I thought I'd stick my head inside the door and say hi. Life has been incredibly busy, as I'm sure it has been for all of us. As stressful as it can be at times, I am blessed by being in the process of learning that, no matter where I go or what I'm doing, I can take my program and its tools with me.

Grad school continues to be a rocket ride. As of this semester I have begun what is called Level 1 fieldwork, which is spending 5-8 hours a week in a clinical setting with a specific population. This semester it's pediatrics, which can be draining, as I have to be on my game every second when working with kids. Much of pediatric OT is spent on kids with sensory processing disorders; imagine what it would be like to be overwhelmed by the feeling of clothes against your skin, or by normal background noise, or if your brain could not associate what your eyes see with what your vestibular system (balance) is telling it. Engaging kids in activities, disguised as play, that teach their brains to handle and balance all that sensory input is both an art and a science.

I'm also learning more about myself in this process, for instance, how my own sensory imbalances affect my life. I've come to realize how sensitive I can be to auditory stimuli and how distracting certain types of sounds can be to me. Speaking of distraction, the biggest revelation is that I have just been diagnosed with ADD. Having learned that explains so much, including - especially - the implications of the way it affected my childhood. When my teachers said I wasn't applying myself...when my father called me lazy...NO! It was because I was unable to focus for more than a few seconds at a time. (In my assessment, my distractibility scores were literally off the scale.) Up until now, I realize I had found ways to adapt my way around ADD throughout my life; only now, with the added demands of graduate school, and NO time to spare, did I realize I needed to look into why I had to read the same textbook paragraphs over and over again because of the way my mind wandered. I've just begun trying medication, and the initial dosage began to lose effect after a few days, but for those few days it was remarkable. For the first time ever I felt like I was in control of my attention, instead of the other way around. As time passes and the psychiatrist and I work on titration of the proper dosage, I look forward to the changes it may bring to my life.

From a broad perspective, I can see the fingerprints of HP all over many of these developments, drawing me to a place of increased healing and wholeness. Through the times of stress and struggle I am graced with increased insight, understanding, and best of all, awareness of options that I was once blind to. I think I'll keep coming back.

Blessings on ya!