A Great Week

I still can't believe what a turn-around it's been with my internship. The first week was crazy and intimidating and frustrating, while this week it was the exact opposite. Don't get me wrong, it was still a bit intimidating at times, but not at all like it was that first week. I'm so glad my CI has realized that I am not ready to learn all of the specialized techniques that he have taken him 4 years to learn (after PT school) and that I just need to refine the skills that I have already practiced. This week, I have started seeing "my own" patients and I am beginning to build up a caseload of my own. I've also started doing the evals on my own, but just the history taking. Next week I get to start actually doing the assessments and treatments on my own from the start. It's a little scary, sure, but my CI has been really understanding about that and he's made it clear that he will be available for me to ask questions or go to him with any concerns I may have before I start a specific treatment. That is so reassuring. I'm grateful to have a clinical/internship where I can build up my confidence with treating patients on my own, while knowing that there is someone there to guide me and give me feedback, but who's willing to let me take the lead.

The only downside now is that I have been seeing another patient who tries to flirt with me (I had one at my last clinical in Bryan also). I hate situations like this. I am one of those people who hates awkward silences, so I really try to make conversation with my patients because I hate just sitting there staring at them the entire time. So, I usually bring the people in and start asking them all kinds of questions to get them talking. Most patients seem to like this because it makes therapy a little less boring and takes their mind off of any pain that they might be having that day. Well, some patients take that attempt to make conversation as a way to flirt with me and "give me the eye." I have one now who is well into his 40s or maybe in 50, married, and still tries to flirt with me. He comes in for all of his appointments drenched in cologne and sits there smiling at me and staring at me the entire time. I still try to make conversation with him, but now I feel like I need to think of even more things to talk about because whenever there is an awkward silence, he tries to catch my eye and stare into them. I am beginning to dread seeing his name on the schedule and hoping that he will cancel, and I hate feeling that way about a patient! I can only keep my fingers crossed that he will realize over the weekend that he needs to knock it off. This is literally the only part of my day today that I dreaded.

Other than my internship, I really don't have much of a life. I'm cleaning all night tonight because they're showing my brother's house in the morning. Go figure, they would decide to show it on a Saturday morning when all I really want to do is just sleep in. But I do have some errands to run in Maumee, so I guess I'll just stop being lazy and get off my butt and get that done in the morning. No excuses. I have come to realize that, in the real world, when you work Monday through Friday, some things just have to be taken care of on Saturday mornings. Boo that...