A Teachable Moment - Neuro Note #2


   I watched a documentary on amazon prime video called A Teachable Moment that was about 4 survivors of stroke (CVA). I chose this documentary because stroke is extremely common and I felt that as a future OT it would be beneficial for me to be more familiar with the subject. This documentary was very educational and I enjoyed how when explaining stroke, they used visual aids like cartoons. I would recommend all OT students to watch this documentary because it’s very insightful and there are good examples on how to explain stroke to future clients.

   One of the stroke survivors, Roderick Dunston, was unemployed and had no health insurance when he had his stroke. Luckily, he had PT friends who would work with him as favors but overall he did rehab on his own. He had no OT or speech therapy and he taught himself how to speak again with Hooked on Phonics. His progress took longer than if he were to have traditional therapy but I thought his story was a wonderful example of how resilience and determination play a key role in transformation of the mind and body. He also started a foundation called the Roderick Dunston Foundation, which is a foundation for stroke survivors and for educational resources on identifying and avoiding stroke. To see more information there is a facebook page. 
                               https://m.facebook.com/RoderickDunstonFoundation/

This documentary was very informative and there were a few points that I thought were worthy of mentioning:
  • F.A.S.T. (how to recognize a stroke) 
    • F- facial weakness
    • A - arm weakness
    • S - speech problems 
    • T - Time (go to the hospital fast)
I liked this acronym because it’s easy to remember and I can tell future clients about it.
  • Be aware if you live in the “stroke belt”. These are locations that have a higher risk of stroke. It’s more common in these places and ages of those impacted are younger. 
                                                              
https://www.saebo.com/the-stroke-belt/

  • 3 techniques that help with managing stress:
    • stretching, breathing and meditation 
Related image
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwill5zGw4HkAhVEYs0KHTD-Dd4QjB16BAgBEAM&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindful.org%2Ffocus-attention%2F&psig=AOvVaw0I5fHKSCSkBff_rjerp2yM&ust=1565843343472448
 Lee Stroy, a 3x stroke survivor, adapted these techniques and especially meditation to recover from stroke. A little about his story, he had 2 strokes in 2 days. He could not drive so he began walking everywhere and it became a therapeutic component in his life. He also began reading, praying, and reflecting more and that is what helped him grow the most on his journey to recovery. This ties into the spiritual aspect of OT and emphasizes how crucial self-care and stress management is in holistic healing.

 To learn more on this film: 
https://www.ateachablemoment.film/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A52tvvMf90o

References: 
Favante, J. (Director), & Furphy, T. (Producer). (2018). A Teachable Moment. Retrieved August 11, 2019.




















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