#201- ER

When I first started doing home health PT, I really wasn't sure exactly what was expected of me.  They did not have a class called home health 101 in PT school, and as you can imagine, most people's homes do not resemble a gym.  Anyway, I remember one of my first patients that I went to see.  It was in a little trailer down in Montegut.  An old cajun lady.  I called to say I was coming.  I drive to Montegut...turn around when I get almost to Dulac, and then go the correct way to Montegut.  I arrive about 45 minutes late only to find that the OT who is also seeing the patient has arrived.  I was a little uptight because I was so late, but turns out that I shouldn't have worried.

I walk in and this guy is siting on the bed with this elderly lady.  I had no idea who he was.  He was talking French to her with a lot of hand petting and "Aww, sha" mixed in.  He was #201.  Friendly, kind, nice, OT-extraordinaire, and total BS-er.  I didn't catch on to that last part until several visits later.  He's the guy who always says the right thing at the right time...true or not.  I never saw someone make more old ladies blush.  He could turn on the charm in an instant and use it for the power of OT goals.  One of the jobs of OT's is to help patients learn or re-learn how to dress, bathe, and cook following a medical incident.  Not only was he able to do this, but he usually arranged it so he could stay for supper.

Not everyone loves #201, but he has always been nice to me.  He helped me more than once in that first year of doing home visits and for that I thank him.  He has since moved on and I really have lost touch with him.  Some people saw through his baloney immediately and wanted no part of him, but I will give him credit for using his "way with words' to get a lot of people to try and succeed at doing things that they did not want to do.

In his honor...here is a joke I found...(If my kids are reading this...close browser now!)



A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

If that doesn't say it all about #201, I don't know what does!