Brianna Stone| Frazier Institute and U of L Research Building, Spinal Rehabilitation| Week 6

Hello! I have finished the last week of my internship. This experience has been phenomenal, and now I can not wait to further explore the medical field and continue to meet amazing people. Since it was my last week, I wanted to make the most of it. Therefore, I observed the process that a lab will undertake to prepare research subjects for surgeries, the surgeries themselves, I assisted with more standing sessions, and I provided upper body support during a patient’s occupational therapy session. In an attempt to learn the most about Kentucky during the time I had left, I went to the Frazier History Museum, attended Shakespeare in the Park, and partook in a Catholic picnic.

In order to learn more about the impact of spinal cord injuries on an individual’s organs, researchers at the University of Louisville Medical-Dental Research Building conduct experiments, involving surgery, that are primarily focused on specific organs. The purpose of conducting these studies is to learn more about paralysis, and develop successful methods that are focused on improving not only the negative impacts of those who suffer from paralysis, but also their lives in general. Unlike common misconceptions, which I am guilty of believing as well, spinal cord injuries impact more than the nervous system of the body. The main body system that was studied during the surgeries that I observed, both this week and last week, was the urinary system. Unfortunately, many individuals who are affected by such neurological issues have little to no control over their bladder, which can lead to further problems like a urinary tract infection. For this reason, surgeries were conducted in an attempt to gain more knowledge about and discover possible solutions for those who suffer from bladder control issues in relation to spinal cord injuries. I don’t have any photos of the procedures that I was able to observe, but having the opportunity to be a part of not only these surgeries, but numerous types of therapy and study sessions, has been a wonderful and truly humbling experience.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I have assisted with multiple standing sessions focused on the needs of different individuals. While I continued to partake in those sessions  throughout my last week, I also was introduced to a new type of walking contraption. The mechanism displayed below is used to monitor the movement and speed of individuals who can sufficiently walk upright without assistance for a short amount of time. It functions similarly to a walker; however, it isn’t as stable and records the amount of weight that a participant places on it, in reference to their body weight. This data was then recorded and used by one of the researchers who was running the session that I had watched.

Furthermore, this week I provided upper body support for an individual who was attending an occupational therapy session. These studies consist of simple activities like placing rings on a small traffic cone, or pulling an elastic Theraband in order to help a patient maintain or regain muscle strength. I don’t have a photo of the session that I was a part of, but the image below displays a similar depiction where what I did could be compared to what the man standing on the mat is doing. 

“U Of L Fan Paralyzed on the Way to Football Game Learning to Walk Again at Frazier Rehab Institute.” WDRB, 7 July 2020, https://www.wdrb.com/news/u-of-l-fan-paralyzed-on-the-way-to-football-game-learning-to-walk-again/article_6e12b646-c085-11ea-b3a0-c744ea1b00d8.html

Towards the beginning of the week, one of my host family’s friends offered to take me to the Frazier History Museum where I learned about the many facets of Kentucky history. On our way to the museum, we stopped by Logan Street Market to eat crêpes and try one of the vendors’ boba, which were both delicious. I also got to go to a local Shakespeare in the Park performance of the play The Merry Wives of Windsor, which was much more hilarious and less tragic than I had expected. One of the last places I went to this week was a Catholic picnic full of carnival-like activities that were fantastic. Thank you to everyone who welcomed me to Louisville this summer, and for everything that I was able to experience!