And the days roll on...

Beautiful Fall Day!

This week has been pretty emotional.  I love my time at Craig- so keep that in mind as you read the following.  This week it hit me pretty hard that all my patients are under the age of 21.  I have two patients that likely will never walk again, may not be able to communicate, may not sit up on their own and may never be able to care for themselves.  And they arent even old enough to drink a beer or rent a car.  This week, I have seen families at their lowest points.  This week, I have seen families rise to new heights as their loved ones have taken their first steps, transitioned from more restrictive assistive devices to not needing one at all.  So my day is filled with every emotion across the scale as I learn to set boundaries, empathize with my patients without patronizing them, and believing against all odds that I can make a difference in their lives.

This week, I have learned a lot about finding ways to convey the truth without disregarding the ray of hope that someone is holding on to.  I have a patient who has very extensive injury to her brain and its been tough this week to find ways to acknowledge the reality of the situation, but in such a way that is therapeutic and productive.  The carry over of these lessons to my life have obvious correlations.  And that is how I feel... every day I leave Craig and I am overwhelmed by the grandeur of people's situations.  But I also leave knowing I am making a profound difference in people's lives- patient or family members. And so begins the diabolic journey through the world of brain injury.  One that will undoubtedly make me stronger as a therapist and a person.  Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride for the next 12 weeks (hard to believe we are almost a month through this rotation)!

If you are having fun reading through the clinical diaries, my beautiful friend Jenna is also blogging about her journey once a week (I think on Wednesdays too).  Click here if you want to check out her blog too!