This week OTA 180 took a trip to LS. I had no idea what LS was and really went on the trip having no idea what I was getting into. I had not prepped myself for any emotions or feelings. To be honest, I was tired and really wanted to just go home. To my surprise, I have not been able to stop thinking about the trip or the people we encountered at LS. When I go to sleep at night, I have dreams involving not only the patients at LS, but imaginary, made up family members. The question I can't seem to get out of my head is what if a TBI happened to my husband? Where would I start? Where would he go? How would our relationship change? These are not questions I really want to think about, but somehow in my subconscious they keep coming up. I hope to express some of my thoughts and questions here and hopefully help my subconscious rest tonight.
To begin, I think about my husband having a TBI because most of the patients we met at LS were men. There are so many unanswered questions about the "what if"s. How much will insurance cover? Where will the extra money come from? Who will we trust with his care? How long will his recovery last? Will he recover? How much recovery should we expect? How will I take care of our two boys? What does the "old" David(my husband) want? Where will my emotional support come from? All of these questions I have about my "what if's" remind me that there are real life questions happening as seen at LS. We focused on the patients that day, but I can't seem to stop thinking about the families. Although the TBI person is changed forever, so is the family.
I was also stuck by a simple, true comment from our instructor, "If you get injured, you want to be injured on the job". So, from my understanding most of the patients at LS were there because of workers comp. This leads me to think of the person who is injured on personal time. What is available to them and their family? I found some comfort in the link above. Here you will find blogs from family members and resources for TBI persons. I found the blog about new technology for TBI's especially helpful. A telephone that dials the numbers with the push of one number. The automatic pill dispenser and the freedom for family members to have time out knowing their loved ones are safe. As an OTA I will look for continued rehabilitation but also knowing when and how to adapt this new life for clients and family members seems critical. How will you know when to adapt and when to keep pushing? Does experience and long time work with TBI's help an OTA in answering this question. Sometimes, I wish I had more answers than questions.
LS field trip was a reminder to me to ask the "what if's". It was a reminder of how blessed I am, and also another helpful push to finish the OTA program to help others (family or clients) and use my talents for God's purpose!! Be sure to double click on the title to check out a great website.
To begin, I think about my husband having a TBI because most of the patients we met at LS were men. There are so many unanswered questions about the "what if"s. How much will insurance cover? Where will the extra money come from? Who will we trust with his care? How long will his recovery last? Will he recover? How much recovery should we expect? How will I take care of our two boys? What does the "old" David(my husband) want? Where will my emotional support come from? All of these questions I have about my "what if's" remind me that there are real life questions happening as seen at LS. We focused on the patients that day, but I can't seem to stop thinking about the families. Although the TBI person is changed forever, so is the family.
I was also stuck by a simple, true comment from our instructor, "If you get injured, you want to be injured on the job". So, from my understanding most of the patients at LS were there because of workers comp. This leads me to think of the person who is injured on personal time. What is available to them and their family? I found some comfort in the link above. Here you will find blogs from family members and resources for TBI persons. I found the blog about new technology for TBI's especially helpful. A telephone that dials the numbers with the push of one number. The automatic pill dispenser and the freedom for family members to have time out knowing their loved ones are safe. As an OTA I will look for continued rehabilitation but also knowing when and how to adapt this new life for clients and family members seems critical. How will you know when to adapt and when to keep pushing? Does experience and long time work with TBI's help an OTA in answering this question. Sometimes, I wish I had more answers than questions.
LS field trip was a reminder to me to ask the "what if's". It was a reminder of how blessed I am, and also another helpful push to finish the OTA program to help others (family or clients) and use my talents for God's purpose!! Be sure to double click on the title to check out a great website.
Thank you for your post. This is something we all need to think about! The LS was a wake up call to what could happen to anyone at anytime. We don't like to think of what would happen to our lives if illness or injury settled on our family. I too am truly blessed. I should remember this daily, not just when I see others that have suffered or are suffering.
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