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.

Friday, May 24, 2019

What I still can't do properly and never will with the current state of stroke rehab and research

I may be quite functionally able to do most everything I want to, that is not the goal. THE GOAL IS 100% RECOVERY. I don't want compensation, I want recovery. There should no stroke disability that doesn't have a protocol for it.  Decades and 10 million yearly stroke survivors  mean there is a vast market of information on what works and what doesn't. Whomever can't see and apply that needs to be drummed out of stroke.

  1. Car driving;  I can't use the turn signals with my left hand, I can't drink coffee while driving, I can't adjust heat, fan or radio while driving. I can't ever use my bright lights. I can't close the drivers side door with my left arm/hand. I can't change a tire using the scissors screw jack. I can't lift the car hood and place the support for holding it up.  I can no longer drive a manual transmission, this is almost required since almost all rental cars in Europe are manual. I can't use any of the window controls while driving.  I can't lift my arm in or out of the open car window, hopefully I'm never sideswiped while driving like that.
  2. Food: I can't open any jar larger than 2 inches in diameter. I can't unwrap muffin or cupcake papers. I can't spread peanut butter or jam. 
  3. Sex: I can't do missionary or Queen's throne style. Women have two breasts and two butts, I can't fondle them at the same time.Three separate women have snuggled up against my left side. My brain told my left arm to respond appropriately. It declined.  I only managed to date one. My recreational therapist just said sex was ok. He had NO consideration of any problems that might be preventing it.
  4. Biking: I can't do more than 1/2 mile on a two wheeler.
  5. Running: I can't do this.
  6. Bed: I can't make a bed using fitted sheets. 
  7. Washing: I can't wash my hands with any sort of cleanliness. I can't really dry my hands unless it is an air dryer.
  8.  Keys: I can't get keys on or off a key ring.
  9. Chainsaw: I can't use my more powerful gas chainsaw. The battery one runs out of energy in 5 minutes, dying battery, not able to rebuild or replace.
  10. Hospital gowns: I can't tie them in back.
  11. Zippers: I can usually get them done in 15-20 minutes, but never outside in the cold.
  12. Stuff sacks for camping: I can't get sleeping bag packed. I can't get the Thermarest rolled tightly.
  13. Tote bags: I can't fill these unless they are completely stiff.
  14. Dancing: I can't jump like a rock star as directed by the Blue Man Group, I can do the head bobbing.
  15. Camping: I can't fill stuff sacks or dry bags with gear. I require a 3 legged camp chair to sit in so I have a lap to put my plate on for eating. 
  16. Food: Steaks are out of the question, can't cut them. Sardine tins are impossible without spraying oil and mustard all over. Can't spread a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  17. Door opening: With a locked door I have to set down whatever I'm carrying to get it unlocked and open.
  18. Wine opening: Opening possible by wedging the bottle between my feet. I want to do it the standard way. 
  19. Writing: I can't use my left hand fingers to hold down paper as I write on it. Opening envelopes doesn't work. I can no longer fold paper. 
  20. Blood donation: Can't use my left arm, will not lay flat, can't squeeze the rubber ball. 
  21. Sleeping: Can't turn over without pulling the covers off.
  22. Sit to stand: In deep chairs and couches I have to pivot so my left butt cheek is on the edge of the seat, then I have to push myself upright with my right arm. Left arm can't do a damn thing. 
  23. Tying knots: No shoelace tying, that has caused a lot of toe problems, lost nails, blisters. No knot tying for fastening canoes to the car.
  24. No transporting canoes or sea kayaks: I can't even lift my left arm above my head with no weight.
     

2 comments:

  1. Dean,
    I am 6 years PS and your list pretty much describes me. I can do some of these items better, but your walking must be way better than me. I plan to really put in a lot of time walking this summer to improve that.

    I still have Medicare paid therapy once a month with 3 different neurological therapists to help me figure out what to spend my HEP time on. Very frustratingly slow, but steady measurable improvement keeps me going.

    I continue to check your blog posts daily, and I know you must feel like you are banging you head against the wall, but I appreciate it and hope you keep at it!

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  2. I suppose I should stop hitting my head against the stroke medical world but it is too much fun poking holes in everything they do wrong.

    ReplyDelete