There is Muffin Batter in my Fridge!

I worked this past weekend, and when I came home on Sunday night, I basically retreated to my room immediately after dinner because I was feeling completely drained and pretty stiff and sore. I had no energy left for anything. That night my daughter, Emily, made up the 6 Week Refrigerator Muffin batter, and I never even realized that she was doing it. Monday morning, I woke up to the wonderful smell of baking drifting down the hall. I was so surprised and happy that she made them for us, and it lifted my spirits. It was such a thoughtful, and yummy breakfast served along with some juice.

Years ago, when my kids were babies, I used to make a lot of basic food like yogurt, bread, ice cream and jams. One of our most useful and favourite recipes was the one for 6 Week Refrigerator Muffins. It is a pretty basic muffin recipe but made easier by using raisin bran cereal and buttermilk. The muffin batter fits in a plastic ice cream pail, and you can simply scoop out as much as you need for fresh hot muffins when you have a guest or just want a treat. I was a little suspicious back then that it wouldn't be good for 6 whole weeks, and I still can't answer that question because the stuff never lasts that long in our fridge without getting baked! 

During this period of social (physical) distancing, many of us have more time to bake and learn new skills. Still, we are finding that stress and uncertainty kind of sneak up on us, and focusing and being productive can become challenging from time to time. We want to make things fun, we want to eat healthily, but that can be hard to coordinate when shopping is challenging, and our family's daily routine is so disrupted. No one should feel bad about having off days when you just don't care if the dinner plan suddenly turns into a sandwich. Nor should they worry about trying to keep up with the elaborate activities friends are sharing on Instagram. 

(yes grin - I absolutely plan to put this pic of Jasper Dog looking lovingly at muffins on Instagram)

This batter has been a shortcut for me. It is a way of doing something one day to have something special and easy to use on another day when maybe life isn't going as planned.
It doesn't have to be my muffin recipe (though I bet you really would like it) It might be a frozen meal that someone else can pop in the microwave. Perhaps it could be forgetting about the dirty dishes and cuddling up and watching a feel-good movie with someone you love.

Just let go. Have some nice surprises ready for when you really need them and most of all, be kind to yourself.

Here ya go. The muffin recipe.

6-Week Raisin Bran Refrigerator Muffins

 Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sugar 
• 4 cups buttermilk
• 6 cups bran flake cereal 

• 5 cup all-purpose flour 
• 5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup oil

Method:

• Beat the sugar and eggs in your very large mixing bowl 
• stir in buttermilk, cereal flour, baking soda, salt and oil and mix  
• put in a storage container with a lid and keep in the fridge for up to 6 weeks

•  to bake anytime:pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees 
• put scoops of the batter into greased muffin 
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your muffin or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. 

Notes:

It is essential to use the buttermilk, soda and sugar and oil as directed in order for it to last in your fridge.

The traditional cereal is a raisin bran style cereal, but there are now a lot of other bran flake style cereals out there with goodies like dried strawberries or almonds that I think would be a delicious option.

When Our Goals are No Longer Right for Us

I have spent this evening fighting to input info into a database program for one of my volunteer recreation activities.  I think I played with it for over 2 hours before I came to the conclusion that it wasn't me doing something wrong.  The program is glitchy. Truly Glitchy. Why did it take me so long to give up?

I reported 2 bugs in the past few months and eventually they got fixed and I was feeling happier about how the program was operating. When I used it today I got frustrated and I kept trying, again and again, thinking "what if" I do this or remove and re-add the troubled option? Nope. I tried rebooting my computer. Nope.

It was late at night before I decided it was out of my control and nothing I did was going to change the outcome. I would need to wait until the glitch actually gets fixed.
Why did I waste so much time?

I think being stubborn and maybe a little obsessive has actually worked in my favour and gotten me through a lot of hard times. But NOT Always.

One of my blogging friends recently wrote about changing an important life goal after 9 years of frustration. She questioned her readers "Is this giving up?".   It is a hard question. She is going to keep working on the needed physical skill itself so her readers agreed that it is not giving up but simply working towards her goal in a less frustrating way.

Why are we so hard on people who are giving up, or changing their goals and dreams? Why are we so hard on ourselves?

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11

Change is continual through our lives and is not restricted to the coming of adulthood, Sometimes as adults, we need to accept that change in a necessary part of our lives and sometimes a sign of personal growth

 If something is no longer your passion, no longer useful or perhaps just not a priority anymore why do we stubbornly hang on to it?  It must be a little different for everyone. Could it be a habit that we feel secure in? Could we be afraid of humiliation and being seen as a failure? Maybe we are scared of that unknown step just beyond us into the future and fear that that step will take us into a worse place than we are in now.

What I believe is wrong is procrastinating so long that fear of that change leaves you waiting in a place that is negative and damaging. It gets in the way of your hopes and dreams and perhaps the needs of others around you.

Lately, I have been watching Marie Kondo on Netflix. She is famous for bringing her organizational strategies to people who are struggling with their physical spaces. Her approach is to take individual items and ask if they give you Joy as a way of deciding what to declutter. If an item is no longer wanted, she says to thank the item and then let it go. Watching this show I am finding that her method is much more charming, practical and hopeful than I expected.
If millions of people are benefiting from her method for decluttering their belongings how many others would benefit from taking such a kind approach to their life choices?

Set those goals and ambitions but don't forget to keep reevaluating your choices to be sure they are still right for you.  If your thoughts about what you are doing give you JOY you are on the right track.  If you decide this is no longer something that you want to do or be, let it go. Release it and be ready to make changes but don't forget to be kind to yourself and be thankful it for what you have learned along the way.

Your past choices and experiences have strengthened you and made you ready for what is yet to come.

My Hip Replacement Surgery

The surgery was 19 days ago and I have had a chance to relax and reflect on the experience. I am home and my new hip is amazing and working very well. The pain is so much less than before the surgery and I am feeling better all the time.

I was pretty tense beforehand.. let's call it panicked.
I  had bad, life-threatening experiences in the hospital as a kid.
It was also very much on my mind that my hip surgery was occurring at 10 years to the day from when I was admitted to the hospital, hemorrhaging and with a pulmonary embolism in my lungs - and my life changed forever.

I kept thinking I can still change my mind - this is an elective procedure. The fact is that  I can not imagine living the rest of my life in the kind of pain and disability that I have been experiencing. I have fought too hard to regain my independence to have it slowly disappear on me once again.

They try to have patients well prepared for hip surgery. Patients have gone to these Regional health authority hip and knee clinic orientation meeting, met with appropriate therapists from the center and have an appointment with their surgeon. We received a 50 something page booklet to read that should answer most questions.

The week before surgery patients went to the hospital where they are having your surgery and have meetings with the anesthesiologist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and a nurse. Blood pressure is checked and they do one last x-ray of the knee or hip. You get another booklet outlining what time you personally need to be at the hospital when you are last allowed to eat or take medications, a map of the place and a list of what you should or should not pack for your stay. There is a caregiver pamphlet with where to park and what the person accompanying the patient needs to do.

I have a LOT of allergies and because of past experience, I was concerned about that aspect of the surgery and was not feeling as prepared as we could be.  It did indeed turn into a problem with me trying to convince people of the severity of the reactions I can have to medication. Fortunately, the pain management nurse at the hospital actually contacted my allergists' office and got a written report about what medications I can have. I can say without a doubt that woman made a huge difference in the safe and successful management of my care.
There were still a lot of problems with pain management and even greater problems with finding a way to send me home with something for pain relief.

Lilacs and early summer flowers are not my friends. I have severe allergy-induced asthma,  I have wound up at the doctor or in the emergency at least 5 times during that last two weeks of May  This is a bad time for surgery. I wound up having three asthma attacks while in the hospital and one of them was probably the scariest close call I can remember. I am sure that besides the seasonal allergies I was reacting to some of the sanitation chemicals used to clean in the hospital and I suspect just the effect of the surgery on a body as well as the effects of the pain medication on breathing added up to a horrible mix of conditions.

The days blurred together with pain, narcotics, sponge baths and nurses coming in and out. Meals were ummm nourishing. The staff was all very kind and nice to me.

My family were there for me and kept me company and helped in any way they could.

I got along well with my roommate who had a knee replacement and I feel lucky to have shared this experience with her and shared her company.

Physiotherapists came each day to make sure I was starting to move a bit and getting me standing as soon as possible. They have to make sure you can get in and out of bed safely, stand up and use a bathroom and if needed make sure you can safely go up the number of stairs required so you can get into your home upon discharge.

My hospital bed.

The Walker.

My poor leg.

I just have to share the view from my second-floor hospital window. Talk about patriotic!

It was actually very soothing and meditative to lie in bed and watch the flag moving in the breeze.

My recovery now continues at home. I am doing the hospital based exercises and trying to move around the best I can.  Next, I will be starting a brand new post-surgery rehab program at a facility called the Reh-Fit Center.

My goal is to be Leading a Healthy Life!

What are you waiting for?

I was recently at a meeting where we had a large group discussion and talked about changes we could implement. It was a bit of an exercise in discussing needs and goals and then coming up with creative solutions. I was happy - that's my kind of thing~

The take away lesson was to take responsibility for the changes you want to see next around you. Try and come up with ideas but don't just stop there. Don't assume it is someone else's responsibility and sit there waiting for things to changes.  Just go for it yourself and make positive change happen.

So what are YOU waiting for? What are you going to do to make a difference?

Lollipop Moments - Making a Difference

One of the best talks I have ever gone to was a keynote speech at the 2017 Recreation Connections Conference. Do you think you are making a difference? This man has one of the top TED talks. He is an expert in Leadership who has championed the idea that leadership is not some big goal that is only for experts and tops in their fields. Drew believes that everyday moments can have a profound impact and that everyone has the ability to make a difference in their world and the lives of the people they meet. On top of all the wonderful lessons he had to share it was just plain fun listening to him.


Please enjoy listening to Drew Dudley talking about Lollipop moments and about leadership.

The Final Week of College

The end is in sight.

Painting by Edmond W. Greacen - Ethol with Roses

My course in therapeutic recreation is going to be over after 5 more work days.  In many ways it feels like we just got started and now it is over already. This has been such an exhausting  and difficult experience and in many ways it has been  positive and life affirming.

In a somewhat overwhelmed moment I told my husband I wasn't sure this has been worth it and that I might never actually get a job.

He said he knows it was worth it. My confidence and attitude is so much better.  My interest in learning is  back. My stamina and energy level really has increased since I have been pushing myself to the limit day after day. Physically I still have a lot of issues and I have more than a few emotional scars from the trauma of the past 6 years but I feel very different about myself right now. I feel a sense of value and direction in my life once again.

I don't know what will happen next.
Maybe I will get a job soon.
Maybe I need to get even more training somewhere.
Maybe I should go on a trip.

I think I might just  relax and take some time to smell the roses!

Keep Calm and Carry On?

I am participating in WEGO's challenge to post everyday in APRIL. WEGO is a group that empowers online communities in Health Activism to help others.

Keep Calm and Carry On. Write & create your own “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster. Try to make it about your condition! You can then go to (http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/) and actually make an image to post to your blog. #HAWMC

 

 

I was very surprised to find out that people think of Therapeutic Recreation Facilitators as people who just lead Bingo Games and do Arts and Crafts with Old People. It is so much more...

 

One of the first appointments with my Occupational Therapist involved a discussion about what my goals for recovery were.  What were the things I needed to do and what were the things I wanted to do? What had I lost with the injury that would impact on my life?

We talked about what I needed to do to be safe. What did I need to be able to do that were activities of daily living such as managing to dress and feed myself.  Issues related to moving physically, reading and knowing what to do with numbers were at the top of my list.

 

How do you want to spend your leisure time? What helps you participate in activities with your friends and family? What will it take for you to get to go back to volunteer or paid work or allow you to care for your family?

 

I wanted to read, I wanted to cook, I wanted to shop by myself. I had a goal of being organized and remembering what I was doing. I wanted to crochet even though my left hand was NOT working well. I wanted to enjoy photography. I wanted to go camping, hiking and boating.

 

What I REALLY wanted at that point was my old life back.

 

What have I done in my journey to get my life back?

 

I worked on reading and writing with my OT

I worked on how to cook again with my OT

I helped decorate and paint my cottage walls

I wanted music so I joined a very tolerant choir and I found a guitar teacher

I went to boating, sailing events for disabled people to help with my balance

I had  a physiotherapist that made me ride a stationary bike.

I was sent to aquatic therapy where I got to exercise and play in a pool.

I went for (remarkably slow) walks with friends to learn to walk again and gain endurance.

I joined the Stroke Recovery Association and found  peers for support and to do activities with.

I attend adapted Tai Chi classes with a physiotherapist to help with balance, spasticity and strength.

I attended an outpatient group where we  played games to encourage cognitive recovery

I attended a whole lot of sessions of Mindful Meditation.to help balance my emotions

I blog... for recreation and therapy too.. and the hope of making a difference to other people.

 

I have socialized and made new friends and got a lot of support on this journey.

 

That, my friends, is what I think Therapeutic Recreation is all about. 

 

Puppy!

The most exciting thing happening around here is that my daughter got a puppy.

This puppy is an adorable ball of energy and my own little tripping hazard. We had two dogs when the kids were little but my two younger daughters, who are still living at home, came after the puppies so they did not know what life with puppies is like.

Emily has been wanting a dog for a long time, but with my heath issues the idea of a new pet went right out the window.  Last year we got a new higher fence around our backyard so that meant one of my requirements of puppy ownership was met. I really thought that my old wood floors should be redone and sealed against puppy accidents but that never happened.

Emily has been researching dogs to find the right one for our family.

• I have allergies to the oil on dogs coats so I need to have a dog that is more the fluffy type.
• we needed a dog that will be good with the grand-kids who are over frequently.
• we needed a dog that will keep Emily company on long walks and fun activities.
• we need a dog to be a family pet and not just a one person dog.
• Emily thinks she wants to show the dog and perhaps take part in things like agility trials.

She found a breeder nearby who had pure-bred Samoyed puppies from champion stock parents.
We visited the breeders at their home a couple of times and were thrilled with the mommy dog and her adorable 5 little balls of fluff.

Two weeks ago the breeder delivered an eight week old little boy puppy to our house.  Life changed instantly! He is very smart and cute and he has won our hearts.

Emily named the dog Jasper and she is working on teaching him the basics like sit and to go outside to pee. He needs a LOT of walking as he is really high energy.

I complained to my girl friend that I can't manage to take a turn walking him because the sidewalks are slippery and the dog pulls on his leash, tugs, bounds and runs under legs. My family is working on getting him to walk nice on a leash but it is going to take a while before he will be safe for me to walk with.  My sweet friend reassured me that I am getting plenty of exercise with puppy by rushing to get him out the door to prevent "accidents" and that sure it the truth. I need to get working on my old physiotherapy exercises and work on my stamina again ... so that I can try to keep up with Jasper.

HAWMC -Day 12 Stream of Consciousness

HAWMC Day 12

Stream of Consciousness Day. Start with the sentence “______”just write, don’t stop, don’t edit Post!
So we challenge you, start with this phrase: “Today I looked in the mirror and…”  

 This turned out to be a very powerful exercise for me. 

I have never actually shared on-line what happened to me to cause my heath crisis, or for that matter what my heath issues are. I use phrases like "when I got sick".

I also have never publicly discussed my serious weight issues. I guess all it takes is 30 days of writing challenges to get me to open up and someone to tell me to just let it flow and don't edit. If I had stopped to edit you would never be reading my story.


Today I looked in the mirror…. and I can't believe I am really sharing this but.. I am looking a lot better than I did before I got sick almost 4 years ago. I was extremely overweight .. oh heck …yes .. morbidly obese, Biggest Looser big.  I tried not to look in the mirror back then.

I developed a critical series of heath issues at the age of 50. Eventually it was shown that my weight probably had very little to do with my illnesses, however one look at me led the health care professionals to jump to wrong conclusions and diagnosis and treatment went horribly wrong.  Yes, my weight put me in grave danger, but mainly because of prejudices based on my appearance, and my own embarrassment and reluctance to stand up for myself. 

 I almost died of a pulmonary embolism and the cause of the blood clots in my lungs was most likely related to a massive undiagnosed uterine tumour. The blood thinners to treat the lung clots caused the tumour to haemorrhage. My blood pressure was dropping and the treatment they chose was to give me medications that rapidly elevated my blood pressure resulting in a stroke according to the MRI results, As well  many, many tiny areas of damage occurred  in my brain because of oxygen deprivation due to extremely low blood volume. Several blood transfusions later I was stabilized, but so much damage was already done.  I was then declared unfit for any form of surgery and it was more than a year of agressive treatment for the tumour before it began to shrink and I was reassured that I would indeed survive.

 I found myself facing a lot of weight related problems while in the hospital. Larger blood pressure cuffs were not available. I needed the MRI and they withheld testing me for a while because they thought I might not be an appropriate size for their equipment. I was subjected to a humiliating set of measurements and it turned out I was not even close to the kind of numbers that would have been an issue and they should never have delayed testing. One nurse said that she didn't have time to go looking for an extra large hospital gown so they left me with only a blanket to cover myself. They kept testing me for disorders common to obese people and did not listen to me as I described my symptoms as acute changes and not chronic conditions.

I am still so angry at some of the medical professionals that dealt with me. I am angry with a heath care system that is not prepared to deal with larger people. Mainly I am still angry at myself for getting so overweight in the first place, and even more disgusted with myself for not being a better advocate for myself.

 I have spent most of the the past 4 years with impaired balance. I am dizzy and nauseated. Guess what?  All that nausea and vomiting and some of the serious medication side effects caused me to loose weight. I was still pretty heavy, but nothing compared to before. Person after person who saw me  told me how I had never looked so good. I had trouble talking, reading and making decisions. I was using a walker. The left side of my face was hanging and my left arm and leg were not functioning properly -- but yes, my weight was down so I looked just great to everyone.

My weight is currently up from that low weight.  I am back to leading a life of monitoring what goes in my mouth and chastising myself for consuming chocolate Easter Eggs when I am  upset. I still have issues as an emotional overeater, but now I know that I have the will and strength to overcome great difficulties.

When I look in the mirror now…  yes I see a thiner woman... but mainly I see a strong brave woman.

Adult Trainings

I agreed to do a training this past weekend for Adult Girl Guide Leaders.  That was arranged last summer.  How did the end of October sneak up on me like this?

We had a great weekend at a local camp with indoor facilities. We had a theme for the weekend ---  we were hosting a pretend "cruise" with lots of references to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and old TV shows like the Love Boat and Gilligan's Island. Around 50 adults took part as we played "Minute to Win It" style games Friday night, trainings on various topics Saturday and Sunday and a Captain's Halloween style dress-up gala dinner on Saturday night. That was followed by a sing along campfire, karaoke and a chance to play Texas Hold'um poker for Girl Guide crests and badges instead of cash. We participated in a great Sunrise Tai chi session, outdoor gourmet cooking and we also had a great service project sewing lap quilts for use by the Alzheimer's society.

My hour and a half long session was called Knot-ical Adventures. At one time I was pretty good at tying knots. It is really not as necessary a camping skill now as it once was with modern tents and equipment, but it is still very useful to know a few knots and rope crafts.  I thought I should try to demonstrate knot skills by using a variety of more adult appropriate crafts and resources and to teach a few fun games that can be used when working with girls. Mainly it had to be entertaining, challenging but not too challenging, and applicable to my participants lives and helpful in their work with girls in their own Guiding Units. Phew!

At first I had hoped to have the assistance of my middle daughter but she wound up volunteering to run a session at the same time as me about issues related to child behavior called Mutiny on the Bounty.
Okay, not to panic, there was another leader who really knows her knots that was willing to help but she had a family emergency a couple days before the event. Oh oh.
My lovely eldest daughter Liz came to the rescue the night before camp and agreed to drive out for my session and give me a hand. I really don't think I could have done it without her help.

I had 16 ladies signed up with varied experience in knot tying so I felt I needed a large variety of crafts and resources to meet their needs.
 I found it incredibly hard to decide how to organize this session. Executive function /cognitive problems reared their ugly head when I was organizing and planning for this thing.   I did over plan and I  had way too many crafts and resources, but it was easier to let some activities go than find myself short of things to fill my time slot. It went well and everyone seemed to have a good time.

I do have some right left confusion, and tying complicated knots was a whole lot harder than ever before so I put in a lot of practice to try to get back up to speed.  I left the majority of the hands on demonstrating to my daughter and to a couple of cool YouTube videos. I acted more like a coach.

This chance to teach a session mattered to me emotionally since I really wanted to be teaching and leading training sessions again; it was part of me trying to reclaim my old life and skills. Liz also helped keep things moving smoothly from activity to activity and she made sure I didn't try to run back and forth too much and loose my balance.

Two years ago I was not able to tie up my shoelaces and everything was Velcro closures. A year ago I could hold on to items with my left hand, but could barely rotate my wrist.  My hand would grab onto something and my hand would spasm closed very tightly. I had to pry my left hand fingers off with my right hand because I could not convince my hand to let go. This year... well ...my hand works. I drop things a lot and I still have trouble with two handed tasks like typing and piano playing, but I get by.

I am pretty sure that most of my workshop participants would be shocked to know what a major challenge this event was for me and how exhausting it was. It has taken me 4 days of resting to get moving again after the excitement of the weekend.

Last week I taught one knot to a few of my Stroke Recovery Association buddies.
I challenge you to give this one a try. It might even prove useful some time.

Summer at the Lake

I am spending a fair bit of time at the lake right now. Cottage life is a real gauge for me of how much I am improving. You tend to not see changes when you are dealing with your day to day life, but at the cottage I am comparing my activities to what they were last summer.  I told a lady at my Stroke Recovery Support Meeting that I was going to the lake and her response was something of a harsh .. "nice for you just getting to relax at the lake.".  It couldn't be farther from the truth. I don't want to spend my days just relaxing,  I want to cook fun meals, I want to chop wood for the fireplace.  I want to go swimming,  hiking and boating and I want to be helping with the work of repairing and maintaining the cottage. I work very hard to towards those goals and I participate as much as I am able.

My cottage is a little primitive to say the least, but it is the place in the world that makes me the happiest. It is the only cottage on a 5 acre island, and is run on solar energy with a propane stove and BBQ and no fridge. We have had the place for 28 years now and mainly we putter with it making tiny changes each summer. Now we are at the point where we are starting to redo the repairs we made when we first bought the place. The walls are creaking, the paint outside is peeling, the floor is slanting a little, and dock boards need replacing.

 Last year I literally had trouble walking over the floor because of a little slant. This year I only notice it when I am overtired. The 5 steps to get in the cottage are a bit rickety and steep but this year, as long as I am holding the rail I do okay. Midnight trips to the outhouse involved waking up my husband to get me down the back stairs and over a few feet of rocky terrain, This year we understand my problems so much better. We have changed the step and added a whole lot of solar lighting and I can cope on my own much to my families "night time relief".



My other huge issue has been getting in and out of the boat at the docks. We have just resurfaced the mainland dock and there is a dock pole in the just the right spot to hang onto. The dock still needs a bit of leveling but having an even, secure surface is just wonderful! Both docks are solid docks, not floating, and once I get up on it I stop and take a minute to stop feeling dizzy from the upward move.  Getting in and out of the dock is not the simple matter of hopping over the side that it once was and now I need a hand getting out, but this year it doesn't involve 2 peoples help. Last year we needed one person in the boat with me acting as a counter weight and supporting my hip and someone on the dock pulling me upward. It usually wound up with me crying and wanting to vomit.

Next weekend I am going to try swimming in the lake again. Last year I got in the water only one time with great difficulty and once I was in the water I found myself unable to tolerate the movements of tiny little waves against my body. 

A couple days ago my husband installed a swimming pool ladder onto the end of our dock. When he  put it in we found it actually touched a flat rock at the bottom so when I climb  down  I will only be in at thigh deep on about a 2 foot wide rock platform.  All the rest of the way along the dock is deep enough to dive off of.  I think the ladder will make all the difference in my being able to get in and out of the water.  When I was doing pool therapy last year my physiotherapist and the aquatic therapist felt it was a safety issue for me so we put a lot of energy into figuring out how to  use a ladder and get in and out of the pool safely using a ladder and not just ramps or steps.


Here is my to do list for next weekend:

• cut up some more kindling with my clippers

• go swimming using my new ladder

• help lay laminate flooring on my screen porch

• do my at home physio exercises

• practice Guitar. (I have hardly practiced all summer)

• play a card game (think cognitive therapy-- still very hard for me and not a lot of fun)

• work a bit on a little craft for Christmas

• If time and weather allows- help husband paint small bedroom OR power wash our huge dock

Linda-- Fall 2010

And yes, I will still find time to lounge in my adirondack chair on the dock while reading a magazine, and we will sit on our screen porch and enjoy a relaxing candle lit dinner while watching the sun set.

Red Rubber Ball ---Physiotherapy

I promised to try and share a bit more about my various physiotherapy and exercise efforts and it has taken me a while to get  it written down. It is hard to explain without good pictures or video so I am sorry if I am less than clear and a little long winded. (grin)

I thought I would just start by describing yesterday's physiotherapy appointment at the hospital rehab department and save the "at home" set of exercises for another post.

My physiotherapy is supposed to be working on my 3 "S"s;  Stability, Strength and Stamina. The idea is that I should not loose my balance and fall as frequently, but that if I do I will have enough strength to right myself. I am also exhausted most of the time and we want my physical endurance to improve.

Tony, my therapist, does most of the exercises along with me. He says it is good for him to get a workout too, but a lot of it is that I still can't seem to exercise and count at the same time or keep any kind of a pace on my own, but I do a pretty good job of mirroring his movements. I also have trouble with movement, lights and sound throwing my balance so watching others movement in a controlled way is good training. He occasionally has a radio on or alters the lights and  it is a source of great irritation to me, but it is all in the direction of acclimating to these stresses.

My therapist, as usual, had me start warming up by walking on a treadmill. It has only been a couple of months that I have been able to even stand upright on the darn thing because of my balance problems.

I  have had a lot of severe pain and problems with my right (good) hip as a result of my bad gait.  I also have physical damage in my left knee as well as the neuro caused problems. Tony wants me to work on my walking skills with the treadmill because there is a hand rail on both sides and I even out my stance that way. When I use my cane I lean heavily to the side and when I am using a walker I tend to lean forward too much. I can walk more upright and I self correct better on the treadmill. The other odd feature is that I can hear my left foot when it drags against the tread of the base and I can respond by picking up my foot when I hear the noise clue.

The next set of exercises was over to the parallel bars where he had me do some mild squats, again watching that I pay attention to keeping upright and my back straighter as I move. This has at least two purposes. One is to work on building up the muscles to support my weak left knee and ankle, and the second is that that kind of up and down motion triggers nasty nausea and vertigo.

Next we moved on to the double width plinth (exercise bed).
Lie on my tummy and do leg lifts going backward about 10 X per leg and do two sets. My right leg lifts high and  left leg really struggles to do anything much in that direction.
Lie on each side, with the lower leg slightly bent and lift upper leg toward the ceiling.
Lie on my back and basically pull my bent leg across in front of me in order to stretch the hip. Repeat with the other side.

The Exercise Ball is more my idea of a fun time.  I even have one at our lake cottage.  (yes I have a blog about our lake too)
I faced my therapist who was sitting on a different ball and we started rolling the balls in little circles under us. (side to side version of nausea) Next we raised one arm and lowered it, raised the other arm and lowered it. It got trickier as I tried to raise one foot at a time off the ground and I managed not to fall off the ball.  Interestingly the hard part is not lifting the weak left foot -- it is raising the right foot and trying to use the left foot on the ground for stability. Next we tried lifting a leg and straightening the knee so the foot goes out in front. Advanced moves would include lifting an arm and the opposite leg at the same time and an even more advanced goal eventually will be the same side arm and leg together.

Once again we moved on to the plinth and I laid down with the ball at my feet. I got to take it easy for a minute and wait for the world to stop spinning.  Next he had me put my legs up on the ball and I did some bridges. "Pull tight the abdomen and lift your behind off the bed while pushing the legs down into the ball to balance!".  My legs and body fell off the ball sideways and we tried again and again.

The hour long session was over and I had really earned the cup of water Tony was handing me.
I went to get myself a second cup and I tried to hold the cup with my left hand while I pulled the water cooler lever with my right.  The cup went flying and I had water all over the floor and myself. Tony got down and moped it all up while assuring me that things like that happen all the time.

I was tired and I started having major speech issues as I usually do when I get too stressed, excited or exhausted.  I needed to sit in the hospital waiting room and rest for a long time before I could be understood well enough to call a cab to take me home.

I went home and napped.

Red Rubber Ball 

is written by Paul Simon and was recorded by a group called Cyrcle.

The lyrics that run through my head when I am "playing" with that exercise ball are:

And I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball

The story's in the past with nothin' to recall
I've got my life to live and I don't need you at all
The roller-coaster ride we took is nearly at an end
I bought my ticket with my tears, that's all I'm gonna spend

And I think it's gonna be alright
Yeah, the worst is over now
The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball

Sailing Away - "Able Sail"

I had such an incredibly liberating experience when I went sailing during the Independent Living Resource Center Camp a few weeks back. What an adrenaline rush! It has been a while since I was going at a fast speed like that and I felt like a turtle who got to borrow a set of wings. Basically, I loved it and I am going to get a few free lessons very soon. 

Now, this is NOT an easy thing for someone with a balance disorder, but with issues like mine the whole idea is about challenging your system, often to the point of nausea, so that you gradually get accustomed to different movements. Sailing should be ideal therapy as you move with the wind and the water.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of me sailing during the camp, but I did find a pretty good video explaining about disabled sailing. I will have to get someone to take a picture of me the next time I go!

"Greatness in not in where we are stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it - but sail we must. And not drift, nor lie at anchor."
                                                                                                   -Oliver Wendell Holmes

  

Check out this website for the Manitoba organization that supports sailing activities for people with disabilities.
Able Sail Manitoba

They do the sailing out of a very interesting nature reserve and education space very near my home called Fort Whyte Alive, and here is their  information about their Sailing Programs.

Accessible Overnight Campout

I went on an overnight camp this week with the Independent Living Resource Center in Winnipeg.

The canoe and swimming dock and the group use facility in the background.

 I read about this overnight event  last year, but I really wasn't sure it was suitable for me. Beginner camping skills? Heck, I have as of this week completed 20 years as a Girl Guide leader and have the pins to prove it. I have taken endless training about camping and spent more nights camping with groups of kids that I like to think about.  Why on earth would I need a beginners Guide to camping? At the same time I have been really missing camping over the past few years and I was looking for a a new way to get out there again.

I saw that they were having a day with an orientation to their summer programs so I went to it mainly because I wanted to learn about their picnic and outdoor community walk days. They had a pretty full house and when they discussed  basic camping skills I felt like I had a lot to add on certain topics and thought that I might even be a bit of help at the camp. On the other hand I also realized that there is a lot I don't know about making camping accessible for myself or others. I think there might be interest in the future for SAM members (Stroke Recovery Association of Manitoba) to go camping and we regularly have special needs girls in Guiding that we take to camp.

After my recent camping adventure with Guiding I realized that, while I am doing very well with my recovery, I am still not able to carry my own weight at camp and I most certainly could not camp without a lot of support. What else could I learn about camping with a disability? I handed over the incredibly low fee of $25 and filled out the paperwork.

We had about 12 people camping who were "consumers", a few caregivers and a whole lot of staff. It turned out that this is a bit of a staff summer celebration too with some of the staff's family members camping as well.

Transportation was provided to the camp site that is just outside the city limits in a great educational nature reserve called Fort Whyte Alive. 

When I got there I was shown where the "girls cabin" was. It is very nice with 5 bunk-beds and was heated and had electricity. There was a wheelchair ramp to get in and it was not that hard for the wheel chair users to maneuver around in there. The attached bathroom with a composting toilet was another matter in terms of accessibility, but the lodge space  just a few yards away has an accessible toilet.

The fire-pit and central hub for the camp

Once I got my stuff dumped on my bunk I headed outside to sit around the fire pit and listen to a truly excellent guitar player. He played folk style songs for a hour without stopping. ( or peeking at music!)
One of the staffs little 10 year old boys told me that he is working on learning guitar and I told him me too! We agreed that by next year we will be able to play a song or two at the campfire! lol

The meals were good with opportunities to cook wieners over the fire or to roast marshmallows to make smore's.

I went sailing and absolutely loved it.. (balance issues aside--  it was still fun and I can't wait to go again). I rode around on an electric golf cart to get from place to place, toured the nature center and the little gift shop and I even hiked a little bit. I was hoping to canoeing in the evening but it began to rain and was just kind of cold and yuckky so I settled for staying on the deck and watching a few other brave people canoe.

Cabins in background and tent camping was also an option.

I talked to a lot of new people and even traded a few email addys with people that I hope to keep in touch with.
I found it very different to camp with this group compared to Girl Guides or Scouting. In Guiding the kids grow up getting different skills and there is an expectation for HOW things should be done. It is great to have our "Scouting Skills" but it is nice to see how the other side does it for a change. It was wonderful to be the participant for a change and not the person who has to be up worrying about broken tents or getting breakfast started. I am definitely going to try and go again next year.

 Below is information from the Independent Living Resources Website:

This Camping Trip is for People with Disabilities:
• Who want to learn or improve their camping skills
• Who want to have a fun time and participate in activities
such as sailing, hiking, setting up a tent, cooking, camp
safety and fishing
• Who want to sleep lakefront in a tent or accessible cabin
• Who are able to follow the Independent Living Philosophy
and can direct their own care 

(two days, one night)
Location: Fort Whyte Alive
Cost: $25

Shades of Fun Day

 

Thursday, May 26, 2011 is Shades of Fun Day

 

The CNIB, Canadian National institute for the Blind is having a fundraiser and awareness event. Wear your shades, protect your eyes and join in a variety of fun activities in your community, your work place, in your school and at home with your family. They have a good down-loadable resource pack that even has fun things like stickers you can print out.

 

From their web page:

The Did you know?

• 75 per cent of vision loss is preventable or treatable.
• UV rays from the sun can damage your eyes and lead to long-term, irreversible vision loss. Sun damage is also a proven risk factor in cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in Canada.
• Eye doctors recommend wearing sunglasses with at least 99 per cent UV protection to avoid sun damage.
  

Vision issues have touched me and so many people in my life. 

My little 5 year old grandson is vision impaired in both eyes for different reasons.  He is wearing corrective lenses and we are patching his better eye in order to force him to use his other eye a little more.  He is going to play therapy and occupational therapy to teach him how to cope better for kindergarten next year. 

Our little guy is legally blind. He talks happily to me about how he is going to grow up to be a bus driver and I am just praying that he will be able to live a good life in a "seeing world". I am hoping that when he is 16 things will have improved enough that he will be able to get a license and be able to do Drivers Ed with the rest of the kids his age.

  My vision was badly affected when I first had my brain injury but I  have had a pretty good recovery. I still struggle to track when reading and I get a lot of headaches because my eyes do not work together as well as they should so I need to rest my eyes frequently, especially when reading.  A paper back novel is not fun anymore. Technically I only "need" a certain amount of magnification according to a regular vision test, but larger print and blowing up my screen size make a huge difference functionally. I am finding that wrap around sun glasses make being outdoors a whole lot more tolerable too.
I also have had trouble with my peripheral vision but I am lucky because that has come back pretty well. I still startle with anything coming from the left and movement on my left side causes me to feel dizzy and nauseated and sometimes I even fall, but we are still working on those issues.

Check out their website.. it has lots of fun fund-raising ideas and a lot of good information. Then go out and support your local vision health organizations!

Remember to wear your shades this Summer.

It is Almost Like Physiotherapy Bootcamp

Have I ever been busy doing physiotherapy these past few weeks! For the month of May I have physiotherapy 5 days a week with 3 different therapists!

I am very fortunate to still have physiotherapy, at almost 3 years past stroke. I was sent to a fantastic multi-discipline outpatient program "Easy Street" at a near by hospital where I have received excellent help in kind of a team approach. Things have been going extra well lately and my physiotherapist, T ,  was willing to work with me twice a week so I see him on Tuesday's and Fridays and he has me doing a good set of exercises at home.  I actually do them too.


Next I came across someone who teaches Tai ji. This lady, Rebecca started doing adapted classes at our local Stroke Recovery Association offices but I must admit I was a little sceptical and it did not catch my attention until person after person said how nice she was and how much they are enjoying the class.  I went to one session and found that she is actually a licensed physiotherapist who is has a passion for Tai ji. I have gone to about 6 sessions over the the past 7 weeks and I can't believe how much it is helping my stability and balance already. Her business is called ENVOLVE PHYSIOTHERAPY  I told T. about her and it turns out they knew each other from their student days and he has a lot of respect for her. He is very supportive of my participation in her group classes.

Two months ago the university was looking for clients with neuro issues to attend the physiotherapy department clinical lab. The were offering free physio with the final year PT students under very close supervision of their professors. T told me they needed a few more people for May so I put my name in and now I get to work with a very nice student 2 days a week for this month. It has been interesting and I am learning a lot along with the student. The only draw back is that he is giving me "homework" too! lol. I am sorry that I only have 3 or 4 more sessions there.

Another week or so and the Tai Ji group and the student program will both be over, and my physiotherapy will go back to normal.  I will still have lots of new exercises to work on at home and I plan on having lots of fun outside this summer.

The top graphic is  Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.