Deans' stroke musings: The 'Fork Theory'

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The 'Fork Theory' - forks are not wanted

I could use this analogy for my spasticity or maybe if you have CPSP.
From a MS patient.
http://www.patientslikeme.com/forum/ms/topics/103543

The majority of us are familiar with the "Spoon Theory". It's a lovely story about having just so much energy (spoons) and how we should all choose to use them wisely. Naturally I'm paraphrasing as the story is about a broader message but you get my drift.

Spoon theory here:

http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2012/01/spoon-theory-but-you-dont-look-sick.html

I'm speaking now about the antithesis of this theory; this is the "Fork Theory".

There is nothing desireable about these forks. These forks are not something to be held or cherished; stored for a rainy day. These "forks" are the very thing that cause us so much pain and discomfort just when we begin to feel we have a bit of control over our lives yet again.

Make no mistake.....forks hurt. They stick in our legs and cause spasticity. They poke in our arms and cause numbness and tingling.

The damn forks get in our way and they are difficult to get rid of. Have you ever inadvertently stabbed yourself with a fork? I thought so.

There are medications designed to keep a "fork" at bay but they aren't fool-proof. There are exercises to help us maneuver around a "fork" but the exercises are not for everyone and they are often challenging. We can only do our best, after all.

All in all the bottom line is these "forks" are going to always be there in one form or another, from time to time. We can keep putting them away and closing the drawer but there they'll be when we least expect them.

Will there ever be an answer to how to rid ourselves of them for once and for all?

Only 'tine' will tell.