Crafty Occupational Therapy
For Whakatāne woman Penny Gatenby craft is
her passion. She has a craft room in her home
and her hands are key tools. But earlier this
year her life was turned upside down when out
of the blue she lost feeling in both arms and
that soon spread to her legs.
“”I’m a member of the Whakatane Twilight Marching Girls team.
We were having coffee and suddenly a felt a painful electric shock
sensation in my arms. My hands started to swell, turn red and
itch.”
Three hours later Penny lost feeling in her arms and a leg. “I
thought I was having a stroke. My husband took me to hospital.”
It emerged that Penny had developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome
(GBS), an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves outside
the brain and spinal cord. This causes rapid onset of numbness,
weakness, and often paralysis of the legs, arms, breathing
muscles, and face.
Whakatāne Hospital Occupational Therapist (OT) Kim Parnell
says the condition affects between 40-80 New Zealanders each
year. It can occur at any age; however it is slightly more common
in older age and in men.
“Most people recover. But just how long that recovery period takes
is uncertain. It can take several weeks to months. The prognosis
for most is complete recovery; however 20-30% of people will be
left with some degree of weakness or discomfort. “
Nine weeks on, Penny remains in hospital but is slowly starting to
get feeling back in her body. Her love of craft and the support of
her family and OT at Whakatāne Hospital have been key to her
progress.
“Flicking through a magazine in the hospital my husband spotted
an advertisement for a knitting loom band and thought that would
be something that would help get my fingers working again.”
Penny spends several hours each week day working with OT at
the hospital trying to regain her functional abilities.
“At first I found it difficult to hold the knitting loom. I could only
manage to knit a couple of rows at a time.”
Now with feeling back in her hands and arms, Penny says she’s in
mass production, making a hat a day on the knitting loom.
“So far I’ve made eighteen of these hats, hospital staff are now
putting in orders and supplying me with colour requests and
sometimes wool. It’s been an overwhelming accomplishment.
“Getting that knitting loom was a turning point for me. I’ve had
some really low times. Going from being an independent active
person to being in a wheelchair having to rely on others with
everything, has been very difficult to get my head around.”
Penny says at her lowest she refused to drink as the loss of dignity
was overbearing.
“Kim really helped me to find a way through, not only physically
but mentally as well.”
Penny says she just wants people to know if they’re ever in the
same situation, there is hope. Recovery is gradual but you will get
there.
Occupational Therapy Week runs from 23-27 October the theme
of this year’s celebration is social change and occupational justice.
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The NCPC Organising Committee from left to right: Karlyn Dixon,
Lynn Hansen, Helena Parry, Lois Watson, Danyel Degenhardt,
Katie Ayo.
Penny Gatenby (centre) with Occupational Therapist Kim Parnell (left) and
Loren Thomas.
An Occupational Therapist is a registered
health professional who supports a person
to restore and or improve their ability
to perform tasks in their daily living and
working environments. They work with
individuals who have conditions that are
mentally, physically, developmentally,
socially or emotionally disabling.
Physios gather in Tauranga
for National Conference
By Community Allied Health Physiotherapist,
Helena Parry.
BOPDHB staff who organised the biennial
National Community Physiotherapy
Conference are hailing it as a success with
one of the biggest turnouts of physios in
recent years.
More than 60 physiotherapists from across the country who
work in both the public health system and private, attended the
conference in Tauranga recently. The theme; Healthy, Thriving
Communities, Kia Momoho Te Hapori Oranga focused on
the importance of physiotherapy being delivered beyond the
confines of the hospital, closer to clients in their homes and
wider community.
The conference heard from research physiotherapists on the
latest findings such as the effectiveness of “tele-rehabilitation”
following stroke, the importance of performing high intensity
exercise in all patient populations, and the link between gait
and cognition; as well as from local and New Zealand-wide
physiotherapists, working at the top end of their field.
For most of the organising committee it was the first time they
had been involved in such a large event. It was pretty daunting
at first but we put our thinking caps on and delegated tasks that
suited each committee members unique skills and voila, a high
quality national conference was created!
We are extremely grateful to have been well supported by the
BOPDHB to host and organise this wonderful event.
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