This Career that I Love

A few weeks ago I watched a man walk past me at Walmart with braces on his legs, pushing a wheeled walker, carrying a bouquet of flowers for his wife.  This man was a patient of mine when I was doing my clinical time as a student at ICC.  I was with him the day he took his very first steps after his accident that left him paralyzed.  My heart just about burst from my chest to see him walking even though he had the assistance of a walker and braces, he had been given back his independence.  I was so proud of him.  If anyone could overcome the odds it was this man.

When I worked at the hospital in the cardiac ICU, I found people everyday that had the determination to beat the odds; some were able to while others died trying.  In the cardiac ICU, the day could change on a dime.  A patient that made steady progress could be gone when you walked in the next morning and likewise a patient who couldn't respond might be communicating and following commands.  Each and every day I gave out "the rock star award".  It was my own reminder to find the highlight of every day, something praiseworthy, something to remind myself how important my job was.  Of course there were patients who would refuse to work with me before I would even open my mouth to introduce myself and then there were those who just couldn't.

I adored working at OSF.  I loved being in the "hubbub" of Peoria.  I would watch the news in the morning and potentially work with a patient featured in a story that afternoon.  My job always brought me so much joy.  I will never, ever forget walking a sweet little lady who was on a ventilator with a team of people.  We were quite the parade going down the hall, but it brought me joy and it brought her strength.  My patient became my friend.  Her smile was contagious and her drive to get home was inspiring.  I knew that I made a difference. Sometimes I made a difference by crying with a patient, sometimes it was by making recommendations for discharge that would give the patient safety and allow them to go home, and sometimes it was by having a real, honest conversation about the reality of the situation they were in. Sometimes I miss this setting...

Today I work in a school with kids as young as 6 or as old as 16.  These kids are so neat.  They remind me that despite the cards I've been dealt, I have to pull up my boot straps and keep on truckin'!  These kids know no limits.  It was one such child that lead me to this path in the first place.  A sweet little girl named Emily.  I remember being completely enamored with her equipment and how she would stand even though she was in a wheelchair.  I loved seeing her on the floor.  She had a magnetic smile.  I will never forget her face.

When I was in high school I told my guidance counselor that I wanted to be in Physical Therapy.  I knew nothing about what a degree required, after all, she was supposed to tell me that, right?  She told me that my grades weren't good enough and directed me toward education.  I knew that wasn't the right path for me, but she was the expert.  Here I am countless years later, loving my job, being inspired every day, and making a difference.  In the school setting the differences that we make are on a smaller scale than that of the hospital.  But a child has a special way of melting my heart.

I can honestly say that I'm living the dream.  As I've read back on old posts I'm reminded of how much I fussed over my education and I wondered if it was worth it.  It totally was.  I would do it all again in a heartbeat if I had to.

Go find your dream; don't give up until you do.