Simulation of lower extremity paralysis (paraplegia) free essay sample

Although there were specific instructions for me to follow in order to simulate the activities to be accomplished without using my lower extremities, I find it difficult to adjust to my new situation and make the necessary planning to achieve my goal. I felt that my mind, emotions and my body are in total conflict. Suddenly, I have to rely on my upper extremities for my mobility. Lifting my body to get up from the bed and relying on my arms alone was a tedious task. It was not easy to get a momentum by swinging my arms and body in order to turn at my side, lift my body and be in a sitting position. When I woke up in the morning, I positioned my legs properly using only my arms, hands and total body movement. Lifting one leg at a time and relying on my arms’ strength was so tiring. Since I already prepared all my clothes to wear for this day on the night before sleeping, all my clothing needs were at my bedside. Initially, it was easy to take off the sleeping clothes of my body. It was difficult to pull down my pajamas while I am sitting on the bed since I have to shift my weight by alternately leaning on one arm at a time while the other hand pulls down each side of my pajamas. However, doing the same thing for my underwear was not as difficult. The entire process of undressing took longer than I expected. Putting on my shirt was easy but putting on my underwear and pants was more difficult than undressing my clothes. Wearing my underwear and pants also require the same technique that I have used in undressing but this time it was done in reverse order. Putting on my socks and shoes was a challenge since I have to lift and cross my legs one at a time using my hands and arms. This task alone requires a lot of energy. The whole process took me close to one hour to accomplish. I never realized how difficult it is to perform some activities of daily living for persons with physical disability. The dressing and undressing time that normally takes only 5 to10 minutes for me to accomplish took me ten times longer to perform when I cannot use my lower extremities. Even if I only became temporarily disabled, I understand the importance of strengthening the upper extremities, being physically fit and being more organized and disciplined. After doing the task, I also realized that if persons with physical limitation lived independently and need to be at their workplace at 8 am, they may need to get up at 4 am to do all the activities of daily living such as preparing their meals, bathing, grooming, dressing up, and driving or commuting to the workplace. The entire simulation exercises have been a life changing experience for me and will help me to be more understanding towards persons with disability. 2. Personal Hygiene (Simulation of visual impairment) Living in total darkness even for a brief moment was a challenging experience. Even if I am familiar with the arrangement of my bathroom, I still find it difficult to locate the things that I needed for my personal hygiene such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shave and shaving cream. Sometimes, I tend to bump my hands to the faucet, sink and shower knob as I try to determine if my body is positioned in front of the sink and if I am facing the shower. I am also hesitant to move my hands around the bathroom as I may accidentally hit some items that may drop to the floor like the soap and it will be difficult for me to locate them while I am blindfolded. While flipping up the cover of the toothpaste and squeezing out the toothpaste on the toothbrush, I find it difficult to determine if I have squeezed the right amount of toothpaste and if it was properly placed on top of the brush. Brushing my teeth was easy except that this time, I cannot examine my teeth in front of the mirror. Taking a shower was a challenge since my shower room was not equipped with grab bars that could prevent me from sliding or losing my balance. I kept touching the walls and the shower knob so I can know if I am positioned in front of the shower. Turning the knob for hot and cold shower was initially confusing since I cannot remember which direction is for hot or cold. I tried to adapt to the situation by turning the knob slowly while holding the shower head and keeping it a few distance away from my skin so I will not be burned by the hot water. Then I gradually feel the temperature of the water. While soaping my entire body and legs, one of my hands held on to the shower knob so my head or shoulder will not hit the knob when I stand up after rubbing the soap on my legs. Shaving my beard and mustache was not easy because I have to totally rely on my fingertips to determine if I my face was properly shaved and if there were no shaving cream remaining on my face. I also need to shave in one direction to avoid getting a cut on my skin. Locating the shaving cream and shave was also challenging. I learned to adapt to the situation by washing and wiping my face thoroughly and running my fingertips around my face many times. Simulating total blindness while doing the tasks gave me some fears because I am aware that so many bad falls took place in the shower room. Performing personal hygiene is not an easy task for persons with visual impairments. It takes a lot of courage for these people to live independently. I have learned that it is important to be organized and to arrange every item that is needed in an orderly manner to make it easy to locate and return them in the same order. I realized that people who are blind must have fully developed their memories and have maximized the use of their sense of smell, touch and hearing to be able to travel away from their homes. After completing the task, I have great admiration for people who are blind who managed to adjust to any environment and situation and lived life to the fullest.