Meanderings of a Monkey Juggler - work

No patience (patients?)

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:30:00 +0100

I'm in a really snappy mood today and I reckon it's entirely down to the patients I'm seeing today.

Almost without exception they're whingy, whiny types who feel the world owes them everything 'cos they've got some pain.

Almost without exception they've been humourless drones with no sense of levity. It's one of the redeeming features of even the chavviest Brit that there is humour in adversity. Today I've had people looking like the world has ended and all because their foot aches a bit (after 2 hours standing at the tills yesterday) or their back hurts because they're stressed (and so am I now you've come to see me). Oh shut up! I don't like the phrase "get a life" but please get a life. These people seem to think that life is perfect and the slightest thing means the end of all that is good and holy.

Without exception I've been short with them at best. I must get a grip on it or I'll get disciplined if this carries on.

Have fun.

[edit]

I've just had a lovely patient but she told me a story that seriously hacks me off. She was in a car crash and had a basic whiplash issue. I assessed her but instead of the standard muscular problems she has a top rib problem. A bit unusual but was probably pre-existing and hadn't given her trouble pre-RTA. I checked all the usual suspects as well and concluded that it's definitely the top rib. Apart from anything the thing gives her exact pain when you poke it; usually a good sign of accurate diagnosis. So she goes to see a doctor after being asked by her solicitors. "What? The physio thinks it's top rib? Idiot. It's your neck" says the doc. So the poor patient doesn't know what to think. One clearly says it's "this"; the other fundamentally disagrees. I'm the one less likely to be believed 'cos I'm no doctor. But I do know about necks and shoulders and ribs. Luckily for me (and her) the patient believes me as I actually did an assessment of the problem rather than a terse attempt at convincing the patient that what I say is right without bothering to look properly. [growl]

Delete

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 20:20:00 +0100

Another picture post. This is the corner of a page I nicked from one of my colleagues's's' desk. I wonder whether she's a pal or not.

Let's hope she's not hearing voices.

Have fun.

Some patients! (rolls eyes)

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 11:29:16 +0100

2 different issues today. One I saw and one I read about.

First off is this bloke I've just seen. He was due in at 10 and he got grumpy because I hadn't collected him by 10.01. This is a man who needs an interpreter and he has an odd language so the interpreter has been hard to find. "I can bring a friend to interpret if you pay him" he said. Yeah right. It's your problem; if your mate wants paying then you pay him. Oh that's right you're unemployed hence have no money except what we give you. This man is late 20's and has had pain pretty much all the way through his 20's. No major injury just pain.

First claim: "It's so bad I need a walking stick to get around." First observation: you have no walking stick with you and you just walked perfectly well from the reception to here.

Second claim: "I can't move my back." Second observation: To be more precise you can't move your back when you are aware that someone is looking at it; I've been observing you throughout our talk and you move it fine when you think I'm not paying attention.

Third claim: "I can't lie down on my back." Third observation: But you can stand up straight which is exactly the same position but more stressful on your back than lying down ever will be.

Fourth claim: On being asked to touch his toes (in standing), "I can't move at all." and shows no effort to move. Fourth observation: But somehow you can move it when you don't think about it eg bending to sit down again after failing to show any effort at this test.

Fifth claim: "Can you send me a letter to remind me to come for my next appointment?" Fifth observation: Hell no, if we did that that's about 80 letters per physio per week. Take some responsibility for yourself and buy a sodding diary or calendar. If you took any responsibility for yourself then you wouldn't be in this mess anyway.

Honestly!

The second case was a description of some patient behaviour that I'd not heard of but is perhaps quite common. A GP was recording a story of an elderly patient of hers who had a variety of different problems. These all needed medicating and consequently the old dear had about 20 tablets to take a day. The difficulty with this is remembering which tablets to take when as some you had to take every 2 hours, some 3 hourly and others twice or once a day. A skill I've never had to acquire is to sort all this out. Well it seems our patient hadn't either.

The GP had been trying to get the dosages of warfarin right. This means doing blood tests regularly to get an idea of the what each dose is doing to the system. The results of these tests were really varied and never quite adding up.

Well it turns out that the patient couldn't be bothered figuring out which tablets to take when so her system consisted of putting all 20 tablets in a bag and randomly picking some out through the day - figuring that things would even out quite nicely.

D'oh!

Some patients! (rolls eyes)

Have fun.

Bad news

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 17:59:47 +0000

At work today.

Seems our boss is leaving to return to South Africa. Bugger. Personal reasons too.

She's an ace boss and has helped develop our service into something far better than it was when she arrived.

There are some problems here:

First it means that there are no real leaders in the team now. The one remaining senior is busy with patients as well so is unable to do the boss's job properly. Our manager (boss's boss) is also leading the community team, the OTs, the Speech and Language team and the podiatrists. Just how much time can she take to concentrate on us?

Secondly the boss is a nice person and she's leaving. It's rare to have a nice boss. Are we getting another? If we are then will they be any cop?

Are there any positives? Well the cliche is "a problem is an opportunity". What can we think about?

How about pushing certain proposals myself and trying to badger to get certain things moved forwards? Could be necessary and will help any potential management development. I think this would be a good thing. I just hope I can fit the time in amongst everything else going on.

We'll see.

Have fun.

2 news items

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:50:00 +0000

I'm interested in 2 news stories today.

The first was that girl who wanted to wear extra-islamic dress to school and has been off school for 2 years because they won't let her back without wearing the approved uniform. Apparently the school had spent ages working with the local islamic community to figure out what they should ask for to please the community. The majority of girls at the school are muslim and they managed to get along fine with the rules. Now forgive me if I'm wrong but the rule in islam is for women to be modest. What, pray tell, is modest about kicking up a fuss and becoming the centre of attention? I also recall that there is a commandment in islam that obliges you to get educated. Seems like an irritating teen girl wanting to get noticed to me. Sounds very un-Islamic really. Stupid little girl.

The second one was the study that there is no evidence that shows spinal manipulation is useful for reducing pain and other problems. On the news this evening they interviewed some young woman who swears by osteopathy. She was 31 and has been going to an osteopath for 9 months "and it really works wonders for me". Really? It works so well that you go fortnightly to a man who charges you a fortune each time and still your back is so bad that you must return? She's a 31 year old. She shouldn't need to carry on like this. There's no reason at all that she should have to suffer and she shouldn't have to fork out every fortnight for "maintenance". Go and see someone who knows what they are doing and get a cure!

Honestly!

Have fun.

Headshrink 2

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 11:00:00 +0000

We did another psych test at work this week. This one used the Myers-Briggs Indicator.

I'm apparently an "INTP".

In brief:

Quiet and reserved. Especially enjoy theoretical or scientific pursuits. Like solving problems with logic and analysis. Interested mainly in ideas, with little liking for small talk or parties. Tends to have sharply defined interests.

And you'll love this next bit

They may

become cynical or sarcastic.
engage in verbal sparring and argument.
be insensitive to the needs of others.
be impractical "forgetting details such as appropriate dress, paying bills, physical needs".

Accurate?

Have fun.

Health and Safety

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 19:00:00 +0000

Had to sit through the annual health and safety lecture this afternoon. Pardon me while I don't get excited.

There was one rather nice aspect though. She was wittering on about the legal framework of health and safety when she put a slide up that consisted of a large white elephant. Most appropriate. She'd also put lots of headings within the outline of said elephant. Her "joke" was that you had to get all the elements of the elephant to be within the law. I thought it was just a jibe at H&S nazis.

The other nice thing was that the word "Fire" was written next to t'elephant's bum.

Have fun.

PS Have a look at PhysioMonkey and what'dyou reckon about new article(s)?

Flash web page

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 10:20:12 +0000

Pretty much fiinished me and K's website. It needs some fine-tuning and some better pictures and then I'll be ready to release it on you lot for approval/comments. Went to D's last night to sort some stuff out on it and had almost every car on the road flashing at me madly. So when I got there I checked at the back of the car and I had NO rear lights. Eek!

So D visit ended up being a dash to Halfords then back home to get Haynes manual. Sorted but not an ideal start to the evening.

At D's he put together a nice little logo/piccy for the site. What d'you reckon?

Ta D.

Have fun.

Workshop

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 10:45:00 +0000

This is a copy of something I've just put on PhysioMonkey. Any ideas? I've had a quick pre-natter with P and C and they had some good points to make. Anything you can add?

-----------------------------

I'm thinking of setting up a workshop / lecture for circussy types and parkour-ers at maybe the University in Leicester. The plan would be for a day session of lectures on injury, warm-ups and prevention of problems. To sweeten the pill I'd lay on a massage workshop too.

In addition I'd try and get a parkour expert in as well as trainers to do some actual physical training. But assume this bit won't happen at first.

Does this sound doable?

How much could I charge for a day chock full of professional teaching/workshops? I had a look at the Circus Space website and they charge £95 per person (!) for a circus taster day. I was thinking something more like £10-15 (as an initial offer) with handouts extra. I think a max of 12 people would be about right too.

Would anybody want to come?

Suggested plan for the day (Jugglers only):

10.00 - 10.30 Intro and questions answered.

10.30 - 11.00 Sudden injury (lecture) - What to do and how to avoid.

11.00 - 12.00 Repetitive injury (lecture) - What to do and how to avoid.

12.00 - 12.30 Warm-ups (Myths and falsehoods) (Lecture)

12.30 - 1.00 Break

1.00 - 2.00 Neck and back control (Workshop)

2.00 - 2.30 Practice and questions answered

2.30 - 3.30 Shoulder control (Workshop)

3.30 - 4.00 Practice and questions answered.

4.00 - finish Break then massage (Workshop).

I thought I'd put the sit down stuff at the start when people are alert and then the workshops at the end to get people moving and working rather than sitting listening again.

Back at work blues

noreply@blogspirit.com (Alby) — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 08:50:00 +0000

Sigh. Today's my second day back at work after the hols. Sigh again.

Work itself has been quite quiet although the people insisting on coming tend to be the ones you don't want to see. You know the kind, the insistent ones; those who think all their problems are everyone else's fault.

Still I had a nice Christmas to look back on fondly. K was working Christmas Eve into Day (7pm - 7.30am) so I had to get up early to give her a lift home. She opened 1 prezzy then and went to bed. I did too but got up at around 10. Then me and her mum sat and watched about an hour of traditional music and dance from Bg which was surprisingly entertaining.

I did the cooking and it turned out rather wonderfully. So that was nice.

After food was prezzies: Some surprises, some repetition, some known quantities of stuff.

Most notably was that I've now got the new Nintendo RSI (err sorry...DS) with 4 games. It's very good by the way, but don't play Mario Kart (excellent game) for longer than about 15 minutes if you value your wrists and thumbs. K got her home spa kit. Between us we have 3 calendars with puppies on them (yes 3). Lots of chocolate too.

One annoyance was that I spent some time trying to get the RSI to work online but they only allow you to use a certain kind of router encryption. I converted my router and set up and have since been completely unable to get on line via that router with anything. I saved all the passwords, wrote them all down and still can't get the bugger to work. It had better be ready by the time that Animal Crossing Wild World comes out here! Anyway that's why I've not posted recently.

The evening was great fun. P, C, D and Mr and Mrs Silver all turned up for larks and frolics. Silly games galore and some drinks and giggling was infectious. Highly enjoyable.

Following day was partially spent round at Plumpton-Bears' eating P's rather nice left-over turkey curry. So more nice company.

Did I say I'm back at work now? Sigh.

Have fun.