Neuro Note 3

For Neuro Note 3, I chose to watch and read about Alex Coriell’s Journey with ALS. I chose this topic because it is one we recently covered in class and I was interested in seeing how a younger adult dealt with this diagnoses. Alex Coriell’s wife, Melissa, filmed this video. It shows just how fast this condition progresses and how devastating it is.

Alex Coriell was diagnosed with ALS when he was 29 years old. He was a Husband and a father to 3 young children. The video begins with footage of when he was first diagnosed in January 2013; Alex still had the ability to walk and could use his hands. By September of 2013, he opted to have a feeding tube placed after he lost his ability to swallow. A few months after having the feeding tube placed, Alex lost his ability to walk. Alex decided to start a blog to advocate for and encourage others with ALS. When Alex lost the ability to use his fingers, he continued to blog using his noes to type. When he could no longer use his nose, he used his eyes (via eye gaze).

 Despite the inevitable outcome, Alex never gave up on life. He continued to live his life to the fullest, doing everything he could to stay active and keep moving. Along with blogging, he spoke at public events and advocated for ALS, spreading awareness of the condition.  Alex is quite possibly one of the best examples of strength and perseverance I have ever seen. He never lost his joy. Alex passed away in November of 2015, about 2 years from the time he was diagnosed.

One thing that I noticed about this video is how much adaptive equipment Alex used. It featured clips of him using an eye gaze device, a shower chair, an iPad base that attached to his chair, and even a paintbrush that was attached to a helmet. This video shows so many good examples of different adaptive equipment and tools that may be useful to someone with the same or similar diagnoses.

The video also showed how Alex modified some everyday tasks to fit his level of physical function. When he lost the use of his hands, He was still able to figure out how to shave and brush his teeth on his own. When he could no longer walk or use his arms, he figured out how to play a game with his children using his feet.

Another things that really stuck out to me was the role that spirituality played in how Alex processed and coped with his condition. He was a practicing Christian (as am I) and saw his diagnoses not as a death sentence, but as a way to show Christ to others. I believe that this played a big part in the strength and positivity he displayed throughout the progression of his disease. He continued to stay positive and find joy, even in the hardest circumstances.

There a million things in this video that I could talk about in relation to Occupational therapy. It features so many things that we talk about in our Occupational Therapy classes, ranging from adaptive equipment to spirituality. This video also shows the progression of ALS and the toll it takes on the individual diagnosed as well as the family.  Overall, I would recommend this video to any and all OT students.

References:

Henderson, W. (2018, February 1). Alex Coriell's Journey with ALS. Retrieved August 18, 2019, from https://alsnewstoday.com/2018/02/01/alex-coriells-journey-with-als/?utm_source=ALS News&utm_campaign=856209f0b7-RSS_FRIDAY_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0593028b75-856209f0b7-71721017