ken27

Stroke Survivor - male
  • Posts

    462
  • Joined

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About ken27

  • Birthday 07/03/1965

Contact Methods

  • Stroke Network Email
    Yes
  • MSN
    klorka27@hotmail.com

Shared Information

  • Stroke Anniversary (first stroke)
    09-25-2008
  • Interests
    sports,history, enginnering and helping people
  • How did you find us?
    Google Search

Registration Information

  • First Name
    Ken
  • State
    ny

Recent Profile Visitors

12,629 profile views

ken27's Achievements

Associate Mentor

Associate Mentor (5/10)

  1. Happy Anniversary ken27!

  2. ken27

    Canada

    I live in Buffalo NY about 10 miles from Canada. Been there many time, beautiful country.
  3. Pam you are improving maybe not very fast but you are improving. Try to exercise were ever you can, if you are at home put some music on and keep active.
  4. Happy Anniversary ken27!

  5. Nothing like enjoying a ballgame what a gift. Have a great time and baseball means spring. Enjoy. Ken
  6. Linda my foot kicks out when I walk, only using the outer half of my foot to walk. Good luck hope you get second interview.
  7. I am so glad that you are showing improvements and that you are going out and doing things. I cannot drive for awhile because of my shoulder and having to ask for a ride is not fun. Sit back and enjoy the view.
  8. My right arm is sore but improving. I am sleeping better keep 3 pillows under my head and right shoulder and one under my right arm. I am using my left side the weak one for everything. I can now hold a cup and drink with my left hand before I would shake a lot my fingers are lining up better and picking up things. I eat easy things that are soft, it has been an adventure eating with the left hand but it is getting better. I had a friend drive me to the drug store, I am walking better making sure not to hit my right shoulder on anything. Getting in and out of a car is getting better the seat belt is tuff. On Friday I want to a show with a friend sat in the back it was a old fashion type theater with a balcony. I talked to the management and told them my condition. This was a big place so I got two seats near the back and seat one and three so I had no one sitting next to me. This was a live band from London that did all rolling stones tunes. Great show great time so good to get out but best of all was careful and did do anything to my shoulder. I am learning how to use my left side better, if there is something on the counter I have to grab with my left hand I will point with my left foot and leg toward the object then reach with my left arm and grab it. It sounds simple but when you are use to using your right side then have to use your left it is not. My left hand is tiered of typing so till next blog.
  9. ken27

    THE BIG FALL WEEK ONE

    Fred, Putting clothes on is tuff I have a routine down put it takes awhile and I have to be careful with my arm and shoulder. Sorry to hear about your fall glad you can still exercise that is the one thing I really miss my left side gets very stiff but by using it more I feel it is improving. Thanks Sandy and Sue for your thoughtful messages.
  10. I have four to five feet in my yard and it is suppose to be 5 to 15 the next week. I just hope it does not melt to fast, flooding but spring and more daylight are coming.......I hope.
  11. On 2/21/15 I went to a basketball game with another stoke survivor then we went to grad a bit to eat at a local grill. On the way out of the restaurant I slip and fell and broke my right arm. I went to the ER on Sunday morning after not getting much sleep and I was in a lot of pain. I broke my right humerus bone right by the ball were it goes into the shoulder no cast sling. Have to use my weak side the left to do everything first couple of days were tuff it took awhile to put pants and socks on. Making meals was an advanture as was eating all with my left hand, spilling and dropping happened a lot. I have a checkup on Friday to see how the arm is but first a friend of mine is a lawyer so I called him and told him what happened and he cam over. We talked about what happened went to the site took pictures of were I fell and of my arm and all the black and blue swelling. He is going to send them a letter and we will see will that happens. I also had to let my work know what happened I work for three different departments clinic, rehab and addministrations so I call each boss and told them. Then I told HR and they sent me New York State disability paper work that my doctor and I had to fill out. Went for my checkup on Friday waited two hours to be seen, this is a very big hospital have to wait. Doctor looked at arm it is broken about three inches down from were it goes into the shoulder, he gave me meds and filled out paper work. He told me I cannot go back to work till 6/1/15. I have a great family and friends that help me when needed but I like to do thing for myself this was one heck of a week but it is over and I am starting to get a routine down and my left side is doing more I typed this all with my bad hand. I
  12. Happy Anniversary ken27!

  13. Happy Birthday ken27!

  14. Stay warm and be careful because when temps change that much people get sick.
  15. Therapy is vital to all stroke survivors and I had all sorts, good and bad. I found the best after four years of recovery and it took me six months to get in but the weight was worth it because this is the best therapy I ever had. I go to therapy at a certified stroke center; they have PT, OT and speech therapist here that specialize in helping stroke survivors. The therapy is all one on one and the therapist know and understand stroke patients. One my first appointment, my therapist watched me walk and knew right away what was wrong with my gait and went over a plan with me how to correct it. This was my physical therapist Judy. On my first day I sat down with my physical therapist Judy and we talked about my life from the stroke till now. She wanted to know about all my other therapies, how my life was going since my stroke, was I angry, sad, did I have friends or family for support, we talked about all sorts of things that happened after my stroke. Judy wanted to make sure that I had a support group and that I could take care of myself before we even got into talking about my rehab. I then told Judy about all the different rehabs that I went to and she could not believe that not one of my old rehab instructors did anything to correct my gait. I was walking with my left foot tilted towards my pinkie toe and would swing my left leg out then in like a half circle. We went over a plan for therapy, how many days a week and what we would do. I would start every session with stretching then get into different exercises that would help improve my gait. I started pt in February going two days a week, Judy keep daily logs of what I did and how I improved and she reported this to my insurance (Medicare). I did a lot of different exercises in front of a mirror, so eye could see if I was doing them correctly and using proper posture. Judy would always tell me to us proper posture; stand up straight making sure my feet, torso, shoulders and head were all lined up straight. We worked on straightening my left side, some exercises we did were, placing my right leg on a step and moving my weight to the left side of my body. This was very hard for me so we first concentrated on learning how to transfer weight from one side of the body to the other, when I learned how to transfer weight to my left side I learned how to put my right leg on a step and then transfer my weight to the left side. The other big thing I had to work on was not bending my left ankle when I walk, the first thing Judy told me to do was to walk with my left foot at a 45 degree angle point toward my right foot. By doing this all of my left foot would be flat on the ground, I would also walk with the inner part of my foot on the ground, over compensating so the outside of my foot was not on the ground but I only did this at therapy. Judy would give me exercises to do at home every week, which I always did because they made sense and I knew they were making me better. We did a lot of different exercises and Judy would always explain to me how they would help me and what muscle groups we were building up. I have been going to this therapy since February and now I am taking OT at the same clinic and my therapist Janice is just like Judy, she explains everything to me, how each exercises helps me. Judy my PT instructor stretched my therapy as long as she could (ten months) and she gave me both stretching and exercises to do at home until I start up PT again in January. The nice thing is I am taking OT in the same place so I can ask Judy a question at any time. It makes a huge difference when your therapists know what you are going through and can answer stroke related questions. We know every stroke is different and therapy is very hard but when you can relate to your therapist and they understand what you are going through, it makes you work harder and you have a better recovery. This is why I would recommend going to a Certified Stroke Center for therapy. You can Google Certified Stoke Center and see if there is one in your area and give then a call.