Project: Speech

My name is Phillip Guillory, and I am a newly CCC'd SLP. I am also a certified Sign Language Interpreter, and supported myself through graduate school by working on campus as an interpreter. Welcome to my "interim" site for what is to become my professional website! After getting through school thinking I wanted nothing to do with it, I discovered a passion for medical Speech Pathology. I recently completed my Clinical Fellowship in an acute care hospital. This site is "interim" because I've had the pleasure of having someone attempt to steal my identity, so I needed a temporary and free place to kick-start this project while I try to smooth everything out. Hello, new schema to incorporate into therapy! My goal for this project is to expand my knowledge through writing. I first starting blogging in 2005, while still an undergrad, and found the process to be an excellent way to boost my creativity and think critically in a new manner. I aim to extend this into my professional life.

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The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is an important part of healthy functioning, and an even more important part of recovery from injury. Over at Fast Company, I recently saw an interesting report on a study about sleep deprivation. What stood out right way was this (emphasis is mine):

Subjects in a lab-based sleep study who were allowed to get only six hours of sleep a night for two weeks straight functioned as poorly as those who were forced to stay awake for two days straight. The kicker is the people who slept six hours per night thought they were doing just fine.

While those who slept for four hours per night had similarly poor function, their overall performance declined more quickly and it seems they were more aware of it, as well.

One of the most alarming results from the sleep study is that the six-hour sleep group didn’t rate their sleepiness as being all that bad, even as their cognitive performance was going downhill.

As something of a self-described night owl, I suspect I do not get enough sleep myself. As the article hints, changing habits is difficult, but it’s something I’m working toward.

If you want to see more about this study, you can find the research article here.

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Presenting

It turns out there's a lot of work between writing a proposal for something and then bringing that something to life. In preparing for my very first poster presentation, I've come to understand that like with many endeavors, the work you end up doing often seems much different than what you envisioned in your head.

In part, I think this is because the more you dive into something, and the more you think about said something, the greater it changes your own understanding of it.

In my case, I proposed a two-hour workshop which ended up being accepted as a poster. The poster format left me puzzled at first, but once I understood the challenge was for me to distill the heart of my ideas into something that was straight-forward and cohesive, I embraced it.

Another motivating factor? Seeing this on the ASHA Connect Schedule:

I've spent countless hours researching, writing, editing, re-writing, and researching again, and finally have something I'm proud to have put together. I have more questions at this point than I do answers, but nonetheless I can't wait to share what I've learned.

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Rainbow Bridge

It's been two weeks, and the tragic shooting in Orlando is still strong in my mind, and I know I'm not alone. A few years ago, I met Crom Saunders at an interpreting conference, where I attended a few of his workshops. His poetry is captivating, and he created a beautiful and sad poem in memory of Orlando.

Thank you, Crom, for your heartfelt and heartbreaking poem. May it remind us to always keep the Rainbow Bridge strong.

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Perspective

As with many things in life, the people to listen to in difficult times is the people who have first-hand experience. From Gabby Giffords:

The victims are young and old — but always with so much life ahead of them. They are white and black, Latino and Asian, and Native American. They are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and straight. They are Christian and Muslim, Jewish and Sikh. They are veterans and government workers and union members. They are rich and poor. They die by murder, they die by suicide, and they die by negligence. Often, they don’t die, but they carry the scars, and their lives change forever.

For many SLPs, injuries by guns are not unfamiliar. Whether you work in medical settings or in the schools, many of our patients have been affected by gun violence. One of the best things we can hope for in our work is that our patients are able to go on and make a difference. Gabby Giffords inspires me both with her activism and her continued determination to keep talking.

Speaking is difficult for me. But I haven’t been silenced. And neither should the American people. Their Representatives must vote to prevent gun violence.

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Heartache

On Saturday, I was celebrating Pride with my beloved LGBTQ community. From the moment I attended my first Pride celebration over ten years ago, I was awash with the feelings of genuine love, acceptance, and beauty I found there. For someone who spent a lifetime never knowing where I belonged, it was overwhelming to be in a place that felt so completely like home. Whenever and wherever I am with my community, I am at peace.

That peace was shattered on Sunday, when I awoke to the horrific news of a shooting at a gay club in Orlando. That evening, my partner and I attended a vigil to be surrounded by friends, family, and the community.

A day later, I am still reeling.

I wanted to take a moment out from my usual range of topics here to express my sorrow, and to remember that we all come from so many walks of life, religions, cultures, experiences, and identities. Our differences are what make life a richer and more beautiful experience. For up to date information, Equality Florida will keep you informed. If you would like to make a contribution, blood donations are very much needed (if you live in Florida, you can find out more at OneBlood.org) and there is also an official GoFundMe page set up by Equality Florida.

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Motivation

When I worked in acute care, I was a strong advocate for the idea that everyone deserves a chance to get therapy. I still believe that strongly, but having now worked in both home health and outpatient settings (in addition to previous placements also in skilled nursing facilities during my clinical fellowship), I've come to a new realization:

Not everyone is a good candidate for therapy.

As a new clinician, and working in such an intense setting, it didn't occur to me that not everyone responds well to therapy, and more than that, not everyone even wants therapy.

Many folks want to tell clinicians what they think they want to hear. Keep an eye on body language, and consistency with attending appointments, and motivation (or lack thereof) will become readily apparent.

See enough people do the same, and you'll get better at recognizing motivation in the moment. Part of patient-centered care is respecting when patients don't want our help.

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Response Time

Some days, one patient encounter gone awry can feel like it throws off the entire day. Give it some distance, though, and zoom out for better perspective, and suddenly it's clear that there are many ways to respond to the same problem.

If every patient we encounter has the same problem, how many ways can they respond?

Relief. Every so often, having a name for what you're experiencing helps to find the strength to acknowledge it and want to address it.

Validation. This might be the first time someone really listens to, and confirms, what has been a problem.

Disappointment. So much for hoping it was no big deal, or just a figment of the imagination.

Frustration. Why does something always have to happen? Why now? And why is everything so hard?

Anxiousness. More stress on top of stress, and stress about all the stress.

Exhaustion. Here's yet another problem in a long list of problems.

Depression. Life is hard, and this makes for more than can be handled. Treatment for depression in the wake of acquired communication deficits can be especially daunting.

Apathy. Too much else going on to really take notice or care.

Neutrality. Knowing it's there, but not minding it one way or another.

Anger. Directing feelings of anxiety, depression, frustration, et al outwardly, towards loved ones, strangers, or clinicians.

One sudden life change can take away everything someone was working toward or enjoying. Sometimes the things not talked about are the things most profoundly affected. Meeting our patients where they are can go a long way to providing the best care we can for them, right here and now.

One thing I like to keep in mind: If I'm angry, the last thing I want to be told is that I shouldn't be angry.

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It's Conference Time Again!

The annual ASHA Convention is coming up in one week, so I’m gearing myself up for traveling, seeing some fantastic colleagues, and learning as much as I can. It hasn’t been long since I last attended a conference, and I’m looking forward to taking the lessons I learned there and bringing them to #ASHA15. The ASHA Convention is, by my rough estimation, just shy of ten times as large as the more intimate ASHA Healthcare and Business Institute (this estimation includes this year’s combination with ASHA Schools). While I think I prefer the intimacy of the smaller conference, I am nonetheless very excited for the convention ahead.

A little prep work can go a long way to ease the stress of such an enormous event. Here’s some things I’m doing this year differently than I have in years past, which I anticipate will make for a smoother and more productive experience.

As I did for the Healthcare and Business Institute, I took the day off Wednesday so I could fly in earlier in the day. The extra time to check in to my hotel, unpack a bit, and explore the area has a huge impact on the experience as a whole. When you have three solid days of learning ahead of you, be good to yourself and don’t start the experience off with so much rushing.

Though I will be tweeting throughout the convention, I will not be live-tweeting my sessions. I also won’t be typing notes on any of my various devices. I love my technology, for sure, but I found such a significant difference in what I took away from my sessions by writing my notes by hand that I will be doing so again. I may write a tweet here and there, for various powerful points during sessions. As always, you can find me tweeting @ProjectSLP.

I have been planning my sessions ahead of time, and giving myself a few options for back-ups if I need. This alone reduces the stress of trying to figure out where to go, freeing up cognitive resources to better attend to what I’m trying to learn. It also has the benefit of making it easier to meet new colleagues along the way.

I’m bringing a small backpack to carry around my convention program, my notebook, some pens, a water bottle, and snacks. I purposely keep the bag small to help keep me from acquiring too many things along the way. The exhibit hall is a wonderful place to visit but the number of papers and freebies really can add up. By making sure I have limited space, I only acquire things I know I will find useful, and it has the added benefit of keeping things simple. As the saying goes, less is more.

Also, if you want to come visit all the #SLPeeps from the internet, do consider joining in at the “unofficial” (non-ASHA-affiliated) tweet-up.

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I wrote a quasi-review about a sweet new app called Speech FlipBook.

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I've been thinking a lot lately about how much I write, and what that means. I have so many things I want to accomplish, so much still I want to learn. Writing has been helping me do that, though at sort of a "take the long way home" approach.

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How I got over my fears and sensitivities and embraced all that medical speech pathology had to offer. Never thought I could do it, but so glad in the end that I did.

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Hi Tumblrs! It's been quite a year so far. I've now four months in to my new job, and it's been quite a time! I'm learning heaps at a time and am frequently worn out, so my writing has taken something of a back seat, unfortunately.

However! I'm working on changing that. I was under the weather today with what I'm guessing was a stomach bug (and a 24 hour one, thankfully; I'm feeling much better now), so I used some of my time to get a bit creative. It felt good to distract myself and also it felt good to get creative.

I've been quasi-learning about design, and typography, and so currently have a more minimal layout to the site. I like it, though am wondering if it needs more color? Feedback is most welcome.

Hope all you fine "SLPeeps" are doing well!

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I've been a wreck today. But for good reasons, really. Hard though it is, I've never been more certain that I belong in this setting. But that doesn't mean the tears haven't been flowing. Oy.

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The things you find when you're cleaning. I'm so thrilled I kept these old papers, because they've given me a good laugh today.

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I love working in acute care. And I love my patients. Sometimes it's hard, though, and not in the ways we always expect.

This happened today and I'm still reeling.

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Finding new meaning in the idea of something that "tastes like chicken".

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My advanced artistic skills hard at work. I aim for anatomical correctness every time.