Defy Expectations!

it is in all of us to defy expectations, to go into the world and to be brave and to want to need, to hunger for adventures; to embrace change and chance and risk so that we may breathe and know what it is like to be free..

Its been 2.5 weeks since I started at Craig and already I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water (but in a good way).  I have three patients that I am in charge of and that has been a perfect number because there is so much to do with each patient.  For example- we typically see patients for an hour a day.  And then they have rounds, conferences, case plans, co-treatment sessions, spasticity clinic, seating and positioning clinic, and various other classes.  Then each patient has notes that need to be documented, outcome measures to be taken and interventions to be planed. Its all very good, but also exhausting!  The three patients I have right now are awesome and have taught me a lot in these past 13 days.

Today my first patient discharged home to southern Colorado.  It was sad to see him leave, but also amazing because he has made so much progress in just the time I have been with him.  Brain injury is interesting in that you are not just treating an orthopedic problem or one area of the body.  Likely you are incorporating balance, neuromuscular re-education, coordination, positioning, strength, endurance, cognition, etc. all the while the brain is trying to heal.  It is so challenging, but I love it!

This week we are getting two new patients.  It is hard to see kids so young have these types of injuries to their brains.  It is also amazing that they get to be at Craig- a model center for brain injury that allows them the ideal environment to heal.  It is just mind-blowing that someone's body can be completely fine, but if their brain has been injured, the rest of them is also injured.  I have a patient right now that has no fractures, no soft-tissue damage, but due to the injury to his brain- he is unable to move an entire side of his body, unable to formulate speech, unable to swallow consistently and is agitated 50% of the time.  It is a very interesting population to work with and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to work with them.

As the weather begins to change, patients are noticing they've spent their summer inside hospital walls.  We as a team have been trying to get families trained so they can take their loved ones outside to enjoy the crisp fall weather! I am also hoping we can do more therapy sessions outside in the coming weeks.

These patients are truly inspiring!  I have seen so much improvement in people in just a short amount of time and that is just one reason why I love working with this population.  I cannot wait to continue to share my stories here each Wednesday!