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.