Chapter 1 - Me and the start of a new venture.

I have sooo wanted to write a blog for a long time, its all a bit exciting now I am actually doing it! My very good friend Charlie wrote one while she was on an Indian adventure and one of the teachers at my daughter's school writes one each week, which is brilliant and they have both inspired me to take the plunge. I wouldn't say writing is my best attribute and at school I found English lessons a bit tedious, nothing to do with the teachers I hasten to add, I just didn't get  it. But I do now and for a while I have wanted to write things. I love reading and I love words and how the English language can be so cleverly and subtly used to create all sorts of meanings and pictures, I find it all really fascinating. I have had a go at a few little articles for the school newsletter and really enjoyed doing those, but please don't expect proper, exact writing, I'll be happy with a level 4 (SATS reference for parents - don't you hate them?). What I'd like to do is express my professional life and a few other bits too in words. So I am armed with my dictionary, thesaurus and etiquette books....

To begin then, me. I am Vicky Crouch, a woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, member of a lovely big family, friend, Physiotherapist, School Governor and 43 (not in any particular order). At this precise time in my life I am feeling rather rejuvenated and very, very excited! I have left the safeness of employment and am about to embark on an independent career.

I am also very fortunate to be a happy person. My thoughts about 'luck' are a little complicated and I will go into them at another time, but simply put I don't ascribe my happiness to luck but to taking opportunities that have come my way. As far as I'm concerned life is what you make it and we are responsible (mainly) for our own happiness. I digress (I do that), back to my career; Physiotherapy. I qualified in 1993 (!!!) and have worked ever since then in all sorts of settings. Physio is huge and covers pretty much all aspects of health. In a nutshell it concerns the movement and function of the human body. Over the years I gravitated towards neurology, paediatrics and aquatic physiotherapy, but took in a spot of research (and was published), intermediate care, elderly care and some private work along the way. Now I want to put my years of experience together, shake it up a bit and offer a physio package thats all about what I do best. 

My first new assignment is great as it is in a school I have previously worked in. Myself and my friend and mentor Jac (aquatic physio guru) will be working for the next 6 weeks or so with the school staff and pupils to maximise the benefits for the students of being in a hydrotherapy pool. I arrived last wednesday to an overwhelmingly warm welcome, it was just brilliant to be back there. I had a huge smile on my face all week which, I'm sure will remain in place all the while I'm there. 

Other areas of work I would like to pursue include teaching, getting involved in PE curriculum planning, offering individual aquatic physio sessions and see if I can develop aquatic physio in schools with pools. And I have a few courses to attend to ensure my CPD is good and I'd love to do the Masters in Space Physiology at some point!  

So just a few things to do. This week I will be;

• finding a pool to work in! My current options are going to be challenging in terms of temperature control and balancing the chemicals...
  
  
  
  

and I think we'll end up looking like this

 

• to finalize a proposal for a bit of teaching
• and to improve my blogging skills.

On a personal note I would like to thank my family and friends for all their love, support and best wishes and I hope you have enjoyed reading this. 

Have a good week  

Vicky x