Reflection: Week 2
This second week was one to remember. I saw a wide variety of new patients, as well as returning patients from last week. That was especially interesting because I got to see how they have progressed in their recovery and how their treatment plans have changed over time. It’s cool seeing the difference even one week can make for some people, whether it’s gaining mobility, starting strengthening work, or simply having a more positive attitude than they did before. I found a lot of success this week in more ways than one. I scored a 100% on my knee test on Tuesday (hopefully I do just as well on my shoulder test), which felt great after all the studying Elsa and I have been doing. I’m definitely starting to get much more comfortable identifying anatomy and understanding how all the different structures connect and function together.
I also had a great conversation with the alumnus from Holy Cross I got in touch with through one of the patients here. We spoke in depth about his story, his connections to the school, my experience playing lacrosse and some of my recruiting setbacks, and left the conversation open to speak again at a later date. Talking with him got my mind thinking more seriously about how I want to approach my next four years in college. I want to be outgoing, make as many connections as possible, and really put myself out there. A lot of people squander their time or sit in their dorm rooms scrolling on their phones (which is fine every now and then), when they could be building relationships, learning from others, or creating opportunities for themselves. That is something I really want to focus on moving forward.
This week I also continued researching the connection between the mind and body, specifically focusing on treatment options for chronic pain versus surgical or soft tissue injuries. One treatment option I looked into was CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which can help patients dealing with chronic pain conditions. Diane said that something like CBT could actually be very beneficial at Ragged Mountain PT, but since only a small percentage of patients there deal with chronic pain, it’s not something she has really implemented. Most of the patients at Ragged are recovering from surgeries, sports injuries, or other physical injuries. Even so, I still think mindset plays a massive role in recovery. Elderly patients especially are more prone to repeat injuries and longer healing times, which can take a huge toll mentally. After spending these past two weeks in the clinic, I really believe Diane’s positive attitude and the deep personal connections she creates with every patient are a major reason people continue to succeed there. She creates an environment people actually enjoy being in, and I think that makes a bigger difference than most people realize.
I also officially ended my high school lacrosse career this week. All the work I did with Diane throughout the year finally paid off, and for the first time in a while, I was able to have a fully healthy lacrosse season. It was definitely bittersweet knowing I’ll never play in another high school lacrosse game again, but at the same time, I’m very ready to compete at the next level. Looking back on all the injuries, rehab, setbacks, and recovery I’ve gone through over the years makes this whole project feel even more meaningful to me. I’m really glad I got the opportunity to spend my final weeks of high school in this clinic, and I’m excited to see how these last few days go, especially now that I’ll be there more in the afternoons working around younger athletes and sports-related injuries.