Had a Total Thyroidectomy…

(Part Two)

So my blood was tested at 5 am (Wednesday, June 30th), and I mentioned to mom that I knew my results were not going to come back clean because I still felt tingly. But with that, we both went back to sleep until about 7 when my surgeon arrived to my room. He turned on the lights and woke me up, but this morning was unlike the last morning. My tingling was now so severe that it was all down my legs, arms, my entire face felt like it was tingling and twitching, my arms and legs felt like lead and it was hard to pick them up. My hands were so tight that I could not squeeze into a fist and my lips were puckered, sort of like an old man. I was rather freaked out by such things and when my dad walked into the room for the morning, I realized I was freaking out my parents too.

When my lab results returned for the morning, my Calcium levels had dropped from 7.2 to 6.5. So even though I was taking Calcium, my levels still dropped. This alarmed my doctors and my nurse, because a 6.5 I was very close to seizure levels. So they administered IV calcium and oral calcium with the addition of vitamin D in hopes that my levels would return quickly. My levels would be checked again that afternoon to determine how my levels adjusted to the new calcium.

During the second day, I started to have more visitors. Josh’s father, Phill, and friend John came by to visit me. It was nice to see and chat with them. I even had beautiful flowers delivered from the entire Duckworth family, which was so kind and thoughtful. Later in the day, Molly stopped by and brought me a balloon and silly bandz (zoo animals, which I have three on my arm now :-)).

She stayed and chatted during the afternoon and helped the day fly by. While she was there, my nurse came in to inform me of what my afternoon lab results were (7.6). This showed improvement from the morning, but the doctors still wanted me to stay another night to recheck the levels in the AM to see how I could hold the values. So….this meant one more night (#3).

Mom had already mentioned that if I were to stay another night, she wanted to see if she could borrow a wheelchair for me and take me on a little field trip. The nursing assistant said they don’t normally allow trips (since most patient’s choose to go smoking) but she realized that this was not my reason. So we were allowed to go down to the 2nd floor mezzanine (OUTSIDE!!!). We left a note on my bed and mom and Molly transported me around. Mom wanted to show me around the 6th floor Park Towers where I was staying because she was so impressed with all the amenities. We traveled outside to the mezzanine and it was fabulous. I never realized what it is like to be stuck inside for several days and not even feel outside.

Molly was so gracious to take my picture and I was so delighted to show off my sweet gown and newly revealed steri strips!!

While we were on our field trip, I ran into two other ladies from school: Cristina Carillo and Rachel Amshoff. It was so nice to see more people and talk with people (outside of my hospital room). It helped me feel a little more “normal” if that is even possible!!

After we returned back to my room (my mom was very nervous about staying out too long), Molly had to head back but before long I had more visitors! Leanne came by and brought me delicious sushi and a chocolate frosty, while my Aunt Nancy and cousins, Amanda and Hayden stopped by with magazines. While the four of them were there, it was nice to enjoy typical conversations and just chat with people (again, that were not associated with the hospital). It is nice to have outside influences to keep you going. Before long, it was time for each of them to leave. But it wasn’t too much after that when Jenna showed up. She was so sweet to bring me a PINK Louisville shirt, body fragrances and a fantastic little tote bag! She was too kind and it was great to be able to talk with her too. You never really realize how much your friends care for you, or how much you care for your friends, until you are in a time of need. You realize that your friends are there for you, no matter what.

Around this time, dad had stopped by with dinner for he and mom (left over Fazoli’s spaghetti and two bottles of wine!). It was cute to see them catching up on the past days events (whether it was about the dogs or dad at work), while they enjoyed their wine.

It was getting late, and Jenna had already left. Dad and I were watching a show on TV and mom was starting to settle in for yet another night. We tried to convince dad he could stay longer, but he said he needed to get back to the dogs (understandably so). So he left with a few of the items we had accumulated over the past few days and mom and I decided to settle in for the night (hoping that this would be my last night).

Day #3

My calcium levels were checked again Thursday, July 1 in the morning. My surgeon and endocrinologist stopped by in the morning to chat about discharge plans, because my calcium levels had returned to 7.9. (I had called my general practitioner regarding previous calcium levels taken in March and found out it was 9.3). While they told me I was discharged, it still took several hours for them to get everything together. But it allowed me time to clean myself up and put on NORMAL clothing (what a concept!)

So I was all ready to get my orders and head out of there. But in the mean time, my lunch had not been delivered, so mom and I decided to take a walk to the family lounge. On the way, I saw my fellow classmate, Kevin Beale (whose clinical internships were all at Baptist East, and ironically today he was on my floor!) and sat to chat with him some. It was nice to see yet another friendly face and be able to talk about some PT things too!

While we were out there, my nurse came back to my room with my lunch tray (that for some reason was not delivered to my room…), so I returned to eat up. And before long, my nurse had returned with my discharge papers (which seemed like a decent stack) and my mom went to go grab the car. It seemed like forever before wheelchair transport was at my room to pick me up, and ironically the transport tech was yet another student from Bellarmine (they are ALL over Baptist East!). He took me all the way across the hospital and landed me at mom’s car.

Now I was on the way home…to continue to recover.

For the next few days, I went to the lake with mom and dad. Throughout the weekend, I realized I started to feel stronger, gain more endurance and feel a little more like myself. By Tuesday, July 6th, I was flying back to Philadelphia to return to my internship at CHOP on July 7th. What a whirlwind of a time….

Thanks for taking the ride with me :-)

Had a Total Thyroidectomy…

(Part One)

Josh flew to Philadelphia June 23rd as previously planned and I was able to spend some great time with him, his family that lives near Philadelphia and John. Over the weekend, we stayed at John’s house and on Sunday Josh, John and I drove back to Louisville so that John could return to his house and so I could have my surgery on Monday.

Monday, June 28th came around the corner and I had my overnight bag packed for the hospital. People kept asking if I was nervous, and I honestly was but I think I tried not to let it show too much (but I don't think it really worked). I'm not really sure which part made me nervous, whether it was the actual surgery, recovery, or any sort of complications that might arise.

I am grateful for the nurse I had who took me back to get prepped for surgery. She was very kind and asked me who had come to the hospital with me. I informed her my mom, dad and Josh were there. She then asked me if I wanted mom to come on back and sit in the room with me. I was taken off guard, because usually they do not allow your family members back until after you are prepped. But she assured me that if her daughter was being prepped, she would like to be with her too. So with her permission, I told her to bring mom on back. So mom came back during the prep work and then dad and Josh were allowed back a little bit later.

The next thing I know, I’m being taken back to the operating room and saying bye to everyone. I chatted with the nurses and then it was time for the oxygen mask (which only means one thing: anesthesia time). All goes black…and then…I hear a guys voice, talking about my increased heart rate, my increased temperature and talking to me asking me questions. I open my eyes and see a fairly open room with one other bed in the room. Then nurses are walking past me, saying good night to the guy that is with me. I realize I am in recovery, but overall I feel ok. I feel very tired, very tight around my neck, and just overall wiped out. Apparently I was in recovery longer than initially expected (about 2.5 hours instead of 1-1.5 hours), more so because of my increased heart rate and fever that developed. I remember looking up at the clock and realizing the time was rather late. After some time, the guy that was with me started talking about the room I was being transported to, and the tv and how the rooms are really nice. I just went along with it all, and I cannot even remember if I was engaging in the conversation with him.

Before I know it, I am being rolled into my nice room with dark wood cabinets and mom, dad and Josh waiting for me (with Family Guy on the tv, of course). Apparently the initial site of me was slightly concerning with my washcloth over my forehead, ice pack on my neck, nasal canula tube for oxygen, IV tubes, blood pressure cuff on my arm and a look like I just went through an obvious traumatic event – I mean, why would you think I would look concerning??

That night, mom and Josh stayed with me throughout the long and eventful night. I received pain medication and antiemetic (anti-nausea) medications. I didn’t really seem tired throughout the night and maybe its because there were so many things going on. My night nurse was checking up on me every hour to assess my vitals since I was still fresh out of recovery and could have had a compromised airway along the way. So the night continued and the nurse would ask me along the way if I was ever having tingling in my lips or hands. I was uncertain as to the reason, but Josh kept reassuring me that if I started to feel such sensations that we needed to inform them.

So around 4am, I started to develop tingling in my fingertips and lips, so I informed Josh and he went to my nurse. So instead of having my blood levels checked at 5:30am, the phlebotomist came in a little after 4am to assess my calcium levels. The next large event was the morning when dad came in to check on his way in to work and then my surgeon came to visit. I informed him of the new tingling but they informed me that my calcium levels were at 7.8 and normal values are 8.5-10.1, so they assumed that my levels were not entirely below normal to be producing such levels. At this time, I was getting very uncomfortable; I was itching as a result of the pain medication, my legs were starting to tingle, I had intermittent compression boots on that were driving me nuts amongst all the nerve sensations and I felt like my skin was crawling. So once they switched my pain meds, I started to feel a little less itchy, but still tingly. My voice was starting to gain strength and showing no signs of damage to my vocal cords – Yay.

So dad and Josh left and then it was mom and I left in the hospital. Even though I didn’t receive much sleep overnight, I was not extremely tired, but decided I should still sleep. Throughout the day, I continued to be tingly and my day nurse seemed to be baffled by my continued tingling that was now in my neck, to my lips, down my fingers, and down my feet. People kept telling me it was because of the superficial nerves that were involved with the surgery – but I know my anatomy and I KNOW there is not one nerve that travels to each and all of those areas, so I am not crazy. I started to develop a very large hacking cough as a result of being intubated. When I would cough (or I should say attempt to cough), the tingling got worse and was driving me insane. It started to get so bad, that I started crying and it was at this time that I think my nurse realized that I was not making things up (hello!!!). So my blood levels were taken again and I was told I would hear from my surgeon and endocrinologist later that day.

I had a nursing assistant that came into my room and told me she would help me with my “bath.” This was an overall experience. So I was in bed, she brought over the soap, washcloths and tub of water. She said that we were going to do this together – she washed my back while I washed my face, she washed my legs while I washed my arms. Then I mentioned I needed to use the restroom. So she helped me in, and while I was in there she made mention that now was a good time to wash my “purse.” Mom looked at me with a little confusion – but I returned the look and told her that I thought I understood what the nursing assistant meant. She meant for me to wash my private areas but referred to calling them my “purse.” So needless to say, mom and I got a big kick out of this and tended to tell a large majority of people the joke.

On my first day, I had my first “real” visitor where Tessa came by after she got off work around noon. She stayed with me for a few hours and we chatted about things. It was nice having her there and seeing her company.

Before I knew it, my surgeon was coming by and assessing my calcium levels that have since dropped from 7.8 – 7.5 –7.2 throughout the day. My surgeon informed me that sometimes the parathyroid's that are attached to the thyroid, but remain in place upon the removal of the thyroid, can get stunned. He believed that all 4 parathyroid's remained after surgery. The function of the parathyroid's are to control calcium levels (amongst other things too). So since he assumed these must have been stunned and I should probably start some calcium overnight and test my levels in the morning to see if my body is able to maintain the levels themselves. My surgeon also mentioned that in the morning I should be able to go off my liquid diet to a soft food diet (yay, no more clear liquid soup).

Following his visit, my endocrinologist stopped by and performed an interesting nerve test that involved me parting my mouth, and he tapped right at my mandible and masseter muscle which produced a twitch at my eye and mouth. He indicated that this is a sign of low calcium levels and again mentioned the need for calcium supplements.

So there I was, needing to stay in the hospital for night #2, but with hopes that I would start to have reduced tingling. To make time go by, mom hopped into my bed and we started watching “August Rush” on my laptop. Dad visited us in the middle of the movie and brought mom dinner and me some easy Mac! It was nice to visit and we had a good dinner together. Dad had to return home to take care of the dogs and mom and I were left to finish the movie (and me have my two doses of Calcium) before bedtime.

The nice thing about night #2, I did not require continual checking in every hour and was able to sleep all the way through (that is until my blood was taken for my calcium levels at 5am).

(Day 2: To Be Continued…)

Been told I need a Total Thyroidectomy…

Back in March/April, I found a few enlarged lymph nodes on the right side of my neck.  I informed my primary care doctor about it, and together we decided that I should have a CT done to investigate further.  The same day I had the CT done, my doctor called me to say that the lymph nodes did not appear to be pathologically enlarged but some nodules were discovered on my thyroid and the radiologist suggested further investigation.

The same week, I went to have an ultrasound of my thyroid.  The results of this showed that I had two nodules (one 0.8 cm and one 1.0 cm) on the left lobe of the thyroid and one nodule (0.6 cm) on the right lobe of the thyroid.  The radiologist suggested I undergo further examination within 6 months to investigate the consistency of the nodules, but my primary care doctor decided she wanted to be a little more aggressive due to my medical history of a genetic mutation predisposing me to a number of cancers. 

So one and a half weeks before I was to move to Philadelphia, I was already scheduled to see a hematologist/oncologist for a blood condition/my genetic mutation situation.  So while I was there the doctor decided to get me into an endocrinologist appointment before I left to determine if this situation needs to be investigated further.  I was squeezed into my endocrinologist appointment the day before I left for Philadelphia.  While at this appointment, he determined that he wanted to fine needle aspirate the 1.0 cm nodule on the left lobe to determine if there are any questionable cells.  He assured me that more likely than not the cells turn out just fine, because thyroid cancer is very rare.

So I was scheduled to have my fine needle aspiration the morning I was to leave for Philadelphia.  My mom and I went in to my appointment (which was entirely uncomfortable) and then went on with the regular plans to head north.  About a week and a half into my internship in Philadelphia, my doctor was contacting me about the results of my biopsy. 

It seems that the biopsy revealed Hurthle Cells which are associated with Hashimoto’s disorder as well as follicular thyroid cancer.  Due to the uncertainty of which cells are contained in the Hurthle Cells, my doctors decided that the only way to determine whether the cells were benign or malignant, the thyroid needed to be removed.

I was already planning on flying home for my dad’s birthday party the weekend of June 11th, so my doctors decided to squeeze me in for a surgical consult.  At this consult, we decided that both lobes of the thyroid needed to be removed due to potential investigation that might be needed in the future.  Therefore, my total thyroidectomy was scheduled for June 28th.  This would require a week off from my internship that would then be tacked on to the end of my rotation, making my last day November 19th at CHOP.

…Been to a Kirtan Celebration

David Newman Music - Kirtan Celebration

Have you ever realized that Yoga is more than just a “stretching type of exercise?”  Well, I always thought just that, until mine and Josh’s friend in Philadelphia, John, informed me that he has been going to meditation with his niece, Janine.  In talking to the two, I learned a small bit about yoga that I never knew.  Yoga is more of a lifestyle that can include meditation, chanting, singing, stretching and exercise.  Apparently the yoga lifestyle is a pretty big thing up here in Philly.  I told them to keep me posted if there is ever anything going on, as I would be completely open to the idea and situation of attending such events. 

Well, John contacts me, stating that Janine told him of a Kirtan celebration for a new CD release for a guy, David Newman.  She was to be working this event, but welcomed us if we liked.  John told me he had already purchased his ticket but would like to know if I would be interested in attending.  So without any hesitation, I told him I would love to go to this and see what it is all about. 

So what is Kirtan?  Well I looked it up and I found this:

Kirtan, also known as sankirtan, is the call-and-response chanting inspired and popularized by the great saint Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The roots of kirtan go back over 500 years to Renaissance India. During this period the influence and style of kirtan became the focal point for the upsurge in religious expression in Bengal led by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This joyful mood quickly spread throughout India, where today kirtan is accepted as one of the surest paths to enlightenment. The singing is accompanied by the ancient musical raga musical tradition with a rhythmic drumming style that transports the chanters to profound spiritual realms. In its religious fervor, it has been likened to modern American Gospel music, and in its heartfelt expression it compares to profound states of deep meditation.

What is Kirtan?

So John picked me up on Saturday and we ventured about 30 minutes to a near-by town called Gladwyne and we would search around for a place to eat before the event.  Well, needless to say, Gladwyne is a very, very nice neighborhood town.  The houses there are rather large and look very “fairy-tale” like.  Here are some examples….

Amazing, huh…?!?!?!?!

So we arrived to a mansion/castle similar to these and I would never have guessed what was ahead of me.  We walk in, and I see rows of shoes and then notice people walking around barefoot.  I took this as my cue that I needed to remove my shoes :-).  John and I removed our shoes and walked over to the registration table.  We were handed a “chant” list (below) and when I first looked down….I was dumbfounded.

We walked around and found Janine, who was extremely excited to see us (which made me happy to know one other person there!).  She then introduced us to two of her friends that were also working the event before she had to run off to attend to her duties.  So John and I walked into the large room, which appeared to have been a living room in this splendid historical home, and I noticed little crescent pillows aligned in rows.  There were also couches and “stadium like” chairs with backs on them.  This room was very interesting with all the house decorations in addition to all the pillows and chairs. 

When it came to begin the show, I was excited and nervous all the same time.  I was surrounded by a large amount of people (probably easily 150 people) all sitting on little crescent pillows.  Everyone seemed to know each other, so I started making the impression that this must be a typical group. 

David Newman came to the front of the room with his wife/assistant/musician/singer and three other guys that constituted his band.  I learned that the night before they were at a Kirtan celebration in New York City and that they are originally from Gladwyne, about two minutes up the road from this event. 

David started off with his title track from his album called “To Be Home” which was entirely perfect for his situation, considering he was “home” for this event.  It was a beautiful song and included the vocal styling's of his wife as well.  This song, at least was in all English.  I cannot say that for the rest of the music. 

Please go to David’s website and his music streams on there.  It is a very interesting style and starts out soft, soothing and relaxing but all of a sudden the intensity starts to pick up around you and before you know it people are up and dancing in the back of the room!  Now, all these songs are really the chants that are listed on the handout.  So it consisted of David singing/chanting a phrase, and then his wife, Mira, would repeat the phrase and we the audience would chime in with her.  It really reminded me of the responsorial song during the Catholic mass, when the cantor sings a line and then you answer back with a line. 

So in the beginning, I admit I was hesitant, but with an open spirit, I stepped in and had a good time with the Kirtan.  I really enjoyed the group of people as well as David Newman’s group.  They were excellent performers and appeared very “down to earth” while actually that was how the whole thing seemed.  At one point, David asked if anyone was new to Kirtan, and I and others raised our hands. He explained that it is a very neat experience and to definitely follow along with our handout.  He mentioned that it is ok not to know what the meaning of the words are that are being chanted, but to just take it all in.  While this was entirely comforting, I was also thinking to myself…”but what if I really do want to know what these chants mean!”

Overall, this was an excellent experience, one that I went in to with an open mind.  I think that is very important when you are trying something new, because you do not want to shut out something that might turn into a real experience.  I went in not knowing what to expect, and I received an experience that I would never regret.  Hopefully I will have the opportunity to experience something else like this soon.  I am enjoying keeping my mind OPEN! This is David and his wife, Mira.  Together, they are wonderful musicians.

So do please check out David’s site.  It tells a little bit about him and gives you a little insight to the while Kirtan experience (minus actually being at one!). 

David Newman Music - Kirtan Celebration

Thanks for sharing my experience with me!!

…Survived JCAHO week at the hospital

In every setting, there is a judicial board, or a board in which determines and sees how things are done.  Well in the hospital world, the governing board is JCAHO or the Joint Commissions Accrediting Hospital Organization.  JCAHO comes around every year and during my orientation, I was informed that JCAHO was due “any-time” during my internships.  Well, the first two weeks went by with occasional conversation regarding JCAHO but no physical appearance of the organization roaming the halls in suits.  Until Monday, June 14th.  I run into my internship supervisor who mentions to me that JCAHO is “in the hospital.”  She told me that if anyone from the organization approaches me, I should tell them that I am an intern and I cannot or should not say anything without my supervisor with me (my clinical instructor or internship supervisor).  So this helped me to feel better regarding being approached.  

So then started all the “hub-bub” regarding JCAHO in the building.  I learned a few important things from their visit:

1. Nothing can be on the floor, other than a chair.  So this means no bags, no shoes, no books, etc.  I don’t really know why this would be, but I guess the Joint Commission finds it important :-)

2. There must be an 18” clearance from the ceiling to any items, such as cubicles or items on top of the cubicle.  So if you place anything on top of your cubicle, there must be the 18” clearance.  So then I asked myself, “is this a fire hazard??”

3. The organization reviews the interactions and care that occur in the hospital by “tracking” patients.  This is usually done by tracking a patient that has been recently admitted and then following that patient through his/her care.  Now the organization is not supposed to be the “bad guys” but they are there to make sure everyone involved in patient care is doing their part to provide the best care possible.

4. Everyone becomes very very ancy when JCAHO is around.  Either people try to avoid all encounter with them if possible.  And this is understandable, because no one wants to get questioned regarding the care they provide, and no one wants to answer a questions incorrectly in regards to the hospital. 

• people become more high strung
• documentation must be clearly written with proper abbreviations so not to provide poor care. 

Overall, it was a very interesting experience to survive JCAHO week.  It provided me with some good knowledge for the future, if I ever work in a hospital setting.  Just remember…someone is ALWAYS watching…

Thursday I took off work a few hours early so I could catch my flight home!! I took my backpack and my tote bag with me to work and even impressed a few of the ladies there that I could fit all my things for the weekend! From the hospital, all I had to do was walk two blocks to find the train station. I bought my ticket and waited for the R1 train outbound to the airport.



When the R1 arrived, I hopped on with my luggage and was surprised to find out that the train delivered me directly to the terminal at the airport! How fantastic is that?! I had allotted myself plenty of time due to that schedule of the train, so when I arrived at the airport I had plenty of time to look around and determine where I needed to be.

While I was waiting for my plane to arrive, I ended up chatting with a mother and daughter who were sitting next to me. I had noticed that the daughter had put on a sweatshirt and from what I could tell, it appeared to say “Sacred Heart.” So of course, I was intrigued! I made a quick comment about it and come to find out, the daughter had just graduated from high school only an hour or so before and was traveling to a crew regatta championship in Cincinnati (which is the same airport I was headed to). So we had a nice little chat and it appeared that the daughter was super friendly and started chatting to me as if we were best of friends. It was kind of nice talking with someone who was graduating from high school, when I had just missed my 5 year high school reunion. Overall, this was a refreshing moment.

When the plane arrived, I boarded the plane and met my seat buddy. Yet again, I ended up starting into a conversation with the lady sitting next to me and ended up having a nice little time conversing with her.

It seemed like such a short flight and we were landing in Cincinnati. I think I was also preoccupied with the thought that Josh was the one to come and pick me up from the airport (although I had to wait for him to come from his night class). I took advantage of the time and busted open my PT board exam book that I brought along with me.

Josh arrived to pick me up and we headed on our way back to Louisville. The rest of the weekend we were headed out to the lake for my dad’s 50th birthday celebration. He had been planning this party for months and was expecting close to 70 people.

We had a fantastic weekend, one that I wish would have never ended. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. Before I knew it, it was already Sunday and time for Josh to take me back to the airport.

Once we finally arrived to the airport, I felt like I was “go-go-go” from then on. While I was home, I ended up packing another rolling bag to take with me. So now I needed to check in at the little kiosk and they made me check my bag too. I got distracted by the receipt for the bag, that I forgot to pick up my boarding pass at this time. Without knowing it, I had started for the security check point (which seemed poorly organized and forever long of a line). I was standing in line for close to 10 minutes when I started to approach the security officer and realized I needed to pull out my boarding pass. Well, when I attempted to do so, I realized that I only had the receipt and chances are I would not be allowed through security without my boarding pass. So I now had to jump out of line (which seemed longer at this point) and rush over to the kiosk in hopes that my boarding pass would still be there. Thankfully, my pass was still there and now I was headed to the security line to start all over.

Upon arriving at the x-ray scanner and metal detector, I saw the sign mentioning liquids needing to be outside of the bags. At this point, I realized that I had not encountered any problem going through Philadelphia security, but hoped that maybe I wouldn’t encounter problems again. BOY was I wrong!! The officer that pulled my bag aside was very unkind and very frank. I tried to be very polite and willing to participate with the security officer, but he did not seem of interest to reciprocate the gesture. He was very rude and of course, I tried very hard not to take it personally because he was just doing his job, but it would have been more fantastic if he did his job with a smile. :-)

So after getting through the awkwardness of going through security, I finally arrived at my crowded gate with about 5 minutes until boarding time. The terminal was extremely overcrowded and I stood patiently awaiting for the boarding time. It was then that they announced that due to bad weather in Philadelphia, we were not going to be taking off the ground for another hour. Well, I suppose this allowed me some time to go grab some food since I was already hungry.

I ate my lunch and opened up my 7th Harry Potter book that I brought along with me and had some personal time. When it came time to boarding, I softly took my seat and opened up my book again since we still had plenty of time before take off. I continued to read my book throughout the flight and once we landed, we encountered another surprise. We were told that we had beaten the storm to the airport, but…the walkway was not taxied out to the plane – so we needed to wait out the storm on the ground.

By the time the weather ended, I headed to baggage claim and went to find my train out of the airport. To get home, I had a decent trek to include the airport train to 30th street train station, then walk across the street to the subway/trolleys, hop on to the trolley and then walk two blocks to my place. All in all, this does not seem like a bad walk, but when I had three bags, I had definitely worked up a sweat.

By the time I was home….I was exhausted and relieved to be “home” for I no longer was traveling. All in all, I had a very eventful weekend and got to experience traveling solo, which is something I had not done before. Boy, was this an adventure!!

Thanks for riding along.

…Walked everywhere I go!

One of the great things about living the in the city of Philadelphia, is that the city is set up perfectly for pedestrians, bikers and public transportation.  I have tried out some of the public transportation here, including trolleys (that can travel below and sometimes above ground) and subway.  I have yet to travel the regional rail which is more of a train expressway I believe.  I will find out more when I take the regional rail to the airport.  So far, I have had pretty good public transportation experiences and I have even had some fun conversations with other people while we are waiting for the trolley.  I am starting the get the hang of the whole process of determining which stop I need to get off at and where the trolley stops are located.  While riding the trolleys, I have even learned which stops are for which stores, due to the bags that people tend to carry on to the trolley.

I do not feel out of place if I walk around the city with a large tote bag or even a backpack because majority of the other people walking are doing the same.  Whether I am walking to work in the morning with other hospital and business professionals or down by the outside shopping streets, people have bags to carry the things they need while they are out or even to carry home their goods that they buy while out. 

It is awfully nice to be so close to work in the morning.  On average, it takes me about 15 minutes to get from my room to the Acute Care PT/OT room in the hospital!  I am not used to this idea at all! Typically in Louisville, it would take me on average to get to places about 20-30 minutes.  But to be able to get in AT LEAST 30 minutes of walking time on a daily basis is so exciting.  (I say AT LEAST because in the acute care setting, we are running up/down at least 4-5 flights of stairs, traveling all across the large hospital that includes 3 buildings, etc.  So needless to say, I get plenty of walking done during my work day!).

Last Sunday, I traveled into the city and discovered a lot.  I found a few vintage type stores and a hidden mall within a professional building.  To top it off, I even found two Victoria’s Secrets within 1-2 blocks from each other!  Never do I feel alone, because I am surrounded by other shoppers at all times.  It is a pretty neat experience. 

Before I go anywhere, I make sure that I have educated myself on the routes in which to get there.  I track which trolley/train stops I need, where to find them, and how to get to where I am going.  This helps put me at ease so that I am at least familiar with where and what I am looking for. 

Later on Sunday, I traveled back to where I live and found a grocery store about 2-3 blocks.  I ventured around the store which seemed smaller than some of the general grocery stores at home, but it could also be due to the different layout that I was not used to.  But the grocery building was about 3 stories tall, but that included parking for people since it was on the corner of busier streets, as well as rooms for some business offices.  When you are in the city, they have to find any and all available room to put places, so sometimes businesses are on the second floors of buildings in order to make sure they can maximize the space available!

So I dare you to come visit me and let’s go walking around the city!! Because after all, that is what people do!