April is Occupational Therapist Month

 

The afternoon was just beautiful; sunny skies, a warm breeze and the whole weekend of the same weather to enjoy.  Today's plan was getting together with his buddies and meeting some other guys on a side field next to the dorm for a fun game of football.  

It had been a difficult two weeks studying for the mid-terms coming up the following week.  Now was time to get away from the books and release some pent-up energy with a pick-up game with his friends.  The teams were chosen and he was feeling good and having a great time.

It was getting late and everyone agreed to one last play.  Don was on defense in the secondary, and he was thinking about lunch and then going to see his girl when he noticed the last play starting.  As expected it was a pass which was caught and the runner was sprinting for the goal line.  Don was the last person between the runner and the goal so he hustled to get into the play.  The receiver was running hard, as was Don, when they met on the 10 yard line.  It was a great open field tackle and Don's team won.

Everyone was excited and throwing taunts back and forth with smiles on their faces as college friends normally do.  Everyone but Don.  Don was still lying on the grass.  He couldn't get up off of the ground.  He felt his legs moving, or thought he did, but when he turned his head to look down at his legs, they were not doing anything.  He tried to wave to his buddies down the field but for some reason he couldn't move his arms.  He tried harder and harder but with each new effort a fear was dawning on him that something might be wrong.  He closed his eyes and concentrated to just move his hand.  Just his hand!  Then he felt it.  He turned his head toward his left hand and saw one finger move.  With renewed concentration he watched as another finger moved an inch, then two inches.  But that was it.  He was sweating and just felt really heavy, like he was wearing one of those lead-lined blankets a dentist will sometimes put on you during a dental x-ray.

He suddenly felt tired and a little cold.  He continued to lay on the ground, looking up at the blue sky, his eyes tracking a small white cloud as it skittered across his vision.  A shadow came over him, and then another.  The faces of his friends were floating over him, smiling and joking to him about how he got creamed and he should just lie there in shame.  After laughing at their jokes his friends reached down to give Don a hand up.  When Don's arms stayed on the ground, his friends' smiles slowly vanished and concern began to shape their faces.  With ever mounting fearful questions to Don and among themselves, his buddies began to aimlessly walk around, all talking at once about Don and this situation.  What do we do?  What could be wrong?  Who should we call?  Somebody, go get a blanket!  Call 911!  Don, can you hear me!?

Don could hear them fine.  What he couldn't do was to sit up and tell his friends that it was no big thing, just a stinger.  He really wanted to do that and go get something to eat and have a wonderful time with his girl this evening.

At first Don just wanted to die.  Life was over for him, he thought.  Months have passed and there was no more college, his girlfriend left, he rarely saw any of his friends, he never went out of the house and the worst part was his lost independence. 

Don lost the use of most of his lower body.  He was able to use his arms and hands a little bit, but couldn't really pick anything up or even hold a coffee cup.  His parents were feeding him and cleaning him as they did when he was an infant.  He hated his life.  He had a life once full of action and excitement that had all of a sudden been sent spiraling down to a dead zone of living flesh, nothing more.  He thought his life was over and out.

Than he met the person who he later learned to love and hate.  Loved him for what he helped Don accomplish, hated him while he was forcing Don toward his goal.

His Occupational Therapist.

Time, as it always does, moved forward and so did the life of Don.  After the accident Don lived a life of shame and self-loathing which now has become one of hope and accomplishment.  Don was given a chance to learn to live with what he had and he decided to make the most of it.  With the knowledge and guiding hand of his OT, Don was able to relearn how to move his arms and hands so now he no longer had to depend on his parents for his daily care.  Most importantly is that Don became happier and more hopeful about his future.  He now has regained what he once lost and he is more determined than ever to reach his many goals and dreams.  And reach them he did, Don went on to finish college and fell in love with a nurse assistant he met while doing his occupational therapy.

This is what an Occupational Therapist can do.  To help and assist a person to move from the shadows of death and despair to the light of a future life.

According to the website of The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc, Occupational Therapy is:

"In its simplest terms, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Occupational therapy services typically include:
- an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person's goals,
- customized intervention to improve the person's ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
- an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan."

"Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of the client's home and other environments (e.g., workplace, school), recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, and guidance and education for family members and caregivers. Occupational therapy practitioners have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team."

An Occupational Therapist can be one of the most important parts of a person's life.  They are one of many types of people who work hard to help others in need.  It seems appropriate that April is Occupational Therapist month because spring is the time of renewal and hope for a warm and sunny future.

The OTShow is thankful and proud of all the people who help and assist others in their time of need. 

Bill Stock,
And
Hulet Smith, OT