It's been a while . . .

A lot can happen in a year. And it's been over a year since I posted on here. At first I was busy. And then so much wonderful, difficult, exciting, and complicated stuff happened that I wanted to post it but then it just stressed me out and I hid away in my apartment and did not write. But I like writing, so I am going to try to get this whole shindig started again.

I could offer up a play by play of this past year, but I think instead that I will jump back into this blog game by offering some of the lessons that I've learned in my first year as a really real occupational therapist.

1) I really don't know much. I mean, like anything. You can see all the patients with total knees or hips or shoulders you want, but none of them are quite the same as the next one, and then there will be this person with a CVA who presents in a really complicated way and BAM! Back to the textbooks. And as much as you learn in school, when it comes time to treat a REAL LIVE HUMAN, things are much less clear.

2) Older adults don't seem to have many hobbies. As an OT, I want what I do to be meaningful to my patients, but when I try to elicit that information from them they usually give me a blank stare. I know there must be a better way to figure it out. I mean, people have to spend time doing something, right? But I've yet to find that golden ticket that evokes all sorts of useful hobbies that I can incorporate into therapy for the spectacular results that our textbooks laud.

3) It's easy to get jaded. I am a practicing therapist of barely over a year, but I have found myself saying "No, that will not work." or "She will NEVER participate." and things of that nature. But I don't want to be that girl. I really admire the therapists who set high goals for the patients. The patients might fail, but they will fail if we don't try. And that is important to remember, but so easy to forget. Every person, no matter how ornery or particular they are, is worth at least trying with. And maybe, maybe they will surprise us.

4) Toileting becomes VERY normal. And that's okay. It's just weird how quickly it becomes no big deal. And it's functional!

5) Tomorrow. Because today may have been hard, and my productivity may have been bad (I try really hard! But that average . . . oh that average stays just out of reach most months.), and people may have been crabby, but tomorrow will be a new day. And maybe it will be much better. I hope so.

I have learned a lot more, but I am tired and I don't want to go all in in my first time back on the blog in over a year. Baby steps.