The transition from exercise to functional tasks can be difficult. Functional tasks require clients to divide their attention between thinking about what their body is doing and watching what objects are doing. For example, I kept dropping a tube of toothpaste until I realized only my thumb and middle finger contact the tube of toothpaste. The photo shows this precarious grasp. Dropping an open tube produces a splatter of sticky toothpaste on the floor. So I press the end of the tube against my stomach to hold it still while I watch my sound hand remove the cap.
Fortunately I have a strategy for dealing with my negative emotions when I fail during functional tasks. The first time I try a new task, one or more steps are difficult or impossible for me to do. This means I cannot finish what I started. To help me persist in the face of failure I call my first attempt a rehearsal. The purpose of a rehearsal is to discover solutions that will make my second attempt awesome. Waiting until the next day also gives me time to think of new things I can try next time. homeafterstroke.blogspot.com
It is so true about the mesmerizing effect of repetitive exercises and tasks! Not always boring, more meditative.
ReplyDeleteI think another point is that some people benefit from focusing on what exactly the task they are trying to get done is, such as brushing their teeth, not just doing it the way they did before. I know I wanted things back to the way I used to do it and that is good eventually -but in the meantime it is pretty exciting to just get your teeth clean, even if that means you don't get the top back on the toothpaste tube!
While my hand was flaccid I used my teeth to get the cap on and off the toothpaste. But there are very few tasks you can do with your teeth. I am glad my hemiplegic hand can help me during over 100 bimanual tasks.
ReplyDelete