Young and Living with Myasthenia Gravis

 I chose to complete our final neuro note on Myasthenia Gravis (MG). I decided to utilize the Youtube video that was shown in class title, "Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope!". This young girl is only 17 and was 16 when she was diagnosed with MG. Its honestly so sad how her life went from being this happy teenage girl who loved the game of softball, to being bedridden and battling this disease every day. Sheryl is truly a superhero and you can tell that she will not let MG defeat her. I had never heard of Myasthenia Gravis. I find that I have a better time understanding the disease when I am able to watch personal videos and tie that person to the condition. 

Myasthenia Gravis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects your voluntary muscles and is due to the inadequate uptake of acetylcholine. Some initial symptoms you see with MG are ptosis, weak face and throat muscles, and then progressing downward. The first sign Sheryl had were her droopy eyes and she had other vision problems leading her to go to the eye doctor to get it checked out. The doctor then performed the Ice Test, an informal screening for Myasthenia Gravis. She also began to have difficulty swallowing. She describes MG as not being able to charge your own battery like individuals who do not have this disease. She does a really great job at breaking down the symptoms and the various treatments one can receive to aid in the relief of the symptoms. She receives plasmapheresis where you have a catheter inserted, with hers being in her neck, and abnormal antibodies are removed from the blood and put back into the body.You can tell that she has done a lot to understand her diagnosis and I think it helps her in coping with it. She figures out ways to continuously engage in activities she once did with a few modifications. 

I truly appreciate Sheryl for being so brave and sharing her story with the world. These are the things that we need to spread awareness about conditions people don't hear much about such as Myasthenia Gravis. It makes me value the life I have, because your life can quickly change in the blink of an eye. Take heed to symptoms and signs you deem not normal that way you can catch whatever it may be early on. Sheryl mentions how she uses humor with her disease, and just makes the best out of her days. A little laughter can take you a long way.    

Bryan Carter. (2014, October 23). Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope! YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU2nTf6_cc

Media Project- The Zip Chain Bracelet

I truly enjoyed doing this media project. Initially, I had no clue of what I would do with a zip tie. The most meaningful part out of this entire thing for me is when my clinical reasoning kicked in. I have struggled with thinking like an OT, so when the idea came into my mind I was like, "YESSSSS!" One thing that I learned from this assignment is that it is okay to read between the lines. I came to the decision to use the zip tie and beads one because Ms. Barbara enjoys arts and crafts, but it was also mentioned that she needs minimal assistance for feeding which led me to believe that her fine motor skills were decent. This would help to work on it that way she can continue to remain at that level and not lose function. I believe that this assignment will help me in the future by always knowing that you can create a therapeutic activity pretty much out of anything. It has reminded me to be resourceful and useful. It has made me tap into a creative side that I didn't think I had. I am so ready to see what other things I create and how I continue to develop my OT perspective of things. Thank you to Dr. Lancaster for providing us with the opportunity to put the books down and have a little fun while also learning through this process.

I had a hard time trying to add the video directly to the blog. I have attached a link to the video uploaded on Youtube.

https://youtu.be/wOJ9X3q4m24

Living with Multiple Sclerosis

Today, I will be discussing Multiple Sclerosis (MS). More importantly, I will be sharing what I learned from a teenage girl named, Breea, and her journey of recovery with MS. I watched her short documentary on Youtube titled, "Multiple Sclerosis-Breea's Story.wmv". I chose this because, it was recommended as great documentary to watch, but also because I have never met or seen anything about a teenager battling with MS. I wanted to see how her life changed and how she dealt with that to overcome obstacles. We are also discuss Multiple Sclerosis in my Neuro Aspects course this week, so I wanted to tie what I learned in class with this documentary. 

The video begins with showing a video of her cheering before her diagnosis. It then proceeds to people of her life saying who Breea is to them. Her diagnosis happened after her suddenly falling and becoming paralyzed on her left side, leaving her with Severe Onset of Multiple Sclerosis. She then became blind her left eye and could not talk or swallow. Her family was there for her every step of the way. They continuously pushed her to keep going and trying things she lost the ability to do. Breea began to gain enough strength to begin learning how to walk again. She knew that she needed to keep a positive mindset, in order to keep her condition from defeating her. After a few months, she began to regain some control of her left extremities, by doing various fine motor activities with her left hand. What really amazed me is watching her mom assist her in a back handspring 8 months after her injury, and seeing her walk away when they finished with barely any difficulties. This story truly is inspiring and I am happy that it was shared with the world.

Some of the symptoms that I saw with Breaa from what was discussed in class were intention tremor when she would reach for the spoon or placing the clothes pins on the strings, dysmetria when we she was tossing the bags, weakness, speech problems, and balance problems. But she honestly made a comeback from all of these things by the end of the video. I believe that Breea had relapsing-remitting MS due to the fact that her symptoms got worse in the first few days, and after that she slowly began to improve in her function. She also utilized a mobile arm support for her left arm when seated in her wheelchair. Overall, Breea made an amazing recovery with her intrinsic motivation, support from her family and friends, and her amazing therapy staff. I look up to people like her that show me never give up regardless of the circumstances. #GoBreea !!

breeareneebeatsms. (2012, September 8). Multiple Sclerosis-Breea’s Story.wmv. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfD9s1_TN0s

Life as a Quadraplegic

I chose to do this Neuro Note on Sophia Malthus. I chose to focus on this after my classmate completed her case study and shared this story with me. I was honestly moved by it and wanted to learn more I watched her short documentary on Youtube titled, "Life as a Quadriplegic: Sophia Malthus". Sophia is a young woman who acquired a spinal cord injury, resulting in her becoming a quadriplegic. She dreamed of becoming a jockey, and absolutely loved her horse. Sadly, one day as she was riding, her horse became spooked causing her to fall of and break her neck. Her spinal cord injury drastically changed her life within a blink of an eye. She went from a happy and outgoing girl, to being wheelchair bound. She has a a C4/C5 injury. She no longer has function from her collar bone down. She deals with high tone in her legs, resulting in decreased ability for functional mobility. She requires assistance for her personal and daily care. 

Relating her injury to what I have learned in my Neuro course, she is capable of operating a manual wheelchair, has no use of a ventilator, and she is able to feed herself. Spinal cord injuries look different for every single person, and the impact it leaves on you is unpredictable. You can have a complete or incomplete injury to a traumatic or non-traumatic injury. But, I really love how she continues to defy the odds that people have once thought she was never able to overcome. She figures out ways to manipulate objects and tasks to be independent. Sophia has so much motivation to become the best version of herself, and she is always wanting to do more. She wants to get as much therapy as she can. I watched another video that showed her auditioning for model calls. She wanted to show other girls battling with the same thing that they can do whatever it is that they want to do. It makes me feel as though I should not take things for granted. It is so crazy how fast your life can change. One of her goals is to be able to drive again that way she can be able to go see her friends again. I hope that one day I am able to create adaptive devices appropriate for individuals who want to be independent for individuals like Sophia. I hate that she was not able to live out her dream of becoming a jockey, but she is inspiring so many people with her journey each and every day. I hope that this makes others want to go out and learn how spinal cord injuries affects people's lives. Always remember, one person's recovery and progress from a spinal cord injury will not look like the next.

Attitude. (2018, May 28). Life as a Quadriplegic: Sophia Malthus. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPlqTOdVU8

The Beauty in Music Therapy

On this ride, I will be talking to you about an amazing documentary titled, "Alive Inside". I watched the documentary on a website called IMDb. I was brought to tears several times while watching it.  It brings you into the life of individuals battling Alzheimer's disease/dementia, along with several other conditions, and how music therapy enlightens their world. It takes them back to memories that they have not been able to recall in years. An amazing social worker, Dan, sees the true beauty of music and how it can benefit individuals battling with neurological conditions. I believe that it is sad music therapy is not considered an intervention or reimbursed, even with evidence and research backing it up. Hopefully soon though, this will be changed with a lot more people like Dan in the world.

The first person they showed was a man named Henry. One of the things he said after he listened to his music was, "I didn't know I could talk so much." This goes to show how music brings people so in tune with themselves, and it helps recall memories and times that those battling dementia never thought they could get back. You would see the people featured go from lifeless, non-verbal to joyful, dancing, and actively engaging in conversation with other once they got their iPods and headphones on. It made me so happy to see them feel normal again. I would really get excited when I knew the songs they were playing, and I would sing along with the documentary. 

Music is an outside stimulation that triggers multiple parts of the brain, and individuals of all ages can benefit from the use of music therapy. Coordination is done so by the cerebellum, and it is where we are able to process music and put it with our body movements. Luckily, the cerebellum is one of the last places that dementia affects. Therefore, music helps retrieve those encoded memories. You can remember what was happening in your life when a certain song came out. It can help you remember emotions and people that made you feel connected to that song. It was mentioned how music has the ability to activate more parts of the brain than any other stimulus. It proves that neuroplasticity is very much so real, allowing people to make new connections to music and learning songs again. You witnessed people go from being stiff in the bed and not opening their eyes, to seeing them have movement in their entire body. How can one not see music therapy is amazing and everyone should have access to it?

I have gained so much respect for individuals that go out of their way to give geriatrics a somewhat normal life. I want to go into nursing homes and play music for the residents. I want to be the reason someone remembers some of life's most precious moments. I am going to do my best to spread the word about this amazing documentary. It is something I believe everyone should watch, even it is just the first 15 minutes. It is so worth it. I now have one more intervention, that I will keep with me forever, under my belt that I can use with my future clients. After all, every person deserves to feel like they are cared and loved for. Being in a nursing home should not feel like your world has ended. We need to make a change in making those individuals feel human again. Huge thank you to Dr. Lancaster for sharing this amazing resource.

P.S. This documentary was once on Netflix, but it must have been removed. I accessed it on IMDb by logging in with my Google account. It was free and the quality is great. 10/10 recommendation to watch it.

Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory. (2014, October 18). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2593392/.

Protecting Our Brain

Hello! Welcome back on the ride with me. Today, I will be discussing what I gained from a TED Talk by a neuropsychologist, Kim Gorgens. The title of the TED Talk is, "Protecting the Brain Against Concussion." I chose this topic due to fact that we have been discussing acquired brain injuries in class, and how prevention can go a long way. I want to work with pediatrics, and this is mainly the area she discusses. She begins by telling the audience on how she has a son, and her main job is to keep him protected being that he is an only child and needs to be able to take care of her in the future. One statistic that stood out to me is how over 4 million people incur a concussion every year. She then goes on to compare the various amounts of force that are acquired with a car crash, a blow to the face by a professional boxer, and a high schooler being hit head on causing his helmet to come off. The amount of force increased with each, with the football tackle being at 103 Gs. That is a lot of force being taken to the head, and I cannot imagine how terrible that would feel and the lifelong effects it may have. She mentioned how, "High school athletes are 3x more likely to suffer from a catastrophic injury" (Gorgens, 2010). It has me wondering if I ever want my kids to be involved in sports. It is honestly a scary thing to think about.

She leaves the crowd with 3 things that they can do to guarantee safety for kids. The first thing she said to do is study up. Learn about the things that are happening around, that way you can be educated on those situations. The next thing she said to do is to speak up. Speak up to your child's coaches in asking what equipment is required, how up-to-date is it, when are they required to wear it, etc. She also mentioned how you should speak with your legislators on the requirement of safety gear, especially if it is something you care about. Use your voice for helping save the next child. The last thing she said to do is gear up. Put a helmet on. It may seem so simple, but it could save you from losing a lifetime of knowledge that may come with a brain injury. A helmet can help reduce the impact of a fall by up to half. By me knowing how quickly you life could change by not taking the necessary precautions, I am 100% for wearing a helmet. I have been using roller skates lately, and soon want to transition to skating outside. Before I do that, I will make sure that I have the appropriate helmet to ensure that I will be safe in doing so. Her talk was so very simple and to the point, but it was also very informative and I believe that others should take 10 minutes out of their day to listen to it. A concussion could happen at any time and any place. The only things we as humans can do is to simply prepare as best as possible, while also taking the necessary precautions to do so. #WearAHelmet :)

Gorgens, K. (2010). Protecting the brain against concussion. TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/kim_gorgens_protecting_the_brain_against_concussion

A Mini Dive into Tourette Syndrome

I chose to watch a TED Talk about the neurological condition, Tourette Syndrome, titled "Tourette Does the Talking" by Thomas White. I have always heard of Tourette, but never saw a video or even met anyone with it. I have heard people reference to it in a joking matter. It was not until I was on TikTok, a few days ago, and saw a girl posting about her tics. I was very much so intrigued, and with this assignment coming up, I figured why not do it on Tourette to gain more insight into what it really is. 

The TED Talk features a college student who is simply bringing us into a day of his life with what he called an "unrelenting neurological assault"(TEDx Talks, 2014). That itself makes me feel as though the condition is truly a battle and it is hard. He mentioned how it was a fight that he may lose during his presentation, due to his tics being uncontrollable. He talked about how his coordination and control are impacted due to the chemical imbalance Tourette cause, which in turn puts a hinder on his day-to-day life. He cannot take a shower without throwing shampoo and body wash bottle, with some even breaking. He suffers from Coprolalia, the involuntary use of cursing, which not many suffer from with Tourette Syndrome. Interesting enough, I have never heard of that term and did a Google search to read more about it. Applying what I have learned from Neurobiology and Neuro Aspects, I believe that the frontal lobe is impaired by this condition. It is responsible for your filter on the things you say and do. It is also responsible for your impulse control, and he mentioned how sometimes he will pretend to vomit on kids or hit older women on their behind. I think that it is sad because a lot of people, like myself, do not know much about Tourette and may find it as an insult, when in reality a person really cannot control themselves. It is going to take for everyone to want to know more to be able to be kind and understanding of the next person. 

I am so happy that I chose this topic. Thomas did a great job at giving people a brief look into his life. He turned his story around and showing that Tourette does not have him, but rather he has Tourette. He looked it as a gift of life and that it is his responsibility to share it. It is hard to not look at your life as you have a problem, and I truly commend him for standing up and having a different view. He ended his talk with a quote that I believe will stick me forever. He said, "Embrace the life that you lead, let your talk be heard, and remember that each word is a celebration and has hope (TEDx Talks, 2014)." I believe that this is a quote anyone could learn from and become comfortable and loving for who they are, no matter the condition. I really do suggest watching this TED Talk if you have not heard of or seen a first-hand case of Tourette syndrome. Not only do you learn about the condition, but it will change your perspective on the way you look at a lot of things in life.

TEDx Talks. (2014, February 27). Tourette Does the Talking: Thomas White at TEDxUND. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0szLOMIt9SQ

SDoH and UT Preparedness

Social determinants of health (SDoH) are  factors that impact an individual’s day to day life and health. They can be either positive or negative. The community in which you live in affects your health. Your socioeconomic status affects your health. If you do not have access to health insurance, you may be limited in being able to go to the doctor. SDoH can honestly make or break an individual. In a TEDx Talk by Rishi Manchanda, he discussed how making changes to one of his client’s home, removing mold and roaches, caused the client’s symptoms improved by 90%. I really enjoyed when he said, “one’s zip code matters more than your genetic code”. This highlights that all of the things that makes up a person’s environment affects their health.

Social determinants of health can lead to various health conditions. SDoH like access to shelter, food, money, and education can cause an individual to become stressed. With stress comes increased levels of the cortisol hormone, which decreases the function of the prefrontal cortex that is responsible for the body’s executive function. Another example would be if your neighborhood is not safe and you cannot go for a walk or play outside, this can lead to a decrease in the neurotransmitter dopamine. Decreased levels of dopamine could lead to major depressive disorder.

On another note, I am extremely grateful for the UTHSC OT program’s requirement for our service/professional development hours. It is helping us in learning how to be responsible, efficient, and continuing learners. It is preparing us for when we have to complete continuing education courses as future OT practitioners. I believe that it is aiding my classmates and I on how to balance/prioritize and continue to give back to the community, while also growing as a unique individual.

Assistive Devices

Fitting your patient for use of an assistive device is very important for many reasons. It is something that an individual will depend on for their day to day functions. No single individual is the same and their device needs to be customized for them specifically. You have to consider the person's physical conditions such as, disability, weight bearing status, strength, and ROM. Client's may also have unique limitations and capabilities and that also needs to be taken into consideration, along with their environment as well. Lastly, you need to consider the person's stability, rather they have high or low stability, to determine which assistive device will suit them best.

The cane would be the least stable of assistive devices. Therefore, the individual would need pretty good upper and lower body strength. In order to fit a cane properly, the hand grip should be at the level of the wrist crease, ulnar styloid, or greater trochanter. The person's elbows should be relaxed, flexed to 20-30°, and shoulders should be relaxed and not elevated.

The next assistive device I will discuss are axillary crutches. They are more stable than a cane. You fit crutches with the same criteria for a came, but with an additional step. Axillary crutches have an axillary rest that should be about 5 cm, or 4 fingers, below floor of the axilla with shoulders relaxed.

Lofstrand crutches are more stable than canes but less stable than axillary crutches. You use the same steps that are required for fitting axillary crutches with an additional step. There is an arm cuff that should go around the client's forearm.

A platform walker would be the most stable device due to it having four points of contact with the ground. Client's that use this typically cannot bear weight through wrist or hand. You would fit a platform walker the same as you do for canes. But, the client's elbow would need to be flexed to about 90° in order to rest comfortably on the platform.

The last assistive device I am going to discuss is a rolling walker. Rolling walkers are used for individuals that cannot lift the walker due to upper extremity weakness. They provide more stability than crutches but less stability than walkers without wheels. You fit rollings walkers the same way as you do for canes.

Transfers

The order for restoring confidence in mobility based on activity demands is:
bed mobility > mat transfer > wheelchair transfer > bed transfer > functional ambulation for ADL > toilet and tub transfer > car transfer > functional ambulation for community mobility > community mobility and driving
This is kind of what I expected. I think this hierarchy is in this particular sequence because it starts with where the client may spend most of their time. It then works toward getting the patient mobile and functional. The furthest level I have seen in my observation is toilet and tub transfer. I agree with this approach. I believe that it builds the client's endurance, strength, and confidence to complete activities. It builds up from the least energy required to the most. I believe it will help prevent injuries.

Posture and Body Mechanics

Proper posture and good body mechanics are extremely important to an individual's wellbeing. One reason it is good to teach this is because poor posture can contribute to abnormal development of bones and muscles. Poor posture can also lead to decreased awareness of body positions due to sensory loss. Proper body mechanics can help with decreasing injury risks and back pain. Good posture promotes comfort and alignment, along with optimizing your vision and breathing.

One way I would teach proper posture and body mechanics is to use the broomstick demonstration. I would have the client place the broomstick behind their back and to make sure that it is touching their head, back, and bottom at all times as they perform various movements. This will ensure that everything is in good alignment. Another way I would do so is by providing modification to tasks such as reaching, pulling and pushing and turning to promote good body mechanics and avoid injury. 

My Favorite Advertisement

An advertisement that really sticks out to me would definitely have to be the Doritos commercial of the 2010 Super Bowl. It is my all time favorite!! It was so funny and entertaining to me. I think that I love it so much because Doritos are my favorite chips and I felt where the kid was coming from. It is about a little boy's mom boyfriend coming over. The little boy was already giving the man the evil eye. The man compliments the woman followed by getting one of the little boy's Doritos. The little boy slaps him and says, "Put it back. Keep your hands off my mama, and keep your hands off my Doritos.

The part of my nervous system primarily involved would be my temporal lobe, but more specifically my hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for your long term memory. It is a commercial that I remember from over 10 years ago. It has been stuck with me ever since. I believe that my amygdala is also involved due to how overprotective I was over my mom as a kid. Your amygdala is responsible for your emotions. I did not like when my dad would try to hold her hand. I would get upset and cry when I couldn't hold her hand, haha. It was very interesting thinking about my favorite advertisement and linking it back to my nervous system, with the information I have learned from our Neurobiology course. Now I feel like I have to watch the video a million times more, because it was so funny but yet so relatable.

Here is a link to the commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYZoOyo5alY

Neurotransmitter: Serotonin

"Man from the South"

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the short story about "Man from the South". The story was very intriguing, and I even found myself reading in the accent the older man was portrayed to have. The elderly man decided to bet a young sailor who was hanging out at the pool. He told the young sailor if he could light his lighter 10 times in a row that he would give him his green Cadillac car. But, if the sailor couldn't, he would chop off his little finger. The older man felt as if it was a little thing he could afford.

If the sailor lost the bet, it would in fact be a big deal if he no longer had his little finger. This could impact the sailor's daily life engagements. It would cause impairment to the ulnar nerve, which innervates the pinky and half of the ring finger. I believe that this will affect the sailor's ability to properly hold a gun, or his occupation of work. Due to his pinky being gone, it would cause him to lose a significant amount of his grip strength.

A strategy that might help the soldier regain independence in operating a gun would be to work on strengthening his remaining fingers. This can be through using grip strength tools such as pinch blocks or squeezing putty with various resistances. A modification that could be made for his gun is to consider him using one that does not have to be held, but could rest on his shoulders for more mobility.You could also add something to the gun that would take place of his little finger to where his knuckle could rest and hold the gun up.

Scapulohumeral Rhythm

The Scapulohumeral Rhythm is the articulation between the glenoid fossa of the scapula and the humeral head of the humerus moving. It is where the the body has the greatest amount of ROM. In order to achieve full ROM, the humeral head must laterally rotate. The motion with Scapulohumeral Rhythm is distributed between both joints, glenohumeral and scapulothoracic) and therefore the movement has to be synchronous. If there is damage to either joints, the therapist will be able to identify this. With the joints congruence, it allows for a decrease in shear forces. The Scapulohumeral Rhythm also produces a good length-tension relationship. I can affect your ROM measurements of the shoulder due to the ratio that is put in place between the joints. For every 3° of shoulder movement, there is 2° at the glenohumeral joint and 1° at the scapulothoracic joint. If this rhythm is impaired at either of the joints, this ratio could be thrown off.

Implicit Bias and Inclusiveness... My Thoughts

Hey hey hey! You made it back on the ride again! You are in to learn about a very interesting topic. The topic is on implicit bias and inclusiveness. Implicit bias is like an automatic switch in our brain that makes us think a certain way about a person, group of people, or concept. It is the things that we have learned over a period of time.

I think it is important for OT students and practitioners to learn about implicit bias due to the fact that we will come in contact with a diverse population of individuals. We should not put our beliefs of a patient on them. Although we may not identify with their religion, gender identification, socioeconomic status, etc. we can still be aware and try to change our perception. But, being able to do this will improve the relationship between you and your client. In the podcast, she mentioned how we can train our brain to think different. One of the ways we can address and examine our own implicit bias is taking a survey/assessment. Another way we can do this is paying attention to the way we pair words with each other. It will take practice and have to be intentional in order to remove the negative associations. The last way that I am going to mention on how to address implicit bias is to attend an implicit bias workshop that provides techniques and activities to assist you. 

My biggest take-away from this session that I am truly in control of the way I think. We are truly influenced from the society we have grown up in. I really enjoyed listening to the COTAD Live! event wirth Dr. Varleisha Gibbs addressing the issues of diversity within the OT profession. There is a need for inclusiveness, and it is up to us to provide that change. If a person does not see it, they cannot be it. I had never heard of OT until I went to undergraduate school. After finding out about it, completing observation hours, and now pursuing a degree in it, I have yet to meet a black occupational therapist. It makes me happy that I am bridging that gap within the profession. It makes me want to do more to get the word out about occupational therapy. I hope that you gained something while being on this ride today, and I look forward to seeing you again!

The OT Recipe

ROM and MMT

Why is it important to use bony landmarks and proper positioning for measuring ROM? What is the purpose of the "test position" for MMT? What is the relevance of the gravity eliminated position?

It is important to use bony landmarks for measuring ROM in order to line goniometer up at correct joint. You want to make sure this is correct also for other therapists who may have to complete ROM for accuracy. Proper positioning is important for measuring ROM because you want the position that is going to allow for the most adequate and accurate measurement. Due to some people's physical incapabilities, positions are going to have to be modified for that individual. The purpose of the "test position" for MMT is due to the fact that most of our ADLs are completed in the direction against gravity. The test is done with the joint placed in midrange because the allows for the greatest contraction due to the greatest amount of cross-bridges forming here. The relevance of the gravity eliminated position is that it allows the movement to be parallel to the ground for individuals who cannot reach full ROM due to weakness, injury, etc.

Activity Analysis

Every morning I get out of the bed and perform 10 squats to wake my body up. I perform the squats from full extension at my hip and knee. I then go into flexion at my hip and knee while dorsiflexion happens at the ankle joint. The motions happening at the knee joint, flexion and extension, are in the sagittal plane about a frontal axis. The osteokinematics of the hip for the down phase of the squat are extension to flexion in a closed kinematic chain. In terms of arthrokinematics, from extension to flexion at the knee joint, the convex femur rolls anteriorly and glides posteriorly on the tibia.  The prime movers for knee flexion is the quadriceps muscle, which performs an eccentric action.

Session 28 Takeaways

I enjoyed absorbing all of the knowledge from the materials we were required to look at for this session. I am going to focus the things I talk about from Professor Flick's lecture. One thing I learned is just how important is for someone to have sufficient health literacy. Health literacy is the extent where someone is knowledgeable enough to make adequate health decisions that promote their health. I found it so sad that a lady from one of the youtube videos signed papers to have a hysterectomy completed and did not know what it was until after the procedure was done. She was so sad that she had pieces of her body taken from her without really knowing what was going on. Another thing I learned is about the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Triple Aim. I have never heard of it up until now. I appreciate the effort and reasoning behind this program. It was implemented through the Affordable Care Act and Center for Medicare services. It was created in efforts to create a more efficient and sustainable healthcare system. We, unfortunately, are not as blessed with a healthcare system such as Canada. One of the main goals that I like is the emphasis for individuals to take control over their own health and life. They really want people to have an enjoyable experience when dealing with healthcare, and I am happy that OT is able to play a part in that.

Takeaways from Nature-Based Therapy Podcast

Hello friends! We are back on the ride. You get to hear me discuss what I learned on a podcast that I listened to. The podcast I chose was "Nature-Based Therapy" with the guest speaker Amy Seymore. I had never heard of nature-based therapy until listening to this podcast. But it makes so much sense because you are just taking therapy outside. I learned that you can use things such as a sandbox, trapeze bars, or even going to the beach. She mentioned how nature-based therapy helps to bring in sensory processing that may not be achieved if receiving therapy indoors.

I learned that nature-therapy could be more engaging and fun for that client. Nature-therapy provides you with more options for manipulation of activities. Some of the populations that can greatly benefit from this type of therapy are those with sensory processing trouble, handwriting skills, and attention deficit problems. She mentioned how if you have a child hang on monkey bars with their thumb facing down, it helps with thumb opposition which in turns helps with handwriting. I am happy that I was able to gain this knowledge, because it has opened my eyes to see that there is nothing occupational therapists cannot do and cannot work with. I hope that you were able to learn something on this ride. See you next time!

Misconception GIF

"Blissful Ordinariness"

Hello! Welcome back on the ride! Today I will be discussing "blissful ordinariness". You may wonder what that phrase means. To me, it means the things that we do on a regular basis without any thought being put into doing them. Those things that we can take for granted because we may not realize how important they are, simply because it is a part of our every day routine. What happens when you can no longer do your "blissful ordinariness" due to an injury, illness, or other unforeseen circumstance? One of your options may be to see an occupational therapist.  "Blissful ordinariness" relates to therapeutic relationship of the occupational therapy profession in terms of the focus being placed on helping individuals get back to meaningful activities of their daily life. It relates to the holistic nature by way that we are not just focusing on a person's illness or injury, but rather at everything that makes that person who they are. "Blissful ordinariness" is a part of one's daily life, and occupational therapists create interventions to help individuals return to those things to the best of their ability. 

Thank you for joining my ride! See you at the next stop! 

Where Would I Work as an OT Practitioner

The question of "What setting do you want to work in as an occupational therapist?" is something that I still go back and forth on. As of right now, I believe that I want to work with pediatrics in a hospital setting. I have a special place in my heart for children, especially those with disabilities.I have seen work with pediatrics in the school setting, but not in the hospital setting. The school-based therapy was mainly focused on handwriting, although it is important, but I found myself getting bored. I feel as if working in the hospital setting will allow me to encounter various diagnoses and provide a wider scope of services to the clients.

OT Over Time...

I must say that the Era Presentations were a great and interactive way for my classmates and I to learn about history throughout the decades, especially occupational therapy. I believe that it also allowed us to have fun and loosen up, especially after a stressful week of anatomy. One piece of information I found interesting was from the 1940s, and it was the background information on Rosie the Riveter. I have always seen the picture but never just knew the story. It was showing that women can work and be great at what they do. With the men going to war, it opened up many jobs that women filled. Another thing I found interesting from the 1940s was that there were OT-War Emergency courses that lasted for only two weeks, due to the high demand of occupational therapists during the war. If only it was still that easy! The last thing I found interesting was the publication of the OT Practice Magazine, first published in 1995. I had no clue that it even existed. I believe that it is a great way to ensure that all occupational therapists are able to have access to the current trends and keep up with the news of the profession. Overall, I truly enjoyed this week and all of the knowledge I gained.

Dr. Keisling's Lecture

Where do I start? Dr. Keisling's lecture had me in a whirlwind of emotions. In the beginning, I was sad, angry, and just completely disappointed at the treatment of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the early/mid 1900s. Just to think that people with disabilities were placed into the same categories with criminals is a disgrace. The institutionalizations put in place by governments seemed inhumane to me, regarding the conditions they were in. I could not imagine being separated from society because I am not considered a "normal" individual. I was also very shocked that the government saw people as a burden to the community and told families to leave their child and go have other children. The timeline of information really helped me to see how far we have really come.

I had my first encounter of working with people with special needs in high school. I spent my study hall period in the classroom reading to the students, helping with schoolwork, various household activities, and just spending time with them. I knew that people were unaware when my classmates would ask me, "Why are you in that classroom? What's wrong with him? She's slow! Why are you walking with him?" That is when I realized they needed extra love because there were people who knew nothing and judged them based on things they could not control. My heart grew a special place for people with special needs during this time.

I feel like I am apart of the history with the development of disabilities. I have had the pleasure of being a peer mentor with Mosaic at UTC, which is a program dedicated to students with autism to help them navigate their way through college and life after. About 100 years ago, this program would not have been created nor even thought of. It probably would have been looked at as insane. I also helped campaign for "Spread the Word to End the Word." I have been so much more conscious and aware when people say the R-word, and a lot of my family and friends have joined me in not saying the word. I am ready to see what additional changes are to come in the future years and how I will contribute to them.