Summer Kick-off

When I got to work on Friday one of my clients told me that he was leaving AMA (against medical advice). After talking with him for a while in the lounge about how he felt about going home and what his plan was to stay clean we learned that he didnt really want to leave. He had a bad day on Thursday and called home to get picked up and thought it was too late to cancel the pick up because his dad lives an hour away and would be there soon. He mentioned wanting to go into rehab so that isnt something I let slip by and I looked into getting him into a program in st john. Its not as easy as it should be. He would have to call the health centre when he got home to make an appt with an OPC, which could be up to 3 weeks, and then they would screen him and get to know him for awhile and then try to get him into a program which could be a month or so after that. Meanwhile he has to stay clean on his own. Long story short I managed to talk him into staying his full term in detox and I think he was able to communicate a lot of concerns, so it felt good. And all the others told him how proud they were of him for staying. He asked me to be his sponsor, I sort of wish I could, but I know thats not reasonable. I took the group on their afternoon walk by myself Friday because I was supposed to be working on the self reflective essays while my preceptor did paperwork and the walker guy didnt show up so I of course volunteered to go out on the nice sunny day! On the way back into the building they even all stuck up for me when the commissionaire gave me a hard time about opening the door to let us back in, it was funny...they were like you dont talk to our girl like that!

Then Maggie picked me up and we went out to Tobys cottage for the night! It was a lot of fun even though it rained a little off and on. He has a hottub and the cottage is in a great spot (although I may have lost weight from the mosquitoes)! His brother Joel took Maggie and I out on the 4 wheeler which was great. We had a bonfire and sat in the tub all night. I got up early and went and sat down by the lake for a while, it was very peaceful. Later in the morning Toby had an accident involving a coffee mug and ceiling beams and had to be rushed to the hospital to take care of a wound which I will describe as a steak oozing out of his back, which was I presume his lats. I almost cried, or threw up, it was intense for a bit. It was a good thing that Maggies friend Jeff is a medical resident because he took fast action. They went to the hospital with him and his parents and we sat around talking about all of Tobys accidents for awhile. Janek and I took the canoe out and were going to paddle over to Joels cottage on the other side of the lake but gave up and just went down the lake. We played some frisbee, BBQ'ed and lit firecrackers. Everyone eventually went home except Bob and I and we talked shop etc until Maggie and Jeff got back with news that our Toby was waiting for a surgery consult. Until I hear from Toby I can just hope that everything went well. When I got back to Fredericton Kevin and I went to see the DaVinci code, sometimes my tired cottage mind got a little lost...but overall it was good. Then I talked to my friend Chris on MSN, that is always exciting. He is planning a trip up here with the excuse that my goonies tshirt logo finally came in the mail. (Look Chris, you finally made the blog)


Tobys cottage from the bottom of the stairs to the lake


Standing on the deck


Stairs to the lake


Jan thinking about how wonderful OT's are


FTHOI plotting


Maggie preparing for S'more time


post s'mores


Practicing my j-stroke with my new friends


Actual j-strokin with my actual new friend


Kickin back while Janek brings me on a tour

Crash Landing

I ran my first group today, the clients made me do it. Sharon said I would run the one on Wednesday last Friday because they wanted me to teach them instead of her, but she had forgotten and we had plans to skip group and everything to go shopping! However, the clients remembered so of course I had to oblige them. I played a game with them about occupational balance in recovery. Its hard to really get your mind into that of an addict, but watching them today was a little bit of an eye opener. They just didnt know how to live anymore. Some had been addicted since they were young teens, and their days had been consumed with scoring and using. One guy said " I am not often at a loss for words, but when you asked me about leisure, I really couldnt for the life of me think of what that could be in my life." They seemed so distressed afterwards, how do they know what to do, what do you do in a normal day if it isnt searching for that high? It was an odd experience. Trying to explain to people what just comes so naturally. They started talking about something that happened the night before and how they laughed until their knees were weak, and then it dawned on them that this was the first time they had laughed like that and were sober. It almost made me tear up hearing them say things like that. I want to wrap my arms around each one of them and kick the ass of any pusher that comes near them. But I have to be like the momma bird and kick them out of the nest when discharge comes and just hope they can fly on their own.
My preceptor forgot it was midterm time until a silly nurse asked how much longer I had left here. I was just going to let it slip on by, you may have noticed she can be a little scattered sometimes, I love it! She is always talking about how she is supposed to go to some stats meeting, but lets the lady forget; so I told her I was doing the same thing :) Wait is this week 4! I tried to convince her it was week 3 but she got out the calandar...foiled again. So we do midterm Monday. unless...

Cure for the weekend 'Blahs'

So its the middle of the long weekend! I have hardly seen the girl that I lived with since I got back from the valley, her family is up from Manitoba so she is often out with them. The Canadian Mental Health Association is having a fundraiser in our building selling croc footwear, alook at this little croc family!

Also on Wed as another fundraiser there is a clothes sale! They are turning my pad in the health centre into a changing room and selling clothes that were worn once in fashion shows and were donated to the CMHA. They are going to make so much money its great! Even off the crocs alone they must be making a mint! When I came into work on Friday it was nuts in the entry way with people grabbing crocs up left right and centre! I wonder if our grad class can get into any of these ideas, asking stores for donations etc and having a sale in the SUB or tupper.
I had another one on one at the Detox which was really hard. I just didnt know what to say, sometimes I am scared that I dont know enough to make recommendations, you know? I'm still wearing training wheels. He was telling me about what began his problem with substance abuse and was asking what he should do. When he was 13 he went to his best friends house because him and a group of friends often hiked up to go swimming. His friend was sleeping and his mother said to just leave him, he wouldnt go today, but he insisted and woke him up and made him go. On the way there while they were all crossing the street he felt a push on his back and he fell forward. He heard screeching and turned around to see his best friend get hit by a car driven by a guy a couple yrs older than them. The guy had done the speed up to scare them trick but then lost control, and his best friend died saving him. He never got any counselling and still feels all this sadness, guilt and anger. I didnt know what to say. All I could do was recommend he get help for this or he would never overcome his addictions because he was trying so hard to numb himself. Then he said something that really clicked for me as a learning tool..."Thank you so much for your ear". I guess we dont always have to be the experts, sometimes just being there and listening can mean so much for a person (therapeutic use of self anyone?). I gave him some resources on grief counselling.
I wanted to go to a concert on Friday, and the market on Saturday but no one was around this weekend. I started getting that feeling where I am more than ready to just go home. BUT then Maggie called and invited me to her house for a BBQ! Her family is really great and it was a good time. We went out after to her brothers girlfriends and then Maggie and her fella went home and I went out to Dolans with her brothers and their friends. They were all super nice making sure I had fun and felt like a part of the crew. Her brother even goes to the Chi a lot and said he would entertain me when I got shipped out. However, during my adventure I lost the cap off my "I read the Coast" pin that scott gave me at the Junos concert! Haha...so that was a little sad.


This is part of my grad gift from my older sister, its hilarious!


The yellow rain in Fredericton?? Please please be pollen! haha... After a heavy rain this is what my roomies boots looked like sitting on the balcony. I had seen the yellow rimmed puddles before, but this was a curiosity.


The view from my balcony, I love how there are so many trees in Freddy, makes for a nicer walk to work.

Caps and gowns

Ultimate frisbee was pretty entertaining, I wish I had taken my camera! There was definately a lot of nice things to look at. One guy even said I was a natural, because frisbee is one of my innate talents just waiting to be released. The whole time they were showing us all these different types of throws I was thinking, oh repetative strain injury, oh ulnar deviation etc etc haha! Its a dangerous sport! The concert was also great, I love InFlight Safety! We even met Tara there and I ran into a couple people I knew from Acadia.
I left Fredericton this weekend, which was a nice change of pace. I spent 7 hours on a bus to get there, but it was so nice to be back. I had to hang out at the hospital for a while waiting for my dad and did a little OTing while I was there. I helped a lady getting her hip xray :P Nanuk went bezerk when I got home, dad was blocking him at the door and he tried to just plow his way through dad but it wasnt working (very funny!)We left early sunday morning to make it to WolfVegas in time for brekkie, then I remembered that meal hall wasnt cool! Oh well one last walk down memory lane. We took a lot of pictures around the campus, I love the Acadia grounds.


Those are paintings! I always loved them...






We had supper at Joe's of course, a classic, and then had icecream at Hennigars, yet another classic. Convocation was good, I was so happy to see the sun and they changed the ceremony since I went there so its a lot faster. I got a few Acadia memorabilia and framed my diploma and then we had to rush to catch the bus so I could make it back to Freddy. We missed the bus in Truro so we chased it to Amherst, so I didnt have to spend 7hrs on the way back which was a bonus. Some weirdos sat by me after the Moncton stop, haha, this one guy was like do you like reptiles? I wish I couldve seen my face...it was so random. I just said um...I dont know. So he picks up his backpack and says I have one want to see it, and proceeds to pull a crocodile gecko out of his bag. Nice.
Back at work and things are moving along, she finally pulled the Learning Objectives out today and it is the end of week 3. She told me to make up 3, I told her last year I had one or more for each section...so she said I could do that too...but we decided 3 was fine! haha! I met with my own client today, alone, and she is doing great since our last meeting. She is using the strategies we talked about. The crew in at detox this week were also full of spunk and liked to joke around. One of the girls is pregnant and is on methadone so that the withdrawl doesnt cause premature labour. Her boyfriend will check in after she checks out.

It doesnt really matter...right now

(title is the line the lady says over and over in one of our relaxation tapes, it is one of my favourites to make fun of...I find it hard not to giggle when she says it)

So week 2 has now ended! I am struggling slightly with realizing that the time we have left is as long as the whole time I was in Charlottetown, but other than that things are great. I am loving my placement! I cant get over how friendly and open the clients are. On Monday I started working on my community project, I am working with a student from the Uni. of Montreal and she is really nice. We are looking into the role OT could play in existing community mental health programs here in Freddy that currently dont have one on staff, they are hoping our project opens up some job opportunities that maybe I could come back and fill haha! We also went to a seminar on crystal meth because of its increasing popularity...I seriously hope it doesnt catch on because wow does that stuff mess you up! We had a meeting with parents of a young boy who were complaining about the behaviours he has been displaying lately (schizophrenia) and we educated them on the disorder and I think it was really eye opening for them (things they were blaming him for that he had no control over) and I think it really scared the mom when we got to the suicide and drug section. But hopefully they use the techniques we talked about on how to address the issues because she was pretty much just yelling at him or ignoring him (I get to meet him next week). I started doing initials this week, and I am hoping to get a lot more practice. I still feel a little disorganized and unconfident in my advice. I was interviewing one girl (schizophrenia) and she brought up how her leisure has declined because she is scared to go out in her neighbourhood because a boy on her street raped her. I had a slight pause as in my head I was screaming THEY DIDNT TEACH US WHAT TO SAY FOR RAPE! I was remembering all the stuff about suicide and was so nervous about saying the wrong thing (especially since the girl became teary eyed a lot in the interview and if she started crying I mightve started too!) So I just asked her if she had talked to anyone about this before and if legal action had been taken. My preceptor said that I handled it well and it is the sort of thing we will let her explore with us later when she is more comfortable (she had spoken with a counsellor about it). We also ran a health in action group which is through EPP so that is a lot of fun too. It was organized because so many of the young people gain weight on the meds so they do a healthy activity and then come back for a healthy lunch...what a job I have! I'm excited for our next outings. I got to go to the clubhouse, and friends and fellowship, and the job placement program as well. Starting to write OT notes also and am having a hard time focusing the info...I asked her if I could just write a story and forget about this DARP crap. I have a hard enough time focusing these blogs, maybe I do need to write more than once a week, I have so much more to say but this already looks long! Good thing I have a captive audience ;) I have been running in the park here and I love it, I think I even like it more when it is wet, the park is really pretty and has some great trails (and killer hills). Suzie, from the yr ahead of us is working here so we have been hanging out, tonight we are going to play ultimate frisbee and then go to In-flight Safety at the capital! I think it will be a great night! AND tomorrow I go to NS so I can graduate! I get Monday off for it and I will get to see my puppy for a night!

Don't meth up your life!

So, its Sunday night and I think to myself, I should check and see where I have to meet my preceptor tomorrow. Turns out I dont meet her at the Chalmers Hospital which is 2 blocks from my apartment, but, I meet her at the Victoria health centre which is, um...20 blocks from my apartment. A nice little change of events. I guess they wanted to help me out with an adventure. Finding the health centre in the morning, and getting there on time- challenge accepted. I actually beat my preceptor- for the win! I started off in the Detox unit, which was interesting. I was picturing Trainspotting all the way, screaming and sweating, kicking and punching...but its all pretty tame! Its all still a lot of orientation, and figuring out what is appropriate to talk about etc, its the kind of unit you tip toe around. It's a little disheartening because you can become attached to the clients and you want so much for them to reach their goals, but they are there for a week and then they are out. I think it is such a big step for them to just be there and there is only so much as OT's that we can do when we only see them for a week and then they are left on their own. And I am so curious to see how things turn out for them. I just had to say goodbye to my first client that I got on Monday and I have mixed feelings about it. He is 21 and it is his first time in for narcotics abuse and he is really shy. He was really starting to come around though and was opening up during our walk about how he is uncertain about going home today but how he really wants to get over this. I was able to talk to him about setting up a good support system when he gets home but I will be wondering about it for the rest of placement and how well he dwill do when he goes back to hanging out with the same crowd. We also just got a new girl in who is 19 and this isn't her first visit to detox, which really makes you wonder what our system is missing to support these people (I would love to do research on this Beagan!) I understand that detox is medically based to clean out the system and the best we can do is provide some education during their short trip, but I just wish there was something for them at the end. The waiting list for the methadone maintenance program is a year and half if they require that, and its the same for a councilor. So they clean up, they acquire all this information on sobriety in a supporting environment, but then they go back to drug town and are expected to stay clean.
Every other day I am in the early psychosis program, which is a great resource for people who just experienced their first psychotic episode. We definitely have some interesting cases. Most of the people in the program are our age, so you can appreciate their concerns for getting their lives back on track because so much happens for us at this age! I have gotten to see some one on one discussions but they also have a health in action program that meets biweekly that I am very excited about and weekly healthy outings because so many people experience weight gain from the meds which impacts their self-esteem at a very fragile time. Mental illness is no joke, delusional thoughts can be scary and dangerous- one back story involves attempting to saw off their own head to let the spirits out.
So many interesting cases! People who have grandeur and think the sun is giving them energy to live forever, that the radio is sending them messages, voices telling them to spread the word of god and to kill themselves...some just started having psychosis because they did too much crystal meth (and this is 2 yrs later and they are still experiencing it!) There is no cookie cutter guidebook on what to expect with psychosis, that is for sure!
So that was my first week, with minimal to nil adventures! :P But I definitely am looking forward to getting more hands on and meeting more of the clients. And I think the walk to work is shrinking my butt haha!

Of course I took pictures, because whats a blog without visuals...


This is the Chalmers Hospital, which is not where I work :)


This is the Victoria Health Centre...where I do work!


I noticed this view from my preceptors office yesterday, the red circle is the chalmers, the blue is where my apt is, and the green is one of my hills


This is what my preceptor calls Melissa's Pad, I could pretty much move in. Its where I do my private work while she does hers (temptation to nap is prevalent) Has a kitchen and 2 bathrooms, and is even equipped with food!


Me watching "Healing the addicted brain"...and yes, I almost cried...twice, plus I noticed some neuroanatomy mistakes

This is looking the other way at the health centre, thats the st john river, theres a nice trail there. The building in the centre is the emergency homeless shelter, which isnt a great location because right behind where that person is walking (around the corner) is the balcony where our detox clients have their smoke breaks (a great view for them to see people doing drugs/drinking, people they get high with, score from etc etc)




This is the smoke break balcony, man do they love their smoke breaks! Addicts are addicted to everything it appears. Everything here is locked entry and exit so I have a card I wear around my neck that says 'student' and opens the doors, so they have to buzz to come back in. They have rules about not talking to people over the railing (like I mentioned above with the homeless shelter in case they are scoring etc) and the conversations can be monitored because they arent allowed to tell "war stories" about past drug use in case it affects peoples recovery. All the doors are locked but they are all here on their own free will (you have to check yourself in) so they can decide to leave at anytime if they wish.

Time to think about learning objectives...can I get a whoop whoop?