Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I'm really proud of just how deep my knowledge base is on my topic and how I was able to answer a lot of questions with depth and concrete research.
What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?
P
What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
P+
What worked for you in your senior project?
I had really good background information and it's easy for me to answer questions people could pose to me.
(What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I would probably go back in and find more slides to add to my presentation so that I would have been much closer to making time. I also would've liked to have more reading material from books rather than articles
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.

It has given me a lot of experience in self reliance and presentation skills and it's letting me look at different presentations and what interesting topics people have that I could maybe go into in the future.

Mentorship

Literal

• Ken Smith, Ortho Engineering

Interpretive

• Interacting with my mentors patients to gain an understanding on how difficult this process is and how much of a tole it takes on a person

Applied

• All of the mentorship hours I put in let me see all the different suspension types and it gave me a chance to ask how they felt about their suspension system and if it works.

Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why? 

• What is the most effective way to secure a residual limb inside of a fitted prosthetic socket?
• Pin suspension is an effective way to make a patient feel secure.
• Vacuum suspension is a helpful option for very active patients.
• Suction suspension is a practical way for active patients to get the security they need.
• Suction suspension is my best answer because it is the most comfortable and cost effective suspension type for active amputees. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer? 

• A lot of talking to my mentor after finding the concept online and seeing patients come in with that type of prosthesis.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?  

• I had a lot of issues when it came to finding accurate sources that weren't biased because of the company selling the products. I basically just had to go through them with my mentor and ask which sources were giving me valid information.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• I'd definitely have to say that my mentor was the biggest source of information and my biggest fact checker on any research I found to be sketchy. Information that I found to be quite insightful were the US Government studies on suction suspension and how it affected veteran amputees and their gait when compared to pin suspension.

April Blog Post

Hey.

Doing this blog post in a very angry and furious mood so please forgive any misspellings or grammar mistakes.

This month I did a lot of mentor-ship over the spring break and in the weeks after. Doing another blog on the mentor-ship I did this month feels really redundant as all the stuff I did was recorded in my Independent component blog. So here is a link to that blog post with the pictures and descriptions.

Always sassy,
Eliora

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Literal
(a) I, Eliora Smith, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) My Mentor was my main source of information during my independent component 2.
(c) Update your Independent Component 2 Log: Done
(d)What I did what more mentor-ship hours. 

Interpretive
In such a complex topic, more mentor-ship hours always helps me to understand and plan my senior project presentation. My mentor and have started working together recently and I get to give him ideas on things that would work on a current prosthesis he may be working on. He has actually taken my advice a few times and it worked.

This is a hydraulic knee that refused to work and would jam. (no that is not my foot, that is the prosthesis foot)

I talked to him a lot about the different consistencies of plaster and the ratio you should have when making it.

as a typical ratio, you would want half and half, but its always better to have a little bit more plaster than water.

This is how we took a mold of someones prosthesis. Usually you have a pole in the center so you would be able to hook it to the table and work with it straight out. So the leg was actually very tall so we had to take clamps and ghetto rig the pole with clamps to make sure it would stay centered. also because we needed a mold with the top part of his leg we had to wrap duck tape around to keep the plaster from falling out and to give us a "leg" mold to work with on the top of the negative mold.

Applied
I got to talk to many patients about how their prosthesis was treating them and how their suspension system works. Many of them didn't recognize the word suspension so I had to ask what kind of prosthesis they wear. After the patient left I'd always ask my mentor if that suspension system was correct for that certain patient or if they could benefit from a different type. I would say something I thought was correct about a certain suspension type and he would correct me, allowing me to go home and search through my articles to find the information he told me.
Most mentor-ship hours are essentially easily acceptable answers to my EQ I just had to reach out and take them.

March Blog

Hey, in a bad mood so this one is gonna be a short one.

Basically I've been doing mentor-ship every Monday at my mentor's office and I get to see all of his regular prosthetic patients. This is also the day where he does the most work on any prosthetics he has so I get to watch him do that as well.

Here's a bunch of pictures and stuff

Wrapping prosthetic in plastic to keep it clean

making the plaster

plaster consistency

pouring plaster into socket

using an air pump to pop the mold out

Blog 18: 4th Interview Questions

Content: Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. The focus of your questions should be on your answer to your EQ.


I plan on interviewing one of my mentor's patients because in reality they are an expert in their own way.

1. If it's not too personal a question, how did you lose (leg/arm)?
1. well we dont know exactly why, but the lcosest they can come is that ist was a blood clot from being dehydrated and thats probably what happened,foot wa cold for 5 days and was given muscle relaxer but knew something was wrong. went to emergency care and got 6 operations and took the foot 2 days before christmas, in hospital for 7 weeks.
2. How has it changed your life?
1. not as much walking, not as active as before, very hard to do anything with water or the ebach, had to get used to a shower chair and a whelchair, its changed it profoundly in taking away my modibilty, ive always been active and now im not. i get very frustrated, and its difficult to descrine, its hard to explain the ffeekings your are put in. its changed my mobility and i get very tired quick;y. hospital and drugs took a lot of memories and i dont remember most of the hospital. husband and bf was there every day so i had really good support. after i went homethey sent tons of people to the house to help you clean and move and someone to chnange your dressings and they wouldnt leave me alone and let me decompress. and it wasnt till i got home and got my energy back tuill i could feel normal. its shocking to see my limb and it surprises me still, 2 years later.makes you feel less desirable as a woman. there is something missing, its harder for woman because looks are more important to us. you never see women walking with shorts and prosthesis. it affects my wadrobe cause all i can wear is my black pants. makes mefeel less feminin.
3. How was your outlook on life coming out of the surgery?
1. i had so many people teling me i was strong and brave and its bull because you do what you have to do. i didnt feel any different from before, you just do what you have to do. i had no choice. you have to move on.ive always said ive had a blessed life witha  fabulous childhood and great husbands and a wonderful child. never any tradgedies like people go through. I had such a beautfil life, how can i bitch? how can i complain about an experation on my leg earlier than my body.
4. How or why did prosthetics change that outlook if it did at all?
5. Did study the topic of prosthetics before the surgery?
1. no i did not. no idea what was happening. didnt get the chance, i was in such pain and under so much meds that i couldnt control words sometimes. never did research.
6. If so did that help your outlook on the eventual life changing event?
7. Do you know what kind of suspension system that you personally use?
1. suction
8. How does it work for you?
1. i havnt had any real problems with it. I just went to see my nvascular surgeon and he was concerned about my blood pressure but it was fine. I have lost some blood flow in my other leg. about 80% but other than that ive had no issues
9. If you knew more on different types of suspension do you think you would've gone with another?
1. i put my trust in someone who knows more about it thatn i do so im not going to direct someone to what i want when i dont know what im talking about and if it turns out bad we will work it out. No problems with the one i have.
10. How does your family or friends help to provide emotional support for you?
1. everyone have been fabulous, really really good. very supportive. anything i need i can ask any of them. bf there the entire time. every. single. day for a full year. husband at the hospital every day sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. sometimes slept in a chair next to me. everyone was amazing.
11. What kind of information do you wish you had going into this process?
1. i cant think of anything i wihs i wouldve known/anticipated. i trust people who know more about it than i do. Im sure that there probably 9000 types of prosthetics but this one works well so im sticking with it. i dont need a bionic leg or anything, as long as im comfortable im happy.
12. How do you wish to improve your current level of function? (ie. gait, pistoning)
1. the only thing that i would like to improve on is putting a fake ankle on, just above the foot to cover the pylon so i can wear capris. i dont want shorts but i wouldnt have to be careful about pulling my pant leg down all the time. something from the foot to the socket. Its liek a bracelt
13. How does your range of activities compare to what you were able to do before?
14. How do you feel that living with a prosthesis affects others around you?
1. not at all, they dont even notice.It makes a difference in my wardrobe but otherwise thats all that could possibly effect them
15. In your line of work is being an amputee detrimental to your work output?
1.  i dont work, im retired
16. How has being an amputee made you stronger as a person?
1. no, not really. it hasnt really had that much of an effect on me in that way.things happen. it culd be me or anyone else.
17. Have you been to a support group? 
1. no, no need. havnt even heard of any. It would be for people who cant accept it or effects their personality and i dont feel any of this.
18. If so how affective was it?
19. If you could go back and change anything leading up to the amputation what would it be and why?
1. probably i shouldve taken more advice and drank more water, stayed hydrated. I have never been a water drinker so heres the reprecussions. As far as the hospital i wish they had done it sooner and gotten me out tof there. not make me wait through 6 amputations.
20. If you have any advice for a soon-to-be amputee, what would it be and why?
1. make everyone leave you alone till your ready for them. get your own feet under you first and get your balance back. get your personal strength back before you do anything.took me 5 months to get my leg. thats because t didnt heal correctly. like i said, just tell everyone to bug off and leave you alone till you feel ready. they just inindate you with so many people that you feel overwhelmed.

Blog 17: Third Answer

• What is the most effective way to secure a residual limb inside of a fitted prosthetic socket?

• One of the most effective ways to maintain suspension is by using the vacuum system.

• 3 points
• easy to put on
• comfortable
• better for athletes

• Fairley, Miki. "'Hanging Tight': Elevated Vacuum Suspension Systems Step Forward." OandP.com, Mar. 2008. Web. 06 Nov. 2014

• Its a great way for athletes and very active patients to achieve the suspension and stability they need for their activities.

Answer 2

1.  What is your EQ?
What is the most effective way to secure a residual limb inside a fitted prosthetic socket?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format) 
Suction suspension is one of the most effective ways to secure an amputee to their prosthesis.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)
Pin suspension is one of the most effective ways to secure a patient to their prosthetic.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

1. Geriatric patients need an easier type of liner to put on.
2. Comfortable for non active patients.
3. Easiest suspension for donning and doffing the prosthesis making it easier for parents with an amputee child.

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?
Sabolich, John. Sabolich, Scott. You're Not Alone. Oklahoma City: Scott Sabolich, 2005. Print


6.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.
Most patients prefer the easy donning an doffing that comes with the pin system, but I wouldn't call it my best answer as it also causes many problems in the limb.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

For my independent component 2 I plan on doing more mentorship hours.
I will make the 30 hours by doing 30 more hours of shadowing my mentor.
This component will help me to expand on my topic by spending time with my best resource which is my mentor. This will give me more time to ask him questions and learn different things about this difficult topic.

Independent Component 1

LITERAL
(a) I, Eliora Smith, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours and 5 minutes ;) of work.
(b) My mentor, Ken Smith, helped me complete my Independent component.
(c) Here is my hours log; scroll to the bottom to find the independent component 1.
(d) My independent component was basically more mentor ship hours as I'm not allowed to actually work on anyone's prosthesis. If I was allowed to create a prosthesis for someone that would've been my independent component and it would've been really cool, but because of heath-code (obviously) I can't and it made me sad.

INTERPRETIVE
Basically any point in time where I get to shadow my mentor is always a learning experience as I'm either learning new things about the profession or making visual connections to my research. One of the most recent things that I got to see was an almost full hand amputee that needed a replacement hand covering. It was interesting for me because I got to see different ways of taking casts. Here are some pictures from the casting session I was allowed to sit in on.

First you mix this substance called alginate which is a fast drying mold mixture that is derived from algae.

This is the mans hand inside the alginate mixture as it dries creating a mold of his remaining limb (ignore the radioactive box underneath, there was nothing in it, we just use it as a storage container)

This is what dried alginate looks like. It looks wet still but trust me it wasn't. It felt like really malleable silicone.

Here is the finished mold of the mans remaining limb, as you can see all of his fingers were missing except for his thumb which is what the really deep hole in the mold is.

Here is the plaster mix that we pour into the hollow mold to create a negative cast of the mans limb. When finished it looks like the actual limb just white.

These last 2 pictures are of the alginate molds after being filled with plaster. The metal pole he's holding is for casting after the negative mold is pulled out of the alginate, a clamp holds onto the pole while you work on the actual mold.

Unfortunately for my mentor when the man had his hand inside the alginate he had it too high up and we didn't have enough space above his wrist joint to create a proper mold so my mentor had to make his own. He did this by taking plaster wrap and tripling it up to make it stand and then molded it to the alginate to simulate the rest of the wrist.

APPLIED
My independent component was more mentor-ship hours and that allowed me to deepen my understanding of concepts and techniques in this field. The example above showed me that there isn't just one way of forming a mold because I've only ever seen plaster wrap or resin wrap used on whatever we are talking a mold of. This made me look at things outside of the box and realize that there isn't just one way of doing things in this profession.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

Content:

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why? 
• The amount of information I knew and how no questions were able to surprise me.
2. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
• AE 
3. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
• I met all the P requirements and I feel that my overall presentation was enjoyable and that people were fully engaged and asked several questions afterwards.
4. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
•  Having lots of analogies that helped my peers to understand what I was trying to explain to them
5. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?'
• I would definitely add more to that activity as people started sitting down too early and I had to scramble for more things to say.
6. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
• Pin Locking suspension 

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 Hours Check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
At OrthoEngineering in West Covina

2.   Who is your contact?
Ken Smith

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?
17 Hours 45 Minutes

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.
Shadow my mentor and talk with patients about their experiences.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?

I talked to my mentor in more detail about the different suspension types help with certain people.

2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?

I learned that the vacuum suspension is the most effective in all cases, but can be more expensive. My source was my mentor.


3. If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would like to get into contact with one of the people from Ottobock that my mentor often has to deal with in order to get the sockets finished.