Hey world,

Wow, let me be the first to say that upkeeping a blog with hot and fresh content out the oven is difficult with a full-course load of physical therapy goodness, but…I haven’t forgotten about this site.

The other blogs I follow have decreased their postings too, so it must be that time of the year.

As Finals are fast approaching, I am in a relative calm, maybe because I’ve been through 3 waves of finals now, so I know what to expect and how to tackle the process of studying.  As true for any success, one needs a plan, so I’ve planned out my study schedule, assigning each day a certain subject to study.  Fortunately, some final exams are next week, so my UF-official finals exam week (Dec. 12-18th) will be relatively light.

One interesting thing to note is use the of technology to keep up with all my class notes.  My grand plan was to keep all my class notes electronically, both on Google Docs (for easy access and maintenance of documents between my iMac at home and my super portable netbook) and on my iMac’s hard drive.  The rationale was that unlike paper class notes, keeping them electronically are easier to access, organize, and keep forever.  If you’re a PT student yourself, you know that an immense amount of paper is used.  Unless you’re the super organized type, requiring tabs, dividers, and lots of bookshelf space, most of these documents fall into obscurity.  On my computer, only simple clicks and keystrokes are needed to organize all my stuff into folders.

So, long story short, for long-term storage and easy accessibility, computer use is the best for all my class notes, but studying off the computer to read my class notes is another story.  I’ve discussed this with several of my classmates and similar remarks were these:  ”I can’t study off a screen”; “I need to have the notes on paper”; “I need to write things down”.  Essentially, these remarks are indicative of tactile learners, which I learn that I too am a tactile learner.

These seem all redundant in that with notes on my computer, I take further notes on paper but that isn’t the case.  As I study, when I write my notes down into a notebook, I view my notes as disposable at a later date.  I only need the process of writing my thoughts down to help me understand the concepts.  I’m sure you’re only one google or pubmed search away to find empirical proof from studies that the use of the tactile sense, accompanying visual and auditory senses, together all augment learning and memory retention.

(Let me know how you study or how you organize all your notes in the comments box below.  I’m curious to know how other PT students incorporate technology with their learning experience.)

Anyways…awesome to realize that I’m just another step closer to my first clinical rotation, another important component in my training to become the Doctor of Physical Therapy I aspire to be.  Now with that said, in the words of the famous Big Black, I’m off to “DO WORK!”

Happy studying everyone.

Vineri,27.nov,Piticu a fost prezent la emisiunea Dansez Pentru Tine,unde a facut demonstratie de hip-hop alaturi de Petrisor Ruje,Mini Me si Adi Muresan.

Hip Hop – Cristi Lucache, Petrisor Ruje, Piticu si Adi Muresan

I’ve been asked on several occasions what a typical day is as a DPT student at Regis.  I respond, “Usually, we start class between 8 and 10 AM (depending on the day); we’ll get a lunch break from noon ‘till 1, then classes/labs until 3 or 5 PM (again, depending on the day).  Keep in mind, of course, that doesn’t include any studying time.  Well, last Thursday constituted the LONGEST SCHOOL DAY OF MY LIFE.  It went as follows:

                7:00 AM:  I’m already on campus trying to finish finding research articles for a small group tutorial discussion starting in an hour.

I see this sunrise every morning as I'm getting ready to go to school. Unfortunately, since the days are getting shorter, we're sometimes still in class or studying when the sun is setting over the mountains.

                8:00 AM – 10:45 AM:  Lots of blurry moments of discussing a “patient scenario” who had a stroke at a picnic and we’re going through the process of treating him.  Someone brought donuts.  That definitely helped.

                11:15 AM:  A group of us got Little Caesar’s Pizza since we had to make up a lab (from a snow day) in 15 minutes and we didn’t want to worry about heating up food on campus.

                11:30 AM – 4 PM:  Musculoskeletal Management II Lab . . . aka I’m getting joints I didn’t know about poked, prodded, and mobilized again and again and again.  I can bend over a lot further now.

                4 PM – 6:30 PM:  Diagnostic Imaging Lab, this one involving electrical currents to nerves.  Probably not the best lab to have when everyone is on their last wind; welcome to PT school. . . that’s where we thrive. 

Actually, who knows where this lab came from (meaning, why at the end of such a long day?), but I suppose it had to be fit in somewhere. . . . so why not now?

                7 PM:  Finally home (I wasn’t sure how I got there), ate dinner, helped bathe Spencer and get him ready for bed, and get ready for the next day.  Oh yeah, I’d better study a little.

There you have it.  That was a Thursday.  It was tough, and it just got even more exciting with a test the following Monday, a quiz on Tuesday, a skills check on Wednesday, and a journal due on Friday.  Thankfully another paper that was due on Friday as well was postponed until the following Monday. What helped, though, was a bunch of us on the Monday of the exam decided to celebrate the 120^th Anniversary of Montana joining the Union by wearing flannel to school, since, come on, there are 5 or 6 classmates from that beautiful state.  You’ve just got to show support sometimes.  It helped break up the monotony, to say the least, and it made for a great photo and memory.  Why Montana and flannel?  Who knows.

Who doesn't celebrate the 120th Anniversary of Montana joining the Union? What a fun bunch of future Physical Therapists.

Here's a picture of some classmates during the Halloween costume contest. Just imagine 30 of us like that.

Actually you don't have to imagine...here we are!

This semester we’ve really dived into the “PT Management” courses. . . . which means lots and lots of labs. Some, of course, are more interesting than others. For example, this photo gives you an idea of one of the more exciting times of a neuro-management lab this past week. Here, a classmate was put into a harness and hung over a treadmill to practice “body weight support treadmill training.” And there’s even research to validate the effectiveness of it!

Nothing is as fun as experimenting with classmates on the different interventions and equipment we learn about in class.

Although I couldn’t locate a picture yet for this blog, just try and imagine a large group of students all dressed up as mimes. That was our class theme for a school costume contest on Friday, October 30th. The majority of our class participated, and it was a lot of fun. We even got 3rd place at the group contest, losing, unfortunately, to the DPT class of 2012 as a “Where’s Waldo?” theme and another group dressed as cereal box themes.

Halloween was lots of fun with Spencer tromping around the neighborhood in the lion costume that his grandma had made. That’s right, nothing store bought. And he caught on very fast to the concept of Halloween: run to the door; pound on the door; receive candy. Next house. From the photo, you can even see that Daisy dressed up as a bumble bee to take part in the spirit of the season.

We all pose after coming home from a night out getting sugar. To Daisy's delight, she even got a bone from one of the houses we knocked on.

Spencer had quite the growl to go with his costume.

Keponakan bayi saya rewel dan menangis terus sejak kemarin siang. Ia memang baru divaksinasi DPT dan kata dokter sepuh langganannya, efek meriang dan panas badan di atas 38 derajat Celcius plus sedikit diare adalah normal dan akan pulih dalam beberapa hari. Tak bisa tidur kecuali dibopong, Kiky, begitu panggilan keponakan saya, terus terusan muntah dan gumoh dari mulut dan hidung. Susu berikut makanan bayi yang dikonsumsinya berhamburan keluar dan ia kelihatan lemas, kuyu dan matanya kering tak bersinar. Ibu, adik saya dan saya sama sama cemas dan prihatin. Dalam tempo kurang dari 24 jam, Kiky telah ke dokter yang sama dua kali. Mungkin masalahnya tak akan terlalu rumit kalau saja adik saya itu tak harus menghadiri sidang perceraiannya besok dengan ayah Kiky. Ibu saya pun ruwet karena besok malam seharusnya beliau berangkat ke Jogja untuk menghadiri pernikahan anak adik ibunya. Jadi, itu pernikahan keponakan ibu saya dan itu adalah hajat terakhir karena yang dinikahkan adalah si bungsu. Sambil menggendong sang keponakan dan meninabobokannya, saya membayangkan diri saya adalah Kiky yang hanya bisa menjerit jerit merasakan meriang dan tak bisa berkomentar banyak saat orang orang seisi rumahnya cakar cakaran dan saling menyalahkan atas kondisinya! Cakar cakaran? Apa itu tak terlalu dilebih-lebihkan?

Rasanya kok sama sekali gak.Kami semua bingung dan cenderung merasa pendapat setiap kepala paling benar. Ibu menyalahkan adik saya yang blekak blekuk mengurus bayi dan adik saya menyalahkan Madam Diyah yang katanya kurang lama menggendong Kiky dan seterusnya.

Menghadapi bayi yang sakit seperti ini, saya paham ibu Kiky benar benar tak tahu harus berbuat apa. Toh, ke dokter udah, diminumin obat juga udah. Tapi ya, panas badan gak juga turun. Ini memang anak pertamanya yang rasanya bakal jadi anak semata wayang.

Kenapa begitu? Karena ia telah mengajukan cerai dari suami cekereme, ayah Kiky, yang sebetulnya dari awal hubungan mereka, sama sekali tak didukung oleh ibu dan almarhum ayah saya. Perkawinan adik saya tersebut sebenarnya cuma keterpaksaan belaka. Saya tak pernah habis pikir mengapa adik saya seceroboh itu memilih suami. Apa dan kenapanya saya pikir sudahlah tak perlu lagi dikemukakan karena cuma akan menambahkan arang ke dalam api yang tengah menyala.

So, yang pasti, inilah hidup, batin saya. Artinya, baik buruk, senang susah semua berjalan beriringan tanpa pernah saling menunggu atau mau tahu. Yang sakit ya silakan sakit, yang kondangan ya pergi kondangan.

Kalau di jalan, barangkali, hal tersebut bisa dibaca sebagai yang pake motor ya naik motor, yang naik mobil ya silakan saja dan tentu saja, yang berdesak desakan di bis ya silakan bergelantungan seperti monyet!

Apa itu kejam? Kayanya sih begitu, apalagi kalau dilihat dengan mata hati penuh empati plus simpati. Apa yang naik motor itu pernah kasihan sama orang yang lagi nunggu bis? Rasanya kok gak. Apa yang pada naik mobil kepikiran mau mengajak satu dua orang nebeng? Kayaknya cuma segelintir aja deh yang begitu. Apa orang yang duduk di bis mau sukarela memberikan kursinya pada penumpang yang datang belakangan? Berani iris kuping kambing, kok kelihatannya gak juga. Kecuali kalo yang naik belakangan adalah ibu hamil, nenek nenek atau kakek kakek.

Jadi? saya sih gak menyalahkan semua fenomena tersebut. Saya lapang dada saja Kiky meriang, saya ikhlas saja meski ibu saya besok sore jadi ke Jogja.

Saya juga menerima saja bergelantungan bagai monyet di bis, saya pasrah juga saat diminta buru buru turun dari bis oleh kondektur dan ketika menjejakkan tanah, satu dua motor dengan tak punya hati malah melipir melipir mengklakson saya sekeras kerasnya agar minggir. Lha gimana mau minggir wong baru aja mak jeegg… di bumi!

Saya juga tak bisa protes saat mendapati sekujur tubuh saya basah sebasah basahnya, kuyup sekuyup kuyupnya akibat terkena muncratan air yang disibakkan oleh mobil mobil yang nekad melaju seperti di tol saat melewati genangan air sisa hujan.

Lantas bagaimana agar saya atau kita bisa melewati beragam sandungan hidup sehari hari atau hal hal yang tak mengenakkan seperti di atas? Mungkin caranya adalah dengan memberikan kesempatan kepada orang lain untuk mengklaim dirinya benar.

Kiky rewel sehabis divaksinasi dan itu benar. Gak perlu ia dimarahi. Ibu saya mesti pergi kondangan dan meninggalkan cucunya sakit, itu juga benar. Tak perlu saya memprotesnya. Adik saya yang sekarang sedang mengurus perceraiannya juga benar dan saya tak perlu berkomentar apapun selama ia tidak membutuhkan masukan dari saya.

Lantas, motor yang nekad mak brubuut di depan saya, yang kebetulan juga baru saja menjejakkan tanah seturun saya dari bis, itu pun benar. Tak perlu saya berteriak, apalagi mengumpat. Pengemudi mobil yang tak punya tenggang rasa terhadap pejalan kaki, dan seenaknya saja melajukan kendaraannya menerobos genangan air secepat ia menderu di jalan tol juga benar dan mereka yang menonton monyet monyet bergelantungan di bis, harusnya juga dianggap benar. Sudahlah, biarkan setiap orang mengklaim dirinya benar.

Saya terkesan pasrah bongkokan dan menerima keadaan? Kesan awalnya barangkali begitu. Tapi kalau dipikir pikir lebih jauh, menganggap orang lain benar dengan apapun pilihan mereka sebenarnya membuat saya atau kita tak perlu menghabiskan sekian banyak energi mental untuk mencoba memperbaiki keadaan.

Menganggap orang lain salah hanya akan membuat mereka jadi defensif dan menjadikan kita merasa tertekan karena harus berada dalam posisi bertahan.

Daripada menghabiskan banyak waktu untuk menunjukkan sayalah yang paling benar, kitalah yang paling tahu diri dan orang lain salah, apa tidak lebih baik kita menunjuk batang hidung sendiri dan mencari apa kesalahan saya, apa kekurangan kita dan terus memperbaiki diri.

Gampangnya, mengungkit batu besar agar bergulir pasti lebih sulit daripada membiarkan batu itu tetap pada tempatnya.

Kenapa begitu? Ya karena pada dasarnya semua orang tak suka dikoreksi. Saya dan setiap orang pasti ingin pendapat kita diterima, seberapapun tak masuk akal dan naifnya pendapat tersebut di mata orang. Lihat saja di sekeliling, pasti ada satu dua orang yang suka nyacatin teman. Dan biasanya mereka ini cenderung dihindari dan ditinggalkan.

Cuma, dari yang saya baca, membiarkan orang lain merasa benar bukan berarti saya atau kita tidak boleh menjadi orang yang sungguh benar.  Justru katanya, kita harus jadi orang yang lurus dalam arti punya integritas. Maksudnya, kapan pun, di manapun dan dengan siapa pun saya berusaha melakukan segala sesuatu dengan benar. Gak ada lirik sana lirik sini, konspirasi sana, konspirasi sini.

Kedengaran seperti utopia? Barangkali begitu. Ini seperti berjalan jalan di antara pasir pasir pantai tanpa mau membuat kaki jadi kotor!

So, ujungnya, tak ada lagi yang bisa saya lakukan selain menerima apapun anggapan orang yang membaca tulisan ini. Kalau saya dianggap gila, ya itu benar. Kalau saya dianggap waras ya itu juga benar. Tapi, menurut pandangan saya sendiri,  rasanya kok saya benar benar sehat dan waras!

Saya membiarkan setiap orang menilai saya sesuka mereka. Seperti Jaka Sembung yang tak pernah marah sekalipun semua orang sering mengatakan ia naik ojek. Biar aja dikira naik ojek, wong bisa aja taunya dia naik sedan Toyota Majesta seharga 1.8 miliar yang kabarnya juga bakal jadi tunggangan  menteri menteri di kabinet baru! Itu benar dan itu juga barangkali tidak benar…Who knows?

Maafkan saya, saya menyesal, saya mengasihimu terima kasih.

Peace beyond all understanding.

Well, we’re back into the classroom, and that includes long hours of lectures, labs, article reading, and all the planning involved with when this assignment is due or when that quiz will be held. I’ll spare you the details, but for those interested, year 2 (which we’ve just started) involves A LOT more article reading than year 1. And I’m not referring to articles from mainstream magazines; these are all from academic sources, which mean some are more interesting than others. The positive thing is that I’m starting to actually understand these articles. But that’s a whole different topic there.

In the midst of the above battles, our program is unique in that we have EVERY (all caps for emphasis) Wednesday morning off. Other programs may have a different schedule, but I love having that morning to catch up on homework, study, and if I’m being truly honest, put homework aside for a bit and do other stuff.

The following pictures, which were taken last Wednesday and this Wednesday, show a few things that I find myself doing on those mornings off. The pictures also demonstrate the crazy weather patterns of Denver that I’m becoming familiar to.

A great Wednesday morning for a hike in the mountains to see the leaves change colors.

A week later from photo 1, really foggy outside, Spencer all bundled up to go in his jogging stroller for a morning run.

First snow fall of the season.

As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, Service Learning is a big component of our program. Each semester, we’re given different opportunities to go into the community and provide at least 10 hours of service, usually health-related. Here are some pictures of our project. About 12 of us went to a local high school and created a health fair for students to participate in during “report card night.” Students would go around to the stations and learn about different aspects of their health. Our booth, for example, focused on “Health Literacy,” specifically blood pressure, vision, and heart rate. Go Service Learning.

My group's platform poster about "Health Literacy."

The members of my class who were at the fair, posing for a photo at the end of the night.

4 Reasons Daisy Loves Denver, CO

4. Denver has great trails to bike on, most (if not all) dog friendly. This latest picture is of the “Green Belt” that leads west towards Golden (west-side of Denver) to a farmer’s market, river, and park.

A quick stop at the Farmer's Market while riding on the "Green Belt."

3. People don’t care that Daisy goes swimming in the river. . . As a matter of fact, there were a lot of dogs out swimming with her.

Although the water was cold, it felt great on our feet. Daisy had been swimming and reluctantly came back to the shore for a picture.

2. At Regis’ Fun Run (put on by the PT department) last weekend, many dogs ran with their owners. On a side note, Daisy was the first dog to cross the finish line. Although she received no official recognition, her owner demanded they give her some sort of prize. So, she received a $1 gift certificate to Wendy’s.

1. Being the last day our pool was open in our apartment complex, the management invited all dogs in the complex to go swimming in the pool. They even brought doggie ice cream snacks & chew toys for the dogs. What a great day.

Daisy loved swimming in our complex pool; this was one of many superman-like jumps.

As you can see, the last 3 weeks has been spent outdoors as much as possible, and it has been very nice weather for it. Although I have had to study here and there in the evenings during this first clinical rotation, the break from hardcore schoolwork has been very nice. It has been a great experience being out on clinicals and applying what I’ve learned so far . . . and realizing how much I don’t know. Luckily, we still have about 2 years to go.

I’m looking forward to getting back with my classmates and getting on with the coursework. Here we go on another rollercoaster ride. I think this time around, however, the majority of us are actually buckled in, or so we think.

Since writing my last post, my classmates and I have been at our clinical rotations; my schedule is Monday through Friday, 7 ‘till 4, just like a full-time job, except this is the kind of job where you don’t get paid. . . Now that I think about it, I got to pay tuition to be doing this, but I’m having a great time. I’ve been my Clinical Instructor’s shadow the last 3 weeks, and I still have 3 weeks to go. Although I’m in a hospital on the acute floor, there are classmates in outpatient clinics, pediatrics, rural; a little bit of everything.

Some of the highlights so far at my site are as follows:

1. I got to observe an open brain surgery. Now when I say observe, I was literally breathing down the neck of the neurosurgeon taking out the tumor. I also got to talk with the patient and the speech therapist as it was going on.
2. I spent a morning in the NICU (the premature baby unit) and saw a whole different side of therapy. It was a really neat experience.
3. I’ve started doing evaluations with new patients and am beginning to participate more and more with the intervention part. The stuff we’ve learned in school so far is starting to make more sense. Who would’ve known. . . I really am going to school to be a Physical Therapist. Go figure.

Needless to say, it has been a great experience so far, and it’s only halfway over. Then, back to schoolwork and classrooms. . .

On a lighter and non-PT related note, Ashley and I finally finished our latest project at home: Spencer’s playhouse upgrade. When we moved to Denver last year, we had to get a new dryer and I cut out holes in the cardboard box and Ashley decorated it for Spencer. As he’s gotten older and stronger, the box just couldn’t withstand the beating it received. So, we got some plywood, screws, wallpaper, and as you can see, we didn’t do too bad. Spencer loves it, and that’s the most important part. He usually gets served his breakfast in there, and at night, he hides in there and says he wants to sleep in his little cabin. He’s getting big. I sometimes can’t believe we’ve been out here a year now. Two years left of school.

Last picture of Spencer's old cardboard hut.

Posing before the "new and improved" cabin is put together.

The beautiful cabin, complete witha door and window drapes. Now he just needs a doorbell.

Last days of our Break

As the 24th of August approached, we tried to do as much as we could before another hectic semester began. Here are a few pictures showing how we spent our time.

Fun at the bowling lanes.

Nature hike. . . . more evidence to that crazy storm.

Feeding the birds at the zoo.

From Sunday afternoon (the 23rd) until about 10:30 PM, I got emails, a few texts (thank you Rob), and some phone calls from classmates wishing me luck on our first clinical experience. It’s really amazing that I’ve only known my class for 1 year yet we’ve grown very close. Here’s a picture of most of us on a Saturday morning as we’re about to go painting for the day as a class service project. For those who are wondering, this service was in ADDITION to our regular 10 hours of service every semester. Our class advisor “encouraged” us to follow the tradition of each class by doing our own service project. On a side note, this picture was taken 3 days before a big test, yet we’re all smiling. Isn’t our class really incredible?

Our class, bright and early, before the service project.

Class members talking at a barbeque (yes, we do have a life outside of school).

While I’m talking about my class, although I don’t have much experience with other graduate program classes from former lives, I have been very satisfied with how close we have become. Sure, sure, I’m closer to some than others, but as a whole, we’re pretty close knit. Here’s a picture, for example, of some classmates at a barbeque (sorry . . . I admit there’s no proof that there was actually a barbeque . . .just take my word for it) that was held by some classmates for our class. On the weekends, a lot of classmates go downtown and get together. A lot of us have become pretty good friends.

Back to the first week of clinical: in a nutshell, it went well. I was on my feet all day, which was a lot different than being in a classroom all day. From the classmates with whom I’ve talked to, others are enjoying their experience as well. I’m at the University of CO Hospital, a great place with a great Physical Therapist who I am with ALL the time. I’m pretty much her shadow, and in the technical world, she’s called my “clinical instructor.” From people with heart transplants to people post-surgery, I’ve seen a little bit of everything (it seems). It’s great getting a break of coursework stuff. And the world of Cody continues to spin.

Here's where I work. . . up on the 6th, 7th, and 8th floors.

There’s a reason why a tough guy like “Buffalo” Bill lived and was buried here in Denver, CO . . . . only people like him didn’t mind the crazy weather patterns. Allow me to share what I mean with these photos of shattered dreams. The first picture, Exhibit A, is taken sometime in June when my sunflowers began to grow. Such fond memories.

Exhibit A: Our sunflowers starting to grow

Exhibit B shows the magnificent plants flourishing in the beautiful sun of Denver. We had been nourishing them, watering them, singing to them, and all, as you shall see, for naught.

Exhibit B: The sunflowers almost as tall as me!

Just a few weeks ago, a storm out of nowhere hit town. Some weathermen said it brought a Class 2 Hurricane. I can’t confirm or deny that; all I know is that at approximately 9:42 PM, with all power out, hail, wind, and rain came down and destroyed my SUNFLOWERS and the flowers around it. Due to the graphic scene of demolished sunflowers, Regis chose not to show the picture. Luckily for me, no windows were broken. Other people were not as fortunate. Trees were uprooted; windows were broken; paint was chipped off. It was pretty crazy.

But, enough of that talk. It’s bringing up buried emotions. Once finals were over, I, like many classmates, headed back home to recuperate before our first clinical experience, which will start on the 24th of this month. We had fun working in our parents’ yards, 4-wheeling, picking raspberries, and just hanging out (as much as possible when a 2 year old is involved).

Having fun on the 4-wheeler

Riding the barrel train at a local fair. . . I love being squished.

It has been really nice to have a break, even more so because between Spring and Summer semester, there was just 1 week of no classes. It was hard to come back and be in a classroom during the summer, but, surprisingly, Service Learning made it a little more bearable. As part of the DPT program here, we give 10 hours of service each semester, which is unique to Regis. This summer has been especially memorable because many of us helped out with the Denver Parks & Recreation, which coordinate activities with physically and mentally handicapped individuals. Classmates helped with water-skiing, karate, biking, softball, and tennis. A lot of us helped out with a Saturday activity full of games, arts and crafts. I was part of the canoeing group. For that activity, I’d be the engine at the back of the canoe and an individual would sit in the front as we’d paddle around Sloan’s Lake. It was a blast.

4 of us at a community dance ("Summer Luau") we helped set up for community members with special needs

Getting ready to go canoeing!!

Spencer and me and Daisy on the canoe.

It’s a little overwhelming to think we’ll be in our first clinical experience in less than 2 weeks. But, it definitely will beat tests, textbooks, and lectures. We’ll see if I’ll be singing a different tune at the end of the 6 week experience.

Our first of two summer semesters have been good for some and better for others. This last month has been full of the usual projects, assignments, tests, and skills checks. For example, Semester 3 (this semester) is when we begin “tutorials,” which involve being put into a random group of 6-7 students with a faculty facilitator and we meet every Friday morning and discuss a case scenario. At the end of each session, we create objectives to research for the next week. You get the idea. Needless to say, we have all become very intimate with internet “search engines” to find current research articles to bring to these sessions. We’re going to be “Evidence Based Practitioners” whether we like it or not!

A few weeks ago, each group presented a 10 minute presentation on a specific aspect of APTA-related material. Our group shared about the different sections and specialties in the field of PT. All groups were creative (which, in fact, is part of the grading scale . . . they call it “Establishing Set”) in one way or another, from cheerleading with “spirit fingers” to marching in the room with a flute player. Checking out our snap-shot, can you guess what section each of us represented? It was lots of fun.

Our Group poses after our presentation, each of us representing an APTA section

This semester has been full of LABS, LABS, LABS. Don’t get me wrong, I love not being in the classroom all day and actually applying more and more information to a person. We just had our practical exam yesterday in Musculoskeletal Management I, which focused JUST on the ankle and knee. We all had a patient case, a patient (affiliate faculty volunteer), and we were asked plenty of questions about what we’d do, why we’d do it, when we’d do it, how long we’d do it, our SSN, things of that nature. If I was ever in an interrogation camp, I think I’d be able to handle the questioning. I just hope there isn’t a grade attached to it. Then I’d be nervous.

Another major lab was from Kinesiology II. It entailed pretty much a little bit of everything. From the picture, I tried to get a little bit of our whole class: this day, we learned and then taught the correct patterns for tennis serves, pitching, and a golf swing. Not your typical Physical Therapy, but this class is focused all on movement and movement patterns. Don’t even ask me to analyze your walking gait!

Class members teach how to throw a ball and swing a golf club. To the far left (out of the picture), others are performing a tennis swing.

It’s crazy to think our first year is almost over. It’s even crazier to think we’ll be in a real clinic in a few weeks, actually applying what we’ve learned. No more using your classmate as a patient; no more pretending you’re a patient with pain in your right calf that your friend is “trying” to treat. I think we’re all excited, nervous, and at this exact moment, I realize that I need to pass my tests before I can even think about entering a hospital door. Wish me luck.

A excellent video with substantive science for personal education and to use as a resource with your anti-vaccination friends:

Your Thoughts?

Cuma mau dokumentasiin, pas di usianya yang ketujuh bulan, Raja diimunisasi HiB 2 + DPT 3 + Polio 3. Sepulang kantor, nyampe rumah saya segera memerah ASI sambil nemenin Raja yang sudah mandi makan buah sore. Sehabis memerha ASI, saya cepet-cepet mandi. Maklum, rumah sekarang lumayan jauh dari klinik, jadi persiapannya pun musti cepat-cepat supaya jangan telat dan akhirnya dapat urutan belakangan.

Persiapan udah cepet-cepet, eh, gak taunya jalanan macet. Alhasil, jam setengah enam baru kami tiba di klinik. Syukur, dapat urutannya nomer 6 dan sudah ada 2 pasien yang dilayani dokter, jadi lumayan nunggunya gak begitu lama.

Seperti biasanya, Raja jadi idola di ruang tunggu. Tapi kali ini lebih heboh, karena ada ibu-ibu yang heboh banget ngeliat Raja. Terpesona gitu…trus langsung berseru-seru, “ya ampun..matanya…cakep banget…!!!” Gak cukup dengan berseru, ibu itu langsung menghampiri kami dan minta menggendong Raja. Syukur, Raja ini anak pintar. Begitu diminta, langsung kepalanya disembunyiin di bawah ketiak saya…wuakakak…rupanya takut juga baby boy saya ini sama orang asing yang heboh sendiri di depannya. Saya pun seneng, karena gak perlu bikin alasan macam-macam untuk menolak ibu itu. Ya iyalah, masak anak mau digendong sama sembarang orang. Apalagi nih, ibu itu kayaknya pasien untuk dokter kulit. Nah, kalo ternyata dia punya penyakit kulit yang menular gimana? Memang sih tampangnya bersih, gayanya juga mentereng, tapi tetep kan harus hati-hati juga…

Kayak biasanya juga, Raja gak mau diam. Tapi kali ini lebih parah. Maunya berdiri sambil loncat-loncat terus. Mimi sambil maen-maen. Dibecandain dikit langsung ketawa heboh. Gak heran deh, kalo jadi pusat perhatian di situ…he he…

Masuk ke ruang praktek, seperti biasa, ditanya dulu udah bisa apa aja. Habis itu dokter becanda dulu sama Raja yang sudah saya tidurin di meja periksa sebelum meminta perawatnya untuk nyiapin alat-alat imunisasi. Sebenarnya sih, saya pengennya sekalian sama imunisasi Hepatitis B ke-3. Tapi DSA Raja ini rupanya termasuk dokter yang gak mau kasih suntikan imunisasi sebanyak 2 kali ke pasiennya. Alasannya sih karena gak mau Raja jadi takut ngeliatnya karena 2 kali nyuntik sekaligus. Akhirnya jadwal imunisasi Hepatitis B-3 nya dipindahin ke tanggal 28 September nanti. Kalo kata temen-temen Milis, sih, rugi kalo imunisasinya gak simultan, karena berarti biaya dokternya dobel. Tapi kalo saya sih, sudahlah gak apa-apa, toh diganti kantor ini, he he.. Yang penting jadwalnya tepat aja.

Agak kesulitan nih waktu mo masukin imunisasi Polio lewat mulut, soalnya Raja gak mau buka mulutnya, apalagi waktu beberapa tetes cairan yang pastinya gak enak itu sudah masuk ke mulutnya..tambah deh mulutnya dikunci rapat. Perlu perjuangan keras dari saya, perawat, dan dokter. Raja harus dipancing-pancing dulu supaya mau buka mulutnya…duuhh…syukurlah, aksi GTM kayak gini belum pernah dilancarkan Raja kalo dikasih makan. Rupaya udah ngerti banget ni anak, mana yang enak dan mana yang enggak, he he…

Selesai dengan Polio oral, giliran imunisasi DPT combo sama HiB. Kali ini sih gak perlu perjuangan yang berarti. Seperti biasanya, gak terdengar tangisan Raja pas disuntik. Cuma meringis dikit. Habis itu senyum-senyum lagi… Komentar dokter?  “Raja selalu jagoan ya kalo disuntik…” He he, yang bangga emaknya dunks… Raja memang bukan anak yang rewel, jagoan kalo soal nahan sakit…cowok banget deh pokoknya… Puji Tuhan….

Sehabis disuntik, saya duduk di depan meja dokter sambil memangku Raja yang langsung sibuk sama mainan di atas meja dokter. Ada papan yang di atasnya terdapat gambar cow, piggy, sama cock…yang kalo dipencet bakal mengeluarkan suara khasnya. Mainan itulah yang menarik perhatian Raja. Gambar-gambar hewan-hewan itu dipencet-pencetnya. Saya sambil mendengarkan rencana dokter tentang imunisasi selanjutnya juga sambil menerangkan ke Raja tentang gambar dan suara hewan itu… “That’s cow…” kalo yang dipencetnya sapi… “That’s piggy…” kalo yang dipencetnya babi… “That’s cock…” kalo yang dipencetnya ayam jago..

Sampe kami udah mau pamitan, Raja masih sibuk sama mainan itu. Gak mau dilepasnya. Pencet ini..pencet itu…ketawa kalo suaranya bunyi…duh, heboh deh… Dokter tersenyum senang melihatnya sambil bilang “pinter banget yah…” he he…duuuhhh…lagi-lagi bangga nih yang jadi mamanya… Amiiinnn…. Raja memang pintar…semoga akan terus tambah pintar…tambah cerdas… terus bikin bangga papa dan mama ya sayang… we love u much, Rajamin…

Oh, its almost 2 months since I last wrote. Having a baby does change one’s priorities in life. Now more than anyone else, its the baby that is on the mother’s mind, blogging also takes a back seat . Last week, Achilles was vaccinated with Hept A and DPT booster shots and the OPV drops. Its really strange how life changes after having a baby. I have never been very good with dates, one reason why I have always detested history classes all my school life, but surprisingly, Achilles’ vaccination dates are always on my mind. I ensure that I never miss out on his vaccinations. This transition from being a girl to being a mother is really a powerful one,what say?

Well, there are vaccines for everything these days, like, Hib, chicken pox, measles, etc. I wonder if some smart chap/s will come up with vaccines to prevent acne and obesity in future. Now THAT would be a path-breaking discovery and everyone, irrespective of age, would get vaccinated.

Acne reminds me of my pregnancy time. I was plagued with acne vulgaris, a condition I had never suffered all my life. I think I should discuss this in today’s post. 5th month onwards, acne started developing all over my cheeks and they were pretty bad. Dermatologists and my gynecologist lectured that it was all due to hormonal changes , etc. But a situation so bad actually shatters a person’s self confidence. It got so bad that I dreaded going out and started avoiding people. Thats when a dermatologist’s medical prescription and my mother’s home remedy came to my rescue. The dermatologist prescribed Pernox 2.5%, a gel based ointment containing Benzoyl Peroxide for the acne. Benzoyl Peroxide is safe to use during pregnancy and lactation(though I would advice every pregnant and lactating woman to consult their physicist before taking any medication, esp. products containing retinols and salicylic acid,etc. as these are scientifically proven to cause birth defects in fetus ).Regular application of this gel cleared my face of acne within weeks. Also followed my mother’s advice of washing my face with a mixture of rose water and glycerin. This helped in adding softness to my face as that gel dries up the skin.

Pregnancy is a new and wonderful experience but for some, the road is not that smooth. The bottom line is that whatever step you take, take it under your physician’s guidance. To overcome your problems, don’t ever jeopardize the baby’s health and well-being.

DISPELLING VACCINATION MYTHS:
An Introduction to the Contradictions Between Medical Science and Immunization Policy
By Alan G. Phillips, Esq.  (rev. 2007)

Alan G. Philips is an attorney with the following credentials:

———————

HISTORICAL FACTS EXPOSING THE DANGERS AND INEFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINE http://www.vaccinationdebate.com/web2.html

GRAPHICAL EVIDENCE SHOWS VACCINES DIDN’T SAVE US

HISTORICAL FACTS EXPOSING THE DANGERS AND INEFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINES

DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS CONDEMN VACCINATION

WHY VACCINES ARE INEFFECTIVE

WHY VACCINES ARE HARMFUL

WHY VACCINATION CONTINUES

THE BENEFICIAL NATURE OF CHILDHOOD INFECTION

HEALTH – THE ONLY IMMUNITY

THE HOPEWOOD CHILDREN – AUSTRALIA’S HEALTHIEST KIDS

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There are many differently credentialed individuals that work in health care. Often times it is not clear by the name badge or the uniform what the person actually does or is supposed to do. This post will hopefully shed some light on the subject.

Let me first begin with the 2 most common initials behind a health care provider’s name. The first is RN (registered nurse). This is a licensed health care professional who can render professional nursing services to people. They can do health assessments, and teach about any health topic.  They can also do some medical interventions under the authority of a licensed medical provider.

The licensed medical provider traditionally is an MD (Medical Doctor traditionally Allopathic) but can also be a DO (Doctor of Osteopathy). Both of these doctors can practice medicine. They both do an undergraduate degree in something and then complete 4 year post- bachelors degree in medicine. The osteopaths have additional training in osteopathic manipulative therapy. Both of these doctors can perform surgery if trained in residency. They both can prescribe medications, and therapeutic treatments.

The DO should not be confused with the OD (doctor of optometry). ODs typically do vision care, but in some states can do some more advance eye medicine work. They differ from ophthalmologists in that they are not MDs, and ophthalmologists are considered surgeons of the eye.

Another kind of licensed medical provider is the NP (Nurse Practitioner). An NP first starts out as an RN, and then does additional graduate work to earn a master of science degree with an specialty in something. NPs are just one kind of APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse). APRNS have all started out as RNs and then depending on the Master’s degree they get comes the more specific designation. Some designations are ANP (adult nurse practitioner), they care for people 18 years and older, PNP (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) they care for people 18 years and younger. There is also an FNP (family nurse practitioner) they care for infants through geriatrics. There is also a NNP (neonatal nurse practitioner) they care primarily for high risk new born infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. There is an ACNP (acute care nurse practitioner) they typically care for hospitalized patients 18 years and older, some can do children. The ACNP may function in the role termed a hospitalist. There is also a PMHNP (psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner). They care for either patients with mental health problems. They can do many of the same things a psychiatrist would do. There is another APRN called a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist). The CRNA functions in the role of an anesthesiologist. In fact more than 60% of anesthesia in the US is given by CRNAs. In the military that number is much higher. CNMs (certified nurse midwife) attend births and provide comprehensive women’s health care from the pre-natal through post-partum care. They can do well baby visits for upto 1 year as well.  Nurse Practitioners can do many of the same things as their physician colleagues. To my knowledge none are doing independent surgical procedures. The restrictions on what they can’t do differs from state to state. In all 50 states NPs have prescriptive privileges. The Pearson Report gives more specific details for each state regarding scope of practice of NPs. For the most part they work in collaboration with an MD or a DO, in some states they have to work under the supervision of an MD or DO, and in 15 states they work completely independent of physicians. They can have their own private practice as well but the states have differing rules regarding this.

Another type of licensed medical provider is the PA (physician assistant) there is a movement underway to rename the profession (physician associate), but for now the protected title is the former.  PAs can do all of the same things a physician can do including surgery. PAs must work under the supervision of a licensed MD or DO. Their scope of practice becomes limited by the scope of practice of the supervising physician.  Some states define supervision very differently and in essence can sometimes look like the NP equivalent of collaboration. To my knowledge in no state can a PA work completely independently of an MD or DO. They can however have private practices depending on the rules of the individual states.  PA education is typically a Masters degree, but there are some rare exceptions that allow for practice with a Bachelors degree. To my knowledge all of the associate degree PA programs are no more.

As if those were not enough initials you may also see the C designation after the above  for example NP-C, of PA-C, or RNC (the C stands for certified). This means that the professional with the C after their primary licensing initials has done a specialty certification and has passed a national board exam. Specialties can range from women’s health (WHNP), cardiology, oncology, dermatology, telemetry, pediatrics, critical care (CCRN) of adults, pediatrics or neonates. NPs can get further education to get a clinical doctorate in nursing practice. This is becoming a popular trend the initials are DNP.

Even more initials. Aside from the initials that come with academic preparation there are those contrived by corporations and hospitals. Some of those include CNM (but in this case it means clinical nurse manager) or PCA (patient care associate or assistant) which seems to have replaces the CNA (certified nursing assistant). There is also a move toward and away from at the same time depending on the state PCT (patient care technician). Generically the PCA, PCT and CNA are referred to as nurses aides. They must be under the supervision of someone with an RN licenses. They typically can do things like help bath and feed and reposition patients. They can help them walk. Some can also do finger stick blood sugars, check vital signs, perform EKGs, draw blood, insert urinary catheters and connect feeding tubes, and take out peripheral IV catheters. The tasks are specific to the institution that hires them.

Another type of nurse is the LPN (licensed practical nurse) or LVN (licensed vocational nurse). These are nurses that have done an intensive 12-18 month training program that allows them to sit for a state exam. They can do many of the same things that RNs can do, but traditionally care for stable patients that have predictable outcomes. They are supervised by RNs, and they cannot make modifications to a treatment plan without consulting an RN or a licensed medical provider.

Allow me to confuse or enlighten you further. PT (physical therapy) many programs are going to doctoral preparation for this so the initials you may see will be DPT. Following suit are the ST (speech therapists) soon to be DST, OT, occupational therapy (DOT).

As health care reform continues to be discussed let this help clarify who is caring for you.

Raymond Zakhari, MS, ANP-C

If there are some initials you’ve seen in health care that have not been addressed here please let me know and I will try to shed some light.