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Thanksgiving for Optimal Living with Multiple Sclerosis ⟩
November 18, 2011, by Alix

Classes Community

We just finished our last session of the “Optimal Living with Multiple Sclerosis” class, an elective I took this semester. It was a unique and useful course that gave me the chance to lead 1:1 occupational therapy sessions and groups for participants living with Multiple Sclerosis. 

The class also included a lot of good food (including a pizza-baking class earlier in the semester), and today we hosted a Thanksgiving potluck to express our thanks to the participants and to reward ourselves for a semester of hard work. (I made kale salad with pomegranate seeds, lemon, olive oil, and toasted sesame seeds.)

I am leaving the class with a much better understanding of how to be an occupational therapist for people with MS. I am also leaving with a great new recipe for chilli, courtesy of one of our participants. Finally, I got a chance today to chat with some of the PT students in the class. It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m collaborating with other disciplines for the good of our clients. I’m thankful for all that I learned in the class and for all of the enthusiasm and positivity that the participants brought to each session.

I hope you all have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

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Primary Care ⟩
November 15, 2011, by Kimberly

Classes What are OS/OT?

I just got back from USC-Eisner Family Medicine Center in downtown LA. For one of my electives this semester we are learning about and accumulating clinic hours in primary care settings. Primary care is a relatively new field for OT, but is an exciting one to be getting into. At Eisner we work right alongside the primary doctor to provide a more comprehensive care plan for the patient. Our scope of practice covers areas like pain management, weight management, functional assessments, organization, ergonomics, and work-life balance, to name a few.

This morning we worked briefly with a woman who is experiencing trouble with fatigue and mobility at work. She suffered a traumatic brain injury about 20 years ago and as a result has left foot drop and general left-side weakness which make it harder for her to walk. She has been mobile up until this point using the assistance of a walker and a cane while working her two jobs. But recently she has found it more tiring to walk everywhere.

After talking with the woman, we scheduled a follow-up appointment for an ergonomic assessment and a work-site assessment. These will allow us to see what adaptations to the environment could be made to enable her to better do her job without fatigue. She was very excited at the prospect of working with us in the future and at how willing we are to address her needs in the settings where they occur. So far in this class, my clinic experiences have been really rewarding. A patient who comes in for a simple check-up, some low back pain, or a need to reduce their cholesterol usually leaves from OT feeling more empowered to make small changes in their daily lives for greater health.

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Halloween Preparations ⟩
October 28, 2011, by Alix

Classes What are OS/OT?

I’m spending a lot of time setting up decorations for Halloween. We’ve been amassing 99 cent store Halloween knickknacks for the past several years, so we have boxes upon boxes of dangling/blinking/shreiking/glow-in-the-dark things to put up. (We also carved SEVEN pumpkins last night.) This week I had to prepare a lesson plan for a group in one of my classes, and we were learning about the history of activity analysis (a core OT concept), so I decided to lead an activitiy analysis using the construction of Halloween decorations. We made ghosts, pumkins, and black cats with all the usual accoutrements out of construction paper and markers, and then we talked about the components of the activity and possibile adaptations for various ability levels. It was a useful OT exercise, but also accomplished my secret goal of bolstering my Halloween arsenal for the season. 😜 Happy Halloween!

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Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic ⟩
October 24, 2011, by Chelsea

Classes Living in LA What are OS/OT?

In OT 550 “Foundations of Occupational Science” we had an assignment last week that was to attend a sporting event instead of going to class . . . pretty cool, right? The purpose of the assignment was to examine the components that comprise play for adults, such as intrinsic motivation, self-actualization, creativity, lack of seriousness, etc., and also to see how sporting events are representations of political, social, and religious rifts in society. Well, I decided to go to a sporting event I had never seen before: polo. The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic takes place at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades. Ladies in broad rimmed hats scattered the lawn surrounding the field holding glasses of champagne in one hand and a golden Veuve Clicquot sun umbrella in the other. Men in suits and wearing Panama hats lounged in their lawns chairs. Needless to say, it is quite a classy affair. For only $15 you get a day full of entertainment, socializing, and lounging in the sun! In class the following week we discussed our experiences and related them to the themes in the readings. It was so interesting hearing about everyone’s experiences and trying to collaborate with the whole class to reach an agreement about what constitutes play. Some say we work to play, and some say we play to work because without play we would get burnt out. And then there are those that get paid to do something they truly love and never really “work” a day in their lives. Once I become an OT, that will be me!

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Learning How to Make Pizza ⟩
October 7, 2011, by Alix

Classes What are OS/OT?

One of my electives this semester is called “Optimal Living with Multiple Sclerosis.” The class, which is co-sponsored by the National MS Society, allows us (OT students) to pair up with individuals who have Multiple Sclerosis. Together, we work with the participants to maximize their health and happiness by addressing habits, routines, and activities of daily living. Today’s topic was “Nutrition and Cooking,” so we decided to make pizza in order to educate the participants about energy conservation techniques, pacing, and adaptive equipment for the kitchen. When we were planning the activity, I thought that we would buy some pre-made pizza dough, throw some Ragu on it, and call it pizza. But I was surprised to find out that one of the participants, David, is a chef by trade and knew of a great Italian grocer in Burbank. He volunteered to bring all of the dough, sauce, and cheese (I supplied the toppings), and then he taught us how to make pizza. I found out that you only need a pizza stone, which stays in the oven the whole time, and some flour to roll out the dough. Then you sprinkle some corn meal on a metal cookie sheet, spread the dough out on the sheet, and add the sauce/cheese/topings you like. Cook for six or seven minutes, and it’s ready to eat. The class went well, and we got to teach a lot of the participants how to cut ingredients with an adaptive “rocking” knife and an adaptive cutting board. And of course the pizza was delicious. (Mine was the best: pesto, basil, onions, olives, and anchovies.)

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