On Pillows and Gelatin Snacks

Vocabulary lesson of the day:

pillow manipulation n. the art of using pillows to enable oneself to sit at a 90-degree angle (the ideal position in which to eat) in a hospital bed that only reaches a 75-degree angle

Kamikaze jello n. a spoonful of jello which falls from the spoon and into one's lap

The above definitions exemplify why I love my job.

The former is a term coined by a cancer patient I've been working with. He was relentless this morning in his effort to sit as comfortably (and upright) as possible, and insisted that the bed be positioned just so before he would even consider working with me for some dysphagia therapy.

The latter is my own linguistic creation, a spur-of-the-moment expression I yelled during a session this afternoon as I made a klutz of myself with some cherry jello.