I recently switched gears from Napa, CA in the private outpatient physical therapy clinic to Stanford Hospital where I am working inpatient as a PT (physical therapist) on three nursing units. Two of the units are Oncology and the third is also considered Oncology, but it is specifically the Bone and Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit. The BMT unit, also E1, is my main home base because my CI (clinical instructor) or preceptor, as they call them at Stanford, is a senior therapist for these patients. These floors are special, in particular, the BMT unit is special. Patients in this unit have cancer that has unsuccessfully been treated elsewhere with various chemotherapies and radiation therapies. They have complex diagnoses like acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to name a few. Perhaps needless to say, I spent my first week at Stanford looking up acronyms and learning pager numbers and door codes. The hospital is a giant wealth of information at your finger tips, but it does take some skill and sweet talking to get what you want when you want it. Here's me in my white lab coat nerding out at Stanford :)
I have truly learned from one of the best. Christine, my CI, is an absolutely inspirational individual. I feel so lucky to have her in my life--and for her to be my CI is quite amazing. She is kind and patient. Patient care is always her top priority. I never thought I would feel so passionately about inpatient physical therapy, but I absolutely love it.
In addition, my life is pretty awesome. Palo Alto and Redwood City have some of the most perfect weather there is. The days are warm and sunny without being hot, and the evenings sometimes smell/taste/feel like cool fall evenings in Georgia. Also, there are no mosquitoes. Have I mentioned previously in this blog that, in general, there are far fewer bugs in CA than in GA? It's lovely. I currently am residing in Redwood City in a 3 bedroom house with a woman who is only around occasionally, as she works in SF and has a house there, and a younger woman who just recently graduated from undergrad in MA and moved out here for a job in Redwood City in something complicated that I don't really understand.
Anyway. Here's my house. And pretty flowers.
