OTA 2310 OT Prof Issues II

The title of my presentation was Easy Sleepers. The reason I decided to create this device is
because I have a friend who has Lupus and Scleroderma. One of the things she must deal with
is calcium deposits in her joints, especially her elbows. This is something she has been dealing
with since she was 16 years old, and she has had many surgeries to remove them since then.
She has even performed her own surgery and wound care since she gets them so often. One of
the major triggers for this growth is friction and pressure on the joints. While talking to her and
asking how I might be able to help, she let me know that sleep is one of her biggest challenges,
since even the pressure and friction of the bed is too much for her. Currently, she is using a
sheepskin wrap that Velcro's onto her arm, but it is not tight enough and moves around at night,
leaving her unprotected. She also uses weightless beanbags, but she must lay flat on her back
all night, which is uncomfortable. Learning all of this, we decided that I was going to make her
arm sleeves that gave her 360-degree protection, lined with sherpa and also filled with mini
bean bag beads.
I do not sew, so I worked with some friends of mine in the Fashion Design program at SLCC.
We spent a total of 30 hours working on these and making them just right. We had to draft our
own pattern and learn how to work with the material. We ended up making two pairs: one with
the beads and one without the beads that had a double layer of sherpa. I was thrilled to hear
how much they helped my friend when she got them and that they allowed her to have a full,
restful night's sleep.
I really enjoyed being able to present at the conference. I was able to talk to professionals and
network when they came by to talk to me about my device. I even had a few people ask if I sold
my arm sleeves! The only thing I would change would be maybe having clearer expectations of
when were supposed to present and how long as this part was a bit confusing but overall, I
would say I would love to be able to present again and I really enjoyed this year’s conference!

Having this experience will help me be more confident to talk to professionals moving forward in my career