Reading One-Handed

After my stroke I still enjoy reading, but holding a book one-handed is tiring and frustrating.
I am glad I found a book holder that works for every size book.  The clear plastic page holders (see black arrow) move in and out so they adjust to thin and thick books.

The easel arm is also adjustable.  I release the lock (white arrow) and tilt the book holder so it is more horizontal or more vertical.  This gives me a good reading angle regardless of the size of the book or the resting surface I am using.

I found this Actto book holder at amazon.

homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

Working Smarter Instead of Harder

I get reader's fatigue when they read my long procedural posts like Bathing Can Be Exhausting,
I Am the Queen of Velcro, Applying Make-up One-handed, and Things You Don't Learn in Driving Rehab.  However, modifying even 1 or 2 steps makes life easier which reduces frustration.  The good news is repetition turns long adapted procedures into a routine I do not have to think about.  Repetition is a gift that keeps on giving.    homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

Eyedrops After Cataract Surgery

People who do not have someone to put drops in their eyes four times a day need help.  Task modification helped me succeed after my recent cataract surgery.  It is easy to drop a tiny 5 ml bottle.  It is also difficult to squeeze the stiff sides of a tiny bottle.  I am glad I found the Autosqueeze Eye Drop Bottle.  The big wings are easy to hold and require only a gentle squeeze.

Before I lie down on my bed I gather two bottles of eye drops and a Kleenex tissue.  I put a pillow on my chest (not stomach) and put my sound elbow on the pillow.  This support makes my hand remain steady instead of bobbing around as I hold the bottle in the air.  To stop myself from blinking I distract myself by looking through the opening formed by my thumb and index finger instead of the bottle.  I try to get the drop in the inner corner of my eye.

When I put the cap back on I need to stop my hand from bobbing up and down and accidentally touching the tip of the bottle.  I keep my hand still by pressing my elbow firmly against the pillow.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

Pain Scales

My knee surgery has been delayed.  I used some of my time to document pain levels.  Dividing pain into mild, moderate, and severe is not enough to identify 10 different levels.  Noting whether pain was intermittent or constant was helpful.  It helped to document when pain disrupted my Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and how much pain reliever I took.  At 6-10, emotional distress added further refinement.  Here are the 10 levels of pain I have experienced over a lifetime.

1.  Have to think to recall if I had Mild  Intermittent pain during the day.
2 . Spontaneously aware of Mild  Intermittent pain throughout the day.
3.  Mild  Constant pain.  650 mg Tylenol at bedtime.  Must do some ADL tasks differently
     (e.g. walk down stairs backwards).
4.  Moderate  Intermittent pain.  Added 650 mg Tylenol in a.m. because I ache before I get up.
5.  Moderate  Constant pain makes me achy and exhausted by the end of the day.
     Worried about what 9 months of Tylenol is doing to my liver.
6.  I cannot tolerate Constant  Moderate pain much longer.  Irritable!! 
     Need 2 attempts to do some ADL tasks (e.g. stand up).
7.  Severe pain makes me afraid I cannot finish a task (e.g. thought about leaving loaded cart in

     the grocery store and going home).

8.  Severe pain makes me say "Ow that hurts" but I am able to remain still.
9.  Severe pain makes me Yell "OW" and I jerk involuntarily.
10. Excruciating pain: Not able to make any sound because I cannot exhale or inhale.
        homeafterstroke.blogspot.com