heathber

Working on footwork, balance and reaction times is a great idea. My PT does it to me sometimes by getting me to stand on the foam and then he walks around me randomly pushing at different part of my body so I have to react by stiffening position/core while my feet are on the unstable surface, if he's feeling very mean I have to keep my eyes closed rather than being able to pick and hold a focus point. Make sure you have plenty of room and preferably crash mats around when you first start this drill. Finding a PT who's willing to work on safe falling rather than just falls prevention also helps. I also highly recommend converting shelves to drawers as much as possible, so that you don't have to bend over and reach as that combination tends to be the worst. Also every house should have a "gotcha stick" (reacher tool) Janelle you can get them as NDIS low cost assistive tech. I used these to convert some cupboards at the country house, they work really well. https://www.hsw.com.au/tansel-pull-out-bottom-mount-wire-basket-kit-for-internal-width-area-329mm/ Thinking about it now I should/could probably have done this with NDIS funds too.

Hi Sue I have many cruising friends in America and they have started going back to travelling on the ships. Cruise ships have always been a virus risk, I was on one where norovirus went through and it was not pleasant, but they also are aware of the risks and are pretty good at onboard virus management most of the time. In some ways a cruise ship is both the best and worst place to be when it comes to viruses. (they are really good at surface transmission management but not setup for airborne virus management. I'm not sure I could/would be happy with an inside cabin these days as ventilation is the key with covid and I would want to be able to control that. I've booked myself on a Fiji island cruise in September and am now crossing my fingers that it can go ahead OK. mild is a relative term it can still make you extremely ill and even kill you, but vaccination is reducing the severity of it for most people, but yes those of us with already compromised systems are much more at risk from it. Be careful and do what is right for you.

Not worth not getting them done. a day or 2 of discomfort versus potentially weeks in ICU, I'll take the jabs, doing my best to stay clear of people now I'm back in the city, the case numbers are depressing I'm trying not to look and worry over what I cannot control. What I can do is have my shots, wear my mask, keep fit, eat right, avoid crowded places, wash my hands, ... and admit I'm probably still going to catch it, but the shots mean you get it with less symptoms.

Hi Loni, nice to meet you. Glad you are getting on top of your physical deficits early. Thank goodness TPA makes that possible. But as others have said watch out for the more subtle clues your body/brain will be giving you. Its the mantra of all the physios that we all hate to hear. "Make haste a little more slowly" Even with TPA and minimised brain damage you brain took a hit and will need time to physically repair and while it's doing that all sorts of unexpected stuff can trip you up if you aren't paying attention to the signals. Rest is as much a part of recovery as hard work, although finding the balance can be tricky. All the best Heather

So glad to hear something can actually be done, but so often we need to force doctors to see what they are actually asking us to do. A few years back now I badly cut one of the fingers of my usable hand and thank goodness my sister was with me at the ER and was able to make the Doctor understand that " keep the hand/finger dry for 2 - 3 weeks" was not going to be practical. best wishes and hugs for a good result from the surgery.

Well done Janelle, glad you had minimal reaction and managed to get stuff done the next day. My fist dose knocked me sideways. have to book in for number 3 in the next couple of weeks. Especially as I'm now back in the big city for a month or so.

music maker

melon jam

Hi Janelle yes your water balance changes significantly after brain injury. I had a great teacher during my in house rehab. Wayne was determined that all of us would at least be water safe and able to swim short distances. He ran the hydro therapy sessions as well as the disabled gym. As I had been a scuba diver he made me do lots of floating, turning and somersaults during my hydro sessions as well as just swimming and my learning to walk drills. It meant when I started the surfing I was a lot more confident. But then I've also always been a water baby. And you'd be amazed at the surfing volunteers they carry people out who you would think are way too heavy.

I think I would have had that same reaction if I hadn't known there was literally a team of people waiting to catch me. not to mention a very big foam surfboard. Participants get setup on the surf board on the beach and then about 15 people carry you and the board out into the water and they take you out to about chest deep and then one of your helpers gets ob the back part of the board and kicks like mad to catch a wave while the rest of the team makes a funnel back to the beach. I usually fall off in about knee deep water and they grab me and lift me up ready to start again. But yes if I didn't have that I'd be opting for the chair at ankle deep too.

Being you is the best thing! And as my physio says if you get off the train. Get off for something you really enjoy and savor every bite of it as a treat, then get back on the train. Applies to activities as much as food.

Nicely put Tracy, I agree 100%

Yep walking on sand is an art form post stroke. I have been going to disabled surfing days for the last few years. The first time I went it was very scary and I needed the helper who walked with me down to the wet sand and the surf. The good thing about disabled surfing days is they have volunteers to help with this sort of thing as well as the beach wheelchairs if you need them. The next year I had a helper with me but I didn't really lean on them, and then the last time I walked across the sand fully independently. It's much harder on the way back up. Walking on the sand and being in the surf is hard on the brain and stabiliser muscles, but it is so great to be out there in the water and get rolled by a wave when you know there is a team of people ready to pull you up/out if necessary. When it happens I get that happy happy laugh, and the volunteers do too once they realise I'm thoroughly enjoying being dumped by a wave.

hiking poles

true there is a point where life is not living. Do you want to be here for a long time or a fun time, and yes the answer to that question changes every day. And sometimes the fun time make the next few days feel very long. Having to choose what you can do sucks. I guess it comes back to "crip time" again. Crip time: A concept arising from disabled experience that addresses the ways that disabled/chronically ill and neurodivergent people experience time (and space) differently than able-bodyminded folk. https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/5824/4684?fbclid=IwAR0_ieqL_SSgzhgdfH02_qZI3L2DBYNoy7ebmIy53nXxHgjJLUR3p2rdMZg https://www.firstpost.com/living/the-value-of-crip-time-discarding-notions-of-productivity-and-guilt-to-listen-to-the-rhythms-of-our-bodies-8440551.html

Ouch that sound nasty. If inserting a catheter hurts can he get a permanent catheter inserted? I'm assuming a condom catheter won't help as the problem is he can't pee voluntarily so the cath needs to get behind the sphincter. if he can't or won't take pills by mouth, would the suspensions they use for little kids help? Of course you've probably already been through all of this and here I am offering possible solutions when you just needed to scream. So HUGS and yes you are heard. Hang in there and try not to slap him 🙂

ballet company

Yep its all in how you decide to approach stuff. Not saying it doesn't suck or is always easy to do. But choosing to be happy is a real thing and it makes a big difference to your mental health. As stroke survivors we have experience in the ability to rewire our brains so why not use that for mental stuff as well as physical.

Yep NDIS funding makes a huge difference, so long as the Feds don't get to "fix" it we'll be fine. It's not perfect as it stands (not by a long shot) but it works for a lot of us.

nothing wrong with dancing in your heart, or in being there for the ones who can still get up there and strut their stuff. The world is full of stuff that reminds us of better or at least different times. Enjoy the music and dance on the inside, or bop along in your chair. If you avoid everything that might upset you life will get very boring and very long. Enjoy what you can do, and try not to dwell on the can'ts ((HUGS))

Yep Shingles is a nasty beast and it inflames the nerves so of course its particularly bad for those of us with brain injury. I think it may also be also one of those viruses that buries itself in your cells and comes out when it's most inconvenient. That vaccine is usually recommended to grand parents as the kids tend to bring it home with them around the time your childhood immunity is waning. I do hope you recover quickly Becky. Hang in there and rest.

odd couple this is fascinating to watch (it goes all over the place)

I've had that one for years (long before I was able to access government funding for this stuff) 🙂 Dad made me a very simple one out of MDF very near the start of this mess and when I moved into the city I bought the fancy one. I'm in the process of duplicating equipment for the country house, and using government funding for that.

cutting remark