My Last Day at Work

As I drove home from the hospital yesterday, I couldn't help but say a thank you prayer out loud to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a wonderful job these past two years and 3 months. We are so sad to say goodbye to the glowing benefits package that comes with working for Intermountain Healthcare, especially our health insurance. 

(And for the record, I strongly believe if every health insurance was smart enough to do a Health Savings Account the way that IHC/Select Health does, where the company matches the employee at 57.50 per paycheck, our nation wouldn't be in trillions of dollars of debt and our healthcare system would be drastically improved.) But moving on... 

Outpatient Neuro Trauma Rehab at UVRMC

I am just filled with so much gratitude, and also a bit of sadness as I say goodbye to dear friends and patients. I have learned so much, and I love serving people through healthcare. 

Shane, my supervisor, has been a privilege to work with. He has a gift for working with people from all walks of life. Shane works with those who have had something extremely traumatic happen to their brains or bodies. It has been such an honor to work with him and to assist these broken patients, both literally and figuratively, and their families. 

Our patients adore Shane and light up whenever they do physical therapy with him.
Babies light up around him too, so of course Amberly is one of his many fans.

This man is excited to be a grandpa some day!

The hospital was my home when Jon was slaving away at the J. Reuben Clark.

Shawna and Angie have also become dear friends. (She named Amberly "Handstand" when I was a few weeks preggo. For further info, you'll have to look up the blog post that announced my pregnancy last year :)

Shane even taught me how to play soccer (well, okay I'm still pretty awful but there has been some improvement in the area!)

Our numbers were few on my last day, but we still got a quick pic for old times sake.

Rach with her "coaches" - normally Katie plays so I'm not the only girl out there.

I feel I'm at the brink of tears as I end the Provo chapter of my life and move back to Salt Lake County. I'm not even leaving the state but my entire network is about to change. Just embrace it, right?

Provo, I adore you!

Celebrating Two-Seven

I turned 27 years old on January 10th. My plan is to age well and welcome each year with optimism and enthusiasm to live my life. In three years, I want to be one of the few people that is genuinely excited to turn 30. Meanwhile, I welcome age 27 with joy and high hopes that this year Jonathan and I can have success with bringing the little babes into our home. But if not, we will continue to live our lives after the manner of happiness.

Because I am determined to blossom wherever I am planted.

On Thursday, January 10th, 2013 I felt completely doted over and quite frankly, a bit spoiled on my day of birth.

It was a marvelous birthday because I felt loved and appreciated all. day. long.

Started off with an early morning workout at the gym and a delicious green smoothie that was waiting for me from the hubby when I came home. My coworkers gave me presents and birthday wishes, my sister and her boy brought me flowers and ingredients for my new Blendtec. They even brought me lunch from our Zupas which twas delicious.

Barbara made me cookies because she is a tremendous baker.Yes, I do sit on an exercise ball every day at work...like Dwight from the Office. Here I am, encompassed by my Birthday loot!

And... I got to wear the birthday sombrero that gets passed around from employee to employee. And my coworkers made me laugh all day. "You can't have a cookie unless you say 5 nice things about Rach."

The ridiculously good-looking man that I am married to had these delivered to my desk because I wasn't able to see him all day. His Thursday class schedule begins at 7:40 in the am and ends at 5:40 in the pm. He left at 7 that day. So when my favorite flowers were delivered I almost cried because that's the sentimental fool that I am.

And I didn't mind them brightening up our little apartment afterwards either!

Much to Jon's pleasant surprise, I still wanted to go to the basketball game on the night of my birthday. He took me to Gurus to eat some din din beforehand. And the cougars were kind enough to win big that night. Thanks, Fellas.

And then the very best part of all was taking the next day off of work. Jon convinced me to do this weeks in advance because he has no Friday classes. We slept in, went to the gym, had TIME in our favor finally, and he made me my favorite breakfast - eggs and toast. (I am so boring) He even added a little birthday candle. ha ha how I love that guy.

And because the weather was beckoning us, we took advantage of the snow storm and went sledding!

More like...we got white-washed every time we went down the mountain together. It was hilarious, and cold, and hard to breathe, and wet, and a complete blast.

He is my best friend and my world.

And what would a birthday be without family to celebrate it with? Here are my darling cousins Chelsea and Brittany, who I grew up with.

My sis and her boy.

                                      

My fun mama with Britt.

Oh and I have officially arrived. I finally have my own pair of cleats to tear it up on the soccer field at work!! Thanks a million to my brother David who emails me every day to ask whether or not I scored!

We just kept celebrating all month. The Dittos came to Provo last Sunday evening to do their family birthday traditions as well and give me a few more presents. See? Spoiled.

I am 27 years old. I have a feeling that's going to be hard to remember.

Christmas at Intermountain Healthcare

For the record, this is what my desk looked like at the hospital the week before Christmas.

I feel fairly confident that our patients and their families appreciate us! They come to us emotionally and physically broken, and I love the position I am in to give some small part of myself to help. I sure love the patients and families I get to work with in the neuro trauma rehab unit.

We had three Christmas parties this year with the Rehab Department. Here are a few members of the outpatient physical therapy team. Shane, my supervisor wearing yellow, is also my "coach" out on the soccer field each day it's warm enough to play. On my left is Angie, who normally sits with me at the front desk and entertains us all because she's freaking hilarious. I love working with each of these great people.

 

 







Standstill of May

Each week you come, kind sir. And wheel across my desk in your chair. You never forget to tell me Hello, and to ask if my husband told me today that I'm beautiful.

Two years have gone by now
Since the accident that resulted in your

paralysis.

And today, you opened up to me
and touched my heart.

You say it's the best thing that ever happened to you.

It's been traumatic, devastating, and heart-wrenching without a doubt
But you also say what you have learned from this journey is worth every moment of pain.

You are closer to your wife and children than you have ever been before.
You know and value what matters most in life.
Your eyes have been opened.
And you would rather help others than remain bitter, closed off, isolated.

Your example to me today was a standstill moment.
Your body may be broken, but your spirit is rejuvenated and vibrant with life.

I thank you for your words and your teaching moments.
Life is about blossoming where you are planted.

Ode to ________ .

Recent Faves at the IHC

The physical, occupational, and speech therapists I work with kept asking me when I'd come out to play soccer with them during their lunch breaks. Repeatedly, I assured them I am not talented at the sport. I just like to run. Finally, I gave in a couple weeks ago. It breaks up my day in a way that I love love love. It feels so good to move rather than sit for so many hours straight!

And the best news of all, I have scored two goals since I started playing! The first time I actually scored, I did a few cartwheels, shouted for joy, and exclaimed how quickly I needed to call my husband. He is so proud. I think he secretly always wanted to marry a soccer chick. ;-)

I sit on an exercise ball at my desk. You know I would. My supervisor frequently comes in and kindly tries to throw off my balance by kicking my ball. Not gonna happen!

Our regular patients make me laugh and bring me joy each day. Most of them are survivors of stroke, traumatic brain injury, breast cancer, lymphedema, and leg amputations. I have a willow tree figurine of a faceless girl holding a bouquet of calla lillies on my desk. She reminds me to be gracious and understanding each day. If I can play even the smallest part in the healing process of these wonderful people, then my day was meaningful. I come home filling inspired and filled each day.

"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts." - Charles Dickens

Sugar Mama: Take 2

After weeks of applications and three or four interviews, Intermountain Healthcare has finally hired me as a full-time secretary! It is a time to rejoice and be grateful, for sure. Jonathan and I have never been offered such exceptional health insurance benefits before, and I was nearly in tears when we looked through the details of the packet.

So time to take two then, and it's back to working full-time. I seem to have a pattern of abruptly switching my schedule from and easy and laidback to full and exhausting. It feels good though, this exhaustion. I am willing and able, and I can be the breadwinner for now. :-)

Meanwhile, my head is swimming with the seemingly endless information they have been filling my brain with over at the hospital. This position is not easy, at least not yet. Even once I start catching on and understanding the flow of things, there will be daily problems to solve with patients and insurance billing and scheduling and medicare requirements and therapist requests and so on. Bring on the fun. I'll take this job over SecurityMetrics any day!

Also, is this a normal reaction to a tetanus shot? What the.

They had to stick me five times to assure that I was up to date with all immunizations. I guess  a hospital with sickie face employees wouldn't exactly meet compliance standards. My arm was so sore because the nurse did the Tetanus and that nasty flu shot side by side.

Worth it! I need to earn my ticket to New Zealand this May.