Neuro Note #4

Ted Talk by Terry Chase 
Spinal Cord Injury and Beyond 

This Ted Talk is about a woman named Terry Chase who suffered a T3 incomplete spinal cord injury due to a drunk driver. She was on the way back from a 10 mile bike ride with 2 of her friends, when she was struck by a car being driven by a drunk driver.

While she was in therapy, her therapist mentioned to her about a water ski trip that was happening in a couple of weeks and suggested that she should go. She asked her doctor and he gave her the green light because she had good trunk control. After that trip, she has water skied every year for 30 years.

After she was discharged from therapy, she decided to attend nursing school. Although nursing school was hard, especially for her, she persevered and graduated and became a nurse. She got the opportunity to return to the therapy center where she received therapy and got to create a patient/family education program where she got to talk to individuals who had also suffered spinal cord injuries

She worked with this one individual who inspired her. She learned through him that she needed to give back whole heartedly in whatever she did. She knew she needed to listen to the little whispers in her head telling her what her next first step would be. She wanted to help other individuals figure out what their next first step was and help them achieve it.

As I have stated in all of my previous blog posts for my neuro notes, I love Ted Talks because I love getting to hear stories firsthand of real life experiences that people have been through. I think this will really give me some experience by listening to each individual's story before having my own clients one day.

Before this Neuro class, I never would have thought that I would be so interested in these kinds of diagnoses, but I am. I love watching these Ted Talks and other videos about things we have learned in class. I can't wait to find more videos and resources to boost my knowledge even more.

If you enjoy Ted Talks and are interested in spinal cord injuries, I highly recommend this one. This Ted Talk really puts thing into perspective and helped me to listen to my heart and not be afraid to take my next first step.

Link for Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NA_FLZ4WRk

Source:
Talks, T. E. D. (2018, October 17). Spinal Cord Injury & Beyond | Terry Chase | TEDxGrandJunction. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NA_FLZ4WRk

Sunflower Toss

There were a great deal of things that I learned while doing this assignment. This assignment really challenged me to dig deep and find my creative side, which was incredible. The creativity aspect was the most challenging portion of this assignment. Once I had the perfect idea for a new intervention idea, the project really came together. This assignment required me to think outside of the box to create a new product that tended to a specific person’s needs. Before this assignment, I would have never thought of using materials that were just laying around the house to create an intervention for someone. In all the places I have worked or observed, the therapist just bought all of the games and interventions. I really enjoyed going out of my comfort zone for this assignment, because now I know I have the ability to make something rather than buying it. You can’t always buy something that is exactly what a person needs, but creating your own activities allows you to tailor them to a person’s specific needs and interests.

 

Neuro Note #3

Ted Talk by Danielle Valenti 
Facing Death Full of Life 

This Ted Talk is about a young woman who found out that her mom had Huntington's Disease. Her mom tried to hide that from her, but she eventually found out when she had to be put in a Huntington's Disease nursing home. She talked about how hard the disease was on her mom, and eventually, she just stopped eating because she didn't want to live that way anymore.

After Danielle's mom passed away, she knew she wanted to get the genetic testing done to see if she had the positive gene for Huntington's Disease. People didn't understand why she wanted to know, but she did. Unfortunately, the results came back positive. After the heartbreaking news, she was not sad at first. She said she walked around with a smile on her face as if nothing was wrong. Eventually, she went through this stage where she felt really bad for herself all of the time. Eventually she decided that she wanted to start living again. She knew it was going to be a struggle every single day, but she knew it would be worth it. She knows that some days are going to be harder than others, but if she commits to happiness, she will eventually get there.

Ted Talks are my favorite because you get to hear firsthand about other's experiences, which otherwise you could not do. I love hearing how people overcome their struggles when they are thrown challenges in life.

After we covered Huntington's Disease in class, I knew I wanted to hear about someone's experience with it first hand. This video really inspired me and opened my eyes. You never know what tomorrow brings, so never take a single day for granted.

I definitely recommend this Ted Talk to everyone. Even if you are not super interested in Huntington's Disease, it paints a really good picture of how to never give up and to always strive for happiness and to put your happiness first.

The link for the Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0

Source:
Talks, T. (2015, December 04). Facing Death Full of Life | Danielle Valenti | TEDxBerkshires. Retrieved August 18, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0

Neuro Note #2

Ted Talk by Sanford Hane
Looking Back on Illness 

This Ted Talk was about a man named Sanford Hane who was in high school when he was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome. He woke up one day and had tingling in one of his feet. Each day when he woke up, the symptoms just kept getting worse. Finally he was admitted into the hospital. He stayed in the ICU for 7 days. For those 7 days, he was on a ventilator because he cold not breathe on his own. Once his lung capacity and chest muscles were strong enough to support independent breathing, he was transferred to another hospital where he stayed for 4 months receiving all different kinds of therapy.

After he got released from the hospital, his friends were getting ready to go to college, while he was still recovering. He was feeling sorry for himself at first, but then he thought back to the time where he wasn't even able to breathe on his own. After that point, he felt gratitude and was insanely happy to just be alive. Although his life didn't turn out like he had originally planned, he was thankful to be alive and to have such supportive family and friends that were with him through it all.

He stated that he was on the spinal cord injury floor, and he was one of the only ones who went back to their normal life after. He said he is the only one that got to walk out of that hospital and that he was extremely grateful for his doctors, nurses, and therapists for pushing him to his full potential.

When we were learning about GBS in class, I knew I wanted to learn more about and see first hand how it can effect someone's life. I strongly recommend this Ted Talk to others. It is a great representation of how we should never take anything for granted, even the small things in life are not promised.

Link for the Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzmx6bZXRHo

Source: 
Talks, T. (2017, August 15). Retrieved August 09, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzmx6bZXRHo

Neuro Note #1

Ted Talk by Kevin Pearce
A brain injury is like a fingerprint, no two are alike.

This Ted Talk was about a man named Kevin Pearce who was a snowboarder who was training for the Olympics. He suffered from a traumatic brain injury when he fell one day training. He was air lifted and stayed in critical care for 36 days. After he was well enough to be released from critical care, he was airlifted again to a hospital where he spent 3 and a half months doing therapy.

After he was officially released from the hospital, he found himself waking up everyday just happy to be alive. His outlook on life totally changed. He always used to wake up thinking about his next competition or where he would be training next. After this injury, he stated that he wants to live the most mindful, present life as possible because you will never get to experience that moment again.

 2 years after his accident, he had to have surgery on his eyes to try to fix or reduce the double vision that was caused from the accident. He stated that even 7 years after his brain injury, he is still having some symptoms related to it. The doctors working with Kevin told him that his double vision would not be able to be fixed. Even though he head this news, he is still determined to prove them wrong. Although he is still having symptoms, he is choosing to look at the positive in life rather than the negatives. He said that his brain hears things and believes they are limitations, but he forces his mind not to believe his brain. After watching this Ted Talk, I am going to push myself everyday to look at the positives in life rather than the negatives.

After we talked about traumatic brain injuries in class, I knew I wanted to do this assignment on someone who had experienced this and overcame the challenges. I chose to do a Ted Talk because I love the emotion that comes along with each one. Ted Talks really inspire me, especially because people are talking about something they are passionate about. I strongly recommend this Ted Talk to anyone who is interested in brain injuries. Kevin has the best outlook on life, regardless of the circumstances.

The link for the Ted Talk follows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZH7-r1Wy9o

Source:

Talks, T. (2017, May 04). A brain injury is like a fingerprint, no two are alike | Kevin Pearce | TEDxLincolnSquare. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZH7-r1Wy9o

Mobility

The hierarchy of mobility skills is as follows: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and lastly community mobility and driving. This order is somewhat what I expected it to be because you always have to start with the simplest step first. If someone tries to go to the restroom but can't successfully transfer into their wheelchair, there is no way this would work. The least important occupation in the list is driving, so that is why it is listed last. I think this sequence is beneficial because if a person is not able to do bed mobility tasks, then there is no way they would be able to do anything else. The first step to independence is bed mobility. 
Although I observed in a rehab hospital, I never got to witness transfers of any kind. I would have to stay in the therapy room while the OT went to get the client. I wish I could have gotten to see more of the bed mobility skills and transfers. 
I definitely agree with this approach. It is always better to start with something simple and work your way up. You do not want your client to get discouraged because he/she can't complete a task. I think you should always make the task achievable and then increase in difficulty each session. The simulation labs definitely helped me grasp the concept of transfers since I had never seen them done before. I think it is way easier to learn by doing rather than just watching. 

Assistive Devices

The correct fitting of an assistive device is crucial when working with clients. There are many reasons why a client would need an assistive device but the 2 main reasons are decreased balance, strength, and ability and to increase safety and security. For a client with decreased strength, a correct fitting assistive device would be crucial in helping them gain their independence back. Instead of using a wheelchair, the client could use a walker, crutches, or even a cane. All of these options are easier and less bulky than a wheelchair. If the devices are not fitted to your client properly, this could cause them danger, and even result in an injury. Also, if you do not properly fit the devices to your client, they will be difficult and awkward to use. If a walker or a cane is not fitted directly to a client, they will not get the full benefit from them, and in return, decrease mobility and confidence with the devices.
To fit your client for a cane or a walker, the hand grips should be at the level of the ulnar styloid, wrist crease, or the greater trochanter, The elbows should be relaxed and flexed 20-30 degrees to get the right measurements. A platform walker would be used for a client who has a fracture or something wrong with their arm but also need support while walking. A rolling walker would be used for clients who fatigue easily, but have good balance. To fit your client for crutches, the hand grips should be at the level of the ulnar styloid, wrist crease, or greater trochanter, and the axillary rest should be approximately 5 cm below the floor of the axilla to prevent putting pressure on the brachial plexus. When your client is using Lofstrand crutches. you fit them the same way, but make sure the hand rests are facing forward when the client is moving to prevent an awkward angle of their arms.