The Final Countdown with Eleven Poppers Popping

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Well you might think of that as is a weird title (check the video I've attached) but I think that's what bests describes how we are feeling today. Today is our last day of exams of this term before we head to our respective homes for Christmas. The Final Countdown has been somewhat of our theme song in class the past little while, as the final countdown to this term. And as the twelve days of Christmas are upon us, the eleven of us are popping with excitement that we get to spend the next while with our families and loved ones. Popping with relief that this term is finally over with only one term to go. And finally, popping with nervousness in that today we are about to take part in a practical exam that is to somewhat mock what we might encounter in our Certification exams in 2 1/2 years, and convey to our examiners everything we have learned in the past few months. I'm thinking, if I'm this nervous for this little exam that is worth 10% of our Prosthetics grade, how nervous am I going to be at the Certification exams when it's worth my future?

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However, this term has been great, for that a special thanks has to go out to Jamie Little and Dave Moe, who have been teaching us Trans-Femoral Prosthetics this past term and have done a great job, Jason who is our fearless leader and of course Desmond Cook who has been leading us in the lab right from day one and has taught us all so much. Yes even me Dez. Everyone has done a fabulous job with all of the clinical projects. I think everything we have learned the past year and a half is all coming together very well, and with one term to go and still so much more to learn i think anyone who is lucky enough to employ any of us, after we have graduated, will be glad they did.



I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I hope that the New Year brings you Health and Happyness.

We recently had the privelage of meeting with Arnie Pentland, the founder of O&P in Canada.  It was interesting to hear the stories that shaped our profession in the early days.  This put into perspective what we are studying and how it affects people today and years later too.  This is a recent class picture with Mr. Pentland.

On another note, we start final exams in two weeks from today.  Yes, this snuck up on us faster than previous semesters it seems.  The semester has been fun though; we have seen a good cross-section of KAFO and transfemoral patients.  We are also gearing up for our January practicum, where our class is going to spread out across Canada and overseas.  Look for new and exciting posts in the New Year with our stories from practicum placements.

19 Days of Stress Left!!!

I can't believe how fast this semester has flown by.  I seem to remember people saying last year that second year was way easier than the first...well I have yet to see it.  We seem to have way more assignments this year with at least 2 things due every single week and the so-called "midterms" have seemed to be going on for the entire semester we still have 1 or 2 more and then finals start the following week.  

But enough with the complaining, we have been doing so really fun stuff this semester, the transfemoral fittings have been going surprisingly well for most of us...well surprising to our teachers but we all know we have skills!!  Kidding, but the biggest challenge has just arrived with our CAD-CAM fittings, which we just got back from central fab and found that the majority of the sockets look nothing like our patients limb.  

Besides class we have had a few exciting things going on outside of class, tomorrow a group of us will be attending the CFL western final...to cheer on the Riders, of course!!!   Go Riders!!

I would also, like to use this forum to thank the entire class on behalf of Duane, Lisa and myself who have recently received achievement awards for last year.  Our entire class is extremely bright and we work as such a great team helping each other out where we need it.  I would love it if we could all receive awards...but sorry guys although I love you and am grateful for all your help  I am not willing to give up any of my award.  Seriously though, thank you guys!!

Sorry, no pictures this time.  I will try to get some over the next few weeks.

Hard At Work

The Semester is Already More than Half Over!!!!
Lots of studying and learning going on, KAFO's have been covered and Transfermorals are being covered now. We all know eachother just a little bit better, More Intimately since Ischium/Ramus Appreciation Day, and are using this to deal with ongoing studying, finding practicum sites and wondering about Major Presentations Due Next Semester.

Thailand 6th post, Education

One exciting aspect of travelling is meeting people who are similar to you. In spite of nationality, or race, gender, or religion, friendship and comradeship can develop when you find someone with similar interests.
The ISPO Congress in Vancouver gave us this opportunity, it was a great event and I am thankful that I was able to attend. At the Congress I was especially happy to meet again with colleagues from Thailand!
In Bangkok Duane and I were given a tour of the Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics which is a department in the Faculty of Medicine at the Mahidol University. It is a four-year program and upon completion the students write final exams and are certified as Prothetists and Orthotists (CPO). The school has existed since 2002 and is funded and supported by the Nippon Foundation. We met lecturers from around the world, Aaron from Hong Kong, Msechu and Anna from Tanzania, Shin and Kyoko from Japan, and Supattra from Thailand (recent grad from the program).
Fifty students are enrolled in the school and two-thirds are female. I was told that this reflects the health care system in Thailand. Some of the students who I met were Jack, Ju and Sot. They all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and were keen to learn. Most of the students entered the program right out of high school, and because of our (Duane and I) age they thought that we were teachers!
The school was well kept and spacious, the facilities and equipment at the school were impressive. They lacked nothing that we have at BCIT. The students are kept busy with hands on projects and theoretical studies. It seems as though the students were being well prepared.
I look forward to meeting our Thai colleagues again.
Watch the slideshow!

Thailand 5th post, Loi Taileng

There is a certain allure and appeal that goes along with being a trailblazer. Especially when living in Mae Sot, which is a wonderful place, but a place where NGOs trip over themselves and their relief and development work can overlap. Duane and I had the chance to leave Mae Sot and go where few foreigners have gone before. We received ‘permission’ from the Thai authorities to cross the border into the Shan State, Burma. We are the first prosthetists who have been to this area and the first foreigners to have received ‘permission’ to cross at this border point. At this location, Loi Taileng, there are many amputees. We were able to cast 16 of the below knee amputees in 2 days, soon to return and provide MONOLIMB protheses for them. In order to receive prosthetic care these people have had to travel to Chaing Rai, Thailand or the Karenni State, Burma, both prosthetic labs are miles away. The prostheses which we saw were 20 years old and in terrible shape. Their gratitude to us was displayed and spoken of often. The Shan people’s hospitality and kindness were exceptional and only made us want to return and help in more ways. The Shan are one of the two largest ethnic groups in Burma. They, like the Karen, have been persecuted and are victims of genocide at the hands of the Burma Army. Loi Taileng is one of the last ‘safe havens’ and operates as the Shan State Army (SSA) base and training centre. Every able bodied man is a soldier. We were safe but that is a relative term. The SSA expects to be attacked in 2008 by the Burma Army. A sad prospective for every Burmese person, this is the result of almost 60 years of civil war. Though today we cannot stop the political war we can aid in the fight against the violation of human rights. I hope to erase the words written by Caroline Cox, “…but there was no way he could obtain a prosthesis.” (A Land Without Evil)
Burma needs our prayers.

Thailand 4th post

Burma’s situation is real!

This is not history! That is what continues to ring in my head. The atrocities that I am reading about and the repercussions that I am witnessing are current events, happening just over those hills and across the Moei or the Salween river in Burma. The victims of malnutrition, curable diseases, displacement from homes, forced labour, unfair imprisonment, landmine explosions are all around me. This is heart wrenching, though if we don’t keep faith how will these Burmese ethnic groups keep their faith? Over the past four weeks I have been inspired to keep hoping and to assist in the solution. The work of international volunteers, representatives from various media sources and most importantly the Karen and other ethnic groups themselves do fill small voids but so much more needs to happen.
My life has been changed, my heart hurts each time I contemplate the depth of this situation. There needs to be more international awareness so that change can be brought to Burma. I encourage you to take a minute and look at the following article, my pictures and search topics like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Thai Burma Border Consortium, Free Burma Rangers.
Choose to be aware…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6252024.stm

Thailand 3rd post, the MONOLIMB

The MONOLIMB is a technique that was designed to serve amputees in the developing world who do not have access to proper prosthetic care. It is a durable and cost effective alternative that is being used on the Thai-Burma border as well as other areas of the world. This week I completed my first MONOLIMB project. Most of the principles of BK casting and fabrication (it cannot be used for AKs) are similar but there are definitely differences. I would try to describe it but it would take too long, so I’ve attached a link to the organization that designed it.

http://www.prs-research.org/htmPages/Research/ttas.html

There are definitely some challenges, for instance there is minimal adjustments that can be made to the dynamic alignment. The colour of the copolymer used is not always accepted by amputees and the pylon presents an irregular look. One thing I underestimated here was the importance of aesthetics! But that was my own ignorance, these people care about how they look just as much as you and I.
Some benefits of the MONOLIMB are that it is inexpensive, allows less time between the initial appointment and the final product, and patients do not have to come to a lab (the work with the patient can be done in the field).
It has been good to get some exposure to this technique. Using creativity and innovation is essential when working in the developing world. I’m trying to watch and learn so that I better understand how I can help. This is quite an experience! Look forward to your comments, bye for now.
Click on the photo to see a slideshow of my MONOLIMB pictures!

Thailand 2nd post, the Mae Tao Clinic

Do you know what a medical clinic on the Thai-Burma border looks like? I wasn’t ready for it. From what I had heard about Dr. Cynthia Muang’s clinic I imagined something more like home. My heart went out to these people…both Duane and I had to work hard to control ourselves. Dr. Cynthia Muang is a tremendous lady who was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and there are so many other amazing people who contribute to this work. Nevertheless, this is a situation that made me think of World Vision programs and Unicef. So far we haven’t taken photos of the general clinic because we need permission and an escort…frankly without giving something of yourself to the people who you photograph, it feels like exploitation. But we are here to help and there is a well-established and well running prosthetic clinic here. Duane and I have just finished our first week and have observed everything. It is amazing! Saw Maw Kel, who is the head of the teaching clinic and a below knee amputee himself, has taught for 20 years and seen 50+ graduates leave and continue on the role of a ‘jungle prosthetist’. Yes, jungle prosthetics! It is not what we have been learning in school but Saw Maw Kel has developed a technique which is effective and applicable to the lifestyles of these people. He takes Otto Bock prototypes and engineers a device that will match the rugged terrain and demanding daily activities that these villagers need. Saw Maw Kel is a tremendous man, he speaks English well, and it is an honour for Duane and I to have met him. I could write so much but post your own comments or e-mail us back and we’ll give more details. Also look out for our photos!
Guess what! On Monday we will begin our first projects!

Please don’t forget the Karen (Burmese) people.
http://www.cpi.org/regions/thailand.php
http://www.maetaoclinic.org/

Summertime and the Weather is Fine

Hello everyone,

Summer employment has started for almost all of us, with classmates scattered from Vancouver to Winnipeg and even Thailand. Myself, I am at Award Prosthetics in Burnaby. Over the past two weeks I have seen some interesting patients that aren't exactly textbook, including one quad amputee. I thought I had learned so much over the past school year, but seeing some of the challenging cases that can walk through the door, I know so little in all reality.

And you know summer is here when the Stanley Cup Playoffs end, unfortunately the wrong "ucks" team won the cup! Enjoy the rest of the summer while you can, it seems to be flying by.

Thailand 1st post

Our first full day was great! It sure is stinking hot here though! No complaining…reminds me of the mugginess and humidity of Toronto’s summers.
We enjoyed the colours, sights, foods, entertainment and shopping of Bangkok on our first full day.
We visited their ‘bling-bling’ malls but also some of their ‘back alleys’ where we found authentic, cheap, and delicious Thai food. No regrets, we rode the bus, we walked, we took a tuk-tuk, watched the scooters, and stared at the Lamborghini and Ferraris.
Our two meals perhaps cost us a total of $4 CAD. Not back eh? And we’re not even sick!
For some reason Pirates of the Caribbean 3 was better here than at home…maybe that’s because we had full-on recliners and AC blasting us. We also fulfilled out civic/tourist duty of the day by standing for the Thai anthem before the movie and respectfully acknowledging the King.
Duane and Jessica basically planned our day and Reg lead us around. I sat back and took photos, ate and bought expensive electronics. So we did a lot of walking, saw many things including disabled beggars. I believe I saw one bk and two above elbow amputees as well as a boy with spina bifida.
Okay, more to come soon. If anyone knows how to post video do you wanna help me out. The blog instructions are all in Thai… cheers, Jody and Duane

A year past..

Its amazing to think that 9 months ago we not only had never heard of subtalar neutral but we had also never met the twelve people who we have now become so close. Packing up my first year notes reminded me of all we've learnt...transtibial sockets, sach feet, empathy, what not to wear in the emergency room, forces at the hip and so much more (literally a stack close to a meter tall). We are officially done our first year, our work terms have now finished and we're all about to start summer work. Our work terms proved to be an awesome experience that allowed us to finally put all that final exam knowledge to use. Almost everyone have set up jobs in the field for the summer all across the country (Vancouver, Red Deer, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg) and even elsewhere in the world (we'll hopefully hear more of this in future posts). Now that our small group of twelve is spread across the world for the summer we won't be reuniting until ISPO in Vancouver (July 29th to August 3rd). Almost all of us will be volunteering and attending the conference which we all look forward to, especially after all we learnt in San Fran at the American academy meeting. So until then...

Practicum Project

I'm at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton for my Practicum. Our class is in the Third week of Practicum #1, we somehow managed to have 6 doing Prosthetics and 6 doing Orthotics. Good Balance in the Class. Everyone sounds like they are having great experiences and can't wait to show off all we've done!

Cheap Swim Fins! If you can't buy an Activity Leg it is Important to work with your Prosthetist to Figure out how to make things happen. Prosthetists at the Glenrose helped me figure out this Swim Fin.

1 down, 1 to go

We made it! Exams are now finished, and we've now moved onto our 3 week practicum. After putting in many hours, late nights and early mornings we completed our 7 exams, 6 of which were within 3 days. The hardest part was not being able to watch the playoffs, however it seems the Canucks played better when we weren't watching. It was a very strange feeling saying goodbye to the class. You don't realize how close you become until you start saying goodbye to everyone. Most of us will be returning for ISPO in August and will have a chance to reunite and hear about all we've learned over the summer, and have some fun on the side. So far the work term has been very interesting, and have even had the opportunity to see the makings of a wooden transfemoral socket.

All in all, it's been a great year and it's nice to be able to enjoy the nice weather and fresh air once again

Playoff Tension

With the Oilers out of it this year there's not much of a reason to follow hockey anymore (there's a slight chance I'm the only one with this opinion)... so our attention was turned to the Intramural Volleyball Playoffs on Thursday. After a great start in the first set we battled through another two but weren't able to pull out the win. On the upside, if there was an award for the tallest and shortest player on a team we'd easily win both!

We've finally made it to the end of the year and seem to have gotten through the last of the big assignments, but there's still a few grueling days of "P&O Playoffs" to get through with 7 exams in 4 days....the playoff beards are already making an appearance! The final few days of class will be spent on the last of the patient castings and fittings for foot orthoses, and a whole lot of studying. So far the foot orthoses fittings have been going great and we've been tying in lots of new knowledge about the foot with our regional anatomy course. Next week should be interesting with our first fitting of a UCBL foot orthosis and a few other unique designs.

There may not be a good team to cheer for in the hockey playoffs this year, but there's still some bragging rights up for grabs as we head off to our placements and the start of summer. Two games into the P&O sportsnet hockey pool and there's already a 13pt gap between first and last (this is where you end up when you pick Flames players). Well, time to get back to the books. Keep an eye out for the 2007/2008 P&O Volleyball team, we're making a big comeback....Petra has promised a 4ft vertical by September!

severe cerebral stress

Well, we knew it was coming, but perhaps we didn't know it would be this intense. I'm talking about the onslaught of assignments and tests that we have been bombarded with since spring break and the AAOP conference week in San Francisco. We have truly been testing the limits of what our minds can absorb in the way of new knowledge. Since returning from San Francisco we have done pathology presentations, wrote yet another eye popping anatomy exam (nervous system - some of us more nervous than others), began fabricating our first ever Foot Orthoses for each other, and -everybody's favorite- caught up on some missed Materials classtime! Needless to say, we are being stretched. Yet, if we dare to acknowledge the fact, it is a good thing. As usual we are learning tons of new things.

Though we have only been back in class for two weeks since our big break, believe me, we are desperate for a break. So thank God for Easter!! After the long weekend we'll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel..... and hopefully avoid this....

The AAOP conference was a great experience. There was so many things for us to learn, observe, and ask questions about. We met some great people in the field and benefited from the experience.
Thank you to each clinic and individual who helped to make this trip possible for us.

Photos from San Francisco

Alcatraz

The view from the Marriott Hotel (where the conference was)

Lisa checking out the fresh crabs at Fisherman's Wharf

The famous bush man of San Francisco. He hides behind the branches and then pops out and scares people as they walk by. Ask Lisa about this . . .

Coit Tower, seen from Lombard Street.

March Madness

Well, the last few weeks have been extremely busy. Just over a week before our spring break, we finally raised enough money for our trip to the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists’ annual meeting in San Francisco. (Thank you sooo much to all of you who supported us!!) We then had a quick rush to book flights, hostel accommodation, and conference tickets. The time was tight (especially since we had midterm exams to deal with at the same time), but we got it done. Yippeee! We’re going to San Francisco!!

The first two days of our spring break were spent helping out with the CAPO Exam Preparation Course that took place at BCIT. Interns from all over Canada came here to spend 3 days to get advice on how to handle their Certification Exams. Most of us students played the role of Mock Examiner for the CBCPO Mock Oral Examination. We were each given a list of questions on various topics to ask the interns. Even though this course was meant to help out the interns, it was also an awesome learning experience for us. It gave us a preview of what is coming down the road for us in future years. So now we have a better idea of the type of questions that will be asked during the oral exams and can already start to focus on how to answer them.

After the mock exams, most of us separated to our home cities to have a couple days to see family and friends before we would gather together again in San Francisco.

Victoria Shananigans

So this is my first post - hopefully it will work properly. We're now 9 weeks into the second semester, and next week is our week-long spring break. It's definately a welcome change from all the exams and assignments we've had due during the last couple weeks. It's also a time when the profs seem to like to pile upcoming assingments on. Anyways, over the last two weeks, a bunch of us (Me, Petra, Kevin, Jody, Duane, and Peter) ventured out of our familiar BCIT classroom and boarded a ferry to take us to unknown far off lands. Ok, actually it was only Queen Alexandra's Children's hospital over in Victora. We were fortunate to assess, cast, and fit a couple patients each (not to mention eat some good cookies, cinnamon buns, and coffee cake). The fittings went good for the most part, we got to experience some crazy driving in a cramped 2001 Dodge Caravan thanks to James, 2 early morning, and 2 early evening ferry rides (at $11 each...I'm still a little bitter), crashing video game systems, crazy old guys with huge glasses trying to pick up much younger woman, a guy who had a HUGE luggage case that resulted in much speculation as to its contents (it was a kayak...told you Petra), and way too many episodes of age-unappropriate cartoons. All in all, it was a good time.

Hot Legs On Saturday Night

As promised, here are those Gorgeous Brown Slingbacks worn by one of the 9 Males in the Class.
Thanks again to our Volunteer that will remain Unnamed.
He did it in the name of Science and Biomechanics.

Midterm Madness...cont?

For those of you who aren’t like me and don’t spend the last two weekends of March glued to the TV, March madness is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament where 64 teams compete for world supremacy or at the very least a national championship. What makes this tournament so great is that it’s full of surprises, heartache, excitement, agony, and disbelief and that’s just within the first game. Anyway your probably asking yourself what does this have to do with midterms? Well I can tell you from past experience with tests and this last week of midterms that we as a class have experienced all of these emotions and more and there is still with one more test to go…the national championship you might say.


I believe that following this week of exams we are all going to breath a collective sigh of relief and hope and pray that everything went according to plan. But if our efforts end in vain we need to realize that success does not come to those that do not try or a William Shakespeare writes

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt”


Michael

Mid-Term Maddness

Wow! Where has the time gone? We're already smack dab in the middle of mid-terms. Another week and a half to go with our noses in the books. Not to mention all the assignments we have on the go. We are all looking forward to Spring Break which is only 3 weeks away, followed by our class trip to San-Fran for the American Academy Conference. We're still in the middle of fundraising for the trip, and we would like to thank everyone who have generously donated. But we still need some more funds so....Ring Those Phones!!!.....Ring Those Phones !!! Our AFO fittings have been going great, and we will be starting foot orthotics after spring break. Some of us will be sticking around BCIT for the first weekend of spring break to help out with the review course, which will be a great experience seeing the participants sweat it out getting ready for their exams. Sorry I can't write any more, I have an anatomy book calling my name........alright already, I'm coming.....geez!!! There it is again, got to go.

Well, the big game is over and the best commercial was the beard comb-over. The semester is starting to become hectic, with two solid weeks of midterms coming. Patients are slowly straggling in and most of us have fabricated two AFO's. We are still currently fundraising for our trip to San Fran and thank you to all that have contributed, it is greatly appreciated. That's all for now.

Cheers,
Travis

Muppets - Mahna Mahna

Class Theme Song

The Superest Sunday!!

Hey all

Well, it is that special time of year again, the hoopla, the trash talk, the commercials, and oh yeah there is a Football game too!!
I am not really sure why but I couldn't sleep this morning, it felt like Chritmas morning I was too excited. Will Peyton get that monkey of his back and win the big game, getting his critics off his case once and for all. Personally, I hope so.

Our Class is getting together to watch the big game, eat some pizza, nachos, dirty bird all the good stuff that goes with football. Hopefully it is a good game, unlike so many superbowls in the past.

If anyone is interested in learning a little something about the superbowl check out http://www.superbowl.com/

Also, our class kind of developed a theme song during exam time last year and I thought we should post it on here. So here it is. (Thanks Jody).

Take Care

Powering Up

The Second Semester has begun, everyone had successful exams and we are all beginning new term projects. We will be reseaching a disease or disorder, casting a patient in the community with the condition, and fitting them with an appropriate orthoses.


Our Focus right now is on Ankle Foot Orthoses, we've had 1 patient volunteer and (hopefully) more are on their way. We have been filming pathological gait of our patients in the Gait Lab, as well as analyzing the biomechanical differences of walking in good shoes vs. High heels (Even one of the guys was a good sport and wore a pretty pair of 4" Slingbacks). Videos will be up on the Goal Site Shortly!