Last Fieldwork Level I

SO its hump day of the work week.  I am learning quite a bit from the Daniel Carney Rehab Engineering Center.  The site is very cool and so is the staff, I will take some pics tomorrow and hopefully post them.   Over the past 3 days I have been doing wheelchair evals and seeing all different types of people with different diagnoses.  From Cerebral Palsy to Muscular Dystrophy and complications with scoliosis to a patient with a trach and an NG tube.  Each day I have followed a different OT, but the experience has been very rewarding so far and I feel as though I have learned a lot.

The other thing I wanted to blog about was that I PASSED my semester with a 'B' average- the finals were difficult as expected, but we got our grades back and I am excited to see the good news. I have studied long and hard to get the grades and to get into the field and the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to show.  Check back soon to get a follow up on my level 1 site- thanks for reading.

John

Finals! Fieldwork

Well finals are over. The two and a half years of work, stress, strain, learn, confusion, and clarification come together for a great moment of celebration to close this chapter and prepare for the next. The knowledge learned over the past 2.5 yrs is starting to come together and reading through medical notes the used to be 'greek' to me now make sense...well, more sense- I still have a lot to learn about diagnoses. Yesterday, I volunteered at the Rehab Institute of KC and had a great experience, I know there will be many ups and downs through my career but sand am excited to start my Level II fieldwork in January.

What is fieldwork? Well, the term explains pretty much what it is- 'Work' in the 'Field' to gain more competency in OT. Each OT program does it a little differently, at Rockhurst you have 3 Level I's (which last 1 week) and 2 Level II's with an option to do a third Level II to gain more competency in a given field (these last ~3 months). For instance if I wanted more direct training in a hands or prosthetics area I would opt for the level II optional fieldwork.

In a 2003 Addendum to "The Purpose and Value of Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education" from "The Reference Manual of the Official Documents of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc." it states:

Fieldwork education prepares students to become competent, entry-level generalists who can function and thrive in a rapidly changing and dynamic health and human service delivery system.

Level I fieldwork is almost like job shadowing with the goal to learn more about the field of OT and to start applying some of the skills learned in the classroom. In a level II we are working towards the quote above- to become competent, entry-level generalists. In a level II the OT student gains more knowledge and freedom to get us ready to be entry level OTs. The level II supervisor expects more out of the student and we are also given more freedom to help in the plan of care for patients.

OTS thoughts: It feels good to realize the investment in school, the stress, and the knowledge gained is all starting to pay off. This is one small victory on my way to getting through my Level II's and passing the NBCOT (board exam) to become an OTR/L (occupational therapist registered/licensed). If you are looking into OT at Rockhurst and you have any questions feel free to shoot them to me. I knew coming into the program there was many things I didn't understand and some things have changed within the past 2.5 years with the program. Thanks for reading.

Harrisburg, PA

Well in the midst of FINALS my cousin decided to get married in Pennysylvania. The wedding was beautiful and it let me get my first taste of the east coast, but with final projects behind me and Finals week ahead of me, the timing was less than optimal. We were near Hershey, PA where Hershey's chocolate and other chocolates are made at the Hershey's plant. Here is a video if you never get an opportunity to visit the visitor's tour. It was brief, but fun and reminds you of 'It's a small world afterall" ride at Disney with animatronics etc. We walked around and saw all the different chocolates and candies and they even had a child sized gingerbread house made of all candy with candy deer as well.

The other video I posted was of the Sandwich Man shop. I forgot to take an outside video of the place as we were on our way to the wedding, but here is a small video of the food and what not-it had a "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives" feel to the restaurant for sure. I am posting this video because lately I have used Tripadvisor.com quite frequently and enjoy letting others know what is cool and what is not so cool when I visit places. I enjoy good food, good atmosphere, and good service at a fair price. This restaurant had all of those, and it lets you appreciate the small businesses in America working hard for the money.

OTS thoughts: the finish line is near, stay calm and graduate

Capstone...and Thanksgiving

Well, we are now at the point in the program of the last couple of weeks of classes. Projects due Monday, Final presentations, and then FINALS. Last week we presented our Capstone project and I had my parents, my wife's parents, and her grandmother show up for moral support. I feel like everyone presented well and it is a huge payoff from the time and work we have put in over the past year. Capstone is a great learning experience.

Our Capstone was adapting the KELS (Kohlman Evaluation of Living Skills) for use in the island nation of St. Lucia (in the Caribbean). Last years research group started the project by seeing what areas of the KELS needed to be modified to be used in St. Lucia, this year we followed through based on Zimnavoda's and Geisinger's research articles for adapting assessments (especially the KELS) for use in other cultures. We took the previous research for modifications, made the modifications, had a focus group to make sure that the modifications were culturally appropriate and then we ran a pilot study to see if the modifications were appropriate. We got our data collection completed during spring break, so we were ahead of the game in many aspects (which has helped with our semester's work). Anyways, it is good to have one less thing on the plate.

Lastly, Happy Thanksgiving. With all the stress of school and life- there are many things to be thankful for- no matter how bad or good our situation. Health, family, a warm meal, roof over our head, the opportunity to live in America. I hope everyone has a good thanksgiving. Thanks for reading.

OTS thoughts: Survival :)

Recycling

SO even though the jury is out on recycling and the cost/benefit of it all. I believe in it and I try to make an effort to recycle. We are lucky in Olathe to have our own Recycling garbage can and on Rockhurst's campus there is a Glass recycling depository. I am working on converting my wife to be more conscious of recycling, but it does take some work. There is a recycling club on campus that has posted 'fun facts' around campus. Here are some similar facts on a website about recycling borrowed from this website:
http://www.headwatersrecycle.com/why.html

GLASS

• It takes approximately 1 million years for a glass bottle to break down in a landfill.
• In the U.S. today, 34% of all glass containers are recycled.
• Most bottles and jars contain at least 25% recycled glass.
• Glass never wears out - it can be recycled forever.
• Recycling glass saves 25-32% of the energy used to make glass.
• Glass containers save 9 gallons of fuel (oil) for every ton of glass recycled.

Like I said the jury is out, when you have different types of glass, different metals, and other things that go with glassware, its hard to justify taking the time and energy to recycle. Either way, our garbage is piling up and hopefully there are smarter people than myself working on making the process work better. I hope you are doing what you can to help the process out. Thanks for reading.

OTS thoughts: OT is not about me, I must prepare myself to be an educated therapist and continue to sharpen my practice through continuing education and reading through the most current research. I am the only the medium or means to offer therapy to my patients. I must be on my 'A' game and know my stuff, or talk to others to get the right answers to be the best therapist I can be. This is similar to other world problems, like recycling. There are educated people working on this problem right now. They are educated and working to lessen a potential problem that we have overlooked and might be a larger problem in the future. I hope to study up more on major world problems (like recycling) when my school load is lessened, until then I am still hitting the books. Also, until I hear of different ideas on recycling I will continue to do my best to help the future generations and I hope you do as well.

Peds lab: creating a trust in therapy

In class we were divided into two groups and were not told what was going to happen. Our professor set up the room, and had the other half of our class wait in the hallway with the doors closed. She then grabbed each participant one by one, blindfolded them, brought them into the room, and had a student in the classroom guide the blindfolded student through an obstacle course around tables, 'figure 8's', standing on a step up stool, crawling under a table and ending up on a chair. The blindfolded student (the patient), was only guided by touch cues and was not given any verbal cues on what we (the therapist) were doing or why were doing it.

The learning example helped both sides talk about how easy or difficult the process was. We talked about how information was given and interpreted. Also, with no verbal language and a lack of vision, the patient had to trust the therapist to guide them correctly, make sure that the 'cues' the therapist gave were not too little or too much. It made us think about how much we, as therapists, need to guide patients through a process and have them trust us and how much we need to slow down and collaborate with them to help them problem solve along the way. Either way, I thought it was thought provoking and made me think about how I will interact with patients in the future. Also, it helped me see with a language barrier how a patient feels that may transcend into a different verbal language, or a receptive/expressive aphasia that limits their ability to dialogue with me.

OTS thoughts: It is amazing how one touch or one bit of pressure is interpreted by the therapist and received by the patient. Too much, too little, wrong spot, wrong interpretation, lack of trust, too much trust, other senses to help problem solve or lack of senses to do so- all play a vital role in the patient/therapist success. These are all things that we understand and have faced through our course load, but it keeps me focused on making every cue and every intervention count- and hope that I do not face too many miscues that might send my patient down a different track that can lead to frustration, lack of trust, or getting hurt. thanks for reading.

They did it...

So as hard as it is for me to do this... we have a 2011 World Series Champ... As the playoffs were narrowing down the field and as games began for the World Series, the Cardinals fans came out in full force. (Below is a picture of McGee Hall as you walk onto campus from the parking lot.- 'Lets Go Cards'.)

My wife's parents got tickets to the CRAZY game 6, and gave us a call that Friday morning they could get tickets for game 7. Since my Cubbies have been waiting for 108 years, and the Royals haven't been playoff ready for a few years now, I figured this might be one of the only times in my life that I could get up and go to the game. So we packed up the car and headed out to see our family friend, Ryan Theriot...and the World Series.

The game 7 wasn't as exciting as the game 6, but Freese did come through again to give the Cards an early momentum shift that carried them to the 'W'. Theriot played most of the game, which we enjoyed and St. Louis was CRAZY after the win. So in all good sportsmanship- congrats Cards, the celebration looked fun and if it was my Cubbies I would be freaking out as well. I have never been to a playoff game- let alone a World Series- and due to the craziness of cubs fans and my lack of funds, I don't exactly see myself being able to make it up for a Playoff or World Series game in Chicago. The atmosphere was fun, the fans were crazy, and I wore my halloween costume (a STL cards hat). Well played St. Louis, well played. (The pics below are of my game 7 ticket and a picture from our seats.)

First Frost- veggies

         Since it was the first frost of the season I had to dig up all of my garden and get ready for ...winter. (boo, not a huge fan of the season).  There were 2 days of solid frost, before it warmed back up to 60s, 70s, and today 80. 
          I don't know much about gardening, but with raised beds in my backyard I decided to expand my occupations/hobbies and plant some veggies.  This year I tried out tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus (which apparently takes ~6 years to take a good hold), jalapenos, lettuce, and perennial strawberries. 
        The tomatoes are pretty easy to get going, jalapenos always come up less than optimal for me (but I had a couple grow in as opposed to years past), potatoes tasted alright so that was somewhat successful, the lettuce sprouted like a plant (with flowers/seeds) before I could pick it to eat, and the strawberries were a little small.  I was mildly impressed to actually get potatoes and carrots out of my garden this year since it was my first year trying, and my asparagus actually took hold.
        Now that you are probably thoroughly bored, I am writing about this because of the cold weather that is coming and because it is pretty amazing to see things actually growing from planting things. I didn't water regularly, I didn't spread the seeds out as prescribed, and my soil is probably less than optimal, but I still got some veggies. So as you see to the left are my yield of carrots and potatoes.  I peeled both bowls full and will make a meal/soup with them.  I also picked around 2 pounds of green tomatoes- which are not pictured here (and I am not sure what to do with them- fry them?), but I had to pick them due to the frost.

Anyways, this school week is a slower week before we pick back up with more quizzes, finalizing capstone projects, and pumping through more tests and assignments.  Last week was a little rough, with quizzes, practical and assignments.  I have to keep reminding myself that the end is in sight andit will come faster than I know it.

OT thoughts:  Gardening is hard.  Maybe balancing everything as well as gardening is hard.  I did not water regularly, did not evenly space, and did not weed the garden properly and so I probably got low yields of veggies. I have talked to some people that say gardening and yard work is how they 'burn off energy' or that is their 'hobby'.  I am not sure that I would go as far as saying it is my 'hobby', but it is something I do that is not necessary to do, but I still choose to participate in it.   So kudos to you that garden regularly and are good at it (or at least better than you used to be.  Any thoughts on how to help me with gardening- tips etc...simple or complex please note them below (I need the guidance, believe me.) Thanks for reading.

The little things

THIS WEEK- Well hello followers in the blogosphere.  I have been busy this week with a musculo lab practical on Monday (Carpal Tunnel patient), an orthotics/splinting assignment due today, a capstone meeting tomorrow, a quiz today, and then 2 more quizzes tomorrow. I have worked 4 hours and will be working 14 by the week's end.  The sad part is that is how this semester has been going.  My stress levels have been high, my tiredness has been high, and the fact of being wore out from class is also running high.  However, get me to January 9 and I will be to the next step of this program- Level II fieldwork.

NEW INSIGHTS- As I was thinking about what to blog about, I realized that my life isn't all that interesting.  Sure I can offer insights into being a nontraditional student in a Master's of Occupational Therapy program at RU, or about being newly married and balancing grad school, but overall I feel as though there are more insightful people, smarter, more creative, than myself. This is not a discredit to me, but a credit to those creative, genius minds that are at work 24/7. With that being said, it made me think today about focusing on the little things.  My life is very busy and my focus is very much in this program and getting through it, while doing the best I can to balance all areas of my life.  My hope for this blog is to begin blogging more frequently and that you, the reader will gain some insights into my life, as well as think about your own.

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES...They say to stop and smell the flowers, which means that we all need to stop in our busy days and have a look at life and see the little things that we pass up on by not slowing down more often and see these GOOD things in our life.  This program at times makes it hard to do that, but it is a goal and there is a reason it is called a Master's degree.

DAILY MOMENT- So my moment today was- COFFEE.  I have had a cup of homemade Starbucks the past couple of days and drank it on my drive into class, with the brisk air of fall coming in quickly I enjoyed the moment of having a cup this morning.  I thought about the good things in life, and today's good thing was the gift of coffee.  I thought about the hard work that goes into harvesting it, the warmth it provides on a cold day, and the caffeine that helps me get through the day's work.  So today, if you have/had coffee- enjoy the moment.  I thank God for the good in my life and for letting me take a moment to enjoy one of the many gifts I have in life. 

OTS thoughts: long week, I survived- bring on the quizzes and next week.

thanks for reading.

-John

Making some splints: lab

Quick quiz- What is one major skill that sets OT's apart from other disciplines?    ...SPLINTING

Over the past few weeks we have been getting into more peripheral nerve injuries (ie Carpal Tunnel, Cubital Tunnel) as well as other hand injuries (ie DeQuervain's Tensosynovitis, Dupuytren's Contracture). Our first test was this week, and I will let you know how the practical goes (as it is after break).  These pics were taken in lab the other day.  My partner and myself fit these splints using some pre-fabricated splinting material that was heated in a simmering pan.  They are some of our first attempts at a wrist cock up splint.  We learned about how well the material molds, how to roll some of the edges so that it does not cause skin breakdown or irritation, and we made sure that it fit the right dimensions of our arm.  We also made a resting hand splint, which looks like the picture below.  We have been learning about the protocols behind making splints like what injuries to wear them for, the wear schedule, and what type of anatomical position the splint should be made in. These splints are not finished with the velcro straps to make sure that keep the splint in place.

The wrist cock up splint helps keep pressure off the Median Nerve, who is the main culprit in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  The splint helps keep the wrist from bending backwards (extension) or forward (flexion) too much.  This gives the wrist a nice neutral position to rest the 'Carpal Tunnel' which is comprised of nine tendons and the Median Nerve- kind of a tight squeeze already.  You hear of this injury in occupations that do a lot of typing, writing with bad hand position, chefs, doctors, housewives, musicians, cyclists etc. Anything to put a continuous stress on the tunnel squeezing the median nerve and tendons that run through the tunnel. 

OTS thoughts: The musculo class and lab has reinvigorated my love for occupational therapy.  We have learned about splinting and an overview of modalities that we will encounter in the clinic.  I enjoy building and making things, and it will be even more rewarding to know that it will have a functional purpose that will help someone get back to living their life. Hand therapy is a long road to get certified and is hard to get into, but as I focus more on my area of practice I hope to still be making splints in some area. 

fantasy football anyone?

FANTASY FOOTBALL (FF for this blog)

As I mentioned in last week's edition of the blog, football tends to consumer my fall semester and tends to make it hard for me to balance class and doing any homework on Sundays, Mondays and Thursday nights.  I have been doing FF with my in-laws for the past 3 seasons (and now this season).  I was the league champ last year, pretty much by luck and a certain DeSean Jackson returning a punt return against the Giants to seal the deal for me to win.

WHAT IS FF?
If you have never played fantasy football (FF), it brings in a new element to just having a favorite NFL team.  The gist of it, is that you 'draft' players at the beginning of the season, you are allowed to play a QB, Running backs, wide receivers, a tight end, a kicker, and special teams/defense and they each score points based on how well or not so well they play (my starting line up from last week is posted- left).

 Each league can set different rules for how to score points and how many players each team can have.  The nice part about FF is that it makes you tune in to many of the NFL teams across the league and the individual performances of selected players that add points based on the productivity for the day.  Even if my Bears go 0-16, I could still win the league in FF by drafting the best team and having FF team play well. 

 

LEISURE ACTIVITY

                 The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF) defines leisure as "a                 

                 nonobligatory activity that is intrinsically motivated and engaged in during discretionary

                 time, that is, time not committed to obligatory occupations such as work, self-care, or 

                 sleep." 

 

Watching football and playing FF is an occupation that I enjoy because it is part of what OT's call 'leisure activities' (or a hobby).  When I used to watch football it was a good social event but we did not get into the logistics of who is doing what on the team as long as your favorite team won.  Now with the added dimension of being able to compete with other people and having to think of each individual match-up, there is more to think about in 'competing' week in and week out.  It is my 'break' from school work and the much needed element of competition in my life.

SO JOHN, WHAT'S YOUR POINT?... (OTS Thoughts)

My point is... I love fantasy football and my brain tends to look at every activity how an OT might view the activity.  An OT takes every situation and thinks of how it can be adapted, made relative, and be functional for our clients to keep them engaged in daily activities.  I think that FF is such a great idea for competition that puts people with all different abilities on the same playing field.  FF adds a level of competition as it has been doing for several years now and could be a functional yet fun activity to possibly work into therapy one day down the road.  

There is many executive functions (ie planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, inhibition, mental flexibility, multi-tasking, initiation and monitoring of actions) as well as social factors (sportsmanship, competition, dealing with stressful situations) at work here .  As an OT we must think of 'functional activities' to elicit the therapy that patients are in need of and helps meet our goals.  FF might not be that therapy for everyone, but I feel that it is thinking in the right direction to meet the client in the goal planning. As of now, it is just my leisure activity.

Good luck this season (if you have a team), and make sure to not let FF or football overrun the focus on the semester. Thanks again for reading. 

Assistive technology: OT

So to cover the ACOTE requisites we have to have a module on learning about 'assistive technology' as used in an OT setting.   We participated in a 2 day lab last weekend which was interesting, but tough because we gave up our precious Saturday.  I had pictures to post, but my phone has blown up (figuratively speaking) and now there are in some digital limbo.  So what is assistive technology?  It is hardware, software, and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies.



Items Covered in lab: Ipad, headmouse, track ball, software, keyguards, specialized keyboards, ergonomic devices, short cuts and how to use them (ie on Microsoft Word or shortcut commands for your pc), and dynavox (or similar related communication devices).
Cost: $30 up to several thousand dollars.  (This includes any software, peripheral devices, or other specialized equipment used.)

It was interesting that after having this lab, and typing up this blog the AOTA 1-minute update came into my inbox.  (Again, if you aren't signed up to receive it, its worth the minute(s) of your life.)

Its headlining story was about how Ipads are making it easier for patients with disabilities, (ie spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy (etc)) to participate in reading books easier, changing the channels on the tv, and communicating with simple commands than had been previously used.  There are pros and cons to any situation as well as the legalities behind creating new apps, but as a future therapist the Ipad and technology are making huge strides in the therapy and rehabilitation field.  I posted a 2 minute video (below) from CBS Miami news.  If you are interested in reading the story- (click onthe CBS Miami news hyperlink).  Very cool stuff.

In the lab we were shown how to use the software, hardware, and peripherals and we had to think about how they could be applied in the lab and to patients with different diagnoses'.  It was fun and interesting to learn the technologies and wrap our brain's around how they could be used.

**NOTE: I do not endorse any of the titles or brands above.  I highly encourage to research each of them and learn more about them and how they can be used in a therapy setting.  This is a point of reference blog of what we covered in our lab.

OTS Thoughts:  Technology is booming.  As if we haven't learned that fact.  In our lifetime we have had from the birth of the internet (for some of the readership) to the birth of the ipod/ipad.   In the economic situation that we are in, the use of technology is a huge step for us in the therapy field and rehabilitating patients to their prior level of function or to get them back to doing the things they love.  I am excited to be coming into the field and the possibilities of the newer technology helping out our patients.

YOUR INPUT: Let me know what you think of the Ipad and the apps, will it delete the need for other devices or drive competitors to decrease prices dramatically? Will the field work the apps into evidence based practice?  Will it drive companies like dynavox or other specialized companies out of the therapy realm? Post your thoughts/questions/discussion and see ya next week. Thanks for reading!

Unexpected Football season thus far...

So now that the fall semester has started, it brings to light one of my favorite occupations... watching football.  Since the University of Kansas is my Alma Mater, Rockhurst doesn't have a football team, and I now live in Kansas, I decided to cheer to add a KC team to cheer for this season.  This doesn't mean that I have let go of my roots (Chicago professional teams always), but I have broadened my scope of being a fan to the KC Chiefs. 


KU (left-a picture from the older stadium) is coached by Turner Gill for the second season. After last season it was painful to watch our limited amount of W's in the Win column, so I was hesitant for this season.  After 3 games, UNEXPECTEDLY KU has been 2-1, prior to Big XII play.  I am not sure how the season will end up but after seeing KU win in the final seconds against NIU and losses pretty bad against GT the other night, I hope for more of the same type of gameplay they showed against NIU.


Now onto the Chiefs... If you have watched any football the past two weeks you have seen the pain that has been the 2011-2012 Chiefs.  With major injuries and blowout losses this season is looking to be painful, I hope that they find a way to win- but we shall see. The Chiefs had an amazing season last year and UNEXPECTEDLY look terrible now. (Right- Picture of us at Chiefs Training camp in St. Joseph, MO)

The Chicago Bears- (if you are keeping track) have looked decent in the preseason and still have the same problems of a poor offensive line.  The Bears are 1-1 and hopefully will go well into the playoffs similar to last year.  UNEXPECTEDLY- I am unsure of what to think of how well this season will go- but either way I always enjoy watching my bears.

OTS Thoughts: After filling out my degree candidacy form the other day and having meetings to finalize our capstone project- the reality of this 3 year journey is starting to come to and end.  The light at the end of the tunnel is getting nearer and the 'grad school-itis' has started to kick in.  Each week we are slammed full of new and interesting info on Peds and Musculo assessments, but the fatigue of grad school has wore me out a bit.  The fall season never helps with all the football and cooler weather, but knowing that the goal is near keeps me charging forward.  I have always enjoyed the Fall semester and am excited that this is potentially my last fall semester of my college career.

Last comment- As I keep this blog going for the next couple of months- if there are any questions or topics you would like me to cover- shoot me a comment on here and I will do my best to cover it.  My ideas are primarily what is on my mind and what I feel will suit the reader the best with what is going on.  Thanks for reading.

-John

Summer's over... Europe trip...Last Fall Semester...EVER

Well, after a rough, but good summer semester filled with neuromanagement lecture and lab I made it through another semester. Since I am part-time, the neuroscience component was completed the summer before and neuromanagement helped bring the science to the application of neuro disorders that we, as OTs, will come across in the field. The lab helped teach us more about neuro diagnoses and what types of assessments we could complete to get a better idea of what is happening with the patient and how to treat him. The semester was capped off with finals and a consumer simulation. The consumer simulation was a random case with a patient that had Guillan Barre and myself and a fellow OT student has to assess what was going on with her, set up a treatment plan, adapt equipment, and see how much she had progressed 2 weeks later. The patient was a professor acting as a patient. It was a great learning experience and it feels like all the time and effort and learning that I have put into this program has started to come together.

             

After summer semester, My new in-laws took a trip to Europe. We back packed it to get the most bang for our buck and see as much as possible over 11 days in Central Europe. We started in Berlin, then to Prague, Czechy Krumlov, Vienna, Bratislava, and finished in Munich. It was an awesome experience and we saw a lot in that week and a half spent overseas. My next posts will be a little breakdown of a day by day what we did- and will have my take on travel tips. What worked and what didn't.

Fall 2012. We started class a few weeks ago- the 1st years are into the fun that is gross anatomy, and 'senioritis' or 'grad school almost graduating-itis' has hit most of us. Peds and Musculo are chocked full of information and are getting our class more excited to get into the field. Peds is helping get us in touch with the current pediatric research out there as well as different pediatric assessments and Musculo has been teaching us more about different PAMs (physical agent modalities) and how to work with different hand injuries. That is all I have for now, thanks for reading.

OTS thoughts: When we entered the program and over the past several semesters we have heard the phrase "After this program you will never look at people the same way." I think we had a general sense of what we were getting into as future OTs, but as I enter this final 'in class' semester I now see what our teachers were talking about. I now see people with disabilities differently, I view diagnoses differently, and my brain is stuck in an OT mode to look holistically at people and see what an OT would to for a patient to adapt, restore, modify the patient or context that they live within. I still have a lot to learn as I work into my level II fieldworks but I am excited for this semester and what my future as an OT holds.

Summer time in KC

So here is another post about the heat. This summer (especially the past few weeks) have DRAINED the life out of me and decreased my desire to get things done. Here is a random shot that I took of the temperature in the middle of the day (left). I haven't said too much about the heat because honestly, what can we do about it and secondly I wasn't sure what to think of it myself. Yes- obviously it has been unusually warm in KC, but its summer. Yes- its hot, but posting all over fb or complaining about how hot it is does nothing more than to point out the obvious. Yes- I don't feel like going outside and the a/c doesn't seem to be able to run enough to keep up with it (not gonna lie, a little concerned about the a/c bill this month). HOWEVER, with all that being said I have to count my blessings and allow those people that have it worse off than me (especially those stricken by the heat, ie homeless/working poor) to do the complaining because they deserve to complain. I saw on fb how someone posted about the heat and followed it up with the temperatures in the middle east where our armed forces are deployed and followed it up by 'we really shouldn't be complaining.'

SOO whether you have vented it in some social realm or kept it to yourself about the heat, I hope that it relieved some of the pressure that the heat has caused on your life. My other hope is that you count the blessings you have in your life, the heat will subside (someday, I hope), the pressures of life will still need to be faced in the morning, and more troubles will always be knocking on your door waiting to see how you will face them when you are faced with adversity.

OTS thoughts: First, a side note: For all the first year OTS's, you will be fine, especially if/when you made it through this QUICK summer semester. OK, The heat has made me re-evaluate myself and life and what I bring into the day to day 'workplace' which I currently call school. I haven't complained much about it, or really brought it up at all because it only was negative commentaries that I would bring up. The heat is acts on us, just like a difficult/unmotivated patient that gets so down and focused on the problems instead of the solutions. I need to keep him driven to reach his goals, and let him communicate some of his worries/problems before we can start making gain in his treatment. Yes, the heat is a burden but as I dig deep to finish the semester I hope you dig deep and internalize some of the complaints to get the tasks done that you are working on. Also, as I have said throughout- take a moment and count your blessings, especially for ice water and a/c.

More summer fun... stache bash

This summer has been filled with many opportunities to hang out with family and friends. One way that I have found to instantly click with my relatives and friends (and have a fun time) has been to bust out a sharpie marker and give everyone fake mustaches.




What you need...

1) A finger (preferably the index finger)
2) a sharpie (or other marker that will not rub off easily)
3) A willing spirit to have fun (obvious and necessary)

Directions: Apply the sharpie to the outside of the finger in the shape of the mustache that you would like to see. There are many options, so be creative and have a good time.


The best part is when you pass it along for 1st time stache-ers (I just made that name up as you can probably figure out) and my cousin wasn't too pleased that I taught her daughter this little trick. Either way my family and friends have busted out the fake mustaches at pre-wedding activities, wedding activities and the family reunion and it has always been a hit. It makes any gathering into an event thus the 'Stache Bash.

So if you are still reading, which I am sure that you are, thanks for reading and I hope that you incorporate the 'stache bash into your next gathering.

OTS thoughts: So besides that fact that I love to have a good time with others, you might be wondering how I could tie this into OT. Well, as a future OT, I will be dealing with many diverse populations. OTs work with all ages, and races, and people from many different backgrounds. We work in schools, hospitals, and in the community (to name a few.) Now, will I be using the 'stache bash in the hospital, or in therapy... probably not...However, I believe as a practicing OT practitioner I must be innovative to keep therapy interesting as well as find ways to connect with my patients to make them feel at ease to regain their quality of life that they had before therapy. This idea is simple, it modifies the situation, and its brings everyone to instantly have something in common- a fake mustache (or a real mustache if they already have one).

weddings and school and weddings

SOO this summer has been pretty fast and furious. My wife and I got married at the end of May, we have been to Minnesota, Chicago, and had several weddings and trips along the way.  Class has been busy and I have learned a lot about Neuromanagement, but the summer time is always hard to focus on school with so much going on.  The picture tothe left is of myself and my lovely wife at her cousin's wedding reception.  The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a lot of fun. 

The picture on the right is of my new brothers and father-in-law.  The reception was right across the street from Millenium Park in Downtown Chicago and they had wines and beers from all around the world.  It was a very cool idea and well done.

Since we were in Chicago- I have wanted to stop by THE BEAN, but for some reason we never make time when we go to see my family.  So I did the typical tourist thing and took a picture by the bean (left).  It is a pretty unbelievable site and always something fun for people that are visiting Chicago to take picture besides. It is about maybe a story or two high and is shaped like a giant lima bean.  It is a 'must see' if you are on Michigan Avenue and near Millenium Park in downtown Chicago, IL.

OTS thoughts:  Since occupational balance is part of life- I am finding it more and more difficult as I get older to find the energy and enough hours in the day to complete all the things that I want to accomplish.  Class is going well, but the travel and fun is hard to mix in with the hard work necessary to complete this master's degree.  So for now I am working to focus hard to learn about neuromanagement and balancing fun/friends/etc with hard work to be an OT someday.  

Back to school- Honeymoon Cook Islands

Here is a picture of our honeymoon destination. We were fortunate enough to go to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. There are several islands and we were told through tripadvisor.com that Aitutaki was the prettiest and least touristy of them. The lagoon surrounds the islands and its smaller islands (picture left) the dark spots are the reef and the island lived up to its expectations of being less touristy with great people and overall beautiful.






We decided to roam around the island for a day as all of the island cruises were booked. So my wife and I tried to see all that the island had to offer via moped. The main road was one giant circle/oval with many roads intersecting it. The picture (left) is of myself enjoying some ice cream. The prices for food etc are a bit higher than the US, the NZD or New Zealand Dollar is a little bit less in exchange rate- but the island has to import many of its goods from New Zealand, Australia, and other locations.

We had a great time and I will be putting up more posts about the beautiful islands and our adventures.


OTS Thoughts: It was hard to leave such a beautiful place, but my wife and I did take note of the possibility of coming back to work with the local population. Their lives are much different from our in the states. They live very simplistically with tourism and local crafts being their main income. If I had more time I would have loved to see what the hospital had to offer as we heard that it was a pretty basic hospital (luckily we didn't need to visit it this trip for health reasons). OT on the island would be much different than what is needed in the states and I had not interviewed enough of the population to see how OT would be used. I would speculate from what I saw that we would deal with energy conservation, hand injuries, and some of the children in the school. The island more or less stabilizes a patient and then flies the patient to nearby New Zealand for more in-depth health coverage. We talked with a massage therapist that was trained in New Zealand for the purpose to come back to the island to work and we talked with our driver from the hotel that said she had never left the island.

SUMMER OT 2011

So it is summer time here in Kansas City. The weather has been rather HOT lately and summer session 1 is in full effect. There are a lot less cars on Rockhurst's campus and the new PT/OT class of 2013/2014 will be arriving soon. Below is a random shot I took on my way into school. It is one of those 'street view' cars from Google maps. (It was right out of a red light so I wasn't fumbling while taking a picture with my phone.)

This summer's curriculum is filled with a Neuromanagement lecture/lab and the second years are doing Neuroscience as well. I will keep the blog posted with new revelations this summer as the class unfolds.

OTS thoughts: 'Neuro' and 'Neuroscience' is the study of the central, autonomic, and peripheral nervous system and we are studying the disorders that go along with it. Thus far we have looked into how the working of this system effects many aspects of the patient. Some examples of persons with this type of disorder are stroke, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury patients. The components of this class compiled with the musculoskeletal course that we will learn over the next couple of semesters will better prepare me for my Level 2 (3 month) fieldworks (to be completed at the end of the program.)

Have a great summer!

Fieldwork Level 1: Peds

This past week I did my Level 1 fieldwork. In the MOT course curriculum you are required to have a 'rounded' experience to give you the most exposure in different OT settings.


Here is a story from the week: A boy was doing an evaluation and he would randomly fart but stayed somewhat focused on his work. The evaluation was testing his executive functioning as well as several other areas in one evaluation. After completing most of the paperwork he had to do a gross motor evaluation which included balancing, dribbling, and jumping. He continued farting and then said "I guess I just have some of them broccoli farts again." Definitely the funniest moment of the week.

When I started the program I wasn't sure what area I really wanted to work in so I chose to have a peds (kids) and a geriatric (older adults) fieldwork for a week a piece. I have completed my geriatric fieldwork after my second semester and this past week I completed my week with peds. Children's therapy group is a sensory integration nonprofit organization located in Overland Park, KS. There are some OT's, PT's and SLP's that work here. All of the staff was very knowledgeable and helped me learn more about sensory integration, home health, iLs with headphones, and OT with pediatrics. This site was interesting because it was a non-profit and worked with the clients to get them coverage. Since some insurances are particular about different treatments- it is good to know that this nonprofit is focusing more on the therapy and the kids getting therapy instead of neglecting clients due to financial problems.


For Rockhurst students- you will need a rounded rotation and I enjoyed my time here at CTG. The staff was all helpful, willing to teach, and approachable.

For more information on sensory integration or on children's therapy group check out their website http://www.childrenstherapygroup.org/. They are working on vamping up the website but it is packed with information.

OTS thoughts: Sensory integration is interesting because most kids have a 'normal' functioning Central Nervous System and for some kids the sensory input can be too much or too little. This imbalance in sensory can make the children act out, shut down, or manifest itself in different behaviors. In the lab they talked about some of the kids 'internal motor' to acknowledge what the child is feeling and educate them on how to react when this is happening. Also at this site you saw OT at work because they took the therapy session and made it pertinent to the children (ie baseball sports teams, or sports they played daily). The kids helped pick out what to do in the therapy session by picking out puzzles versus light bright or what tasks should be in the obstacle course. I enjoyed my time with peds and think that working with kids would be an interesting route to pursue.

Wrapping up the semester

As the semester starts drawing to an end I appreciate the fact that mother nature has sprung with new life and I have made it through another semester. The OT class is getting ready to go on our next Level I fieldwork after finishing up some final projects and I am excited for summer to start appearing more and more. It has been an interesting semester and like the seasons - my attitude has changed over the semester.





When the stress was high and it was cold outside the end of the semester looked out of sight. Now that we are in finals week with our Fieldwork next week, I can see new life and we have some nice weather (every couple of days). The pictures (left) are of the St. Ignatius statue outside of the library. Since I spent much of my time on campus stopping into the library to study- I walk by this new statue daily. It has stayed the same while everything around it has changed.

As this semester wraps up I will continue to put thoughts on the blog. If you had ideas on how to improve it or subjects that an OTS should cover I welcome the opportunity. Enjoy the rest of spring and get excited for summer as it quickly approaches.

Winter 2011












Spring 2011

Arbor Day- early and Happy Easter

Every Easter I find myself going back to visit my parents 13 acres and planting something new or rearranging the acreage in a different way. Several years back my parents had bought some small evergreens that were not so 'ever green' anymore since they were not put into the ground.  Since their future looked so bleak, on Easter Sunday I said "Lord, if these are supposed to live and grow- I will put them into your hands." I put them in the ground and 8 of the 9 are still thriving pretty well today. 

 This year my brother and I, or as my mother referred to us on this day, Ding and Wing- took to the yard with a 4 foot Silver Maple tree, a sledge hammer and some stakes to help brace the young tree.  Since Arbor Day is coming up on the 29th I have deemed this our ARBOR DAY TREE.  My brother usually doesn't participate in my shenanigans of the outdoors, but today he helped me by holding the stakes etc.  Since he did come out of his element to help, I let him use the sledge hammer to hammer in the stakes while I held them.  This image of my brother and I hitting the stakes into the ground with the other one holding the stake wave predestined for injury (hence the name Ding and Wing.)  My mom and sister had the cameras rolling for a rare chance that he would miss and we could win thousands on America's Funniest Home Video, but fortunately (or unfortunately) no accidents occurred.  The picture to the left is me punching in the last stake. I hope everyone had a good Easter and on the 29th- good luck on planting a tree to celebrate Arbor Day.

OTS thoughts:  My thoughts on this entry are how the spiritual, social, and daily activities help give balance to my life.  An OT takes all of these holistic factors into account when working with patients to make their interest inventory and help guide their treatment.  My family, my faith, and the opportunities to work outside are really a blessing to me.  I feel more fulfilled in meeting my purpose on this earth by being able to  get out of the house, play in the dirt,  and enjoy nature in the countryside.  These activities give meaning to my life and as an OT I will keep these in mind when working with clients, especially those that enjoy nature and hard work outdoors like I do.

Spring is in the air

There is something to be said about spring. New life is around you- flowers are starting to bloom, the sun sticks around for a bit longer and the weather (although windy lately) is more tolerable than a cold day. Rockhurst is buzzing with potential new students getting campus tours, OT is talking about finals and projects, and we are gearing up for fieldworks and a small break before summer Neuro. There are many tulips on the street to the west of Rockhurst's campus that help coin the term Tulips on Troost and Rockhurst has some sharp red tulips all across campus. They look nice and are a welcoming sign of nicer weather and a rejuventation in preparation for summer. Here is a recent picture that I took of Rockhurst's campus.

OTS thoughts:
Get out and enjoy the nice weather- If you are in a part of the country that has it today. Be thankful that spring is upon us and start working out- summer is right around the corner.

Bachelor Party- KC to Chicago, IL

In this edition of the blog I will be posting about a recent trip to Chicago, IL for opening weekend of the Cubs game as well as my bachelor party. I will discuss my thoughts on the train system (Amtrak) and public transit in Chicago. The picture (right) is the crew that was around after the ball game.

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Overall- the weekend was a lot of fun. The blackhawks won, the cubs won (the game we went to) and the bulls won.  We traveled via public transit and got a pretty nice deal on a hotel.   Thanks to my co-best man and brother Will Cuffe for hosting and getting it all together as well as all of the guys that came out.  Also a big thank you to my future brother's-in-law and father-in-law for being part of the day and getting to a cubs game with me.

TRAIN TRAVEL: 

KC to CHI

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AMTRAK- The train experience overall was DECENT.  

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PARKING: Union Station (KC,MO) is $10/day.  

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TRAVEL: On the train we didn't have any problems with other people on the train.  One suggestion that I would say is that if you are traveling for a long time bring something to do and some bedding to make your seat more comfortable.  

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Baggage: You can check your baggage or choose to keep it with you.  The nice part is that you can get up a

nd moving on the train- but the downside to that is the sometimes frequent stops which leave an opportunity for a traveler to grab your bag and walk off the train. (Picture to the right is after the game and singing 'GO CUBS GO')

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SECURITY:  As we chatted with some people on the train they commented how several people had been arrested since California at different stops, since AMTRAK is connected with the feds.  Security was pretty minimal which was nice- there were police and other checks points but mostly we walked right on without having to remove our shoes and belts and walk through a metal detector. 

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 TICKETS: Book at least 21 days out.  We fell right under the 21 days and the trip from KC to CHICAGO jumped from $61 each way to $96... this college kid was not too happy about that, but it was my mistake.

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 TRAVEL SAAVY: Always Google PROMOTION CODES for AMTRAK (or any other place of business) and see if others have posted any coupons or travel codes.

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STUDENT ADVANTAGE CARD- it helps if you are a student to purchase this depending on the length of your trip. I saved 15% on the trip each way.  The card cost twenty bucks but one trip evens your money and two trips saves you money.  If you are thinking of purchasing one- use me as a referral and it will help me with future travel. (Click here  http://sa.tellapal.com/a/clk/CRZYJ)

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Chicago Public transportation- I do not take much public transit and I am sure that most of the time it would be fine but I have heard those horror stories.  We talked with a homeless man on the train and he said that he was pistol whipped the day before and all he had on him was $3. Also, I got to talk to Sherron Collins on the phone via his friend that was on the train.  My buddy was wearing a JAYHAWKS t-shirt and Sherron's friend said "Rock Chalk" and told us what Sherron has been up to.  I got on the phone and talked with him and he said about how he is going to try-out in Vegas and has just been training to stay in shape.  Overall the experience on the train was good and we had a good sized group which helps.  The 3 day pass was worth it since we traveled everywhere by train.

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OTS Thoughts:  Balance was not part of the weekend as one would expect with a train trip to chicago with a group of guys.  Sleep was hindered on the trip and diet was not a high priority either.  We participated in leisure activities of hitting up the baseball game and socialization with the group of guys and really just took a weekend to relax and have a good guys trip in chicago.  My tips- research well, bring something to do and eat, stay hydrated, and have fun.