Gavin

Honest answer, I kept trying and turned most everything I did/d a rehabilition game (Something I still do every day). Holding my coffee every day, is a therapy game I play every morning. I see how far I can get or how slow I have to walk before the rigidness on my right side causes me to spill it some. Today I made it to the ping pong room, but I cheated, I sipped it so it wouldn't be as full as I walked. ;P Another game I play is forcing my steps to be completely flat footed and fluid like my left side, without my hand and arm getting rigid, that's a tough one. I do a bunch of mental relaxation as I walk trying to relax my hand and arm, damn hard to do, haven't mastered it in almost 4 years of trying, but I still try it every day. I also can't even beging to count how mant times I kicked the bike just trying to swing my leg over it, before I was finally able to manage it. I started with a bicycle, that was quite the adventure. Just mock release the throttle and mock roll on with anything you hold. Brush, toothbrush, empty cup, anything. Practice extending your fingers, I found stretching like you just woke up helps extend my fingers. Use your imagination and find what works for you. Working the break and throttle is a touch one. Sit on the bike, grasp the throttle and try to use the middle, ring finger to pull in the brake. That's what I did, its still the toughest challenge. Glad there is a rear break, even if its just 20% the stopping power. ;P I am on an 04 Ducati 998, Harley's seemed easier when I started. -- Gavin

Hi Numnah, It is true a lot of health care professionals are nay sayers, but from the beginning I realized how ignorant they were. I am almost 4 years post stroke and I STILL see gains. The last couple weeks, my foot/leg don't kick out as much, my steps are much more flat. I started typing with 2 hands in some cases this year. Last year I regained writing and running to an extent, that was over 2 years post stroke. My 1st year I regained riding a bicycle and motorcycle. A lot of hard work, but well woth it in the end. The best thing you can do for yourself is make smat choices. Do what needs doing to improve your quality of life. -- Gavin

Great thing about rope, is you can just get more and tie it together, get more length, that way you never have to run out. Kind of like hope.

We mitigate our risk factors as best we can and live our lives. There is nothing to be gained by worrying about a repeat stroke. I think about it once in a while, mostly just about what I need to do to be prepared.

Gavin, my age is 35. Survivor since 08. I live in the Santa Clara, CA (SF Bayarea).