Imposter Syndrome

    After taking the Imposter Phenomenon Rating Scale test, I scored in the "moderate IP experiences" category. I feel that this is pretty accurate because it does not seem like imposter syndrome affects me daily, but it does come up sometimes in my life. At this point in my career, I can see imposter syndrome possibly becoming more of a problem, since I am about to start Level II Fieldwork. It could be easy to fall into a mindset of seeing myself as an imposter once I develop my own caseload and start planning my own treatment sessions. But, I plan to utilize what we have learned about ways to combat imposter syndrome so that I do not develop thoughts about if I am competent enough or not.

    

    Firstly, I plan to do a lot of self-reflection and preparation during this next week prior to starting Level II Fieldwork. By assessing myself and studying up on common diagnoses/treatments/etc. that I may see in my setting, I will feel better prepared and be more confident coming into my first day. And if I don't feel confident, I'll fake it until I make it. I will remind myself of how hard I worked to make it to this point in my life and career. By reminding myself of all that I have accomplished to get here, my negative and untrue thoughts stemming from imposter syndrome will fade. I have also started trying to expand my network and stay in touch with OTs I have been on fieldwork with, met at the job fair, etc. This will not only aid in my search for a job as a new grad but also for mentorship once I do get a job. 

    It is important to realize that imposter syndrome is normal and happens to everyone. By remembering this, we will feel more confident in ourselves even when these thoughts do creep into our minds. We belong here, and we will do amazing on Level II Fieldwork. No imposters here!

Locus of Control

     After completing the locus of control questionnaire, I scored sort of in the middle of having an internal and external locus of control. I lean more toward external locus of control. I think this is accurate as I share some of the qualities of both sides but have my faults when it comes to not always taking the blame for things. But in the same sense, I feel that I demonstrate the positives of the external locus of control as well, as I am more easy-going and won't let myself get stuck on thinking about the past and what I could have done differently. 

    Learning about locus of control especially in a healthcare aspect is very important for us as future occupational therapists. We will have clients coming in from all different kinds of situations. Some will have an internal locus of control and will put the responsibility of working to achieve their goals completely on themselves. These are the ideal clients, but obviously we are not always going to have those. It is inevitable that we will have clients come in that find every person/situation/etc. to blame for what happened to them or why they are not achieving their goals. It is important we find ways to stay patient with these clients and help them work past this mentality.

    Helping these clients achieve an internal locus of control will make a huge difference in how they perceive their situations. It is important for us to talk with them and help them focus on what they can do now and not what happened in the past. It can be easy for us to grow impatient and less sympathetic to those who constantly find someone to blame or something to complain about. But, it is our job not to give up on them and to remind them that they are the ultimate decision maker when it comes to achieving their goals. This can make a difference in how they participate in their therapy sessions and especially their home exercise programs. We as OTs need to work to encourage an internal locus of control in our clients so that they know they can achieve success in their lives.

Media Project

For my media project material, I had buttons. I turned this simple item into a "button garden" complete with a cookie sheet full of soil, button "seeds," and plastic gardening tools. I did this because my client Dennis has suffered a stroke and now has left neglect. He wants to return to one of his favorite activities (gardening), so doing activities with this button garden can be enjoyable while also benefitting him in many ways. It can improve his finger and wrist flexibility, bilateral coordination, object release, dexterity, safety awareness, strength, balance, ROM, and more. 

The most significant thing I learned from this project is that you can make anything into something meaningful. Having something as simple as buttons but making it into a whole setup that is meaningful to the client just shows how much you can do when you really put thought into your interventions. I feel that one way I have changed is by realizing I can be creative. Before now, I have always said I'm not creative. But, now I believe that everyone is creative in their own way. We shouldn't belittle our abilities just because they're different from someone else's. 

Completing this assignment has impacted me in a way that I will remember for future courses and in clinical work. It has made me realize even more how important it is to make our interventions and activities occupation-based. This concept became more real for me as I was working with my materials. I thought about how boring it would be if I just asked Dennis to count and pick up buttons. Adding in a simulation of one of his favorite hobbies (working in his garden) was something so simple yet I know would be so affective and meaningful to him. 

Below is a photo of the button garden and a link to my media project video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JUdo3YKLJE

Neuro Note #5 - Huntington's Disease

For this neuro note, I decided to choose Huntington's Disease (HD). We just learned about this disease recently in class, but I wanted to dive deeper in order to gain a better understanding of what HD is like. I wanted to gain knowledge from someone's personal experience with this disease, so I chose to watch a Ted Talk called "Facing Death Full of Life" by Danielle Valenti. Danielle shares about how her mother's diagnosis of HD impacted her life. Her mother found out she had HD but chose to keep it a secret from her daughter to protect her. Danielle explains how horrible this disease is by describing the sad reality of how it took her mother's life. She describes her mother as eventually being "the shell of the woman that raised her." Danielle's mother eventually chose to take her own life by refusing food every day. Danielle decided to let her mother choose her destiny rather than forcing her to do something she did not want to do. Her mother died 67 days after refusing her last bite of food. This was shocking to me as I was thinking the process might have happened faster than that. Danielle decided she wanted to get the genetic test to see if she would eventually develop this disease. Most people that could have HD do not get the test because they know there is nothing they can do about it. Danielle had a different perspective - she didn't feel she could mourn her mother properly unless she got tested because HD will always have an impact on her life no matter what. Danielle tested positive but has no way of knowing when she will develop symptoms. She admits she has bad days living with the knowledge of how her life will end, but she also states that she decided she is going to commit to happiness and knows she will get there because she is investing in it every day. 

I admire Danielle's bravery. She is selfless and cared for her mom in a way that allowed her to make her own choices even though Danielle may not have agreed with or liked how things would turn out because of it. I think it's also so brave of Danielle to get the genetic testing done. I have no idea what choice I would make, but I tend to think I would rather not know since it won't make a difference. But until you are put in that kind of position of having the option to know your destiny, I don't think anyone truly knows what they would do. Through watching this video, I have learned a little about what it's like to have a loved one die of HD and know you will have the same results. It is so difficult to imagine, but it is important that we know how to empathize with and care for these people. I have a hard time learning about these awful, life-altering diseases, but I learn a lot when I watch people's personal testimonies. So many of them choose to stay happy during the rest of their time on Earth, and I think that's so inspiring and should drive all of us to choose to be happy in our own lives every day. 

References:

[TEDx Talks]. (2015, December 4). Facing Death Full of Life | Danielle Valenti | TEDxBerkshires. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JRwCdmewl0

Neuro Note #4 - Guillain-Barré Syndrome

For this neuro note, I wanted to learn about Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). I chose this topic because I honestly don't think I have ever heard of this disease, much less know what it is. I wanted to broaden my horizons and learn about GBS by watching a Youtube video entitled "Andrew's Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome." This video is all about Andrew Franek's testimony to his diagnosis of GBS in 2016. Andrew had just started his career as a firefighter when he suddenly got sick with a very high fever, weakness, and a rash. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strep. Some of his symptoms resolved, but then his feet became numb. After a few days he could no longer walk because of weakness and tightness. A spinal tap revealed that he had GBS. The video shows the progression of the disease including all the treatments and therapy he received. Andrew had to have an NG tube and was even placed on a BPAP machine. Things got so bad with Andrew struggling to breathe that he requested to be intubated and put on life support. He was paralyzed but had horrible symptoms like his body was burning or being crushed, migraines, and blurred vision. Andrew eventually made major improvements and was able to eat and breathe on his own. After his time at Shepherd Center having lots of therapy, Andrew got his normal life back. He is fully recovered and back at his job of being a firefighter - all of this in less than a year!

By watching this Youtube video about Andrew, I learned a lot about GBS, considering I knew nothing about this disease before. I liked how Andrew talked about all of his symptoms leading up to the disease since they were common and he was misdiagnosed at first. Showing the full details in how this disease manifested in Andrew was very eye-opening. This was such an inspiring story of how miraculously Andrew recovered after the extreme lows he had. He also mentioned how great some staff were but how terrible others were. Some completely disregarded him or treated him like he was part of a checklist. This was yet another reminder of how much it matters that we as OTs get to know our patients and genuinely show that we care about them. 

References:

Andrew J. Franek (2017, August 1) Andrew's Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWvrHhs2jps

Neuro Note #3 - Parkinson's Disease

For this neuro note, I decided to learn a little more about Parkinson's Disease. I chose this because I have never been around anyone with this specific disease until last year when I started dating my boyfriend whose grandmother has Parkinson's. I became interested in how Parkinson's affects people after this. The article I'm writing about is also about a service dog, and since I am obsessed with dogs, the article caught my eye.
To further my learning, I read an article entitled "The biggest compliment I get is when people don't notice my dog is here" by Aurore Groult. The author interviews Renee La Verrier about her diagnosis and how her dog assists her in her daily life. Renee has lived with Parkinson's for 13 years and has had her service dog Tommy for six years.

Reading this article helped me learn the benefits of having a service dog for someone with Parkinson's. Tommy helps Renee have confidence enough to go out in public places each day. Renee states that not only does Tommy help her physically but he also helps build a bridge between her and other people because people look at her and don't just see a disease. But with the benefits of having Tommy also comes challenges. Tommy requires a lot of attention and care, and Renee frequently worries about something happening to him. There are also many fraudulent dog services in the U.S. which means just about anyone can fake a dog's service, and that can be very dangerous in certain places. She talks about how some dogs run all over the place while people comment on not even noticing her dog. This is how it should be because dogs that are not properly trained can cause a lot of problems. In conclusion, service dogs can be beneficial to those with Parkinson's, but a lot of research should be done first in regards to the right organizations and proper training for the dog.


Reference List:

Groult, A. (2018). The biggest compliment I get is when people don't notice my dog is here. Parkinson's Life. http://parkinsonslife.eu/renee-le-verrier-service-dogs/

Neuro Note #2 - Multiple Sclerosis

For this neuro note, I wanted to learn more about multiple sclerosis because I feel like I just don't know a lot about it. I had always thought of it as a disease that impacted everyone severely and was debilitating until I met one of my best friend's college friends who has MS. I would've never been able to tell she had it if she hadn't told me. She said she just has some vision trouble and pain sometimes. This was the start of my interest in learning more about multiple sclerosis.

To further my learning, I watched "Breea's Story," a youtube video about an 18-year-old girl who was diagnosed with severe onset of multiple sclerosis. She suddenly became blind in her left eye, could not talk or swallow, and had paralysis on her left side. After months of therapy, treatments, and encouragement, she made major improvements and gained her independence and a lot of her strength back. She was very determined and overcame huge obstacles to get her life back.

From this video I learned how severe multiple sclerosis can be but also the improvements that can be made with the right support and determination. I highly recommend watching this video because it gives insight on the struggles of multiple sclerosis but also is very inspiring because it shows how Breea overcame those struggles.


References:

[breeareneebeatsms]. (2012, September 8). Multiple Sclerosis - Breea's Story. Youtube. https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5819044671474784522#editor/target=post;postID=5619129910520304250