Transitions April 16, 2008

I have since changed my approach to my creative piece.  I decided that because my paper exposes how serious brain injuries are, I needed to write a piece showing the true human side of it.

To show the reality, i am crossing the lives of a person before and after their brain injury with the life of a person who gets stuck caring for the victim.  I used my research and knowlege of brain injury symptoms to show the changes in the victim.  It tells the reader how he feels, what he is experiencing, his frustrations etc… 

I didn’t just write “his symtoms were headach and dizziness” as I would have in the research piece.  I wrote his symptoms how he felt them, through his thoughts.  The reader also gets to experience what life is like caring for a person with a head injury, how difficult adapting to those changes can really be.

By using the characters’ thoughts, emotions, and reactions I can expose my research and share my knowlege in more conspicuous way.  It shows life and function before brain injury.  It allows readers to experience through the eyes of the victim what a head injury could be like.  It also almost scares a person because they might not have realized what they would have to deal with if a loved one had a head injury.

 

Free Writing April 14, 2008

Working Title: “Creative Draft 1″ “He can’t hear you”

Description:  I am going to write a skit about a guy who has experienced a head injury and is in the hospital.  Sacred Heart Hospital to be exact.  The doctors and nurses don’t realize that he can hear and understand everything that they say to him, but he just can’t respond.  Thinking he is braindead, they use his room as an emotional catchall.  Eventually someone realizes that he can hear and understand and everyone panics because he knows their secrets.

Question:
Is my absolute scholastic exhastion going to affect the sense of humor that I weave into my skit?

I love Scrubs.  There is not an episode that doesnt make me laugh because I share the same semi-warped sense of humor as the staff.  I also enjoy it because they do throw some real life stuff in there.  It isnt all funny and humor.  I really would like to turn out a script worthy of a laugh but at this point im so burnt out with school that Im not sure I can do it how I want.

I’ve gone into survival mode.  I have so much to do, my mind is in so many places that I cannot focus on this assignment.  I spent four years worth of English braincells on my Research paper, and I’m pretty much done really really really putting a super effort into my work.  For example, we spent what, 13 weeks writing that paper?  I need to focus on another class now.  Such as my CUMMULATIVE anatomy and physiology 100 pt fill in the blanks spelling counts final which is on the same exact day as my 100000 point Audiology final which has multiple choice who’s choices extend far beyond double letters and into the triples.

I’ve contributed quite enough to this class, so my creative piece is taking the back seat.  Sorry to say, but I really have no interest in writing it anymore.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate the creative piece, but given the choice between studying a lot for Audiology so I dont FAIL the test or writing a scrubs script, I think I am going to choose Audiology. Being that I would like to attend Grad School here and a “FAIL” in Audiology wont look that great, I think its the best choice for me.

I am really proud of my research paper so I am happy with what I got out of this class.  Pushing myself to the extremes to put out another superb piece with so much else going on everywhere else is going to ruin what good I have.  It’s just not worth it!

Time to shift gears into finals survival mode.  So the answer to my question is YES. My complete exhaustion is definitely going to affect the outcome with my creative piece.  It will not be a deplorable piece of rubbish, because I will make an effort, but it will not be anything spectacular.  Which is quite all right with me.  For once I have agreed to accept mediocrity and just fly above the radar. Nothing special about it.

Though after this class period i get to go get at least 100 noteecards to study for anatomy as well as the supplies for my portfolio.  I need a bookshelf in my room, or somewhere safe to store my crap.  I have books and binders and notebooks everywhere.  It’s kind of annoying.  I have to clean my room when I get home so I have a place to spread my work out (my floor) and see where I am at.

Blog 16 April 7, 2008

The problem with the creative piece is narrowing down what you want to do.  Should I write a poem? a play? a skit?  The possibilities are much more vast with creative pieces.  THere is not much of an option with a regular research paper.

April 7, 2008

If I plan on writing a script or a scene, I have to find a script to base my story on.  I was never into theater so I am not exactly sure how a script goes.  I also have to pick an episode to re-write so I have to watch some SCRUBS and get back into the series.

This is similar to my research paper because I had to decide what I was writing the paper on.  I also had to choose how I was going make my point.  Then I had to find information and ideas of other people to help craft my own.

THe creative piece is much less stressful though.  I feel as if I have more control over how this is going to turn out.  I am not limited to a pretty standard research paper format.  I dont mind the format, but after working on the stupid thing for weeks, I’m ready for a change.

Blog 14 April 7, 2008

The books we’ve read so far in class give me ideas for my piece.  They show different ways that research can be used to develop a creative piece.  They don’t just use it as a citation.

For example, Fauziya Kassinga weaves information about Africa and its traditions into her story to allow the reader to understand her situation better.  She does not just state facts.  All of her story and research are connected to work for each other.

The reader learns about something totally foreign to them without even realizing that they are being informed.  This is because they are captivated by the story and read through the info as if it were part of the story.

 

Novel Proposal April 1, 2008

I am not exactly sure what I am going to write about.  I’ve narrowed it down to a few ideas.

The first is experiencing a head injury through not only the victim’s eyes, but through their friends and family.  The reader will know the thoughts of both the victim and the family, which will reveal the true struggle these people go through.  This victim will be a veteran so the story will start in Iraq.

I was also throwing around using a new therapist/nurse to the field who’s first patient is a head injury patient.  She will be in the middle of the changes between the victim and their family as she will not only treat the patient but experience the reactions of the family.

I’m still working on it. 

Blog 8 February 19, 2008

 I’ve learned that even though a paper seems clear to me, it doesn’t always make sense to other readers.  I can get lost in my own head sometimes and tend to forget that other people have to read my paper.  Also, even though I can follow my thought process, outsiders may not be able to.  I need to explain certain aspects and terms clearer because even though I understand them, not everyone does.

Reading other people’s papers gives me ideas as to how to shape mine.  Perhaps someone else had a nice hook at the end of a paragraph.  I could use a similar outline to create my own hook.  I read a paper that used statistics to show the discrepancy in opinions and beliefs, and I really liked that introduction.  I am now motivated to try and create a more intriguing introduction of my own.

I need to put more researched based information in my introduction.  I have to somehow weave this in without giving away my whole paper.  My introduction is full of my opinions, but no sources to back up my opinions.  The correct balance of facts and opinions are important to lure a reader into a paper.

Pgs 1-3 February 17, 2008

             I had always been interested in brains and how they worked.  In highschool, I wrote my senior research paper on how music effects cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Autism.  As I’ve progressed through college, I’ve dabbled in acquired brain injuries including a paper written on pediatric brain injuries.  This summer, however, changed my whole perspective.

            A good friend of mine is a member of an American Legion, and she invited me to go with the group to the Veteran’s Hospital in Aspinwall.  There, they would put a ‘carnival’ on for the Veterans in which they could participate in games to win tickets and prizes.  As I stood behind my booth watching these men and women enter the dining hall in wheelchairs and walkers aided by nurses and therapists, a reality hit me.

            Those men and women were involved, at some point, in a war.  Their injuries and illnesses were most likely a result of the war that they fought.  Now, years later, they are the responsibility of their own generation and the generation after them.

            There is a war going on right now.  It is, essentially, a war of attrition.  The goal of the “good guys” is to destroy as many insurgents as possible, and the goal of the insurgents is to destroy as many people as they can, men, women, children.  They do not reach their quotas by hiding in bushes and firing at passing military convoys.  They blow things up.  There is no aim, no exact target.  Whatever rolls over the IED (improvised explosive device) or who ever is in the market square when the suicide bomber goes off becomes the target.

                        Since the most recent military engagement began in May 2005, approximately 28773 United States military servicemen have been killed or injured in Iraq.  Many of those injuries are head injuries resulting from suicide bombings and IED explosions (improvised explosive devices).  The number of diagnosed and undiagnosed head injuries in these returning men and women is increasing and occurring at an alarming rate.  In fact, some would consider this rate worthy of an epidemic label.

            A similar phenomenon occurred in World War II veterans who had experienced shell shock.  Initially thought to be a result of a brain injury, future research and development concluded that brain injury was not the only cause.  Like the research on shell shock, further research focusing on traumatic brain injuries must be developed on the effects, both immediate and post-traumatically, and prevention of head injuries in military men and women.

            Many non-military people experience injuries that require a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team as well.  Many aging people require a similar multidisciplinary team to improve their quality of life.  With such a dynamic spectrum of ages and disabilities, one must wonder whether the difference in age between a therapist and client have an influence on the effect of the therapy?

            I am writing this paper to expose what future independent health care workers need to consider as influences on their career experiences.  I will use information from personal correspondence, as well as researched media including textbooks, scholarly journals, and information from national organizations.

            To understand why the need for awareness is so urgent, one first must understand the severity of a traumatic brain injury.  What is a traumatic brain injury?  What are the effects of a TBI?  What causes TBI?  These are the essential questions that must be answered first.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Outline February 14, 2008

 Title

I.        Par. 1 What is TBI?

A.    Causes

1.    Falls

2.    MVA

3.    Struck By/Against

4.    Assault

5.    Other?

II.       Par 2 Effects of

A.    Long Term

1.    Emotional

2.    Physical

3.    Social

4.    Psychological

B.    Short Term

1.    Emotional

2.    Physical

3.    Psychological

4.    Social

III.     Par 3 Prevalence

A.    In the US

B.    In military personnel

IV.     Par 4 Miltary Personnel

A.    Causes in MP

1.    IEDs

a.    What are they?

b.    Why so dangerous?

B.    Prevalence

1.    Identified

2.    Unidentified

C.    The Epidemic

1.    Why is it not an epidemic?

D.    Problems in treatment

1.    Un ID’d TBI’s

V.       Par 5 Rehabilitation

VI.     BE AWARE

A.    Graphs/HARRISinteractive

B.    How opinions of youth have changed

VII.    How will this effect us?

A.    Dr. L. interview

B.    Shell Shock vs TBI

1) Where will you begin?

 I am in the process of creating notecards from the sources I have collected.  Each notecard has the source and the exact line of information I want from the source written on it.  There is only one idea or thought per notecard.  I will then take the notecards and organize them into the order in which I wish to discuss in my paper.  My outline will undoubtedly change (grow/shrink) as I go through my sources with a very fine-toothed comb and decide what I need and don’t need.

2) If you need assistance during the writing process, what will you do?

 Email you.  Ask my friend/boss at work who has a writing degree of sorts and understands my unique thought process.  She can talk me out of a panic.

 3) How will you manage your anxiety about finishing on time?

 I am really really going to try to not procrastinate.  I have a tendency to do so.  I work much better under pressure, however, the stress of the pressure is not worth it some time.

 4) What kind of writing schedule will you create for yourself and where will you do the actual writing (be as explicit as possible!!!)?

 I have a terribly difficult time sitting down and just writing an outline, or just writing an introduction.  I have found that by working multiple steps at once seem to keep me focused (as crazy as it sounds).  For example, I wrote a pretty basic outline for this assignment.  As I keep reading my sources, I will keep adding information where it needs to be.  By the time I’m actually done, my paper will be practically written and all I’ll have to do is turn it into sentences.

I work best in the morning, while I am watching ER reruns on TNT.  At which time I am probably perched on the couch, or the livingroom floor infront of the woodburner.  I could also very well write at work when we’re slow and I’ve cleaned everything all ready.  More than likely though, I will be on the couch, floor, or at my desk in my room.

5) What steps will you need to take to collect your data; to analyze your data?

I‘m using the notecards with this one.  I’ve found they work beautifully with an outline.  The outline is the ‘nice draft’ of the notecards.  I can look at the cards, put their info in my currently lame outline, and analyze where I need more information or if I should discuss another topic along with the one I was on, etc. . .

Annotated Bibliography February 10, 2008

Annotated Bibliography

Borg, J., Carroll, L.J., Cassidy, J.D., Holm, L., Paniak, C., Peloso, P.M., et al.  (2004). Prognosis for mild traumatic brain injury: results of the Who Collaborating Centre task force on mild traumatic brain injury.  Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, (Suppl. 43): 84-105.

            This article discusses the outcomes of traumatic brain injury in both children and adults.  It looks in detail at the difference in recovery in children separately from adults.  Borg and associates explain the possible prognosis of experiencing a traumatic brain injury.

Brookshire, R.H.  (1991). An introduction to neurogenic communication disorders.  In D.K. Marshall & Julie Tryboski (Eds.).  Traumatic brain injuries (p.p. 204-223).  St. Louis, MO: Mosby-YearBook, Inc.

            Brookshire gives an overview of traumatic brain injuries as a chapter in his textbook, An Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders.  Brookshire discusses what a traumatic brain injury is, the secondary affects of a brain injury, and the assessment of the severity of a brain injury.  He also explains the possible treatments for the different severities of brain injuries.

Butler, T., & Geraci, J.  (2005). Do America’s youth support the Iraq war.  Trends&Tudes, 4, 1-5.  Retrieved February 7, 2008, from www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/k12news/HI_TrendsTudes_2005_v04_i08.pdf

            The periodical Trends&Tudes surveyed America’s youth in April 2003 on various aspects of the war in Iraq such as whether there is pride and support for the war and whether the war is being handled correctly by President Bush.  The same questions where asked in June of 2005, however, the results were drastically changed from an overall positive outlook to a negative reaction. 

Castro, C.A., Cotting, D.I., Hoge, C.W., Koffman, R.L., McGurk, D., Messer, S.C.  (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care.  The New England Journal of Medicine, 351, 13-22.

           

            The authors developed this article on the basis of the mental health of returning soldiers.  In their study, they determined that despite the soldiers’ need for mental health care, many did not or would not seek medical attention.  This lack of care is a result of the soldiers’ perception of mental health care.

Fear, N.T., Jones, E., Wessely, S.  (2007). Shell shock and mild traumatic brain injury: a historical review.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 1-5.

The researchers, Jones, Fear, and Wessely, discuss the components of shellshock and its significant presence through out modern war history.  The authors explore the causes of shellshock from World War I, as well as explain the difficulties experienced by physicians responsible for diagnosis injured soldiers as the symptoms of shell shock are quite widespread.  Finally, they compare the presence of shell shock, postconcussional syndrome, and traumatic brain injury among various wars, including the most recent engagement.

Hotopf, M., & Wessely, S.  (2006). Neuropsychological changes following military service in Iraq.  The Journal of the American Medical Association, 296, 574-575.

            Hotopf and Wessely explore the possible causes of neuropsychological alterations of returning military veterans of the Iraq wars.  They discuss various possibilities such as head traumas, toxic chemical exposure, and the shock of returning to civilian life as variables to the changes.  They also look at the combination of the variables as to how they affect the neurophysiology of the returning veterans.

L.Lombard  (personal communication, February 6, 2008).

            I performed an interview with Dr. Lori Lombard, Ph.D., who is an Associate Professor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Services.  She gave her perspective on how age affects therapy from her experience as a practicing speech therapist.

Okie, S.  (2005). Traumatic brain injury in the war zone.  The New England Journal of Medicine, 352, 2043-2047.

            Okie’s piece follows the story of a young soldier who sustained a massive head injury in Iraq.  It then discusses the process that a soldier goes through once he or she is injured, starting with the place where the injury occurred through diagnosis and treatment plans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Okie also explains the immediate as well as the lasting effects of a traumatic brain injury, closing the piece with the statement “they may never be the same.”

Traumatic brain injury.  (2006, May).  Retrieved February 7, 2008, from http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs18.pdf

            This article gives an overview of traumatic brain injury by telling the story of young girl who experienced a traumatic brain injury.  It clearly defines traumatic brain injury and some of the effects that may be caused by experiencing one.

What is traumatic brain injury.  (2008, January 22).  Retrieved February 7, 2008, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/TBI.htm

            The Center for Disease Control provides statistics involving head injuries.  Some of the statistics included are the causes of head injuries, the numbers of people at risk for traumatic brain injuries, and the cost of head injuries.  The CDC also provides various links to supplement parts of the article such as signs and symptoms of a brain injury.