Life.... Getting closer to graduation

I should be absolutely thrilled.... there are exactly 2 months til graduation... I only have to make through 7 more weeks of clinical and then BAM! I'm the real deal after 7 long years of school. However instead of being able to fully embrace the closing of this chapter, all I can see is a panic filled count down to taking my board exams (T-6 weeks!). It's kinda sad that I feel like the excited-ness of graduation has been dampened by the nervousness of taking The Test. So like all good students instead of fully committing myself to studying (which don't worry I am spending a majority percentage of my day on) I also find myself procrastinating and both dreaming of the future while reminiscing of the past.

I miss my younger days when maybe my most difficult choice of the day was which horse was I going to ride.

I miss this, I think I most accurately miss the horses (along with the easiness of decisions required of me). So in this way I can't wait to graduate, get settled, make some money, and get back in the saddle (literally!). And even though its just 8 weeks away... it still seems so far off.

Why Settle for Being Good, When You Dream of Being Great?

This past week I feel like I’ve been walking through the time capsule of physical therapy school.  Last Thursday as I walked out of our building I passed by the now second years working for the first time with their neuro patients, some of the same ones as we worked with last year. Then as I walked outside I passed all the first year students experiencing what it’s like to walk with crutches or a walker in an outside environment. I laughed with my friends as we reminisced back to when we were completing that same task. It’s really been hitting me here lately just how far we have come in the last couple of years of physical therapy school. Sometimes I feel like it is so easy to look over how much we have actually learned. Ok ok enough of the sappy memories and on to the practical stuff.

Today we had one of our favorite professor’s lecture for the last time. Almost every time she had lectured for us in the past the first 5 minutes of class she always gave us a little life lesson, whether it was a quote or some lesson she learned from personal experience. Then today at the end of class she handed us a four page handout of all those life lessons she had shared with us over the last 2 ½ years. And I have decided to share my favorites here:

     - When she lectured us in Neuroscience:

o   There is one thing we can do, and the happiest people are those who do it to the limit of their ability. We can be completely present. We can… give all our attention to the opportunity before us.                              Mark Van Doren

·       

          - When we were trying to memorize all the millions of details of the spinal cord pathology:

o   Success is neither magic or dumb luck; it stems from a great deal of consistent hard work to perfect every detail. It is even a little mundane…. Win, go back to work, win again.

o   A loss is a crossroads, not a cliff. Winners make mistakes and encounter troubles all the time without falling off the edge
Both by Confidence by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

        

             - Intro to Pediatrics

o   10,000 hours. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.

o   Practice isn’t the thing that you do once you’re good. It’s the thing that you do that makes you good.

Both from Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

I feel like my professors favorite book was “The Last Lecture”, by Randy Pausch (this one is definitely on my To Read list, just haven’t gotten there yet). One of my favorite “Food for thought” sessions is an excerpt from this book:

                “Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”

90210 Tackles Spinal Cord Injury

This show was on in the background while I was doing one of my numerous projects from school. Interesting enough one of the characters recently got in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) and now is recovering from an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). They don't specify which level though I'm assuming cervical from the C-collar he is wearing throughout the episode. 

There are two interesting scenes. The first is around minute 6 when Dixon (the character with the SCI) comes home for the first time. As the scene plays out it shows his gf coming in and their interaction. Basically she comes in and doesn't know how to greet him so she gently pats him on the head and he says "wow I've been waiting to for that pat on the head all day, a kiss would have been better" to which she replies that she doesn't want to hurt him. 

The second interesting scene occurs when Dixon is attending some sort of outpatient PT setting. He is squeezing a stress relieving ball and there is a joke between him and his sister Annie about how he's going to become a pro at ball squeezes. Which reminds us as physical therapists of the necessity of patients seeing the meaning behind what they are doing. After this comment is made, another character (Rylee) is introduced as he throws the ball at Dixon and laughs when he can't catch it. 

Rylee: If you ever want to catch a ball again, let alone walk then you need to stop babying him. You're (referring to Dixon) not a charity case just cause your in a chair. 

Annie: tells her brother not to listen to him he is just an ass

(at this point a Physical Therapist brings out Rylee's wheelchair a nice little Quickie I might add)

Annie: I didn't realize... I am so sorry

Rylee: Why? You thought I was a jerk, in fact you might have even wondered how I am in bed, but now that you saw me in this chair you feel sorry for me and sex is out of the question. 

Annie: Well no, I mean yes (meaning about the sex part)

Rylee: See Dixon, I prove my point. People see us different. If you (meaning Annie) keep treating him like he is helpless that is all he is ever going to be. 

I thought this exchange was interesting because well Rylee is probably an actor as seen from picking up a ball off the floor while sitting on a bench without using his other arm to support him and transferring into his chair using almost exclusively his legs; this brings up a point I think a lot of people have when they interact with individuals with disabilities. 

So good for 90210 for not having a happy go lucky encounter where poor old Dixon is doing great things in therapy, but on the other hand I wonder if this scene was enough to educate people on how they should interact with individuals with SCI. 

Overall I give the show a B. While they tacked a tough topic I feel like the exchange could have done more to educate their viewers. With that being said Rylee's character is slated to come back for more episodes so I guess we will stay tuned to see if they take on other controversial topics from the disability world.

here is the link you can watch it if you so desire... http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/90210/

Smarty Jones Stakes

It was a foggy day at the Oaklawn race track, so much so that announcer's only comments as the horses moved around that backstretch were "your guess is as good as mine folks" or "its really anyones race."  The fog was so thick you could only see that horses as they were already half way down the homestretch. The fog gave the cold day a haunting look that made the horses magically appear running their hearts out.

I was there to watch the Smarty Jones Stakes: three year olds. no nomination fee. $500 to pass the entry box and $1000 additional to start with $100,000 Guaranteed of which 60% to the Owner of the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, 3% to fifth, and 2% to be divided equally among the remaining starters.  Weights: 122 lbs. Non-winners of $30,000 twice allowed 3 lbs.;$30,000 once 5 lbs.; $15,000 once 7 lbs. (Maiden and Claiming races not considered.) In Allowance Stakes starting preference will be given to horses that have accumulated the highest earnings excluding money won in restricted races. Starters to be named through the entry box by the usual time of closing. The owner of the winner to receive a trophy. Nominations closed Wednesday, January 12,2011 with 33 nominees.

The Smarty Jones stakes was the 8th race of the day. Before I get into the race I found it ironic that a son of the named 8th race (Double Threat) won the earlier (7th) race. Too bad he was four and ineligible for racing in the Smarty Jones Stakes itself.

My favorites going into the race were Dreaminofthewin and Archarcharch.
- Dreaminofthewin (out of Successful Appeal) was raced 3 times in 2010, winning twice and placing once, twice at a mile, ridden by Luis Quinonez

- Archarcharch (out of Arch) was only raced 2 times prior finishing first and second, this was the longest he had been raced, Jon Court has ridden him both previous times and was up on him again

The field also included: 

- Caleb's Posse 

- Bluegrass Bull

 

- Grant Jack

 

- Make it Roses

- Bonaroo

And then they were off!

Under the wire!

And it was Caleb's Posse first with Dreaminofthewin on his heels, Bluegrass Bull got the show, followed by Archarcharch. The final time was 1:43.0 for the mile.

Calvin Borel was having a good weekend at Oaklawn, being in the money 14 times.

Larry Jones was also there it was cool to see him there

Sadly my camera was not a huge fan of the foggy day, hopefully next time God will bless us with some good sunny photogenic weather.

AND LASTLY.... congrats to my girl Zenyatta for winning horse of the year!! She definitely deserved it :)

Zenyatta and Mike Smith after winning the Apple Blossom, Oaklawn (AR)

5 months isn't too far away....

The first weekend in May always hosts one of my favorite childhood memories: The Kentucky Derby.  Growing up so many girls find themselves enamored by the world of horses, at some point in their lives I think all girls add a pony to their Christmas list, beg their mothers for riding lessons and spend long afternoons galloping around the backyard on the back of their "trusty mount" which in reality strongly resembles a broom, yard stick or some other four-legged stand in.

Usually as the years go by the pony dreams are slowly replaced by other obsessions: boys, make up, summer romances, school dances.... However for a few of these girls the love of horses never gets outgrown, I have always been one of these girls. So as I grew older my fascination grew from cheering in front of the TV one Saturday afternoon in May to excitedly researching months in advance to find potential contenders.

Somewhere along the way a favorite will present itself to me and I will wholeheartedly support my new equine crush. Sometimes it is the underdog story that captures me, sometimes its the tall favorited mount, sometimes its the trusted trainer that I find myself falling back on, and sometimes its the jockey who holds so much of the race's outcome in his hands that obliges me to devote my loyalty (*cough* Mike Smith *cough*).

For the last couple of years I have been lucky enough to live within driving distance of Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, AR to be able to experience the world of horse racing up close and personal. I love going to the races, arriving early and watching the morning workouts, looking around at all the interesting characters that are also track junkies, and being able to meet so many amazing people.

I realize that May is 5 months away and starting a countdown to the derby might be slightly premature but I can barely control my excitement, so here we go. The following are Kentucky Derby Prospects I will be watching over the next couple of months not really in any order yet:
 - Uncle Mo: owned by Repole stable, trained by Todd Pletcher, he had an impressive win in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, He is out of a sprinter and some doubt he can be a strong contender in the longer races but I think is he on his way to proving himself with the win at the Churchill Downs in November. He is rumored to be starting his 3 year old season at the Tampa, FL track (in the Tampa Bay Derby 3/12/11).

- Sway Away: owned by Batman Stable, trained by Jeff Bonde, he is mostly on this list because of his daddy (Afleet Alex) who was one of my favorites, I'm excited to see what he does, so far only raced once with a second place finish. He is rumored to be running in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park (1/30/11). Eventually they are looking at the Santa Anita Derby later on in the season.

photo from gradedstakes.com

- Jaycito: owned by Zayat Stable, trained by Bob Baffert, Mike Smith has been up on him lately, although he finished 7th in the Breeder's cup juvenile, he usually comes in 1st or 2nd. They are looking into having him race in the Santa Anita Derby later on in the season.

Some races to watch:
- Smarty Jones Stakes (Jan. 17) Oaklawn AR
- Holy Bull Stakes (Jan 30) Gulfstream FL
- Rebel Stakes (Mar. 19) Oaklawn AR
- Louisiana Derby (March 26) Fair Grounds LA
- Illinois Derby (April 2) Hawthorne IL
- Santa Anita Derby (April 2) Santa Anita CA
-  Florida Derby (April 3) Gulfstream FL
- Wood Memorial (April 9) Aqueduct TX
- Arkansas Derby (April 16) Oaklawn AR