Two
boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. (Pure boxing only). One of the boxers gets knocked out after only
six rounds, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?
June 28, 2013
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"As you grow older, you'll find that the only
things you regret are the things you didn't do."
Zachary Scott
June 27, 2013
Optimism and Your Health
Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Did you know how you interpret this can affect your overall health? A new study, published in the Psychological Science Journal, finds that having a positive outlook on life can be as good for your health as a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. Always seeing the glass half-empty? Turn that frown upside down and attempt to see the good in every situation.
Shine: Positive outlook and friends may be as good for you as diet and exercise, claims study
Shine: Positive outlook and friends may be as good for you as diet and exercise, claims study
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"You're the only one who can make the difference. Whatever your dream is, go for it."
Magic Johnson
June 26, 2013
A "Splash" of Inspiration
Inspiration can come from anywhere. In
the past, this blog has profiled the stories of many people who have not let a
disability stop them from living. However,
stories of survival, humanity and inspiration also exist in nature, as we
witnessed in the incredible tale of Winter the Dolphin.
Winter was just a baby when she was found stranded on a
beach in 2005, severely injured. She had
become lost from her pod and became entangled in a crab trap. Winter was rescued, but the injuries she
sustained to her tail became life threatening, leading to an amputation. This was successful; however, overtime the
way she adapted to swimming was injuring her spinal cord causing her further
harm.
Marine doctors struggled with solutions to save her, but
their quest eventually led to the successful creation of a prosthetic
tail. The tail helped Winter to swim
properly again and today she is living and thriving at Clearwater Marine
Aquarium in Florida.
Winter has become an inspiration to many across the world
and thousands of people with disabilities have gone to meet winter to gain
inspiration and hope from her amazing journey.
You can view her live on webcam at www.seewinter.com. But
Winter’s story is bigger than that. In
trying to create a prosthetic tale for a Dolphin, new products were created
that have greatly improved prosthetic comfort and fit for humans.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"When you feel your life ain't worth living, you've got to stand up and take a look around you then a look way up to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken, keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin' it's time to die."
Blind Melon: "Change"
Find on iTunes
June 25, 2013
How Do You Get Your 8 Glasses A Day?
There are many new products that can help you get your 8
glasses per day, however, many are full of sugars, sodium and unnecessary
calories. Are you making the right
choices? This interesting article by
Prevention Magazine discusses the new trend in "fancy" fortified
water beverages and helps you decide which are worth the extra money and which
are just empty calories.
June 24, 2013
Computer or Car Insurance…Gigabytes or IRB...
It is widely known in my industry that the people of Ontario
generally don’t understand their auto insurance coverage – until they need it. For example, when buying a new computer you
might look at screen size, megabytes, RAM, GIGs, processor, operating system,
anti-virus software and extended warranty.
But when buying car insurance do you look at the coverage for housekeeping,
NEB, IRB, attendant care, med/rehab, liability, and care giving? No? So,
it begs the question: why are you paying for something you don’t understand?
In a brilliant display of smoke and mirrors, your auto
insurance company (via the Insurance Bureau of Canada – IBC) pulled some tomfoolery
in 2010. They didn’t increase your car
insurance premiums, but dropped your coverage significantly. So, in essence at renewal you got half (or
less) of the coverage for the same price.
That is like spending the same money on your previous computer to now only
get the monitor.
So, being an educated
consumer, I “bought up” and paid extra for the same coverage I had before the
changes. I am one of less than 1% of the
population that did so. Now, IBC is
saying they are going to drop rates by 15%.
Well thank you oh noble insurers.
That will give me the same coverage I had before 2010 (because I bought
up) for the same price (because of the rate reduction). So, I am back to where I started, but the
other 99% of the population are getting 50% of the coverage for 85% of the
price. They are still at a significant
loss.
In a recent MBA class we talked about risk. Driving a motor vehicle is the # 1 most
unsafe activity when compared to 29 other activities people perceive to be
risky (including smoking, drinking, extreme sports, risky professions, flying,
etc.). So, if driving is our riskiest
activity, signifying a high probability of injury, why are consumers so unaware
of their coverage? Is it because we don’t think we will get in an
accident (the “it won’t happen to me phenomenon”), or because insurance is “mandatory”
we just purchase on price?
I find it strange that people take the process of buying a
computer more seriously than the process of renewing insurance - especially
when driving is the riskiest thing we do daily.
In a PC World survey (2012), 63% of people indicated they bought a
computer “extended warranty” yet research repeatedly shows that the $16B spent
yearly on extended warranties is a waste of money. Compare this to the less than 1% of people
that bought an “extended warranty” (i.e. extra coverage) on their car
insurance. Buyer Beware! It is time that Ontario drivers start to
understand the product that is car insurance so they can ensure they have
appropriate coverage for an appropriate price.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie
about your age."
Lucille Ball
June 21, 2013
Weekly Mind Bender
A
man takes his car to a hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, he is immediately
declared bankrupt. Why?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"What matters is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of
the fight of the dog"
Coach Bear Bryant
June 20, 2013
Always Forgetting Where You Put Your Keys? Tips To Improve Your Memory
Do you have trouble remembering where you left your
keys? Is it hard for you to remember the
name of the person you were just introduced to?
We live in an age of information overload and it is becoming
increasingly difficult for many to keep their memory sharp. This article by Good Housekeeping discusses
excellent tips to keep your mind sharp and improve your memory.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
The following inspirational video shows that age cannot limit you if you have the drive to do what you love. Johanna Quaas is recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's Oldest Gymnast. At 86 years of age Johanna is following her passion and loving life... and she looks AMAZING in a leotard!
June 19, 2013
Memory Mantras
Being an
Occupational Therapist can also be a curse when it comes to parenting. As an OT, the goals are always functional
independence. As a parent, I am no
different. I remember a video I watched
in OT school. This was of a boy (young
adult) with cerebral palsy and he was putting his coat on. The video was probably 20 minutes (or it felt
that long). As I watched this boy
struggle with his coat for what seemed liked eternity, I wanted to jump through
the TV to help him. Clearly with some
help this could be done faster and easier.
But in the end, it was not about that.
It was about independence.
As parents,
it is often faster and easier to do things for our kids. Or, we feel the need to continuously protect
our kids from failure by ensuring that we are their second brain. But is this the right choice when the goal is
to create people that can manage on their own?
I have
created two memory mantras that are used in our house to ensure my kids are
seeing the big picture and are developing some executive functioning (note I
also use these mantras with my clients who suffer from memory impairment):
When leaving
the house our mantra is: WHERE AM I GOING AND WHAT DO I NEED? When my children ask themselves this
question, they need to stop and think “I am going to X and thus need Y (water,
shoes, birthday present, tennis racquet, money)”. This prevents them from showing up at X
unprepared.
When leaving
a place in the community our mantra is: WHAT DID I COME WITH AND WHAT DO I HAVE? By asking themselves this question, they
quickly realize that they came with X and thus need to bring X home (coat,
shoes, water, bag, lunch). This prevents
them from leaving things behind.
The success
is in hearing my children repeat this to themselves when on their way out the
door. Recently, at a sporting event, we
heard a teenage boy blame his mother for forgetting his water. She was profusely apologetic and rushed out
to find him a drink. My children
(younger) turned to me and said “shouldn't he remember his own water”? My thoughts exactly.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"All you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be."
Pink Floyd: "Breathe"
Find on iTunes
June 18, 2013
Must Have Houseplants
Are you forever trying to bring new houseplants into your
home only to have them die or wither away?
The Nest online has compiled a list of must have houseplants that will
spruce up your decor, improve your health, help purify the air you breathe and are super easy to
take care of! Check out the article and
add some green to your home.
June 17, 2013
Lessons of Confidence from an Overhand Serve
I see a huge similarity between coaches and
therapists. Are therapists not just
coaches of rehabilitation? A recent
experience with organized sport reminded me that as coaches (and therapists) we
need to believe in our clients and often we believe in them more than they do. Yet, it is only through believing in them
will they be able to develop the confidence to succeed.
I was at a provincial volleyball tournament with my
daughter. She is 12. All season she has been working on her
overhand serve. She is the tiniest kid
on the team and all year was continuing to build the strength required to
execute this serve successfully. Just
before the tournament she starts landing these in practice. All tournament she was getting her overhand
serve over and in. Then, they are
playing the bronze medal game. She gets
to serve twice and misses both times.
Two points for the other team.
Game point and she is serving.
Knowing her struggles, she serves underhand, they win the point and the
first game. In the second game she tries
her overhand serve again and misses. The
score is now 23/22 for them and she is serving again. She looks at her coach and he says “give’er”
(code for serve overhand and give it all you have). She does, and lands her serve and one point
later they have won the game and the medal.
I was brought to tears reflecting on this. Her coach had more faith in her than she had
in herself. Given the choice, she would
have played it safe and served underhand.
But he knew she could do it, and was more interested in her own
development as a player, then in the impact of a missed serve on the game. That is a great coach.
As a therapist, I use this as a reminder regarding my role. I find that my clients will thank ME for "everything" and I have to remind them that I didn't do anything, THEY did. I just believed in them and provided them with encouragement, strategies and tools to be successful. My daughter's coach did not serve overhand in the final seconds of an important game, but he gave her the strength to believe that she could. That is our role as parents, coaches and therapists: believe in those we are leading and they will obtain the ability to believe in themselves and later in others. That is truly paying it forward.
As a therapist, I use this as a reminder regarding my role. I find that my clients will thank ME for "everything" and I have to remind them that I didn't do anything, THEY did. I just believed in them and provided them with encouragement, strategies and tools to be successful. My daughter's coach did not serve overhand in the final seconds of an important game, but he gave her the strength to believe that she could. That is our role as parents, coaches and therapists: believe in those we are leading and they will obtain the ability to believe in themselves and later in others. That is truly paying it forward.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"Use what talent you possess: the woods
would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. "
Henry Van Dyke
June 14, 2013
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving."
Mother Teresa
June 13, 2013
Living "Me to We" by Donating Your Health
There are many ways for Canadians and
people across the globe to live the "Me to We" lifestyle. The following article written by Craig and
Mark Kielburger for the Huffington Post, discusses how literally donating from
within yourself can make a difference in the lives of many.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
James Harrison, "The Man with the Golden Arm," has donated his blood over a record 1000 times. At the age of 13 the Australian man needed a great deal of blood to survive a life saving surgery. At this point James decided to pay it forward by donating regularly his entire life. When he began donating at the age of 18, it was discovered James carried a rare antigen which could cure Rhesus disease. This rare antigen and his commitment to donating blood has saved over 2,000,000 lives across the world.
June 12, 2013
Time to Donate
Do you find or make time for television, personal
reading, social media, meditation, exercising, or hitting the spa? Then perhaps you can find time in your
schedule to donate blood.
As a health care professional I am reminded
daily that blood is a lifesaving resource. In
fact, it is likely that most, if not all, of my clients were a blood recipient
at their time of injury. Yet,
according to Canadian Blood Services there is a problem. As per their website, less than 4% of Canadians
donate blood, while over 60% of people are eligible to do so. Reasons for non-donation include people having a
fear of needles (a legitimate an insurmountable problem for many), but most
people simply say they “don’t have the time”. Yet, Canadian Blood Services has estimated that as
early as 2014 they will have a blood crisis as loyal and repeat donors (mostly
seniors) will start exceeding donation age and will become recipients making
the already large gap between low supply and high demand even larger. This gap will be worsened by the baby boomers over
the next two decades. It
is time the next generation takes on this important responsibility.
This Friday, June 14th, is World Blood Donor Day. As
someone that has never donated (under the category of “no time”) I have since
realized that I make time for other things that I consider less important, so
it is time for me to become a donor. I am doing this for several
reasons. One, I have memories of my grandfather, a war veteran,
wearing his red blood-drop pin. I always noticed his pin, worn proud
on his lapel, and the thought of becoming a donor reminds me of him. Two,
I have no fear of needles and can make the time because this is important to
me. Three, Canadian Blood Services has made this easy – there is a
donation center less than 5Km from my home and I was able to book an
appointment online. Four, as a parent I want to model this behavior
for my children. And five, I recently lost a client who told
me that he needed 14 units of blood at the time of his injury and this was a
“record”. His passing has motivated me to finally make the time for
this important contribution.
My plan? Take a
book, relax, and take an hour to myself while giving back at the same time. Based on my blood type after donating I will
give myself a big A.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down. Oh, it's all right, when you find your way, then you see it disappear. Oh, it's all right; though your garden's gray I know all your graces someday will flower in a sweet sunshower."
"Sunshower" by Chris Cornell
Find on iTunes
June 11, 2013
5 Everyday Things That Relieve Pain
This great article by "Readers Digest" can help
you find new and simple ways of relieving aches, pains, and itchy rashes. The 5 household items discussed here are cheap,
easy to find and can help alleviate pain without the reliance on
medications.
June 10, 2013
So I Guess Your Kid Doesn't Wear A Seat Belt Either?
I get very confused when I see children riding bikes without
helmets. Over the last many years the
safety benefits of a helmet for biking, skiing, skateboarding, ice skating (and
many other sports) has been well studied.
Research shows that helmets can be extremely effective in preventing
head injuries and ¾ of all cycling fatalities are the result of head trauma. You don’t even have to hit a car or tree to
sustain a head injury - the ground or even your handlebars are often
enough.
The laws in Ontario are clear: since October 1, 1995 anyone under the age of
18 is required to ride a helmet on a road or sidewalk (http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/safety/helmet/helmet_law.htm). Based on an increasing number of adult
cycling deaths by head injury, it is likely that this law will soon be extended
to adults as it is in other provinces.
So, considering the laws and the well-publicised risks, why
are children (including young children) still seen riding bikes without
helmets?
As adults, I recognize that we were not raised to wear
helmets. Adopting this practice has been
difficult as we find it unnatural, maybe uncomfortable, and probably
uncool. However, most of us likely wear
seatbelts when in a vehicle. Why? BECAUSE WE WERE RAISED THAT WAY. Seatbelt laws in Ontario were passed in 1976
and so many of us were raised in the era of this as mandatory. Many of us probably don’t even have to think
about our seatbelt anymore as it is part of our regular “get-in-the-car”
routine and we feel naked and exposed without it. We need to apply the same concept of “normal”
to our children regarding helmets.
There are two main reasons why children need to wear
helmets. 1. They are safe and have been
shown to save lives and reduce disability.
2. IT IS THE LAW. As a parent, by not requiring that your child
wear a helmet on their bike you are not only putting them at risk, but are also
teaching them that laws don’t matter.
And I am not talking about the diligent parents whose children leave the
house with a helmet on, to later have this on their handlebars or undone on
their head. I am mostly talking about
the young kids in my neighbourhood who are out on their bikes without helmets,
often under the supervision of their parents, and are thus not being taught
that helmets are law, mandatory, and safe.
I am going to hazard a guess that no parent would put their
child in a car without a seat-belt.
Heck, child seats are also law and until a certain age these are five
point and offer more protection than the adult restraint. So, for the same reasons you put your child
in a seatbelt (protection and law) you need to ensure they are wearing a helmet
for biking (skating, skiing, skateboarding).
And lead by example – get a helmet for yourself and model the
appropriate behavior. And be firm: no
helmet should equal no bike. No
discussion.
June 7, 2013
Weekly Mind Bender
You put
a coin into an empty bottle and insert a cork into the neck. How can you remove
the coin without removing the cork or breaking the bottle?
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door."
Irish Blessing
June 6, 2013
What's Going on Inside your Head?
Do you ever wonder how your brain works? The human brain is very complex and difficult
for the untrained individual to understand.
This interesting interactive Brain Map by CBC Health takes you inside
the human brain allowing you to explore up
close.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Zach Sobiech, just passed away on May 20, 2013, at the young age of 18, from a rare form of cancer. Upon discovering the terminal cancer at age 14, Zach decided not to succumb to his illness, but to live his dreams and become a rock star. Zach wrote and performed beautiful music and shared his inspiring story with the world. The following video shows Zach's incredible story and celebrates his life and the dream he made a reality.
June 5, 2013
The Goal is Improved Executive Functioning
As a caring professional, I refuse to believe that my
clients are not motivated. All of my clients
have goals or I would not be treating them.
However, their ability to achieve their goals independently remains the
reason that they require active therapy.
Previously, I wrote about executive functioning, and used the example of
moving to highlight how people with executive dysfunction may feel on a regular
basis when completing relatively simple tasks.
Treatment for executive dysfunction is as broad as it is
specific. It is broad because everyone
experiences brain injury differently, and comes into that type of trauma with
varying levels of ability to start with.
However, treating problems with executive function is really as simple
as taking a goal and breaking this down into component parts, manageable
chunks, and smaller goals within the whole.
So, returning to the moving example, assisting someone with executive
dysfunction with a pending move will involve making checklists, with
time frames, and checking on progress frequently. Personally, I like to take a project
approach: calling the goal “Operation
Move” and mapping out – start to finish – the metrics for success. Perhaps in month one an “apartment hunting
worksheet” is created to help a client summarize all the places they are
looking at, the pros / cons, address, and list of questions that need to be
answered (price, utilities included, length of lease etc.). Often I encourage my clients to use a
smartphone to take photos of the options then we cross reference these and catalog
them to keep things organized. From
there, the process continues with checklists for calls to make, addresses to
change, ways to organize packing and management of belongings. Ensuring the client is responsible for follow-up
via “homework” between sessions and holding them accountable for completion of
this aids to developing independence.
Really, the therapeutic goal is more than just ensuring the client is
able to move successfully. Rather, it is
demonstrating a model and method that can be used for any future transitions,
goals or tasks. This ensures success
that is transferable to other events at later dates.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"I see trees of green, red roses too. I see em bloom, for me and for you. And I think to myself: what a wonderful world."
Louis Armstrong: "What a Wonderful World"
Find on iTunes
June 4, 2013
"You Only Get One Brain; Treat it Well!"
Concussions are a hot topic in sport. Yet the management of these continues to
vary. It is now felt that if someone sustains
a head injury during sports, they should not return to the game and should be checked
by a professional. Take a look at this
article about concussions and the changing guidelines for treatment. In the article, an expert, Dr. Jeffrey
Kutcher, states: "If in doubt, sit
it out," and points out the important fact that "you only get one
brain; treat it well!"
June 3, 2013
June is Brain Injury Awareness Month: How Is Your Executive Functioning?
Last month, I spoke at a conference with my colleague Tamara
Forbes (www.forbeshealth.ca) on the
topic of executive dysfunction. Executive
dysfunction is a common problem following brain injury. Simply defined, executive functions are the
capacities we require to achieve a goal.
They are commonly referred to as the “CEO” of the brain because they
provide the higher order processes that allow us to plan, organize, initiate
and complete tasks successfully.
Practically, think about the last time you moved. Moving, as an example, is a simple goal of
just wanting to relocate from one place to another. The goal is not the
problem: it is the processes and thinking required to manage the transition
effectively. Several months before
moving you are searching for a suitable place, weighing the pros and cons of
each location, checking your budget.
Then you make the decision of where to move and you need to deal with
your existing location. When do you need
to notify your landlord, or when should you list your house? Then, months and weeks before you move there are
calls to make to utility companies, mail to redirect, insurance to organize,
movers to book and packing to do. What
belongings are you moving? What should
be sold, donated, discarded? The day of
the move is chaotic, stressful, and exhausting.
Then for months after you continue to unpack, move things around, find
ways to arrange and store your stuff.
Your level of executive functioning, or your ability to
delegate and enlist support for your areas of weakness, will determine the
outcome of your move. Now imagine, with
brain injury, that you feel the same sense of stress, fatigue and frustration
with more simple daily tasks, such as planning a meal, sorting your mail, or
scheduling your time. This is often how
people with brain injury will feel on a regular basis. The goal then of occupational therapy will
be to simplify daily tasks and help a client break activities down into smaller
and more manageable chunks. More on this
to come…
Daily Dose of Inspiration
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Maya Angelou
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