Reflection #4

Stephanie Ortega
2-25-09
Reflection #4
Internship

Today was a normal day at Action Physical therapy but a little bit different today. When I got there I sat down in a chair, like most of the time. Or I would follow Mark, physical therapist, around. I got to see these two elderly patients that I usually see on Wednesdays and was very happy to see them. There names are Lucia and Lillian. Lillian has a knee problem and Lucia has a balance problem. I got to set up the foam on the floor so Lucia can walk over them and I got to take different stuff and make an obstacle path for Lucia, like I used cones, foams, and mats. I like to participate in the activities because I learn more and feel part of it as well. Friday was going to be Lucia’s last visit to the physical therapy, I was kind of sad for the fact that I’m use to helping her and I’m use to her and she’s very friendly. I also played soccer and catch with Lucia which is my favorite part of what I do there. I think Lucia is very strong and in good shape for a ninety year old woman. There are times that she gets dizzy and they have to check her blood pressure and it’s very high; that has happened like two times that I’ve been there. But she is an elderly woman and not a lot of people can make it to her age and be in the good condition she is. Lillian is also an elderly woman, even though she gets tired very easily and is a little lazy; she does the activities and is always happy. Another thing that I would do is, anytime a patient is timed to be on a bike, I would either set up the time or stop it when their time is up. Mark had a patient today that has a problem in her carpals which is near her hands where the two small bones are located. She is a secretary, and she’s been one since she was sixteen and now she’s fifty five, so it’s a pretty long time she’s been a typer. During lunch, there was an in service; the in service was about the health life, like the guy, who is a pharmacist, explained that all pills have side effects and how to live a healthy life. And he sells natural medicine that are made from all natural things and don’t have any side effects. He was also explaining how people take pills for every little pain and don’t know that it is also affecting the body as well. He said something that I never knew about in my life, he said that milk does not give calcium, when I heard that I was very surprised, because I was raised with the wrong information that milk has calcium. Even the physicians say that milk is the best source of calcium, I wonder why would doctors tell everyone to drink milk, because it has calcium, are they trying to make the milk company make money off of us by telling us the wrong information. He explained how the cows have calcium but it’s because they eat grass. So is it that all the green vegetables contain calcium? This is an interesting topic I would like to research and know about. After lunch, Mark was kind of busy so I worked with the other physical therapist, Dave, he was with a young teenager patient who plays football and he has a problem with his foot; his feet is very stiff and who could barely move it. He was also with another patient, he was a teenager too. This other boy has a knee problem, before he got to do his activities Dave taped his knee caps and that helps it pull it together or spread it out, not really sure but something like that, it’s suppose to help him do the exercises better. I also followed Brian around with the patients, he works in the office but he helps out the patients do their exercises and he watches them and makes sure they are doing the correct exercise.