All in a day's work.....

Nurse Amber, one of my favorite nurses. If you are ever sick and homebound this is for sure the nurse you want treating you !

Do you remember what Johnny Carson said about his career and in particular his days hosting

" The Tonight Show' ?? It was ( and i'm paraphrasing) that he was the luckiest man alive because he woke up every morning doing exactly what he wanted to do and enjoyed it immensely.

As many of you know, I am a home health physical therapist. I spend my days treating patients in their home and assisted living facilities. My patients range in age from 34 to 95. I love helping them regain strength, range of motion and endurance. Above is a photo of my 95 year old patient and I , Grace, at her 95th birthday party in December. Have you ever seen a more beautiful lady ? Since then, Grace has sustained a fall with a broken pelvis from which she is recovering. She loves baseball and is a HUGE fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

I love going to work on a Monday morning. I am always pleasantly tired by the end of the day and in particular by the end of a Friday. But I love what I do. The intrinsic rewards are immense. I practice what I preach. I exercise constantly and try to set an example for my patients. I hope to still be running marathons when and if I am an octogenarian.

Today I had a patient who was very negative. He complained during the whole treatment session. He is a very negative man. He has made poor choices which have affected his health. He chose not to marry and has no children. He will leave this world a very lonely man.

In contrast I have a young amputee patient with two small boys who loves life. She has had all her fingers and thumbs amputated along with her left leg below the knee and part of her right foot. She is always upbeat and positive, grateful to be alive. She looks forward to the day soon when she will have a prosthesis. Today she started walking on her knees with knee pads on. Just a couple of laps around the room, but a huge step in her rehabilitation. I feel honored and blessed to walk this path with her as her physcial therapist. I am one of the luckiest men alive and I love my calling in life.