Typical Paige Move

Most of you know that I have a knack for getting myself into awkward situations or random difficulties that may or may not have been avoided. And, for those of you who didn't - you have learned something new about me today. Since I'm not one to disappoint ... let me recount a recent "Oh crap, is this really happening?" moment that I happened upon during this clinical rotation.

Typical day in the rehab. Treating patients. Loving seeing progress. You know how it goes. I love my chosen profession, so it was another start to a great day. One of my new favorite patients requested to go to the Chapel to visit since he hadn't been there before. Now, let me tell you - this is no ordinary hospital Chapel. This is the epitome of hospital Chapels. It is beautifully huge! Paintings, murals, marble walls and floors, and it's bigger than my home church back in Humnoke - all within the hospital. So, when my patient requested to go to the Chapel, I was all for it. Naturally. Plus, it has a piano in there.

My new favorite patient happens to be utilizing a wheelchair at the moment, so going to the Chapel was a great way to work on endurance with wheelchair mobility. When we arrived at the Chapel, he took a rest break while I played a couple of his favorite hymns on the piano. After the rest break he noticed that there was a little ramp going onto the stage, so he practiced negotiating the little ramp and explored the stage for a second. There was a door leading to a backstage area, and he asked if we could see what was back there. My first thought was simply no. But, then I thought, why not? It doesn't have a sign plastered on it saying, "Forbidden." So, we explored the back room finding some old choir music and such when he noticed a door leading out to a small patio. I thought to myself, "How cool is that. I bet nobody even knows this is here. How neat that there is this little patio." Of course my curious patient wanted to check it out. So, we did.

Upon exiting onto the patio, we saw that there wasn't a whole lot going on out there. There was a random water hose semi-rolled up and not much of a view. We were out there for maybe a couple of minutes when we decided to head back in. I reached for the door to turn the handle and my heart dropped when it didn't budge. I thought to myself, "No freakin' way. Are you kidding me??! It locks from the inside?!" I turned around to my new favorite patient and didn't have to explain anything - my face said it all. But, luckily - he is one of the most optimistic people I know and didn't freak out a bit. He jokingly problem solved saying we could use the water hose to shimmy down the side of the hospital. I tried to remain cool on the outside, but I had never felt so helpless. Nobody knew we were there. I mean, they may have known to look in the Chapel, but that random little patio outback? Who would even think that it existed? It would literally be the last place they looked.

I didn't have my cell phone on me, and my heart was about to beat out of my chest I was becoming so anxious. Luckily my new favorite patient is awesome. The patio was L-shaped, and around the corner he located a stairwell. Now, being in a wheelchair, I couldn't exactly take him with me. I was then faced with our only option - I had to leave him there in the almost 100 degree weather and come full circle to retrieve him. Great. I'm abandoning my patient on a random patio. That's clinical student of the year right there. I was in such a hurry, that I bolted through the stairwell door not realizing that the creepy old stairwell had about a foot drop into it. I about rolled down the stairs. Wouldn't that have been great? My patient would have been stranded on a hot patio in a wheelchair, and I would have been stranded in a creepy old stairwell with a broken leg. But, God always looks out for me and I managed to catch my balance as I flew down the stairs.

I couldn't exit on the floor we were on, so I had to go down a floor before I could begin my rescue mission. The elevators were actually closer than the closest stairwell, so I power walked to the elevator trying not to make my haste so obvious. I would say I was a big fail with that effort. I was sweating, half running, and probably wild eyed trying to make it back to the Chapel. The elevator of course took forever. I was regretting not running to the stairwell the entire time. Finally, the elevator took me up a floor. I made a dash back to the Chapel, ran through the pews, swung open the patio door, and my new favorite patient was sitting there patiently smiling. Whew! I had never been so relieved.

We made it back to the rehab safely. He even told me that he wouldn't say anything if I didn't say anything. But, being so honest - and, since it was kind of a humorous story - I told my clinical instructor who thought it was equally bizarre and funny. Now I'm telling on myself to all of you :)

So, anyway - that's just another example of a typical Paige move. Unfortunately, things like this happen more often than I'd like. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe this is God's method of teaching me things. I'm not sure of the lesson in this story - maybe it's listening to my first instinct? The one that told me, "No, don't go explore the little back room." I guess I like to learn the hard way, right?

I'll leave you all with a few fun things that we've been doing in Springfield as we begin our eighth week here. I can't believe it has flown by so fast. I will officially graduate in less than 4 weeks :). Amazing. God is so very good. In every situation. He is good.