angiepants [one pocket at a time]

I’m going to be one of the therapists that needs to try everything on myself before feeling comfortable enough with it to invest time and possibly implement it on patients.

For example, for 2 weeks I haven’t felt comfortable as we practiced electric stim in our physical agents lab with partners.  Today, I spent 3 hours alone just ‘stimming’ myself in every way possible. 

Noxious level stim was more manageable because I put the parameters on and I knew when I was starting it.  NMES was still painful, but fun because I got to lift weights while my arm contracted through the machine or I walked around with a trigger switch on my heel that contracts muscles to lift your foot so you don’t trip over it while walking.  AWESOME.

I’m still worried about the language of Hertz, Interferential current, pulse duration, and all that other hogwash for our Practical Exam.  But playing with itand applying it?  I’ve hit over some kind of milestone today! 

I thought I wanted to do Pediatrics.  Now I think Neuro, Prosthetics, inpatient or homecare sounds really interesting.

Finding something I’ll like dedicating the rest of my life to plus somethingI’m really good out scares the hell outta me.

A + Jerk Test

No, not like the jerk you shouldn’t date because they don’t hold doors open for you or don’t offer their jacket when you’re cold.

I have a + in an Orthopedics test (and a handful of others) that confirms I posterior instability in my shoulder (I know I have loose tissue but this was new news to me).  It pops/clunks/moves backwards multiple times each day now.  We practiced on each other a lot in our Orthopedics Lab so that’s how it got found and why its worse and sore more than ever.

My professor confirmed by doing some crazy amount of tests all in a row then told me not to let people practice on it anymore because I basically sublux my shoulder out the back.  He also gave me ‘homework’ to work on my Rotator Cuff strength.

At first it was fun.  Now the non-stop clunking I know is destructive and unsafe has been making me sore and driving me nuts!

I don’t remember feeling this tired & drained in a really long time.

This profession is good for me

I need to keep myself healthy and strong to fully help others get healthy and strong.  Practicing PT keeps me from going downhill and focused on others instead of myself.

On drilling down the days.

5 days of proving I know everything I was taught and deserve to continue in this program

6 days until the “Running of the Santas” in Philly celebration

7 days until our staff closes two entire buildings of freshman

8 days till I travel hometown home for the first time in over six months and spend the most glorious, deserved, and overloaded time with family . (And can actually get excited that its the Holiday season)

Let’s do this.