NeuroNote #4 -- You're Not You

For my final NeuroNote, I watched the movie You’re Not You. This movie is centered around Kate, a pianist who is diagnosed with ALS. In the midst of her horrible condition, her husband has an affair and she hires a college student as a caregiver. This movie follows her experiences with ALS with her caregiver, Bec, by her side.

         This movie expresses the importance of relationships with others. When Kate and her husband split, she was left with only her caregiver, whom she had only known for a short period of time. This means that Kate was literally putting her life in the hands of someone she barely knew. Later in the movie, Kate attempts to fire Bec, leaving her with her mother to take care of her. Kate’s mother has not visited her since being diagnosed and upon taking care of her, she began neglecting Kate’s preferences. This part of the movie stressed how important it is, especially in OT, that what is easiest for you is not always what the client wants. You have to be client centered, and if that means going the extra mile to dress them in their favorite pair of pajamas rather than a hospital gown, so be it.

This movie also covered the importance of planning. We talked about the importance of an early diagnosis in order to plan your future. This movie made me think about the importance of your loved ones planning. In the film, Kate begins coughing horribly and Bec attempts to call 911. Kate tells Bec that she is not to call 911 unless she is told to do so. Kate, even in the most serious situations, still wanted to know that she could make her own decisions for herself. She wanted to ensure that her caretaker, who would one day make Kate’s final decision, would be sure to make the decision that Kate would have made. Bec then takes into perspective that she must prepare herself to handle allowing Kate to die. Kate sees a friend also diagnosed with ALS on a ventilator and Kate tells Bec that she does not want that to be her future, which meant dying earlier than expected. Bec has to plan for the most horrible situation one can be put in—loving someone, but keeping true to their requests and allowing them to die.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is one in which a letter is read about Lou Gehrig. He is not just a disease. He was a baseball player for the New York Yankees. He had a life he loved and referred to himself as “the luckiest man on Earth.” This scene screams OT. Occupational therapists see clients’ needs, wants, hobbies, and their personal lives before we see their diagnosis. We look at who someone is, now what their disabilities are.

I chose to watch this film because my seventh-grade teacher was diagnosed with ALS. Her progression has been very slow, but it has been steady. I was very curious as to what her progression has been like and I felt that this movie could give some insight. I would recommend this movie to anyone curious about ALS and its progression. You can access this movie on Netflix, as I did, or rent it on Amazon for $3.99.

Swank, H., Greenspan, A., & Smith, M. (Producers), Wolfe, G. (Director). (2014) You’re Not You [Motion Picture]. United States: EOne Entertainment.