Dreaming Athletic Trainer

Regaining Confidence

2012-01-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

Finally starting to feel like my confidence is back. For most part, I feel fine, it's just that I feel like the tires are slipping from under me when riding. Now I know most of that is psychological, and in reality, nothing is happening, but it's not as easy to get over that while riding, than just saying it in your head. So what I've been doing is going on loner rides through Polamares Canyon in Castro Valley and with each run, picking up a little more speed, and leaning over more and more. This most recent run was a lot more enjoyable. I also think that was partly due to the weather being warmer. I was really apprehensive the time prior because I thought I had seen ice on the roads. Again, it's all in the head

27 years young, shun!

2011-12-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the girls basketball team for the cakez!

Motorcycle repair

2011-11-07T11:29:00.000-08:00

Stripped stator screws.

Must remove immediately.

Haven't ridden bike in long time.

Getting jittery.

Send ideas, plz

#OccupyStudentDebt

2011-10-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

#OccupyStudentDebt is a movement that is gaining plenty of traction as of lately. Similar to the #OccupyWallStreet movement, this particular group is comprised of, I believe, hundred of thousands, if not millions, more individuals who are fed up and want to see a change. Massive Student Debt affects many people, just as the inequalities created by unjust practices in the banking and finance industry. With this movement, however, it is seemingly much more clear to what the problem is. People borrow money to attend instituions of higher education, only to be inundated with bills they are unable to pay, upon completion of their degree.

Some are able to find jobs; some aren't. I was one of the fortunate ones to find a job out of Graduate School. Might I add, the job doesn't pay nearly enough to cover the cost of loans. Simply put, I will be dead before the loan is paid off!

To get a better picture of just what is going on, visit occupystudentdebt.com/ and there you will get a personal glimpse into what the system has created.

Name that Condition

2011-09-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

MotoGP Laguna Seca

2011-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ciao, SuperSic!

Wine Country Ride

2011-07-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Fender Chop

2011-06-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Riding Weather

2011-06-14T18:50:00.001-07:00

Looks like this is turning more into a motorcycling blog

Shots from San Francisco Ride

2011-05-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

Would have been more, but as luck has it, my phone died. What? Why didn't I bring a camera? I forgot it. What? Why didn't I charge my phone? Well, let's just say...see previous excuse.

DIY - Simple tire modification

2011-05-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I used a Sharpie Paint Pen to make a nice looking mod to my motorcycle's tires. I think it gives it the look of a racing motorcycle, mixed in with a little throw back whitewall-esque flavor. It was simple, all I did was clean the gunk off the sidewalls with an old t-shirt (soap and water), and dried it, then marked it up. Only heads up I would give is to maybe use a rag, rather than a t-shirt because the old lint tends to stick onto the tires' surface. Also, use a steady hand, as I messed up on the 'B' in Bridgestone and just decided to color in that top portion of the 'B'

Sharpie Paint Pen - 2/$5.00 @ Michael's

Rear Wheel - right

Rear Wheel - right (zoomed in)

Front Wheel - right

Rear Wheel - left

Front Wheel - left

Welcome the newest member of the family

2011-05-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

Glad to have you, Mr. Ninja!

Kawasaki Ticket To Ride

2011-04-16T17:21:00.001-07:00

Name That Condition

2010-11-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

Name That Condition

2010-09-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Player is a 17yr. old male, participating sport is football. He reported to the Athletic Training Room complaining of an irritating bump that hasn't been bothering him, but it just has not resolved in the past few days, and just wanted to have it checked out. Upon initial examination, player had been treated it just simply by covering it with a band-aid and ointment. The scabbed-over marks are reportedly from turf burns. The site of the lump is along the medial joint line on the right knee. There is also an additional bump (picture 3) just proximal to the knee cap, about 1cm in diameter on the same leg. Player reported no increase in size, no change in temperature, it hasn't "raised" and has been mostly flat. This is the only site in which bumps exist.

On the surface of the furuncle, there are approximately 8 to 9 small crusted spots (picture 1) that were "poked" by his grandmother with a sharp pin, and then covered with Neosporin and a band-aid. There was no drainage of any fluid, but since, the site has become very tender to touch. Inspection of the site reveals a rigid surface, moves easily when shifted with examiners' fingers, painful when pressed, slightly moist, and noticeable elevated temperature when compared to surrounding skin. Player does not remember having any recent cuts or scrapes other than the turf burn, and has not reported any associated fevers.

Name That Condition

2010-09-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Name That Condition

2010-09-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Wound Care

2010-08-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't crash another motorcycle, although the product looks very similar. This athlete suffered abrasions to the forearm as a result of a skateboard crash, with additional wounds to the hip and hands. The wound site at the hip is by far the worst, or the deepest, with burns through the dermis layer. Athlete is being treated with silver sulfadiazine cream, which is used to treat severe burns, and standard bandages/dressings. Athlete is instructed to wash/rinse nightly with soap and water, and apply new dressings every day.

My Athletic Training Room

2010-08-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Desk/Work Area

View upon entrance, badly needs some banners

Treatment table and taping station, also some storage underneath

Supply area

Tables and small corner for storing coolers

Ice machine and workout area, also a sink in the corner

Alternate view of desk. Ceilings about about 15'

The Last Hurrah

2010-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is a post dedicated to Upward Bound, a federally funded college-prep program for high school kids that is designed to increase their chances of success in higher education. There is so much I can say about this program, but first, it saddens me to come to the realization that this past Summer is very, very likely my last time being involved with this Program in this capacity.

Just to put things into perspective, of how significant this program is, I personally, owe all of my success to my involvement with this program during my high school years. All of it! In one way or another, whether direct or indirect, my personal successes can be traced back to Upward Bound, or someone in Upward Bound. It's true!

I have to say, the last five Summers I have been a Resident Advisor for Upward Bound, has been one helluva learning experience! Especially, I have learned a lot of about myself, and how I relate not just with high school students, but other human beings. So, so serious! There is absolutely not enough time and space for me to write about everything I have done or learned during my time with this Program, also because there are minors involved with this program so I can't name their identities, but all I have to say is, this place has had a huge effect on my development as a person and I can't thank the people, supporters, and families of the program. It's really too much to say, and would take me an eternity to give thanks -- at least, the type of thanks I want to.

But I have come to the point where all great things end, and now I must take my place in what Upward Bound essentially was designed to create for me - the very existence and life the program visions for its students. There are things about the program I agree with, as well as disagree with, but overall, if those who are in charge of the program remain true to its identity without straying too far from the system that is known to work, I think it will be fine. I think I had a lot to offer the Program as a student and as a staff member, but I know I could not become too attached for fear of not becoming what I initially got into the program to become - which is a working professional. Otherwise, I could see myself in a leader position with the program, especially after Director Wayne Kitchen and Director Janice Dirden-Cook have had their influences on me. I feel strongly for the program, but that just was not my calling.

I will miss the program, and I will definitely seek out other ways to be involved with it because I believe so strongly in the program, but as far as the capacity in which I have been involved in the past, that's all folks...

Farewell

Personal Reflections

2010-05-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

After spending the last two days in airports, and my mom almost getting arrested by security, I have finally had time to reflect upon the last two years of my life. Initially, this blog was created to chronicle my life on the road from California to Texas, and eventually becoming an Athletic Trainer. Now that all that has been satisfied, I wondered to myself, if I should no longer post on this blog. Even though it's over, I didn't want to say goodbye to this blog. It was originally titled "Your Homie, Athletic Trainer," but once I got Certified, I figured it should be a little more professional, and certainly the description of the blog changed from "my journey to become a Certified Athletic Trainer," to my whatever the description says now -- I forget. Bu as for the blog itself, I felt I should continue to post as a means of getting information out about our profession, or just as a method of personal release because I know I have an interesting journey ahead of me; and it will get better with each and every day.

It's a little wild to look back upon the first entries of this blog. It feels like such a long time ago. I still remember the day this idea came to me, and how I wanted to make this a journey I would never forget. It was while I was still working with Chabot College, and I was still in the process of applying to Graduate school. Needless to say, I am glad I did this. I love the fact that I did it, and will cherish the memories I have - those posted here, and those that aren't.

As for what's in store for me now, only thing left to do is find an Athletic Training job. In the meantime, I will work with USF's Upward Bound Program which is just a temporary Summer position, but it should hold me over until I find a career-fulfilling position.

I am certainly excited about my future, and I also must admit, this whole becoming an adult thing can be scary at times, but what has gotten me through so far, is thinking about all the fun I will have doing whatever I want to do, when I want to do it. That there, folks, is what freedom is all about. And if you ask me, there is no feeling like the feeling of freedom.

See you guys at the Finish Line...

No More Classrooms

2010-05-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I graduated...

Will miss all of you...

Knee Arthroscopy Rehab Protocol - Phase 3

2010-05-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

This phase of the rehab is the step prior to the final phase. The final phase is simply returning the athlete to play, and making sure they are comfortable enough to go out and perform closely to the level they performed prior to injury. This phase mainly consist of a lot of conditioning (sprints, running on the track), the introduction of plyometrics, power/explosive movements, mastering the exercises we've previously introduced and combining multiple exercises, and lastly, functional drills that would mimic basketball moves, or the athletes' respective sport. At this point, it is all about confidence, and regaining the athletes' trust in themselves. This is a tricky step, in the sense that every person is different in their exercise adaptation, however, keep in mind, that it is a slow process, and different people will progress at their own pace. Fortunately with collegiate athletes, you are allowed more time per session, but this is not always the case in other settings.

1. Step Down (3 x 12) - Depending on the conditioning level of your patient/athlete, this can be a tricky exercise. In this specific case, considering his knee, he was placed near a wall for concerns of him falling over, or needing extra support in the event he felt instability. The athlete starts with one leg over the side of the platform, and upon partially squatting with the affixed leg, the hanging leg is to touch the ground with the heel as the only part of the foot making contact. Concurrently, in this case, the athlete mimics a chest pass with a medicine ball (see picture). The addition of the upper body movement forces the lower extremity to work more towards balancing the whole body.

2. Step Ups (6 x 30 secs) - A commonly used exercise designed to build confidence, speed, coordination, and explosion. This can be progressed in variety of ways from changing the height of the steps, to increasing the duration of the exercise, and adding a combination of toe-touches alternating one foot, to two foot sets, etc. You will find with athletes, they love to be challenged and rewarded, so adding various contests may help them to strive.

3. Drag Squats (5 x each direction) - This is an original exercise performed in three planes; forward, laterally, and "open," which is similar to a reverse lunge, except there is 45 degree rotation in the hips along the vertical axis. Pictured below is an example of a lateral drag squat. Once the player is in start position, they are to lunge out as far as they can tolerate, and from there, drag their foot back to the beginning position. This can be performed with, or without, a medicine ball.

4. Alternate Dead Lifts (3 x 15) - This exercise is performed slowly with the athlete essentially placing the dumbbell on the ground, and then lifting it up, and switching to the other side. It is hard to perform without involving hip flexion, but the only movement should be occurring at the knee. Progress the exercise by adding heavier weight, increasing duration, reps/sets, etc.

5. Hill Climbers (6 x 30secs) - A familiar exercise among athletes who condition or strength train, this variation involves the use of the Dynadisc which secondarily works the upper body, and provides more of an overall challenge. Make sure to recognize if the athlete is driving their knees up and in, and not outward, and also are not bouncing their butts, meaning their back should be mostly flat.

6. Dynadisc Balance (6 x 30secs) - Although this may seem like a relatively easy exercise, it will be extremely difficult for someone with a lower extremity injury. There are various way to work with the Dynadisc, as well as, working with the progression in difficulty (one leg, no shoes, ball-toss, visual impairment, etc.) However, in this particular exercise with this athlete, whom really enjoyed challenges, the goal was for him to stand for :30 secs at a time without falling off. That's it! It's a great way to increase proprioception and balance. The position with the athletes' hip at 90 degrees is the correct position. Below, the athlete is intentionally holding a squat position.

7. Lateral Step Ups (6 x 30 secs) - This specific exercise is to increase the athletes' trust in their ability to shuffle sideways, and it is a great way to build confidence in basketball related moves. A great way to progress this exercise is to remove the visual angle, and instead of concentrating on the placement of their feet, have them look straight ahead of focus on another target. Use this technique only if the individual has mastered all other related exercises and you are confident they are prepared to progress.

8. Med Ball Squats (6 x 30 secs) - Similar to a wall squat, this exercise is performed while the athlete holds their squat position, with any type of ball between their legs proximal to the knee, and squeeze, or prevent the ball from falling. A variation of this exercise we utilized for progression is to add resistance to the object between their legs. In this case, we used a heavier ball. When our patient got really good, and showed good medial quad strength, I would apply pressure to the ball by hitting it from different angles, using varying amounts of strengths.

9. Floor Squats (3 x 12) - Having a relatively easy exercise is a huge benefit for the athlete's psyche, and physically, gives them a break from the more intense exercises. Typically, this exercise is performed after a few more rigorous ones. In the beginning, I like to have the athlete perform the squats in front of a mirror for visual feedback. Once they become good enough, I take away the visual aid, and then, the target becomes (as you can see in the picture) the inner soles of his shoes.

Plyometrics (3 x 15) - Plyometrics are an easy form of exercises to train athletes, and also, they are great for patients who are further along in their respective program. With our athlete being a basketball player, naturally, he wanted to get back to jumping, so this was an obvious drill. We simply used a jump rope and set it at a specific height. Here, he is jumping laterally, but this can be progressed by having them jump in different directions.

Jump Twist - Here, our patient is performing an exercise that will increase confidence using his knee, and help in regaining the specific level of athletic performance that he was used to. The important element here is landing. We want to focus on a controlled landing in which he does not wobble, or come down too hard, all the while working accessory and stabilizing muscles.

Exercise Ball Squats - This is an exercise that focuses on generating power and maintaining stability.

Reverse Total Gym (3 x 15) - This is the only exercise performed with a machine.

All the above exercises are advanced level exercises, in other words, are not recommended for acute injuries, or injuries still in the beginning stages of healing. A thorough evaluation should completed upon initial exercise prescription, also before progressing to more difficult exercises.

Really?..."the best day of your life?"

2010-04-26T20:53:00.001-07:00

Dang, that's a small picture? But the news is still BIG...

How many people can honestly say they remember the "best day in their life?" I believe this is mine. If you haven't heard, I passed the Board of Certification (BOC) Exam today. If you're even reading this blog, then I'm pretty sure you already know what I'm talking about, since becoming a Certified Athletic Trainer was the very premise of this whole thing in the first place!

Now that I am reflecting back on it, I am so glad I did this! My mother would occasionally ask me, "do you have any regrets?" in which she'd be referring to the major I chose to study, and the school I chose to attend, etc., and every time, I would respond with a stern "No, I don't have any regrets." However, when she would ask me this, I would sometimes slip into a daydream where I would fantasize about what my life would have been like had I chose a different path.

I always wanted to study music, or be involved with the musical artist/writer scene in some way, and I think those that know me see how that reflects in my personality. I've always said if I couldn't do music, or science, I would love being a Director. Not so much music videos or anything, but more along the lines of short films or documentaries. I think that shows with my sort of love for photography. Why I never pursued these things? Well, I did -- or, I do! I still do all of the things I love to do, which is why my favorite saying is "only boring people get bored." My particular needs are always met. There is never a moment when there is not something I can be doing. Call me "too busy" if you want, but I call it just having fun. Just being me.

When I took the exam back on April 7, 2010, I was nervous as all hell. Admittedly. It is natural to be nervous, as this will potentially decide the course of your future. At least in the short term. Prior to taking the test, the biggest motivation for me was Sean, AJ, and Eric, whom all passed on their first attempts. For the last two years, we've been hearing nothing but how hard the test is, and how the test is set up to weed out the weak, and how it is intentionally designed to trick you, etc. But, I remember the morning when hearing the news that these three guys passed, and I immediately thought, "Hey, I know every bit as much as they do," in the notion that we were taught by the same instructors, read from the same books, exposed to pretty much the same things, etc. It was not so much of me comparing myself to them, it was moreso a cohort that was able to overcome what most people assumed to be the truth about a "test." So, I cracked open the books!

I stuck to a study schedule of 2hrs of straight study, and 1hr of a break, which was mainly video games. Then, 2hrs of some more studying, and yet again, another 1hr of break-time. I kept this schedule during Spring Break -- while most people were on the beach, I was in between the sheets -- of the textbooks, that is! I sacrificed a lot over the last two years. Went through a lot of stuff that many people, except those involved, don't even know about. Not even those closest to me. And I am suddenly overjoyed with such elation, now that I have passed the test. Nice!

As you can tell, I am in a really great mood! Like AJ says, "Life's good," and yes, it feels great to be me right about now. I wish everyone can get a chance to experience the type of unbelievable emotion that I felt once I found out the results. But, before I get too sentimental, I have to gloat a little (as if I wasn't already) and smash on one particular person. I'm not the type to hold grudges, but this moment is especially bitter for none other than USF Professor Gary Stevens, who once advised me to change my major after not performing well on an Anatomy exam. I have heard of things like that happening to other people, maybe in the movies, but I never thought it would happen to me. I couldn't believe this person would say something like that. Until this point, I have never revealed these details, but I held it in just for this moment! And all I have to say to him is, HOW GREAT AM I?

I am certainly proud of where I come from, proud of what I have developed into, proud of what I am; education is truly a gift that no one can ever take from you, and is truly able to lift communities to higher levels. The knowledge I have amassed over the last two years is unmatched and I will never forget the people I've met along the journey, especially my lifetime bros. (and sis) from the c/0 2010. The ride has come to an end, but the fun is just getting started. I hope and pray that I can continue to live as fulfilling of a life as I have been living, especially leading up to this point.

Now in regards to celebration, where is the cake?

-The Dreamer, ATC

Knee Arthroscopy Rehab Protocol - Phase 2

2010-04-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

A few of the new exercises added to the knee rehab program. The other exercises have since been progressed, or discontinued, depending upon evaluation, and largely the level at which the patient completes them.

Multi-Hip - An exercise typically seen performed on machines, but can be changed if a machine isn't available. Most exercises are that way; can be modified as such to perform the actions you are trying to accomplish. The tubing is of moderate resistance and is affixed to his uninvolved leg. The involved leg then becomes the stabilizer, thus improving his proprioception, strength, and balance. In early stages, using a stick or some type of device is helpful in preventing your patient from falling.

Working hip abductors

Working hip adductors, primarily

Working hip flexors

Lateral Cup Slides - Being a basketball player, sliding from side-to-side is important for defensive stances, as well as getting your body low. This exercise replicates those movements. At this stage, only 4 cups were used; mainly as distance markers for him to meet.

For the last set, we incorporated an additional cup for him to pick up, and then place back down, in order to add more knee flexion; making sure to watch for all bending motions to come from the knee, and not so much at the hip.

Modified Squat - There is added resistance with the use of his arms, which are forced in a downward (palms down) swinging motion while squatting, and an upward motion (palms up) while returning to start position.

Downward motion

Upward motion

Jogging - For a patient that is 6'10" you can imagine this would be somewhat difficult for such a small hot tub.

Marching - Marching was actually more difficult than light jog. In the picture, the patient is shown with his knee somewhat out of the water, but this is only for demonstration purposes, as this is a practice we do not want to make a habit of. The patients' knee should be submerged under water at all time. They can bring their knee up as close to the surface as possible, but avoid lifting it any further.

If the patient is not tired by the end of the workout/exercises, think to increase the level of intensity, or volume, depending on the stage of their rehab. Dealing with Div. I athletes, one would expect them to be in top physical form, but that is not always the case, so it is always important to treat every case with specificity and be careful not generalize. Usually we will end most exercises with a 15 minute bike ride, or a minimum of 5 minutes out on the track, then finally, end with cryotherapy. Some individuals like to be challenged more than others and it is great working with those types, but also understand not everyone heals the same, so different people will be at different stages after certain amounts of time.

Knee Arthroscopy Rehab Protocol - Phase 1

2010-04-09T08:38:00.000-07:00

Patient Profile: 19 year old basketball player suffered what was initially thought to be an ACL partial tear, and combination tears in the posterior horn of the medial and lateral meniscus of his left knee. On April 2, 2010, once the Docs went in to scope his knee, they found the ACL to still be intact, also minimal damage to the meniscus; at which point they just cleaned up and any scarring that took place along the ligamentous attachment sites. Below are a few of the exercises we are working on in order to restore the patients' full range of motion, strength, and confidence in the use his knee.

1. TKE (Terminal Knee Extensions) 2 x 15 - I am actually on the opposite end providing the resistance. This can modified in a number of ways. Some like to affix the end to an attachment wall, or via pulley-system. But since I did not have those items available to me at the time, one must get creative

(START position)

(END position)

2. Cup Walking 10x - This is also another exercise that can be highly modified. Some are more comfortable with using larger cones, but for the purposes of this rehab, I use a stack of cups (again, resources available) because partially, this is only Day 2, and your patient may not be as comfortable with that much hip flexion at this point. So, a 4" obstacle vs. a 8" obstacle makes a huge difference.

3. Total Gym mini squat - Patient performs a partial squat in a limited range that is to be predetermined in your evaluation. In this particular case, the patient was able to actively flex his knee to about 45 degrees without pain. Allowing pain to be his guide, we asked the patient flex his knee to his end point, and from there, flex it slightly beyond the point of pain, but no further than that.

4. Calf raise 2 x 15 - This is a great exercise I like to do because not only does it incorporate gastroc strengthening, but it provides physical and tactile feedback to the body about its positioning in space. From the initial evaluation, the patient complained of placing as low as 35% of weight on the involved leg. So this is a great exercise to address both strengthening and confidence concerns.

(START position) Patient stands close to a stable, depending on stability, and raises up off the floor to the metatarsal heads, or the ball of the foot. For patients with patellar grafts, or any one who has undergone a procedure involving the patellar tendon, raising to their toes may provide an unwanted strain on the tendon at this point in the rehab.

(END position) Simply return to the flat-foot position

5. Quad Sets 10 x 10 secs - A standard exercise in most knee rehabs, patient actively contracts their quadriceps muscle group while playing close attention to the firing order of each muscle. Most importantly, we want to focus on the neuromuscular control of the vastus medialis oblique; allowing it to contract first, while the others follow. Having the patient place their hand over each muscle is an easy way to determine if this is being accomplished.

6. Straight Leg Raise (5 way) - The SLR is also a common exercise found in many rehab protocols. It is an excellent way to build strength and range of motion, especially during the early phases of rehab. Pictured below is the patient performing SLR's with a 2lb. weight, which he progressed to after exhibiting good technique and control with no weight attached. Many reading this already know the 4-way direction in which the hip moves, but may ask about the "5th direction?" Nope, it is not "rotation," it resembles a 90-90 hip extension that T. Solley coined the "donkey kick," which sorry to say, is not pictured. It is patent-protected ;-)

Overall, we have had good success with these rather simple exercises. They are easily progressed for difficulty and easily modified for future phases. Within one week, the patient has shown tremendous improvement, going from 11o degrees of knee flexion, to 130 degrees in essentially 5 days. His uninvolved side was last measured at 148 degrees, so there is 18 degrees to go. Although his swelling has subsided significantly, it is still noticeable, which is why every session is completed with 5-10 mins on the bike in order to flush out any remnant substances from the workout, and a cryotherapy treatment for residual swelling.

Osteochondral Fracture

2010-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

The procedure that took place this morning was the removal of an osteochondral defect of the left lateral femoral condyle; and it was a rather large piece! The patient, 56 male, initially reported a feeling of "locking," and "intense pain" along the medial and lateral joint line, also with stiffness deep from within the knee joint, and some "instability." Upon evaluation of radiographs, the Doctor felt there may be a presence of loose bodies, commonly referred to as 'joint mice,' or technically termed osteochondral defects.

However, while the knee was being scoped, the Doctor noticed a particularly large piece on the monitor. It took some time for him to grab a hold of it, even at one point, losing sight of it and having to reconfigure himself and enter from a different angle. Once he got a decent view of the object, he realized how large of a piece it was. He struggled for next few minutes to finally get a hold of the piece and remove it.

Once removed, he looked around the condyles and any other structures to get an idea where such a large piece may have come from. There was no definitive answer. At this point, they decided to have the knee x-rayed and maybe that could help them discover where it came from, also, if there were any other pieces around they did not get.

There were a few moments that took me by surprise; a "whoa" moment, if you will. There was a point where the surgical table was too high, and he asked for it to be lowered, and apparently the table was being lowered, but the technician didn't know how to stop it, so the patient was being lowered while there were surgical tools still inside him. It may not have been much of a deal, but I was certainly taken away at the time. The other thing that happened, which gave me more insight into the risks with surgery, was the patient was bleeding more than normal, and the doctor requested the tourniquet's pressure be increased. Again, one of the tech's was unsure on how to do this, or maybe just wasn't familiar with the equipment or could not locate the proper tool to, etc., I am not sure, but the Doctor sure was upset. And I am guessing, the last thing you want, as a patient, is to have an angry Doctor performing your surgery.

TheraLase Presentation Summary

2010-03-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation given this morning on Thera Lase, which is a new product of low level laser therapy, typically used for chronic pain, wounds, and tissue recovery. The presentation was very well done, professionally given, easy to follow, and did an excellent job of explaining its use.

One of the most surprising claims the presenter made that really caught my attention was its effects on fungal infections similar to eczema, or like tinea versicolor, which is a skin condition I have had for 13 years. This was surprising to me at the time, and although I did not follow up with a question, I did my own research on the companies' website.

Upon navigating their website, there is a section on Anti-Aging Treatments, which is the closest category I could find to skin conditions. There, they talk about reducing lines and wrinkles, crows feet, blemishes, acne, scars, etc., no mention of treatment of fungal conditions. All the text says are relative to surface layer treatments and conditions whereas tinea versicolor is treated more on an internal level.

After a little more searching, I steered over to the clinical practitioner section of the website, where I discovered a little more of the information I was seeking. Although for most part, it says the same thing as the patient section, however, it gives a little more scientific background mentioning that its use increases local vascularity and capillary formation, which in turn, brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area, in order to stimulate collagen growth. There is also a list of treatable conditions that include; herpes simplex, psoriasis, rosacea, keloids, stretch marks, and others I mentioned above; but I noticed how none of those conditions are caused by a fungus. So, it is still unclear what they meant as to what skin conditions are treated with the laser. The only other explanation would be if I mistakenly heard one word for another.

Total Hip Replacement

2010-03-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

The procedure I observed this morning was a right total hip replacement, in which the patient was a 79 year old woman, whom had her left hip replaced five years prior. The surgery was scheduled to begin at 7:00 AM, however, the first incisions were not made until 8:45AM. Other than the Doc being slightly late, there was a staggering amount of preparation that went into this surgery, which may have contributed to the delay. The technicians scrubbed the patients' entire leg for a good ten minutes before wrapping it in the necessary materials to prepare for the surgery.

The patient was unquestionably a larger woman which proved to be no obstacle for the Doctor, as he navigated his way through skin, adipose tissue, and muscle to locate the greater trochanter, and eventually the femoral head which was subsequently sawed off. Unfortunately, the pictures I took during the procedure were all on my phone, which was recently destroyed, otherwise I would show a few great shots of the incisions and the sawed-off femoral head.

The procedure itself was pretty straight forward. There wasn't too many interesting things that took place while in the surgery room. Every now and then, the Physician Assistant would toss a quiz question my way, and since there was another high school student in attendance, the Physician Assistant allowed me to answer some questions, however, he shot most of the questions to the high school student, because "he hadn't already had anatomy," and I have, so he expected me to know all the answers to his questions.

Other interesting things that happened during the surgery was one of the technicians apparently became uneasy during the surgery and needed to be helped out of the room. She did not pass out, per se, but from the looks of it, she was well on her way to taking a dive into the operating rooms' floor.

There were a few moments during the middle of the procedure where the Physician Assistant had to shift and adjust the patients' leg positing, which was 1) so the Doctor could get a better view, and 2) so they can observe the way the newly added hardware would work with the patients' existing bony structures, in which they simply simulated all the motions of the hip. There was one time when the Physician Assistant joked, "I will give anyone in here $20 if they could position their leg like this," and I saw just exactly how he was holding the leg, and there is no one alive who could do that. The leg was placed into hip adduction, internal rotation, knee flexion, and and horizontally adducted to where the involved foot could reach the opposite side (right ASIS) and then bend upwards. It was certainly a freakish sight to see and very unnatural, of course.

Needless to say, the environment in their operating room was very relaxed and inviting. There were several times when the Doctor and the Physician Assistant allowed us to get closer looks and really, truly allowed us the opportunity to learn.

Familiar face?

2010-03-13T00:24:00.000-08:00

Came across this article on Huffpost and couldn't help but recognize the face in the background -- is that you Father Privett, President of my alma mater?

An amazing tale of heroism

2010-03-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

...or just another day in the life of an Athletic Trainer!

This afternoon while attending Ben's usual Sunday soccer game (he participates in a Mexican League), we witnessed a pretty nasty injury to one of the opposing players. In the late second half, the score was 3-2 so both teams are battling; one team to tie the game, the other to win the game. Lauren P. (also another emergency responder) and I are sitting in upper part of the stands when these two teammates both go for the ball. I'm presuming they didn't see one another. One teammate goes to kick the ball, but instead, kicks his own guy along the side of his lower leg. The teammate then proceeds to fly about 4ft. in the air, inverts head-over-heel, and lands on his back. However, while in the air, the kids' foot points outwards, as if it was broken in half -- just dangling there, prior to him slamming back into the ground. Lauren and I both have an "Oh S__t!" moment. Well, her's was more like a "Oh my!," but still we both had sudden reactions from the sight of the grossly deformed foot.

At that moment I run onto the field to check on the athlete. He is visibly hurt and in pain, yet calm. Some of the players begin to surround the scene. I survey the athlete and his foot does not appear to be in any unnatural position. In fact, it is pointed straight and not out to the side, like it was when upon initial contact. The player is on his side, as pictured below, and reaches down to grab for his leg. Upon closer inspection, there appears to be a bulge along the lateral malleous, or outside ankle, apparently the site of injury.

There were over 300+ Spanish speaking individuals (a language which I do not speak fluently) so I motioned to one of the persons standing by for his shirt, or jacket, to cover up the foot, for fear that the player would see it and go into shock. It was just a precautionary measure, but luckily, the player was very calm. He squirmed and groaned occasionally, but overall, he was very calm.

By now, Ben and I are both at the scene, some 1.5 minutes into the ordeal, and the the players' cousin, is dialing 911, but no one (out of the 300+ people out there) knew exactly where we were!

Meanwhile, Ben begins to palpate the players ankle and lower leg feeling for deformities. I report to him what I saw, and he continues his inspection. By now, everything has stopped (on both fields) and everyone has gathered around, so I step back and try to restore control, making space for Ben to work and creating a path for the ambulance. The cousin on the phone finally communicates to the authorities that we are at a park off the loop, that when I say "Near the expo center," which would hopefully give them a better idea of our location.

Ben is busy checking for breaks in continuity, checking pulses, and making sure everything is intact, while we wait for the ambulance to arrive. He is also asking questions about relevant sounds and sensation, all through the cousin who is translating every word. At this point, the only thing we could do is manage the scene, keep the athlete as comfortable as possible (placing a rolled jacket underneath his head), monitor his consciousness making sure he's not slipping into shock (he said he didn't want the jacket we offered to keep him warm), and wait for the Emergency Personnel to arrive.

It was at this point where I pulled out my phone and began to take pictures, and Ben instructs one of the persons standing by to flag down the ambulance once it arrives. They got there quickly in under 12-13 minutes.

Emergency personnel working to remove the shoe.

Ben (blue white stripes) assisting with the care of the athlete. A closer look reveals the position of the splinted foot, wrapped in what appears to be a rigid "L" shape splint that covers the foot posteriorly, with a soft cushion material protecting it anteriorly and laterally, which had the appearance of an Ace bandage.

Once the players shoe was removed, he was lifted and boarded onto the stretcher and placed into the ambulance. And 5 minutes later, the game resumed. Ben's team ended up losing 3-2.

Video of Ben's inspection and communicating with the cousin, right before the ambulance arrives.

My impressions of what happened, and over reflection with Ben, is that the guy suffered a left leg distal fibular fracture, evidenced by the 90 degree angulation his foot presented with while he was in the air, but possibly upon impact with the ground, his foot shifted to its normal position, although by normal, I mean it was no longer pointed outwards. During Ben's inspection he noticed some discontinuity over the lower fibular shaft, and noticeable deformity, but it was a closed-fracture, or there was no skin breakage.

Ronny Turiaf promotes heart health

2010-02-23T08:08:00.000-08:00

Golden State Warriors PF Ronny Turiaf has experienced firsthand the troubles with heart problems, check out this article in the San Francisco Chronicle where Turiaf talks about his condition and how he is spreading awareness.

I am personally aware of Ronny Turiaf, seeing as how he played college ball at Gonzaga University along side Adam Morrisson (player of the year?), a fixture in the Westcoast Conference (WCC) who often abused my beloved USF Dons, although we got a couple of shots in here and there.

Awfully Amazing Art

2010-02-15T21:24:00.001-08:00

Got some new decks. And no, I don't skateboard (use to), but I fell in love with these decks by Will Barras (Superfishal) and Sam Flores (Twelve grain). Check out their work at Upper Playground San Francisco.

Both decks pictured here

'The Stack' -- loved this one because as a motorcycle rider, this was just impressive! One look at this piece and I had to have it. Looks like there are 3 creature-like beings riding "3 up" and the "little woman" on top has a butterfly-catcher net and she's doing something with it. Hilarious!

"Memory" -- I'm not even sure if Sam Flores was going for the Hindu/Indian look, but I picked this one because it reminded me of Ashleigh (although everything Indian-influenced reminds me of Ashleigh), but even moreso because her mom fancies elephants and this one had a sleepy elephant on it! Again, took one look and I had to have it

-The Dreamer

Snowmageddon...in Texas

2010-02-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

I went to bed last night around 12:30AM thinking about the meeting I had for 9:00AM, and there was still snow coming down when I looked out of the window. When I woke up at 7:00AM, this is what I saw out of the window

Pictured in the distant is what used to be a volleyball court. It is now a frozen lake. Also last night, this was the site of a massive snow ball fight. That is what happens when you get a bunch of kids who many have never seen snow before

This is what the courtyard usually looks like; rainy and sunny simultaneously, with a sparkling rainbow always present to remind us everything is going to be alright =)

Snow Day in...er.. Texas?

2010-02-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

What's not pictured are the dozens of kids having a massive snow ball fight in between the two buildings =)

Lumberjack Village Community Center, usually green

The front of the C-Store

The side of Bldg. 2

The view from the Front Desk building, usually a sloping hill here

Happy birthday Dilla!

2010-02-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Freaky thing just happened...so, listen

Earlier today, I was looking at Podcast to subscribe to, and remembered coming across on Imeem.com J-Rocc's 66 minute mix of Dilla joints titled "Thank You, Jay Dee. Act 4," so I was looking for that. Turns out, it's not available for download, only through purchase for $00.00 from Stones Throw, when you buy something else. So, I was looking for something to buy, and cme across Dilla t-shirts. I've seen these designs before, and thought they looked good.

That's when this article caught my eye, The Battle for J Dilla's Legacy, about the ongoing struggle of those closest to Dilla and managing his estate. So I didn't get a chance to read it then, but left the tab open for later.

That's when I started reading it tonight and I read this very line at exactly 12:00 AM February 7, 2010

"Donuts was released on Stones Throw on February 7, 2006, his 32nd birthday. Dilla died three days later."

I thought to myself, "wow, today's the 6th (cause I've been filling out papers today) and his birthday's tomorrow..." but I looked at the time, and it was already midnight, meaning it was his birthday. Kind of wild, I think. Maybe it's a sign, who knows...

I feel like I should go write a song or something LOL

New riding gear

2010-02-06T20:36:00.001-08:00

So, after my first crash, I realized I had to drop some dough on some gear! I know, it's a little late now, but I think of it this way, this is my second chance so I am going to get it right this time.

New helmet. Brand name is a little obscure to me, but the helmet fits unlike any other helmet I've ever tried on. It's is comfortable beyond belief, so that is a plus. When it comes to choosing a helmet, essentially they're all the same -- just the higher end ones tend to fit a lot better! But in terms of protection, as long as they are DOT Certified or Snell, or both, then the helmet will do what it is supposed to do. The cheaper joints, they will have terrible sizing. I got this from eBay.

SHIFT motorcycle gloves, oh you notice me when I'm waving at you after flying past! It was partly because of the way these looked, but also, the protection they provide. They also go with the jacket, too. The checkered flag design really caught my eye, other than that, gloves are basically gloves, in regard to regular street riding. If you're doing track days, then I'd get a little more protection than these things.

Icon Team Merc motorcycle jacket. Got this baby from motorcycle-superstore.com for $119, on sale from $190. It is a really good jacket, especially for warmer weather, but maybe not so good for those who get cold easily. Fortunately for me, I don't have that problem so it does its job for me in both circumstances. It has two side-pockets which are spacious enough to fit groceries (yes, I do my grocery shopping like that), and it has a stash pocket on the inside for your house keys or something of that nature. I really like the colors, although I'm not a big fan of the Camo, but I think this was creatively done.

There are side vents, or should I say back, that allows air flow if needed. Also, there is a back flap on the lower rear for added protection. I mean, it's not much of protection but it's nice looking. Also each jacket comes with a different number, this one just happens to be four. Have no idea about the connection, but I'm sure it makes a lot of sense. It's a comfortable fit, I got an XXL and it fits my 5'11" 225lb. frame rather well.

Icon riding denim jeans. At first I didn't like these things, only because of the fit, but after I wore them around, they adjusted and now I absolutely love them. They're pretty stylish (I wore them to work) while at the same time offering abrasion-resistant protection, and reinforced-knee protection. They are a little on the long side, the inseam has to be around 40" just they will feel longer than your normal pair, but that means they look excellent while riding.

Best $1,800 I've ever spent

2010-02-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

Step your computer game up!

After my old Dell Latitude crashed for the 3rd time, "I've had it!" So I made the conversion to the new MacBook Pro 15.4" screen, and the apple Magic Mouse (not pictured) - pure luxury when it comes to computing! Love it, and you should too! This is truly a machine to behold, all other laptops will bow in its presence or prepare to be crushed! I haven't even tapped in to a fraction of this machines' capabilities. I get weak in the knees just thinking about it.....ooOOooohH

And props to Apple who had it on my doorstep in 2 days!!!! That's service, right thurr!!!

Happened Again

2010-01-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Another athlete who suddenly dies due to what many speculate as a heart condition. Until the autopsy Monday, we will not know. Here is the article in San Francisco Chronicle.

Motorcycle Towing

2009-12-12T15:33:00.001-08:00

So you have a crashed bike, what do you do next? Have it towed to a repair shop. I was expecting a flatbed to pull up, so when I saw this, I was wondering how in the heck he was going to pull this off. I thought, "Oh my jeezus, he is going to bootleg-jury-rigg my Ninja to the back of this truck.." but then he then explained, I watched, and here's the sequence...

Here is video of the final stages right before taking off

*** Video was taking a while to be rendered, so I will add it later ***

The bike was pretty secure as it stood on that beam, except for as he was placing it onto the beam in which you can see the bike is rocking like crazy. He was traveling about 10 miles out of town to the repair shop, and good thing about these rural Texas roads, they're in good shape! So the bike is in good shape.

Downed: Why Your Day is Going Better than Mine

2009-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Thinking aloud

Of motorcycle riders, they say, "it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when" in reference to your turn to take a fall. On December 3, 2009 at 4:05pm, apparently the motorcycle gods figured I had gotten too cocky and sent me a reminder of who's boss! Cocky??! Not me.

As a relatively new rider, I don't ever take too many gambles. Riding a 250r, there really aren't too many dangerous situations you can get yourself into, but nevertheless, it's a motorcycle and it should be recognized as one. Respect it the same way you would respect any other bike. And respect it, I have, which made me wonder, "how is it that people talk so much about falling over on bikes?" It's easy to ride! I didn't know if it was just natural for me, or because I wasn't working with as much power as bigger bikes, but not once did I feel as if the bike was not under control, and I was at risk of endangering myself. Until now.

Going Down

Traveling north on North St., I was in the left lane next to the center-turning lane of a 2-lane street. There were cars behind me, but the only car in front of me was a GMC Envoy, in the right lane, traveling at about 40mph (45 Posted Speep Limit), 30-40ft. ahead of me. So we were kind of in a tendem staggerred formation, similar to how you would ride with other bikes. As I approached a large Wal-Mart complex upcoming on the right which was about 400ft. ahead, there were cars exiting the Wal-Mart parking lot, making left turns heading south on North St. The street/lot they were exiting had an unprotected (no traffic signal) left turn, so essentially, it was up to the drivers discretion when to enter traffic. This is where everything went wrong. As I am now approaching this super Wal-Mart, and cars are exiting, by the time I am beginning to approach this parking lot exit, a Mitsubishi Outlander pulls up the to stop sign, which is essentially a T-shaped road, and after waiting for the Envoy ahead of me on my right passes, I'm guessing what happened is she (cager) didn't expect anyone to be behind the Envoy, and she quickly floored it, and pulled out into my lane, planning to turn left into the center-turing lane, and travel southbound.

I saw the woman driver the entire time!!! Not once did she look in the south direction to check for traffic, otherwise, she would have saw me, about 30-40 behind the Envoy. She didn't turn her head once. When she pulled out, I had no choice but to pull in the brakes (both) and attempt an emergency stop. It was completely unreal; next thing I realize I could hear the rear tire screeching, and I closed my eyes, afraid of what was about to happen next. In my mind, I thought I could stop in time. When I next opened my eyes, it was then, I had realized I was on the ground, tumbling violently, and my helmet smashing powerfully into the asphalt. Believe it or not, it was during my tumble, I had remembered a story on Kawiforums.com where a guy in Petaluma recalled tumbling, and sliding into the curb, and as a result, the impact shattered his ankle, causing an open fracture of (presumably the fibula) in which the bone penetrates through the skin. It was while I was on the ground tumbling, within nanoseconds, I said to myself, "I have to STOP myself from rolling somehow," and that's when I put my hands down, belly down, and used my feet, too, to bring myself to a grinding, skin shedding, halt.

I tried to diagram the scene and what happened. You can see the center turning lane, where she was headed, but problem is, I was there! This is how I imagine someone looking from above would view it right before I went down

At that moment, I realized what had just happened. I looked behind me, and saw the SUV in what would have been my lane, further proving that I could not have swerved out of the way, because I think she would have T-boned me, and potentially could have killed me. Miracolously, I hopped right up, and ran over to my bike which was about 50-60 ft. further ahead than I was. Witnesses say the bike slid at least 100ft., meaning I slid about 40-50 ft. There was a contructions job directly across the street, and all I can see were four workers rushing over to help me get the bike out the road. I picked up the bike myself and tried to move it, but it was stuck. Traffic had stopped in both directions, and while everybody was telling me to "sit down, have a seat" and asking, "are you okay? Are you hurt?" all I could think about was the condition of the bike. I was fine, physically, but it's true what they say, you worry more about the motorcycle than anything.

After the Crash

Driver of the SUV emerged and it turned out to be a student at the school I attend, and her husband was the passenger. By now, the construction workers were telling me how far I slid, and grabbing their tools to fix my gear shift in order to get the bike to the side of the road. The local police showed up and, at this point I still have my helmet on, and all I can hear was the driver of the SUV, by her own admission, telling the officer, "Oh my God, oh my God, is he okay?" Another officer asked me what happened, and still hysterical, I sternly said, "I don't even think she saw me...I don't think she was looking..." and I could overhear here say, "I didn't see him at all." Which explains why she was in the middle of the road once I looked back, while I was still on the ground.

I finally thought to myself, I better check out my injuries. I luckily only sustained abrasions to the left ankle, knee, forearm, and elbow, and right knee, and right elbow. The most serious of them is the left knee, as you will see in the pictures. Once EMS arrived, I opted not to go to the hospital, knowing I didn't have health insurance, and also being an Athletic Trainer, knowing I could treat my injuries myself. they did conduct a primary and secondary survey of my body, extremities, and spine & neck. The EMS guys were helpful and gave me some supplies, although I already had everything I needed, or could get it from our Athletic Training room.

I did, however, go and see the University's physcians the next day, and they gave me a tetanus shot (needed it renewed anyway), and prescribed Cephalex, an antibiotic, for concern over the knee, which I later realized had a hole in it...there was a fuckin' hole in my left knee! The scrapes had gone completely through the dermis, and exposed the underlying tissue. But, I'll take that over broken bones anyday. The nurses helped me clean my cuts and abrasions and were very kind. I'd like to thank the nurses who are very caring and understanding, and unlike some medical personnel, are not quick to judge motorcyclist and blame them for their injuries claiming we brought it upon ourselves.

Reflecting back

The crash had nothing to do with my inexperience or rawness. It was simply "a dangerous manuever from an inattentive driver," says the responding officer, that caused me to have to avoid being hit and lay the bike down. She was deemed at-fault and recieved a ticket.

In all honesty, this made me realize just how precious life is, and how much of a priviledge it is to have my mobility and strength. I could have easily been killed last week. Easily! The damages to my bike were 'acceptable' by my standards, being that it was a Ninja 250, and given the fact I walked away without being seriously injured. Really, all I could think about was all the people telling me, "I told you so," and "motorcycles are so dangerous," which is one reason why I didn't tell anybody. The other reason is because I didn't want sympathizers telling me how sorry they were for me. I understnad that is the acceptable thing to say in times and events like these, but I was really happy simply because I had survived! The first person I called was Ben to see if he could pick me up, and he came in 5 minutes despite not being home. And also helped take the pictures of my busted up, bloodied body, haha

Safety Course

Needless to say, I'm glad I took the course. Did it save my life??! Who knows, but I like to think it played a part in it. For three main reasons 1) The course taught me about gear. I was wearing leather gloves, which were completely ruined, if you read how I brought myself to stop from sliding across the pavement above, then you'll know why. I was wearing a full-face helmet, which I won from a $71 eBay auction. It was a El Cheapo piece of equipment with a poor fit. But that piece of shit helmet saved my life. The helmet looks cool azz hell, but the fit sucks (not like my KBC), and tends to shift when I go in the upwards of 60+ speeds. But I had it strapped, not just dangling loose. That's pretty much all the moto gear I had on, with jeans, SB Dunks, and my Cramer Trainer sling bag, where I carry my wallet/ID, and coincidentally, First-Aid kit, 2) The course taught me about emergency situations and what to do. So I know about swerving, emergency stopping, and emergency manuevering, and although evidently none of that came into play here, it may not seem like it, but it did! I laid the bike down which is what leads me into the last point; 3) The course instructor constantly continued to remind us "When you go down....." Every other or so sentence began with, "When you down..." or ended with, "...because when you go down,..." and I just began to pick up on it. I found that interesting, looking to other riders and asking them if they hear what the instructor is saying. That's when some of the experienced riders bolted in and said, 'You know he [Instructor] is right about saying "when" and not "if" because "It will happen!"

Finally...

And that's exactly why I say "please, spare me" to those who try to convince me, or any other rider, that motorcycles are dangerous. Especially those who have never even been on a bike. Thanks, I know there are dangers that come with riding a motorcycle, but the very act of riding is in no way dangerous. Heck, according to that logic, the very act of being on the road is dangerous, then. It is the decisions you make, the preparedness you have, and the experience of the rider, and most often times the other cages [cars] on the road that contribute to unwanted, or heaven forbid disasterously fatal crashes of motorcyclists. As in this very case.

I plan to ride again, and I plan to be even better at it. Maybe I'll even have a helmet-cam with me when I ride. The crazy thing about that is the afternoon of the crash, I was just talking to some of the athletes about possibly wearing a camera recorder when I ride, and behold, I crash not even 2 hours later. Crazy how that works!

The bike coincidentally is being picked up today and taken to Stone Fort Cycles in Nacogdoches. They are going to do their estimate of damage, and the woman's insurance people will come out and conduct their survey. So, given the fact that the police and her insurance company concluded it was her fault, I will await the results of the survey to determine if I will get a new bike, or have the current one replaced. From what I understand, her insurance company just wants to pay me the cash it will cost to replace the bike, or whatever figure they come up with.

Will keep you posted...

Crash shots

2009-12-12T11:52:00.001-08:00

WARNING: Some of the photos may be uneasy on the weak-stomached individual!

I post these shots for the education of fellow riders, and the informational value each person takes from it is his or her own. Not looking to be babied or looking for attention; in fact if you know me then you recognize I'm not that kind of person at all, but this is solely for the purpose of sharing my experience in hopes of answering any questions you may have, or helping anyone to better protect themselves by making informed decisions. I wasn't going to share this, but I'm sharing it

List of my injuries:

Left knee abrasion, through the dermis layer
Left forearm abrasion/road rash, the most superficial of them, stings the most!!!!!!
Left ankle abrasion, 4cm is diameter (not pictured)
Right knee scrape
Right elbow scrape
Residual swelling in lower left leg, ankle, from edema accumulating and not elevating like I know I should =)

This is the sign outside of my door. My whereabouts

Aerial view of the left fairing damage

Left fairings damage

Left mirror busted, somewhere in the middle of the street, and turn signal busted wide open

Do-it-yourself fender eliminator!

The bike doesn't look too bad from this view. Considering it slid nearly 100 ft. on its left side, I would say the bike held its own.

A fat chunk taken smooth off of the tail. You should feel this! It's like someone took a machete and chopped it smooth off!

Leather gloves, never ride without them! Trust when I say that. I, for one, am never riding again without gloves. These gloves, both of them, were ripped apart!!! This very well could have been my skin!!! These gloves were $12 at Cycle Gear in Hayward, Calif. I bought these cheap shits just so I would be eligible to take the MSF course, which require you to have gloves and boots, and long sleeves, I believe. These gloves were crucial, and performed outstanding when it came to the test.

Helmet, the very reason I wear a FUL FACE helmet, otherwise that would have been my Kanye West jaw-wired-shut photo. There are scratches to the front and to the visor. THAT'S IT!!! This helmet very well saved my life. I distinctly remember my head smashing into the pavement twice, and each time, I could hear my helmet crack. That could have been my brain. And the wild thing is, I have another expensive KBC red helmet that I rarely wear, and I got this cheap helmet from an eBay auction for $71. It hardly fit as well as the KBC, and the chin strap was kind of uncomfortable, but it looked damned good! So I wore it. I previously dropped it twice just from carrying it, and it had cracks in it from that, so I always worried how it would hold up in an actual meet with the street, and now I know! I'm thankful the helmet won that match!

Torn Gap jeans, damage to the left knee. May need to quit designer jeans, and invest in some Wranglers

Windbreaker jacket held up pretty well, this is the right side. I laid down on my left. The left inside of the jacket is the not torn at all, just bloodied from the roadrash my forearm suffered.

Scuffed up Nike Dunks, burned the shoestring right off! Surprisingly, my right ankle was not seriously hurt, as far as I can tell. Just some scratches. That night, I thought I may have fractured a tarsal bone (smaller ankle bones), because I developed some serious pain along the calcaneocuboid junction. For those non-scientifically versed folks, that is on top of the foot where you finish your shoestring ties.

Good case of road rash, fresh off the asphalt

I am not naked in this picture. This was taken as soon as Ben dropped me off. I actually didn't have a problem walking! I had a slight limp, which I still have today, but looking at this picture, I am thankful I didn't break anything.

After I took a shower and cleaned it up a little bit. Being an Athletic Trainer has its advantages because I had all the supplies I needed to appropriately dress the wound. This was by far the most serious of my injuries. It was numb and I had no sensation at all over this abrasion.

I wonder if I had proper riding gear on, given the fact that I was relatively unharmed, would I have even sustained any damage at all??!

"Blame it on the Henny..."

2009-12-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

Ron Artest: 'I used to drink Hennessy at halftime'

Everybody's favorite loud-mouth is always good for a soundbyte or two, eh? I love his honesty, however! In fact, I recommend before before a presentation at work or school, take a shot of tequila to calm your nerves, and you'll do just fine. Lightweights need not comply!

Sign of the Times

2009-12-01T22:07:00.001-08:00

Courtesy of Mike Kepka / The Chronicle

Okay, so us die-hard Oakland Raider fans have been trying to say this for the last, dark, and hard, awfully heartbreaking years....and thanks to the folks at messagetoal.com, hopefully our beloved Owner will lend his 80yrs old ears. This sign went up today near the High St. exit on 880

Going under the knife

2009-12-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today, I had the chance to observe a total knee replacement, a surgical procedure typically seen amongst the elderly, where titanium pieces are inserted into the femoral and tibial condyles, to create an artificial knee joint. Also, the cartilage on the patella's (knee cap) posterior aspect is replaced with a plastic surface. Now it was time for action, so Ben and I had to get properly prepped.

The entire procedure, performed by Dr. Dickhaut of Nacogdoces Medical Center, typically takes about one hour. Ben and I arrived at 7:15am, prepared with the medical team (which consist of small talk, shaking hands, Q & A, etc), observed the surgery from 8:20 to 9:05am, and was home just before 10:00am. The patient was a seventy year old woman, large build, mostly inactive, and had been experiencing related pain for the previous five years. Other people in attendace was Billy Bobo, who is our Program Director's husband, and he was largely responsible for what we learned because he explained a lot of the procedure while the physician, assistants, and nurses were all busy on the patient. Something special to point out about the patient is her medial femoral condyle had been recieving a majority of the brunt forces from rubbing with the tibial plateau, which in turn, caused an excessive build-up of bone along that tibiofemoral junction. This may me known to some as Wolff's Law. From the anterior view of the x-ray, there was definitely some medial angulation of her femur, and the cause of the anomaly is unknown; whether it was a result of her poor posture, her weight, a prior incident, etc. but it definitely contributed to the complications she'd been experiencing.

As soon as the drilling began, the smell of the room was immediately filled with diseased bone, and bodily fluids. It wasn't that bad, but it was definitely strong. The room was also freezing cold. It was at 55 degrees. I asked the nurse, "is it normal to have the rooms' temperature so low?" She replied the room was kept very cool at the Physician's discretion, but normally, a lot of operating rooms are probably kept cool to prevent the proliferation of unwanted germs, which warm temperatures could contribute to.

Another interesting observation about this operation room is there was music blaring throughout the procedure. At first I didn't notice it, but then I caught a glimpse of the nurses in the corner jamming out, and then it dawned on me, that there had been music playing the entire time! Now, I'm not the biggest country music fan, but I believe it was either George Strait, and Ben, who is a country music enthusiast, believes there was some Garth Brooks, too! Nevertheless, we went through the whole CD, and the nurse again told me, this particular quirk was also the Physician's request.

And finally, the typical bedside conversation was not what I expected it to be. The topics discussed could not be anything further from anything medical related. The topic of the day, was the BCS!!! Yes, college footballl; which seems appropriate since our football team is on the verge of winning a National Championship, as well as all the recent action in college football nationally.

In the end, the procedure was a success, and there were no complications. To my suprise, the patient is expected to be up and walking with no ambulatory aid as early as tomorrow! I thought that was incredible, seeing how she was just being banged, and drilled on not too long ago. But the explanation was that her bones weren't being broken, nor were there any repairs of any sorts taking place - simply a replacement, a total knee, that is!

I just hope I never have to undergo this procedure.

Happy Birthday 40-something, Mom!

2009-11-20T12:26:00.001-08:00

*That's actually San Francisco we're overlooking, not NY =)

Chicken fried steak - Texas style!

2009-11-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

This is the type of work I do! This is the reason I moved to Texas in the first place! This shot was taken at Goodson's Cafe in Tomball, TX, and I have a review of the restaurant on my Yelp.

Do work, son!

Service Learning Grant - Magnolia West High School

2009-11-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

As a part of a Service Learning Grant our program received, we collectively decided to do a presentation at Magnolia West High School and discuss Sports Nutrition related topics to high school athletes. Between the seven of us, the topics ranged from fast food consumption, dietary supplements, energy drinks, and I gave my presentation on water hydration. Each presentation was about ten minutes long, and mainly given lecture-style, with some audience participation, and questions. Overall, I feel the presentation went smooth, and although the delivery could have been better, I do not think anyone had a problem with the outcome.

I was the second presenter, which I personally prefer, because my style of speech-giving allows for a more "loose" feel, and I like to feel as if I am casually speaking to my audience; so I appreciate AJ and Josh for loosening up the crowd for me. Their topic covered nutritional supplements, and for most part, they gave a straightforward fact-based speech about the choices out there, and if you decide, how to properly combine supplements with regular dieting.

Appropriately enough, after they just finished speaking about what not to put in your body, I race up to the front of the room, with a jar full of candy and chocolate in tow. The first line from my mouth was, "I know they told you guys not to eat sugar and candy, but I brought you some anyway," and all I see it excitement across their faces. The fact that I was studying to become a teacher prior to athletic training really helped because the "candy" jar is a little trick I picked up from a course I took on class management and public speaking. Yes, it is a gimmick, but it is a slam-dunk tactic within this age group, and especially if you are unfamiliar with them. There is always a positive reaction to candy.

Knowing I had a limited amount of time, I decided to make it as interactive and visual as possible. I began with an original brief game where everyone in the room stood up, and as I read off facts about hydration; if those statements pertained to you, then you would sit. The last person, or in this case the last few persons, would receive a treat. The type of statements read were phrased such as, remain standing if you ate breakfast this morning. After each statement, the next question would be a follow up of the previous. The second was, remain standing if that breakfast included an 8oz. glass of water, and so forth. Another thing I learned about public speaking is to add humor where possible, which makes it all the more comfortable for the person doing the talking - especially if the audience laughs when they are supposed to. So, I had a few statements that read, remain standing if you had to leave your class today because you were thirsty, and Andi Tate, our host, immediately replied with, "and not to send a text message to your friend," in which everyone laughed, which was my intention.

Each statement I read was to emphasize a specific point, for example leaving class to get a drink because you were thirsty, which I would later mention, at that point where the onset of thirst occurs, you are already dehydrated. The visual element in my presentation included our Women's Soccer Hydration chart from Summer two-a-days, and I gave an example of how quickly an athlete can lose weight from practicing hard, and what the general rules and requirements are for rehydrating to maintain a given weight. With this activity, I took a volunteer's weight (a guy, of course), and drew on the whiteboard an example of what the chart looks like, and gave an imaginary, yet real life, scenario of what he would do in day-to-day hydration management.

As you can imagine, the time flew by and the next thing I know, I was getting the signal to get off stage. I did not get a chance to cover everything I wanted and I did not get a chance to hand out the examples I brought of our Hydration Chart, but I figure they would have lost them anyway, so that gives me comfort in knowing I did all that I could have done. And of course, as I left the stage, the kids wanted more candy and chocolate - and even while I was sitting along the side, they continued to try and get my attention =)

DIY - Front Fender painting

2009-11-11T18:42:00.001-08:00

This is a Do-It-Yourself for any one who is thinking of painting their motorcycle's front fender. I didn't do anything elaborate; all simple stuff any one can do with an afternoon to spare. Let me just say this off the top; I did not sand, primer, or in any way seriously prep the fender to be painted. I pretty much thoroughly cleaned it, and applied paint. You be the judge.

Step 1.
This is a shot of the lower screws that are easy to remove, as well as the fork reflectors that have screws behind them that also need to removed. This requires an allen wrench, but the reflectors can be twisted off with just your hand.

Step 2.
Pictured here is the second set of screws that must be removed in order to get the fender off. This shot was taken above the fork, through the upper fairing. It looks like a tight fit, but it's actually quite easy to get in there. You may have to reach underneath the side fairing in order to get to it.

A shot of the fender's bottom side.

Side shot of fender fully removed

Looks like something was living underneath my motorcycle

Shot of the bike with the fender gone. Doesn't look too bad, I'd say

Step 3.
Find a place to keep the screws. Do not lose them. Even though you'd probably be okay if one set were to suddenly become missing, I'd just keep them anyway. Once removed, I cleaned the fender thoroughly with just water and soap, and dried completely, and set it on the ground. Some folks advise to suspend it from the ceiling or some fixture, which is probably a better method than mine, because as you will soon see, I was unable to paint underneath the fender. Having it suspended will allow you to get every corner and crevice.

Step 4.
Paint it! I just used light strokes vertically, about 2-3 coats, initially. The paint I used went right on. After about 5 mins, the paint began to separate so I had to re-coat it, against my convictions, because that decision to add an additional coat, cost me big time; as you will see in the upcoming shots.

Here is where I took the biggest hit. Like I mentioned above, the paint began to sort of disperse along the top, so I had to repaint it, and the paint ended up going on quite thick on the side.

I continued to keep an eye on this ruined side of the fender, and the paint just continued to dry extra thick. I thought it would eventually even out, or I even considered repainting it, but I figured this was the best it would get. And if I were to repaint, it would only get worse. So I left it alone

Overall, I think the process was quite simple, but I would recommend anyone considering this to seriously follow instructions on coats, dry times, and maybe sanding, and primering. All of which I did not do. I just threw the paint on.

R is for rehab - Journal 3

2009-11-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

The following is a tracking of a collegiate female soccer player's syndesmotic ankle sprain, or more commonly known as the high ankle sprain. The date of injury was September 29. Her mechanism of injury invovled forced ankle eversion combined with dorsiflexion, while attempting to block multiple goals during a drill in practice. Her position is goalkeeper. The player presented with all the same signs and symptoms of a lateral ankle sprain, in addition to the location of pain being approximately two inches superior to lateral malleolus. Athlete was unable to support own weight, and was immediately removed from play, and remained on the sideline where ice, compression, and elevation was applied. Player was fitted with crutches, and instructed on use.

The following day, player was set up with ice and stim to aid in removing the moderate swelling that resulted. Ankle girth measurements, and goniometric measurements were taken. By day 3, which was a Thursday, the team generally holds light practices in preparation for Friday games, so player repeated ice/stim treatment to aid in reducing edema, given a compression wrap which consist of Power Flex tape wrapped distal-to-proximal without any figure 8's. Figure 8's can be done to help with angles, but I prefer not to do them when the goal is to aid in flushing edema from ankle. The upcoming Friday game was Away, so player was not scheduled to travel with the team, however unbeknownst to the Training staff, she did decide to drive herself three hours to the opposing school to watch the game. Player came in the next day (Saturday), which is when information of her travels were revealed, and was given ice/stim treatment, repeat of measurements, and a good-humored lecture! Player was given the remainder of Saturday off, as well as Sunday, and told to stay off ankle.

With the team playing on Sundays, Mondays are "off" days except for those requiring treatment, so player arrived with significantly less swelling and bruising, so we continued ice/stim treatment, and began range of motion (ROM) and mobility exercises. Although the swelling had subsided, player reported increased tenderness along anterior tibiofibular syndesmosis. Even though progress was being made, the Head Athletic Trainer scheduled her an appointment to have x-rays of her ankle the upcoming Tuesday; seven days post-injury. Player and I traveled to Dr. D's office where we waited 2 hours to be seen, and another 45 mins. to be evaluated. We recieved some good information, especially from the Physician's Assistant about taping techniques, but player was really upset over the whole "waiting" ordeal, only to be told what we already knew. But, this is when I had to explain to player the need for the x-ray; in order to diagnose/rule out any other serious problem.

The following day (8 days post-injury), we began a semi-aggressive rehab program, which I arranged in stages, that was to be combined with her continuing to practice with the team, scheduled workouts with the team, and rehab exercises with myself. By day 10, she was able to suit up and participate in most team drills, and individual position drills, with relatively little pain during activity. Most of her discomfort came after practice, where she would recieve additional treatment.

Her rehab would consist of a combination of up to 3-5 exercises under each category. Often, I would allow her to choose. The exercises with the asterisks are original ideas of mine, or alterations of existing ones.

Warm Up - 10 mins.

Bike
Warm whirlpool
Light field jog
Elevated sports massage

Manual Therapy - 10 mins.

Lateral glides +inversion
Medial glides +eversion
Posterior glides +dorsiflexion
Anterior glides +plantarflexion
Traction
MMT
Achilles tendon stretch

Balance Activities - 15 mins.

1/2 foot balance x 30sec-1min
Star drill
Med-ball toss, w/o rebounder
Body Blade
Heel raise w/ lateral force *
Crossover lunge

Strength & Mobility - 15 mins.

Penny heel raises *
Tubing
Lateral shuffles
Single leg heel touches
Total gym
Marbles

Balance/Reaction - 10mins.

Wall ball
Cones (plyo's)
Hurdles (rope tied to UBE) *
Circle Hops *
Four square

Proprioception - 10 mins.

X Factor *
BAPS w/o ball
Reach & 'round *
Single leg body blade

Treatment - 15 mins.

E-stim
Sports massage

These are just a sample of the exercises we performed. There were other variations to these exercises that I would come up with, and adjustments I would make midway through the execution. Each day, we did something different, but remained within the different stages of difficulty. By the fourth week, she was at an advanced level and many of the activities were aimed at soccer-style movements.

Working with her, I learned a lot about the pysche of an injured athlete, motivation, how the body responds to different activities, the importance of clear instructions, being creative, and overall, caring and showing interest. In the beginning, I would sort of instruct her on what to do because I knew what the exercises were in my head, but I think she appreciated it when I began to write out what the planned course was for that particular day. Also, after every session, I would reassess her functionality and I think she appreciated that as well, because she would tell me what was different from yesterday, and how things have either progressed or regressed.

I really like the approach I took in regard to her rehab design. With the help from ideas we've learned in lectures, I chose to begin sessions with specific goals and give her an idea of where my expectations were aimed, and also, it gave her a chance to respond and share her goals.

Being the backup goalkeeper, there was no true measurement of her recovery; only what she reported. For instance, her returning to game form wasn't measured by her performance because she did not play. I believe she continues to have lingering discomfort, but she understands that this particular type of sprain, takes longer than usual.

They just don't make 'em like they used to

2009-11-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Came across this gem at a garage sale today. An Emerson Cassette/TV boombox, detachable speakers, AM/FM radio, equalizer, and recording capabilities. I had to see if this baby still had some juice left, so I plugged it up, and impressively, it still works. Now, you can breakdance while watching Three's Company!

The sky is having some technical difficulties

2009-10-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

It's days like this I wish I was back in California where it never rains. This is the football practice field; if not for it's crowned design, it would be under water. And the wildest thing of all, we actually have to play a soccer game tomorrow, and you can imagine how brutal the field conditions will be.

oh, I love it...

DIY HMF Racing slip-on exhaust installation

2009-10-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

For some reason I feel I have to do a disclaimer beforehand, because I have a feeling somebody's going to follow my step-by-step instructions on how to install their new exhaust. But, by all means, use this method if you like...afterall, it did work! And the bottom line is....it's just a slip-on!

But this is mainly for people interested in doing business with HMF Racing, or considering a new exhaust; I pretty much want to detail all the questions I had going into this, and where I found, or didn't find, the answers, and how this process went. Before purchasing, I did all this research to seek out answers and granted I did find most from searching forums, a lot of people weren't as detailed with their answers.

Dealing with HMF Racing
Let me start by saying I ordered direct from HMF Racing on Tuesday October 13th, and it was in my hands that Monday October 19th. Talk about fast shipping!!! They weren't kidding. And I live out in rural Texas (albeit, it's a college campus), so I imagine if you live near a major city center, then it would arrive even faster than that. On the other hand, they are absolutely BRUTAL with answering email! There is no lighter way to put it. Like I mentioned above, I found a lot of the information from message boards, and forums, but just for piece of mind, I kind of wanted to hear it directly from the dealer. But I know as a consumer, nothing is like a well-written, honest, unbiased, user review! I first heard of this brand of exhaust from reading http://kawiforums.com/, and decided to check it out, and browse their site. I was lurking the HMF site for over 1 month, and then I suddenly noticed they were having a sale, so I jumped on it. I compared prices to all the other Exhaust makers, and it seems like HMF was the right way to go considering my budget. My price was $227 -- which included the exhaust can, and the end-cap; arguably the best deal on any slip-on exhaust out there! Do the research... With that said, I have to give them a 8/10 just because they are horrible with email (some of my questions still have yet to be responded to), but they get extra clout because of the outstanding price, and unbelievable shipping time.

Benito and I with the goods, fresh out the box

Picture of the stock exhaust

Removing Stock Exhaust

Close-up of the stock exhaust. FYI, taking off the stock parts are a cinch. It comes off in two parts; the heat shield, and the exhaust can itself. All you have to do is literally twist/pull it off. Comes off fairly easy with little-moderate effort.

The HMF cans' lead pipe goes over the bike's exhaust, up until the point with it is ridged in the picture. That is approximate 3-4 inches before it reaches its endpoint.

I'd truly say the hardest part about removing the stock exhaust was twisting my semi-but-not-quite-dull Allen wrench on the two (2) smaller screws Lauren is holding. You may have a better experience than I did. They are positioned atop of eachother, and I removed the top one - no problem, but I nearly stripped the second of the screws. That is when I called in Benito, and luckily, he didn't care and just poweredrove that bitch off. No second guessing! I was all careful and ish because I didn't want to strip the screw, and then have the sh*t stuck on there.

Close up of heatshield and the screws that come off the heatshield, also the longer bolt that attaches at the rear footpeg, which is the mount for the stock exhaust. According to HMF, you can use the original parts with the new exhaust, and it will work just fine. I agree, the new parts they send, are identical and may be desired over the old ones, because they look newer and shinier.

Installation of HMF can

Naked. No can. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'll be honest, I had the WD-40 all ready to go because I had a feeling it wasn't going to cooperate; and I learned that from reading others and their experience with this part. Initially, the HMF can goes on, so you feel good about yourself, then it hits a wall. We brought in the WD-40, sprayed lightly around the edges, and inside the can, and after about 3 trial-and errors, switching positions, and using knees and elbows, arms, etc. to try and get it on, we gave it a 3rd coat of WD-40 and Ben got that b!tch on! Whew, I was relieved. I knew it would eventually get on, but it took a good effort to get it there.

In that process, I think we may have threw off the angle of the exhaust pipe because once hte HMF can was on, nothing was aligned right, and we have to "force" the can back into an acceptable position so it would sit where it could be attached to the rearpegs where the stock exhaust sat. This process too a little over 20 minutes alone; mainly because we couldn't really figure out which part went where and so forth.

At this point, I went back online and looked at how other guys mounted their cans, and how they attached their heatshields. Nothing they did seemed to be working with mine. So, Ben and I got creative, and improvised. This is point where I say, you can either "do as I did, or not!" You will be able to see in the following two pictures, we didn't install the heat shield, which nullified the need for a lot of the screws/parts. In the shots, you can see the actualy pipe is exposed. Installation 5/10 because the instructions weren't helpful at all, but in actuality, you don't need them, however, at some points you may have questions but the instructions pretty much say, "remove old exhaust, twist on new one. May require some effort."

Exposed pipe

Ready for a test run.

In the video, you can hear the finished product. Yes, it blows me away how different the bike sounds from the stock exhaust. The sound is incredibly deep and full, and shakes the entire parking garage!

Overall, I am more than satisfied with the product and how the outcome. It was difficult at first, but I truly think anyone can perform this modification. it just takes patience, and a little over 1 hour for the complete process. HMF supplies you with everything you need, except a wrench/pliers, slightly larger allen wrench to remove stock exhaust, and maybe some WD-40 to assist with the twisting and pushing of the new can onto the pipe. If you're not sure what type of company you're going to go with, just keep researching until you know.

And for the most requested question I had, and what you probably have, is "did I rejet the carbs, or shim the carb needles?" and the answer is, "No." Do I plan to? The answer is "No." HMF doesn't require it, although I think they recommend it. But most people, I find, fall into the convincing tone of everyone saying to jet your carbs, or whatnot. The problem I find with that is, most people are complaining of backfire when slowing from high RPMs to low RPMs. I am not experiencing the backfire, as a lot of other folks aren't, but if you are the unfortunate one who had TOO MUCH backfire, and want to get rid of it, then rejetting is suggested for that. From doing my research and reading up on that subject, some backfire isn't bad, therefore, a lot of people are oversenstizing this issue, and spending additional money on jetkits that they don't necessarily have to.

Hope this helps, and feel free to leave questions

Notes from the Field - Journal 2

2009-10-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Time has gone by so fast! When looking at the schedule, I see there is only three more weeks in the season. We are currently 4-1, which is good enough for sole possession of 3rd place in the Southland Conference, and if we beat Texas State (5-0-1), then SFA will be lonely atop of the conference. I haven't started fitting the size of my conference championship ring just yet, but I'm saving a finger, all the while keeping them crossed. I am really excited about the possibilities of winning the Conference, and that is why this weekend (24th & 25th) are so important.

But, back to the Athletic Training perspective. Up to this point, the sort of injuries we've seen are as follows;

Tear of posterior horn of the meniscus, partial ACL tear, LCL tear
Syndesmotic ankle sprain
Peroneal tendon irritation
Wrist UCL sprain
Hamstring strain
Grade I-II quadriceps strains
among other general illnesses!

For most part, I have had the sole responsibilty of deciding treatment options and designing rehabilitation programs for each injury, of course with the consideration of the ACI. The entire process of determining the best options for each athlete, and progressing them through varying levels of intensity has been very exciting. The athletes have responded well to the types of exercises we have been doing, and with the help of Trey, they have stronger confidence in me, and even look to me for advice and opinion.

At this point, I am convinced that Eddie Beltran and I were a good match to work together. He and I gel nicely in the work environment, and have developed a functional understanding of eachother's approaches. I believe our natural working relationship has positively affected the team in regards to the girls being more relaxed and playful around us. Definetely the girls know I'm the more serious one, and I like being viewed that way, with Eddie being the more joking of us two. The girls really feed off him a lot. It is a really good dynamic. Nonetheless, I think it benefits the entire team psychologically when they see the staff as relaxed as we are

There is a huge difference between Year 1 and Year 2 of the program. Being with a specific team for longer than two weeks, obviously, allows for a lot more time for interaction and getting to know athletes personally. Also, I think the best part is being able to work with an athlete throughout their entire injury, and seeing them return to play. In Year 1, one would get a taste of this very feeling, with either being there for the beginning of the injury or while they're returing, but rarely be able witness the entire process.

Regardless of how we finish the season, I have enjoyed my time here tremendously!

Wooden Glasses

2009-10-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

Nice! I'd rock these in the winter-time

I don't know what I was Googling, but I came across these during an image search

Pulling the plug on KDNZ? Well, I have something to say

2009-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

As former General Manager (03-06), I feel sad about this whole ordeal, too, but I also feel angry. So I apologize if this sounds more like a rant, than a comment.

In my heart, I love USF and wouldn't trade my time there for anything, but I don't think the people in positions of power are doing enough to save KDNZ. Period.

There was a ton of work and sweat that went into making KDNZ what it became, at what I believe was its highest point. Not taking away what those accomplished before me, because you all set us up to be successful, but it is frustrating to read that this place is sinking so soon after it was handed over so well off.

When I left, there was a steady LIVE stream of online music, not just a preset playlist that people could click and download. The Mobile DJ Service was very prosperous, often being booked months in advance, and was by far the most visible attribute of the station. I remember presenting the information of doing 54 events in a year, as means to justify our Executive Board stipend raises. Those 54 events were FREE of charge, by the way. We had former students (Jimmy can support this) who would return, and be wowed by what we had accomplished. I remember one Friday we sat in the station and an old student/member came in and reminisced about his old days there, and how the equipment still hadn't changed! But he was amazed to see how far we had advanced.
Also, there were DJ's audtioning to be able to spin in the Harney Plaza during our weekly concert series. There were artists calling in about getting interviews, doing shows, live in-studio performances, etc.

And I know Jimmy P., Tri V., and George E. will remember USF Senate and others, controversial decision not to finance the station's antenna repair proposal. The repair would have costs around $3,700 while the replacement would have been in the $9,000 range. Those were the figures we were quoted, and presented to either ASUSF, SuperFund, or Senate; one of those bodies. We were ultimately denied. As well as Jimmy's personal campaign to bring KDNZ Channel 3 back, once it was shut off-air still for no sufficient reason. Then, mysteriously, some members of Senate (James K. and Casey F.) created the idea for USFTv, which sounded a lot like what we already had in place, but was shut down without any clear explanation. Coincidentally, the creator behind USFTv was a part of those governing organizations. I just think it is "fishy" how the guy heading the A/V Dept. all of a suddent takes our channel off-air, then is unable to provide a reason why. I can't remember his name but he was a red/brown hair guy, and I remember specifically Jimmy and I NOT confronting him because we had gotten word that his wife had recently passed. So we decided to take the heat off for a while. But prior to that, we were hounding his Dept. for answers, and demanding to meet with him, but he was never available.

I'm not suggesting this was a conspiracy to rid KDNZ, but I'm saying I don't think there was enough done to make sure KDNZ was saved. I didn't get the impression then, and certainly not after I left. There were people who definitely had our backs, especially Marci T. finding us multiple advisors, and even arranging lunches with the Jesuits, but we never really felt like we had the University's full support.

After Jason V. aka "Trackademicks" graduated, he handed me a station that was unorganized and chaotic, yet underneath the stacks of papers everywhere and unopened envelopes, was a functional and revenue-generating on-campus club. Next to Campus Activities Board (CAB) and perhaps College Players, KDNZ was second-highest profiting organization. As an Exercise & Sports Science major, not even related to Music/Business/Media in any way, I took the station and dedicated three full years of my life. My Summers were spent in there cleaning, reading old emails, letters from people I didn't know named Howcrio Burley, Patrick Lagreid, etc. which I found to be former GM's like myself. All I'm saying is, I took the station and made it my personal goal to see it succeed, and left it with a worthy successor as dedicated as I was, and I'm sure he did the same after he left, but although I hate to believe it, I just don't think the University has done enough to ensure KDNZ's future existence.

Sad day....

Custom Ninja decals

2009-10-04T14:05:00.001-07:00

I had these logos custom made by Chris at DrippinWet.com, just trying to make my Ninja stand out a little more. It was a &!#@ trying to put these things on. You really have to know what you're doing, but if you're careful, anyone can do it. It just takes patience. If you can imagine, of course, the stickers were flat, or in one piece. So, I had to figure a way to get it to adhere to the bike's lower fairings, where there are air vents, without tearing the decals apart. It was a tricky manuever, but I used a box-cutter blade and got it on the first, and only, try. I'll take some close ups so you can see exactly what I am talking about.

Sorry, no how-to with this, but I could post it up anyway. There just won't be any pictures of the process.

DIY Windscreen tinting

2009-09-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Decided it was time for some upgrades to 'ol Mean Green. Been checking out other guys with the smoked-out windscreen, and liked the way it looked. But, if you know me, I'm not about to pay $80 for an aftermarket piece of plexi-glass, when I can do-it-yourself (myself). Did a little research, and consultation (thanks, Maria - who happens to be the same Maria in the art projects waaaayyy below) with my resident Art expert, and got the same look for a cost of

$8 Rustoleum High-Gloss paint (Hobby Lobby)
$4 custom Monster logo (eBay)
Allen Wrench (thanks, Josh)
Tape (me, I'm an Athletic Trainer, remember?)
Newspaper, old posters (thanks, Marcus, for not posting up orgs. events in the Village)
Face-mask (work, from when we had that small H1N1 scare)
Plastic medical glove (stll, an Athletic Trainer)
Plastic knife (community kitchen, Village)
Old Towels (Athletic Training room)

Step 1. Remove the windscreen from your bike. Since I originally had trouble finding an allen-wrench, I thought about painting it while still attached. Ehh, wouldn't have worked out...

Step 2. Do not lose your screws. There are a total of (4), with two of them being longer than the others.

Step 3. Find an open area to paint. Since I live in a college resident hall, I just used the parking garage. I used a small plastic knife to lightly scuff up the inside. Keyword, lightly!!! Then, washed it off with some hand soap, and a squeegee. Those particular steps aren't necessary. In fact, it is recommended to use window cleaner, and an old toothbrush for what I just did.

Notice how there is newspaper covering the front side. Yes, people were stopping and staring, and seeing what I was doing. Especially while I had the mask on =)

Step 4. This is where the screws go. I covered this part with newspaper, too. Probably isn't necessary, but I did it anyway

Step 5. Paint. Which ever type of paint you use, read the instructions for application. I used light strokes side-to-side, holding the can about 8 inches away. The paint went on quite thick from that distance. Yet, had I gone any further, the paint may have gotten all over my jeans. Not happy

Step 6. Stand back and admire. It's recommended you let it sit for about 30min-1hr., but I didn't have time for all of that, so I just applied the second coat after about 10mins. Also, I live in a very humid climate. Even at this time, about 8:30p, it was probably 85 degs. outside.

Step 7. Let it dry. I just placed it in my bathrooom.

Step 8. The next day, pull off the paper and check her out. This was approximately 9 hours later.

Step 9. Ready for a test spin!!!!

Women's Soccer: There's nothing like this! - Journal 1

2009-09-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

SFA vs Univ of Houston, which should have been a Home game for us, but instead, turned out to be an Away game because Nacogdoches recieved over 10inches of rain the past few days. So we traveled the 130 miles south to Robertson Stadium, Home of the Dynamo as well, to kick their butts. Nuff said

Prior to this assignment, I knew very little of soccer. I have a feeling that by the end of my time with this sport, which is the seasons' end, I'll be so into it, I will not want it to end. Maybe even buy a jersey. I must admit, soccer is by far the best sport to have as a season assignment. I originally wanted Men's Basketball for my sport; it was first choice, but I am glad I was assigned soccer instead. Truly!

There are many aspects to this assignment that make it, I personally believe, the best assignment. Most important aspect, as Trey Younger, my Head Athletic Trainer, states, "you will be thrown into the flames," which is a figurative way of saying I will get a chance to make decisions on my own, and apply the knowledge I have learned in the classroom, to real-life situations. Other students agree with this particular approach to instruction. Sean Fields and AJ Val Valkenburgh, both whom had heavily-invovled internships over the Summer with the New England Patriots and Texas Rangers Minors respectively, said, "it is something you need," referring to being handed the metaphorical "keys to the ship," and steering it on your own.

And it started from Day 1. Trey literally said, "this is your team, and I will allow you to decide for yourself what to do, and when to do it," of course not without his supervision. But even then, it is not as if he is breathing down my neck at every moment. He made it clear that, "as long as we have an open communicaton," then what you do is fine. Meaning, if there is anything I have a question about, whether it is new treatment methods, or rehab, or questions regarding evaluations; as long as I let him know what it is that I am thinking, then it is fine.

Another thing that makes this the best assignment is the players. When 2-a-days began, I noticed I did not recognize many of the girls from last season. It turns out that over half of the team are 1st year players. We began the year with 32 players. That number decreased to 28 by the end of the first month. Only one of those four involved a player who actually quit the team. It is still unknown as to why exactly she quit, although many speculate it had something to do with her boyfriend (pshh!), but it could have been any number of reasons. In fact, listening to Dr. Jevas' lectures on Psychosocial Aspects of the athlete makes me think if her nagging injury to her quad, coupled with poor performance, and any thing else she had going on personally, could have all played a role in her decision to leave the team, and if we (Athletic Trainers) could have had an influence in that. That is something I think about, but I tend to not let myself dwell on it for too long. It is a questions I may never have an answer to. Ironically, she is one of my residents (I am a Community Assistant in the resident halls), so maybe I can ask her next time we cross.

From a fans perspective, this assignment has been exciting because I have gotten the opportunity to travel, eat with the team, share laughs and stories, and really be a part of the family. From an educational perspective, it has also been fulfilling. To date, we have experienced

Two grade 1+, 2 inverson ankle sprains

Three grade 2 quadriceps strains

Foot contusion

Three spasming backs

General knee stress

Mild concussion

Wrist sprain

Possible meniscus (waiting on MRI results)

Syndesmotic ankle sprain

...and other smaller maintainence conditions (tight hamstrings, illnesses, etc.)

I really enjoy the girls and love being around them. I do what I can for them, and try my best to provide them with the best care and service. I do not hide the fact I love this assignment, and it shows.

T'was love at first sight

2009-09-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Went out to the bike this morning, and noticed Kawi had a new friend =)

BurnWatch '09 - Day 20

2009-09-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

Significant progress! Soon, maybe in about 1 week, I will remove the dressings for good, and just go out with it uncovered.

Practice shots

2009-09-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Just happen to have the camera today, chilling in my bag. Decided to break it out and get some snaps. This is a really fun team and I am happy to be working with them. The practices are fun and the games are intense. Prior to this assignment, I wasn't much of a soccer fan, if at all, but I have grown to like the sport.

BurnWatch '09 - Day 15

2009-09-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

Warning: Cool shots of a burn follows (I'm tired of issuing these warnings)

I'm no dermatologist, but I believe it is healing very well. What I do know for sure is, the first time when this happened to me (when I was 8yrs), I don't remember it healing this quickly.

You can see the skin beginning to form again. This is very exciting. Kind of looks like leopard print, no?

I haven't really done much research on burn treatments; just kind of been relying on my own knowledge and the advice of the nurses at the health center, although I've only gone to see them once. I haven't had any reason to go back and see them. The process is going well and I have had absolutely zero complications. Today was the first day I went outdoors with it uncovered, which was a little nerve-racking, but I didn't worry too much, I was just walking to the parking garage across the road.

I did happen to look up (and by 'look up' I mean Google) images of burns. My exact search terms were 'exhaust pipe burns' and some interesting things came up. More pictures of exhaust pipes, than burns, but I cam across one woman's blog where she is strongly considering surgical procedures to rid her leg of the burns. My take on that is "live with it." Allow it to be a reminder to respect the machines. Although her circumstance is a little different than mine, simply being she appears to be a housewife/mother, and doesn't want the appearance of an 'ugly' scar on her leg. Me, on the other hand, I am a guy. Kind of sexist? Probably not! I'm not implying 'I like scars' because I am a guy, it's just that in my lifetime, I will probably be wearing more long pants than her (easy one), and not subject to social ridicules of "women needing to have perfect skin," therefore, I can get away with having a "cool" scar. Plus, I am a biker, and the way I see it, it's a sort of 'right of passage' thing.

-Silly me

BurnWatch '09 - Day 10

2009-09-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Wild shots below (okay, not that wild)

As you can see, it is healing quite nicely. Still, there is some redness toward the center, with the majority of the outer surroundings a healthy pinkish color. That is a positive sign of the skin cells being properly regenerated. I'm not a lizard.

This is a shot immediately after removing the dressings. The above shot is after I washed it and cleaned a little bit of excess gunk off. I just used soap and warm water.

This is also a shot after immediately removing the bandages. I like this shot because it is a good map of just where it is the most sensitive. The center-red portion is the most sensitive, and less, obviously, as you head outward. Also, I like this shot because you can began to see the little dots of skin beginning to return.

BurnWatch '09 - Day 7

2009-08-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Warning: Graphic photos ahead

As Burn Watch moves into day 7, as you can see, I am clearly well into the healing phase, and I think the worst of it has passed. My usual routine includes wearing it wrapped during the day, and removing the bandages at night while I am home (in my own germs). Yes, I sleep with it uncovered. My dressings of choice are

1% Silver Sulfadiazine cream (Silvidine), as a topical cream
3"x4" non-adherent pad, as a sterile covering
Cover-all tape (sticky), to hold the non-adherent pad in place
Powerflex wrap, to hold everything in place, but also for looks
Tongue depresser, for Silvidine application

The shots below are after a shower in which I wash the old silvidine and any small amount of fluids that were discharged during the day. I usually don't wrap the powerflex to tight because I want to be able to walk comfortably and have my calf muscles still be able to contract. It doesn't bleed at all; if anything, just a tiny, tiny amount.

BurnWatch '09 - Day 3

2009-08-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Warning: Pictures may be too graphic for the weak-stomached individual. But they're not that bad, wimp!

As you can see the heat blister has "popped" or peeled, I guess, and revealed underneath the "meat" of my leg. I say popped because in the previous post, you can see my finger running across the affected site, as the skin somewhat rolls under my fingers. That is because there was "pressure" within the burn, and it felt really warm, compared to the other parts of my leg. So, I did what any Athletic Trainer would do, and immediately applied ice, and compression. Of course, I dressed up an anti-adherent pad just to reduce any friction, but I believe my gastrocnemius (calf) constantly contracting/relaxing is what caused the skin to "pop" therefore, opening up the burn. I will go see Dr. Miller tomorrow, who is our Athletic Dept. team physician.

Us vs. ULa La

2009-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Shots from our road game versus Univ of Louisiana-Lafayette. About a 5 hour ride of fun from Nacogdoches, along H 49. We won, by the way, but I can't seem to remember the score. I think it was 3-2. Afterwards, to celebrate we ate good at Prejean's Cajun food.

Ky's foot contusion. As a new Athletic Trainer, I live for these moments. Big ups to her for toughing it out, too =)

My "Welcome to the World of Motorcycles" moment

2009-08-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Alright, alright...just stop it right there, if you are one of those people who typically say "I told you so," then you might as well just stop reading right now. It's so easy for people to say that "I told you so" in retrospect, but there's no way you could ever predict what will happen in the future....so hold all judgements, unless of course, you are a fortune-telling, mind-reading, faux Ms. Cleo, in which you should have warned me.

Usually, any "Welcome..." moments in the motorcycle world involves a crash, or a near-crash; but as with any situation from sports, to work, or academia, a "Welcome..." moment is anything that gives you a wake-up call, or a lesson, with the results of you respecting whatever you do, much, much, more. This just happens to be an incident of me being careless.

This afternoon while parking, I had to go out of my way to run over a locust (cicada, to some) that was conveniently sitting in my usual parking spot. Now, the ironic thing here is, I think it was already dead. They usually start buzzing whenever they hear anything that resembles the sound they make, which my exhaust pipe does. Nevertheless, I ran it over. I cut the engine, threw it in Neutral, and just positioned myself to run right over the big, nasty, freaky looking bug. While still on the bike, I just backpedaled into my parking spot making sure to be close enough to my locking-spot, and just before I could dismount the bike..."WHAM!!!" My leg caught a piece of the exhaust pipe. Yes, I was wearing shorts. I was returning from covering Soccer practice, and on my way to meet my coworkers for a training session.

Some have said this is Karma for killing my locust/cicada bug-brother. But, I don't think so because, like I said, I think it may have already been dead. Those who are familiar with this species of bug know they tend to just lay there doing nothing until you step right by them, then, they want to start buzzing the hell out of everything, scaring the living-$#%! out of you. I consider this payback, not karma

So, I am now chronicling the progression of my what-seems-to-be 3rd degree burn, by posting pics, and giving my notes as to texture, size, color, feel, etc., until I reach a point where it no longer has to be covered in bandages. I'm calling it BurnWatch '09. Some have said this is Karma for killing my locust/cicada bug-brother. But, I don't think so because, like I said, I think it may have already been dead. Those who are familiar with this species of bug know they tend to just lay there doing nothing until you step right by them, then, they want to start buzzing the hell out of everything, scaring the living-$#%! out of you. I consider this payback, not karma

WARNING: Pictures may be a little gross for the weak-stomached individual

If you look closely, about 2-3 inches below the burnsite, you can kind of make out an oval-looking dark spot, which is a scar, from when this VERY SAME thing happened when I was 7yrs. old.

Why I decided to buy a motorcycle

2009-08-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kinda kept this one on the low-low, but not really, though. "On the low-low" as in, didn't tell my family members; and as in family members, I really mean my Grandmother, because if she had found out, she would definitely disapprove, and although I am an adult and think/work/earn for myself, if she says "No," then it ain't goin' down! So, I did what any thinking/working/earning adult would do in this situation, and I didn't tell her =)

Needless to say, I went out and bought a motorcycle.

Why? I've always had a fascination with bikes since a little kid when my Uncle Ricky first took me on a ride on his Harley, and I was sooo scared that (even though we only went around the block), that I had my eyes closed the entire time. Then my cousin (his son) began riding mini-bikes and scooters, which only fed into my fascination and admiration. My brother soon after got one of those old Honda scooters, you know the big red ones with the 8" wheels, for like $300 and we'd ride that - before it broke down. But I suppose the height of my fascination came when Giovanni (you may know him as the Red Bull guy) and I went on a weekend-long trip to MotoGP in 2006 at Laguna Seca Raceway, and it was there, where I really learned about the lifestyle, comradery, and fraternity-like inclusiveness that comes with being a part of this culture.

Ever since that weekend, I just needed a reason to get one. And that reason came in the form of an indirect "demand" from an unnamed Program Director, and I began my search in Februrary-March 2009 to buy my first motorcycle. The research was extensive, from reading online reports, messaging friends on Facebook, registering for Forums asking questions, making phone calls, studying California/Texas motorcycle laws, calling dealerships, scouring Craigslist.org, etc. I was all over the place.

Finally got entered in a Safety course, which I highly recommend, and not just for the Insurance break, but to actually learn something new, or reinfornce what you already did know. Passed the course, and passed the written test (on the 3rd try! Hey, the questions were sooooo vaque; they're intentionally that way, too), and now the only thing left was to track down the perfect bike. Well, maybe not perfect, but affordable, stylish, economical, low-maintainence, fast, dependable, and downright fun! Ladies and gentleman, I present to you, Mean Green

I love this motorcycle, and the pictures here don't do it any justice; it is a beauty in-person. Rode it from Houston to Nacogdoches in a little over 4 hours. I'm still sore... =)

Not enough Trainer stuff

2009-08-02T18:37:00.000-07:00

As you scroll down through past post, you may realize I'm not really talking about anything related to Athletic Training. Well, part of that is because I've been on Summer vacation, and the other part is simply the things outside of AT are a little more interesting - at least, for people (other than AT's) to read. But I've come to realize, this blog was originally created for AT-related stuff, so I plan to focus a little more of that from now on. But of course, I'll throw in my little random encounters/thoughts/pictures from time-to-time.

Dwele and The Dreamer

2009-07-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Photo credits to Yolanda

Upset that I paid $40.00 for a 3-song performance, but glad I got a chance to meet one of the most connected, most genuine, talented artist in the game right now. The show was billed Jon B. with special guest Dwele. I thought to myself, shouldn't that be the other way around? Don't get me wrong, Jon B. rocked the house, performing a lot of his hits (I forgot the man had THAT many hits), but Dwele is what's "it" right now. Clearly, a lot of the folks in the audience was there for Jon B. but Dwele was shown a lot of love, from folks who seemingly didn't know about him.

Danielle Crittenden: When Love Turns to Scandal

2009-06-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

Thoughtful piece on South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's scandal, which has been lightly covered in the recent week, due to the many famous deaths. Still, I found this blog by Danielle Crittendon to be very interesting in her attempt not to discover why 'men cheat on their wives', but, to explore the unexplainable formula for a successful marriage. I encourage you to read the opinionated commenters, too, as their supplemental insight is as entertaining, and valuable as the article - it's well worth it!

Danielle Crittenden: When Love Turns to Scandal

Here are some of the Reader's Comments that caught my eye.

The real problem is that marriage is an outmoded institution. Marriage is a legacy of the feudal era, when corrupt religious officials worked hand-in-glove with rich land owners to bind serfs together in marriage to make them more controllable. Our outmoded laws merely perpetuated this archaic arrangement, and the result is the turmoil we see around us today. If we lived in a civilized nation, couples would have the option of entering into civil unions of a few years that could be renewed -- or not -- like driver's licenses. Of course, we don't live in a civilized nation, so that's quite impossible. -Merlin7

Marriage existed prior to the feudal era. -larissa68

.... if Maria and Mark do forge ahead with their relationship ... Maria will find out she loves a man who was shaped by his wife ... how long will the "love" last then? .... when he has no power, few friends and less money ... with children visiting every other weekend -Headsortails

One only have to ready the email exchanges from Sanford to his friend to understand why he went forward with the relationship. They are madly in love with each other and with that in the picture there was no turning back. Can you picture him exchanging such emails with his wife? NO. The routine of marriage life does not have patient for such romantic exchanges, more so when you have a "state" to govern. No one can tell me that Sanford didn't think of the negative consequences of the friendship, (I refuse to call it an affair btw) yet he went with it because he was in love. Right now is the most difficult period for him because he is hurting and has NOBODY to talk to about it. Faith based or clinical therapy cannot help him because he CANNOT fully be candid on how he feels exactly -- he is married, has a state to run and everyone has denounced his actions, he is suffering from the loss of his friend, the hurt he caused his wife and kids, the disappointment he garnered from public. That's why I feel sorry for him, just as Ms. Danielle mentioned above. I never even heard of him, nor cared for any republican governors. But I really appreciate his honesty. His situation was unlike Spizter, (no class) Edwards and Clinton (liers) and I hope he will not go ahead saying that the devil made him do it or some stupid nonsense like that. -tokesan

Oh, BeJeBus! It's NOT epic luvvvvvv story. It's a m.i.d.l.i.f.e. c.r.i.s.i.s. man who wanted to get his f.r.e.a.k. on away from the p.r.y.i.n.g eyes of the press. And, it's a woman who IS STILL married to another man wanting to do the same. And, a woman who had a boyfriend in Argentina while also p.l.a.y.i.n.g. around with a married man. And, if you think this is the first time for the Gov, it ain't. He just got c.a.u.g.h.t. this time. No guy who writes p.r.o.s.e. like that and not to his wife, is not a P.L.A.Y.E.R."he is hurting and has NOBODY to talk to about it."And, I'm sure that's the line he gave Maria to start the affair with her. -Wiseronenow

Blah blahIt's not about fidelity or infidelity. Relationships break up all the time and nothing is going to change that.It's about how you behave when confronted with these situations:Do you come clean and let the truth set you free, or do you start a campaign of lies, coverups, frauds, and illegal activities to cover your shame. -frantaylor

There are many more comments that caught my eye, but were too long to post.

One Dark Week

2009-06-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wow...

A shout from President Obama, to me? Sorta....

2009-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Cool signature, Prez!

-The Dreamer

Half-shocked

2009-05-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Watching Leno's last night on "The Tonight Show" and he's doing a best-of Jay Walking, when I notice this huge tatoo on this young lady's arm...orange hair...hmmm; it's Oakland's very own Keyshia Cole. Now if you've never seen Jay Walking, Leno typically makes fun of the people he's interviewing, or rather they make fun of themselves by answering common-knowledge questions - WRONG! Now, the question posed to our beloved Ms. Cole was actually a name-this-person question. Jay was holding a picture of this man

Our dear Keyshia has no CLUE!!! I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but..c'mon!!! I know this man may not have been the most popular figure in (especially) traditional Westcoast liberal politics, or even Black families, but even then, both sides (left & right) could undoubtedly answer the question. And I am a huge believer in being able to recognize our public, and notable leaders. Also I do, however, realize had she gotten it right, that never would have been broadcasted. I would like to ask Keyshia if she remembers that day, and more importantly..."do you now have an answer?"

Liberation

2009-05-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

You know...just because someone passes, doesn't mean they're really gone. Pictured above is JP Reddy, father and husband; whose sun has set in our world, but has risen in another. We've only met Four times, and although two of those four were while your daughter Ashleigh and I dated, despite the circumstances, I would have still remembered each occasion distinctly because you had the personality that I am naturally attracted to. Confident, yet doesn't have to be the life of the party and be the center of attention. Saavy, and knowledgable about various topics, like food and my eventual favorite - gambling (21, anybody?). Loving, to both the women in your family, and to everyone around. Respected, in your profession, leader in your family, and friend to all.

The first time we met, or when you saw me, was during move-out Saturday at USF, as I struggled to load my big red recliner into the back of a '02 Dodge Neon (Ashleigh tells me this story haha). I must've invented about 50 different ways to try and get that thing in there. The second, I believe it was at Ashleigh's graduation dinner, where I was so glad (and nervous) to meet the ENTIRE family, but that day, I had to play the 'cool' type. We didn't get to chat much then, probably because I unconciously kept my distance, but your presence was certainly felt. The third was dinner at Mela in San Francisco, which was between yourself, Ashleigh, and I. Turned out like you liked me. You kept the conversation friendly, gushing over the Lakers who were making a playoff push at the time, and gave an excellent recommendation as to what to order. Thank you for not recommending anything too Spicy! haha. And the fourth was during a December 2006 trip where I found myself as a guest in your home. You let me in, and like every other dad, I imagine, you kept a close eye although you had become familiar with me. You may have looked away a few times, but I never left the corner of your eye haha, which is just fine to me. And I still remember the Blackjack tips you gave me...I'll make sure to put those to good use.

I never really knew how to deal with death, as not many close to me have died, not until 2003 when my only-uncle Ricky passed. As I grew older, as you can imagine, more folks have since moved on, and writing these tributes have become my method of how to deal. Thanks Ashleigh for giving me permission to express this, and I hope this helps you, and those closest.

It's a hard road of hope, but bright stars do line the pavement. Wherever you go, I'm positive there will be room for ya! JP Reddy, my brother, you have raised a strong, smart, and beautiful daughter, and have built a wonderful family that I have had the pleasure of meeting several times (Hi! Mom) and cool-as-ever son, and I pray you no longer have any worries, because your job is done. We got it from here. Remember, you are loved...

Read his Obituary written by Ashleigh Reddy

Having one of my creative moments

2009-05-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

The return of Alien bug

2009-05-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

AJ and I are chilling out, playing some Madden right before we have to head over to Lufkin HS to cover physical exams...that's when this huge ass thing jumps on the window screen!!! I immediately noticed it from the other day, when it was on my other window...I guess it was back looking for another entry point. It's all good, I'll be back in the Bay Area next Sunday where we eat bugs, they don't eat us

Another Obama-inspired piece

2009-05-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

"Progress"

Done with acrylic paint on 9 x 16 x 2 wood block
Pencil-traced circles done with Maria stencil, a method invented by my coworker, Maria Alvarado
Used a U shaped wood-shaver to carve around edges of circles, gave it a 'popping' effect
Shouts to SFA Art Dept. for the supplies and Maria for making it happen

Can't wait til I see the Bay

2009-05-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

WTF???!? I woke up, looked out my 3rd floor window for my morning stretch, and damn near pissed in my city-boy boxers when this big azz alien looking creature was on the other side of my glass...I tapped on it and everything, it wasn't afraid of humans.

That's it...I'm converting to Mac

2009-05-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

So.........I've been without a computer, or MY computer/laptop, for almost one month now. And I've had it with viruses and bullsh*t like that. What the fu*k is spyware, and adware, and malware, all the gotdamn wares anyway???!?!?!?! Who the f*ck makes all this $&%# to extremely frustrate folks like me? All I'm tryna do is make it through this first year of Graduate school!!! That's it!

I'm telling you...if you're reading this Mr. Spyware-Trojan man-virus making-sonnab*tch...don't let me catch you slippin' G, it's gon be problems

Much props to Julie ;-) for letting me borrow the old Dell jumpoff. It came through in the clutch when I needed it. Hell, I used it to post these entries...

Rotation VIII

2009-05-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

Football

Football…for being such a popular sport, why is it such an unpopular rotation? The reason is because it has long been established as the sport which belongs to the undergrads. It’s not the 6:45am start time, because even that isn’t 6:00am. It’s not the tremendous amount of taping because even that is valuable practice we could all use. It’s not even the demanding athletes and their excessive use of profanity, because even they are real cool folks and it turns out, after talking and living with them, you have a ton in common! It’s a sport/rotation where grads will never have the majority control. And that’s perfectly okay. At one point, we were all undergraduates and needed somewhere to start. I don’t believe this to be a problem, it is simply an explanation. It would probably be the same if the tables were turned and a majority of grads were hanging around instead of undergrads. And that is the reason I wasn’t looking forward to football. But, this time, it was different.

Before moving to Texas, I remember browsing SFA Sports Medicine website with Dan Miller, the Head Athletic Trainer from Chabot Community College, and we came across Sandy Miller’s profile. I asked Dan, “What makes this guy a 4x Hall of Fame athletic trainer? If most of the knowledge about treating an ankle sprain is fairly common, what makes him better than you or any single athletic trainer better than any other athletic trainer?”

Dan replied, “I can’t say, but if anything, he is probably a helluva teacher, and can probably get his instructions and message across, so other people can understand, easier and more effectively than other athletic trainers.” I remember this conversation very distinctly because I have since wondered how does one athletic trainer distinguish themselves from others, if they essentially know the same thing.

And over the past two weeks, Dan’s response finally came to light. His answer made sense then, but even more so now, because Sandy does have this unique way of getting things done. Now, I have only known the guy for two semesters, but these past two weeks have allowed me to put Dan’s response into context with Sandy’s personal actions. The first time I had football as a rotation; I only taped ankles, and passed out water. This time around, I still taped ankles and passed out water, but I could tell he trusts me a lot more because we (Jorge and I) were more involved with daily treatments and rehab and entering information onto eSims. Of course, the undergrads were involved with data entry also (mostly Forges), but the pinnacle of the rotation came when Sandy trusts me with a new injury, in terms of setup, patient positioning, application, and taking a detailed enough history to enter into eSims. That was really cool for me because I remember asking Sandy, “Did you say enter him a New Injury, or Update, because I’m going to need the initial impressions, and MOI, details, etc.” And in his subtle voice, Sandy replies, “There he is right there,” implying to get the information from the athlete. So I did. I was a little surprised because I thought that would be something he would want to do, but turns out, it wasn’t. May not seem like a big deal, but it kind of was. The timing was perfect.

It is things like that which made this rotation incredibly enjoyable this time around. I really felt like I could put everything I learned in the classroom to use, especially from the therapeutic modalities class, and upper extremity class, when explaining to an athlete why they are positioned a certain way, or why the treatment will be more effective if there shoulder is in this direction, and not in that direction. I strongly feel I accomplished a lot.

Rotation - V, VII

2009-04-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Wellness Center

It is not easy getting up at 5:00am to make it to a location across campus by 6:00am, but it is possible. I know because I have done it before. It’s true. The simplicity of the Wellness Center is probably what I love most about it. Last semester (Fall 2008), it took a long time for me to see the relevance in all of this; it just felt like something was missing. But when it all comes down to it, the stuff they (strength coaches) do is just as equally important to what we (athletic trainers) do, but, in its own way. It became clear to me I don’t have to be as well-versed in the terminology or technique as the strength coaches, and vice versa, but it wouldn’t hurt to know a little bit, or give an effort to learn. So, I did.

The first thing I did was I took notice of which teams came in for workouts, and their beginning-to-end time, the intensity dynamics of their workouts, the specific body parts that were being focused on, and how well that translated into their success on their respective playing fields. This is a lot for 6:30am, and probably comes as no surprise why I found there to be no relation. But what I did find was athletes do not like to waste time, and they like to be challenged. How is that relevant to athletic training?

Well since I live on-campus and am in a position of authority in the residence halls, as a result, I talk to my residents, most of which happen to be athletes, and they like to know about their bodies. Most importantly, they want to know how they can tell if the treatment they are being prescribed is actually working. To hear the athletes’ thoughts were interesting because few actually questioned the effectiveness of the modalities treatments, while none questioned lifting weights. However, some noted their ability to exercise/practice/work out more efficiently was a result of the treatment they received from the Athletic Trainers. Go figure.

The bottom line is, you will not find the Wellness Center on many students’ lists of all-time favorite rotations, but there is a lot one can take from their two week stay. The tidbit of information I got may not seem significant, but in fact, it 1) gave me some valuable insight that will help me with an angle I’m taking in my Upper Extremity Evaluation course, and 2) provides another set of questions that is relevant when taking an injured athletes’ history.

Rotation VI

2009-04-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Student Health Clinic

The health clinic rotation was very beneficial in the sense that it allowed me to put my history-taking skills to test. My time was spent checking-in patients, most of whom were students, and taking vitals. From there, I would place them in designated doctor’s office depending on what they were there for; for example if they were there for female-related issues, physical examinations, blood work, or a simple check up.

What I liked from the very first moment is the nurses gave me an informal orientation about what to expect and what things I can do, and cannot do, and where to go if I had any concerns. There was no underestimation or condescending questioning about my abilities to perform, only expectations and offerings to help if needed. From that moment, I knew this would be a fantastic rotation. Everyone in the health clinic was fun to be around from the doctors, the nurses, office staff, and even the nursing students, unlike some other rotations where everyone seems to want to ‘one-up’ each other, which creates less cooperation and more competition. Here, no one had anything to prove, and I liked that.

Having McMichael there also added to the easiness, because, simply by chance, he dealt with more patients that required lab testing, blood work, etc. done, so when I would get a case, I could just ask him instead of asking the nurses. I like environments where we can use each other as resources instead of always asking the instructor/CI first. And besides, the nurses picked on him all the time haha

There were a variety of conditions I saw from a broken foot, to prescription refills, to what was the biggest abscess I have ever seen (picture or person) on a young woman’s axillary fold. Contrary to what most believe, I did not have one patient there for STD/STI related-reasons, unless they just were not comfortable telling that to me, in the two weeks I was there. The easiest patients to take history’s on were those who suffered orthopedic related injuries, which there were quite a few, and I gradually learned to ask really good questions with the cold/flu/sore-throat population. The hardest patients to take a history on were the three individuals who wanted consultation about the depressive symptoms they were experiencing. Being that is a sensitive subject, I tried to make those ones as quick as possible for the patient and myself.

Another unique aspect of this rotation was the fact I lived on-campus, and there were a good number of times when patients recognized me, and I recognized them. Being a Community Assistant in the residence halls, the most awkward moment came when one of my residents came in, and I tried to avoid bringing it up during the history, but she brought it up so I played along. I was just happy it didn’t make her uncomfortable.

This rotation was very socially and educationally pleasing. The time spent here was so long but it seemed brief because of the fun and interesting stuff to do. I am sure the women in the front office did have something to do with that, also.

East Texas loves Dilla

2009-03-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

JJ rocking the Dilla hoody! I have no idea what turf she's is throwing up, but I want that hoody!

Wait a minute, that is mine! Being the gentleman I am, it was cold out so I let her sport that....but first, not without proper representation! Dilla says "Go!"

Rotation - IV

2009-03-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Emergency Room/Ambulance ride-out

The ER is an enjoyable clinical rotation because it is as close to real-time action as we are going to get during our first year. Arguably the Physician Assistant rotations are comparable, but the ER and ambulance gets the edge, in terms of real-time involvement and interaction, while the PA rotations are beneficial because of the practical knowledge gained, and its immediate use in the classroom.

I personally find the ambulance ride-outs to be more pleasant than the ER. Watching the EMT’s work is quite fascinating. In some ways it is similar to the work of an Athletic Trainer, in their abilities to process situations and the information being given to them, decision making, and communication with patients through question asking.

My time there was diversified with various events happening from kids playing with fireworks, heart attacks, to a double homicide, which I tearfully missed. The Monday I was there had already been a quiet day, and it just continued through the night, which according to the men and women there was a “good thing.” We began with a few transfers, where the ambulance provides complimentary rides back home for discharged patients. We traveled some distance to the outskirts of town and instead of heading back to central station (Nacogdoches Memorial); we stayed at the South Station Firehouse where I got the chance to hang with some firemen. They noticed my SFA Sports Medicine shirt and we talked about…yep, you guessed it, SFA Sports.

The following day, there was a new EMT who had just found out he passed his licensing/certification (?) which made him a full-EMT, if that is the correct term, so he was being congratulated and being given a hard time from the veterans of the group. After all the excitement and energy subdued, there was a call about a woman, who according to the EMT’s was a “regular,” experiencing severe chest pains and thought to be having a heart attack. As we approached the housing community where she lived, the ambulance stopped as we had to wait for the police escort into the facility. I thought that was interesting as someone could be dying at the moment, yet, our safety doesn’t trump hers, but is just as important. There may be other reasons as to why that is, which I talked with the EMT about later that evening, but I didn’t think too much into it. They basically gave me the explanation that since there are sometimes a lot of children around, especially with there being a middle school next door, they tend to cut the sirens and hopefully preventing a crowd from gathering, and the police helps with that effort. Gotcha! They later joked about the projects being not as scary as some other parts of East Texas. This is when one of the EMT’s proceeds to tell me about the small-town communities off the loop, where the locals don’t wear shoes, and have been known to walk around on all-fours. The EMT’s continued to say, “Now in those places, we definitely need the police escorts!” When we got back to the ER, the woman was treated for ulcers on her hands and problems unrelated to heart attack signs and symptoms.

The very next day was the much-heard double homicide involving four men in what seemed to be a bad drug deal. The EMT’s gave me all the details and were very distinct in their descriptions. I am unsure if I would have wanted to witness that, but the story was definitely intriguing as this one man was outnumbered and took on three other armed men. The EMT’s speculated whether the victim was a former soldier of some sorts, because the fashion in which he took out one of the other men, and because of the army-issued weapons and knives that were found at the scene. It must have been a wild sight.

Overall, this was a very fun rotation. I think the best way to sum it up is with the words of most of the EMTs, “you just really never know.” I think I learned more about people and interaction than practical and useful stuff directly related to Athletic Training.

25 Random Things....yada yada ya

2009-03-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

25 Random things you +

don't know +

want to learn +

thought you knew +

heard +

feared was true +

about me.

1. I'm pretty sick of hearing the word swagger. It's like everyone and their mama learned a new word at school today. I swear, I haven't heard the word used so much since until Art Shell continually repaeated it in referencing regaining the Raiders' old ways of playing. Then that same year, Cam'ron came with the infamous "Swagger jackin" comment. Next thing you know, everybody's "got swag," or their "swag is on low," or they ain't "cookin' with swag," or posting signs "this homework was done with swag," and even Old Spice has a product called Swagger haha. What's next, a Swag Energy Drink? Shit spreads like the plague...

2. I think everyone's role model are their parents by default. Therefore, the person (non-related) I look up to the most is a man named Wayne Kitchen. Simply put, if not for him I would not be in the position I am today. He is the former Director of Cal-State Hayward's Upward Bound program, and has had the most influence on me.

3. In 2007 I had three different people (all peers) genuinely tell me they admired me, and looked up to me, and I really valued that.

4. My best friend Kwesi is getting married in 2010. Other than getting my Master's degree 1 month later, that is hands down the biggest thing I am looking forward to in the near future. I have been best friends with him and one other guy for 12 years this July. I consider them both my brothers.

5. I can't remember the last time I've been under 200lbs. Right now I am 5'11" 225lbs. and I feel good as ever. A lot of that is muscle because I am stronger than I have ever been, too. And my body has never been as cardio-efficient as it is now. Yes, everybody say "cardio-efficient"

6. I cried during President Barack Obama's Election Night speech. I secretly only moved to Texas to help in the efforts to get him elected. Haha I told someone that once, and although I soon mentioned it was just a joke, I think that person still believes me to this day =)

7. I think anyone who tries to act hard while in college is a fraud! A wanksta, if you will. You are f*cking up the game, wanksta! Real thugs are out banging and don't have 8:00am class in the morning. Just be yourself. How can you getcha thug on, but be in college? You can't.

8. I stopped watching BET and MTV about 3 years ago. Thank goodness for digital cable which carries channels/shows for specific targeted groups, and not just sheep who believe everything they see or hear. I remember when VH1 was considered only for old people...you probably think I'm old just for saying that

9. I think a lot of people are naive, and truly have no clue as to what exactly is going on around them, and, often in front of their own very eyes. I think a lot of people are satisfied being told what to believe. It's hard to think for yourself sometimes, but it is necessary, in order to have meaningful discussions.

10. After reading #9, the thing I admire most about people is their ability to be an individual. I have always been an individual. As soon as too many peole beging to do something - I stop. I used to wear a lot of Triple 5 Soul, used to rock braids/cornrows, listen to certain music, etc., but when the bandwagon got too full, I got off at the next stop. I guess you can argue that those were phases in my life, but I would argue against that. However, there are some things that are just too good to stop loving, regardless of the number of people who jumps aboard.

11. Kinda going along with the individualism theme, I cannot come to understand why soooo many people (girls) rock Coach bags, with Coach shoes, Coach sweaters, sunglasses, earrings, etc. Oh lord, you can see the most unpolished person in the streets jeans, flip flops, and white t-shirt, and almost always expect to see a Coach bag, like the bag just goes with every outfit, and completes everything they're trying to accomplish. I'm not trying to offend, but it's pretty nauseating.

12. The reason I am never stressed is because I have already gone through the most toughest, most distressful, times of life. This is the easy stuff now. Ask the people who have known me the longest and they will say that cannot remember a time of me "snapping" or "losing it."

13. The first instrument I learned was the alto saxophone which I played for 2 years, and was first-chair in my high school orchestra for two years. Then I picked up the piano, and the rest is history.

14. I think a person can be too smart for their own good. Once you start overanalyzing and thinking too hard, I think the message gets muddled through all those metaphors and similies and brain processing activity which eventually leads to another question...which eventually leads to another question, and then another, and then....

15. Whenever I go online, there are (4) websites I absolutely must visit. In no particular order http://sfgate.com, http://huffingtonpost.com, http://mail.yahoo.com, http://bankofamerica.com.

16. In 1999, I created a website called Tha FreakStylaz Board, which is essentially a huge message board where writers/emcees submitted and posted their work, only to be critiqued and and reviewed by other emcees. This year August 12, 2009 will be the 10th Anniversary. I never quite figured out how to generate revenue off it. This site isn't mentioned in #15 because it's a given ;-) Also another interesting fact about this is I never even owned a computer until last year (2008)!

17. I believe only boring people, get bored. When I was little, I never had shit to do, and was tired of feeling that way. So, I just learned a bunch of things that would occupy my time. Everyday, my older brother and I stayed home alone while my mom was at work, and there just wasn't shit to do. So I learned piano, write poetry/raps, read books, moved furniture, watched the news (we didn't have cable), styled my hair, played stickball, memorized and wrote out lyrics to songs, flip through Eastbay magazines, cleaned toilets, watched Jeopardy, did push ups, folded clothes, learned to DJ, re-laced my shoes, all kinds of stuff - just so I wouldn't be bored. I This may explain my cleanliless habits now haha

18. The first "movie moment" (you know the type of thing you "once saw in a movie") of my life came in 1997 when I was in 7th grade, and I dated this girl whose parents didn't exactly approve of her dating, and we were getting "close" in her parents house one afternoon, when she heard them return home from wherever they were. Luckily her friend was in the living room and was able to stall them. So I jumped out of the window and sprinted down the block, glad to still have my life. They later found out all about what happened and about 1 month later we split. I think the ruined window screen, shrubs and bushes outside the window, tipped them off.

19. My "brush with death" came two years prior when a kid in my complex was really drowning in the 6ft-deep end of the pool, and I jumped in to try to save him, and instead ended up almost being drowned myslef. Once I got ahold of him, he climbed on my back and kicked me underneath the water, and all I remember is seeing the light from the sun, from under water, and seeing legs, arms, and bubbles, everywhere, and waking up on the side of the pool hyperventilating. Turns out someone else jumped in and got him off of me, and I pulled myself from the water, and passed out. There was no supervision.

20. I sacrificed a lot, I mean A LOT, of fun, to make my mom happy, because I had a feeling it would dissappoint her. She once told me, "it's a sin to make your mother cry," and I still believe her today. She also told me when I was in kindergarten, "if I didn't wear my glasses, I would be blind in 2 years," and she TWICE locked herself out of the car and called the Fire Dept. saying, "she locked her baby in the car," so they would come faster. Wild, but true! That last one sooooo puts things into perspective.

21. My 1-yr older brother and I didn't truly become "close," until he moved out. Prior to that, we had an okay relationship. I think if I was ever in trouble, he would have my back and the same for me, but other than that, we weren't that cool

22. My longest relationship was 2 years during high school. Very unique relationship it was. The closest I've ever come to that was 8 months.I like a variety of types of women so I usually don't categorize the specific characteristics. But I will fall in love with a woman who wears glasses, plays basketball, is passionate about something, understands herself, fashionable, as comfortable at night as she is in the day ;-) and can dance! A little bit of self-steem, wouldn't hurt...j/k

23. The four years I spent studying at the Univ of San Francisco was hands-down the best four years of my life! I enjoyed everything about it, and I am so thankful for the people I met, things I learned, and to have gone their and survived. It is actually true what they say about "learning more outside the classroom" than inside, because the people I met, and things I learned, helped me to become the influential person I am today. College was truly the bridge from childhood to adulthood. I left college with an entirely differenet outlook on "how life should be lived," than what I originally believed.

24. I would describe myself as artisitc. I certainly appreciate academics and smart people, but I think the truly amazing folks are those who make us laugh, smile, cry, and laugh some more, admire, grow, love, and all those other emotions and sentiments you feel when your eyes open wide, jaw drops, and knod with approval

25. It would be nice to be married with children...someday. I think too many folks fall victim to the idea of having to be married and beginning families, as if that is what will validate their successes and happiness. There are plenty of people who are perfectly happy (or at least they say they are) single and without kids, or one of the two. I think there are benefits to both but ultimately, everybody wants to be loved. Same thing goes for home ownership versus renting. This all goes back to #9, 10, and 11 - about people not thinking for themselves, and just believing the whole notion that "if everyone else says you must own a home, get married, and have kids," then it must be good. Not asking you to think, just use your head

I know I am late with this whole 25 Random Things... list, but thank God I finally finished it. It's been lamping on my Treo for weeks

This one is for Dilla

2009-03-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

As seen on Dilla fans everywhere...

Snapping photos suprising folks

Still not ready, lemme find my pose

Making sure I'm fresh

Baby why you all up on me??!? Haha having too much fun

Rotation III - Softball

2009-03-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Alright. So here's the deal, everyone is saying 'what a lucky guy I must be' because my last rotation, which was softball, was practically on-the-road the entire time, and as a Level I graduate student, I am not allowed to travel with them. During the scheduled two-week rotation (excluding weekends), I spent a total of six days with the team, which were all practices, and consequently equates to time away from the sport. That is just not the case. I really wanted to see this team play! The main reason I wanted to see this team in action is because they have one of the most relaxed practices I have ever witnessed, and I wanted to see if that transcended onto the playing field. I know they are currently under .500, but they did suprisingly knock off a nationally-ranked Texas A&M team, and boldly exceuted this in the Aggies' own house! I mean, they went whole hog on 'em.

As for the clinical rotation itself, I very much enjoyed my time there. The Level II graduate student assigned is Donyelle, and there is also an undergraduate student assigned to this sport, Katie. So between two other coaches and I, there were three males around the entire time. That certainly did not bother me. The Clinical Instructor is Jana, who is a 2nd year Graduate Assistant with SFA. This was Jana's first time being a Clinical Instructor, and I was her lucky first subject. Knowing this information, I entered this rotation with no expectations, mainly because I had nothing to go off of, like prior students detailing her personality. What I liked about Jana right from the beginning is that she actually quizzed me on injuries, anatomy, rehab, and treatment options! I loved that! Never before has a Clinical Instructor done that. Jana was also good in explaining her other duties with softball that are not necessarily relevant to athletic training. Such duties as hotel information, food, and travel. She opened my eyes to the many responsibilities an athletic trainer may have to be well-versed in. Additionally, she was well prepared in having her staff prepared. Everything is always much better when everyone is on the same page and her student athletes seemed to know their roles and procedures. I can definitely see that in her personality.

What I did not like is that I was unable to talk about anything related to classwork, for example, proficiency testing/practicing unless it was scheduled 24 hours in advance. That, I did NOT understand! For instance, there was one particular time when it was super dead in the training room, and there was one softball athlete recieving treatment. Jana's own words were, "wow, it must be a slow day today," and I, seeking opportunity and taking initiative (because that is my biggest complaint on my evaluations), asked politely, "well since it is slow, do you think we can practice some head/neck stuff?," and her response was a swift "no, schedule it." Okay. And some variation of this happened two other times, one where an athlete was recieving a paraffin treatment and I asked if I do it, can I count this as a practice? Answer was a "no, schedule it 24 hours in advance." That is fine, I understand it is your rotation/sport and you manage it however you want. I mean, I would manage it the way I wanted, also! But the line between unreasonable and overmuch, here - is thin.

I liked the rotation because the players really seem to enjoy Jana, she knows her stuff, and she does not interact with them like they are elementary children. And this in turn, meant the players treated me and the other student trainers with apropriateness and respect. This probably reflects some of the coaches' personality as well. But without reading into all of that, softball definitely is a cool rotation. I really appreciated Jana asking me questions regarding injuries and athletic training related things, because afterall, we are here to learn.

Rotation II -

2009-02-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

My second rotation was with a local hospital, and I also alternated days at Nacogdoches High School. The schedule went Monday & Thursday at the Doctors' office and Tuesday & Friday at Nacogodoches High School. This rotation seemed like it would be draining, but I do not know why I initially thought that way. It turned out to be a very fascinating experience, especially at the Doctors' office, even though I mainly dealt with the older population; folks I will likely never interact with unless I am in a clinical setting. The other site in my clinical experience, Nacogdoches High, was just that - Nacogdoches High, but it was fun to see more sports other than football. Currently they have a pretty good boys and girls soccer team, baseball is getting started, and basketball is ending, although they made the playoffs with just three wins. Okay, maybe five wins. The most exciting part about Nac High was watching Soccer, which is one of the few sports I do not understand. I got the opportunity to learn more about the sport, and even helped with the rehab of one of the best overall players on the team. Both soccer games I watched were shutouts. Other than the boys basketball losing a heartbreaker by one point during my first week, I was good luck!

Meanwhile at the Doctors' office, I mainly followed around his Physician Assistant. The environment here is good for the purpose of learning because you can observe real-life examinations with patients who have an array of medical conditions, as opposed to athletes who often only have one or two things going on. The Physician Assistant, who is a graduate from the same program I am currently in, no longer practices Athletic Training, but had a lot of advice to offer. We talked about the many environments that Athletic Trainers are employed, and the dis/advantages that come. We talked about how is athletic background helped with certain patients and even figuring out certain conditions. I got to see everything from amputated fingers, radial fractures in 5 yr olds riding horses, a cyst being aspirated, torn rotator cuff tendons from drunk women falling during a mardi gras party, and a rare case of ulnar neuritis, which I will most likely do my Upper Evaluation courses' case study on. My favorite moment came when I was referred to as, a colored person by a 94 year-old woman with a case of gout, who asked the doctor why it was more prevalent in African Americans (wow)! I was not offended, seeing the womans age and where she was most likely raised. Live and learn, go figure. Pretty much this was a productive rotation. The time went by fairly quick, and I feel I got a lot out of it.

New pieces!!!

2009-02-13T12:24:00.001-08:00

My Obama board with the rasta color scheme! Oh boy, boy! And the board on the left is a map of the Muni system in San Fran. That's just the underground Muni, not the entire bus grid- it wouldn't fit all on one board (Shouts to N Judah Chronicles blog)! As you all know I live in residence halls, so I hung both boards using a wire hanger (Thanks, Ben) and 3M Command removable hooks. If you look closely, the Obama board has holes where the hanger pokes, and I managed to do the SF board without punching holes in it. I didn't mind the holes at first, but man now I wish I hadn't done that. Enjoy!