Planning for the Future

The title of the TEDTalk for my last Neuro Note was the reason I chose to do it.  It was called How I'm preparing to get Alzheimer's and that stuck my attention.  A woman named Alanna Shaikh shared with us how she is preparing herself for potentially getting Alzheimer's in the future.  Her father has had the disease for the last 12 years and now has to be taken care of and have full time care giving.  This has shown her that she herself wants to be prepared if she is to get the disease.  The things she is focusing on is her health through eating right and exercise, creating new hobbies, and being kinder.  By creating hobbies that are very hands on she thinks that if she is to be affecting my Alzheimer's she will be able to still keep those hobbies.  She talks about her father and how throughout his life he was a very kind person and throughout his progression of the disease he has remained a kind and gentle soul. She desires this for herself and hopes that if she were to get Alzheimer's disease she would maintain her personality.

I think that this is so interesting and I disagree with part of her thinking.  On one hand I can see her fear of one day getting Alzheimer's disease and seeing how it has affected her father driving her actions.  But I also feel that by living with that fear of one day maybe getting the disease is holding her back from living in the present.  I think it is important to remain healthy and to work on brain health as well.  But living your life by the what ifs is never a way I want to live.  Especially when the way you live your life now doesn't determine how the disease affects you.  I worked with people with dementia and Alzheimer's and many of them had changed temperaments from their earlier years. 

Overall, I would recommend listening to Alanna's TEDTalk to see how you feel about what she says and see if you agree. I think peoples life experiences shape the way they see things and if preparing for getting Alzheimer's disease helps her cope, then that is what she should do.

Shaikh, A. (2012, June). How I'm preparing to get Alzheimer's. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7669900564032199547#editor/target=post;postID=1598683168652652274

 

President Ronald Reagan

One of the neurodegenerative conditions that is closest to my heart is dementia.  Dementia is an umbrella term for many different types of diseases that may be considered a sub-set of dementia.  I worked at an assisted-living community for a year and a half after I graduated in the memory care unit and that is where my love for geriatrics really began.  After spending time day after day with my residents I saw the affects of dementia and Alzheimer's, which is the leading type of dementia.  I learned so much from my time there and was shown that there is still hope, even with conditions like dementia.  President Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with dementia after his presidency and spent his last years on the ranch with the love of his life Nancy.  When people are in the spotlight I think it is even harder to experience a disease like dementia.  People are seeing everything you are doing and for Ronald, they even started questioning whether or not he was exhibiting signs in his presidency.  It makes me happy that he had the means to spend his life comfortably with his wife at his ranch in his last days.  Dementia is something  I hope and pray is cured during my lifetime.

The Fundamentals of Caring

For my neuro note I watched the film The Fundamentals of Caring on Netflix.  This movie centered around a man named Ben who was a caregiver for a boy named Trevor who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  Their relationship was centered around sarcasm and playing not so funny jokes on each other.  This movie really portrayed the realities of the disease, but also the realities of being a young adult man who has fears and desires.  Ben became a friend to Trevor and showed him that despite the limitations he felt he had, that he could leave his house and see the world.  They went on a road trip and picked up some unlikely travelers along the way.  This movie shows the realness of the person and not just the disease, that is what occupational therapy is all about.  I enjoyed how this movie was very raw and Trevor wasn't trying to get pity, he even made fun of his disease and used it as a source of humor.  I would recommend this movie to anyone and think it gives a closer look into the disease Muscular Dystrophy. My classmates recommend this film to me and I am glad they did. 

Burnett, R. (Producer), and Burnett, R. (Director). (2016). The Fundamentals of Caring [Motion Picture].  United States: Netflix.

The Importance of Knowing a Client's History

Today, I learned about Richard Pryor who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  My take away from hearing about his life is that it is very important to know a client's medical history.  This is something that will be done in the occupational profile and needs to be thorough.  Richard Pryor had a very complicated past and a very hard childhood that exposed him to a lot.  He was a heavy smoker and drinker and had two heart attacks before he was diagnosed with MS.  He also attempted to commit suicide in 1980.  These are all relevant because it would be very important to know how they could impact his current condition. Depression is often a symptom of MS so it would be important to monitor that with his history.  He was a wealthy comedian and had access to a lot of help and maids and that impacted his well-being as well.  They often did too much for him and didn't help him maintain his independence.  It would be important to know that in order to educate the caregivers to let Richard do as much as he good on his own.  This case study truly showed me the importance of knowing someone's background and how it could impact their care. 

Dr. Remy Hadley

We learned about Huntington's Disease today and a fictional character from the the TV show House who has that disease.  Dr. Remy Hadley was the client who had Huntington's Disease and she found out that she had it early through genetic testing.  Her mother and her brother also had the disease and her brother even had a medically assisted suicide.  After her diagnosis she is facing different challenges at work.  She has problems with drinking coffee and with coordination and balance.  She is also using some assistive technology that she can dictate her notes to and it will type them, that is something that medical professionals often use.  This disease is fatal and survival after diagnosis anywhere from 10-30 years.  The client usually passes away from secondary complications.  Many people today who have a family history of this disease are able to check and see if they have the disease when they don't present symptoms.  There is controversy with this and it all comes down to a personal choice. 

OT in a Few Words

How Far Can Neuroplasticity Reach?

I watched a very interesting TEDTalk titled, "Can the damaged brain repair itself?"  It was given by Doctor Siddharthan Chandran who is a regenerative neurologist.  We learned about neuroplasticity in class and how it was thought for a long time that the brain could not repair itself, that once part of function was lost it can't be recovered.  That is no longer true and research has shown that the brain can compensate and form new synaptic connections after a trauma that causes damage to the brain, such as a TBI. So Dr. Chandran spoke about why is this true for some types of damage to the brain, but not true for motor neuron diseases.  He said that at any one time there are as many as 35 million people living with diseases that affect you on a neurological level.  Diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and Amyotrophic Multiple Sclerosis.  Many of these diseases don't have cures and lead to loss of muscle and sensory function.  Dr. Chandran is dissapointed in the lack or research for cures to these diseases that have such a huge impact on our society.

His main suggestion was finding ways that promote spontaneous repair of the brain.  A study he did showed that a client with Multiple Sclerosis had damage, but there was also part of the brain had tried to repair itself.  His idea of promoting this recovery is through stem cells.  The use of these cells could help make scientist under stand how to study or treat these disease.  I too hope there is progress for a cure for some of these devastating diseases.  I choose this topic because I feel like many of the diseases we have covered have little research done on them and it even takes a long time to diagnose.  I would suggest this video to anyone with interest on options for finding cures to diseases of the brain.

Chandran, S. (2013, June). Can the damaged brain repair itself? [Video file]. Retrieved from                https://www.ted.com/talks/siddharthan_chandran_can_the_damaged_brain_repair_itself#t-937557

Not Giving Up

Today we learned about the disease Myasthenia Gravis and the affect it had on a young man named Brandon Cox.  He was known as Mr. Football in Alabama and was the starting quarterback for Auburn University.  He did all of this while having the diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis from the age of 15.  His story is inspiring in how he combated his symptoms and was able to continue living the life he wanted to.  Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the nicotinic receptors that are needed for muscle contraction to occur.  This leads to muscle weakness and fatigue that affects every day life.  Brandon also experienced double vision which is a common side affect of this disease and it affected his football playing abilities.  Another thing he had to deal with was keeping his disease a secret from his teammates, this lead him to having a lot of stress.  This disease is manageable with medication and energy conservation.  Brandon is in his thirties now and is still fighting the disease.  His story was inspiring because he never stopped fighting and didn't give up his dreams. 

What I Thought I Knew...

When I came to occupational therapy school I thought I had a pretty good idea of what all occupational therapist did.  I can now say I was on the right track but I did have a lot to learn.  I am reflecting upon all I have learned in foundations as the class wraps up and I am so pleased with how my knowledge has grown.  Knowing the basis of our profession is something that is so important when a lot of people still don't know what OT is.  I have taken it upon myself to start asking friends and family what they think OT is and it has given me an opportunity to see what they know and teach them.
My personal definition is:
Occupational therapy is using a client-centered approach to help people engage in occupations that are meaningful and purposeful to them.  It looks as the person as a whole and not just at their disability or illness.  All different types of people can receive OT and it takes place in all types of settings.  The bottom line is helping people getting back to do what they want and need to do.

I can't wait to get to put this knowledge into practice and continue to learn these next few years - and forever, life long learning :)

How Ulla-Carin Took Life by the Oars

I did my case study on a woman named Ulla-Carin Lindquist who was a famous Swedish news anchor and journalist.  She was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis when she was 50 years old.  Reading her book, Rowing Without Oars, really helped me understand more about the disease and how it truly affected every part of her life.  She was a very active woman who was physically fit, type-A, and sometimes had high stress.  This is common of people who are diagnosed with ALS and there is not much explanation to this.  It was hard to read about her deterioration as the disease slowly started to affect her motor neurons and she lost the ability to control her muscles.  I am struck by how devastating that must be for her and her family, especially since she is cognitively still aware. The disease is neurodegenerative and affects voluntary movement through motor neurons.  So she slowly lost her ability to control her muscles, eventually leading to her respiratory system. 

One of my biggest take aways from this was how much Ulla-Carin cared about her families well-being throughout all of this process. She wanted her two sons to be able to cope with her illness and know that she loved them and was still their mom throughout all of this.  She brought in many people to talk to about death and dying with her and her family.  In the midst of her illness she truly cared about her family and that was inspiring. After her passing her family started a foundation in her honor and have raised a lot of funds for ALS research.

Getting my Groove

One of the things I have looked forward to the most about occupational therapy is the relationships I will develop with my clients. That is what initially hooked me on the profession and why I am so passionate about it.  We truly get to know our clients, not just know about their diagnosis.  We talked about a therapeutic relationship today and how it is a unique relationship between a therapist and their client.  It is more of a one way street with the therapist supporting the client, but that is not the only way the relationship grows.  I am looking forward to learning a lot of things from my clients, whether or not they are actually intending on teaching me or not it will probably just happen. 

Therapeutic use of self is a concept that I feel will grow and mature as we have spent time in the field.  Our rapport with patients and our "groove" is something that will become second nature to us. Since I worked in an assisted living facility last year with residents with Alzheimer's and Dementia I was able to start working on my rapport with clients.  I learned so much from each resident and from my interactions with them.  They truly did teach me so much and I will never forget the things they said to me.

I hope to also remember to always empathize with the client, but never act like I have been in the exact situation they are in.  That will probably not be the case and I don't want them to feel like I am trying to say I get where they are coming from if I haven't been there.  I hope that I can convey my care and concern for someone in a way that doesn't make them feel pitied.  That is a fine line and I think I will have to look at each client differently and reflect on how I can make them feel cared for. These things will be challenging but I am looking forward to them in the future!

DIY Assistive Technology

In class today we got to practice making a piece of low-tech assistive technology.  I am thankful we had this opportunity because I often don't have much confidence in myself in difficult DIY projects. I think it is so important that we can help our clients in whatever way possible.  If financially they can't afford the assistive technology or don't have insurance that will cover it, we could help out and show them how to make them.  I think this is a very important thing to be able to do or to try when in the field. 

Today we were able to make a universal cuff which could be very useful for many future clients. There are a lot of resources available to occupational therapists and parents or caregivers for ideas on low-tech assistive technology. I hope that I can help people in the future in this way and look for creative ways to meet their needs.

Small Steps

I loved the class discussion we had today about cultural competence.  This has been something that has been on my mind a lot recently.  The question of whether or not I am racist, bias, or prejudice is something that I have had a hard time thinking about or answering.  I grew up in East Tennessee where the majority demographic is white.  I did have friends of different races and never thought I was racist or thought differently of them because of the color of their skin.  I went to a college with a variety of different races and ethnicities, yet still the majority was white.

When I decided to go to Memphis for graduate school I got to hear everyone's opinions on why they thought that was a bad idea and their concerns for my safety.  This soon got very old and I began to get angry at the lack of respect people had for their own state.   This time of transition for me was around the election and that brought out a lot of discussions between friends and family about race.  When we moved to Memphis I think I was in all honesty to shocked to see myself a minority in many situations and places I went. This got me thinking about my thoughts about race and things that I may think in my head, but I would never say them out loud.   Believing something to be true for a specific group of people or automatically moving my purse to the other side of my shoulder when seeing someone who looks "sketchy" on the street.  I don't think that I am actively trying to do these things against other races or people different than me, it has almost been ingrained in my brain.  The way we are raised, the people who surround us, and the places we live all have a big impact on how we see the world.  I am trying actively to see everyone as an individual and put whatever preconceived notions I have aside. Being aware of your own biases and prejudice is the first step I think our country needs to make towards equality.  I hope that I am able to serve all different types of people when I practice occupational therapy and am looking forward to being able to learn from them.

Rising Problem

I have recently been very sad to hear about the increase in teenage suicides and suicide attempts.  I read about a high school in Knoxville, TN that has had three students take their lives this year.  This seems to be a rising issue and is something that often has to do with bullying.  AOTA described teenage bullying as an emerging niche that occupational therapists can pursue.  If children don't feel safe at school or can't feel like they can participate in their occupations for fear of bullying, something should be done. If there is a problem it could be addressed by a therapist in the school system and they could help advocate for the child.  With our background in social participation and mental health I think we could be a resource for kids who are dealing with bullying. 

Another aspect to this problem is how much of the bullying occurs online.  It can be very hard to address this because it is virtual and can go unnoticed.  This could be something addressed in treatment and social media could be an aspect of it.   I think school systems should strongly consider using occupational therapist in the rising problem of school bullying.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

We talked at the beginning of the semester about Universal Design and that sparked my initial interest in this field.  I am someone who loves watching HGTV and doing home improvement and DIY projects.  So I was very interested in the idea of doing improvements to homes with a bigger purpose in mind than just aesthetics. We are learning about emerging practice areas in OT and Aging in Place was brought up.  It has gained more recognition recently as the Baby Boomer population ages and want to stay in their own homes.   I am so intrigued by this concept and have worked with many geriatric clients whose only desire is to go home.  What if they were able to? Is their home accessible for that?

I have a huge passion for geriatric clients and would love the opportunity to spend time in their home making it easier for them to stay there.  I have a dream that one day I could even get my husband on board and he could do the construction side of things.  He is very handy and we could go all Chip and Joanna and really make a difference in people's lives.  This is mostly my imagination talking, but it is something I am very interested in getting involved in. 

This concept doesn't only have to apply to the geriatric population.  People who have had an injury or acquired a disability can also have barriers in their homes.  We recently had a young man named  Fletcher Cleaves come to talk to our class about his life and how it has changed since he was in a car accident and experienced a spinal cord injury.  One of the things he talked about was the inaccessibility of Memphis and how it took him forever to find an apartment that had an accessible shower.  He had a goal to be able to live on his own and what if that was the only thing that was holding him back?  I think home modification could extend to involve more than just the geriatric population and make things accessible to all.  People just need to be more aware of this need and that takes advocating for change. 

"Occupational therapy  maximizes health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living."

This is the Vision 2025 of AOTA and I feel Aging in Place can really align with this goal.  If many people in the older generation want to age in their home I feel recognizing that and helping them participate in everyday living is important. This may impact their health, well-being, and quality of life.  I hope that more people can become aware of this need and strive towards change in building and home design in the future.

Vision 2025. (June 2016). Retrieved from http://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/vision-2025.aspx

The Sky is the Limit

We did an activity analysis lab in class the other day and it had me thinking... The limits to our job and its possibilities seem endless. In the short lab I got experience and witness many different types of occupations being done.  We will get to work with countless people who all have their specific occupations. I have always heard of people experiencing the inevitable burn-out that occurs after being in the same job for a while.  But with OT we can have a different set of skills and occupations to address with each client.  We also could even switch to another population in OT and try something new out.  This excites me almost as much as the essence of the profession.  I can always learn, grow, and even change my scope of practice.  I am interested in so many aspects of OT and the people we can work with and I look forward to getting to be able to work with those different populations. 

Sherri Woodbridge

From what I have researched and learned about Parkinson's disease I have discovered that many symptoms are hard to recognize and diagnose.  My classmate told us about a woman today named Sherri Woodbridge who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 44 years old.  She started presenting symptoms at 30 years old though and it took that long to be diagnosed.  She had early-onset Parkinson's, the disease typically affects those over 60.  It was nice to hear that despite the things she has to overcome with Parkinson's her blog is very positive and encouraging.  Her faith has helped her not be overcome by the disease and to still see the positives in her life.  She has kept up writing and now writes a blog that is well known and encourages others dealing with hardships.  I am always encouraged to hear about people who are able to see the bright side of tough situations and Sherri definitely has done that.

Rollin with the Grizzlies

Our class had the opportunity to attend a Rollin Grizzlies basketball practice last week.  I had never seen wheelchair basketball played before only seen videos, but I knew to expect it to be physical and intense.  The players were very welcoming and the coach gave us the opportunity to ask any questions.  The rules are strict when it comes to shooting the ball and there is expected to be no physical contact while a player is shooting, including hitting chairs. They have to dribble the ball for every two rolls of their wheelchair and that seemed to be second nature to them.  One of the coolest parts to me was watching them do suicides.  They were so fast and stopped and turned right back around when the whistle blew.  I asked the coach about what that will do to your hands and he said after playing a while you build up calluses.  I am sure those first few practices are rough though!  The coach told us that they did so well last year that they were recently bumped up to the next division.  I can see why after watching them scrimmage.  The team had good chemistry and even though they were playing each other you could tell that they worked well as a team. 

At the end of their practice we got to try it out in their chairs that they use to play.  Respect.  I struggled to roll and hold the ball at the same time, let alone shoot it.  They had players on the team making three-pointers and really good plays.  I would suggest going to a game or practice for anyone and hope to attend a game in the future. Having more accessibility to adaptive sports is something that I think more cities should strive for because that could be a barrier for people wanting to participate.  This may be something I am interested in doing when I am a practicing OT. 

 

OT and Ethics

Once again we learned that things in the field of occupational therapy are not always black and white.  There is a Code of Ethics we must follow once we are in the field and we will accountable for doing so.  I like having guidelines such as these because it often helps me make tough decisions.  I think I will often be faced with ethical dilemmas when in the field and I am thankful we have this tool to help us.  It should be comforting to our clients that we as OT practitioners are expected to abide by this Code of Ethics.  Many of the aspects of it help protect them and their well-being.  This makes our profession all the more client-centered.  I am thankful and looking forward to being a part of this in a few short years.

Before and After

I learned about an incredible woman today named Joni Eareckson Tada.  I had heard a few things about her before and her incredible organization called Joni and Friends.  Before her accident she was your average teenager getting ready to head off to college and now she is traveling the world for speaking engagements and advocating for people with disabilities.  Was the accident what caused this radical change in her life or was she always destined to be an advocate?

This is something that always comes to mind when I hear about people who develop new skills or become major advocates for things after experiencing some traumatic thing in their life. Would those new talents and skills have been discovered if they hadn't experienced that trauma? In the case of Joni, she is now using her faith in God and the major influence she has to make a huge change in the lives of those with disabilities. It is incredible to me the capacity we have as humans to adapt and change.  Joni may of never known her skill with art or public speaking if she had not had her injury. 

This does not always happen when people experience and injury or illness that radically changes their life.  Some people lose hope and can not find a reason to live.  I think this is where we have to step in as occupational therapist and help them try and find their new thing.  It may even be something they enjoyed before their injury that can now be adapted.  If we as the therapist never give up, then maybe our client will me more likely not to give up.

I say all of this without ever experience something as life altering as a spinal cord injury.  I have no idea how I would react to one minute being able to do everything I want with my body and mind and the next minute that radically changing.  Every person is different and it is our job in the field to recognize that and not discount how someone might truly feel their life is over after their injury or illness.  In the future, I hope I can help people "in their after" and help them overcome whatever they are facing and open up potentially a new world of opportunities for them.

Inside Anna's Head

            Anna Swabey was your average 23 year old girl from England who enjoyed time with friends, loved her job, and really loved rugby.  I learned about her life through reading her blog "Inside My Head", which she started after she was diagnosed with a terminal Grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma brain tumor.  This obviously and understandably changed almost every aspect of her life.  She started this blog after she received her diagnosis to keep family and friends up to date and raise awareness. She became a major advocate for the organization Brain Tumour Research Campaign and her campaign has raised 103,341 pounds to date.  She reached her goal of 100,000 pounds the day of her funeral.  She was diagnosed in February 2015 and passed away September 2016.  

           Anna's blog showed me a lot of things.  Reading it from her perspective and hearing about the ups and downs of it all was eye opening and I am humbled she chose to share her story with the world.  She didn't stop living her life and even met a man and was engaged, something she never thought would happen after the diagnosis.  Devastatingly her wedding date was set to be the day after she passed away.  She was my age and she did more in that short time period than many people will do in a lifetime.  Her advocacy for an increase and funding in research of brain tumors even took her all the way to Parliament. 

          

             Another thing this blog post showed me was the importance of a second opinion.  Her first doctor told her that her tumor was inoperable and that she didn't have much time left.  She saw another doctor who soon became a major part of her life and successfully completed removal of part of the tumor.  That gave Anna more time and had she not sought other options, she likely wouldn't of had that. After her surgery her life had many aspects that remained the same as they were pre-Trevor, that is the name she gave her tumor. That is something I have learned varies so much in cancer patients.  They all face the disease differently, especially with brain cancer and the risk of affecting vital parts of the brain. Reading someone's own words about the ravaging affects of cancer is much more informative than a book.  That is why I chose to look for a blog post. I would recommend reading Anna's blog post and seeing how big of an impact her life had.

Swabey, A. (2015, February 27). Anna Swabey: Inside My Head. (Web log comment). Retrieved from https://annaswabey.wordpress.com/2015/02/

It Comes With Time

We learned about clinical reasoning yesterday.  This is something that I have heard teachers and professors say is very important when you are in the field. It has always seemed like a very abstract concept to me and frustrating when people say it comes with time or you just know.  But not everything can be taught, that is something that I have to remind myself of when I do get frustrated.  I am looking forward to developing my clinical reasoning skills as I progress in my career.  I think it often lines up with our morals and how we see the world.  I have a strong set of morals and faith and will use that in my future practice.  I am sure there will be times that I will have to make hard decisions about my clients and their care, but I aim to be ethical, just, and caring towards my clients.  That is not only their privilege, but their right. I am thankful that we have learned steps and skills that we can use to hone this skill in the future. 

Girl with the Toe Thumbs

Something that has been ingrained in me since college was the concept of using person first language.  To not label someone by their disability, but to see them as a person first.  If someone had autism you wouldn't refer to them as autistic, but someone who has autism.  Language is powerful and is something that can really hurt people.  I think that lack of education and awareness has made it okay for some people to label people by their disabilities or use the "r" word.  I am thankful for organizations like Spread the Word to End the Word and for people who have different disabilities speaking up and making their voice heard.  If I were to be labeled by my oddly shaped thumbs, that many friends and family call my toe thumbs, I may be called toe thumb girl.  However odd and funny they may be, I would not prefer to be labeled by them and would not want others to see me in that way only.  We are doing an injustice to people when we identify them only by their disability.  I encourage you to try and use person first language and to encourage others to use it too.

OT and Health

Professor Flick spoke to our class today about how health promotion is a very important part of occupational therapy.  It showed me a lot about the barriers that many people in the country face in regards to healthcare.  One of the videos we watched really struck a chord with me and gave me something to think about.  It was about health literacy and how many adults do not know how to read or understand basic medical information.  I never thought about this and how I may be impacted in my future profession.  It is important to be able to explain the treatment to the client in a way that they will understand.  One of the main problems I saw on the video was that the clients were embarrassed by their lack of knowledge or illiteracy. That would mean it is always very important to ask that the client is understanding and ask them to tell them what you have gone over.  This may seem like a simple thing, but I hope that I can ensure the understanding of my future clients. I am grateful for the opportunity to make an impact for health with my profession of occupational therapy.

Shoes

At the beginning of class today we watched a video that was trying to convey how important it is to put yourself in other people's shoes.  After reading Professor Lancaster's blog and listening to a podcast about a human who experienced a TBI, I am left with a lot of feelings. I could never truly put myself in their shoes because I just can't imagine what that would be like if it was my family that was affected by cancer or a TBI.  I empathize with them and wish that their circumstances could have been different.  I also found myself very angry with the different medical professionals who were involved in the care of my professor's father.  They seemed to not care and not have time to ease a families worries and very valid concerns in regards to actual human life.  But after watching that video I was reminded that they were people too.  Not all of their behaviors can be excused but you don't ever know what someone is dealing with.  I am very touched our professor shared her personal story with us and it is something I know will affect how I practice.  I have always been an empathetic person and it pains me to think about people, medical professionals, treating a family in such callous ways at times.  I hope that I can truly make the biggest impact in the way I treat my patients and their families.  I am so thankful that occupational therapy school is providing me not only with the tools, but also with a good heart and mindset to use when I practice in the future.

Words

After watching Aimee Mullins give her TEDTalk I am contemplating two things.  The first being the definitions that she read off from the dictionary about the word "disabled".  I agree with Aimee that our world is changing and adapting and people who experience disabilities are also changing and adapting.  Shouldn't our vocabulary change along with it?  If those definitions in the dictionary were true our whole profession as occupational therapists would be futile.  It described antonyms of disabled as whole or healthy.  Our purpose is to help people find meaning in their occupations and help them adapt to be able to do them.  That would be striving for a holistic or whole, healthy lifestyle.  That is definitely achievable for many people who experience disabilities and who is Webster to decided what healthy or whole is.  The next thing that stuck out to me was that a few words said by a doctor to Aimee changed her whole outlook on her self and her journey.  She now sees herself as a stong, healthy, powerful athlete.  The impact we can have as occupational therapists goes far beyond what is on paper and the physical outcomes.   We could help someone see themselves with value and purpose.  When looking at both of these things I gleaned from the video I see that they can be related.  Words are powerful and they are a big part of how we can practice in the future.  Can I change the way someone views a disability? Can I inspire someone to believe in themselves?  These are things I hope to be able to do in my practice of occupational therapy and will strive for. 

Why do we use theories in occupational therapy?

This would likely have been a question I would have asked myself before starting OT school.  Theory is often a word that is seen as boring or old school and thought to be something that people don't use in every day life.  Through learning about them in class and reading the article by Lynne Oberle, I now see their importance and usefulness in carrying out effective occupational therapy.  When we were asked to write down our own definition of Models of Practice and Frames of Reference I wrote that the MoP takes the why of the profession or the philosophy and helps guide the how of practice. I said that the FoR is the tools that you would use in order to carry our the how.  We need to have our own MoP and FoR while we practice and not just do whatever we feel like that day, it needs purpose.  I value guidelines in my own life and I am thankful the profession has them to go by.  When we have reasons and theories to back up our treatment the profession will not only be more effective, but it will increase our credibility as a whole.

How does the OTPF influence occupational therapy practice?
I believe this framework provides the steps in how we should even start practicing OT.  Occupational therapy is a client based profession, so it makes sense to start with the client.  By gaining an understanding of them as a whole person we are able to move from the top down and focus on them first and then their obstacle.  It makes us look at how their day to day life is affected by that obstacle and gives us more practical ways to treat.