Snowflakes and Spoons

The finer things in life Many tasks that we need to do involve intricate movements of our fingers. Our fingers are controlled by 34 muscles originating in our forearms and palms. These muscles connect to our finger bones by tendons. The fingers actually have no muscles in them! With 34 muscles needed, it’s no wonder that controlling fine motor movements can become an issue when diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. Tips when suffering from fine motor impairment:  ·          Avoid extended use of these muscles and plan ahead When I write, I notice that my handwriting can start out relatively neatly, but then goes downhill into a scrawl. By limiting the use of these muscles, you can preserve them for the things you need. If you know you are going to need your fine skills for a task make sure you doing it your 'strong' times. For some, this is in the morning and for others about an hour afte...

Seeing double? Visual accommodations for MG warriors  Myasthenia Gravis affects the muscles around the eyes. This can lead to double vision (diplopia), drooping eyelids (ptosis), dry eyes and trouble focusing. In addition, some of the medications used to manage MG can cause cataracts. 90% of MG warriors suffer from some form of ophthalmic impairment. 1   Below are practical solutions you can use to help ease the strain on your eyes.  Change all fonts to large.   Install screen reading software i.e. SpeakIt is available for free as Google Chrome extension   Control glare by adding a glare screen to the computer  Install proper lighting, dim lighting will cause strain on your eyes Allow frequent rest breaks Magnify written material using hand/stand/optical magnifiers Alternate covering one eye with an eye patch Use a cold compress over your eyes to ease muscle tension and 'revive' your eye muscles.  Use sunglasses and sun viso...

Occupational therapy strives to use a holistic treatment approach to improve a person's day to day functioning. Balancing life and engaging in work, leisure and personal management by teaching new skills or adapting task or environment is a high priority for OTs. By using meaningful activities we encourage clients to live their life to their personal best. This can be done in a group setting or on an individual either on hospital or on an outpatient basis. So what services can an Occupational Therapist offer an adult client with a chronic illness? “As much as 90% of the management of a chronic condition must be performed, not by health care providers, but by the person who has the condition.” ‐ California Healthcare Foundation, 2008 whether it's managing your medication, putting on your own socks or remembering where you left the keys OT is the profession to help you. Here are 10 other topics that an OT can include in your treatment:       1)  ...

Why is work important? As occupational therapists, we regard individuals as occupational beings that benefit from active engagement in meaningful occupation  1 . A meaningful occupation does not need to be paid or formal employment. The key here is that it needs to be meaningful. You have to enjoy, value, be inspired and look forward to doing it. If we are able to engage in this type of work it is noted that you have a higher chance to not just live successfully, but thrive 1 . Advantage of meaningful occupation:           Beneficial health ‘spin-offs’ 2,3          Achieve individual and social change 1         Freedom of choice = ability to experience well-being 4           Allow you to become more self-directed 5          Develop a sense of agency 5          Develop a more positive self-view 6      ...

The Spoon Theory and real life Basic theory The spoon theory was developed by Christine Miserandino. (1) Spoons are used as a metaphor to describe the units of energy available for people living with chronic illnesses. Each day everyone has a limited number of spoons available for the day. When spoons are used a person has to rest to replenish them. Therefore, people with chronic illnesses need to plan and manage their days. As there are only a specific number of spoons available people may choose to use their spoons differently to what is sometimes expected. The picture to the right was designed by the Chronic Fatigue Blogger, Jessica: http://sweetbriarsisters.com, to demonstrate this point. I have learnt some personal lessons along the way that I feel need to be added to this theory. Spoon Stealers Many people don't realise that activities of daily living (ADLs) such bathing or brushing your hair can steal spoons from a person with chronic illn...