As a brain injured person, including having had a stroke,I’ve been thinking about how I use tools to fill the gap between what I used to be able to do and what I still need to be able to do. I’d love to know what you might think about my recent cogitations…
I can’t post a link here, but if you search for “half a mind to Kelvin “ and see at the most recent post, you’ll find what I’ve been working on
Your reflections on the phrase palliative care reminds me of what I would say, and still sometimes do when people ask me, so what do you do? I would reply, I’m retired. Of course, I am a long way off the retirement age, but I knew that it was possible my lifespan may have acquired a shorter curfew because although, in theory, my constitution and genes may keep my mortality clock ticking away for many moons, it is also a possibility that my brain injury will let down other internal networks that are, perhaps, more vulnerable now as a result.
I’m in my fifth year since stroke.
When I retired, before stroke, I made myself a place in our kitchen taking pleasure in planning, prepping and producing our daily meals.
Post stroke and right side disabled I was suddenly confronted with problems.
Standing for any length of time was a huge difficulty.
Knife skills were gone. Anything right handed also departed (you could almost say ‘left’).
Ability to get out to pick up a missing ingredient was a big hurdle.
Stamina to keep going with a task was limiting.
What had taken minutes was taking hours.
I found ways to surmount some of this. I’m not as productive or efficient as I was but I can enjoy making what is within my capability.
After all what is more pleasant than making an effort to create something good to eat to share with a partner or friend?
First a perching stool in the kitchen goes some way towards smashing a raft of difficulties.
There’s an excellent series of videos produced by the Stroke Association demonstrating the use of non slip mats and safe cutting techniques when preparing food.
A stand mixer can be a great helper when assembling ingredients.
We have a combination air fryer and pressure cooker that is invaluable.
Asking for help can be the short route to success.
Start just boiling a kettle, making a brew, for yourself and another, and somehow get it to another room (I use my rollator). That is Stage one.
Stage two is getting a few biscuits onto a plate, or making a sandwich or a slice of toast.
Stage three, make a stew, vegetable or meat, and you can have a meal for two that will be good for two or three days.
Stage four, make a cake, a trifle, a rice pudding, a fruit salad, any or all of these.
Stage five, look for a new challenge. After reading a post by @Rups I’ve ordered some bits and pieces so I can have a bash at creating my own sushi.
You can invent yourself a challenge of your own or search this forum where there are loads of ideas, recipes and so on.
I suppose Stage zero is plan and check you have what you need.
keep on keepin on
@kelving keep posting and soon you’ll find you can, at last, post a link and a host of other miraculous stuff too.
A stool in the kitchen was essential for me, and I still have one on standby. I couldn’t stand for more than five minutes, months after the stroke.