Dr. Poole: Over the past year, I’ve been very excited about two personal events. My son got married this past summer, and my daughter is now working as an OT. I wish she would work in rheumatology. I’ve been dropping hints since her graduation and have even dragged her to a few Scleroderma Foundation conferences.
Meanwhile, I enjoy exercising, which helps clear my head. I walk every day before or after work for two miles around a local golf course and, during the summer months, swim daily for about 30 minutes in my backyard pool. I also like to travel and see sights in small towns, such as the giant pecan in Seguin, Texas; the oil pumpers decorated like longhorns in Post, Texas; and Wild Bill, the fossilized gator in Holbrook, Ariz.
When I walk, I listen to oldies on the radio. I carry a small transistor radio instead of my cell phone because it fits better and is easier to hold in my hand. I guess that’s the OT in me coming out. I’m always seeking ways to help myself and others better manage their everyday activities.
Carol Patton, a freelance writer based in Las Vegas, Nev., writes the Rheum After 5 column for The Rheumatologist.
