Memory Box Media Project

            I recently completed a media project for my class. It was a case report relating to a client named Susan, who was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  Most individuals have a life expectancy of 2-5 years after diagnosis. Susan loves to scrapbook and wants to leave behind something for her two children after she passes. I was instructed to use an everyday household item and turn it into an intervention for Susan. My item was a margarine tub. We decided to turn it into a memory box that she could place pictures, quotes, cards, and even voice recordings inside of. She would have the opportunity to maintain the muscle function she has in her hand, while continuing to do what she loves to do. 

            After completing this project, the most rewarding thing I learned was that anything you have at home can be turned into a meaningful activity. Always make the best of any situation, and you can find something to meet the needs and values of the client. I knew that the values, beliefs, and needs of the client came first in any situation, but when I was challenged to use an object that wasn't the most common in intervention it was very challenging. After completing this I learned that if I think hard about what is most important to the client, I can turn any type of material or product into something that the client finds meaningful. Being challenged with what materials are available as an occupational therapist may be difficult at times, but knowing that I can make an intervention with any type of material as long as I put the client first is possible. I feel like now I can be more creative than I imagined and turn a simple intervention into something that is fun while maintaining, promoting, or even preventing health issues. 

            My hopes after completing this project is that the skills I learned will be carried over. I hope to use my creativity in clinical settings so the client can do something beneficial without it being the same boring intervention. I want them to do something they love that is rewarding or can challenge them while increasing their occupational performance. In other settings I hope it allows me to think about how to be a better therapist so each client can have a different intervention no matter the materials available. Not everyone is the same so their interventions should be tailored to them. The client is always first, and I will strive to create an innovative task to meet their needs while within their functional abilities. This media project has taught me so much about being creative and using what I have available and not using  normal intervention items. 

            

Can She Change Your Mindset?

In the Ted Talk, How My Dad’s Dementia Changed My Idea of Death Beth Malone talks about her father’s dementia. Malone’s father had frontotemporal lobe dementia which could change soemones personality, make them paranoid, or even violent at times. Her father was diagnosed with dementia over 10 years ago, but it was only three years ago when his symptoms began to worsen. His family decided to place him into a nursing home, which wasn’t the best option for him. One day he threatened everyone at the facility he was going to cut them, while also yanking curtains off the wall, and becoming very aggressive to others. 

Malone’s family found a facility for people with dementia so her dad could be in a more suitable place. She went to visit him one day and he had fallen over and was trying to take off the clothes they had placed on him. This upset her so much that she couldn’t even visit him that day and she left. She started to question, “Why should my dad have to live this life.” After visiting with therapists, psychics and support groups she knew she had to let him know she was alright and that she didn’t have to worry about him. When she went to see her dad to tell him she’d be alright without him, she had a change of heart. 

Her father was himself again. He was laughing and told her that he missed her when she told him she missed him. She knew that day that he was somewhat himself again. She knew when she held his hands he was still there. She then knew that she couldn't change death and the story of someone’s life.

As I reflect back on this story it shows the roles that each individual can have in someone’s life. All you need to do is be there to provide support when the day may either be good or bad. I have seen this personally when my grandmother was diagnosed with dementia. Some days she was herself and other it was like you were looking into an empty tunnel. Every day was different, but as we continued our roles in her life, she was at peace and when the time came, she went home with the Lord. 

As therapist we need to remember we are there to help no matter how good or bad. Some days we may feel like we have climbed a hill trying to find the soul inside the person without reaching the top and others we feel like we are at the top. We cannot change what has happened, but we can change what will happen in the future. 

Beth Malone’s touching, heartfelt story is one to listen to for sure. We need to remember who we are, and what roles we have in someone else’s life. Support the ones we love and even though they may not be the person you remember deep down a piece of them is still there. Dementia may take their memory or cause them to act in ways that are uncommon for them, but deep down there is a piece of them still there. We just have to be patient and wait for the day to see it again, wither it be a day, weeks, or months, or even in the afterlife. 

I highly encourage everyone to watch this Ted talk, to hopefully change your idea of what perceptions you previously had no matter the situation. It will make you have a different outlook on your decision. Click on the link below to watch the Ted Talk. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life

 Reference: 

Malone, B. (n.d.). How my dad's dementia changed my idea of death (and life). Retrieved August 22, 2019, from https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life

How Would You Respond?

What do you do when a challenge is thrown at you, or when something doesn’t go the way you planned? Do you let it bring you down or do you turn it around and make the best out of the worst situation? We have recently learned about MS and how so many individuals have this diagnosis. I wanted to hear how it had affected a driven graduate student who was successful in her life. 

            In a recent Ted Talk, Thriving in the Face of Adversity, by Stephanie Buxhoevedem she talked about how she dealt with life when a challenge came her way. She was a graduate student who loved neurology and was pursuing a career as an anesthetist. She also loved to work out but one day while she was working out her leg had become numb. She didn’t think anything about it, maybe it was just a pinched nerve. She kept preserving and the day had finally come that she had been dreaming of, after all the hard work in the classroom it was finally time to be in the surgery room to give her first anesthesia. Before she knew it, her legs were completely numb, her arm was losing sensation and her vision became blurry. She knew something was wrong, it wasn’t just nerves. She then went to the hospital where she was admitted for numerous amounts of test. After days of being in the hospital she was given the news that no one wants to hear, she was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. 

            She had to make a decision to keep pursuing what she wanted or let her MS determine her life. She was reading through some of her paperwork from the hospital, when she read that the doctor said, “she had a poor prognosis”. This led her to the decision of pursuing something new in life. She decided to become a multiple sclerosis nurse to help others with her clinical and own personal advice. She was able to help others with their diagnosis. She also started a website to help those with unanswered questions be aware of the diagnosis. 

            This Ted Talk shows that we never know the future and especially what our unknown is. Stephanie was faced with the most difficult, devasting news, but she had the choice to either deny, cope or thrive. She chose to thrive, and she said that this diagnosis has pushed her and gave her a purpose in life. As future practitioners we can take our own knowledge and help others and who knows we may even be able to give advice of our own. This story is touching because most people will want to deny and cope with their diagnosis, but as practitioners we want individuals to push through their challenges and be able to get the most out of their lives. 

            No matter the situation life will throw a challenge at you and it is up to you how that challenge is handled. The determination and support of others will have a great impact on how individuals can overcome challenges. There is no specific answer to the future, so making the best of the outcome can have a larger impact on your life and on others’ lives more than you think. So as future therapist we need to be holistic in all approaches. We need to let our patients know that we will support them and help them when they need it most. 

 Reference:

Talks, T. (2015, April 03). Thriving in the Face of Adversity | Stephanie Buxhoeveden | TEDxHerndon. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuLOT6GsAxw

Sheryl's Perspective

            I was not for sure what Myasthenia Gravis was until hearing Sheryl’s touching story. She was a young girl, only 16, when diagnosed with MG. She was going about her childhood when she started noticing symptoms. She was very active in softball and had many friends. She started to experience extreme fatigue in her arms legs and hands. Then she started to notice a droop in her eye that kept getting worse. She was also having difficulty chewing foods and keeping her mouth closed when eating. She went to the doctor where they couldn’t really diagnosis her because they didn’t know for certain what was going on. She went to an eye doctor because her eyes continued to get worse. The doctor knew something was not right and wanted to do an ice test in the office to test for myasthenia gravis, it was then that he was for sure that was her diagnosis. They later sent her to the hospital to confirm her myasthenia gravis diagnosis. 

            She had to learn how to adapt to some things she was so used to doing. She had to give up playing softball because it was too much exertion on her muscles. She was not able to attend school for a few months because her body was so weak. She was so excited to finally be attending school again, it gave her a routine. She liked to stay busy and to be involved, it made her feel like a normal teenager again. Even when she had to go to the hospital for treatments, she stayed in touch with her friends to keep them updated and they gave words of encouragement. She also talked about how she still likes to go fishing, ride four-wheelers, and even take her sister for short walks because the long ones make her tired. She also has a bunny that she loves to take care of because it keeps her from thinking about her disease.

            She gave a great insight on what the disease meant to her and how to explain it to others in terms that could be understood. She talked about how her symptoms were being shown and how they would differ each day. She also talked about the different treatment plans and how one worked better for her than the other. 

Just because she was a teenager didn’t mean that she didn’t have a voice. Each story is unique in its own way and as therapist we need to observe the person as a whole, not just by their diagnosis. Each client will be involved in many occupations and all have different ways to handle things. Each client will also have different symptoms and different limitations. Listening to the whole story and giving them a sense of independence along with meeting their needs could be the most important thing in their life. 

Just like Sheryl, she knew some days were going to be better than others, but all she cared about was being able to have a meaning in life and enjoy a life like her friends. I truly encourage others to watch this video. This video explained Sheryl’s outlook on Myasthenia Gravis, and it helped to understand that each client has a story and different symptoms. Therefore, understand the person and their story and not just their disease.

Reference

Carter, B. (2014, October 23). Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope! Retrieved July 31, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU2nTf6_cc