Favorite Thing...Rats, It's Not Friday!
This has been a week out of time. You know the ones - the weeks where you aren't quite sure which day it actually is because things get scrambled in your schedule, so you don't actually do what you usually do on each day??? This week has been all scrambled and mixed up. What a mess...
I was almost ready for a Favorite Things Friday post today. I was looking around for something that is one of my favorite things (by the way, I'm running out of things to talk about on Fridays, so the theme may be changing pretty soon). I knew it wasn't Friday. After all, I'm getting dressed into my uniform for work, but my brain was thinking "Friday, Friday, Friday." If it actually was Friday today, I would be getting ready for a trip to my least favorite city (when it comes to navigating) for an MRI. So, here I am, on a THURSDAY, trying to come up with something to talk about.
One of the things that I try to do in this blog is to give a glimpse into the everyday life of a music therapist (me). Sometimes I write about music therapy things, issues, questions, and conversations. Other times I write about the minutiae of my life as a music therapist, so things do not always center on music therapy techniques or therapeutic music experiences (TMEs). Today's post will be one of the "this is a glimpse into my life" kinda posts.
I got hurt at work about a week ago. It was a client-incident and led to something popping in my knee that has kept me from walking, standing, or moving the way I usually do. I feel like a much-older woman as I hobble from place to place, have to use my transfer skills (learned from my mother, the Occupational Therapist, who knows how to transfer folks), and am constantly adjusting my IMMOBILIZER (I'm thinking about naming mine since it's now my most constant companion - what do you think about Arnold?) so I can move even a little bit. I am having to change my way of doing music therapy. I can no longer be a dancing participant, so I have to watch while my students dance and jump. I'm getting real tired of being hurt, but I know that I have to be patient.
My disordered week is completely related to this injury. I had an interruption of my plan for the weekend, I nearly forgot an intern webinar last Thursday evening, and took a day off on Monday for medical reasons. So, my first day at work this week was Tuesday, not my regular Monday. Every thing has been a bit out of whack, including myself!
It's interesting what clients notice versus what staff members notice about the people around them. Most of my clients notice that I am sitting on a chair right now instead of the floor. Several of them notice that I am wearing a skirt (the better to manage Arnold (hmmm, that sounds a bit hinky - I think I like it!), and others move along completely oblivious to others. Most of the staff members are in the oblivious category - they get offended when I don't leap up to physically assist a client (I'm not allowed to and it's killing me!). There have been complaints that are easily squelched when they see Arnold, the immobilizer.
Injuries happen. They happen to all of us at one time or another, and it's important to figure out ways to do your job, even when you are hurt. This is not a career-ending injury for me - I can still do music therapy - but it might seriously alter how I do this particular job. I cannot be alone with a kid right now since I cannot guarantee that I can do everything possible to keep that kid safe. Things may have to change, but I am flexible.
I will move into this day, trying to accept my new reality, and to continue to do my job. Tomorrow, I take another (huh) step towards a diagnosis and treatment process. Arnold and I will spend some more quality time together, trying to get around, slowly but surely. It's nice to have someone that supports you in your everyday activities...
Be safe out there, therapists!
I was almost ready for a Favorite Things Friday post today. I was looking around for something that is one of my favorite things (by the way, I'm running out of things to talk about on Fridays, so the theme may be changing pretty soon). I knew it wasn't Friday. After all, I'm getting dressed into my uniform for work, but my brain was thinking "Friday, Friday, Friday." If it actually was Friday today, I would be getting ready for a trip to my least favorite city (when it comes to navigating) for an MRI. So, here I am, on a THURSDAY, trying to come up with something to talk about.
One of the things that I try to do in this blog is to give a glimpse into the everyday life of a music therapist (me). Sometimes I write about music therapy things, issues, questions, and conversations. Other times I write about the minutiae of my life as a music therapist, so things do not always center on music therapy techniques or therapeutic music experiences (TMEs). Today's post will be one of the "this is a glimpse into my life" kinda posts.
I got hurt at work about a week ago. It was a client-incident and led to something popping in my knee that has kept me from walking, standing, or moving the way I usually do. I feel like a much-older woman as I hobble from place to place, have to use my transfer skills (learned from my mother, the Occupational Therapist, who knows how to transfer folks), and am constantly adjusting my IMMOBILIZER (I'm thinking about naming mine since it's now my most constant companion - what do you think about Arnold?) so I can move even a little bit. I am having to change my way of doing music therapy. I can no longer be a dancing participant, so I have to watch while my students dance and jump. I'm getting real tired of being hurt, but I know that I have to be patient.
My disordered week is completely related to this injury. I had an interruption of my plan for the weekend, I nearly forgot an intern webinar last Thursday evening, and took a day off on Monday for medical reasons. So, my first day at work this week was Tuesday, not my regular Monday. Every thing has been a bit out of whack, including myself!
It's interesting what clients notice versus what staff members notice about the people around them. Most of my clients notice that I am sitting on a chair right now instead of the floor. Several of them notice that I am wearing a skirt (the better to manage Arnold (hmmm, that sounds a bit hinky - I think I like it!), and others move along completely oblivious to others. Most of the staff members are in the oblivious category - they get offended when I don't leap up to physically assist a client (I'm not allowed to and it's killing me!). There have been complaints that are easily squelched when they see Arnold, the immobilizer.
Injuries happen. They happen to all of us at one time or another, and it's important to figure out ways to do your job, even when you are hurt. This is not a career-ending injury for me - I can still do music therapy - but it might seriously alter how I do this particular job. I cannot be alone with a kid right now since I cannot guarantee that I can do everything possible to keep that kid safe. Things may have to change, but I am flexible.
I will move into this day, trying to accept my new reality, and to continue to do my job. Tomorrow, I take another (huh) step towards a diagnosis and treatment process. Arnold and I will spend some more quality time together, trying to get around, slowly but surely. It's nice to have someone that supports you in your everyday activities...
Be safe out there, therapists!
Comments
Post a Comment