1 Year Later: My Life as a PT

So this week has been a long but fun week. Today is my 1 year working anniversary. I'm going on day number 9 of working in a row. What have I been faced with??? Just a taste (keeping from a HIPPA violation)

• diabetic feet with holes in toes...check
• torticollis x 3...check
• a billion cases of pneumonia...check
• lots of broken bones including hips, knees, ankles, and even a humerus...check
• a hospitalized person trying to steal library books from the hospital ?!!
• an adorable patient who carries around a lovey stuffed puppy and knows his name but not their own
• 2 self proclaimed "dirty old men" who were so cute I had to reply "I'll allow it."
• 2 patient falls neither of which were directly my fault but which still made me sad
• multiple attempts at poop...only 2 patient's were able to succeed
• multiple peeing accidents on the floor

Being a PT is a hard job. In the acute care setting, no regular person knows who you are or what you are there to do. Everything thinks massage when they think PT. Everyone thinks you can cure with one touch. No one gets 4 - 6 weeks is a normal recovery time. So the first thing you always say to a patient is you purpose, which you sometimes have to defend very adamently.

You have to answer to doctors, nurse's, patients and their families. You have to do what is best for the patient but follow the hospital rules and what families can do for their loved ones. You have to know how to word everything to please everyone, because making enemies makes life harder in this setting. You have to know where the place you works hides things like spare panties, socks, extra oxygen tubing, back up walkers, chair alarms, chap stick, combs, toothpaste and wash clothes because these things lend into your credibility and usefulness to patients. If someone stole your clothes, would you not love to take a walk with the person who brought you an extra gown and some undies.

You have to be able to use all of your extremities for a different purpose while moving. You have to know a little something about everything and make conversations out of nothing. You do lots of paperwork, and no matter how hard you try to keep up on it, someone will be calling you to do it faster. It becomes a challenge of what is more important, patients or paperwork, and since the paperwork is about patients your head sometimes spins. Sometimes you forget to answer questions on your paperwork because you get so caught up with people's problems and stories and lives and how you can make things easier and happier for them.

You get the opportunity to work with people who really care and those who just come to do enough to get a paycheck. You grow close to and work harder to help those who care and get annoyed by those who do the bare minimum. In the end the only justice so to speak, is when patients say things like "You are so much nicer than the person yesterday." Some patients you want to keep forever, and some cannot go home soon enough, but each one still steals a special place in your heart. Some people are repeat offenders and its bittersweet to see them back.

All in all my job has been very challenging teaching me new things every week and I can't wait for many years more.

Cutie Pie

I love this puppy. She was entertained by my old tooth brush for like 20 minutes. Animals are such cute things. I love coming home and having a welcoming committee :)

Four Months

I really cannot believe how quickly time flew. I feel like we've been married for 5 years, certainly not 4 months (in a good way). Since we have gotten married we've had a packed life: disney adventure, back to work, deciding to switch job locations, moving, unpacking, renovating, renting a 16 y.o. for the summer, NH/ Maine, getting a puppy, training a puppy, trying to turn said puppy into decently behaved dog, football, back to winter hours, welcome parties, and just life in general.

I've posted on how our wedding day went (wonderfully) and what is different about marriage (nothing). I feel as though today deserves a special theme too. I remember laying up at 11 pm, the night before our wedding, trying to come up with respectable vows that would not be 100% predictable and corny, and instead meaningful and representative of what I brought to our relationship, practicality and fore planning :) My vows were what Brian can expect from me, what I expect from him, and what I expect from us as a couple. I wish I had my copy now, as I would probably retype and analyze, but maybe at 6 months or a year :)

Anyway, I find the wedding vow I fall back on the most is when we do disagree, is the line about "if you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have the good sense to take the first step back."I'll be the first to admit I am horrible about this but trying to work on it. But it is my favorite line, because I have vowed to do it and have many years to continue to try...59 and 8 months at least :)

These are a few of my favorite things

curtains made from rehearsal dinner table cloth!
singing washing machine/drier
mermaid art wall and polka-dotted piggy bank
homemade milk shakes
last but not least our little family :)


I've had this song stuck in my head all week, so I figured I would pick some of my favorite things in my life...

Peachisms

So we have had our little puppy for 2 weeks now. On monday she will be 13 weeks, and I must say she isn't a little puppy now. Our trainer says she about 3 or 4 years old now, which makes sense.

What Peach can do:

• lets us know she wants to go out side by jingling a bell on our back door
  
• stays in her crate for up to 4 hours during the day without accidents
• sleeps 9 - 10 hours a night with no potty break (crated of course)
• will sit on command either verbal or hand command
• runs in circles
  
• can find you playing hide and go seek if you make noise
• can climb on the couch but understands she isn't welcome there
• can sneak out of a blockade unless its a locked baby gate or closed door
• knows and distinguishes different people (cries when mommy goes upstairs, sits and waits at bottom of stairs for Brandon, jumps on hallways blockade to get to daddy when he comes home.)
• will dance for a spoon full of peanut butter

What Peach is learning to do:

• play fetch
• drop it, take it, leave it
• roll over
• stay
• catch in mid air
• walk nicely on a leash
• go to bed quietly without crying
• go potty outside 100% of the time

What Peach likes:

• playing hockey with ice cubes
• her fuzzy green froggy and tug of war rope toy
• snuggling with daddy, and mommy sometimes
• playing fetch with mommy
• biting feet
• stealing bath mats
• playing with towels
• trying to steal laundry as we try to fold it

What Peach dislikes:

• the rake and broom
• being without her people for too long
• the dark
• eating at a specific time
• being crated (initially, she seems to get over the insult after a bit)

So in conclusion, we are getting used to our growing puppy, as she turns into a smart, funny little girl.

MIA as Usual

So, I've been a bit too busy to write anything here yet again. I'm not 100% sure why I write here, except for the fact I like to look back over time and see what was going on and how much things have changed.

Last friday Brian and I unexpectedly adopted a puppy. Her name is Peach (Princess Peach Pluchino), she is 12 weeks old today and weight about 14 pounds. She is full of energy, lovey and completely not potty trained. Its been an emotional roller coaster this week, as I guess I did not heed people's warnings about how hard it is to train a puppy. She likes to pee on our new rug, poop in front of her crate and eat acorns. She is also snuggly and warm and cute which almost balances out all previously mentioned offenses. She does not sleep late which means I will not be sleeping late for a while. But hopefully a month from now I can look back and she will be potty trained, house broken and much less of a pain in my behind.

She is very very photogenic, so included are some of her photos.

If its love...favorite song of the week

"And there’s a thousand ways you can skin it
My feet have been on the floor
Flat like an idle singer
Remember winger
I digress
I confess you are the best thing in my life
But I’m afraid when I hear stories
About a husband and wife
There’s no happy endings
No Henry Lee
But you are the greatest thing about me

If it’s love
And we decide that it’s forever
No one else could do it better

If it’s love
And we’re two birds of a feather
Then the rest is just whenever

And if I’m addicted to loving you
And you’re addicted to my love too
We can be them two birds of a feather
That flock together

Love, love
Got to have something to keep us together
Love, Love
That’s enough for me

Took a loan on a house I own
Can’t be a queen bee without a bee throne
I wanna buy ya everything
Except cologne
’cause it’s poison

We can travel to Spain where the rain falls
Mainly on the plain side and sing
’cause it is we can laugh we can sing
Have ten kids and give them everything
Hold our cell phones up in the air
And just be glad we made it here alive
On a spinning ball in the middle of space
I love you from your toes to your face"

81 one days of being Mrs. Pluchino :) Life IS great!