50 First Dates - Neuro Note

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The movie, 50 First Dates, is about a young woman, Lucy, who was in a car accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. This TBI damaged part of her temporal lobe causing her to lose her short term memory. She didn't lose her long term memory though so she is able to remember all details of her life up to October 13th, the date of the accident.  I chose this movie because I have seen it multiple times but never paid attention to the "medical" part of the movie. It was interesting and pretty cool to watch and understand the parts they talked about her injury and the affects of it.

A big part of the movie shows the various ways Lucy's father, brother, and boyfriend (Henry aka Adam Sandler) try to help her live each day to the fullest despite the loss of her short term memory. They came up with the ideas of videos that she would watch every morning before her day started. These videos told her about the accident and how it has changed their lives, but also updating her with new information like having a boyfriend. I thought this was a creative way to help Lucy each day. The doctor in the movie did tell them she would never regain her short term memory but in the movie it showed her singing while painting and she only did that when she met or talked to Henry that day, which could be a correlation or her brain trying to make new connections.

I recommend this movie because it is funny and informative about TBI's in a way that's not too medical or hard to understand. It also opened my eyes to how these injuries can affect families and how they learn to cope with it. For example, each day her dad and brother played along with Lucy that it was October 13th and did the activities every day - such as celebrating her dad's birthday and watching the same movie. This had to be exhausting on the family. In those situations I feel like an occupational therapist can shine and excel in caregiver education and support. Overall, this movie helped me put on my OT thinking cap and what I would do if I had a client in Lucy's situation.

Reference
Segal, P. (Director). (2004, February 13). 50 first dates[Video file]. Retrieved August 19, 2019.



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