Disabled but Not Really - Neuro Note #1


            I watched a Netflix series called Queer Eye. The episode is called Disabled but Not Really (season 4, episode 2). Queer Eye is a show about 5 men giving a deserving person a makeover. This episode featured a man named Wesley Hamilton who suffered from a gunshot wound and acquired a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He was bedridden for 2 years and was also overweight. His injury took a toll on him not only physically but mentally and he became depressed. His injury also affected his mother who gave up her life to take care of him. After years of having his disability and being in a wheelchair, Wesley became more physically active and lost over 100 lbs. He started a foundation called "Disabled but Not Really". His foundation is to provide awareness and programs to people who have disabilities and to encourage them to be healthy and physically fit. He shared how he felt that his accident helped him in a positive way and that he felt more empowered in his chair than when he able to walk.
            I chose to watch this for my neuro note because I enjoy this show and the concept behind it. Since this show is all about making over someone's life I thought it would be interesting to see how they would makeover a guy who has a spinal cord injury and the adaptations that would need to be made to help better his life. When they did a tour of his home, he expressed how one of his occupations, cooking, was hindered because of his disability. He could not reach his stove and he used a spatula to navigate the buttons on his stove which often led to him getting burned frequently. He also expressed how he never wore jackets. This was because they would always get dirty if they were too long and would drag on his wheels. He also communicated how when he would do his morning routine he could not see himself in the bathroom mirror. He also used adaptive equipment like a reacher to reach for clothes in his closet. I appreciated this segment because not wearing a jacket or not being able to see yourself in the mirror are things I never would have considered and as a future OT, I found it very insightful and will remember it for clients in the future.
            To address these issues, the queer eye team redid Wesley’s entire home to accommodate his needs and improve his independence. They added a ramp to the front of his house, they moved his washer and dryer from the basement to make it more accessible, they moved his cabinets and kitchen appliances to his eye level and they also positioned his mirror in his bathroom at an angle so that he could see himself. They tailored his clothes so that they would no longer drag on the floor. It was great to see how these changes would improve his independence. Wesley was very appreciative and was happy that he would be able to do tasks around his home more independently. I found Wesley and his story to be very inspiring because he had an attitude that was empowering instead of defeated.

Here is a link to his foundation, Disabled but Not Really, where there is information on how to get involved. 
https://disabledbutnotreally.org/

https://disabledbutnotreally.org/


 References:
David, C. (Producer), & Abed, H. (Director).(2019). Queer Eye: Disabled but Not Disabled. Retrieved from netflix.com. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Is The OTPF Important?

The OTPF stands for Occupational Therapy Practice Framework and it is important to learn about because it outlines and highlights the key values of occupational therapy. Some of the key aspects of occupational therapy that it highlights are client factors, performance skills, performance patterns, context and environment, and activity demands. It helps with communication within the OT community and it sets guidelines and standards within the field. It is helpful to have this guide as an OT so that we become more well-rounded and holistic OT’s.
Read more

What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's - Neuro Note #4

Image
   For this neuro note, I chose to watch a TED x Talk called What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's by Lisa Genova. I chose this because Alzheimer's is very common and I feel as though I don't know as much about it as I would like and I would like to know more. In this TED x Talk,  Genova talked about what Alzheimer's looks like in the brain. It is an accumulation of the protein β-Amyloid and plaques. She also elaborated on how lifestyle impacts Alzheimer's. People who are sleep deprived are linked to higher rates of Alzheimer's. This makes sense because sleep is when the brain regenerates. Along with sleep deprivation, cardiovascular disease, as well as other diseases like diabetes, is also linked to Alzheimer's. These were factors that seemed obvious, but what I did learn from the video was that neuroplasticity of the brain from increased stimulating activities would help prevent Alzheimer's. Genova explained how a "cognitive reserve" ...
Read more

A Glyph on Leadership

Image
My perspective when I started OT school:  - leadership stems from nurture over nature -  your leadership style is more behind the scenes - know  of at least one leader who has had a positive impact on you - creativity is more important than organization in leadership - an introvert can be an effective leader  -  seeing yourself as a leader is necessary to being a leader For the most part, my perspective on the items of the glyph has not changed. My perspective has changed with "seeing yourself as a leader is necessary to being a leader" because I now believe that people can be leaders without realizing they are leaders. 
Read more