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Day Fourteen: Three Surgeries

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  5/24/22 Blog Written: 12:20pm Start: 6:50am End: 10:50pm Today’s Time: 4h00m Total Time: 79h15m Today was my last day of senior project and also my birthday. I got such a great birthday present from Chris, being able to watch three surgeries; he bought me some Dunkin's, too. I had to wake up at 5:30am in order to get ready for the surgery which started at 7am. Chris and I were shadowing Dr. Milano at Concord Orthopedic Surgical Center. The first surgery, my favorite surgery, that we went to was a surgery in the elbow to release some tension in the ulnar nerve(or the funny bone). The tension was released by moving the nerve from the Medial Epicondyle to the back inside. So it moved from inside the bump on your inside elbow to the side of the elbow. The surgeon first sutured up the fat and fascia, then the skin, then to fasten the skin together, he used a surgical stapler. After the surgery was done, the attending nurse gave me a clean staple to keep as a souvenir, which is pictu...
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Day Thirteen: Packing and Inventory

  5/23/22 Blog Written: 7:30pm Start: 12:25pm End: 1:50pm Today’s Time: 1h25m Total Time: 75h15m I started my packing this morning because there was nothing really to do, and even in the afternoon, I didn’t do much either. This morning, I packed up my food, which took awhile, because I had to sort through it, and do some cleaning. Then I packed up my school things as well, which also took awhile because I kept on finding things then had to create new space for it as well. Then I did some dishes, and cleaned my boyfriend’s water bottle because he forgot it in my backpack yesterday. And I thought it would be a nice thing to do because he hasn’t had a chance to clean it for a little while, so to take one thing he had to do off his back. After that, I went to lunch then went to the AT room to help take inventory. I counted the cervical collars, bug spray, sunscreen, benadine, gauze, adhesives, Game Ready accessories, slings, compression sleeves, etc. Finally after that, I finished ...
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  This week, I basically did the same as last week, but more in depth, and more hands-on. Like wrist taping, lightning protocols, orthopedic management, testing a knee, drills, orthopedics, splinting, and c-spine stabilization, watching surgery video, rehab, and taping/wrapping a knee.  For the taping section, on Monday, I practiced taping Chris’ ankle twice, then moved on to taping wrists. I practiced two types of tapes, one for supporting the actual wrist, and the other for supporting the thumb. When Chris had to go to a meeting, I practiced the taping on Bella, each wrist, each ankle. Later that week, on Thursday, then again on Friday, I was able to wrap two people’s knees. Along the lines of being able to do something on an actual patient, I was able to perform an Anterior Drawer test on someone who actually had a torn ACL.  For the lightning protocol, I learned that besides the numbers, it is pretty much common sense, if you see any lightning, it’s time to get ...
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Day Twelve: Rehab and Taping

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  5/21/22 Blog Written: 3:50pm Start: 9:10am End: 2:35pm Today’s Time: 4h35m Total Time: 73h50m Today, I started out with talking about rehab, and the procedure behind it. We covered the basics, like first starting out with pain and swelling management, so using ice bags, Game Ready, compression sleeves, braces, and crutches; this would start in the first 72 hours of the injury and through day 5. Then comes range of motion, so drawing the alphabets with your foot, the slant board, etc.; this happens after the first 72 hours and through day 5. Then strengthening, which includes banded pumps in 4 directions, balancing on the pad, etc.; this happens in the second week after the injury. Finally return to sport functions, so giving them drills and exercises that correlate to their sport; this happens after the second week. After that, I helped Chris clean out the ice machine, which went by surprisingly fast. I got out all the ice by myself even though I had to almost get into the ma...
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Day Eleven: Surgery and a Shot

5/20/22 Blog Written: 7:30pm Start: 9:00am End: 4:50pm Today’s Time: 6h20m Total Time: 69h15m Today, Chris had me watch a video of an ACL and meniscus tear repair surgery in the morning, then in the afternoon we went to get some testing done in order for us to be able to view a surgery hopefully on Tuesday. During the ACL and meniscus tear repair surgery, I noticed that the fascia almost looked furry, like white bunny fur. And the only part that bothered me wasn’t the muscle tissue or the tendons and bone getting cut, no, it was the skin getting stretched.  On the car ride over to the hospital to get our shot/test, we talked a little about the surgery that I had just watched, and also what type of surgery I might be able to observe, more than likely it will be a hand surgery. I am not very good with needles, and normally getting shots end with me in tears, squeezing the nurses hand until my knuckles go white. But this time, it went much better, no crying and no squeezing some poo...
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Day Ten: Orthopedics, Splinting and C-Spine Stabilization

  5/19/22 Blog Written: 4:50pm Start: 8:50am End: 4:45pm Today’s Time: 6h25m Total Time: 62h55m Today was a pretty good day with just practicing. We first started in the dining hall, with me assessing Chris’ supposed injury. So apparently, Chris had a fall on the ski hill, after his knee gave out, and there was some twisting involved, too. So I did the assessment, and narrowed it down to either an ACL tear or a meniscus tear. Turns out that it was an ACL tear because the pain in his knee was deep. After that we went back to the Training Room and refreshed my memory on how to use a Scoop Backboard, and also a Traction Splint.  After lunch, we practiced stabilizing the c-spine; at first it was going great, when I was following Grace, a college AT student, and what she said, but when it came time for my turn, it was not so great. So, Chris was on the ground, in football gear, and I made the mistake of moving his shoulder a little bit, when there is a possibility for a c-spine...
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Day Nine: Two Drills and a Game

  5/18/22 Blog Written: 8:30pm Start: 9:20am End: 4:00pm Today’s Time: 6h20m Total Time: 56h30m Today, we did a drill in the morning. Chris said that he fell in a game, and that his ankle was in excruciating pain. So since he was able to tell me what happened, and that we were inside, that ensured scene is safe and the ABCDEs. After that, I moved on to asking history questions, like what happened, did you hear or feel anything when you fell, and was your foot planted(emphasis on this one because he does have a history with injuries relating to having a planted foot). Then to observations, like swelling, discoloration, and deformity. Then we stopped at palpations, because I “felt” a spongy part on his fibula, also he yelped out in pain, which is also a pretty good indication that there is a very possible fracture. Then, a few minutes later, Chris collapsed, but he was still breathing and had a heart rate. But while I was doing a chunk test(poking around to feel for any deformities...
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