Cooking up the Perfect ASHA 2014

What’s the perfect recipe for ASHA 2014? Blend together science, learning and practice. Add a pinch of party and a heaping of gratitude. Watch it grow for generations.

Like many SLP swallowologists, I’m a foodie. Expand that: I’m a bilingual (Spanish-speaking)-Canadian-American-Salsa-dancing-foodie-mama-dysphagia nut, ready for a stimulating convention getaway in Florida. Good thing ASHA has cooked-up a feast for the body and mind.

Coming from Boston, I’ll feel right at home Wednesday night at Minus5º Ice Bar for the ASHA-PAC Party. Drinking a cocktail in a glass made out of ice may make you swallow faster! Watch out! The icy architecture will cool us down as we discuss the latest political action on Capitol Hill.

On Thursday, ASHA promises “hot, hot, hot” at the The ASHFoundation Latin Party at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar. After we swallow liquids, we can test solids from the award-winning chef Guillermo Pernot. Salsa lessons anyone?

But of course we won’t just be there to party– relaxing and dancing will help us learn better.

Gratitude for opportunities in Science & Learning

I love seeing my heroes at conventions. This year we are deeply saddened to have lost our pioneer in dysphagia, Jerilyn Logemann.

As we remember Logemann, we also need to remember to thank all our mentors. Take time to reflect on how much they have influenced you and your career. Who would I be today without teachers like Jay Rosenbeck, Joanne Robbins, and James Coyle during my master’s studies years ago? Thank you!

And not just mentors who you know directly, but those who are influencing the profession, too. Thank you Catriona Steele, University of Toronto, for pushing us to go global. She suggests an international consensus for diet texture terminology. How many names do we have for that safe-ish dysphagia diet between puree and regular? Here are a few: mechanical soft, ground, moist ground, chopped, mechanically altered…

Thank you Tessa Goldsmith, Partners MGH, for the very important exploration of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). SLPs are public health advocates. Michael Douglas was misdiagnosed three times, delaying his treatment by too many months. He said it started with a sore throat and sore gums behind his last molar. As rates of laryngeal cancer from smoking decline, HPV has emerged as the most common cause of oropharyngeal cancer. However, there are many differences between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cancers. Additionally, don’t miss a chance to see Katherine Hutcheson, of MD Anderson, who gave a fabulous series at the ASHA Healthcare & Business Institute this past April. Jeri Logemann co-authored a two-part series on Long-Term Dysphagia After Head & Neck Cancer. Thank you to her team for carrying the torch.

I appreciate how Dr James Coyle is like Socrates, probing with critical questions to seek the truth. His courses ask: Which side is up?; What’s wrong with my patient?; What are we doing and why?; and what can bedside swallowing examinations do and what can’t they do? Every SLP practicing in dysphagia has to take at least one of his courses. We will learn a lot of science that directly relates to our practice, while having fun! I try to capture his humor in my blogs.

Another thank you to the twilight session on Thursday, called “Eating is Not Just Swallowing.” Samantha Shune, University of Iowa, integrates “components of the broader mealtime process with our definition of swallowing.” I typically introduce my bedside swallowing evaluations with: “Your doctor wants me to evaluate your eating and swallowing.” However, I was once told at an old job to not say “eating,” because it was deemed unrelated to swallowing and swallowing impairment. I appreciate this session’s holistic perspective.

Generations of Discovery

ASHA conventions inspire growth. I have discovered that you can recreate your career at any age. After performing Modified Barium Swallow Studies for 15 years, I am beginning again in an extensive FEES training program.

This past April at the ASHA Healthcare & Business Institute, a group of us were sharing our dreams and goals for our careers. I realized that I love to constantly learn, synthesize, and share with others. One year ago, I never would have believed that I would start a dysphagia resource website and become an SLP blogger.

As us older generations teach the younger generations, we also need to thank the younger SLPs for inspiring us to keep it fresh. For me that meant finally embracing technology. It is technology that is helping ASHA members network and reach all corners of the globe.

Thank you, ASHA, for this feast!

Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995. Karen has enjoyed medical speech pathology for 20 years. She is a member of the Dysphagia Research Society and the Special Interest Group 13: Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Karen obtained her BCS-S (Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders) in August of 2012. She has lectured on dysphagia in the hospital setting, to dental students at the Tufts University Dental School, and on Lateral Medullary Syndrome at the 2011 ASHA convention. Special interests include neurological conditions, geriatrics, oral hygiene, and patient safety/risk management. Karen continues to work in acute care and is a consultant for SEC Medical. She started the website and blog www.SwallowStudy.com in May 2014. She has blog posts on ASHAsphere and www.DysphagiaCafe.com. Sheffler is one of four invited bloggers for ASHA’s 2014 Convention in Orlando.