Man from the South

After reading the story about the soldier, I feel like the person who has had it the worst is the older man’s wife. In the story, the soldier managed to keep his finger because the wife popped in the hotel room right in the nick of time! Let’s say he lost the bet and the older man cut off the soldier’s pinkie. He would have to suffer the consequences of his terrible choices in numerous ways, I’m sure. However, let’s think about the wife. How long has she been living and dealing with her inebriated husband’s antics? She already mentioned that she has had to win back her possessions (the one’s that were lost in her husband’s betting crusades) and has even lost her fingers in the process! Did she lose those fingers by betting her husband? I doubt that. While trying to earn back her things, she most likely had to engage in a few bets of her own—some of which she apparently lost, but I digress. How humiliating must it be for her to be missing fingers due to her husband’s shenanigans? She must chase a grown man around, just to make sure he’s not making poor choices by getting other oblivious souls involved.

As a result of losing some her fingers, the wife has probably been impacted in the areas of occupation, such as ADLs (bathing, shampooing her hair, eating, getting dressed), IADLs (cooking for her husband, helping her husband get dressed, driving), and social participation (e.g., out of embarrassment, she spends less time with her friends and family members to protect herself and her husband from critique). Without all her fingers, it might be more of a challenge to complete many of these tasks. Her self-efficacy and confidence are likely to be impacted because of this. One modification to help the wife regain independence might be to consult with a doctor about a possible upper limb prosthetic. This will allow her to complete her daily tasks and successfully continue her role as a wife (and possibly mother, grandmother, friend, etc.). She could’ve been a phenomenal baker before she lost her fingers, but without them she cannot bake from scratch the way she prefers too. If a prosthetic is not an option, another strategy might be to hire a personal assistant. By her husband’s appearance and her Cadillac, they seem financially secure and able to have this sort of accommodation. This way, she can have help at home with preparing meals (and baking), additional help with her husband, which may ultimately give her an opportunity to spend time with the friends she’s been avoiding. Otherwise, she might be too afraid to leave the drunkard old man alone. These modifications might surely give her back some pride and enthusiasm to return to her occupation(s) of choice; they address the occupational performance outcomes, health and wellness outcomes, and adaptation outcomes.