Good intentions....

I had a conversation this week with a sweet little old lady. When the infamous question "where are you from" was asked, I answered with good intentions because she was just so cute and sweet. However, the conversation didn't exactly end that way....

Sweet little old lady (SLOL): "so where are you from?"
Me: "oh I grew up in Marietta".....and very proud of myself at this point for not lying to this SLOL
SLOL: "ohhh really, it almost sounds like you have a swedish accent"
She just stares at me after she says that, waiting for me to say something...
Me: "yeahhh.....my mom is from Sweden" I swear, it just spilled out of my mouth
SLOL: "Oh, that makes sense. You know, since babies learn how to talk from their mothers"

Do I at least get credit for answering the first question honestly?!?

tongue piercing

I know I haven't posted on this thing in a while. But I had a comment today that reminded me of the blog and that I need to post on it again.

While I'm at work today a random person came up to me, let's call him Bill. Bill had been staring at me for the last thirty minutes so I wasn't surprised when he came up to me to initiate a conversation.

Bill: "hey I have a question"
Me: "what?"
Bill: "I know it's personal and all but....(at this point I start thinking, if you think it's personal than why even ask???)...I noticed your accent because of your tongue piercing"
Me: "my tongue piercing?? My tongue is not pierced"
Bill: "Oh, I noticed your accent and figured it was because of your tongue pierced"
Me: as I stand there dumbfounded I just responded "yeah I have an accent but my tongue is not pierced"
Bill: "oh ok sorry"

This one is definitely a new one in my book. Looking back, I almost wish I had gone along with it to see what his question would have been regarding my tongue piercing!

what the heck??

I spent about an hour with a brain injury patient the other day and was able to get away with any comments about my speech, accent, whatever until the very end of the session and the grown SON of the patient decides to say something. After the conversation, I had to wonder whether it was the patient or the son that had the brain injury.

Son: "so what's your problem with your speech" as he points to his mouth
Me: "the problem with my speech??" and I kinda had this insulted look on my face hoping he'd drop it
Son: He didn't get the clue and proceeded to say "yeah??"
Me: pause..."I'm from Sweden"
Son: "OHHH wow" *pause* "so wait" *pause* "do all Swedish people have speech problems?"
Me: as I give him a blank stare..."it's an accent"
Son: "oh so it's nothing to do with your...." he points to his forehead as he says this and doesn't finish his sentence

What was he thinking?? That the therapist who is treating his mother has some kind of retardation that is the source of my "speech problems"???

Drama classes

I'm working with a patient the other day and going over the discharge instructions with her as she's getting ready to go home. She interrupted me at one point and asked me to slow down, "you're talking too fast" she says. She talks reeeaaaally slow so I'm sure my pace was super fast for her. She talks almost like a stroke patient, slow and overly enunciated speech. As we're wrapping up, I asked her if she has anymore questions.
Patient: "well this may be off subject but let me tell you something"
Me: "ok"
Patient: "when I was a little girl I used to stutter all the time, we're not really sure why but I always stuttered when I spoke, especially when I talk fast. So they put me in this drama class to help encourage me to have clearer and slower speech. It's really worked well. I haven't stuttered at all to you have I?"
Me: "no you haven't"
Patient: "may be something you want to look into...drama classes"
Me: "mmm, I'll keep that in mind"

I....know....

For those of you who don't know me, I'm a huge animal lover, especially dogs. I much prefer to be in a room full of dogs than a room full of people. I'm a human physical therapist but I'm also certified in canine therapy and I'd be the first to admit, I can't wait to leave the human job and work with canines full time. So with that being said....

A couple years ago now, Sean and I were invited to one of his high school friend's wedding. We drove up to NC and it was my first time meeting all of his high school buddies and their wives. We had a great time at the reception and then headed over to the groom's house afterwards to continue the party. The bride and groom has a beautiful Great Dane mix named Charlie and he looked just like a bigger version of Grissom. Of course, I make a beeline to the family room to meet Charlie and to love on him. Sean heads off with his buddies and all the wives are in the kitchen which is open to the family room. One of the ladies there, in her 50s maybe, who's also drunk I might add, came up to me in the family room. She gets down to my eye level and says....
Drunk old lady: "we...all....are....talking....in....the....kitchen"
Me: "I know, I'm just playing with Charlie here"
Drunk old lady: "I...know....about....your....*points to ears*" and gives me a 'sympathetic' look

I have a thousand comebacks running through my head at this point but honestly can't say anything, I'm just appalled and can't speak. This drunk old lady is giving me a pity party because I'm a disabled person that has to isolate myself with the dog. What she doesn't know is this is EXACTLY why I'd prefer to hang out with the dog than with people! :)

Gallaudet University

I had a very interesting conversation today with a patient and had to share. Gives you an insight on to those in the deaf community and how it affects their family.

As I'm starting an evaluation on a new patient, I begin to introduce myself
Patient: "you're hearing impaired"
Me: "yes I am" and I try to change the subject back to PT since most of them are just curious and as a result, ends up in multiple questions
Patient: "you have really good speech"
Me: "thanks, now back to PT"
Patient: "Where did you go to school?"
Me: "Tennessee for undergrad and then North Ga for grad school"
Patient: "oh, my daughter went to Gallaudet University"
I start to think to myself, hmm, maybe this patient does know what he's talking about after all. Then I realized that Gallaudet University are anti cochlear implants and prefer deaf people to be signing and involved in their deaf community. So I decide to avoid any conversation regarding my cochlear implants.

Later that afternoon, during my second session with him, he starts asking more questions, one of them is do I have cochlear implants? So I tell him yes. He starts telling me how his daughter was born deaf because her mom was exposed to german measles when she was pregnant with her. Her mom spent HOURS with her learning how to talk. They didn't teach her sign in attempts for her to be oral and be involved in the hearing world. Sounds familiar huh? However, she learned sign with her deaf friends, went to Gallaudet, married a deaf man, has a deaf son and now live in their parents' basement. Of course, he's proud of his daughter but I couldn't help but notice how he commented on my speech several times, comparing it to his daughter's speech, and mentioned his wishes for his daughter to get a cochlear implant. Interesting to see how two people start out on the same path but end up on other ends of the world.

leaning head

One day Sean and I are hanging out on the boat with our good friends, Ashley and Ricky. My ear was off and I had asked Ricky to pass it on back to me. Before he hands it off to me, he decides to try it on. As soon as he puts it on his right ear, his head automatically leans to the right. His comment...

Ricky: "wow it's heavy, how do you keep your head from leaning to that side"

I'm from Greenbow ALABAMA!!

Patient: "what part of Alabama are you from??"

As I post this on Facebook reflecting on how my swedish accent has changed to a southern accent, a friend suggested that I tell people I'm from southern Sweden. PERFECT!!

"It's how you make friends"

This title is how I became friends with one of my closest friends. I'll never forget as I'm at my first grad school party, Ashley and her "Virginia Tech boys" came through the door with some Boone's Farm wine announcing "it's how you make friends!". Not long after that, I was invited on Sean's boat one summer day with Sean, Ashley and her fiancee, Ricky. I was reflecting on this moment a couple weeks ago with Ashley and I thought I'd share some of our first conversations on the boat.

Before I continue, keep in mind, I've had very expensive "ears" almost my entire life. Between my mom's voice constantly in the back of my mind and my maturity that has developed over the years, I'm VERY protective of my ears, especially when it comes to bodies of water as they absolutely can not get wet. So with this said.... As I get ready to go wakeboard, I take out my ears, put them in a safe spot on the boat and jump into the water.
Ashley as she is freaking out: "WHERE ARE YOUR EARS???"
Me: I'm thinking seriously?? "They're on the boat" I mean seriously like I would jump in the water with them on....
This conversation probably happened EVERY single time I jumped in the water for maybe that whole summer and the next summer after that.

Another conversation....
As each one of us take turns wakeboarding/surfing/skiing/tubing and as each one of us falls, the boat circles around to pick up the skiier. Tradition is for those that can actually hear in the water, we turn down the music so that we can talk to them for a few minutes and maybe give them any tips on how to make the jumps higher or how to complete that 360 degree turn. However, as I'm in the water and the boat circles around on me, it's completely pointless to turn down the music as I will not be able to hear. However, it takes Ashley and Ricky a couple tries to remember....
Me: floating in the water waiting on the boat to circle around
Ashley: "turn down the music so we can talk to her!!"
Sean: as he looks at Ashley "Ashley she can't hear you"
Ashley: "oh yeah" and turns back up the music
Me: I get up for another spin, after a while I'm back in the water and waiting on the boat to circle around
Ashley: "turn down the music we can talk to her!!"
Sean: as he looks at Ashley "Ashley she CAN'T hear you"
Ashley: "oh yeah" and turns back up the music
This conversation probably happened every time the boat circled around on me for an entire summer...