Neuro Note #3

Retrieved from: http://www.acapela-group.com/transfatty-lives-a-film-about-als-by-patrick-obrien-to-have-world-premiere-at-tribeca-film-festival-2015/

For this note I decided on watching the film Trans Fatty Lives. I love a good Netflix documentary and after hearing classmates discuss how good this film was I figured I would give it a shot! I am so glad I watched the film after learning about ALS, as I was able to see what I learned in class and through my diagnosis snapshot from a person's first hand experience. To further my learning, I reviewed back on this material and added notations in from what I learned from watching this film

Patrick O'Brien was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 30. Patrick was young and just beginning an exciting artistic career. He loved to make films and loved to make people laugh. To keep his spirits up after his diagnosis, he decided to make a documentary of himself and his journey with ALS. The name of the film, TransFatty Lives, came from Patrick's nickname given to him for his love of donuts. Patrick was thriving having graduated from art school and becoming a very popular New York City DJ, filmmaker, and visual artist. Patrick fell in love and had a son as a result. Although his relationship with the mother ended, his son continues to be one of his biggest motivators.

As a future occupational therapist this film gave a great insiders perspective. We often learn about these things but nothing beats watching it first hand and hearing a clients side of the diagnosis. Patrick uses assistive technology to keep as much independence as possible. Through an eye tracker he is able to use his computer screen, this allows most importantly for him to communicate. Patrick also relies heavily on humor to keep his spirits up.

I highly recommend this film, especially to those entering the health profession or those just wanting to learn more about ALS.




O'Brien, P. (Director). (2015, April 16). TransFatty Lives [Video file]. Retrieved May 14, 2017.

Case Study Take Away- Stephen Hawking

Sarah did a really good job on her presentation of Stephen Hawking and his battle with ALS. I thought it was really cool to hear about how he communicates and mobilizes. He has a "laser" attachment that synthesizes his speech for him, simply from the movement of his cheek. I am interested in looking into this further on my own time. I also thought it was interesting how early he was diagnosed, at age 21. Like my client with Parkinsons Disease, Michael J. Fox, Mr. Hawking has access to top notch services and equipment. I am looking forward to learning more about ALS!

(10) Presence

I read the article "The Power of Presence" as a preparatory activity for class. This was very motivating for me to read. I often find myself struggling with the correct words to say or actions to take. Presence, however, is something I can do.
I have been dating my boyfriend since high school, and while this is not a long time in the big scheme of life, I feel like I know him and his family very well. Last winter his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. During this time I was in one of my most challenging semesters of college, taking 21 hours and trying to complete all of my applications for grad school. My boyfriend ended up taking the semester off and moving home from Nashville to be with his mom. I always felt pressured to say the right things or give the right pick me up gift. This was not pressure from my boyfriend or his family, just pressure I put on myself. I guess society made me feel as though I should be doing something more than simply being there. I noticed though, he was less stressed from just being together. His family was bombarded with meals and gifts, so they did not need that from me. He really did just need the simple presence that I could offer.
I describe myself as an extroverted introvert. I do not like to discuss my emotions, much less be emotional in public. I am very good at acting as if nothing is wrong. So when I think of unfortunate times in my life, the most meaningful people are those who were right there along side of me.
I hope to reflect back on this article throughout my career and in future relationships with family and friends. I really do believe in the power of presence!



Article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5064534

(9) Personal Cultural Circle Chart

Today in foundations class we discussed culture. I feel like this is a topic I have learned about in school my entire life. However, every time I hear it, it seems to mean more and more to me. The highlight of todays discussion was when we made the personal cultural chart, as pictured above. I wanted to break this down a little bit further and how I believe these things will alter my path as an occupational therapist...
I will start with the most simplistic of the bunch, I am a food lover. This started when I was really young and my uncle (who was in his mid-20's at the time) would babysit my sister and I. When we were at his house we would always watch food network. You can ask my roommates, if the Today Show is not on, I am ALWAYS watching the food network. I used to get embarrassed by this when I was in middle school because it was not one of the "cool" shows everyone else was watching. I appreciate good food, I love to cook, and I love to watch food network. I would love to work this into my future as a therapist.
Puppy lover is pretty self explanatory. I love my dog, Rosie, and miss her everyday that I am in Memphis. While I do love all other dogs, no dog beats out my sweet pup! I hope to one day work animal therapy into my career path.
Sister and daughter are very important to me. My sister is graduating with her doctorate in pharmacy this weekend, so I can thank her for always motivating me to do better and push harder in school. My mom is also a pharmacist and works harder than anybody I know. My dad is a police chief and has always been such a good example of a leader. If I can combine a part of all three of them into my future career, I will be golden.
Finally, my faith. This is what sets the basis of my life. I will always be able to lean on this and use this to guide me through tough situations to come. Whether they be cultural issues or not. I know I cannot go wrong if I rely on my faith!

Emerging Areas in Occupational Therapy

The field of occupational therapy is quickly growing! With this growing comes more practitioners, more knowledge, higher degrees, and new areas of practice. This makes it so exciting to be a student and learn about all of the areas I can potentially work in and even specialize in one day. While browsing the AOTA article on emerging areas of practice I came across Autism in Adults. I immediately knew this is what I wanted to choose to research a bit further on.

I will start from the beginning, this summer I worked right alongside this population in Knoxville, TN! As I mentioned in a few of my earlier blog posts, I interned in therapeutic recreation with the City of Knoxville. Our main goal was to provide programming for adults with disabilities. Once these adults age out of the school system, their resources to programming become extremely limited. So, when I saw this on the list for emerging practice areas for OT I was pumped! My eyes were open to all the work that is to be done this summer and my heart is really with that population.

As discussed ont the AOTA website, adults with autism need assistance to transition into adulthood and being more independent. An occupational therapist could help them improve their quality of life and have meaningful relationships.

I believe this emerging area of practice aligns perfectly with AOTA's Vision 2025. It is about providing accessibility. It is about collaborating with adults with autism as well as the community. It is about being effective and providing the best quality of service to these deserving individuals. It is about leadership, for the occupational therapist going into this field as well as the adults lives we will be touching.

I cannot wait to continue to follow this emerging area of practice!


https://www.aota.org/Practice/Rehabilitation-Disability/Emerging-Niche/Autism.aspx
http://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/vision-2025.aspx

(8) Fletcher Cleaves

In our Neurological Aspects course we had a guest speaker, Fletcher Cleaves. Talk about motivation! It is sad that it takes stories like Fletcher's to remind you how truly blessed you are. Not only did it remind me how truly blessed I am to have a working spinal cord, but also to be in the profession of occupational therapy.

Fletcher Cleaves was in a car accident, resulting in a spinal cord injury and ending his football career. The positivity radiating from him definitely rubbed off. Although still bitter about how it happened, Fletcher has such a good outlook on life. When talking with us, he discussed how the occupational therapist helped him keep a positive outlook when everyone else was telling him he could not do it all the time. Fletcher was able to find humor in his situation, and what a gift that is! Before his accident, Fletcher already had an incredible work ethic from football. So, when he was paralyzed he transitioned that work ethic to being as strong as he could be in his new body. Surpassing milestones many said he would never get to. Fletcher had such a fun-loving personality, I hope our paths cross again someday!

If you are reading this and do not know who Fletcher is, you can watch his story here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kBaLbubNd4&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop

Take Away Blog Post

Today was my case study on Michael J. Fox and his battle with Parkinson's disease. My group was very intrigued with this case, which made it fun to present. One of our biggest talking points was home modification. Michael J. Fox has a net worth of $65 million, which would allow a lot of room for home modifications as the disease progresses. We also discussed ways for him to still be involved in activities he enjoys like advocating for his foundation, playing with his dogs, acting, and hanging out with family. One thing I hoped for was a more clear picture of what his current status was. However, he seems to be private about his personal status. Although very outspoken about the disease as a whole and finding a cure. I enjoyed discussing my case with my group!