We called ahead, so when we got there, they ushered us straight back to my room with no mask kerfuffle.
I had some extra company at today's visit. The doctor walked in and told William, "You look just like them!"
We called ahead, so when we got there, they ushered us straight back to my room with no mask kerfuffle.
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March is Brain Injury Awareness Month! I haven't been to therapy in two full weeks because last Friday I had a handbell concert and had to skip therapy (although the practice and concert was up there in intensity!). I'm not looking forward to the pain I know I'll feel tomorrow night/Saturday, but I am looking forward to the renewed progress going to therapy again should provide.
Getting back on a schedule with my meds has been a rollercoaster. I'm fairly certain I did not take it at all last week, because I've been experiencing lots of pain, numbness, headaches, and sleepiness like I did before I started taking it and when I first started. My reminder works again, and I can already tell I'm getting used to the meds again. My phone updated on Monday and it turned off all my reminders from my apps, meaning I have no idea when or even if I took my anti-seizure medicine all week! I realized it yesterday at 3 pm (I'm supposed to take it between 11 am and noon and then again between 11 pm and midnight every day). Looking back, my side has been a little wilder this week than it's been since November. My phone updated again last night, but my phone reminded me at 11 am today! Hopefully if this happens again, I'll notice it sooner than four days later!
Praises: -I haven't needed my wheelchair in two or three weeks -I haven't needed my cane for short walks in two or three weeks Prayer requests: -I got some troubling news a few weeks ago and while it doesn't seem to be affecting my physical therapy, I would love prayers for my spiritual/mental wellbeing as I process -The physical therapist in charge of deciding if I get more therapy (not the therapist in charge of giving me therapy) is not impressed with my progress and said she doesn't think I'll be getting any better, so to expect to be discharged in a few weeks. Seriously?!? Please pray I get to continue therapy until I actually reach a plateau! Due to various circumstances, I'm now down to once a week at water therapy! My therapist was a little hesitant about it, but today (I haven't been since last Friday), she remarked how I seemed to jump right in and didn't seem to have regressed any. There was one exercise I forgot how to do (balancing on the float boards and swinging my legs in front and then back, all while staying off the floor), but after a minute I remembered. It was great to get in the pool and hot tub again!
Today she had to submit a progress report to my neurologist. It's been a month now, so he wants to know if therapy is doing anything for me. I had to fill out some questionnaires and she did a couple muscle tests on me. She said she wrote in her notes that I am seeing amazing progress but I'm not where she'd like me to be yet. She recommends more therapy. My anti-seizure meds seem to really be working! Most days, my side goes numb once. About twice a week, it will go numb twice in the day. So this is huge progress! One year ago it was happening 4 and 5 times a day. The numbness seems to have turned to just straight tingling pain (which is weird) and concentrates mostly in my hand and foot. Usually on the days it happens more than once, the second time will be arm, shoulder, leg, face, side, all up and down, but with less pain and more numbness (like it used to be all the time). At my appointment next month, the doctor will decide if I need to up my dose. I'm praying I don't have to, because I do still get knocked over tired about once a week and don't want to increase that! Praises: -therapy is working -medicine is working Prayer requests: -the doctor to approve more therapy -the medicine to continue working at the dose I'm taking Not quite brave enough to take a picture with me in the mirror! But I love going to therapy because I see myself with all these powerful words surrounding me the entire way down the hallway. Gives me an extra pep in my step!
Today, I walked in the door, and the guy who's behind the counter started clapping and cheering for me. Then he did the same thing for the person who came in behind me, so...slightly less embarrassing. I also noticed that the group of a dozen or so men seated near the entrance didn't even look up when I walked in to that ovation. Introvert crisis averted! My therapist was astounded at my progress. I've been going twice a week for not quite a month, and already I've made leaps and bounds of progress. She credited my attitude (willing to push myself at therapy) and being active at home. She said so many people go home and sit on the couch until their next therapy session, and they aren't making any progress because they lose any momentum they may have gotten by just sitting all week. I still experience spasticity in my hand every morning, and I still need my cane to walk when I leave home. My leg still often feels heavy, and my ankle still turns in when I'm standing. None of those problems are gone! However, my balance is better, my core strength has improved, and my muscles that were tight are loosening (specifically hamstrings and calf muscles). I still have a ways to go, but I've already come a long way! While most of my therapy is helping my balance and endurance, some of the exercises make the spasticity in my hand worse. My therapist said there is nothing to be done for it except do more hand stretching. Okay.
The pool is like, 5 degrees cooler than I'd love, but, that's normal. Not looking forward to the spring when the world thinks it's warm but it is NOT warm yet. What this means is that by the time my hour is over, I'm very cold. Then I walk, dripping, soaking wet, outside the pool dome--OUTSIDE outside into the frozen wind--and back inside the other building. My teeth are chattering so badly I can't speak. I go straight to the hot tub and exercise the utmost restraint to get into the tub in a decent, lady-like manner. Last week I didn't stay long because someone else got in that I just could NOT share the hot tub with. If you want the story, it's best told in real life. <commence puking> Today's post focuses on how good God is. He watches out for me so well!
On Wednesday, as my therapist (L) was leaving, she was going over my schedule and to clarify, I said, "So I'll see you in two days?" And she answered, "Yes, see you Friday." I showed up today a little early, but she wasn't there, which didn't make me too nervous because she had said she may do the treadmill while waiting for me. So I got in the pool and started my stretches and etc. Fifteen minutes before my appointment, a different therapist (D) showed up. She looked shocked to see me (never a good sign! ). She asked me why I was there when I had canceled. Therapy is going smashingly well! Although if you ask me tomorrow, I may swear it off forever because she worked me really hard today and I am *SORE*! But here are some changes I've already noticed:
-spasticity in hand immensely reduced -balance increased Okay, that's not a lot, but both of those have been HUGE problems since about October of 2020, and now they are just problems. I had my neuropsych evaluation yesterday. (I took a selfie at the end of the day, then decided I should smile. This is me mustering the biggest smile I could. ) It was loooong and exhausting, and I can definitely understand why it might discourage some people. (Several people I asked for advice about getting this eval said it made them feel stupid and terrible about themselves, but it is an eval to see where the brain is at in recovery!)
The testing was 9am-6pm (the lady doing the testing was so encouraging and kind to me, which made the time pass more smoothly), then I spoke to a psychologist for an hour. His advice and counseling was invaluable to me! I've never been to counseling before (other than premarital, and that doesn't exactly count, I think ), so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was good. Many, many years ago, we bought these books called "Lists to Live By." In unpacking the other day, I found them! Here is the very first list: three secrets to success (by astronaut Sally Ride). Obviously this isn't referring to Biblical success, but when I read this list, I realized it can easily apply to my new therapy. Which, by the way, is brutal y'all!
My therapist keeps thinking I've been doing this for weeks and weeks already. Every new exercise she asked me to do Monday and today, she'd say the name of it and then say, "do ten of those." And then just look at me waiting. I kept having to tell her I don't know what "toe races" or "flutter kicks" were. |
Who am I, you ask?
In 2006 I had a stroke, and every day my husband encourages me to use my remaining brain cells to the best of my ability. I love to organize, make crafts, and go on adventures (safe ones). I hope that through my blog posts, you will be encouraged to accept and make the best of challenges God throws at your life. Categories
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