What a weekend!

On Thursday I got to hang out with Patty and Patti. Patty and I met up after work and took a nice walk up to a park. Then we met up with Patti at Asakuma in West LA. We sat and talked while dining on blackened cod and sashimi until they kicked us out. It was really nice to catch up.

It’s been a long time since my brother and I got a chance to celebrate together. For the past couple of years, my mom has been sending me flowers and a balloon on my birthday. That was pretty much the extent of it. This year we actually got to see each other and have dinner. This year, I got a delivery of flowers from Holly though! I was very surprised and it was very sweet of her to remember and go through all that trouble. Actually, I got a bunch of phone calls on Friday as well as the day after. It’s so nice to be loved.

On Friday night, Jes flew down to hang out with me. On Saturday we went to the San Diego Zoo to visit the animals. I got to see the pandas, polar bears, and elephants. 🙂 That evening we had dinner at “Top O’ the Cove” in La Jolla. We had a nice outdoor table overlooking the ocean at sunset. Too bad there was too much fog to actually see the sunset. It was fun anyways. However, there was a very snooty party of 4 that was sitting next to us…made me roll my eyes several times that evening.

This week will be my second week at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The commute is horrible!! Luckily I’ve been assigned to the acute wards with an OT who works 4 10-hour days. That means I have Mondays off!! Yippee! My clinical instructor works primarily with infants both in the NICU and on the regular floors. It’s a really high paced environment where there aren’t any schedules and you pretty much have to play it by ear every day. The babies are so small and fragile. A lot of people wonder “what in do OTs do with babies so young?” Actually there are a lot of things that we can assess and treat. First of all, we are the ones who determine when a baby is ready to be fed by mouth. We look at oral-motor skills and whether the baby can manage formula in their mouths without choking. We also check if they have all their reflexes and whether or not they are developing appropriately. Pediatrics is pretty interesting. There’s so much I don’t know but it’s so fun to learn!

Fear and Hope

The World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York were attacked yesterday morning. Very scary. Every time I see the coverage on the news it makes me want to cry. The images are so surreal. It’s also weird that I’m JUST getting through the emotions of the day 24 hours later than everyone else.  I was at work all day when it happened and was confused by all the messages left for me on my cell phone that evening on my way home.  It wasn’t until I got home that I realized what had happened.

I don’t know what I’d do if I was one of the passengers or one of the people stuck on the 100th floor. Do you stay in and burn to death or jump and risk being paralyzed from the neck up for the rest of your life? What do you say to a loved one who has just called you from a cell phone in a hijacked plane? So many questions spinning in my head. Times like these really make you appreciate the life you have and the people around you. Make the most of everyday. Family and friends should never be taken for granted.

On a lighter note…I’m finishing my last week at Rancho Los Amigos. I really can’t believe how quickly 12 weeks have gone by. I’m also very amazed at the amount of knowledge and experience I’ve gained. I feel like I’ve really grown as a person and as a therapist. My fellow interns have also been great. I don’t think I would have survived without them…especially Alicia, my collaborative partner. My clinical instructor and interdisciplinary team have been fun to work with. I will never forget the patients and the people I’ve met. I’ve got lots of inspiring stories to tell to students too. OT is so much more than knowing how to take range of motion measurements and grading activities. It’s all about making sure that you find out what’s meaningful to people and bringing it back to them somehow. I’ve got a cool job…

Double Celebration

We’re engaged! It happened in front of my school the afternoon of my graduation in Oakland. Jes had planned the event and purchased the ring a week in advance while telling everyone and their mother what he was planning to do on Saturday, August 18, 2001.

Graduation was really nice. It was good to see old friends and to finally feel officially done with school. I got hooded on stage in front of my family, friends, and classmates. Photos were taken and leis were given out to each other. Yoon and Jimmy also came to watch the ceremony. How nice. Once the family was finished taking photos at the theatre, Jes suggested that we go back to my school to take more photos. I thought, “Huh? Why would HE, of all people, suggest to take MORE photos?” Maybe he was just in a really good mood that day. So I went with the plan. Three cars caravanned back to my school and we took our pictures. Dahlia’s family and friends were also there.

Once I thought we were done, Yoon pulled me and Jes together and suggested that we take a picture together. Well, little did I know that I was being set-up! Jes grabbed my hand and said, “I have something for you”. My first thought was “uh oh…what’s going on?” Then he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Then I thought, “oh my gosh, this is the day!” I was in such shock! I couldn’t stop laughing. I was shaking. I kept saying, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Jes got down on one knee and quietly asked, “Will you marry me?” It was so neat because he said it so that only I could hear it. Everyone was asking, “Did he ask her yet??! What’s going on?” Despite that my whole family was there, a bunch of my friends were there, and I was in my cap and gown, for a brief moment…we were alone. It was perfect.

Well, of course I said “yes”. Actually, it was more like, “YES YES YES!” after everyone asked, “what did she say?” I was so happy and couldn’t stop laughing. Yes, I laughed…I didn’t cry. Jes had a big smile on his face and my friends and family were really happy. The ring is so sparkly! Now I have lots of witnesses to recount the moment to me, lots of pictures for me to remember what happened, and actually, Keni (Dahlia’s boyfriend) got it on video too! I’ll have to see that before anyone else does…I must have looked like such a dork!

So we’re engaged now. It just sunk in on Wednesday and I’m actually excited to begin the planning…well, sorta. I’m still really clueless. The big question nowadays is “when is the big day?” Hm…Spring 2003? Other than that, I don’t really have anything really thought out yet. We’ll have to keep you posted.

I love Fridays.

I didn’t quite understand the concept of “living for weekends” until now. Working 40 hours per week for no money sucks. I’m just itching to finish my internship. But don’t get me wrong, I’m working in one of the best places to learn…I’m just feeling really poor and overworked. Slowly I am compiling in my head a pre-morbid list of things that I would like done if I was ever hurt and admitted to a hospital…

  1. Someone needs to bring in my own clothes and toiletries – those hospital gowns are no good and hospital soap and toothpaste sucks.
  2. I would like someone to visit me at least once per day to make sure that nurses are addressing my needs.
  3. Someone needs to bring in something for me to take my mind off any pain, loneliness, or boredom that I may have to endure in the hospital room.
  4. Please please communicate with the therapists and doctors.

Next week I’m actually going to get a day off! Since I have to work on a Saturday in September I decided to take the day before my graduation off. I can’t wait for next weekend when I can go back up to the Bay Area to see some old friends. It’ll also be nice to get away from Southern California for a while. Perhaps talking to old classmates and being away will renew my motivation to work.

Growing up…

Last weekend was Patti’s bridal shower and bachelorette party. I drove up to SF with Patty Shih on Friday and it was so much fun! All the festivities were on Saturday. It was so nice to see all the girls together again and to get caught up with everyone. Holly, Jane, and Timmie (the bridesmaids) did such a great job too! Patti was such a good sport…*sniff* made me proud. I still can’t believe that one of us is actually getting married!

Last night I went to see an old friend from UCLA play in his band. The group is called “Wild Gift” and they sound like a mix between Pearl Jam, Live, and Incubus? Anyway, it was awesome to see Joel up on stage and being a ROCK STAR! He was really jammin’ on his acoustic guitar! Tonight we’re going to see him play at the Roxy…should be cool. Well, I’m half-way done with my internship at Rancho…only 6 more weeks to go!

Today I will be having a little “midterm evaluation meeting” with my Clinical Instructor. This should be interesting. I’m feeling like I’m in the flow of things at Rancho and can’t wait to be done! I love the experience but I’m just feeling the burn right now. Some say that the last 6 weeks there will fly…I sure hope so. Can’t wait to find a real job that pays.

Jes got a job this week! It’s not his “ideal job” but it’s better than unemployment! I’m relieved and I think he’s somewhat at peace. The job is at a home equity firm in San Ramon. He will actually start on Monday…yikes!

Communication

Week 4 at Rancho is going great. I’m on top of my paperwork, patients are getting better, and I’m getting off work at a decent time. Today one of the patients I have been seeing this week hasn’t been able to talk because of her stroke. on top of that, she only understands Chinese and Spanish. Now this is when being a former-disney character came in handy!! Anyway, today I walked into her room to start our therapy session and she started speaking to me in Chinese!!! I was so happy I thought I was going to cry!! I was so excited that I got an interpreter right away so I could find out more about what she liked to do at home so that we can start doing more of those activities during therapy.

At home, I’ve been teaching my mom how to use e-mail and instant messenger. She was always afraid to try because she didn’t think anyone would have enough patience to teach her. Before I went to OT school, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much but after working with cognitively impaired patients who don’t speak English, this is cake! I’ve always considered myself to be a relatively patient person but I think I’ve honed that skill to a tee. It’s been really cool to see how excited she gets to recieve mail from her family and friends. She also discovered how fun it can be to send those yahoo smileys back and forth on instant messenger. Since we have dsl now, she is able to send smileys from her computer to mine (in the same room) by herself. She’s like a little kid giggling and running back and forth between computers. Our last session was how to send electronic greetings. Now she can’t stop. Her brothers and friends have been recieving almost one everyday for the last week! I love my mom.