In the beginning....

It is my hope that over the course of the next 24 weeks, I will be able to keep track of my experiences as an occupational therapy student. I have officially been on fieldwork for 7 days. Day two of week two is successfully finished, and I have already experienced and learned so much. I'm finding that one of the hardest things to do is "forget" about my patients when I come home. I feel so guilty that I am able to come home every night and relax; that I'm able to leave the hospital behind and go on with my life. I get a chance to talk with my family, be with friends, and take care of myself all while the patients I have been helping all week are still in the hospital, still struggling, still relying on others for their most basic needs. I hope in time, with experience, as well as the opportunity to see patients through until discharge and recovery, I will be able to let them escape my thoughts while I'm at home. For now though, I continue to think about them, worry about them, and for now, that is giving me the determination and strength to be the best student I can be.