Going National

Our abstract was chosen for a platform presentation at American Physical Therapy Association's Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas! The presentation will be about last spring's pilot service learning project with Emory Physician Assistant students on South Georgia Farmworker Health Project.-which I initiated. Two of my PT friends will be presenting in San Antonio...I, unfortunately, had to choose between presenting and participating in the project due to clinical scheduling with St. Jude. But, I'll be supporting my classmates from South Georgia!

My name is in print in Physical Therapy Journal!
http://www.apta.org/AM/abstracts/pt2008/abstractsPt.cfm?m_id=17260

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

I absolutely LOVE my current Physical Therapy rotation at St. Jude. The hospital is incredible...started in the 60's by entertainer Danny Thomas with the mission that "no child should die in the dawn of a new light." The hospital provides care to children with catastrophic illnesses (i.e. brain tumors-medulloblastomas, leukemia, sarcomas, etc.) regardless of the families' ability to pay. The facility exudes hope to young patients and their families. Walking through the colorful hallways and brand-new bone marrow transplant floor, I am reminded of an elementary school...with hopscotch in the floor tiles, murals, and children's artwork. The cultural, geographic, and socioeconomic diversity of the patients is unlike any other hospital I have visited. I am currently on the bone marrow transplant floor, working with very critically ill children. I currently treat two patients on a daily basis, ages 4 and 14. In 5 weeks I will transfer downstairs to the outpatient PT clinic, where the majority of patients are seen (after their chemo is complete and/or their blood counts have improved and they are not as immunosuppressed). I am really enjoying working in the non-profit, pediatric healthcare environment! More stories and pictures to come...

Moving from St. Louis to Memphis

My parents recently flew into St. Louis, spent a few days in the city with me then helped me move to my new "temporary" home in Memphis. We had a great time visiting the Gateway Arch and riding the tram to the top. We enjoyed great food on "the hill"-St. Louis' Italian district. At last I got to see live theatre again, we all went to the musical comedy "The Wedding Singer" at Fox Theatre. Then I got to celebrate Easter with my family for the first time in 5+ years! A "farewell/Easter" party rounded out the weekend. Monday was a busy last day of clinic for me; I gave an inservice on the Right to Healthcare in the U.S. and completed my final evaluation. Tuesday was moving day as we rented a car and caravaned to Memphis. During the rest of the week, I learned about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and got settled into my new home, while my parents explored Memphis and the Mississippi Delta area. We enjoyed eating dinner with new friends and distant relatives and savored Memphis' famous BBQ! After a final outing to Beale Street, House of Blues and Birthplace of Rock n' Roll, they flew back to the northwest. Here are all the pictures from our journey.

St. Louis Adventures

I've been living in St. Louis completing my first 3-month long-term clinical at the Rehabilitation Institute of St. Louis. I'm living with a very sweet young couple, Mike and Kara Burns. I've enjoyed going to church with them and making new friends at the hospital and through my part-time job at Kayak's Coffee. Here are some pictures of my life in St. Louis.

Recycling

I'm such a huge fan of recycling, I will even recycle myself! I couldn't resist jumping into this new bin in our hospital at Emory. My tree-hugging tendencies aren't fading...even living in the south!

Pumpkin Carving

My classmates and I got in the Halloween spirit with a pumpkin carving party. I was very proud of my creation this year!

Greta's Second Visit to Atlanta

"Lori, I have a proposal." I know that if a sentence begins that way, it's going to be good! Greta wanted to come to Atlanta for a high school friend's wedding and asked me to be her date. We had a fantastic time getting dressed up, eating great food (including red velvet wedding cake - I learned that's a southern thing!), and dancing up a storm. Greta and I made pinky promised that we would someday attend each other's weddings - no matter where they are :) During the weekend we also visited Atlanta's Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the pretty flowers and trails. Matt, my boyfriend at the time, was also visiting, so we all had a great time playing Speed Scrabble together. As always, here are more pictures.

Jenn and Amber

I have had lots of good times with Jenn and Amber, they are two close friends from PT school. We made a pact to have international food together, trying new restaurants in Atlanta. Our cuisines included: Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Cuban, and Belgian (??? we struggled to classify the Original Pancake House). We also had a black tie date night in downtown Atlanta. Dressed in cute black dresses we went to the fancy Westin Hotel and rode the elevator up 73 stories to the rotating bar at the top. Our fancy drinks in souvenir glasses were pricey, but worth it for a unique experience! I miss those girls now that I'm in St. Louis and they're still in Atlanta :(

MS 150

This year I rode in the MS 150 again, a 2-day, 150-mile bike ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. Last year, it was just my classmate Nguyen-Vu and myself riding; but this year we had 15 registered riders on the Emory Doctor of Physical Therapy team. Our PT program director even funded nice biking jerseys for all of us, designed by Nguyen-Vu. We spent the weekend camping out in a softball field and riding around country roads a couple hours south of the city. More pictures.

Olympic National Park & Sarah's Wedding

Labor Day weekend was a blast! I flew out to Seattle and lovely Jessie (former college roommate and teammate) picked me up from the airport. The next day Jessie and I went for a run/bike ride around the lake near her house, visited the first REI, wandered around Pike Place Market, and ate authentic Mexican food. Then we met up with Carol-Ann (good Willamette friend) and Ethan Nelson (her husband...I was in their wedding last summer). Carol-Ann, Ethan, and I drove to Sequim, WA in the Olympic Peninsula to attend our WU friend Sarah Reichner's (now Schafer) wedding. We camped the night before at Sequim Bay State Park, and got all sorts of strange looks as we put on dresses and makeup in the camp bathroom! Sarah and I used to be co-leaders of Fellowship of Christian Athletes during our days at Willamette. Their wedding was on her dad's lavender farm and it was beautiful! It was so fun to see many of our Willamette friends there and the ceremony was wonderful and Christ-centered. That same night, crazy people that we are, Lori, Ethan & I changed into hiking gear, donned our backpacks and hiked out in the dark into the middle of the Olympic Mountain wilderness. We camped at the second of three mountain lakes, with ridges and forest surrounding us on all sides. Sunday was spent exploring, cooking, and resting. Carol-Ann and Ethan taught me how to play Texas Hold'Em. Then, after a great dinner in Gig Harbor, WA they drove me to the airport for a red-eye flight before classes the next day (just my style).

It was so fun to spend time with my dear friend and get to know her fun husband. The area was incredible - I would definitely like to go back! With two different cameras going, we have a ton of pictures.

(again, I worked smarter, not harder on this post...thanks Carol-Ann for a lot of good commentary from our trip!)

Reunion with Leah!!!

Leah, a close college friend and former teammate, drove through Atlanta in August. We hadn't seen each other in over 2 years, since Willamette's graduation! It was GREAT to see her and catch up on life. Leah had already seen my brother in Portland and stayed with my parents in Roseburg, so it was finally my turn! We went out to my favorite fondue restaurant, with her parents. Then Leah and I had ice cream...what a great summer evening!

Home Sweet Home

It's always a treat to go home to Oregon, especially when I haven't been to my hometown in nearly a year or seen my parents for 8 months! I was very excited to spend my short August break in the northwest. I enjoyed catching up with family and just being home. Then, it was back to school again! As always, I took many pictures of my Oregon trip.

Backpacking in the North Georgia Mountains

Scott and I are certainly known for our spontaneous adventures! One Saturday morning I got a phone call from him asking if I wanted to go backpacking (that night!). I had just helped him pick out his first hiking backpack at REI. And he was anxious to put it to use! So, I made some calls, did some online searching, and found the perfect backcountry getaway. We planned to hike up Raybun Bald, Georgia's 2nd-highest peak. However, we mis-calculated the trailhead and ended up hiking for a few hours on the wrong trail. Eventually we started bush-whacking (translation--going off trail straight up the mountain) to try to get to the top because it was dark. Thankfully Nancy the Navigator (my GPS) got us back to my car the next morning, bush-whacking again. Then we found the real trail (only 1/10th of a mile up the road) and summited Georgia's 2nd highest peak (Raybun Bald). Yay for adventures! Here's all of our pictures.

Road Rash on the Face

When I returned from Oregon, I had one free day before classes began again. Scott called and woke me up after my red-eye flight and wanted to go on a bike ride. We had a fun ride through some rougher areas of Atlanta, then he got a flat tire. We worked on fixing that for an hour or so, then finally headed back to my apartment. Then, less than a mile from my house, I rode my bike too close to the edge of the blacktop, jack-knifed my handlebars, dove headfirst toward the road with my bike landing on top of me. Fortunately, Scott stopped on his bike just before running me over, and the cars did too. But, my cheek took most of the fall. I had a nice road rash on my face, just in time for the first day of a new semester of classes. Scott attempted to help me wash it up (aka, scrubbing hard with a washcloth), but as he admitted "I"m not a very good nurse." Needless to say, I always watch out for the blacktop near that intersection!

Greta's Visit and 4th of July

My dear friend, Greta, has been with me through many transitions over the past few years. She and I met at Houston where we co-taught summer school during Teach for America Institute. When the school year started, Greta taught 3rd grade in Houston, while I was teaching 2nd grade six hours south. We kept in touch by phone, saw each other at TFA conferences, and made weekend visits to each others' Texas homes. When we both finished TFA, Greta and I traveled around the interior of Mexico for a week, then she helped me move from Texas to Atlanta.

Greta got to see my new home too! She came to visit me in Atlanta for 4th of July. We went out to great Thai food, celebrated a friend's birthday in Buckhead, she watched me run in the world's largest 10K on the 4th (Peachtree Road Race), we enjoyed the sun at a pool party, watched fireworks together, hosted a dinner for 3 new Teach for America corps members from Oregon (in Atlanta for training), drank Australian port by the pool, hiked up Stone Mountain, strolled through Piedmont Park, and, of course, enjoyed yummy authentic Mexican food. As always, it was great to catch up with a fun friend!

South Georgia Farmworker Health Project

This project has been my "baby." It began with a coffee shop discussion with a Physician Assistant (PA) student and developed into faculty approving a pilot project of 4 PT students and a supervising PT offering pro bono care to migrant farmworkers and their families in South Georgia. The service-learning project development was hard work; I spent hours writing a proposal for faculty members, arranging logistics with Emory's PA program, creating student participant applications and a selection rubric, crafting a budget, raising money through bake sales, coordinating a clothing drive for the farmworkers, and, of course, the direct patient treatment itself. Our PT team joined the pre-existing project and worked alongside PA students and faculty for 3 days. We set up make-shift clinics with a canopy, some mats, a card table, and lots of borrowed Emory Healthcare sheets. Keep in mind, this was the beginning of June in South Georgia (Valdosta, and surrounding small towns), so heat was definitely a factor. We treated patients' musculoskeletal complaints at labor camps, county health departments, and low-income apartment complexes. Primarily our treatments involved injury to the low back...we even led "back" classes while patients waited in line for their general health check-up. Education, exercises, and massage (soft tissue manipulation) were common interventions we used. We bilingual handouts specific to farmworker injuries. After our final day of clinics, we drove 4 hours back to Atlanta, grabbed a quick lunch, and took a practical exam!

We wrote summaries of our experiences on the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project. This narrative was published in two PT newsletters; both at the state and national level. Most recently, my group submitted an abstract to present at a National PT Conference; our presentation was selected, so we will travel to San Antonio in June to describe Emory's interdisciplinary service-learning project.

Atlanta Braves

My first summer in Atlanta was a little crazy with out of state weddings and adjusting to graduate student life, so I never had a chance to go to any Braves (baseball) games. I was excited when Emory had special $1 tickets, complete with free hot dogs, popcorn, and beer before the game, and free transportation. We convened in the Business School courtyard with other grad students, then rode big yellow school buses to the game, and got bused back to campus; all for only $1. It's great what tuition will pay for...I invited Jackie along to partake in the baseball festivities. Here are some pictures my roommate, Kate, took from the event.

Maria's New Baby

My friend Maria used to teach first-grade across the hall from me at Taylor Elementary. When I moved to Atlanta for grad school, she and her boyfriend (Fernando) also moved to the city for work. We have enjoyed meeting up for dinner a few times since we been in Georgia. In the past few months Maria was: pregnant, had a sweet (bilingual) baby shower, and delivered a healthy baby boy. I got to meet up with Maria and Fernandito for lunch awhile back. I got to test his motor development and share with Maria strategies to help his growth; that was fun! These are a few pictures from her shower and our lunch.

Backpacking in Kentucky

My good buddy, Greg, and I decided to drive from Urbana, IL and Atlanta, GA (respectively) and meet up at Land Between the Lakes on the KY and TN border in western Kentucky.

I took the rest of this commentary from his blog (I work smarter, not harder; thanks Greg):

We backpacked for two nights at a leisurely pace and did a lot of swimming. The first night, we forded across to a small island to camp the first night. The first picture shows me during sunset from our island campsite and the second shows me wading back across in the morning carrying our trekking poles and boots (Greg was the only one tall enough to carry our packs across and had to make a couple of trips). The water was perfect, though, in the mid-70's and we had a really nice backcountry trip. The last picture shows us with our finger companions, Virginia la Viajera and Teresa the Traveler. Loyal readers of either of our blogs will recognize Teresa from our trip around the country in the summer of 2005. I got Greg his own finger puppet, Virginia, in Mexico with the intention that he would take her to China, but she didn't arrive in the mail early enough, so she's made her travel album debut at Land Between the Lakes. BTW, Teresa and Virginia were great friends from the start. The final picture is of our well-loved, decorated packs that have gone on many a backpacking trip together.

Creative Studying

Scott and I had to study, but couldn't pass up the chance for a nice bike ride. So, we decided to do both. We drove to the Silver Comet Trail a little north of the city and brought our study materials in a backpack. We rode about 15 miles until we got to a nice gazebo...we studied there in the shade for a couple hours and biked back. Now that's creative studying! :)

Cinco de mayo

I stay true to my Mexican roots, even in Atlanta. For Cinco de mayo my classmates and I decided to go to this street festival sponsored by "Loca Luna" a local bar. I told my friends I was going to dress up....and I certainly did. My festive traditional Mexican outfit certainly received a few comments from friends and strangers. I tried to convince another friend to bring along the Mexican flag that I had, but unfortunately, we left it in the car. In holiday spirit, we ended the evening with yummy authentic Mexican food...I got to order in Spanish! :)

Nashville Country Music Marathon

A group of my physical therapy classmates took a road trip to Nashville, TN to participate in/cheer for the Country Music Marathon. My friend, Lindsay, ran the full marathon and Kate (roommate) and Brian (her boyfriend) raced the half. We made T-shirts that spelled out RAMBO (Lindsay's awesome last name) and KATE on the back and were a mobile cheering section. I ended up running miles 19-25 with Rambo, gathering other friends along the way. We had a blast; after the race we got to attend a Sarah Evans concert (for free) and enjoy Nashville's nightlife. The next morning, I met up with a former Teach for America buddy, Megan, who is in speech therapy school in Nashville. All in all, a fun weekend...followed by an exam the next week; just my style! :)

Relay for Life, Emory style

My dear friend, Amber, decided to be the captain of Emory Physical Therapy's Relay for Life team. Most of my close friends in the program decided to raise money and participate in the all-night event. We arrived around 6pm to set up before the first lap at 7pm and had participants walking until 7am. Our team won the "team spirit" award for our our "hollywood" costumes and energy. It was a fun evening for all as we chatted with friends while walking laps...all to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Megan and I, being the crazy ladies that we are, decided to go home and crash for a few short hours, then drive an hour and a half to Augusta, GA for a Georgia PT Conference, then stay afterwards for a minor league baseball game. Eventually, we kept each other awake on our rainy drive back to Atlanta and finally got to sleep. Pictures from the weekend.

Appalachian Trail

I brushed the cobwebs off my backpack that I hadn't been able to use (for its intended purpose) since Spring Break '05, when Greg and I backpacked in Big Bend National Park. One weekend this spring, I went on a backpacking trip in the Roan Highlands section of the Appalachian Trail. Julie, one of my classmates, and Daniel, her fiancee, and I drove up to the North Carolina - Tennessee border one Friday night. We rolled in late that night to an AT backpackers cabin and camped out in the horse arena out front. In the morning, we packed up and the owner drove us to the trailhead. Saturday was spent backpacking and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I enjoyed talking with some thru-hikers (planning on completing the entire AT...from Georgia to Maine). We hiked up and over several "balds" (the term for Southern "hills"...they almost qualify as mountains). Finally we camped at a particularly beautiful lookout, then hiked out the next day and drove back to Atlanta. It was a fun weekend, and very well planned by Daniel, a committed REI employee :)

Here are all the pictures from my Appalachian Trail backpacking adventure.

Visiting my Brother in Australia

Daniel spent his spring semester studying abroad near Perth, Western Australia (in a small town called Fremantle). So, as any typical graduate student would do, I decided to spend my "summer" break (really just a week) visiting him. I flew from Atlanta to Chicago to San Francisco to Sydney, Australia to Perth, Australia - nearly 35 hours of travel time! For a week I got to stay at his dorm (an old converted hotel) in downtown Fremantle, explore the sites during the day, hang out with him at night, and see what the land down under is really like. Highlights of my trip were: 1) meandering the streets in Fremantle and exploring the little shops and restaurants (a relaxed surfer's town), 2) spending a day and a half at Rottnest Island off the coast of Fremantle with my brother (biking, playing on the beach, observing wildlife), 3) going on a winery tour in the Swan Valley outside of Perth (after 5 wineries, a brewery, and a chocolate factory I had made friends from Italy, France, England, Malaysia, Australia, Ohio, and Conneticut - and purchased a bottle of port!), 4) Visiting a wildlife park and petting koalas and kangaroos and holding a wombat (native Australian animal), 5) experiencing my brother's life abroad - a very unique and growing time, and 6) learning a lot about Australian culture and geography.

Phrases and Vocabulary from the Aussies: (most of these I learned from Sara, a sweet Australian girl my brother was dating when I visited)
wakey, wakey=wake-up
boot=trunk (i.e. of a car)
petrol=gas (for your car)
footpath=sidewalk
pissed=drunk
skull=to chug
spewing=damn
nackered=tired out
car park=parking lot
rubbish=garbage/trash
uni=university
brekky=breakfast
give way=yield
lollypop=candy (all types)
holiday=vacation (all types)
no worries=thank you
car/bike hire=car/bike rental
How are you going=How are you doing
I've lost my bearings=I'm lost
Hungry Jades=Burger King
Fremantle doctor=southwesterly wind/breeze that comes in from the ocean every afternoon during the summer and keeps people cool
ute=an el camino-like pick-up

Things I noticed:
Australia is very environmentally-conscious (they are an island and fight to protect that natural state)
They have comfy, padded chairs in their airports (not like ours!)
They drive on the left side of the road and their steering wheels are on the left too (it felt very strange to ride in Sara's seat, in our "driver's" seat)
Their moving sidewalks (i.e. in the airport) are on the left
Public transit has carpets on the floor, it is very nice and convenient
Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way (even at intersections)
There is a half-fush and full-flush when you use the bathroom (for #1, #2....saving water!)
Breast cancer awareness/prevention is celebrated with a "Purple bra day" (no pink ribbons)
Perth Australia has a population of 1.5 million, the entire (HUGE) state of Western Australia has a total population of 2.0 million
W.Australia is sunny and warm for 8 mos/yr and rainy for 4 mos/yr
Australia's east and west coasts have the same trend as the US (east=busy, face-paced; west=more laid back)

Here are all the pictures from my Australian vacation.

College Roomie Visits Atlanta

Jessie is an awesome friend! She and I were teammates and roommates at Willamette University. Last year, she visited Texas and spent a day teaching my kids. This year, she came to Atlanta to see my life here. We had a great time...sight-seeing (World of Coke, Martin Luther King Memorial, Centennial Olympic Park), going to an Atlanta Hawks NBA game, hiking with friends on part of the Appalachian Trail, dyeing Easter eggs with my babysitting cuties, and spending Easter Sunday with Jackie and her family. Two Northwestern girls enjoying the South! :)

Spring Break in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Megan (my good friend from the PT program) traveled with me to Texas and Mexico. We stayed with former Teach for America friends that are still living in "the valley," as we call it. Our mini-spring break included a Mexican breakfast with Jana, a relaxing day at South Padre Island, dinner reunion with my buddies in the mid-valley, a surprise visit to Taylor Elementary (complete with tons of hugs and classroom presentations about Physical Therapy), a hop across the border to Nuevo Progreso for delightful eats, a run on the canal near my old house with my dear friend Ashley, a stroll through Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, a visit with Nasaria (my former language partner), a quick eating excursion to Reynosa, MX, and an evening in McAllen and Mission with my former "roomies," Corbin and Ali.


As a college friend once said, "Lori, the valley earned a special place in your heart." That is certainly true; I was grateful to return and share this special place with a special friend!
All of the pictures from our adventures in the Valley can be found here

Three of my favorite gals!

Meg, Kate, Megan, and I have lots and lots of good times! This was one of our nights out at Hand in Hand, one of our favorite bars in the Highlands. When I'm the designated driver, my friends have to wear cardboard hats from "the Varsity" (famous Atlanta restaurant)..good times!

Superhero Party

This is what physical therapy students do for fun on the weekends....host and attend "Superhero Parties." Recycle Woman is now an official superhero. I will consider renting my costume to fellow tree-hugging outdoors-loving enthusiasts.

Atlanta, GA Marathon-Part I

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PT girls (me, roomie-Kate, Meg, Lindsay, and Jenn) at our pre-race pasta feast. We let the boys come too, but they had to do the dishes!

Roommates at 6am, waiting for the start.

Posing with my running buddy, Scott. He wasn't a runner until we became friends last summer. In November, we raced in the Atlanta half-marathon. Now, he's hooked! Many, many long Saturday morning runs (with yummy post-run meals) led up to our pre-marathon smiles.

Georgia Marathon-Part II

Here are all the Emory Physical Therapy girls at the start line. Notice, it's still dark outside! Two of us ran the full marathon and the other three ran the half. We proudly wore Emory Healthcare shirts, along with about a hundred students, faculty, and health professionals. Emory was one of the race sponsors for Atlanta's inagural marathon.

Atlanta Medical Center...the finish line, well, not really! This is where Scott ended the race and where my tired legs had to take me after 26.2 miles. The full story requires a little background, this March day was unseasonably hot; 70+ degrees at the start, before sunrise, warming up to record-breaking heat in the mid-80's by the time most marathoners were finishing! Around mile 19, I was struggling to stay with my pace group (3 hrs. 40 min.) when someone said "not good, man down" and I looked over to see some guy face down in the grass with familiar-looking running shoes, blue shorts, and a red singlet (much like the one I helped Scott pick out the previous day at the expo). It was Scott...with people surrounding him!!! I didn't know what to do. Fortunately, I knew that he had one of his roommate's phone numbers on the other side of his race number (I handed him a pen the night before and made him do it). I kept running, knowing that a turn-around was coming up shortly. I continued to have an internal debate, should I stop and help my friend or finish the last 6 miles. There were medical people around him (so I thought). So, as I neared, from the other side of the road I yelled his name. I told the guys around him to call the number written, "We already tried that" they yelled back. What did that mean, I wondered? Should I try to help? No, he has people with him, there's nothing more I can do, I decided. So, I kept running, then saw an ambulance coming (for Scott, I assumed). The last 6 miles were the slowest of my entire running life (I had hit the wall and was terribly worried about my friend). Finally, finally, finally I reached the finish line (after seeing my babysitting girls cheering on the course, smiling at Jackie's homeade sign "Run, Lori, Run," and having my roomate join me for the last mile). Then, the next challenge began....get Scott's running bag (fortunately I remembered his race #1007), find his cell phone, call his roommates and girlfriend, find food, visit multiple, multiple medical tents, make phone calls to countless friends for directions to different hospitals, talk to many different ER nurses, and finally (!!!) find out he was at Atlanta Medical Center. Scott's girlfriend helped me manuever the stairs and curbs as we took the Marta train and walked to the hospital. All of this, after 26.2 miles...quite a journey. When we finally arrived at the (correct) hospital, I had to take a picture.

Scott being goofy in his hospital bed. I was actually quite fascinated by all the wires and I listened intently to all the lab results, then translated them for Scott's mom and friends. Scott ended up having heat stroke (temp. 105) and severe dehydration. By the time I got to the hospital he was on his 3rd IV bag! It was crazy! I analyzed his pulse ox (pulse oximetry...blood oxygen saturation) and EKG (heart) readings the whole time. I had a final exam the next day, this was the closest thing to studying! I finally got a ride home from the hospital and my marathon adventures came to an end, another crazy, unexpected day. Oh yes, and I finished the marathon just at 4 hours (off my target, but okay...all things considered!). Scott's ready to try again, we'll see!

Patients in the Nursing Facility

We called her "hollywood" with her big glasses















Ms. T! One of my substitute grandmas with a sweet, sweet smile.

Treating Patients

He was a consistent presence in our PT gym. Always laughing and telling jokes. I taught him some Spanish. She lost her sight due to diabetes. We danced together and had fun doing exercises. She could identify me by grasping my hands.










He gave me cookies and candy! A funny man with lots of characte. He gave me attitude and I gave it right back. :)
Aww...one of my boyfriends. I think he was a little teary-eyed when I said goodbye. I probably waved at him about 20 times a day. I always said I was going to time his wheelchair laps around the building....he was speedy!

PT School Life-Mid-Year 1

In January we entered our first of three "symptom" complexes. Basically, this means that we were finished with 9 months of physiology, neuroscience, anatomy, kinesiology/biomechanics...the core sciences...and ready to start applying it all. Officially titled "Nutrition Symptom Complex" this 3-month module was about all the reasons that patients are hospitalized (coronary artery bypass graft, emphysema, congestive heart failure, bronchitis, pneumonia, diabetes, etc.) and what physical therapists can do to help them.

A short-term clinical affiliation supported our classroom instruction. All 41 of my classmates were assigned to a site and paired with a veteran PT. These sites were mostly acute-care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health. I was assigned to a skilled nursing facility (in the medical world, they're called a "sniff"), which is a sub-acute setting where people go if they aren't well enough to go home yet (post-hospitalization, surgery, illness, fall/fracture, etc.) and/or they don't have the support system at home to care for them. I worked at the "sniff" every Thursday for 8 weeks, then every day for 2 weeks. The facility looked similar to a nursing home, but with more critical-care equipment (ventilators, feeding tubes, etc). There were RNs, CNAs (certified nursing assistants), OTs (occupational therapists), and a social worker also working there. All of my patients were over 55 years old (the majority in their 70's). Laura, my friendly clinical instructor/therapist, and I spent all day walking through the halls treating patients in their rooms and bringing them down to the PT gym for treatment. In all, we typically saw about 8 patients a day and walked a ton!!! I made lots of new boyfriends (one even gave me a roll of toilet paper as a gift the day he was discharged), exchanged high-fives, hugs and smiles as I passed by the rooms, and even challenged my new friends to wheelchair races down the hallway. Of course, I taught a patient to say "Buenos dias senora" (with his thick southern accent) to the nurses!

The hardest part of this rotation was dealing with death. Four patients I treated passed away (medical lingo="expired") during my time there. The toughest was the morning when I arrived to the news that Ms. P had died. She was this adorable Cuban woman that I started treating during my weekly visits. She and I spoke Spanish and she told me stories about Fidel Castro, Miami, and her grandchildren. Even after she was discharged from therapy, I still visited her room daily and sat at the edge of her bed for a nice conversation. Her face just lit up every time I stuck my head in the door. After the deaths of a few other patients, I told a friend, "I just don't know what I'd do if Ms. P died." Then, it happened...that was a sad day! :( But, I learned a lot during my time at the sniff (smelled a lot of urine and other not so nice scents) and, most importantly, helped many elderly patients improve their functioning. I've posted some fun pictures from my rotation.