Hummmmmmmmmble

Some days my job is very rewarding. Like yesterday when I helped a man walk for the first time after one-month-long hospital stay after becoming septic (bacteria in the bloodstream). Or a week ago when I pushed a knee replacement patient to get out `of bed on her own and walk farther than she had before, even though she was super scared of passing out again.

However...there are many humbling moments in my job. Moments where its apparent to me that the fact that I spent 3 years in grad school mean nothing to those around me and if it weren't for uniform scrub colors I'd probably be mistaken for a nurse's aid. Today, I went in to attempt a treatment session with a patient who is having viral symptoms in addition to neurological symptoms. Needless to say both internal medicine and neurology are trying to make a correct diagnosis. So, I realize PT is pretty low on the totem pole. However, I had just masked up, introduced myself to the patient and was in the middle of a sentence, when the neurologist briskly walked in and began interrogating the patient, not even acknowledging my presence. Apparently, me in my Smurf scrubs blended right in to the wall.

Ortho docs typically don't order PT after a total shoulder replacement. There's not much to do physical therapy-wise until later on down the road. For some reason, this one surgeon had PT evaluate this older woman who just had her second shoulder replacement. The woman needed no "skilled" help. I helped her out of bed by giving her a hand so she could pull herself up. The only other help I gave was to pull her weird-cloth-like-disposable-hospital-underwear down, then up so she could use the bathroom. And then she griped at me for not pulling her underwear up on the sides, all the way to her 2nd rib. Humbling, humbling job.