Getting Hand Use Earlier than Stroke Survivors Think is Possible

Hand tests begin by asking clients to pick up objects from a table.  Stroke survivors would discover their affected hand can be useful earlier than they think is possible if hand-to-hand transfers were added to adult hand tests.  A small amount of finger movement done close to the body can make an affected hand functional.  If you pick up an object with your sound hand and open your affected hand 2 inches to receive the object, you may be able to do the tasks shown below.   

A hand-to-hand transfer allows me to do 21 bimanual ADL tasks.

Example #1- Using a shower hose to spray water at the crotch does not take care of the nooks and crannies.  After a hand-to-hand transfer, my affected hand holds the shower hose close to my body which frees my sound hand to do its job.  This little bit of hand function means my mother, a nurse's aide in the hospital, and I are the only people who have washed my crotch.  If my husband were still alive I would be mortified to have him do this intimate task.    

Example # 2 - When my affected hand was flaccid, I used to squeeze a deodorant bottle between my thighs so my sound hand could remove the cap.  Now my affected hand opens to receive a deodorant bottle from my sound hand and then holds the bottle still while it is resting on my thigh.  The two black lines show how little shoulder movement is needed when ADLs are done close to the body.

Example # 3 -  There used to be teeth marks on the cap of my toothpaste tube.  Now my affected hand can open to receive a tube of toothpaste from my sound hand which then removes the cap.  The end of the tube is propped against my stomach because this new tube is heavy.  I do not want to drop the tube and splatter sticky toothpaste on the floor.  I live alone so I would have to clean up the mess.

homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

An Unexpected Delight

Yesterday was a gorgeous day.  I took time to sit on my patio because I have never forgotten how depressed I felt when I was kept inside for 3 months after I had a stroke.      I had a stroke in March so I did not get to smell the blooming trees and flowers, feel the sun on my face, or feel a breeze.  Yesterday the sun was hot but there was a cool breeze.  I got to hear the breeze rustling through the trees behind my house and feel the wind blowing my hair around.  I craved these sensations when I was home-bound.

I also got to watch white clouds in a blue sky floating towards the Atlantic ocean 40 miles away.  I grew up in Chicago were the sky is usually a light uniform gray so I have never gotten tired of looking at the beautiful New Jersey sky.  I used to think artists who painted skies like this were imaging them.

homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

A Window Into My Soul

For a month I have worked hard to get rid of many possessions before I move to an independent living facility in Michigan.  A friend has loaded up my car five times with things to donate and put possessions on the curb on four garbage days.  This friend has expressed remorse about some of my decisions to get rid of stuff.  Today I realized why I have been steadfast and relentless about my decisions to get rid of so many possessions.

For 18 years I have been living in a spacious home that makes me happy.  I would be depressed if I saw boxes stacked against the living room and bedroom walls of my apartment because they do not fit in my walk-in closet.  

Getting a bigger apartment to store my stuff would use money I could spend on fun activities, like going on a tour of a local winery and hearing great musicians drawn to perform in Kalamazoo by the big music department at Western Michigan University.  

On my deathbed I believe I am going to regret the things I did not do rather than the possessions I gave away. homeafterstroke.blogspot.com

Reasons for Letting Go

I am getting ready to move to an independent living facility in Michigan and have spent the last three weeks giving nice things to charity and throwing others in the garbage.  Living in 9 different residences in 5 different states over the years has given me plenty of practice with the process of letting go of objects.  Early moves when I was in my twenties taught me to think about getting rid of belongings that my husband and I never took out of boxes since the previous move.  

I am also motivated to let go by the high cost of facilities for old people.    I used graph paper to plot the small apartment I can afford and put my furniture in it.  I  learned I have to get rid of more than I anticipated.  Every piece of furniture has to do double duty.  For example, my small kitchen table will be used as a desk and a breakfast table.  My small bookcase will hold belongings I used to keep in the big buffet below and a big roll top desk.  My radio/CD player will sit on top of the bookcase. 

The payback for a stressful move is that I will be in a safe environment and be closer to my family.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com