i awoke this morning not wanting to go to work. the weekends pass so quickly and as usual are lacking in sleep. well, as i had hoped, the day turned out to be a rewarding one. why did i dread going to work? 1) it is a holiday (tribute to the Veterans) and most of my friends had the day off and 2) sometimes work can be so exhausting (treatment planning mainly). well, as i mentioned, my perspective was quite different as i exited this evening. let me tell you about it:
1) the first pt i worked with today is such a lovely man. as he was in the toilet i glanced over his personal cork board to read over a letter his grandson sent him. it read "my grandfather is my hero because..." and it went on to list things such as he served in the navy and he kept the country safe. this choked me up a bit. how sweet it is to see such a supportive letter for this man while he is in the hospital working hard to get home. we worked on his toileting routine, grooming and bathing at sink level. i thoroughly enjoy working with this man!
2) my second patient is this older gentleman who looks about 20 years younger than he is who fell from a 6ft ladder at home landing him a brain injury. he is making HUGE gains and has come a long way. we did a test trial of getting in the shower in preparation for the real thing tomorrow. we also did a light home task where he washed some dishes. something that could ordinarily be so simple can now be a challenge when endurance and strength is compromised. he also has a wonderful supportive brigade cheering him on!
3) my third patient escaped me. she is quite high functioning and seems to disappear off the floor sometimes to get treats from the cafeteria. as a result of her disappearance i had to forgo her treatment today. however, as i stopped in to ask her if she wanted to do a real shower with me tomorrow she was quite pleasant (not the usual for her). what a treat!
4) my fourth patient is a lovely older women who is on the verge of discharge home. she is doing wonderfully and continues to surprise herself with her feats. she graduated from her wheelchair AND was given bathroom privileges today. she is always so grateful for the work i do and told me again today. i reminded her that she is doing the majority of the work. it is wonderful to see her successes!
5) my fifth patient and last of the day was what really got me! this woman has been out of her home for 7 months in various hospital settings to a sudden illness and as she was once independent in all areas of activities of daily living (dressing/bathing/grooming/toileting, etc), home management tasks and work, she is now completely dependent on most everything. after speaking with her husband who offered a desperate plea for us to do what we can to help her return to her prior level of functioning, i took it on as a challenge to work extra hard with this one patient, as she is not as high functioning as my other patients.
now as i had my reservations about going into work this morning and even questioning my passion for this profession, i was reminded immediately (as i almost knew i would be) that this is a rewarding profession that i do love and appreciate.
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