Ella's OT Student Blog

Throughout this semester my classes have been taking about the importance of adaptability in OT. This skill was "put to the test" in my Neuro Aspects class with our most recent project. We were given a common item and had to create a product to help our client. Each client had a story so we knew their back story, diagnosis, interests, etc. My client was Jane, a nurse who enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, gardening and making pottery and was recently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. My item was a plastic or metal hanger. I made a wire stand that can be used to prop up a phone, tablet, paper, or book. I thought this would be a good item for Jane so she focus on conserving her energy while doing things she loves, instead of walking back and forth to read directions, instructions, etc. because GBS causes extreme fatigue. This project really made me step outside of the box and use my OT brain. My biggest take away from this project was the amount of creativity a...

The Memphis Rollin' Grizzlies were founded in 2003 and they provide a way for those with disabilities to participate in sports. Recently, my class had the opportunity to go watch a Memphis Rollin' Grizzlies basketball practice. It was very interesting and unique learning opportunity! The Rollin' Grizzlies are currently in the off season, so we watched the team scrimmage. I played soccer for 20 years, so I am very unfamiliar with the specifics of basketball, outside of your dribble with your hands and try to get the ball through the hoop. Prior to attending the practice, I read over some of the rules of basketball so I wasn't completely in the dark, but I learned at the practice that there are some slight differences between wheelchair basketball and able body basketball. For instance, in wheelchair basketball traveling is when you take two pushes or anything else that causes you to move. A player is out of bounds when any part of his chair goes over the lines. Players...

Lisa Genova is a well known author and neuroscientist. In 2017 Genova gave a TED Talk on what can be done to prevent Alzheimer's. During her presentation, she goes over the physical cause of Alzheimer's and mentions that there are several factors that play a role in a person developing the disease. Some factors are: age, DNA, lack of deep sleep, poor cardiovascular health, and lack of aerobic exercise. So lets say you are over the age of 65, you are genetically predisposed, don't sleep a lot, have poor cardiovascular health, and don't exercise. Is there anything else you could do that could reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer's? Genova says that through learning new things our brains are creating new synapses and strengthening synapses, a process called neuroplasticity. Individuals who have more years of formal education, high degree of literacy, who take part in mentally stimulating activities, have more cognitive reserve, which is more functional synapses....

Transfatty Lives is a documentary on Netflix made by DJ Transfatty, aka Patrick O'Brien, about his journey with ALS. O'Brien was diagnosed with ALS in 2005 at the age of 31 and decided to make an artistic documentary about his journey. The documentary starts with O'Brien's diagnosis, shows him starting a relationship and having a son, becoming depressed, moving into a nursing home, and moving into an ALS skilled facility. O'Brien opted to have a feeding tube placed and be put on a ventilator. He told the doctor placing the feeding tube that he wanted to be "an electric vegetable", meaning he wanted to live as long as possible. The documentary ends with O'Brien's family and friends saying that the reason O'Brien has lived so long is because he still has a goal to reach, a mission to accomplish. O'Brien has been battling ALS for 12 years. This is an extremely long time to be living with ALS, considering the average lifespan after diagnosis is...

Occupational Profile Client demographics: Joe O’Brien, 44 years old, 04/21/2018 Client Report Reason the client is seeking OT services and concerns related to engagement in occupations (may include the client’s general health status) Joe is seeking OT services because he was recently diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease and he would like to slow the progression of his symptoms. Joe has issues with his temper, being still, holding objects, and drinking from a normal glass. Occupations in which the client is successful and barriers or potential barriers to his/her success in those occupations (p. S5) Joe enjoys: Working as a police officer, spending time with his family, drinking with friends, and watching baseball. The main barrier to the activities he enjoys is the chorea. It causes him to move almost constantly and it also causes him some embarrassment. Personal interests and values (...

In my Neuro class we have been learning about Huntington's Disease. It is a terrible disease that attacks the mind and body, rendering the individual powerless. HD is an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that an individual only needs one copy of the gene to have the disease. This also means that there is a 50/50 chance of a person getting the gene, assuming that only one parent has the gene. If you have the gene, then there is a 100% chance that you will become symptomatic at some point during your life. After being diagnosed, individuals typically live 10-15 years. Since we started learning about HD in class I wondered if there were any TED talks about the subject. So I googled TED talks about Huntington's Disease and was given a couple of options. One of the talks I watched is titled Facing Death Full of Life. Danielle Valenti is talking about the story of her mother, who had HD. Danielle's Mom had been hiding the fact that she had HD from her to protect her from...