So I really haven't been doing a good job of keeping up with the blog lately. Mostly because 1. I've been pretty busy and 2. I don't have a WHOLE lot to say lately. Since I last blogged we spent Thanksgiving with friends here in Abilene which was a lot of fun and then we went to Fredericksburg to spend time with my family which was very relaxing and enjoyable. As of tomorrow I have exactly 2 weeks left in my first internship. I'm actually really sad to have to leave my patients and co-workers. I've been really blessed with an amazing CI that has taught me SO MUCH and I've come to really love hand therapy. I definitely feel at this point that I am ready to be an occupational therapist. I am also excited to start my pediatrics rotation, after all I did go into occupational therapy because of kids with disabilities. I will have two CI's in the spring and will be splitting my time between school based therapy and outpatient pediatrics. It will be very different then what I've been doing the last 10 weeks and I will get to learn from 2 very different therapists so I am looking forward to it. On another good note, the hospital hired me on to work as a technician (assistant) in the Acute wing of the hospital over the holidays and some weekends/late afternoons in the spring. Acute rehab is not my favorite area to work in but its 1. a little extra income for us and 2. more experience for me so I look at it as a win-win situation.
This weekend we stayed in town and went to 2 Christmas parties. Friday night went to my CI's house for our OT Christmas party with my co-workers. That was a lot of fun because we all made appetizers and it was a smaller group and we just talked and played games and relaxed. It was nice seeing everyone outside of the hospital and getting to know their spouses and children. Saturday night we went to Todd's squadron Christmas party which was a "fancier" party at the Officer's Club on base. The food was really good and we got to meet some other people in the squadron. The party was "cocktail attire" but also included a Christmas sweater contest which Todd won 2nd place for his ridiculous Goodwill $1.99 Christmas sweater straight from 1988 that he put LED lights into.(I'll post pics when I get them) The real fun was the after party which was, of course at a hotel bar here in town. I don't really understand why all the good places to go are hotel bars. Anyway, they had a live cover band that was really good and the commander of Todd's squadron came out and everyone had a really good time. Today was VERY relaxing. We really didn't do much of anything and it was nice.
Next weekend we're planning on going to Dallas to see my sister and some friends and cheer on runners at the Dallas White Rock Marathon. Neither one of us has ever cheered on a marathon and some runner's in the runner's club will be running their first marathon. With gas so cheap these days it's nice to be able to get out of Abilene for a weekend and not spend too much money. Oh and in case word has not gotten around, Todd and I start training tomorrow for the Ft. Worth Cowtown Marathon on February 28, 2009!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
It's been a while...
So it's been a while since I last blogged. Here is a quick run down on life in the Saksa house of lately. The big Rock & Roll San Antonio Marathon was Sunday November 16. It was a beautiful day and perfect running weather. Todd finished in an impressive 3 hours 27 minutes and I finished in 4 hours 6 minutes. Todd would have liked to run closer to 3:20 and I guess I would have been happier with a sub 4 hour finish but the bottom line is, I was just glad to finish! This past week has been a much needed recovery week. We really didn't do much this week at all, mostly because Monday through Wednesday our legs were still EXHAUSTED from the marathon. But of course, we are crazy and will be starting training for the Austin Marathon tomorrow :) Only 12 weeks of training before the February 15, 2009 race. After that we will most likely be taking off from full marathons until the fall.
This past Friday was "Red Carpet Day" for Todd's squadron. In a nut shell, it's intended to be the Friday that a class finishes academics in the B1 before they actually start flying the plane. Family and close friends get to go to the squadron, hear all about the plane and then tour the simulators and the actual plane. Then there is a little reception at the end of the day where they meet their flight instructors for the next phase of training. It was really nice and a lot of fun to get to see what Todd's been doing since August. I am so grateful to my CI that she let me have the day off of work so that I could be there. Unfortunately, Todd's training is pretty backed up right now so where he would be flying next week he may not actually start flying until late December or early January.
As far as Thanksgiving for us, we will be here in Abilene for the actual day and spend it with friendssince I have to work a half of a day on Friday. Then we will head to Fredericksburg to have dinner with my family.
That's about all that is news around here :)
This past Friday was "Red Carpet Day" for Todd's squadron. In a nut shell, it's intended to be the Friday that a class finishes academics in the B1 before they actually start flying the plane. Family and close friends get to go to the squadron, hear all about the plane and then tour the simulators and the actual plane. Then there is a little reception at the end of the day where they meet their flight instructors for the next phase of training. It was really nice and a lot of fun to get to see what Todd's been doing since August. I am so grateful to my CI that she let me have the day off of work so that I could be there. Unfortunately, Todd's training is pretty backed up right now so where he would be flying next week he may not actually start flying until late December or early January.
As far as Thanksgiving for us, we will be here in Abilene for the actual day and spend it with friendssince I have to work a half of a day on Friday. Then we will head to Fredericksburg to have dinner with my family.
That's about all that is news around here :)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
20 felt gooooood
Yesterday was the big 20 mile training run. For those not very familiar with marathon training it is pretty standard that you build up your mileage to 20 miles than taper down until the actual race. This is because after 20 miles you begin to run at a point where science says the human body should not go. After 20 miles your body begins to take some serious wear and tear and you can easily cross the line from healthy to injured. That's probably why A. The marathon is so elusive to the insane runner such as myself and B. runner's have a lot of knee, shin, calf and foot problems. Because you build up to 20 miles and the actual marathon is 26.2 miles a saying came out that a marathon is just a 10k race with a 20 mile warm up. Now some advanced runners will run programs where you run 20 miles multiple times before the race or build your base mileage to over 20 miles. I personally like to play it safe, build my miles up slowly and not put too much strain on my knees for too long. It's all a matter of personal preference and fitness level I suppose. Anyway, we started bright and early at 5:30am! I ran with a fellow ARC member who runs my pace and Todd ran with another ARC member who runs his pace. 3 hours and 15 minutes later I was done (Todd, obviously done before me) and actually felt GREAT. I can honestly and comfortably say that I am ready for the marathon which is only 3 weeks away from today! Todd felt really good about his run too. He's still hoping to qualify for Boston in the next year or so so he has really been pushing himself lately. I, on the other hand, consider myself a finisher. I'm not looking to run Boston or smash my personal record but to safely cross the finish line, hold my head up and just say that I finished.
So how did we reward ourselves for such a pinnacle of training success?? We went to Buffalo Wild Wings of course :) Some hot wings and beer make running 20 miles WELL worth the work. Then we relaxed the rest of the day and watched A&M BTHO Iowa State with some fellow Aggies. It's been a pretty good weekend. Today after church we ran some errands and watched some more football. Next weekend we will be going to San Antonio for my friend Kristen's wedding which I am very excited about because I know it will be a beautiful wedding celebrating an adorable couple and also because we will get to spend some time with a lot of friends we haven't seen since our wedding.
So how did we reward ourselves for such a pinnacle of training success?? We went to Buffalo Wild Wings of course :) Some hot wings and beer make running 20 miles WELL worth the work. Then we relaxed the rest of the day and watched A&M BTHO Iowa State with some fellow Aggies. It's been a pretty good weekend. Today after church we ran some errands and watched some more football. Next weekend we will be going to San Antonio for my friend Kristen's wedding which I am very excited about because I know it will be a beautiful wedding celebrating an adorable couple and also because we will get to spend some time with a lot of friends we haven't seen since our wedding.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sweet Home College Station
This past weekend Todd and I got to go back to College Station for the Texas Tech game and catch up with some friends. Because I managed to work several 10 hour days last week I got off on Friday at 2pm so we were able to start the 5 hour drive A LOT earlier. We made it into CS by about 8pm where we checked into the bed and breakfast we were staying at. (we've never stayed in one together or separate so we were excited about this)
The B&B was really fun to stay at, kind of a home away from home. We paid what we would have paid for a hotel and had all the luxuries of home plus free food and drinks (water, milk, juice) so it was nice.
Driving around Friday night and Saturday morning we had a lot of "when did that get here?", "Look how that has changed!", etc. moments. Needless to say we had our first realization how removed we really are from Texas A&M.
Saturday we went to the game. While we didn't get a win, it was MUCH more of a game then we expected to see, we had really great seats and we got to be in Kyle field :) It was a little sad knowing that we may not be back in College Station for several years.
Sunday we visited two of the places that we frequented while we were dating and got to relive some very fond memories. We first had coffee at Coffee Station, where we used to meet and study, talk or just hang out. Then for lunch we went to Cafe Eccell where we went every month on our anniversary and also our graduation party and got their famous strawberry tart! It's seriously heaven on a plate!
After a long drive back with a stop to see my parents in Austin we made it back to Abilene to start the new week. This week I have a fairly busy week at work and Todd has a pretty slow week. Saturday is our big 20 mile training run which officially peaks or marathon training and then we will be going to the Squadron Halloween party-which is sure to be a great time.
The B&B was really fun to stay at, kind of a home away from home. We paid what we would have paid for a hotel and had all the luxuries of home plus free food and drinks (water, milk, juice) so it was nice.
Driving around Friday night and Saturday morning we had a lot of "when did that get here?", "Look how that has changed!", etc. moments. Needless to say we had our first realization how removed we really are from Texas A&M.
Saturday we went to the game. While we didn't get a win, it was MUCH more of a game then we expected to see, we had really great seats and we got to be in Kyle field :) It was a little sad knowing that we may not be back in College Station for several years.
Sunday we visited two of the places that we frequented while we were dating and got to relive some very fond memories. We first had coffee at Coffee Station, where we used to meet and study, talk or just hang out. Then for lunch we went to Cafe Eccell where we went every month on our anniversary and also our graduation party and got their famous strawberry tart! It's seriously heaven on a plate!
After a long drive back with a stop to see my parents in Austin we made it back to Abilene to start the new week. This week I have a fairly busy week at work and Todd has a pretty slow week. Saturday is our big 20 mile training run which officially peaks or marathon training and then we will be going to the Squadron Halloween party-which is sure to be a great time.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Week in Review
Week 2 of my internships was just as great as week 1. I'm getting more comfortable with my patients and co-workers and learning more every day. A few firsts happened this week. I made my first cast and I debrided a wound (i.e I picked the dead skin and blood off of it) I obviously knew that OT's made custom splints for the elbow, arm, wrist, hands or fingers but I was not aware that we could make fiber glass casts. It's actually easier than making a splint but takes longer and the materials are more expensive (probably why we never made them in school) I will hopefully have a few new patients this week. Otherwise, all is good at HCR.
Friday made me remember how tiring a full work week can be and I had absolutely no desire to go out and do anything. Todd went to church Friday night to help out at 5th quarter for the youth group. If you're not familiar, 5th quarter is after home football games on Friday night so kids can go hang out and play games and not get into trouble. I used to go when I was in high school and always had a good time. So Todd could not turn down playing ping-pong and wii with 16 and 17 year olds.
Saturday after we ran our 18 mile training run for the marathon with fellow Abilene Runners Club (ARC) members we got cleaned up for the simple out door wedding for Allen and Meghan. It was so nice and simple and really sweet. They are still planning on having a big ceremony in about a year with family and friends. Here are a few pics from the day.
Today after church we went to the park with the dogs. Todd played disc golf with a few friends and I let the dogs run around, swim and get just plain dirty. Overall it's been a great weekend but next weekend we're going to College Station where we will stay in a Bed & Breakfast, go to the game and get to see a lot of friends which is sure to make for an even better weekend :)
Friday made me remember how tiring a full work week can be and I had absolutely no desire to go out and do anything. Todd went to church Friday night to help out at 5th quarter for the youth group. If you're not familiar, 5th quarter is after home football games on Friday night so kids can go hang out and play games and not get into trouble. I used to go when I was in high school and always had a good time. So Todd could not turn down playing ping-pong and wii with 16 and 17 year olds.
Saturday after we ran our 18 mile training run for the marathon with fellow Abilene Runners Club (ARC) members we got cleaned up for the simple out door wedding for Allen and Meghan. It was so nice and simple and really sweet. They are still planning on having a big ceremony in about a year with family and friends. Here are a few pics from the day.
Today after church we went to the park with the dogs. Todd played disc golf with a few friends and I let the dogs run around, swim and get just plain dirty. Overall it's been a great weekend but next weekend we're going to College Station where we will stay in a Bed & Breakfast, go to the game and get to see a lot of friends which is sure to make for an even better weekend :)
Friday, October 3, 2008
1 down, 11 to go!
Today officially ends my first full week of clinical fieldwork for my adult rotation. I almost hate to admit this but I LOVED it! I think my calling may be in Hand Therapy after all. My CI (Clinical Instructor) is awesome! She is a great therapist with years of experience, a Christian, eager to teach and very laid back. I really like that because she's not into following a set formula as to when to give me patients but going with mine and her comfort level. She doesn't constantly grill me on my knowledge of something expecting me to know every detail and really encourages my clinical reasoning skills. I work with 4 other therapists, 1 Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and 2 technicians who are applying for PT school right now. Everyone is really laid back, personable and fun to be around. It's also nice because I don't have to have set hours of 8-5. I'm going to be working some days until 5, some until 4 and I don't have to take an hour lunch so the flexibility of my schedule is really nice.
*** Warning-this next part may be hard to understand for the non-OT***
In my first week I've made 2 splints- a forearm based thumb spica and a wrist cock-up. I was actually quite proud of them considering I had to free hand them and was working with material I've never used. I've seen just about every major upper extremity diagnosis including my very first flexor tendon repair of the FDP on the ring finger (3 days post-op). That was by far the coolest! I've already gotten to evaluate a patient, run 2 full treatment sessions and do a re-evaluation. Next week I get to start my own patient load, some on my own and some with my CI. The documentation system at the hospital is really easy to follow and makes it very simple to do. I'm also REALLY fortunate that doctors out here are also really willing to teach and I get to observe ANY upper extremity surgery that I want to!
**end of nerd part**
It was also a good week because next semester when I switch to pediatrics I'm actually just moving to the opposite side of the building so I've already met my CI for the spring and all the therapists that I will be working with there so it's nice to know that come January there won't be another awkward day/week of getting to know people and how the system works. It was also Rehab Week at the hospital so everyday this week at lunch we went across to the main hospital and got free lunch (that was always delicious) and had different lectures on Rehab. Free lunch and free education! Who could complain? There is also another OT student working in the inpatient unit upstairs who I met on Monday at our orientation. She's actually from Cincinati and went to Xavier and made it to Abilene because she wanted to see animal assisted therapy and there is a therapist here that does it and graduated from her program. She's never been to Texas so I hope she doesn't judge our whole state based on Abilene! It's nice to have someone else around that's in the same boat :)
West Texas is still a funny place to do rehab so here are a few funny things that I've learned this week:
-Every man says "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am"
-Those same men tend to get angry, hit walls and break their 5th metacarpal.
-Flag football can be DANGEROUS!
-Retiring does not mean you sleep late and play golf, it means you work on your farm more.
-The cows getting out can cause you to loose a finger tip...or 2.
-If you get hurt you go to the walk in emergency clinics for EVERYTHING. You only go to the ER if you actually called an ambulance...which you probably didn't.
-Getting married when you're 18 and not pregnant is normal.
-You drove 45 minutes to an hour for therapy because you had to go to the "big city" for rehab.
I'm sure I'll add more to this list. Overall, this week has been great! I've seen a lot, learned a lot, done a lot and can't wait for more!
Time for a relaxing weekend now :)
*** Warning-this next part may be hard to understand for the non-OT***
In my first week I've made 2 splints- a forearm based thumb spica and a wrist cock-up. I was actually quite proud of them considering I had to free hand them and was working with material I've never used. I've seen just about every major upper extremity diagnosis including my very first flexor tendon repair of the FDP on the ring finger (3 days post-op). That was by far the coolest! I've already gotten to evaluate a patient, run 2 full treatment sessions and do a re-evaluation. Next week I get to start my own patient load, some on my own and some with my CI. The documentation system at the hospital is really easy to follow and makes it very simple to do. I'm also REALLY fortunate that doctors out here are also really willing to teach and I get to observe ANY upper extremity surgery that I want to!
**end of nerd part**
It was also a good week because next semester when I switch to pediatrics I'm actually just moving to the opposite side of the building so I've already met my CI for the spring and all the therapists that I will be working with there so it's nice to know that come January there won't be another awkward day/week of getting to know people and how the system works. It was also Rehab Week at the hospital so everyday this week at lunch we went across to the main hospital and got free lunch (that was always delicious) and had different lectures on Rehab. Free lunch and free education! Who could complain? There is also another OT student working in the inpatient unit upstairs who I met on Monday at our orientation. She's actually from Cincinati and went to Xavier and made it to Abilene because she wanted to see animal assisted therapy and there is a therapist here that does it and graduated from her program. She's never been to Texas so I hope she doesn't judge our whole state based on Abilene! It's nice to have someone else around that's in the same boat :)
West Texas is still a funny place to do rehab so here are a few funny things that I've learned this week:
-Every man says "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am"
-Those same men tend to get angry, hit walls and break their 5th metacarpal.
-Flag football can be DANGEROUS!
-Retiring does not mean you sleep late and play golf, it means you work on your farm more.
-The cows getting out can cause you to loose a finger tip...or 2.
-If you get hurt you go to the walk in emergency clinics for EVERYTHING. You only go to the ER if you actually called an ambulance...which you probably didn't.
-Getting married when you're 18 and not pregnant is normal.
-You drove 45 minutes to an hour for therapy because you had to go to the "big city" for rehab.
I'm sure I'll add more to this list. Overall, this week has been great! I've seen a lot, learned a lot, done a lot and can't wait for more!
Time for a relaxing weekend now :)
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