Angela
Survivor
Last on 2 months ago
2228 points.
Silver Ninja

Angela's Journal

Results 1 - 5
  • March 30, 2010

    Rehab At Home

    It's even less this year.  So that means you will have to do more on your own, and when you need updates you will most likely have to research on your own and have to find exercises.  I know I have many therapies covered here so you can find them.  I'm going to put it all together in this plus some tips on how to best use what the government offers.  I'm going to write this as if it's for the person receiving the services, but it may be 2 or more people, and may include, friends, family, significant others, or caregivers.  I used to do home early intervention programs for parents, so this comes natural.
     
    1.  Know what you have.  Where was your bleed (this gives a clue on what you need)?  What are your limits?  What can you do?  Know your likes and dislikes.  Do you have any hobbies?  All this stuff has to be based on the here & now, not what you want or did.  The things you want to do can be goals you're working to.
     
    2.  Get exercises from your therapist.  The easiest way is for them to provide a hand-out or write it down.  Next is you write it down.  Don't expect to remember it.  You might need these exercises 2 years from now and I doubt they will stay fresh in your memory.

    3.  A good tip I learned was that commercials are just wasted time.  Do an exercise when they come on. 

    4.  Take whatever you can get.  This may only be 30 days under disability.  You will need this to set up a home program, so get the report.  You will most likely need more, so setting up a home program makes sense.  Use your imagination.  The therapist probably used equipment you don't have, but you may be able to do something else to get the same results.  Modified.  This is a term used by therapists to describe an exercise that has been changed to accommodate the disability.  Don't be afraid to modify, or adapt, something.  Here's an example:  I did modified toe touches.  You'd think this not possible in a wheel chair.  What I did was bend over and touch the floor.  This created the same effect.

    5.  If you want to address social skills, I suggest adding a game night (fun and who ever thought it was therapy?).

    6.  Before your PT ends, ask the therapist for home exercises.  Preferably, these can be done on your own.  Some ideas are http://www.wearetbi.org/angelar70/journals/457.  I included on here something for balance (last link).

    7.  For OT, occupational therapy, same thing, ask for exercises.  Here's some OT ideas, http://www.wearetbi.org/angelar70/journals/456.  Also ask that person about any equipment (cost, ordering info, is it covered?  I once got a website address that's proved useful.)  This person can tell you all kinds of things about living independently, as that is their job.

    8.  There are speech exercises at http://www.wearetbi.org/angelar70/journals/447.  I copied a handout so all could use it.

    9  When it comes time, go in and get re-assessed.  A lot don't know this, but although you use up your initial rehab, you can go in once a year to update that initial assessment (unless they change that too).  If it's the beginning of the year, and you are just bored with your exercises, look here and the internet first.  Don't use your only appointment.  You may need it later.


  • March 21, 2010

    Gross Motor Skills

    These are just some ideas for your large musles.  This stuff would help walking and sitting in a chair.

    1.  leg lifts-bent knee.  If standing, this looks like marching (15-20x)

    2.  kicking-more leg stuff, but this is for your calf I believe.  If seated, kick your bent leg all the way out (15-20x)  If standing, kick your foot up behind you, bending your knee.  

    3.  arms-punching up (over your head) and forward (like Tae Bo)  

    4.  get more of a workout by adding wrist and ankle weights.  The wrap-around, velcro is good.  Slip-ons are okay for small hands, but are still tight getting on.  Start with just 1 or 2 pounds and you can slowly increase.  

    5.  squeeze your legs together (20x)  

    6.  bridge or pelvic tilts (15-20)  Bridging is more of what you want for legs.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3kCp0v3Czk&feature=channel  

    7.  build up those abs  If in a chair, sit independenty.  Sitting independent, raise both arms up, over head.  Toe touches, sit-ups, and crunches are good,


    I've also found:
    http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aha/strokeconnection_20080910/index.php#/14

    -this magazine always has good stuff.  Just substitute "brain injury" for "stroke", it's a type.


    http://www.wearetbi.org/differentstrokes/discussions/297

    -this has helped me tremendously with balance

  • March 21, 2010

    Using Your Hands

    1.  Invest in a stress ball.  These are usually made of gel or foam and fit in the hand.  Some health depts and banks give them away.  I've even seen them as promos for buisnesses and at fairs.  An idea of an exercise would be to squeeze it 20 times.
     
    2.  Do Silly Putty or clay.   I once had an OT that used something that looked like Silly Putty.  She would have me press down with a finger to make an indent.  Then she would take and re-shape, and then have me press with another finger.

    3.  Get a handwriting book.  I got this, http://www.carsondellosa.com/cd2/Products/CarsonDellosa/PID-156189382X.aspx, at either Walmart or Target.  It's just easiest (and cheapest) to use what the kids use.

    4.  Clapping

    5. Snap your fingers

    6.  Touch thumb to each finger (a lot of neuros will have this in their exam)


    Some activities are good.  Try for 5 min with the bad hand before giving up and going about your usual way. Things like washing your hands, wiping a table, and tying your shoes.  In everything you do, just try with your bad hand (this may only mean to reach toward it).  (I started turning off a light with my bad hand.  This meant reaching to the switch.  I then let gravity do its job.  As my hand fell, it would brush the switch and turn it off.  Now I don't have to do that anymore.)
  • December 26, 2009

    What Kind of Vegetable Am I?

    {This story was published in  Stroke Connection Magazine, American Heart Assoc/ Amer Stroke Assoc.}

    It started December 16, 2002, when I was 32 years old. I had a bleeding stroke at work, an AVM (arterio-venus malformation) burst. I didn't know about it and drove home for lunch. I lost consciousness for a bit and had an accident. I was taken back to work. I got a bad headache at my office and walked with help to the clinic.

    At the clinic I stopped breathing. They took me to a hospital where they put me on a helicopter and flew me to a trauma center. There they did brain surgery to stop the bleeding. That surgery was risky, something like 30% survival. Afterwards, I was in a coma. I remember my family being told I would always be in a coma, and if I came out, I would be a vegetable.

    I did come out of the coma, but couldn't talk or move, which made me appear to be a vegetable, although I could understand what was being said. I was alive, but had something in my head that could kill me at any time - from something as simple as shaking my head "no."

    The AVM was large and too deep in my brain to be removed. It was just left there though the bleeding stopped. I was only able to move my left side after some therapy. I taught myself to talk. I taught myself how do things with limited movement on my non-dominant side; I was right handed but could only move my left. I taught myself how to manipulate the control on my electric wheelchair with my left hand, how to type on the computer with my left index finger, and how to write left-handed. I had worked with babies as an infant development specialist, so I already knew a lot of what to do. It was good that I could talk again, then I could tell others what had to be done. I still wondered what kind of vegetable I was, and I would ask others.

    In 2004, doctors at Stanford were able to remove the AVM, and I was able to move my right side again. Since then I have been learning to use my right side and do things like typing with both hands. In therapy, I'm basically doing everything to my right side that was done to my left. Because of my infant training, I was already familiar with how to get development started. Now I just repeat what I remember what was done to my left.

    As great as it was was to move my right side, the most important thing about surgery is that I no longer have that thing in my head anymore. Nobody expected this kind of recovery: What kind of vegetable can think, talk or write? I still don't know what kind of vegetable I am.

  • September 26, 2009

    The Right Tool

    It's surprising how independent you can be if you just change what you are working with.

    http://www.sammonspreston.com/app.aspx?cmd=get_sections&id=100000

    This is just one site; there are others.  An occupational therapist gave this to me, so the items are more professional, quality, and expensive.  If you don't know about something, ask.  Also when you get something, you can request OT for training.  Medicare will pay for 1 month, and sometimes 1 extension.


    For cooking, utensils, etc. there is Oxo Good Grips.  I found their scissors useful, http://www.oxo.com/OA_HTML/xxoxo_ibeCCtpOXOPrdDtl.jsp?section=10069&item=46759&minisite=10024&respid=53057.  I only had to squeeze them.  And they worked with my left hand

    Somebody once asked me about Velcro shoes, and if there are any that look good.  Well there is one brand that does a lot of Velcro shoes, Skechers, http://www.skechers.com/.  They've added a lot, and ladies, they now have flats with a Velcro strap (I have some).