The Info Grateful My PT Taught Me to Squat | Health News

12.59.00

advanced ADLs, basic ADLs, hemiplegic leg

I did NOT do this I am glad my in-patient PT made me squat while reaching down with my sound hand to pick up plastic cones sitting on a ...

The Info Nails Do Not Stop Growing After a Stroke | Health News

05.49.00

basic ADLs, frustration

         CAUTION: CLIPPING NAILS REQUIRES GOOD SENSATION AND COORDINATION I live alone so I have to cut my nails .  I cut the nails on m...

The Info Snow Shoes for a Stroke Survivor | Health News

05.16.00

basic ADLs, snow strategies

Since my stroke I am careful about venturing outside when it snows, but I am not trapped inside until spring comes either.  I never walk on ...

The Info Tying Shoes One-handed | Health News

05.00.00

basic ADLs

I shuddered when my OT put brown shoelaces on my beige shoes.  I had forgotten elastic shoelaces only come in black, brown, and white.  I wa...

The Info The Zipping Challenge is Not What You Think | Health News

05.09.00

basic ADLs, hemiplegic hand, snow strategies

Now that it is cold I need to zip my coat.  Velcro closures on my raincoat do not keep me warm.  When I sit, gaps form between the Velcro ta...

The Info Snow Strategies Are Here | Health News

05.00.00

basic ADLs, snow strategies

It is October and I cannot believe I already have to use my first snow strategy.  I am paying for the frostbite I endured when I was growing...

The Info It is Hurricane Season Again | Health News

06.00.00

advanced ADLs, basic ADLs, cognition, volunteers

September was beautiful but my thoughts go to 2011 and 2012 when New Jersey was hit by Hurricanes Irene and Sandy.  Here is my consolidated ...

The Info My Conclusion About Swallowing Training | Health News

06.00.00

basic ADLs, brain plasticity, health care system, swallowing

Impaired swallowing has lingered for 11 years after my stroke.  So I am thrilled that 3 strategies improved my ability to swallow - neck elo...

The Info A Secret I Have Kept for 11 Years | Health News

06.05.00

basic ADLs, brain plasticity, frustration

There is a stroke issue I have never shared with doctors, family, or friends - urinary incontinence. After I feel the urge to urinate, I hav...

The Info Handicapped Bathrooms Are Badly Designed | Health News

06.27.00

basic ADLs

Handicapped bathrooms in hotels I have used since my stroke are poorly designed.  The most common error I have seen is placing the towel rac...

The Info Independence is a Myth People Cling To | Health News

05.00.00

advanced ADLs, basic ADLs

A stroke forces people to deal with becoming dependent.  Having a stroke helped me realize that independence is a myth.  For example, do you...

The Info Toilet Training in Rehab is a Disaster | Health News

06.00.00

basic ADLs, health care system, hemiplegic leg, somebody teach us to turn

A friend in rehab fell twice while transferring to the toilet.  I was in this hospital so I know how toileting is managed in this institutio...

The Info Will I Be Homebound This Winter? | Health News

05.16.00

basic ADLs, fall prevention, snow strategies

Trenton, New Jersey used to have such mild winters that officials closed the schools when there was only 2 inches of snow on the ground.  Th...

The Info Being Undressed Like a Baby | Health News

06.00.00

basic ADLs, caregivers, frustration

Recently I snapped at a dear friend who has been very good to me.  When she saw me preparing to retie a shoelace she offered to help.  When ...

The Info Mobility = Physical Recovery + Problem Solving | Health News

05.00.00

advanced ADLs, basic ADLs, hemiplegic hand, hemiplegic leg

A study found that impaired attention and visual-spatial deficits 3 months after a stroke was significantly associated with a poor quality o...

The Info Reviewing One-Handed Knives Again | Health News

05.00.00

basic ADLs

I am reviewing one-handed knives again because I have found a rocker knife that actually works.  The dull rocker knife on the left cuts only...

The Info Pictures Can Explain What OTs Are Doing | Health News

05.00.00

basic ADLs, language skills, meaningful tasks make OT personal

Aphasia  is the inability to understand the spoken word and/or to express oneself verbally.  It is easy for PTs to communicate with aphasic ...

The Info Fall Hazards Are Subtle | Health News

05.49.00

basic ADLs, cognition, fall prevention

Babies learning to walk do not get hurt when they fall because they are 18 inches (45 cm) tall.  When I fall I go crashing to the ground lik...

The Info ADLs Are Where the Repetitions Are | Health News

04.30.00

advanced ADLs, basic ADLs, brain plasticity, disuse, hemiplegic hand, hemiplegic leg

Barb's post  expressed how I feel about exercise.  Barb said exercises "console survivors that they are working as hard as they can...

The Info Long-handled Bath Sponges Are My Pet Peeve | Health News

06.00.00

basic ADLs, depression

Not being allowed to shower and wash my hair for two weeks after my stroke was misery I will never forget .  As an American I have always ha...