Two Misconceptions

It's been a while since I've blogged. Sorry, life has been a little busy. Working + running + just not wanting to get on the computer at night = no blogging sometimes. A series of conversations lately have made me want to write about 2 of the common misconceptions people have about my life.

1. I'm NOT a physical therapist.
Shocker, I know. I've been in school for 7 years and yet I still have friends (and I mean close friends) ask me how PT stuff is going. I'm not always sure if it's that people have never heard me actually say occupational therapy, OR they just don't know what it is and it's easier to say physical therapy. So, allow me to clear the air. I am an occupational therapist. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) defines OT as "skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all facets of their lives. Occupational therapy assists people in developing the "skills for the job of living" necessary for independent and satisfying lives." “Occupation” refers to the individual’s performance role in life. For an infant, that could be managing self-regulation including sleep/wake/feeding/alert/crying cycles. For the toddler it could be learning how to walk and explore with their hands. For the school age child it could be learning and socializing at home and in the community. For the adult it could be returning to work after an injury. For the elderly it could be living independently in their home or transitioning to semi-independent living. Occupational therapy practitioners are skilled professionals whose education includes the study of human growth and development with specific emphasis on the social, emotional, and physiological effects of illness and injury. They work with a wide variety of people, including those with:
* birth injuries, learning problems, or developmental disabilities
* mental health or behavioral problems including Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress
* substance abuse problems or eating disorders
* work related injuries such as low back problems or repetitive stress injuries
* limitations following a stroke or heart attack
* arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or other serious chronic conditions
* burns, spinal cord injuries, or amputations
* broken bones or other injuries from falls, sports injuries, or accidents
* vision or cognitive problems that threaten their ability to drive
OT's work in a variety of settings from hospitals to private clinics, to schools and even in contract consultative work. Fortunately for me it's a profession where it would be impossible to get bored in, there are so many areas to work in. I'm also constantly asked how I got into OT since most people that have known me for many years know that I had every intention of going to medical school. I got involved in an organization at Texas A&M called Project Sunshine which worked with kids with disabilities in the Bryan/College Station area. About the same time is when I decided that medical school was not where I wanted to go and physical therapy was actually looking appealing. A trip to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston opened my eyes to OT and after talking to an OT at my church the next week I was officially in love with the profession and completely changed gears. I went to OT school intending to be a pediatric OT but have fallen in love with just about every area, the most recent being Hand Therapy- a specialized field that requires 5 years of experience with over 5000 documented hours in hand therapy BEFORE you can take the certification test that only 50% pass the first time. Needless to say I am VERY excited to actually graduate, pass the national board exam and become a licensed occupational therapist.

2. I am not a fast runner
I seem to get this one a lot. I like to run, yes. I like to run far, yes. I do not run fast. I never have and I really don't plan to ever be fast. Todd is fast. He works hard to run fast and enjoys it. I run just for the pleasure of running and the challenge of running the distances. For some reason people think that if you run a lot you are automatically fast. This is not the case. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not slow either. I can hold my own- I'm a typical middle of the pack runner. I don't stand out on either end and am pretty much "average" for my age and gender. So next time you ask me about a race, please don't ask if I won, that will never happen. Instead, just ask if I finished and had a good time. :)

End of soap box. Hopefully, even you know me very well, maybe you learned something new.