We may have just survived...

What can definitely be put down as the most RIDICULOUS semester to dates finally coming to an end. 

Ok so really speaking we still have some most wonderful of clinical science modules to complete and the small matter of exams, but prac is Done! Which means for the time being blogs can be packed away, now thats not to say I won't blog at all until the next time I am forced... I have grown quite fond of the “Tumblr Trophies” one acquires on achieving certain milestones, but it will allow for a period of a bit of “freedom” of choice. I’ve spoken many times of the rather “interesting” relationship I have with my blog, and though I do think this relationship has grown to be rather better than worse. (although I maybe be completely off point and deluded on this too) It is still very much a love-hate relationship. 

So in wrapping up I'm gonna dabble around all things psych, semesters, strikes and what I have picked up along the way. 

MY TOP TIPS TO COPE WITH THE BLOGGING JOURNEY:

Write little notes throughout the week. This makes Thursday/Fridays mad scramble slightly easier. 

Look ahead at what is to come. When you have a blogging schedule you get the fortune of being able to look at what topics need time to prepare, such as reading or movie watching. These can be done wee before the time to make life a little less hectic when the semester starts hitting the busy points. 

Invest in a Bestie who will, get excited and support your blogging journey by creating the most ridiculous list of words... such as modulation... and cool quotes and sayings for you to work into your blogs each week, even if they have nothing to do with the topic! 

If all else fails become “a famous” and pay an IT specialist to manage your ever growing social media accounts!

Craze, silly, stupid, wild... do with them what you must.

This years fees must fall protests really took their toll. not only in the obvious damage to property, disruption of lectures and far too many students, police and private security getting injured. A less obvious loss was experienced by our service users due to our absence. One day this all this came together. We arrived in the morning for prac and the first thing my client said to me was, ”Where have you been? I really missed our sessions!” During fieldwork we are dealing with real people, not that different to you and me, and they intrust us with their lives and their stories. They rely on us. 

It is upsetting our treatment was caught up in this tumultuous time.  

All in all Psych block was great, I loved and was challenged by my time spent at the substance abuse centre.

But today I can truly say I'm very pleased to be done. 

Somedays it feels like you get to take two steps forward for every one step back. You can see and feel the growth. Whilst other days like today you realise everything can be the opposite of everything, perhaps the growth was simply an illusion and all this time it was really one step forward for every two back, but that’s how it is when you are fighting subjectivity. 

It is what it is... Average... That’s all. 

I leave you with this quote that was particularly applicable for far too many points of this semester... 

“Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have” (Rowling & GrandPré, 2003).

There are many things special about psych block and I have throughly enjoyed myself over the past weeks BUT wow, Read, read, read... like only psych block can make one do. To escape from all the mountains of articles and research on frames of references, approaches, models and all that jazz Ive been treating myself to a bit of personal book therapy. As OT’s we are the biggest proponents of living a “balanced” life... Aren't we? So I have not completely cheated my evening escape is non fiction and OT related... all be it physical. 

My book has taken me on an interesting journey, from loving it, to wanting to climb into the book and shake the characters until they saw their ridiculous behaviour. to disappointment in myself for even feeling that and back to loving it. But before that discussion lets take a slightly more stat(tie), research(y) look at things...

An article by D. Naidoo looks at TBI’s from a South African context. What is a TBI? Traumatic Brain Injury, different to a head injury by the fact that it must contain the presence of neurological symptoms. TBI’s are South Africa's the leading causes of death for person’s below the age of 45 years and the males in South Africa have the second highest road traffic injury related deaths in the world, majority attributed to TBI’s.

 In the United States they have recorded 1.5 million TBI’s per year, with the leading causes:

1. Falls 

2. Motor vehicle accidents

3. Assaults 

In 1991 a study done in South Africa found there to be 316 TBI incidences per 100 000 people per year. A 2007 study showed that South Africa recorded six times the number of injury related deaths and two times the amount of Motor vehicle accident injuries than what was the global norm at the time. Studies have also shown Violence to be our number one cause followed by motor vehicle accidents with a large number of accidents involving pedestrians. (Naidoo, 2013)

Is it possible that TBIs and substance abuse link?

It is a well known fact that substance abuse greatly increases the risk of sustaining a TBI... Decreased inhibitions, heightened senses, excess emotions floating around... someone is bound to decide the are superman, Lewis Hamilton or Rocky Balboa. It has been found that substance abuse produces poorer results when in rehab for TBI’s, and though there may be research to suggest a link in TBIs relating in substance abuse, much of the evidence points to TBIs more often than not being a consequence rather than a cause. (Bjork & Grant, 2009)

Back to my book... Beyond the High Blue Air (Spinney, 2016)

This book follows the paths of a family, in particular a mother, along the heart wrenching road that is TBI recovery. 

Spinney’s son then aged just 29 and with the world at his feet suffers a devastating head injury and is left in a coma... 

As one tends to believe of all books, they are like fairy tales and in the end prince charming will ride off into the sunset sitting on top of a fire red Ducati with the girl of his dreams who has never left his side through it all hanging on the back... Im not here to talk about that but rather what I feel this book has shown me. 

Team work is dream work... The importance of being able to work in a team as a health professional and be open to different ideas and opinions  because at the end of the day if one wants to break it up in to yours and mine, winning and losing... The only winning solution is when your patient recovers. 

Holistic treatment... Wow wee, treat the patient holistically they say, challenge enough as it is now throw in a frantic family. If you want to remain sane include them, teach them, keep them unto date with what you are doing and why and report back to them on how there special person is responding. Show them how to accept progress no matter how small it maybe. 

People are crazy, not only will they do wild things in the name of thrill, fun, entertainment but more so the lengths people will go to to “fix” those who are “broken” from bedside nurses to neuro doctors to parents. Even when the odds are stacked in the wrong column we keep fighting, try another direction in the hope that it will bring with it a better response. 

And my oh wow moment... 

His mother is exhausting herself turning to work out why her sons expression is sometime a mix of pain and sheer frustration in one grimace... she has a eureka moment.. “what would I do if my nose was itchy and I couldn't scratch it... Miles, I thought I might just give your nose a bit of a scratch and see if you like it... I stop his response is unambiguous. Slowly and deeply he inhales, and then exhales in a long, drawn-out sigh of undeniable relief, his face and body now completely relaxed.”

When pouring over ideas and ways to help people remember sometimes its the little things, the finer details that make all the difference in the world. 

As we approach the end of the semester and finals week just know... coffee makes everything OKAYER...

C 

xx

Naidoo, D. (2013). Traumatic brain injury: The South African landscape. S Afr Med J, 103(9), 613. http://dx.doi.org/10.7196/samj.7325

Bjork, J. & Grant, S. (2009). Does traumatic brain injury increase risk for substance abuse?. Journal Of Neurotrauma, 090330061141047. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/neu.2008-0849

It’s one of those moments that brings a giant sigh, a... WOW! At long last sigh! And this coming from a measly 3rd! Can only imagine what those damn 4ths were feeling! (yes, that is possibly, maybe, defiantly jealousy you are reading in my text) It’s the... well... almost is, the culmination of a year and a halves worth of late nights, endless reading and tears, many many tears. 

Welcome to research day!

Due to #feesmustfall action on campuses across South Africa this years presentation date and venue got shifted about a few times, but we got there, eventually. It is the job of us lowly 3rds to assist, we are given different tasks and duties throughout the day but mostly we are there to marvel at this thing we have come to know as the certain death of our ever waining social lives. 

Research - as it stands it is still this strange beast placed in our lives. Not really sure of what we are doing and with the full picture not yet seen, slowly week-by-week under the guidance of our awesome supervisor it is developing... I think!

 Lets just say the 4ths presentations didn't really clear any of it up either, now that is not to say that they herein any way average. No. Everyone of them were nothing short of phenomenal, smooshing all that work, all those late nights and library excursions into a 20 minute presentation, like boom take that, there you have it! Yes they smashed it!  

It just feels so far!

Glai kai nai kue glai... How much further is near? 

It’s almost done, only one year and a little bit left but this week it may as well be light years away. This week and on research day in particular the end of this part of the journey has never felt further, honestly, day one, year one, it was almost certainly closer. Being a student is hardly the toughest test you are going to have to face in your life, but right now and for the following 14 months it is life and it is tough. But this is the life we have chosen. The one which we will dedicate hours to, long days and even longer nights to. 

Looking at the 4ths each of them taking their turns to present, the greatest thing in the room, the most inspiring element was the togetherness, the solidarity. The love, emotion and support shared within group, throughout the class but also from every person in the room. Like everyone in some way everyone was connected to the fight of someone becoming an OT... Cause lets face it somedays that is what it feels like... War.    

We may still have a way to go and even though it’s still not so clear how what we've got becomes what they gave, together, supported, loved, good days and great days we will make it. Pretty sure the “American dream” is actually to become an Occupational Therapist, arguably the greatest profession ever. 

But till our turn next year... 3rds... Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.  

C

So what’s this “Casual Day” thing anyway?

Casual day is South Africa’s most prominent fundraising campaign for persons with disabilities, it is largest project of the national council for persons with physical disabilities in South Africa. (NCPPDSA)  Their aim to raise funds and awareness for people living with disabilities in South Africa. The Casual Day initiative has been running for 22 years, and what better day to host it than a Friday! Each year the first Friday in September is dedicated to Casual day - corporate’s, schools, organisations and individuals purchase stickers in support of the initiative and dress up in craze and fun outfits for the day, many of these work places, schools and organisations running fun events on the day for there staff and pupils. Casual day is run in partnership with its national beneficiary organisations who receive a portion of the funds to run their organisations. (for more information pertaining to these organisations please visit: www.casualday.co.za)

As an a future Occupational Therapist it is encouraging and motivating to see active support and awareness being created for people living with disabilities. Working with many of these clients I have been able to experience first hand the profound impact living with a disability can have not only on the life of the individual but also those they invariably become financially, physically and emotionally responsible for the care of these individuals and loved ones. The support from they receive from the various organisations can be life changing. Not only is it vital that we support persons with disabilities in financial and practical ways such as provision of wheelchairs and crutches etc.. but also that through the awareness raised stereotypes and stigmas are broken down, that gawking look, stare, hand over mouth in disbelief, pointing behind the backs, shocking parenting comments thing that goes on when people who look slightly different, walk slightly different, children who behave differently to the “picture perfect pin-up-girl” mould society has created dare to venture out into public. I say big ups to Casual day continue to “up your game” and shine a light on a community that is just like us quirky and different. Needing love and acceptance. Facing the challenges life throws at them, whilst having just as much motivating to succeed and wanting many of the same things in life as you and I. 

During our practical block part of our responsibilities is to organise and run a wonderfully craze and fun filled “Casual Day” for the people living or using the services at the facilities we have been placed. As our facility is a substance abuse centre, the service users are required to attend groups during the day, we therefore could unfortunately only run our event for one hour, 

It was during this event that (as off the disability/casual day topic as this maybe) I had one of those light bulb moments that come around every so often. At the start of the event I felt so despondent as we had poured in a lot of effort into our event... an “Amazing Race”. Our teams however seemed to be oblivious to this. Asking question like... “how long is this going to take?”... “do we have to do this?” and isn't this so often our attitude in life, give me the shortest, easiest route, the way in which I can return to my predictable, me controlled life as soon as possible. Don't make me interact with people outside my normal group our make me operate outside of my comfort zone. Now who knows the most marvellous time, biggest learning experience, best friend may be waiting for you  on the other side...

Cue handing out of the first clue... and BANG, wow people running everywhere, people helping people, screaming, laughing, encouraging. At the end.. “no is it finished?”, “can’t you just make up more clues?”, “that was the best few hours I've had in a long time”, “can we take craze team photos?”. What an incredible morning!!

Life its a funny thing, you only get one, but every now and then it gives us a “leg up”, second grab at the dice... I recently read a book, Me Before You, it had many wonderful points but this guy stuck out... “you only get one life, It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible” - Jojo Moyes. Take on life Casual Day or not, take it on with everything you've got. 

C

xx