quote of the day

I was lamenting to a fellow new OT practitioner about how I still make such stupid mistakes sometime, and she (a hand therapist) responded: “”I know! The other day I took an extensor tendon into passive flexion, what was I thinking??!!!!” ahahahahahahhaa

That cracked me upppp for some reason, lol. I guess because to me hands are like rocket science so its the equivalent of someone saying “I make stupid mistakes too, the other day I was doing this calculus derivative integer molecular formula for curing cancer and I acidentally divided by 0.493 instead of 0.492!!!

sooo behind on blogging

and dealing with comments. I haven't put links up but wanted to copy paste this old comment for help with conquering/handling NBCOT! THANKS JULIE – Hey, are you the one from South Africa that I talked with like, years ago? 🙂

Hi Karen, My friend and I have started a blog primarily aimed at helping US and international OT students with the NBCOT and then what happens after. Our blog is available at http://conqueringthenbcot.blogspot.com/

It would be so so great if you could check it out and place a link to our blog on your website so that it comes up when people search for it. As an international OT, I learnt a lot along the way about the NBCOT process and work visas and licencing and I really want to impart that knowledge to others because I believe there is a need for it. Your blog really helped me and inspired me to start my own.

handwriting deja vu

Today I needed to look up some handwriting stuff in preparation for a kid tomorrow so I was googling things like “weight bearing” and handwriting to see if I could get some fresh new ideas, and lo and behold within the first page one of my old blog entries showed up on a handwriting lecture, hahahaha

Reminded me I need to get back into blogging. I just took a course Saturday on postural control of the trunk and so i've been doing trunk dissociation stuff the last few days – also getting back into sensory stuff for kids. Was in Norway for almost 2 weeks and I've had trouble re-adjusting to work life!

I love occupational therapy, just wish it could be a hobby and not a job. Who wants to sponsor me to blog all day every day and live in a fantasy word? Anyone? No? Okay….back to the real world, will try to blog more!!! Still haven't blogged properly about Sae-Bo or most recent course or about what life has been like latey….I am CLOSE to being done with my first year as an OT practitioner, September 1st…..

Fine motor OT bone

Headed to Norway for a few weeks for a wedding/reunion – was an exchange student for a year there in high school from age 15/16 (junior year of HS) – so about 12 years ago now, CRAZY.  Getting to see my host sister get married, my host family and friends, and my best Norwegian friend Ingun's brand new first baby 🙂
By the way, I have roommates and I'm taking my valuables so I hope that deters any robbers who read this 😉  – Anyway, will be slim blogging in that time obviously.

So let me throw out an OT bone – I give you this AWESOME link of gross motor then TONS of fine motor ideas for pediatrics, done by teachers it appears. VERY HELPFUL.

http://www.hummingbirded.com/fine-motor.html

How to make your own Wiki Stix for peds OT…really adults too I guess.

Did I ever share this recipe on how to make your own Wiki Stix? Google them if you don't know what they are. Great pediatric occupational therapy tool. I got it from someone else who got it from some one else…and I have not tried it. SO TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK….I guess use eye protection, burn protection, hand protection etc as needed…I have no idea how toxic toilet sealant wax so maybe its a weird idea…I dunno…..let me know how it goes if you do!!!

Toilet sealant wax
1/2 cup of paraffin wax
Ball of colorful yarn

1. Melt equal amounts of paraffin wax with toilet sealant
2. Melt crayon shavings into wax mixture
3. When mixture is melted, cut lengths of strip and dip into mixture
4. Lay dipped strings on wax paper to cool
5. Bend wiki stix into shapes and reuse just like commercial ones.

PS: I am SO FREAKING BEHIND ON EMAIL I realized I have missed quite a few important ones. That's also how i Rely on getting all my FB messages so if I have not responded I am SORRY. VERY SORRY. Feel free to write me again and/or be patient, I will eventually rspond it may just be a few months late 😡 ugh. I SUCK!

What do you think this is?

I took an 8am to 530pm course Friday and Saturday with a whole bunch of other occupational therapists (and one PTA!) to learn how to use THIS (my hand is the model)…can anyone guess?? If anyone saw my Twitters they should know the answer. More details tomorrow! It’s bed time!!

Monday = tired OT day

Today a frustrated child stabbed his scissors into the paper, narrowly missing my hand [ he wasn't trying to hurt me].

Today I worked with two adults who had strokes, one adult who had a traumatic brain injury, then a row of pediatric clients:  a child with CP, a child with Down syndrome, and a child with a traumatic brain injury. It's set up as an adult clinic for the most part so it takes a lot of creativity to do therapy with the pediatric clients at times…not just filled with kid stuff. Limited options. It worked out though.

Lots of notes to write though, boo…I am very tired. I should work out but I have decided Mondays need to be a no-guilt workout free day as I always am so tired! Need to prep for tomorrow – was over on hours today and will be over hours this week by a lot as I am taking a course that is also Saturday 8 to 530. So I'll try to shave off time here and there when I don't have patients. 

Did I mention I am tired. Stuff to do but too tired. So….bedtime soon.

SO TIRED TODAY

Today, I shattered a mirror, ran over a butterfly, spilled my (expensive!) Chia seeds, and willfully ate gluten (I was dying for Japanese and it is in the soy sauce and possibly other hidden items as well)……I had a semi quiet day at clinic as 3 people cancelled last minute and I got to eat out twice, which is a very rare occurrence these days, so in some days it was good, but I AM SO FREAKING TIRED right now….its 10pm and I should go to sleep but I dont waaaanntttt tooooooo but I am tirrrrreddddddd sooooo I musssstttt……..things I've been pondering lately include bilateral activities for kids with mild hemiplegia, strengthening of hand muscles for weak children, when to discharge patients with burns, WHY INSURANCE SUCKS SO MUCH for SO MANY PEOPLE, etc etc 🙂 I always have SO MUCH i want to share, but somehow always it doesn't get blogged about as often as it should. Also pondering writing up another piece to submit to OT Practice about the first year as a practitioner….but who are we kidding ahahaa.

bedtime. thanks all for the really kind and/or helpful comments y'all have been leaving. always makes my heart glow!!
loooooooooooooooooooove
me

hmmm, amazing parkour ….new OT ? jk

http://www.todaysbigthing.com/2010/05/20

This is an amazing parkour video….basically street ninjas. Incredible things they do with their bodies. Some gyms
offer parkour classes now. If I had higher-level patients and was doing more athletic rehab kinda stuff, I'd totally
try to incorporate elements of this. 🙂

I am feeling a bloggy urge…I have to go to store and do some errands but maybe later i'll blog/catch up!!

busy busy

Preparing for a pediatric eval, a pediatric treatment, and other treatments including strokes and peripheral neuropathy. Need to finish writing up some goals. More in next few days, I've been a poor poster lately!! It's almost 11pm….hope to be in bed by midnight so hope I can get prepped and finish the goals up for an eval by then, and then I'm gonna get to work early to prepare for my first Peabody! And then it's a long day with a hyper pt at the end of the day so let's hope my energy stays up! 🙂