Neuro Note #4: Breea and MS

Breea's Story

    I did my Neuro Note on Multiple Sclerosis-Breea's Story because I was interested in learning more about MS after we learned about it in class.  Breea was diagnosed with severe onset MS and was in the hospital around 6 weeks recovering.  I enjoyed how in the beginning of the video different people said what Breea was to them.  It made me think about how important roles are to shaping an individual's life.  During her hospital stay, her parents took her away one day to visit the ocean.  They called this "Operation Ocean View".  Seeing the ocean was so meaningful to her especially while being cooped up in the hospital for so long.  Long hospital stays take such a toll on a person's sense of freedom and happiness.  
    Breea set goals for herself which were to walk again and graduate from high school.  Because she was extremely tenacious, she met both of those goals!  In fact, she wrote one of her college entrance essays in the hospital room.  I noticed how much strength and encouragement Breea's mother showed throughout the video.  She always pushed Breea to new goals, yet showed patience and kindness throughout the rehab process.  Therapy was difficult for Breea.  The did several leg strengthening exercises and fine motor practice for her affected hand.  After 8 long months, Breea was able to jump, spin, and do a back bend!  When the Youtube video was published she was about to start college and only uses a leg brace for long distances.
    I really enjoy learning about personal stories involving different diseases. This video gave such a good overview of everything Breea went through with MS.  I learned so much about what it is like to regain function from a MS flare up.  I would definitely recommend other OT students watch this if they want to gain a personal perspective of MS. 


There is also a short version of her video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfD9s1_TN0s

B. (2012, September 08). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfD9s1_TN0s

Dementia Case Study - Ronald Reagan

    Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease a few years after he ended his presidency.  He lived 20 years after being diagnosed.  Interestingly, he was the first president to be divorced.  Ronald was adamant that Nancy not be negatively affected by his diagnoses.  I think an important aspect of Alzheimer's disease is the relationship between the caregiver and the person who was diagnosed.  Lauren did an excellent job of thinking of interventions and goals.  An issue with clients with Alzheimer's disease is not having normal sleep patterns.  After 3 months, Lauren wanted Ronald to have restful sleeps and would do this by taking walks during the day instead of napping.  I really enjoyed hearing about Mr. President and how he and Nancy were affected by Alzheimer's disease.

Rachel White's Case Study: S.C. and MS

S. C. was born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia which lead to precocious puberty.  This means she started her period at the age of 6 months.  She also had GERD.  A week before her 21st birthday she was diagnosed with relapse-remission Multiple Sclerosis.  She enjoys riding horses and volunteers at a local hippo-therapy clinic a few times a week.  Rachel wanted a short-term goal for S.C. to be to tell all of her law school professors about her diagnoses. A long-term goal is to work on energy conservation.  OT can also help with fine motor skills.  I found it so impressive she has continued through law school without telling her professors about her having MS, but I hope she will tell them soon.  I enjoyed learning about S. C. and her life with MS.

Ellen's Case Study: Woody Guthrie

   Ellen presented a case study on Woody Guthrie and his diagnoses with Huntington's Disease. He lost motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. He began having violent outbursts and involuntary movements. His mother had Huntington's Disease so when he started having symptoms he assumed that it was HD. He had challenges getting into a regular schedule because he was a traveling musician. OT could help him with routine management to help with the mood changes caused by HD.  OT could also help him map out places when he travels. Lastly, OT can help with end of life planning and caregiver education. I was curious if any of his children or grandchildren got genetic testing done to see if they have the defective gene. This case study was really interesting, and Ellen did a great job of presenting. 

Neuro Note: TransFatty Lives

    TransFatty Lives was an interesting twist on the raw depiction of a man diagnosed with ALS.  Patrick O'Brien was a New York City DJ who got diagnosed with ALS at the age of 30.  He created the film and made it very relevant and honest. 

    Being a musician by nature, the film was very deep and poetic.  He said once that before he was diagnosed, he never thought life could get any more complicated.  O'Brien said he realized how unimportant most things were before he was diagnosed.  The fact that the disease was only going to worsen adds an intense mental and emotional struggle to ALS. 
    At the end of his life, Patrick fought relentlessly to stay alive.  He narrated the film to his son Shawn using his AAC.  When they took him to the hospital, he repeatedly said he did not want a tracheotomy.  Although, he made the difficult decision to get a trach and live in a nursing home just to be alive for Shawn.  Because Patrick's cognitive function was still intact living at the nursing home became monotonous.  Patrick had an idea to have a fashion show using the nursing clothes and equipment.  It was inspiring that in the midst of the end stage of ALS, Patrick's humor and creativity never diminished. 
    I chose to watch this film because I heard good reviews from my classmates, and we recently learned about ALS.  Learning what happens to individuals behind closed doors is so important for future OTs.  This film showed the struggle, fear, and vulnerability that can accompany ALS.  Patrick directed this film all while typing directions using the movement of his eyes!  How amazing!  I think this would be a great resource for other students to watch on their own time.  I really enjoyed watching it, but I'm not sure everyone would as a class. 


O'Brien, P. (Director). (2015). TransFatty lives [Motion Picture]. United States: Netflix.

Virginia's Case Study - Joseph Heller

     Joseph Heller was an author of No Laughing Matter, a book recalling his experience with Guillian-Barr'e Syndrome. He was diagnosed when he was 58 and it wasn't until he was 60 when he fully recovered. At the time of diagnoses he was in the process of writing his 4th book. It was interesting that his symptoms started at the middle of his body rather than the limbs. Doctors considered this an anomaly. His best friend and co-author Speed Vogel was also his caregiver during his time with GBS. Heller had issues with grasping door handles and lifting his legs to take steps. He was always pretty dependent on others because he rarely had the opportunity to do anything on his own. Sounds to me like he was pretty spoiled before his diagnosis with GBS. Therefore, OT could help him with his ADLs and learning how to be independent. According to Heller, GBS does not discriminate and it comes out of nowhere. I enjoyed learning about Joseph Heller and how it affected Joseph. Virginia did a great job!

Foundations Wrap-up

    I am in awe that we have already been in OT school for almost 5 months.  Foundations has been such a rewarding and fun learning experience. It was so beneficial that we touched on a little bit of everything regarding the profession.  My class and I now have a solid "foundation" of OT!  I think my favorite project was the Activity Analysis.  I loved breaking down activities and really examining what factors when into each one.  This course has enabled me to begin thinking and acting like an OT. While the tests in this class sure do make us think critically, I believe it will allow us to be well prepared for the NBCOT when that time comes.  Overall, I appreciate all the hard work Professor Lancaster put into this class and our learning experience.