Betty

So Betty is the name given to the GPS voice in my blackberry purchased only for this trip. Otherwise, everyone knows that technology is not my strong point. Where would I be without her right now? Well probably somewhere in south IL because that is where she led us astray....we didn't really plan this trip, at all. I'm too busy with all the other chaos and mom really hasn't the information from me because of my hate to "plan". The first time I slept on the trip I wake up to mom, Betty and an atlas. We went with Betty. We went 17mi off track in IL ending up at a rest stop then Betty says, "make the next legal U turn". You can never fully trust Betty.

Who do you trust on an adventure....your travel agent, your friend's opinion, intuition, instinct, prior knowledge, or just plain guess on life? I chose the latter of these which leads me to discuss my job! I work in 2 different facilities, skilled nursing facilities. One a psych unit and the other a locked down unit for Alzheimer's diseased patients. Now this is the last stop on my career path for sure. But is it?

There are certain things in your life that you know absolutely that you can not possibly get through....not one more second in that dentist chair, not two more hours at the circus with your kids, not one more time to the vet with your dog increasing the costs, only one trip to your favorite espresso shop on johnson drive, your dad's funeral, the last time you see your friend for a year, the day at the office where you know for sure that you are not helping anyone.

If there is anything in life that I know for certain, it is that you can do anything that you thought previously to be impossible. The job "opportunity" was a pre-planned sacrifice on my part professionally. I knew that I wanted to be in Mass to experience what I wanted/needed to and that meant some bargaining. I did not know quite the sacrifice, but "everything happens for a reason". This job is so counter-intuitive to my every fiber as an OT, but in many ways this is making me stronger already after one week.

So I do what I do as an OT. I help patients with their self-cares, I do wheelchair seating evaluations, I work on upper extremity strengthening, and functional transfers to toilets and showers, I train staff on proper handling, I help relearn feeding techniques, I buy nurses chocolate in turn for referrals, I kill the east-coasteners with kindness and I go home at night knowing that I still do what I love! Just in a different culture!

I started today with 4 patients from the psych unit, sitting at their breakfast table and evaluating how they can feed themselves more independently. The charge nurse glaring at me, the CNAs annoyed that I was taking up a chair. The patients thrilled at the company and talking about my home state of Nebraska. Middle of the day I fielded questions if I should leave Mass and my facilities/apt to a different location. End of the day evaluating a patient with Alzheimer's. I ask him if he has any pain, he says to me, "how could I? I'm in heaven right now. Can you come see me every day".

Life is simple on paper. When you get into the gray areas we have questions.