Sean had a confirmation meeting Tuesday so I was unable to go to ATI. Luba was back on Thursday and she worked with me. She asked me about agreeing to talk with Brad and I nodded. Brad brought over a clipboard as Luba stretched my leg up, I recounted a few of the facts I share with my students in the beginning of the year as they fill out a questionnaire. Mint Chocolate Chip is my favorite ice cream. U2 is my favorite band. I LOVE football. When I said that, Brad stopped me and we talked about football for a while. He asked if I liked college football and I told him that I didn’t watch as much as I wish I did. I LOVE talking about football!
Next, he asked me about my diagnosis. I’m pretty comfortable talking about it and I recounted the appointment with who would be my first internal medicine Doctor, the ER visit, the hospital stay, and not being able to walk. Then I talked about breaking my ankle and my Dad dying. I told him about how “easy” it was to teach from a chair and how now I work at Barwis Methods to try to get OUT of my wheelchair. Brad scribbled things down as Luba pretty much just listened quietly and worked my leg.
Then we changed gears a bit and Brad explained questions he’d be asking from a questionnaire and based on my answer he’d ask a follow-up question. Brad explained that my answers would help them (OT’s) know how to help me. It was how impaired certain abilities have become and how important that ability Is to me. As the questions progressed, it started to get difficult for me. A LOT has become impaired and those things are VERY important to me. It was DEPRESSING! It was depressing but illuminating for me. At the end, I told Brad that he could best help me by getting me a maid and a chef to help with my impairments at home. I explained that I’ve been coming to Barwis for over 2 1/2 years. I’m a distance swimmer. In reality, I’m patient. I’ve lost some of that wanting to walk so badly, but it’s not TOTALLY lost. It’s worth the wait.