What I have learned from Lauren's presentation is that Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a debilitating, fatal disease that affects the nerve and motor cell in the brain and spinal cord. The disease is very hard to diagnose, and there are many diagnostic tests that have to be performed in order to obtain a diagnosis. What blew me away was that from the time of Mrs. Lindquist's diagnosis to her passing, only one year had passed. This disease accelerates rapdily, and is very unforgiving to the people it affects.
Fortunately for Mrs. Lindquist, she was able to stay in her home while she dealt with her diagnosis. She had many adaptations made to her home so that she could have available access. The one thing that surprised me was how quickly patients with ALS can fatigue. Mrs. Lindquist stated in her book that it would take her twice as long to recover from performing certain activities, such as brushing her hair, compared to the average person without the diagnosis. I believe OTs can play a big role in teaching clients with ALS, as well as many other clients with various diagnoses, about energy conservation.
Though it is a sad situation that Mrs. Lindquist passed away, her book, "Rowing Without Oars" has given people an insight into what her life was like while living with ALS, and can hopefully educate people on this diagnosis which can lead to further research, and a cure.
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