Anchors Away!

Saturday was AWESOME! An organization called Team Anchors Away puts on different events throughout the year that caters to disabled individuals, to "level the playing field," enabling them to participate in activities of able-bodied people. Yesterday they put on a water ski clinic. I was lucky enough to have made connections my first couple days in Charleston that gave me the heads up about this opportunity to volunteer! Having helped out with a similar organization based in Augusta, GA, I jumped at the chance to do it again. It was so much fun! My job was to be "jumper." As a jumpers I was a passenger on the jet skis, and follow along side the participant as they were pulled behind a boat on their custom ski. When they wiped out, my duty was to jump in and keep them afloat and right side up on the board, grab the rope and reset it in the blocks (most the participants had a high level spinal cord injury and didn't have grip strength to hold the handle of the rope, so it was knotted up and placed in a slit between two blocks at the front of the ski so as to pull the ski independently), then do a deep water start to get them back up a running. That was the coolest part...the deep water start. Just had to center them the back of the boat, keep the nose of the board up and then ride a few feet with them once the boat started to pick up speed, once they were good I'd let go and my jet ski driver would pick me up, and off again to follow the skier. 

The whole day was such a blast! Seeing everyone having so much fun, it was too sweet. One of the girls would throw her arms up in the air like she was riding a roller coaster. We could see the biggest grin on her face and her head being thrown back as she horse laughed from time to time, having so much fun! It was her first time skiing. You could tell she was having the time of her life out there!  One of the little boys was pretty timid, it was his first time coming to an event like this too. He had cerebral palsy. His parents finally talked him into riding in one of the boats while his friend was being pulled. It got him used to the speed and he got to see how much fun his buddy was having. Next thing ya know a ski cage was getting adjusted and fitted for him. He was so cute!

By the end of the day most of the participants and their families had called it quits and were filtering out. A regular Anchors Away participant started asking if any of us wanted to try the skis. Guess who was the first to raise her hand?! Yep, of course I wanted to do it! And I loved EVERY minute! I held on to the rope though so I felt like I had some control. After a bit I got brave and started zig-zagging across the wake and jumping waves. Of course I eventually lost control and wiped out! The cage was a bit too big since wasn't fitted to be before I got started. So when I wiped out I came completely out of the cage and the ski went flying across the water!!! Ha! My jumper had to dive in, grab the ski, then swim back to me. The board hit me pretty good on the ankle before it skidded across the water. It still hurts soo bad! Very point tender! Nevertheless, wouldn't change anything about the whole day!

Can't wait til their next event in October--Lt Dan Weekend!  They're having a concert by "The Lt. Dan Band," whose lead singer is Gary Sinise, the guy who played Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump"!! There will also be wounded warrior presentations at a local high school, a 5k run and 5k bike race offered for whole community and the wounded warriors, as well as plenty of activities to choose from: golf, tennis, basketball, scuba diving, kayaking, adaptive aquatics, fishing, horseback riding, boat rides!  Count me in!

The road gladdens the obsessed ghost. 

Downtown Pics

There were sail boats out everywhere! Makes me wanna learn!

Monument memorial dedicated to those at Fort Sumter

I think this is the USS Yorktown. Need to get over there for a tour to be sure!

One of the fountains off E Bay street

Not sure of the name of this park, but its next to the pier off East Bay Street

Boardwalk along South Battery Street

Statue to the Confederate Defenders of Charleston at Fort Sumter

Monument of George Washington

Missed ya!

Today was such a BEAUTIFUL day, and for some odd reason I actually had a boost of energy when I got home from the hospital. Soo....I went for a nice long walk....literally 2 hours just walking around downtown Charleston! How lovely! Of course I took the camera, because that's what I do! Love taking pictures of EVERYthing! I'll post them soon. My battery died while I was out. 

What made the wonderful "hump-day" walk even better was getting to talk to some of my girls from PT school!  Talked to Ashley, Stacey, and Whitney! It was amazing getting to catch up with them all individually.  Probably could've walk another two hours had any of them had the time to continue talking  :)  Today makes me miss them even more than I previously thought I did! Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely loving Charleston, but man....Wish I had them all here with me!  Planning a weekend trip to Jacksonville soon, which is where both Ashley and Stacey are on rotations, until October anyway.  Can't wait!

Off early today!

So this week is already much faster paced for me than last, and it's only Tuesday. I've been given more responsibilities--treatments, solo evaluations, documentation, POCs, etc.  Monday morning I did the wound care on a HUGE sacral bedsore. Seriously, it was 13cm x 8cm and 4cm deep, with tunneling around ~50% between 3-5 cm deep! It was the largest wound I've ever seen. I was a bit iffy at first, especially after I read the chart and saw that the patient had newly diagnosed osteomyelitis AND Hepatitis C!  The PT that did her wound care the previous treatment day had accidentally gotten cut during the debridment and so they had to check her and the patient. Turns out the patient tested positive! Luckily the PT did not, still she will have to be re-checked throughout the next few months as a precaution.  Anywho, so yea I did a Cell Mist treatment, which is just a painless, non contact ultrasound device that uses either a saline or antibiotic mist.   It is the only noncontact ultrasound device cleared by the FDA with an indication to “promote wound healing”.  It uses sound waves directed into the wound bed to active cell stimulation in order to encourage re-vascularization, and can moisten the avascular tissue so we can cleanse and debride it. After that was done I got to pack the wound with Dakin soaked kerlix. Literally had half my hand stuffed into her wound in order to pack it fully. Crazy! Sounds kind of gross in hindsight.....but during I was just thinking "Whoa!"  :) 

So far patients haven't been that difficult to manage. Was worried about one of our regulars that found out he had TB.....AFTER we'd been working closely with him for the week! Now we have to wear these special duck-like masks before going into his room. My CI didn't seem too concerned, she felt as if our chances of having contracted it prior to his actual diagnosis wasn't likely.

Been seeing a lot of heart patients--Bypass, MI, CHF, transplant candidates, etc. So all we really need to do is educate regarding precautions/restrictions, then walk them to improve cardiovascular endurance and conditioning.   Today, though one of my evals was a patient that had uncontrolled Diabetes leading to peripheral vascular disease, which eventually developed into gangrene on his R foot (obviously this pt wasn't paying attention to his feet for a while!) He ended up have every toe except his great toe removed yesterday and a femoral-popliteal bypass graft. He was in pretty bad shape when I saw him this morning. Lots of pain. And his incisions weren't dressed very well.  Thus....a lot of blood everywhere when he transferred from the bed to the bedside chair. Another one of our patients is a bilateral amputee, below knee on R and got an above knee amputation. Hoping we get to see him tomorrow. Never dealt with an amputee this acutely!  I mean I know it has to be rough on the patient and I would never wish strife like that on anyone. But it will also be challenging for me as the therapist, thus my excitement.

1 down 15 to go

Week one wrapped up nicely. Still learning my way around the hospital and the city. The east and west wings of the hospital are named for their relationship to the Ashley River....and since I haven't quite gotten the geography of this place down yet I find myself doing a 360 each time I get off the elevators to get oriented! My CI is the team leader of this dept. so she often has to go to meetings with the PT manager and such over in the main hospital. Thus my job is to bounce between the other PTs over here til she gets back. It's making me have to learn my own way around real quick! 

My first weekend in Charleston was pretty fun. Walked around on King St some more, which is even more crowded on the weekends, but the fact that about a thousand new College of Charleston students and their families were here to move in made it even more congested. There was also a lot going on at the Marion Square, which I didn't go to see--no reason really, just didn't know so didn't go--but turns out they have a farmer's market every Sunday right down there. I will go check it out next Sunday, I'm sure they have plenty of goodies I'd be interested in!  Also went to scout out Folly Beach. Wasn't very far at all, so that's great. So obviously don't know my way around there, and didn't see "public beach" signs, but saw a small walkway and did what those around me did....parked on the street and walked! Didn't get towed or a ticket, so guess it was ok. It is a pretty, pretty beach. Clean. Water wasn't so clear, though, as I had expected. Maybe it's not always this way.  Did see a few dolphins, which is always a delight! The coast line was long so after about 30-45mins of walkin it was time to turn around. I'll take my camera out next time. I always get hesitant to take it on the beaches, sand can really wreak havoc on a digital camera. 

Still tons of sight seeing to do, though, and my camera will be there all along the way. Hopefully weather will hold up. Apparently it is hurricane season.  Yea just found out this news late last week.....sounds like a good piece of information one should know before signing on for 4 months! I just told my CI that if there was a warning that I would be the first to get the heck out of Dodge! She could call me when the coast was clear, literally. I haven't the slightest clue how to prepare for a huricane! Fortunately have never been in the situation to remotely experience one.

Charleston doesn't handle rain too well

Yea so I ride my bike to/from the hospital everyday.  Well today the bottom fell out, and it rained like crazy all afternoon. Luckily it slacked off some for a short enough time when I got off in order for me to get home....note I didn't bring a rain coat to work today. Smart, I know.   Apparently Charleston is below sea level as is, and doesn't handle lots of rain (or high tide) very well.  So....this means some parts of the city disappear during these circumstances.  My street happens to be one of them! Had to get off the bike and walk it for about a block.....in knee deep water.  And I'm not exaggerating!! Luckily about two doors down from my apt the street trends uphill, so my place is dry! I'm on the third floor anyway so I think I'd have been ok anyway, but still...glad there isn't 3ft of water outside my door! Hopefully my doorstep will always stay dry when it rains!

Let's try something new

Just starting this. Never had a blog page before, so we'll see how productive it turns out!  I decided to set this up on a whim to keep track of experiences as well as to keep in touch with family and friends. A means to allow everyone to know what's going on while I'm away from home!

I am a 3rd year Physical Therapy student from the Medical College of Georgia. Finished up the curriculum portion the first week of August, 2010. Don't graduate til May 5, 2011 (9mos 12days :) ), so until then I'll be on clinical rotations.

For now, I am interning in an acute care setting, at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Not a bad place to be, I might add! It's only been a week but so far so good. I'm here by myself. Another student in my class will be coming in two months though to stay with me, so until then its just me! Been staying busy with work and exploration around town so far so no loneliness...yet! I had two awesome roommates when living in Augusta and they spoiled me. I like having people around and always something to do and someone to talk to! 

I'm living downtown in Charleston, so I've been riding and running the streets trying to learn my way around. Parents are coming down for a visit in a few weeks so I've been put on assignment to find fun things to see/do so they get the most out of their trip! I'll do my best, Mom and Dad! I'm in a great location, a TON of stuff seems to be on King St and Market St, both of which are like 4 blocks from my doorstep. It's always soooo crowded down there. People everywhere. Went for a run yesterday and ended up cutting over a street because I was having a hard time "bobbing/weeving" through the masses.    That's another thing....my old roommates were great workout buddies! I missed not having them to run with.  :( 

Anywho, more to follow, lunch break is over time to get back upstairs to patients!