It has been a long time since I have been able to post my blogs…My update is that I had a baby on April 21st, 2010! Being an OT and having a baby has definitely taught me more about who I am. I have not returned to work yet- but will be in a few weeks.
My new hardship other than keeping on top of my OT skills is going to be balancing my life as an OT and as a mother. I realize being an OT has similarities to being a mother and, fortunately, my education has actually taught me a little about being a mother.
My career depends on people depending on me to rehabilitate them back to their lifestyle and as we have all experienced an injury at one time or another that affected our lives- we, as OTs, realize the magnitude of importance it is to be awesome at what we do!
I have a new understanding for the term “quality of life.” Going through post partum while trying to resume my old lifestyle has been really difficult because of the changes and adjustments I have had to make. My life is certainly not the same as it was from a married woman without children to a married woman with a child. On some levels it is similar to when patients have to make adjustments to their old lifestyles post injuries or surgeries. Sometimes we have to redefine what our quality of life will be after these changes have occurred. This is especially hard because it will most likely be out of our “comfortable” normalcy. We have to find new ways of doing things we love or even just how we perform our activities of daily life (ADLs), while at the same time, relearning how to enjoy these same activities in those different ways. Taking a shower, getting dressed, preparing a meal, exercising or even just brushing my teeth can be arduous tasks because those happen to be the moments when my daughter seems to need a hug J . These are completely new experiences- and I just have had to find ways not only to adjust- but to make this my new “comfortable” norm.
Unrelated to this, however, I also have a new outlook on the term “worry.” Having a child connects you to that word on a new unbelievable level. I am happy to have become a parent- but it certainly drains me with all of it accompanied worrying! –I also feel it better connects me to my profession and clients who have experienced these same life changes.
What a great post Annie.I do believe parenthood is a great credential for any professional, as it eliminates some of that sarcastic “what do you know?” challenge when a patent is having a bad day related to family or parenting issues. Life is always full of worry, but as Grandma Ollie used to say about having a particular worrisome moment, “sometimes God disturbs you a little” to keep you in perspective. Such as a baby starting to cry when you might also be worried about something else or in a conversation you’d rather not have. Anyway, thanks for posting something so relevant for today.