Alex Reese: I'm still myself

After learning about Fletcher Cleaves’ story a few weeks back my interest relating to spinal cord injury has gained a lot of momentum. Out of all of the neurological disorders that we discussed in this course, spinal cord injury left me with a certain type of emotional feeling (I can’t really describe it) that will strengthen my relationships with clients.  For my last neuro note (kind of a bitter sweet feeling), I decided to complete it on an individual who also sustained a spinal cord injury. I wanted to gain an insight of what someone else felt after their injury. The article I was read was on Alexandria “Alix” Reeves and her life after this traumatic event.

In the article I’m still myself, Alix speaks on her life prior and after her spinal cord injury. Prior to Alix’s injury she was an assistant manger at Charlotte Russ where she would often catch shoplifters, and she was also interested in taking classes at Columbus State. However, the night of May 27, 2010, that all changed. Alix was involved in the crossfire of a gunfight while giving her friend a ride. The bullets ripped through the car she was driving, entered her neck, and shattered parts of her spinal cord. This changed her life forever. However, throughout the article Alix expressed, “I’m still alive and still have the same mentality and personality that I had before. I’m still myself.”  Alix realized that life was completely different now, but she did not let that get her down. She continued to participate in meaningful activities to make the most of her life. Alix expressed how in the past she wasn’t always confident and nervous all of the time, but now she has a new sense of self-assurance.

As a future occupational therapist, this article allowed me to gain knowledge about how a client might feel after an SCI. I know that every situation will be differently, but I enjoyed reading how resilient Alix became after the injury. Things that she once didn’t think about, gangs or turf wars, became of interest to her. In addition, I learned that as an OT practitioner it is important to listen to the client and be there for support. The “little” things that we may do for a client could have a lasting impact. Alix shared how excited she was to get black coffee once a week from a friend!

         Overall this was a good article to read! I recommend this article to all health care professionals, anyone who sustained a SCI, and their family members/friends. In additional, I recommend this article to everyone! Everyone should learn to still see a person who might be in a wheelchair as normal despite their current condition. Since we already discussed SCI earlier in the semester, to further my knowledge, I reviewed previous notes. I also looked into research about gunshot wounds and SCI.

Oliphint, J. (2016). People: Alix Reese: I’m still myself. Columbus Alive. Retrieved from http://www.columbusalive.com/content/stories/2016/05/26/people-alix-reese-im-still-myself.html

Ruby Jewel Bowen

Ruby Jewel Bowen is Caroline's maternal grandmother. She battled with Alzhemier's  dementia before she passed away in 2013. I thought it was very brave of Caroline to share this personal story with us about someone who she loved so dearly. I learned that her grandmother's main symptoms were severe memory loss, communication issues, mobility difficulties, problems with eating, urinary/bowel incontinence, and abnormal behavior. Ruby Jewel Bowen could benefit from occupational therapy to help her stay engaged in activities that she enjoys and make the most of her time. One of her favorite occupations was gardening, and Caroline suggested that an OT would have her practice by putting seeds in a pot to increase fine motor skills. I enjoyed how Caroline added that despite her disabilities, she was still a rockstar! I can tell that her family was very supportive and caring of Mrs. Bowen.

Attitude is Everything

For my fourth neuro note, I decided to do something a little different! Normally, I watch a movie/documentary and write a brief discussion about it. This time around, I decided to read an article. Not just any article though, my goal was to take a closer look into a celebrity who has a neurological disorder. I wanted to gain an insight on how someone with “status and wealth” deals with their condition. The article I read was on Muhammad Ali and his battle with Parkinson’s disease.

In the article Attitude is Everything, Muhammad Ali’s oldest daughter Maryum shares memories of her father and how Parkinson’s disease affected him and their family. Muhammad Ali was a well-known boxer who battled with Parkinson’s disease for nearly three decades before his death. In the article, she speaks about the things her father enjoyed doing. She also stressed that it was important that the entire family understood the disease, and how it made everyone happier because of gained knowledge about it. “The diagnosis doesn’t mean that life is over,” is a phase that the family would often live by to ensure their father was living his best life. In addition, Maryum shares how many doctors misdiagnosed him with Parkinson’s disease at first because he was a boxer. Doctors suggested that, “he was a boxer and he had Parkinson’s syndrome and it wouldn’t get worse.”

As an occupational therapy student, this article was interesting because Maryum would often speak about how it is important to be engaged in what makes you happy. Their family made it their goal to keep Ali engaged in books, Western movies, and conversation – things that were important to him! Our job as occupational therapy practitioners are to help individuals engage in meaningful activities.  I like how they continued to treat him regular to lift his spirit. This just goes to show that people with Parkinson’s disease want to be treated just like they were before the diagnosis! Therefore, it is important that as we treat our clients with PD with have them engaged in acitivties that are important to them and also treat them equally. In addition, the article gave me an insight of a family’s role with a love one with the disease. Maryum made sure that their attitude was positive! Due to this, their attitude took them a long way when caring for their father.

To further my knowledge, I read more into Muhammad Ali’s life before and after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I recommend this article to anyone who is a fan of Muhammad Ali, health care professionals, and also family members of someone who has the condition. I highly recommend it to family members who care for a love one with PD because they might be able to adjust/ learn from Ali’s family.

Herbst, Diane. (2016). Muhammad Ali’s eldest daughter shares memories of her dad and hope for   those with Parkinson’s: ‘Attitude is everything’. People Celebrity. Retrieved from    http://people.com/celebrity/muhammad-alis-eldest-daughter-maryum-shares-memories/

Montel Williams

Montel Williams is an American television personality, radio talk show host, actor, and author. He was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis in January of 1998. He experienced 80% of his left eye vision being loss, depression, and balance issues. In addition, Montel is often very fatigue and has a lot neurological pain. Due to his depression, I learned that Montel tried to kill himself twice. Montel has a hard time with being comfortable with himself. He is often sadden by the fact that he can't be the family man that he wants to be. He has a loving wife and 3 children. His family is his greatest motivation because he still wants to be there for them. Occupational therapy is recommended to teach Montel ways to conserve energy throughout the day, pain and stress management, and rom/endurance/ strengthening for desired activities. A priority for Montel would be as independent as possible and still be able to maintain his day job as a TV host.

Huntington's Disease

Trey Gray is a 48 year-old drummer for Brooks and Dunn. He has Huntington's Disease and is currently a spokesperson/advocate for the disease through HDSA. Huntington's Disease is a hereditary disorder and he received the active gene from his mother, who died of HD. Both his mom and uncle had HD, and it is a 50% chance that the active gene will be passed down from the parent. Trey enjoys playing the drums and producing music. However, due to HD, in the future his occupations can be altered. Trey is seeking occupational therapy to prevent early onset of symptoms such as cognition and muscle memory. Trey lives in Nashville currently with his wife and three kids. It is unknown whether Trey passed the active gene for HD down to any of his children. Current challenges for him include fatigue, memory problems, falling/balance problems, mood swings, and use of medication/alcohol to cope with the disorder.

The Notebook

I decided to do my third neuro note on one of my favorite movies – The Notebook! I decided to choose this movie because, once again, I am a sucker for love! I’m still a hopeless romantic. I also wanted to get a head start by looking into the neuro disorder dementia. So why not re-watch one of my favs!

The Notebook is a love story about a young couple who fell in love in the 1940s, and is presently told by an elderly man in a modern-day nursing home. He reads this love story to a fellow patient, Allie. The love story begins when the couple were young teenagers up to present. The elderly man reading the story is Noah, and he reads the story to his wife, Allie, who is a patient in the nursing home. Allie is suffering from dementia, and during the onset of her illness she instructed Noah to reread their journals to help her remember. She briefly remembers him but soon forgets as he reads the journals. The movie ends with the two falling asleep together in Allie’s bed and both dying in their sleep together.

            My biggest take away from this movie is that as occupational therapy practitioners it is important to do things meaningful for clients. Allie knew that she would soon be losing her memory; however, she still wanted Noah to reread their journals to help her remember. That was something that was meaningful for her - she enjoyed reading and story time! In addition, it is also important for us to have patience with our clients who have dementia because they simply do not understand what might be occurring, but we should still make them feel valued. Nevertheless, occupational therapy practitioners not only work with the client that has dementia but also their caregivers and family members. Our focus should be on the person’s remaining abilities and adaptations and modifications to maintain participation for as long as possible.

            I recommend this movie for anyone who wants to watch a great love story! Also, for anyone who needs a visual outlook on how to have a successful relationship with a love one who is suffering from dementia. To further my learning, I went to AOTA’s website and read the role of OTs with clients who have Alzheimer’s and Dementia. I learned that 5 million Americans are living with dementia and this is an area of productive aging that OTs work in.

AOTA. (2017). Alzehimer’s and dementia. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/Practice/Productive-Aging/Alzheimers-Dementia.aspx

Cassavetes, Nick. (2004). The Notebook. [Streaming video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BiwEfiT-3g