Burn Survivor Utilises Deep Oscillation Therapy in Self Care During Lockdown
This article is replicated with permission from 'Dan's Fund for Burns' Newsletter 2020. The full newsletter can be downloaded at the foot of this article. Polly (Miller) Brooks MBE, Charity Director wrote "Over 53 individual burn survivors have benefitted over the past 12 months, from grants large and small - assistance comes in many forms: transportation and parking costs, emergency funding to individuals who have lost everything, renting equipment and more. Donations make a difference to the lives of many burn survivors. A Deep Oscillation Therapy Machine was hired for Hannah who suffered a serious burn injury after an accident in August 2019"
Hannah describes the lead up to hiring the DEEP OSCILLATION PERSONAL - a full case study report will follow in the coming months.
FROM HANNAH
"I was only 7 months into my recovery when all NHS treatments and therapies came to a stop as a result of Covid-19. It was upsetting to find out that my therapy dates were to be postponed, but given the circumstances and the severity of the virus, the decision was critical. From a personal level however, it made me feel that my long road to recovery had essentially come to an abrupt stop. Up until this point being proactive in my recovery helped me channel my thoughts; I felt that I was pushing things forward, which in return helped to balance my mental health. Time seemed to pass by quicker with weekly treatment dates booked in the diary. Deep Oscillation was one of the therapies that I was undergoing regularly, one that I looked forward to as it gave immediate relief in helping soften the tightness of my scar tissue. I also felt there was some visual changes beginning to occur. The Occupational Therapist in charge of my treatments knew how difficult a break from this therapy would be for me given my circumstances. She looked into rental options with the company Physipod and then approached Dan’s Fund for Burns. There was an opportunity to rent a Personal Deep Oscillation Machine, that could be used from home to carry out therapies by oneself or with the assistance of a family member.
The news that Dan’s Fund for Burns were keen to help with the rental proposal was incredible, I felt so lucky. I couldn’t be more grateful to Dan’s Fund for Burns for agreeing to cover the six weeks’ rental costs for the machine. Furthermore, the communication between DFFB and Physiopod resulted in an additional six weeks of rental with the agreement of a case study of my experience in using the machine. The whole process was clear and quick with simple lines of communication via emails and phone calls. It was only a matter of days from the agreement being electronically signed until I was in possession of the machine and reestablishing a routine for myself. Being on ‘stop’ is a daunting feeling, being given back a certain amount of control in such a difficult recovery process has really made a difference. This support has had a huge impact on me, both physically and mentally. It has allowed me to be proactive again with my recovery. The communication with both Dan’s Fund for Burns and Physiopod has been consistent. I’ve received numerous calls and emails throughout the process and I feel I have built up a rapport with both parties. I am looking forward to the future when hopefully I am strong enough to return to physical challenges which had been a big part of my life before the accident. This will enable me to raise money for this amazing charity that supports people like myself.
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