Every day I push to do the activities that were once unworthy of comment.
I’ve been able with great effort to approximate eating cereal (et al) right handed for about a year BUT today I’m marking as a milestone.
It’s not that I was really more able than yesterday BUT today I ate the whole bowl including the last ‘chase it around’ one AND for the 1st time it didn’t feel like a performing sea lion doing an unnatural party trick. It was awkward, my wrist doesn’t (yet) flex in multiple axis at once even with thought- so slightly dribbly too
Last night’s teeth cleaning wasn’t yet perfect or exclusively right handed but was closer to the day before “I took ma stroke” (to approximate Scots vernacular).
The coffee cup is still beyond my abilities right handed because of the form of grip with fingers to stablise and the leverage (moment) from the weight off the cup that is constant but my grip fades rapidly - it’s a next visible milestone.
I feel that I have had to be my own recovery director. The other participates are only versed in a narrow subset of the whole need. It’s been quite a learning path with lots ahead but now also lots behind too. The milestone I’ve declared is because progress needs markers of achievement and goals to work toward.
Recovery is a complex undertaking but it’s only treated simplisticly. All the insights about what actually builds on where capability is currently resting has - ime - to come from the #StrokeWarriors ourselves. I changed my exercise regimes content at the start of the week too build grip and wrist flexing & twisting (if I was med staff id say alien stuff like pronate - professional barriers to visceral understanding). 20mins with a 3ft stick that I wield one handed like little john in Sherwood. The weight of the stick challenges grip and its enough to flex my wrist further then I can on my own and a little movement is extra visible
Anyone else want to share how they gain capability? Either here or/and¿ on some group video calls over the coming months?
@SimonInEdinburgh well done small steps massive milestones. 2 years post stroke, I still can’t lift a cup steadily in my left hand but keep trying to, much to the annoyance of the mop that cleans it up (my dog)
Well done Simon. 4 months post stroke I sill can’t hold a fork properly in my affected left hand. I do try at home but wouldn’t try if we were out as it’s very uncomfortable and not always successful in getting food actually into my mouth! Can’t believe how difficult it is to get my fingers to actually hold the fork and certainly wouldn’t try holding a cup of hot liquid - or cold come to that! Janet
I’m with you on all of this. No chance much on doing anything with my affected hand, so you’re not alone as I’m sure you know! I have to place my left hand by my right to get a grip on anything much. Bannister and stroller are particularly critical to make me feel safe. I keep trying though. Buttons don’t seem to be getting easier either!
It was a year till I could get hand above navel, the next year I got the above head and(slightly) up my back.
Rather than the bullshit the med staff give out about “only 6 months” and “you’ve plataeued” I find ability builds faster as I gain ability
There are enough med professional who have strokes and then say I talked cobblers through my prestroke days that we really ought to have better regimes pre made
But we can share or knowledge and start that for others
I found you comments very cheering. I like you I was told major progress in first six months, by a year it’s all over. However many comments on this Forum say otherwise! After a year I can just about get my hand to my forehead! So that’s good.
Keep working at it. Being able to do light switches and washing my hair was a big increase in opportunities to using it which was the next step to a virtuous circle.
I’m now working on full reach and I’m working on grasping and wrist movements
Small steps are big steps for us…friends and family can’t quite understand the effort simple tasks needs…but we do.Refreshing to hear of your endeavours…and appreciate.
I’d appreciate information on how you started to open your fingers, mine are stuck and no where near a grip/ release yet, need the open/close phase first. The more effort I put in seems to make it harder.
Tricia
