Quinoa Catastrophe

So, I had a bad 24 hours at work. It happens to everybody. I managed to not cry at work, but I did go home and drown my emotions in a caramel sunday from DQ and a cookie covered in buttercream icing. I felt so sick that night.

So it all started with an incredible week last week. At my internship I have been learning so much! I have been able to move from offering opinions from afar to being able to participate in all parts of treatment in just a few weeks. I feel like I've been really "getting it". Socially, I was able to re-connect with some of my cousin's friends that I had met forever ago. I hung out with them on Thursday and Friday night and had an awesome time. Then Saturday I went to game night with some co-workers and I now highly recommend "Partini" and "What's Yours Like?" with alcohol, of course! Then Sunday I went to Zumba and loved it!

So that brings us to Monday. I had an okay morning. Then lunch was yucky, I brought quinoa (which I love) but it was mixed with some stuff that I do not love, I didn't cook it. I definitely think bad lunch started my bad day. That afternoon my CI (clinical instructor, he's in charge of me) and I went over to the hospital to help out, like we do when we have time during the day. We got a new evaluation to do and it was someone with conversion disorder, person who develops signs of spinal cord injury without actually having one. It's caused by stress or life changes and the person isn't faking the symptoms. It was the first one that I had ever seen and I was supposed to lead the exam. Then we had to do the exam with an occupational therapist who was in a hurry. I was beyond overwhelmed. My CI took over part of the exam, I felt like I didn't know how to do anything. So that was frustrating.

The next morning, I had to take lead on an evaluation in our clinic, and, of course, I had never done one of those, either. She had a real spinal cord injury. I had trouble with that exam, too, and there were 3 students watching me screw up. It doesn't sound all that bad, I know, but it was an excruciating hour and a half. After that experience, I went to the bathroom and tried not to cry, regrouped, and finished my day. Not great, but I made it.

Luckily, I had a great day today! I had time this morning to catch up on my notes and prepare for the day. I was able to take lead on several patients, successfully. I got to work on some really tough patients and started to actually get into the rhythm of walking them. I did not have to any evaluations...at all. All in all, a pretty fantastic day.

Tomorrow, I have another evaluation. It's going to be different from either of the other two I've done. There are tests that I have never done before, so I just hope it turns out okay and not anything like my terrible 24 hours this week.