numnah

Stroke Survivor - female
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    22
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About numnah

  • Birthday 01/25/1943

Contact Methods

  • Stroke Network Email
    Yes

Shared Information

  • Stroke Anniversary (first stroke)
    12-23-2009
  • How did you find us?
    Google Search

Registration Information

  • First Name
    gina
  • State
    calif

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  1. Happy Birthday numnah!

  2. Happy Anniversary numnah!

  3. numnah

    Trying to Keep Up

    I am, by no means, an investigative reporter, but, I wholeheartedly agree with you in the dearth of information available for the survivor/caregiver. Why do they all seem to have blinders on? Nobody ventures an opinion, a referral, a recommendation, nothing. All the sites for stroke I have been to are telling me how I can avoid getting a stroke. Too late! Now I need tools to help me get better.
  4. Happy Birthday numnah!

  5. Happy Anniversary numnah!

  6. Happy Birthday numnah!

  7. Happy Birthday numnah!

  8. Thanks to you all for posting and helping me out. After 40+ months, I am finally riding on my own again. Not tacking up by myself, mind you, but going out and FINALLY feeling confident in my ability to control my horse and use my leg aids to prompt him. I can also, with the added help of a stud chain, lead him to and from his turnout. Before this happened to me, I helped out with students with cerebral palsy who were horseback riding, and the change in them was amazing! To all you readers and caregivers, I heartily recommend taking a Pilates class. Joseph Pilates invented this exercise to specifically help in rehabilitation. I've been doing this for about a year and a half, and it really has improved my strength, coordination and balanced my body. You know how you have a tendency to favor your weak side and use your strong to compensate? Well, this exercise helps to make your weak side work and helps you mentally how to visually do the exercise. I don't have a pool handy, so I have to make do with the exercises I do at home. I'm up to 30 minutes on my stationary bike, and, for me, that is a huge, boring, accomplishment. Not exactly like riding on a real bike. The bottom line is, I can improve, I don't give a fig what the doctors or therapists say.
  9. I simply did not realize that I had anything to offer others. I have been so wrapped up in me, me, me and feeling sorry for myself that I did not think I could possibly help anyone. Becky, believe me, I took no offense at anything you said.....except to add that I have a difficult time reading your script on your posts. It looks lovely, but my eyes aren't as good as before. Debbie, I guess that Bruce needs your help in motivating and planning. As you said, he does much better with a structure. Because I think of this whole "thing" as a really bad movie that I'm in and I can't really leave until the end, and I don't really know how it comes out, so I have to do my best to make it come out the way I want it to. Or, I think it's like a prison sentence, where you don't really have a release date, and that makes it doubly hard to stay focused and motivated. I have read several post-stroke motivational books, and, basically, for me, they offer nothing to help me say, "Oh, yeah! That's what was missing!". I think we are all just trying to find our way here, to get our lives back, and be the best we can be. The one thing that seems to be a recurring mantra here is, Never give up, don't believe everything the Doctors say, and believe that you WILL improve. I am grateful for any and all feedback here. Communication is very important. Thank you all again for listening to me babble on.
  10. Becky~. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "what are YOU doing"? Do you mean I'm doing ok? Do you mean I should be doing something better? Do you mean I should be grateful? Yes I am grateful to still be alive, but I'm trying to get back all those things that gave me pleasure~ bike riding, drawing, sculpting, horseback riding, archery, etc. those are the things that made our life fun, and that's what I'm working toward. But then, I'm a kvetcher from the word go. Thanks to all for their input.
  11. Thank you all for your input. Gavin, I have a motorcycle also. While I am riding my horse again, I still can't work the throttle on my bike. How did you get that back in the first year?
  12. Even though I had my stroke in Jan of 09, I count my recovery from March of 09. The two months I spent in ICU and the hospital were not recovering, per se, it was survival. In the 39 months I've been doing rehab, I've seen progress, but it's very hard to self-motivate. I am my own worst enemy as far as patting myself on the back for seeing small gains. I was wondering how you guys motivate yourselves and keep a positive attitude. I have come tot the conclusion that Drs and therapists are mostly nay-sayers and don't really help patients see that they CAN make progress. The very worst thing they can say is "this is as good as its going to get". How can a person feel optimistic hearing that? How do you motivate yourselves to do those repetitions, get on that bicycle, that treadmill, hoist those weights, use that Theraband? I can't stand the exercises.......they're no fun, they're boring as heck, they numb the mind. I have to force myself, but if I don't do them, I feel guilty, and feel like I'm holding my recovery back. Any help out there? Thanks
  13. Happy Birthday numnah!

  14. Happy Anniversary numnah!

  15. Happy Birthday numnah!