threw me in sink or swim. It was quite an adjustment since my first CI in Seattle eased me in much more gently. It was VERY frustrating the first several weeks and many times I felt like I really wasn't any good at the job. But as we went along I started to feel more comfortable and although my CI didn't really say very many positive things until the end, the patients, who really seemed to like me made me realize that I wasn't as bad at it as I had been thinking I was. My CI and I just had very different styles and that is ok. I had to learn the patients were a better barometer of how I was doing than she was at times.

2) Brother's wedding in Minnesota: Very fun! Everyone seemed to get along, everything went well, and it was fun to hang around with the Air Force boys again!

3) Drive home: I love driving through Colorado and Utah...only wish I could have gone camping or climbing while I was there! Nevada...a little hot...ok, a LOT hot! 114 degrees in some spots. Car windows melting, sweating through my clothes, etc. But I made it through without overheating the jeep!

4)Back in San Diego: I'm now doing my 2 month long orthopedics internship with the Navy. In fact I have been enjoying the military thing (the world I've known most of my adult life) so much that I had to call my brother to remind me about the bad things and reasons why I got out so I don't try to get back in! haha! (Don't get me wrong, there are many many good things too and I would never discourage someone from serving. I'm really glad I did!) The internship has been good. My CI is much more in line with my style of learning and things are going much better in that department this time. Today I worked with an O6 (a really high rank) who told me I did a good job, so that felt pretty good! What a difference from my last internship...I don't suck at this! haha! Along with working with my CI seeing regular active duty sports type injuries, I've also gotten to see some returning war injured (my two readers probably know that is my huge interest), worked at the Navy SEAL training center (those guys were fun to treat...quite a different breed!), saw a couple of surgeries, and just this week got to attend a 3 day long meeting/conference dealing with military amputee issues. The conference was awesome...I again got to watch Dr. Bob Gailey (see earlier post) at work teaching amputees to run and walk better and I learned a ton. The last day the whole conference went out to the beach and we took the amputees surfing, paddleboarding and sea kayaking. It was awesome to see them out there in the water. I got to try paddle boarding and kayak surfing too...I'll write more about that later! But for now this is getting long! Yeah for updates!

write?...right!

Does blogging mean you are actually supposed to write something? Well I think about writing stuff...does that count? I am a horrible blogger!! The first step is admitting it! :) I'm not going to lie and say that I'm turning a new leaf and trying to write more because I know that won't happen with school and exit exams getting so close. So I guess for now its just gonna be more of the same...but hey, look, I wrote something! a positive step :)

Home Temporary Home!

I'm terribly overdue for writing an update here. There is so much to talk about. Not quite sure where to start so I'll just start with how my living situation has panned out on this internship because its pretty neat how doors open sometimes that you don't even know are there.

So as I mentioned in another post, I got to Omaha and stayed with my friends who I knew from when I lived here. They only had two weeks until they were moving so it was a temporary arrangement but I had two weeks to figure out where I would go next. It was great staying with them...they got me hooked on the last 3 weeks of American Idol and the last 2 weeks of Survivor (glad to see the nice guys win both of those this year!)...I think part of the fun was just watching and commenting on it with them. We camped out the last several days on the floor after the movers picked up their furniture. Also, because they were moving, they had lots of food to get rid of...and I was glad to help them eat it!!

So I didn't know where I was going to stay for the last 6 weeks of my internship. I had arranged to rent a room from a lady at work after they left if I really had no place else to go. Some friends were asking around but nothing had panned out so I just decided to rent the room. I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to be around work when I wasn't at work, which is what I figured living with someone who I didn't know from work would be just by default. I stayed there for two nights and it was good. The people were very nice...and they had two exuberant dogs..almost a little too exhuberant! One kept pushing the door open when I was in my room...including when I was changing, in the bathroom...basically whenever I had the door closed and didn't want it opened! I actually started changing by the door so I could hold it closed or stacking shoes and books on the floor to slow the swinging open of the door! haha! So I was grateful not to be living out of my car, but I was only marginally comfortable there.

Well little did I know, one of the neighbors of the friends I was staying with caught wind that I would be needing a place to stay after my friends left. I had never even met her but she offered for me to stay with her free of charge. My friend really liked her so I figured I couldn't pass that up! So now I'm living with a single mom with two daughters, 8 and 10 and 2 puppies. It has been wonderful. I was completely comfortable here as soon as I moved in. I am reliving my camp counselor and girl scout leader days. The girls are really fun and so are the puppies. I also really like their mom who has been very accepting and generous, letting me join in on dinner with them many nights, and just having good grown-up conversation.

So I'm just marvelling at how God continues to take care of me...I didn't even know these people before now...and yet here I am, a homeless travelling nomad, who tried all the contacts I knew to no avail and really didn't know where I was going to stay...and low and behold a door opens that I didn't even know existed. And not just that, but at no cost! Its just so cool. I'm kind of in awe of how it all worked out. So anyway...its time for me to go to bed! An update on the internship itself soon!

Deja Vu Omaha

My first week here has been fun. Its been fun to see that some things have changed but lots has not. Its been two years since I lived in Omaha. It was kind of wierd to drive in and still remember how to get to my friends house without needing to ask for directions. It was kind of wierd to feel like I never left. I really liked Omaha when I lived here...its a nice city, a little smaller than other major cities, but everything you need, plenty to do, and the people are generally nice.

Speaking of people, I've really enjoyed seeing people I haven't seen in a while along the whole trip. On my drive, in Las Vegas, I stayed with my old college roommate, Kelly and her husband, Ben, who I first met in survival training. We have some funny stories about that! :) I also got to see Kelly's dad who happened to be visiting and their 3 kids, who are getting so big! In Omaha, I have been staying with my old chemistry partner Tracy, who just graduated from dental hygiene school. Its been fun to watch her go through the whole graduation week process and think that I will be doing the same in December!! I also got to see my friends John and Molly at their going away party. It was so fun to see them! I'm so glad the timing worked out that I could see these friends before they all move away in the next week.

As for the internship, it has been good...a little overwhelming with all the new people and procedures and computer programs to learn, but those things will come. I've been working with stroke patients. We had the cutest 91 year old man who always had this huge smile and wants to hold hands when we walk anywhere! There is also a perpetually grumpy lady who has stated a few times that I, and all the rest of us, are nothing but slavedrivers. She has been challenging because she doesn't really want to do anything but sit in her wheelchair, but its my job to make sure she doesn't! And also a pretty large man without much use of his left side who is teaching me a lot about using my brain instead of braun to move him from the wheelchair to the mat, etc. He is very motivated and is fun to work with because he is so willing to do whatever we say. So anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing their progress and becoming more comfortable with treating these patients increasingly independently!

Oh, can't forget that my car broke on the drive in. Actually, it broke as I pulled into my friend's neighborhood! SOOO thankful that it wasn't in the middle of the desert somewhere! It turned out that I lost a ball bearing, so a couple of hundred dollars later, I was all fixed and ready to go! Didn't plan to spend that money but I'm just so thankful that I made it here that I'm not even worried about it!! Also, today I went to the church that I attended when I lived here and was baptized at. It was fun to see the pastors and the church again. So anyway, first week was good. More to come!

Packing up

Well, the stuff did hit the fan! It was the craziest few weeks we have had yet. But that was over a week ago and I've been enjoying some much needed rest and relaxation since my last final last Tuesday! I can't believe we are through with 5th term. 1st through 4th terms we always heard "oh, you will learn that in 5th term" so 5th term seemed like a daunting and slightly scary thing. Well, yeah it kind of was, but from my estimations, the worst should probably be over! Well, we do still have oral and practical exit exams which sound like minimal fun and maximal stress all over again, but lets not talk about that right now!! :) I'm on vacation mode!

After enjoying a couple days on the San Diego beaches...one of which I tried surfing for the first time and loved it!, a trip to the Carlsbad flower fields, a few days up in Orange County visiting family and friends (both furry and human) and then one fabulous trip to Disneyland, I am now packing up for my long drive to Omaha, Nebraska for my neuro internship. I am going to a stroke center and I'm slightly nervous because they sound very strict, but I am also excited to see what is in store for me. I think I will learn a lot there.

For now I'm assembling a growing stack of music and audiobooks to keep me company on the drive! I love road trips! Bring on the adventure! (except no tornados please...) :D

The stuff is about to hit the fan...

I wish I had about 10 more hours a day for the next month. There is SOOO much to get done and get through before the semester is over. I probably shouldn't be writing a blog right now and instead studying or doing one of my many projects, but I thought this might help me feel less overwhelmed! Here is my to do list:

Next Week:
-Case Presentation -I did a spine eval on one of my classmates and have to present my findings etc in front of the teacher and be prepared to recite scientific evidence and answer tough questions.
-Extremity Practical Exam- I have to take a history from the teacher, come up with what I think is wrong and then do a bunch of tests and measures on my partner, come up with a treatment and all along be able to answer tough questions from my teacher who assured us she will throw some curve balls in there just to make us think on our feet.

April:
-A bunch of real patients coming into extremity class that we will be evaluating...so I need to do some review so I don't look like an idiot! :)
-Dr. Paris (the founder of our school) is coming to do a review...so he will inevitably be calling people out and putting them on the spot...gotta make sure I'm studied up and prepared for this so I don't look like an idiot! :)
-40 Page fully researched Business plan due along with powerpoint and be prepared to present it to the class.
-The Beast: Spine Oral Exam-must be able to answer any question out of our 400 page manual in great detail. We are graded on our answer, confidence and articulation. Teacher may just open the book to a random page and ask us to explain something. Everyone is sweating this one.
-Same day as Spine Oral: 2 Neuro practical Exams (adult and pediatrics)-must be able to go in, evaluate and treat a neurological patient and answer teacher questions...not totally sure how this is going to go yet so that adds to the anxiety.
-Write 3 major chunks of a Case Report- the kind that goes in professional journals, fully researched and supported.
-April 20th begins Finals!!
-Then internships...so add to my list of thing, find out where I'm going, where I will be living while there, write letters to sites to coordinate etc., preregister for next semester, and lots of other little tasks that don't warrant mentioning here..
-Make a doctors appointment because by the end I'm going to have an ulcer.

One thing, one day, one hour at at time!!! Lots of study groups...hoping we can all pull each other through!