Keep on keepin on

Life after stroke
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Straight into it here – I’ve been thinking.

Something Mitch, a member of our independent group, wrote on Whatsapp about being back like an eighteen month old baby inspired the thoughts which follow here.

Those like myself with mobility issues could have begun their recovery like a baby. First on back like a baby, then rolling over, followed by the crawl, leading to getting up on feet then upright toddling. All in gradual and natural stages over a period of time.

Getting my hand working. Put hand palm down on table, leg or chair arm. One by one imagine pressing with each finger. Repeat whenever you’ve nothing else to do. Eventually there will be a flicker then you will find you are pressing down. Control will improve. It’s the brain connections you are rebuilding not the hand.

Next. Having difficulty with communication.
Recovery could pass through these stages. Making noises, first crying and screaming, followed by mum,mumum, sounds. Then da, da, dada, dadada, sounds gradually building or remembering the basic sounds of language. Leading on to expressions of sadness, joy, then gathering words by joining the sounds together bit by bit.
At the same time texting can help build and maintain contact.

Logically this all sounds very do-able to me.
No real need for a professional with learned qualifications though a supporting figure, an ally, could perhaps be a good help.

Well, what do you think?
Am I away with the fairies in cloud cuckoo land again, or is this worth looking at?

Should I have written these ideas up on the Stroke Association Forum?

If you have ideas please discuss them. I’d love to hear.

keep on keepin’ on
:writing_hand: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: :+1:

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I think you might have something there. There perhaps is an element of having to learn things again like we did as a child. It will of course depend on level of disability and we may start at different parts of that process.

Not away with the fairies yet :woman_fairy::man_fairy::grin:

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That’s what I’ve been saying all along, it’s certainly how I’ve looked at stroke recovery.

And why wouldn’t you? One of the biggest issues for some, certainly in early recovery, is the mental ability to think for yourself. And it’s more than just a “why didn’t I think of that myself…duhhh" moment. You don’t think, you just do!

So when you are able enough to get on forums like this, you are looking for help and guidance from peers. Those a little further on their recovery…the one who’ve been there, done that, bought the t-shirt…the adult…the parent…the teacher. The ‘supporting figure, an ally’ you mention above :slightly_smiling_face:

So writing such ideas down here can help others to think differently, to consider alternative approaches to their recovery. It gets them thinking, it can even spark their ability to think. It’s just one of the many reasons I’m on here. You all played a very active part in my brain’s recovery and you probably don’t even realise it :blush: And it all starts with baby steps :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Lorraine

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Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi!!! How can you even ask the question?

Listen to your own advice :slight_smile:

Is that not absolutely what you’d be telling others to do?

Anyway, anything and everything I might have said has already been said by our learned colleagues the lovely Ann and Lorraine aka @Mrs5K and @EmeraldEyes .

Do what you must.

There is no reason why you can’t post on any and all platforms since you just don’t know where your target audience is. Just as an example, how many of your WhatsApp independent group is on this Forum and who might benefit from your words of wisdom.

I am not your WhatsApp group and so unless you share your wow on here, I will never know.

The choice is yours and you are the ones who know what your time and resource constraints are.

Thanking you for thinking of us all the time.

:pray:

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My walking rehabilitation included moving around the room on all fours, then on my knees, and then standing up. I did this every day for a year.

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I have a background in Childhood Development and part of that was about Neuro plasticity and how it ‘tracks’ through newborn development physically. Because I’d previously heard of it and its role in development I felt I almost knew what to expect and I wasn’t too worried. Another big time in childhood when Neuro Plasticity has a massive leap is the teen years but that is mood based (familiar?)

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@Helen-G
I’m in no way learned in this subject but life has frequently put me into a spot where I have had to find my own way.
That isn’t to ignore what others have shared which has been valuable of course.

I think we have to use whatever we can find hopefully to help us deal with the predicament in which we find ourselves.

I believe that sharing and learning from one another can be a great help.
It is how an open community like this forum can move things along in a positive direction.

By joining others one becomes part of a community which offers respite from isolation, ignorance, fear of the unknown, barriers to progress and all the other negatives that becoming disabled has suddenly thrown up.

My hope is that we can build and learn together in order to improve our prospects.

keep on keepin on
:writing_hand: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: :+1:

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Wow, Rups … the things we went through were for the tough ….

I used to drop some coins onto the palm of my hand, every evening for an hour. After 6 months, I finally felt something for the first time

Roland

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There are folk out there just finding their way through all this.
We help them find direction when we tell our stories.

None of us are alone. Whether we chose or not we have one another.

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:hugs: :hugs: :hugs: To all of you.

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That’s interesting Bobbi and we have been trying to do similar before I saw this post. My husband’s problem is his hand is like a claw. I try to get all the fingers out and straight but it just won’t work, so this exercise doesn’t work for him. He has worn a splint on his hand more or less since his stroke but it hasn’t made much difference.

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@Trisha2

I’m not sure if what I’m about to suggest will help but give it a try anyway.

Work in the opposite direction.

Instead of trying to fight to open the fist.
Try, actually, to make it grip more,
even though that is what it already seems to be doing.
Then just relax.
Then grip again.
Then relax.
Keep repeating the grip and relax cycle.

Don’t rush things, just try a little of that each day.
Don’t worry about unclenching because eventually that might take care of itself.

I’m no physiotherapist so my suggestion might be useless but trying it for a while won’t do any harm.
If you find ways of coping this forum will be grateful for any useful tips.

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