Showing Gratitude

Everyday I am thankful for the life I live and the amazing opportunities that have been presented to me. I realize how blessed I am to have loving people around me and a good environment to grow in, to mold me into the person I am today. Normally, people show gratitude to the people closest to them, rarely is that shared with people they may not know.

   My friends, who are also my fellow classmates, Luke Haley and Nicole Allport, and I, decided to share our love and gratitude to those who we see around campus but not always fully acknowledge.  We cut out a tracing of our hands on cute designed paper and wrote inspirational quotes on them, then stapled them to popsicle sticks. As we walked around the halls we handed them to random students to brighten their day as well as give them some words of wisdom. It was the smallest gesture but it made those students happy, some looked confused as we handed the the paper hand stapled to a popsicle stick but at least it made their day somewhat exciting.
 
  It felt good to reach out to people I don't always talk to and make them smile. You never know what other people are going through, that simple smile in the hallway or the little exchange of a compliment can turn someones dark day bright. It feels good to be acknowledged by a stranger, so why not spread that love around. That is the problem with people now a days, they are so involved in their own busy lives that rarely do others reach out to new people. Working at Starbucks for a year and a half really showed me that very rarely do people share the love with others around them. I have had customers come in and buy five dollar gift cards to use on the people behind them or people that pay for the police officers in front of them. It is very interesting to see people acknowledge and reach out to complete strangers. That is fascinating to be apart of, and people really do appreciate those slight gestures. In a way, it is the " Pay it Forward" movement, having something nice happen to you and spreading that forward to another stranger. For example, the person in front of you on the bridge  pay your bridge toll, then you pay for the person behind you, then that person pays for the person behind them, so on and so forth. Point is that once that gratitude is shared it is more likely to be passed on. If everyone passed some sort of kindness, the world would be an endless cycle of gratitude. People need to stop and think about the people around them and acknowledge that everyone may need a little extra encouragement sometimes. Nothing bad can happen from spreading kindness to strangers.

Update: Several Hours Deep

   So far my internship is fantastic! I work with a few different Physical Therapists that are in the clinic, but mostly with the therapist, Matt. I enjoy learning every time I go in and it is so interesting to hear about different injuries. The people that I am working with are enjoyable and willing to teach me. Even the simplest questions I have they answer without giving me that 'are you kidding me' look.

    At the San Ramon Regional Hospital, I intern in the outpatient physical therapy wing about six hours a week. Most of the patients that come in have been coming for several weeks so they know majority of their exercises. The fairly new patients that have been coming a few weeks after their surgeries will get a deep tissue massage and an evaluation.

   As soon as the appointment begins the patient is brought over to a table and is given a heat pack to warm up the muscle; ice should never be given right before exercising and working that cite because it will constrict the blood vessels.  After a few minutes of heat, Ultrasound or Infrared Treatment will be administered to help loosen the deep muscles. Then, a massage will be given with two types of cream; one is a gel, biofreeze, and the other is a lotion, Deep Prep. The biofreeze helps with the pain and the Deep Prep cream helps loosen the muscles, it's a soft tissue massage cream. It is important that swelling is very minimal or not present anymore in order to continue on to range of motion; if there is still a significant amount of swelling then it could restrict the full range of motion. If the patient is fairly new, their range of motion will be focused on by stretching the muscles surrounding or participating in the injury. The PT holds the patient in that position for a few seconds, relaxes the patient, and then may continue another time. The patient is given exercises to do to strengthen the muscles around the injury to help the healing process. It is mostly body-weight exercises, depending on the patient, weights will be added.

    The first patient I observed was a woman who had two rotator cuff surgeries. She is back to not only strengthen her rotator cuff (shoulder), but she thinks she tore it again. Her treatment plan consists of pushing exercises with weights, strengthening her serratus anterior, infra spinatus, and supra spinatus muscles that connect, making part of the rotator cuff, she also does internal and external rotations with weights.

   The most interesting patient that came in was an elderly woman that fell on an out stretched hand and fractured her elbow. She had surgery and now has a plate and 13 screws in her elbow. She is recovering well and is in good spirits, event though she refuses to see her scar, which I told her looked cool.

    The most difficult patient was this elderly man who experiences back problems. Now, the back and the abdomen go hand and hand with each other, if the stomach muscles are weak all of the strain and pressure will be compensated on the back. This man had very weak stomach muscles. When you flex your abs your stomach should flatten, and your back will depress, if you try to speak you should be able to have a full conversation. When Matt tried to get this man to flex his stomach muscles and push his back into his fingers, which were under his back, the man used every muscle in his body to actually push his back into his fingers, pushing out with his stomach instead of flexing. His body was compensating a job that one muscle can do. After controlled crutches and holding that stomach flexion, he finally got somewhat a hang of the correct muscle activation.  It was frustrating because it's hard to tell someone how to use their muscles correctly when they have gotten comfortable doing it incorrectly for years. It takes a lot of patience for Physical Therapists to walk through the exercises with the patient. Telling them to lay on their back and they lay on their stomach is just a simple example. They just have to correct the patient and learn to have patience.

    Ever sense I have started my internship and showed my passion in the field my friends have asked me to "Physical Therapy" their injuries. It is obviously a joke but it makes me smile because they see my potential and passion for the field. I do use them as guinea pigs to palpate things I cannot on actual patients. Matt was showing me the movements and flexibility of the hip when someone moves. A woman  came in  with a strained hamstring which misaligned her pelvis, the pulling of the muscle tweaked the pelvis (iliac) causing lower back pain. He evaluated her hip movement; one thumb on an Sacroiliac joint, SI joint, in-between the Sacrum and the Ilium, and the other on the Posterior Superior Iliac Spine, PSIS, the most prominent posterior part of the hip. If the right side is being tested the left thumb will be on the SI joint and the right thumb should be on the PSIS. ( for left hip it will be switched, there is an SI joint on both sides of the sacrum) The patient is then told to lift one leg, depending on the side being tested. The finger on the SI joint should move up and the thumb on the PSIS should go down. If it does not move in that way, that side being tested on the hip, is tight or misaligned. Both sides should be tested to compare bilaterally and just to see how extensive the injury is. You can also test by putting two thumbs on both SI joints and have the patient lean the upper part of their body to the left or right, whatever is being tested, if they lean to the right, your left thumb should depress into the joint, if they lean to the left, your right thumb should be depressed into the joint. So, my friend, Ally, was complaining of lower back pain and asked me if I could "physical Therapy" it (whatever that means), so since it was her lower back and that woman came in for lower back pain, I decided to test the flexibility and alignment of her hips. I did everything Matt demonstrated on the actual patient, on my friend, and on her left side I saw her hip was a little tight, which I was guessing caused the pain. This was only an attempt and a guess, I did not diagnose my friend by any means. For all I know I could've done it wrong, but it was cool to actually be the one palpating and seeing what Matt was talking about.

   Working with uneducated patients on their own bodies is a tedious and patient job, yet it is very rewarding. Patients look up to you and honor your word, they put their trust in you that you will heal them. Watching the progress over weeks which several different patients is rewarding enough. They was one little girl that gets treatment in the Pediatrics Therapy room that came in six years ago completely limp and weak. A Pediatric physical therapist  has been working on her and now the little girl can walk, talk, chew, run, play and most importantly smile. I do not work directly with the little girl but when I see her in the clinic it brings me hope and joy. I honor the therapist that strengthened her, all that time and patience created a life for that girl. I want to make that big of a difference in someones life, seeing that progress makes me what to achieve my high potential.

    I have a long way to go on this journey and it won't be easy, but if that little girl can be strong and push through therapy then I to will push forward. It takes a lot of hard work to be successful but you won't achieve anything waiting for the future to happen, it is up to you to act.

    These are just some of the things I have been apart of and experienced. Each time I go in there is a new situation and a new lesson to learn, if I continued on this may become a book instead of a blog.

Reading Not for the Grade

      Middle school and High school English classes revolve around required reading.  Having "x" amount of pages read by "this" date,  it makes it very difficult to read for enjoyment. When I read at my leisure I feel like I have to pay close attention as if I were to be handed a pop quiz at any moment. Also, most of the time the book that is required is boring, they never appeal to me, (besides the classics, those are somewhat enjoyable) making it hard to pay attention.

     Finally, a teacher gets it, Ms. Gagnon, my inspiring iQuest teacher. During one of our in class life lessons she mentions that we, students, should be well read. She doesn't throw a book at us and tells us to have chapters one through seven read by next class. She actually let us individually choose a book that appealed to us which makes reading way better.

     Since I am a Grey's Anatomy fanatic, I figured I should choose a book about trauma and medical things, which is exactly what I did. I went down to Barnes & Nobel went straight to the one case of medical books they had and went to town reading the backs. I found one book, Lights & Sirens by Kevin Grange, that appealed to me. The book is about the life and education of a Paramedic (exactly what I was looking for). I have only read the first few sections but it is fascinating. I know being an EMT is tough but hearing the beginning on all the stuff one has to train for is intense. The goal of this book is to really convey the journey of a Paramedic. So far I am very impressed with the book. It is written in very descriptive detail and thoroughly covers every experience. The personal evaluations and perspective really drives home how realistic the situation is. I hope to read about 3 chapters or sections a week.  I want to take my time and enjoy the book instead of rushing though it and missing the whole purpose of it. It maybe hard not to read it in one sitting because it is so interesting.

Go to Person

On the campus of California High School I try to create strong relationships with teachers, so in the future if I need a letter of rec. or just someone to talk to, that is not a friend or family member, I have one. It is all a matter of having respect and wanting to be respected. Going to class and not participating or just causing a ruckus is pointless. As students, we are at school seven hours a day, five days a week, for about nine months. Making a bad name for yourself on campus doesn't help you in any way. No one wants to be at school, so might as well make the most of it and have some teachers like you. It sounds like a totally lame thing to say but in the real life, out of this little bubble, life is all about connections. You will meet hundreds of people that have a higher position than you and you may need to build some bridges just so you're on their good side. The teachers that I reach out to are the ones that see potential in me and show consideration for their students. 

    

    Elizabeth. Myers, the sports medicine teacher and the athletic trainer on campus, is my mentor,  I respect her as a teacher and she respects me as a student. The position that she holds as an athletic trainer is what I want to be when I'm older. Because we have a similar interest in anatomy and sports medicine, it is easy to talk to her about the things I am going to learn in my internship. She already knows a majority what I am so eager to learn. When I share experiences, since she knows what I'm talking about it will be easier. Her advice will be taken more seriously and hopefully she has some experiences she can share with me. 

 

   I've known Ms. Myers for about a year and a half after she took over the sports medics class. I was in her class last year and this year in advanced sports medicine. We get along pretty well and I value her advice in any situation. In her class, I try to go the extra mile to really understand the material and participate as much as I can. After school I volunteer my time on the sidelines at sports games to experience the actual job of an athletic trainer. Luckily for me I enjoy sports so it isn't that painful. In the iQuest class when we were assigned to find a mentor on campus, Ms. Myers was the first person that came to my mind. I thought to myself, why not have an actual athletic trainer talk to me about the path I want to go down as a physical therapist and athletic trainer. When I talked to her about it she was kind of confused but once I explained it to her she understood and was more than welcome to help. Hopefully over the course of this year having her as a mentor will give me more insight on the career of an athletic trainer. I get the best of both worlds; physical therapy internship with an athletic trainer mentor and sports med class with hours on the side lines. I hope our relationship grows so I can use her as a reference when I interview for my first real job. Even as a high school student it is never a bad idea to create relationships with your teacher, you never know when you are going to need a helping hand in the future.

My Mission

Everyone wants to be successful, each persons perception of success is different but everyone wants to achieve it.  Some may find it in making lots of money, some may find it in traveling, some may find it in changing the world in a major, drastic way. For me and my career in physical therapy and athletic training, I want to be so good in my field that I have patients and athletes personally asking for me. I want to be so helpful that if someone needs help they immediately think of my name. Being an inspiration to children, teenagers, and adults is very important to me in becoming successful. There are thousands of physical therapist but I want to stand out from the crowd, in a a good way. Since I was a little girl I knew I wanted to be different and be remembered.

Lots To Do, and Little Time To Do It

    I like to think of my time in high school as a juggling act; sports, work, homework, friends, family, gym, and any other activity you can squeeze in. As I juggle all these things its easy to find your breaking point. Just how much food can you fit on your plate before you spill it all; thats what I like to compare it to. So far I like to think I'm pretty good at managing my time. I do my homework the day it's assigned, even though we have two days to do it (shout out to block schedule). When I come home, as much as I want to, I try not to fall asleep or watch Tv (Grey's Anatomy gets me every time, but how can I say no to McDreamy). When I know I have homework or an assignment it is very hard for me to ignore it. I can relax once I complete my task, it's something weird about me but it helps me turn things in on time. After it is done it feels as if a weight is lifted off my shoulders. Being able to just hang out with out having to worry about a forgotten assignment it the best, or not having to rush around to get home in time to finish what was left incomplete. Work hard now and it'll pay off later. Even in such a minor, temporary scenario, that is what I live by. Hopefully I don't lose this trait in the mist of senioritis and it stays with me to college. Even though my strategy of just pushing though it gets me though most of the time I still need improvement. This year I hope to be able to balance more tasks at a time. For example, once i start something I need to finish it in one sitting and I can only focus on one thing at a time. I need to be able to work on homework then be able to finish my college essay that I started a few weeks back. Back to me finishing things in one sitting, college essays have been the one exception. I am very hopeful as I continue to grow in my life I will manage my time more appropriately. Maybe make more time for my mother and father, instead of going on social media finish the book I started a month ago, even stay an extra half hour at the gym if I have time . Life is too valuable to just waste, like I said work hard now and it'll pay off later. For right now I just hope to achieve working on SAT and college applications a little each day, finish homework, go to work or internship, and take a little time for me, whether it's with my family and friends or just kicking back.

Five people and Five Things

To achieve your dreams it takes more than just pushing yourself; you need people around you for support and to talk about your progress with. Five people that help me achieve my dreams and goals are:

• My Mom-My Mom is the person I see the most outside of school. No matter what I do she always supports me and gives me positive feed back. She's the person that I strive to never let down, I always want her to be proud of me. She has a major impact on my choices and future decisions. 
• My Dad- My  Dad always pushes me to try my hardest and keep my head straight. He wants to see me succeed in life and be someone of importance. With him always down my throat, pushing me to stay focused, it helps me achieve my long term goals.
• Nicole Allport- Nicole is one of my really close friends, out of group of friends she is the person I trust most with advice for future situations. She always seems educated on a broad range of topics and always knows what to say. She just makes me feel good about myself whenever I'm near her. I value her opinion deeply just because shes such a respectable person and well educated.
• Ms. E- As a teacher at Cal High that I've had since I was a sophomore year, Ms. E is someone I can always ask questions to. She sees the best in me and even though she's only a teacher I can tell she wants me to succeed. She always turns bad situations into good and I feel like she understands what it's like to be a student in the 21st century.
• Dave Gold- My old soccer coach is someone I look up to, he is such an admirable man that just he makes me want to succeed in life. He always saw the potential and drive I had in anything that I was doing. Even though I do not play soccer anymore he is the kind of person I could call up and talk about anything with.  

Normally, I do not struggle with procrastination that much, but this year I can feel senioritis coming on, which I need to put a stop to. Major things I have been procrastinating on are:

• Study for my upcoming SAT- My goal is to get into Cal Poly SLO and in order to do that I need to raise my SAT score, which I can't do without studying.
• Finish my University of Oregon application- The only college essay I have to do and I'm barely finishing that.
• Dishes- Speaking of which I need to do now.
• Typing my AP gov project- I have everything written out I'm just having a hard time making the finishing touches.
• Starting a High School Scrapbook- Just something recreational I want to start but can't find the time.