Day 125 - Thanksnatomy

So this evening's class was one of the hardest to actually get to...mentally. It's the evening before Thanksgiving - turkey, dressing, mashed tators, and all that good stuff. I went to class anyway.
I'm pretty sure everybody who showed up for class was thinking the same thing: get this over with so I can go home and prepare for tomorrow.
We took our quiz (10 out of 10, baby!) and then after a break, learned more about the skeletal system.

I hope I can retain this information for recall later.
Or have to study.
EWWWW!
Well, off to dream about turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and dressing. Yum.

Day 124 - Musculoskeletal Pathology

In tonight's class, we studied some of the pathologies of the musculoskeletal systems. We also got our assignment for next class, in which we take "SOAP" notes on a client and then put a pathology on them (that they don't really have) and describe how we would change our SOAP notes based on that pathology.
SOAP notes are the typical way that people in a medical-type profession keep notes on clients/patients. It has nothing to do with hygiene and getting clean.
It stands for:
S - Subjective (what they say is the problem or what they are presenting with)
O - Objective (What the practitioner sees)
A - Assessment (what the practitioner does)
P - Plan (what the plan is for next time or in the mean time)
That's about all I have for tonight.

Day 123 - Extra Movin' and Groovin'

I do actually WANT to update after my shift in student clinic, but actually, I'm either too tired or too lazy. It could be either. During this past weekend, I worked the Saturday afternoon shift, where there aren't as many student therapists so we were all quite busy with taking clients. I actually worked with four clients and did no student exchanges during this shift.
Oddly enough, two of the clients asked me specifically to work on their abdomen, which is not something that I automatically included in the massages I have been giving. Another different thing is that I had all women for clients this time.
As far as class goes for tonight, I had shiatsu class in which we learned about the back and various meridians and points associated with it, including the energy path that runs along WGH's favorite place - the lamina groove. We also learned extra moves for the posterior side and all sorts of other stretches. I just practiced a couple of them on WGH. He's a good sport.
My partner and I have our final assignment/protocol started. Now, we just have to get it typed up and formatted with the right flow and that sort of thing. And practice it. Well, that will definitely take some time.

Day 122 - Getting a Clue with Shiatsu

Before I tell of all the exciting things that happened in class, I have to share a confirmation I received today on why I am going into this field.
While at the J-O-B, I noticed a co-worker in her office with the lights off, which was quite unusual. She explained that she had been experiencing one of the worst migraine headaches she's had - for the whole last week! She seemed very lethargic, too, which is pretty unusual for her. I told her that though I had learned some stuff that may help, I wouldn't want to "practice" on her. She said that she was going to the doctor and see if they can help.
After she returned from the doctor, she asked me to help her. Besides saying that she was experiencing stress and possibly not eating balanced meals, the doctor had found some knots in her trapezius muscles that may be causing the headache. I almost immediately found them and went to working them out, using some pincer techniques, friction, vibration, compressions, and good ol' petrissage. After about 10 minutes - 15 at the most - I felt I had done all I could in that "session" and wrapped up with her. She said that she felt better and more loose in the shoulders and after a little chat, she left the room. About 10 minutes later, she came bee-bopping back into the room with a much more energetic demeanor and said she was feeling better.
So, in case you're wondering, THAT'S why I'm putting myself through this grueling schedule. To help people feel better. I love that feeling!
Anyway, back to class. We discussed what a client's reaction may be to a shiatsu session, benefits to it, and a little bit more about Eastern Medicine and how it relates to shiatsu. I find it interesting that it seems to mix the physical work with the energy work. Of course, I could be wrong about all of that.
We got our "big" assignment, which is creating a protocol for a made up client. We also got to see protocols made up in previous classes, as well as see a little bit of demonstration of some "extra moves" that are to be used in the protocol. The extra moves seem to be very similar moves, if not the same, to Thai massage.
My understanding of Thai massage: do Yoga for your client and bend your client into a pretzel until screaming begins.
I could be wrong though. It's been known to happen on occasion.

Day 121 - Deja Vu Anatomy

Last week, we took our Anatomy I final exam which included the subject of muscle tissue, what it is, what kinds there are, and how muscles actually work. We had learned about sarcomeres, calcium's role, and what actins and myocins are.
In our first class of Anatomy II this evening, guess what? We reviewed muscle tissue, what it is, what kinds there are, and how muscles actually work, including sarcomeres, calcium's role, and what actins and myocins are.
Weird. Deja vu.
Last week, I ended up getting a 95% on the final exam, but wasn't really sure what all of the muscle stuff meant. Frankly, by the time we went over that last week, my brain had totally checked out. After tonight's review, I think I get it.
Yay!
As for the J-O-B, today was a strange day. Since the company had lost a contract back at the end of September, things have been rather slow. Well, today, TPTB executed multiple lay-offs. I was not one of the parties affected. I really want to add "unfortunately" to the end of that because in many ways, working 40 hours a week while doing this massage school program is hugely time consuming, physically and emotionally draining, and I never have time (or make the time) to clean the house.
But - I guess I have to help pay bills and make my contribution to society, so off to work I go.
Well, I mean, tomorrow, I will go to work. Tonight, I'm heading to bed.

Day 120 - Pathology - Kinda Like a Review

In last session's Anatomy class, we studied the Integument system (skin). In this session's Pathology class, we studied the Integument system - or more of what can possibly go wrong with the skin.
We learned about fungus on the skin, parasites on the skin, burns, frostbite, various STD's, and cancers that affect the skin. We got to pictures of examples of a good number of them. And I just gotta say - EWWWWWWW!!!!
All that to say that should I have you on my table and I say, "EWWWWWWW!" You might want to see your dermatologist.
Or if I just simply say, "I see this thing, and you may want to see your dermatologist." You might want to see your dermatologist.
Before these classes, I would not have called myself a germophobe. After all, I'm one of those people that pretty well thinks that we're too clean and too anti-bacterial. If you don't have some germs for your body's immune system to fight, it will just attack whatever foreign stuff it sees. Right?

Well, after serveral months of being classes, I started noticing that if I didn't wash my hands after a certain amount of time, or I was in a public place, touching railings or handles, I really had the desire to wash my hands. I especially noticed this feeling when I was in New York City a month ago.
Today, one of my co-workers at the J-O-B went home sick after making a technicolor offering to the toilet gods. After her departure, I got out the handy-dandy Clorox wipes, wiped down her desk, then sprayed everything around her desk that I could find with Clorox disinfectant spray. Then washed my hands twice, sprayed down everything in the restroom, washed my hands again, sprayed the door handles for good measure, and then washed my hands again.
When I arrived home after studying pathologies of the skin this evening, I washed my hands.
I think the classes are starting to affect me.

Day 119 - Shiatsu! God Bless You!

Class

Many moons ago when I worked at the old J-O-B, one of the neighbor companies in the office park was named "Otsuka." When my sister and I carpooled together, I asked her one time as we drove by the building, "What does that say?"
She replied, "Ott-soo-kaa."
So I responded, "God bless you," as if she had sneezed.
That's what the name sounded like to me.
A sneeze.
And that's what Shiatsu sounds like to me as well. However, unlike the Japanese pharmaceutical company, Shiatsu is a Japanese word that means "finger pressure," and we are studying this in class for the next five weeks. It's another modality, like acupressure, that is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. And you may remember how much fun I had with acupressure. I will say this, though. I can see me probably using this more than I will acupressure.
In tonight's class, we got a short lecture on what shiatsu is and then we got a demonstration of it. We also got to try a couple stretching things on our partner as well. In the next five weeks, we'll also be creating our own protocol to use on a client that my partner and I create. No, that is not a dangling modifier. We get to "create a client" with ailments and imbalances that can be helped by Shiatsu.
I think I'm looking forward to this class. At the very least, it will help me with my flexibility.
Things to remember for Shiatsu:

1. Yoga mat or really big thick mat (a mattress would be great, but my be bulky to carry into class)
2. Wash feet and change socks before going to school
3. Wear loose, comfortable pants, preferably sweats. Hello Kitty pajama bottoms could be fun, too.
4. Don't eat beans the day before or the day of Shiatsu class
5. Make sure to take care of any rest room needs before practicing

Clinic

In other news, I had my fourth (and final for this session) student clinic shift this past Saturday. My first client wanted deep pressure, but not on his back. Nothing on his back. The next hour, I got to receive a student exchange. As much as giving is good experience for me, receiving from another student is also good to pick up other ideas and have reminders about strokes and speed and that sort of thing. In the third session, I performed a student exchange. For the fourth and final session of the day, I had a young lady client who enjoyed her massage so much, she tried to give me a tip. I told her that I couldn't accept cash, but even more important to me now is a student evaluation feedback form.
From this week until the end of student clinic, I will be taking the Saturday afternoon shift, which means I won't be getting home until about 7:00pm.
Short term sacrifice for my long term goal...