The last few weeks have seen a lot of changes. I moved to Florida, started the fourth and final year of school, and started working out at a gym. Today was also a good day for change. At work, I was "thrown into the deep end" so to speak and stayed afloat. My very first patient? A two year old. On a leash. ...Thanks guys. :) Just kidding, it went fine. What normally happens with two year olds is that we have a special testing technique. We use two audiologists and one sits inside the booth with the child while one sits outside and works the controls. Today, I manned the controls. Time is not on your side with a two year old. You have a window to get those results and get out of there before the screaming starts. So I was a little nervous, but I just forged ahead and got the entire set of results!!! Can you believe it? I then did more thorough testing on an adult. That consists of the patient sitting in the booth with headphones on, or little ear inserts, and raising their hand when they hear a beep. I also do a variety of speech testing where you repeat words. It all seems to boring and strange, but the fun part is explaining why it matters at the end. My mom always taught me to own my body and health. Yet, most people don't give a thought to their hearing. So over time, it may gradually decline and their brain compensates. After a while, you aren't hearing many of the little sounds of life like birds chirping, the rustle of leaves in the fall, or the hum of the refrigerator but you don't even notice they are gone. More importantly, it takes so much more effort to understand speech. You don't realize how hard your brain is working! It may manifest itself as being more tired at the end of the day, or headaches, or grumpiness. It could even get to the point of social isolation, because it's just too much work to go out to eat with your friends. Anyway, the point is that I get to help people understand a little part of themselves that they probably never knew about. And I think that is what makes the job interesting.
P.S. First personal trainer workout was tonight. He said if we did the full thing, it would "crush" me. I still feel like jello.... He also said I wasn't eating enough. I like this "diet" because I actually have to eat a lot of food that is good for me. No high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or "fake" stuff like sugar free syrup for coffee. Tonight, my post-workout feast was steak, whole wheat curly pasta, fresh asparagus, and half a toasted kaiser roll with butter. I am full.
Book just finished: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume (no, i never read it before)
Currently reading: Three Cups of Tea (my copy signed by the auther-- Thanks Gramma!)
