Swag. People will do anything, like anyone, listen to a four hour lecture, answer questions when asked...all in the name of getting free stuff. This was the main lesson I learned at school today :) Swag and free lunch...that is all it takes to buy the affection and loyalty of 20 graduate students. I need to remember this for the future...
Today we had a four hour guest lecturer come in from Ossur to teach us (and essentially sell to our future selves) about their amazing liners and feet. We learned the entire history of every single liner Ossur makes and why they make them the way they do and what makes them the best and most amazing and most comfortable. The most important thing she did was start off the day by giving us all free Ossur goodies. I mean, if you would have told me 3 months ago that I would be jazzed about receiving a free shoe horn, I would have told you that I have never even used a shoe horn before. Now, whenever I am prying these dynamic feet out of their foot molds, I will look down lovingly at my Ossur shoe horn smile knowing that it is all mine (I already wrote my name on it, I am not messing around). Not to mention my cool wrenches and screwdrivers and lanyards and tape measures. I admit it, the way into my heart is with presents so I was sold before the presentation even started. Not to mention that I am already slightly partial to Ossur anyway...
After an hour or so of just talk of liners, we moved on to all of the different kinds of feet that Ossur makes. They have recently become most famous for making the 'Cheetah' - the legs used by Oscar Pistorius in the Olympics, but they make some of the best and most popular feet on the market. It was interesting to see them all out on the table to and to learn about their components and why they are made in a certain shape or with certain materials. I, of course, loved looking at the pediatric foot and the tiny baby little liners. I have never seen liners that small! We then had two patient models come in and were able to try on three of four different feet with them and get their feedback. It was a really fun experiment to see which feet they immediately liked and did not like and what their reasoning behind each response was. Like all things in prosthetics, it becomes a period of trial and error. Clearly I do not know exactly what these feet feel like on, I can only run down their list of features and components. It is going to be a decision based on my knowledge, but ultimately what the patient feels most comfortable walking in and what really works for their every day lifestyle.
After the foot experiment, the Ossur speaker made her next best decision...she ordered pizza for everyone. A four hour lecture immediately became something that I did not think was that unbearable when I looked down at my bag full of swag and was happily munching on my free pizza and Coke. I admit to being easily bought. The same woman is coming back to speak to us in a couple of weeks...I hope that she realizes that she has now set the standards and has raised our expectations to be standing in the lecture room waiting with our palms up for our presents and then looking forward to our free lunch Hmmm, maybe that is unfair to expect of her every time. Fine, I can eat my bologna sandwich that I had already brought, but I will not be happy if I do not leave each guest lecture series without at least one Ossur marked product!!
Well, we did not do any work on our legs today, we literally were in the same lecture room (in the same horrible uncomfortable chairs) for the entire duration of the day...but because I lost the picture on Friday, I wanted to share my finished leg!! Is that not a beautiful sight?? The luster has not worn off yet, I saw it this morning on my workbench and felt a surge of pride. I dusted off the foot and stared at it for a few minutes. I cannot wait to try it on Buddy in the morning and I am just hoping that he thinks it is comfortable and I have him up and walking successfully without a lot of complications. I know it is not perfect, but I am definitely getting better with every attempt!! Because I used an Ossur foot and liner, I learned a lot about both elements today and will be able to repeat that information when I have to stand up for critique on Wednesday. Tomorrow is a long day, we have an early start and a late lunch so I need to be well rested and bring plenty of snacks - it would not be fair to Buddy to have a grouchy practitioner because I am sleepy or hungry...both of which tend to put me on a downward spiral to unhappiness. This week is already proving itself to be even longer than last week, but I think that means it will probably go by that much faster.
As for me now, I am going to go put on my Ossur t-shirt, surround myself with my new Ossur products, and eat the leftover Ossur pizza that I brought home from school. Today was all about Ossur, tomorrow is all about Buddy.
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