BluesMa

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About BluesMa

  • Birthday 03/07/1942

Shared Information

  • Stroke Anniversary (first stroke)
    05-21-2008
  • Interests
    Music, eating, reading and old films.
  • How did you find us?
    Other

Registration Information

  • First Name
    Dorothy
  • State
    Illinois

BluesMa's Achievements

Associate Member

Associate Member (2/10)

  1. Happy Anniversary BluesMa!

  2. BluesMa

    Small goals paying off

    Don't forget to have some containers so people can get left overs........................should there ever be any. With those choices tho, doesn't seem likely. Have fun. Dorothy
  3. Stumbled on this a bit late. Great offerings. Laughing makes surviving each day worth the effort. Dorothy
  4. Happy Birthday BluesMa!

  5. Choices. Courage and never giving up on our choices makes things happen for us.
  6. Well.............................I found your blog thing. Thanks so much.
  7. Heh. I need a brace from the waist down. The whole stretch is unstable, but shoes are not good for walking. As you mentioned, sneekers "stick" and cause those scary, sudden stops that can send us on a quick trip to the floor. Barefoot feels best for me. Even socks can be a challenge, but then I don't walk more than a hundred feet in a day, and then only while clinging tightly to the walker. So shoes aren't an issue. I've wondered if a AFO would make me a bit more stable, but kinda doubt it. Dorothy
  8. A couple of mates had been giving me grief about being chair bound. Comments like: You lucky duck, you never have tired, achy feet. All you do is roll around all day. Must be nice. Having grown beyond weary of their rubbish, I decided to give them an object lesson about life in a chair. We're not all the Push Girls. Inviting them over for chow, I failed to mention that they would be doing all the work.......................from my chairs. Yup, prep, cooking and clean up. I sat back and prepared to laugh at their expense and discomfort. Of course they never imagined what it might be like to have to chop and slice at eye level. Nor did they anticipate how gravity affects water on your hands, when your shoulders are lower than them. They immediately noticed how difficult it is to see down into the sinks. How painful to stretch for the faucet handle. How the cabinet doors and drawers banged into the chair, constantly. I did warn them about the painful results of reaching over hot electric burners to reach the control knobs. Only humane after all. They struggled with everything and by the time they finished setting the table, neither was hungry. The clean up was a delight to watch. Reaching up and over the sink rim, sloshing greasy water into their laps, and all the dropping which requires fishing. I didn't make them do it with only one hand. They're just men, and clearly not up for that challenge yet. The session was successful. ;- ) They were both very sorry for the kidding, and left with a burning desire to never end up in a chair.
  9. Nancy, You simply can't get in his skin, or know what's going on in his head at this point. Those of us who woke to find that our lives would never be the same can often understand how easy it is to lose hope and feel that giving up would be so much easier. Please don't ever look on this as a failure of any sort on your part. There is nothing even the most devoted care giver can do until the survivor is ready to accept what has happened and imagine a future life. Know that you have the most powerful good wishes coming from this gang. Dorothy
  10. Happy Birthday BluesMa!

  11. Hello Maxine I live between a walker with a tray, seat and sack, and a power chair. Use one of those 'grabber' things to reach without leaning dangerously far. Since my left hand goes between unreliable and useless, I've had to get used to a one handed existence, so cane walking is right out for me. My chairs are truly powerful, so they can help me move furniture when cleaning. I frequently push all manner of things that I could otherwise not move. We all devise workarounds to cope with our limitations. It pays to celebrate every little victory in our survival story. Dorothy
  12. I know what you mean about this site beinga good place to unload. I've told friends and family that they are spared a lot of unpleasant blah blah about my day to day agrivations. Here, no matter what has me cranked up, there is always someone who can relate and share their gripes as well. I mean, how can you tell a non strokie about bouncing off walls, struggling to dress or even pull socks on ? Until the freedom of movement is lost, it's natural to take it for granted. But we, know how to celebrate the smallest victory. Like a day without a fall. :party:
  13. Sue, You've traveled a long, rough trail, but the strength that kept you going for all that time, will carry you on to the rest of your life. Give yourself time. Joy does return. Dorothy