tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post4434384380175059964..comments2024-02-27T06:32:44.959-05:00Comments on Occupational Therapy Notes: Struggling as an OT for my familyCherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05841162342431090133noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-30711656664325630582010-12-06T21:59:49.067-05:002010-12-06T21:59:49.067-05:00Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments an...Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments and emails. Obviously, this was a tough situation and I appreciate the support.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05841162342431090133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-20457092840871201702010-11-09T09:05:32.971-05:002010-11-09T09:05:32.971-05:00First I want to say thank you for sharing your per...First I want to say thank you for sharing your personal story as a way for other OT's to reflect on your actions and their own. I also agree that you are being very hard on yourself and you did provide good care to your family in their time of need.<br /><br />I am a Utica College OT graduate student and I understand what you mean when you said that once you declare a major the health questions do start coming. Many of them I am either afraid to answer or embarrassed if I can't answer but then I try and remind myself that I am still learning and every person is different. <br />There were several main thought that came to my mind as I read your post and I want to say that I can sort of relate to your story because my mother has MS. Though she doesn’t often ask for my input I always feel like I should be doing something to help her. Why is that? It seems so different with family members. We are taught in school how to recommend help to patient’s family members and treat patient of our own so what makes it different when your family asks for help?<br /><br />I don’t know about anyone else but I try to keep in mind that whenever I interact with a person that they are people and they are someone’s family. This brings a whole new meaning to my thought when you consider that you or I is the professional as well as the family member. So which role do we take the professional or the family member? Maybe it up to your own personal judgment and you don’t really know the right answer, buy we do the best we can.<br /><br />Thank you for sharing, <br />Alishaalhitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05774995061780460552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-90970591775185123312010-11-08T15:32:16.506-05:002010-11-08T15:32:16.506-05:00I am also an occupational therapy student. Your s...I am also an occupational therapy student. Your story hits home in some ways and also makes me think. My mom had MS (and passed away before I graduated high school). Her courageous battle with the illness was what motivated me to go into occupational therapy. <br /><br />It is not always easy to discuss our personal issues but I really appreciate your discussing this story. It is a reality that many of us who are occupational therapists or going to be occupational therapists are likely to encounter situations like what you have shared. By you sharing this story I imagined myself in this situation. I am sure I will encounter something much like this and I know it will be hard. <br /><br />By sharing your story, I'm sure you have brought some comfort to other OTs who have gone through similar situations but may be too uncomfortable to share their story with others. <br /><br />I know from my personal experience, it is so easy to look back and think, "I could have done this" or "Would the outcome have been different if I did this?" It is so easy to get caught up in the what if's and should have's, but remember that you are only human and there is only so much you can do. I am sure it was hard to juggle being an OT, taking care of a family and caring for a family member on so many different levels. It is admirable how much you did do for your grandmother-in-law and I think you need to really focus on the things you did do as opposed to what you could have done differently. From what you wrote, it appears you really put in a lot of time and effort to be her advocate and provide the best possible care. She was very lucky to have you on her side. <br /><br />By posting your story, I am sure you have brought some comfort to other individuals who have gone through this situation. You may never know how many people this story has effected.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04334079382605782107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-8045787007667085452010-11-08T15:31:35.692-05:002010-11-08T15:31:35.692-05:00I am also an occupational therapy student. Your s...I am also an occupational therapy student. Your story hits home in some ways and also makes me think. My mom had MS (and passed away before I graduated high school). Her courageous battle with the illness was what motivated me to go into occupational therapy. <br /><br />It is not always easy to discuss our personal issues but I really appreciate your discussing this story. It is a reality that many of us who are occupational therapists or going to be occupational therapists are likely to encounter situations like what you have shared. By you sharing this story I imagined myself in this situation. I am sure I will encounter something much like this and I know it will be hard. <br /><br />By sharing your story, I'm sure you have brought some comfort to other OTs who have gone through similar situations but may be too uncomfortable to share their story with others. <br /><br />I know from my personal experience, it is so easy to look back and think, "I could have done this" or "Would the outcome have been different if I did this?" It is so easy to get caught up in the what if's and should have's, but remember that you are only human and there is only so much you can do. I am sure it was hard to juggle being an OT, taking care of a family and caring for a family member on so many different levels. It is admirable how much you did do for your grandmother-in-law and I think you need to really focus on the things you did do as opposed to what you could have done differently. From what you wrote, it appears you really put in a lot of time and effort to be her advocate and provide the best possible care. She was very lucky to have you on her side. <br /><br />By posting your story, I am sure you have brought some comfort to other individuals who have gone through this situation. You may never know how many people this story has effected.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04334079382605782107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-16503599132319253602010-11-04T18:33:01.424-04:002010-11-04T18:33:01.424-04:00After reading your blog post I really found it ver...After reading your blog post I really found it very insightful and courageous to admit what you have written. Coming to terms with the reality facing a family member must be very difficult. I am an occupational therapy student, and I have honestly not been in this position thus far in life, so I can only try to imagine what it is that you are facing. Families are incredibly valuable to us and to feel as if you are not giving as much as you can to help them in their time of need must really feel discouraging. Due to the fact that you are an occupational therapist who has a strong presence in the health field, I can understand what you mean by feeling like you need to care for your family member just as you would your everyday clients, if not to a higher degree. When it comes to family members, it must be an entirely different boat though.<br /> I really like the point that you made about making sure that your family member is receiving the best care possible. Due to the fact that you have experience in this area you sound like you have made great ‘on-target’ recommendations. You really made that point when you stated the example of your father receiving care following his heart attack. I think that as an OT we are lucky because we know what ‘best practice’ is, and we can be advocates for just that, for our family members, clients, and ourselves. From reading your post, I would like to remind you that we can’t always do everything, but what you have done for your family members is very commendable. <br /> You make a great point by encouraging your father in-law to become involved in the community and to keep active and take time for himself. This is so crucial and I think that is the best advice that you could give him. We are all our own ‘toughest critic’ that’s for sure. I know the feeling of “I think I could have done more or better.” At the end of the day you just need to remind yourself that you did all that you could. <br /> You really made great recommendations for your family members throughout this post. So, as the other bloggers have told you, don’t beat yourself up and be so hard on yourself. Rather, you should give yourself a pat on the back for advocating and offering the best advice that you can to your family members and those caring for them. I truly hope the best for your grandmother and family members who are going through this tough situation.<br />Take care,<br />KaelynnKaelynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03126984042512011953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-34485838587358962712010-10-28T15:01:51.271-04:002010-10-28T15:01:51.271-04:00I'm an occupational therapy student at Utica C...I'm an occupational therapy student at Utica College and I have to say it takes courage to talk about the struggles within your family that pertains to your profession. It seems to me that you are beating yourself way too much and not giving yourself enough credit. <br /><br />I know those times were tough because I have a grandmother who has had 2 heart attack and a grandfather who has Parkinson's disease. To this day I really haven't been involved in helping my grandparents in the struggles they are facing. I know part of it is that I'm still in school and I really don't see them that much however, I know I could be doing more to help them. <br /><br />There is only so much you can do. Everyone has their own lives and for you to help out your grandmother-in-law goes to show who you are as a person. Even though some of the techniques you tried to help her with didn't go as planned, it doesn't mean that you failed. Not everyone will be successful or have enough time with the task at hand.<br /><br />I also want to point out that you gave one of the most beneficial pieces of information to your father-in law which was education on the community resources and to make sure he takes care of himself. A lot of people don't know the community resources available to them and many people don't take care of themselves if they have to take care of someone else. So, in that sense you have contributed more than you are giving yourself credit for.<br /><br />Take Care, <br /><br />JenniferJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01806231600652522314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-28509704292388333962010-10-24T14:11:51.312-04:002010-10-24T14:11:51.312-04:00I commend you for sharing your personal story, kno...I commend you for sharing your personal story, knowing this is a subject that has been difficult for you to come to terms with. <br /><br />I am an occupational therapy student and I appreciate your thoughts and opinions about your unique exerpience. I encourage you to not beat yourself up though. I think your right about being your own worst critic; however it is important to remember that you did your best. AD is a tough diagnosis when one is trying to educate new ideas such as safely walking with a walker because it is such an unfamiliar task.<br /><br />I think you taking the time to be involved and supporting your mother was the best thing for her and I'm sure that is what made her comfortable.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08384630551144983634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-82706034913119822602010-10-24T14:09:55.636-04:002010-10-24T14:09:55.636-04:00I commend you for sharing your personal story, kno...I commend you for sharing your personal story, knowing this is a subject that has been difficult for you to come to terms with. <br /><br />I am an occupational therapy student and I appreciate your thoughts and opinions about your unique exerpience. I encourage you to not beat yourself up though. I think your right about being your own worst critic; however it is important to remember that you did your best. AD is a tough diagnosis when one is trying to educate new ideas such as safely walking with a walker because it is such an unfamiliar task.<br /><br />I think you taking the time to be involved and supporting your mother was the best thing for her and I'm sure that is what made her comfortable.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08384630551144983634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2647274402846681863.post-79518500854813890022010-10-20T10:26:29.593-04:002010-10-20T10:26:29.593-04:00The story has depth under your words - and I know ...The story has depth under your words - and I know that. There weren't just back to back hospitalizations and hospice referrals, because those are just things that the clinicians call them. Even when we are living the nightmare sometimes we call them those clinical names too - because we have some training and a mindset that drives in that direction.<br /><br />If we were to 'lose' that clinical experience we would name them as they are: they were scary times, full of uncertainty and full of worry and full of sadness and probably even mourning. Those are tough places to walk - I know.<br /><br />These are personal and professional quagmires. I suspect that at the end of the day if we can say that we did our best and that we loved as fully as we could then everything else can be left to the hope that time will heal, maybe some - but probably never enough.<br /><br />Peace to you,<br /><br />ChrisChristopher J. Alteriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09489464791931315291noreply@blogger.com