All I want to say at the end of the day is, “I did my best”!

Wow, what an amazing first week of community work! I am not exaggerating when I say that everyday has been an absolute adventure without a real compass to guide our way J There is little planning involved as something will always come along out of nowhere or something may not happen at all. Those are enough reasons to make it an adventure. We have also been given a lot of freedom which we are trying to utilize as best and ethically as possible

One of our biggest concerns we had entering this block was our safety. I have had the unfortunate experience of being mugged at knife point which I must admit leaves behind its traces. To tell the truth, I think if it weren’t for OT and being taught about learning to look for the source of a problem, I would have probably held onto a deep grudge or hate. Now in retrospect walking along the sandy roads of a struggling community and having worked in a substance rehab, a great deal seems to be falling into place. Who really help us, are the CCG’s who accompany us to every home visit. One senses that they are well respected by the community members.

Then the group as well as the fieldwork supervisors that I am working with are great to work with as I get the impression that I can be myself and that there is room for learning. A huge measure of respect can be felt in the department, which I love. The OT student group that I am part of works together so so well! Everyone thrives on their strengths and supports the other in different ways possible. The OT in charge of the clinic even offered to accompany me to meet my client who is so severely contracted. On Wednesday we came across an elderly lady who defaulted her treatment years ago which means that she could still have TB. When we shared our concerns with the TB consultant at the clinic, he immediately scheduled a home visit and the very next day we were back at the client’s home, taking sputum tests of her whole family. We also got tested for TB as well as for HIV. We did the HIV test because the two tests are usually conducted together. It was my first HIV test so you can imagine how nervous I was...whilst I was sitting there and waiting for my results to show, a wave of emotions hit me. I put myself into the shoes of those people that might be at the risk of possibly having the virus, like Yesterday (from the movie ‘Yesterday’).

 

I don’t think that I am in the position to begin to feel and understand the motions that these people go through! We should approach our clients suffering from the virus with understanding and respect!

My current client is a very difficult case as he is physically severely contracted and cognitively severely impaired! I am however not giving up on him as so many have already done. We need to understand that as OT’s, we need to run all sorts of programmes, even palliative if the need arises! At the end of the day I always ask myself, did I give of my best?!

  You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don't win, at least you can be satisfied that you've tried. If you don't accept failure as a possibility, you don't set high goals, you don't branch out, you don't try - you don't take the risk.   – Rosalynn Carter