With absolutely no experience in statistics, I had to start from the basics and research exactly what "generalized linear model" or "binary data" mean and how they're applicable to my data. After attempting a GLM with an Excel add-in, I quickly realized just how out of my depth I was. The add-in-- or the 14-day trial, rather --was actually produced by an independent company, so there were very few instructions available online. It turns out I was missing input values that were required to generate the model. Needless to say, I had trouble interpreting my data in this format. I talked it over with Kristina, and she advised me to scrap the idea because I didn't have all of the necessary information to create an accurate model. Instead, she suggested that I compare the slopes of the study and control groups, which are actually visible in my original graphs. Let's hope the slopes test works out better than this generalized linear mess.
In other news, Dr. Zieman will be presenting my preliminary data at a conference this weekend. She mentioned that she's worried someone might steal our data before the paper is published, which completely blew my mind because I couldn't understand what anyone would want with my measly Excel graphs. I still can't believe that my work is actually making an impact in educating other professionals. Dr. Zieman also proposed that I visit a shelter to meet with domestic violence victims themselves. I think it's important to understand the emotional and personal circumstances of people with violence-related TBI. It's easy to associate the patients with numbers and symptoms, since I don't even have their names. However, seeing what their lives are like day-to-day after recovery reminds me why I wanted to do this study in the first place. I haven't been to a shelter yet, but I was lucky enough to meet one of the patients from my study here at the clinic. She came in with her service dog (who was lovely, by the way) for one of her final follow-up visits. She was one of two patients who completed the speech therapy program by attending all 10 visits. After the usual assessment, Dr. Zieman asked her a few questions about how she thought her life had changed post-therapy. This woman, a former writer, had experienced a 30-year dry spell because of the cognitive deficits resulting from her injuries. Now, she's in the process of writing two books about her experiences, and plans to participate in NaNoWriMo in November. She claimed this was made possible largely by her speech therapy treatment. Sure, this was just one case where everything went according to plan. Not all patients react the same way. Yet, hearing her story made me realize the significance of this study. Quantitatively proving that these therapies are effective would also prove that these patients are worth the time and money necessary for further research. I usually end my posts by expressing my goals and hopes for this project, but this is the most important one by far.
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