Doing this job (speech-language pathologist), sometimes I ask myself “Is what I’m doing really making a difference?” Sometimes the answer is “no”, but more often than not, the answer is yes. Measuring success in this field is sometimes very difficult. If a patient has cognitive (thinking) deficits, it’s hard to judge whether or not you've really helped them. If a patient has dysphagia (swallowing problems), success is more easily measured.
Patients can have swallowing problems for a lot of reasons, the most common one being stroke. The first man I ever truly, for a fact, helped, however, had swallowing problems because he had been in a car accident.
This man, Mr. V, came to us with two crushed legs and an inability to swallow. A feeding tube had been placed in his stomach so he could receive nutrition, hydration, and medication. If we tried to give him something to eat, he would choke and cough and aspirate (where food or liquids go down into your lungs – VERY dangerous). Usually, we treat swallowing problems with electrical stimulation to the throat. However, Mr. V had an internal defibrillator, so we couldn't use electrical stimulation (it would set his defibrillator off!).
So, we had to treat him the old fashioned way…he had to lie flat on his back and hold his chin to his chest for one minute. He then rested for one minute. That sequence was repeated three times. Then, he touched his chin to his chest 30 times. All of that was done at least three times per day!!! This kind of therapy is hard; it’s hard for the patient and it’s hard for the therapist. But Mr. V, he gave it his all. Mr. V was a fighter…he was a patient of my mother’s (who is a cancer nurse) who got into a car accident on his way home from his last chemotherapy treatment. Talk about bad luck.
Well, long story short, after many weeks of intense therapy, Mr. V was able to safely swallow! Getting someone off their feeding tube (PEG tube) is a big deal in and of itself. But, getting a patient off a feeding tube using this old fashioned exercise method is an even bigger deal. Needless to say, I really felt like I helped a person when Mr. V wheeled himself out of our facility.
I still see Mr. V quite frequently. He still comes to therapy for his legs…he walks with a walker now. Every time I see him, he has a smile on his face and a big hug waiting for me. That’s why…I love what I do!
Patients can have swallowing problems for a lot of reasons, the most common one being stroke. The first man I ever truly, for a fact, helped, however, had swallowing problems because he had been in a car accident.
This man, Mr. V, came to us with two crushed legs and an inability to swallow. A feeding tube had been placed in his stomach so he could receive nutrition, hydration, and medication. If we tried to give him something to eat, he would choke and cough and aspirate (where food or liquids go down into your lungs – VERY dangerous). Usually, we treat swallowing problems with electrical stimulation to the throat. However, Mr. V had an internal defibrillator, so we couldn't use electrical stimulation (it would set his defibrillator off!).
So, we had to treat him the old fashioned way…he had to lie flat on his back and hold his chin to his chest for one minute. He then rested for one minute. That sequence was repeated three times. Then, he touched his chin to his chest 30 times. All of that was done at least three times per day!!! This kind of therapy is hard; it’s hard for the patient and it’s hard for the therapist. But Mr. V, he gave it his all. Mr. V was a fighter…he was a patient of my mother’s (who is a cancer nurse) who got into a car accident on his way home from his last chemotherapy treatment. Talk about bad luck.
Well, long story short, after many weeks of intense therapy, Mr. V was able to safely swallow! Getting someone off their feeding tube (PEG tube) is a big deal in and of itself. But, getting a patient off a feeding tube using this old fashioned exercise method is an even bigger deal. Needless to say, I really felt like I helped a person when Mr. V wheeled himself out of our facility.
I still see Mr. V quite frequently. He still comes to therapy for his legs…he walks with a walker now. Every time I see him, he has a smile on his face and a big hug waiting for me. That’s why…I love what I do!
And now, some Zelda Wisdom...
No comments:
Post a Comment