Community Week 3

I finished my 3rd week of community today!

I’ve kind of been doing a little bit of everything at this rotation including counselings, learning about grant programs, observing classes that are offered, etc. I have really tried to focus on improving my counseling skills this week. This includes taking a few minutes to get to know the patient, asking open-ended questions to allow for the patient to answer honestly, taking the time to listen to what the patient is saying and encouraging the patient to set a goal that is achievable to them (not just what I want them to achieve).

I am very behind in my school work right now so that is stressing me out big time. This upcoming week is *not* going to be fun. But… at this time next week, I will be done!

Today was a big day because Lily had her 2-week post op appointment. She had her staples removed and everything looks really good with her knee. These past two weeks have not been easy but I am very thankful that she seems to be recovering well.

One thing we were really looking forward to is getting her e-collar removed. It is making her miserable. She has trouble eating on her own, she won’t sleep well and it’s hard for her to walk outside because she can’t sniff the ground. We were supposed to be able to take it off after her staples came out. Somehow she managed to bust her mouth this morning and she made it worse after her e-collar was removed by scratching the wound. So now she has to wear the collar for a little while longer :( Poor girl.

I expect this weekend will be very busy with school work and I’m working at a health fair on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!