Just a few lines to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a happy NEW Year. My christmas day was very quite as all my family (brothers and sister) no longer live handy and most of my friends had there own christmas festivities to attend too.
i promise to give you a full update in the new year but just briefly i'm still loving my water therapy, walking on the treadmill, and will be trying to use a bike or pedal exerciser in the New Year.
So take care enjoy the season and stay safe aftwer
it just keeps going round and round and round, at times i feel like i'm winning but lately i feel like i've gone backwards, when i first stoked i was so determined that i would be up and running by now but alass i'm still stuck in the wheelchair, wondering if i should just give up or keep on fighting. The worst part is that not long a go i was almost walking by myself the one thing ofter another my partner didn't have the time to go through my daily home physio programme but i really enjoy going
but i have no excuses, i've pooped in a couple of times but nothing to report. Generally i'm well but get very down and bored with myself. At times feel like giving up but i've still got a lot to achieve and life to live.
This months starts another month of being poked and proded by my doctors.
I'm really loving my hydro therapy sessions because i can do must of the exercises myself, then fortnighty i've been doing a session on the treadmill and increasing my times each week.
I know a lot
from hospital. it's hard to believe that 5 years ago i was so excited about getting out of hospital and back into familiar surrounding. The first months after getting home i would found that the simple task of rolling over onto my side was like doing a 3 point turn but now no worries. I started twice weekly rehab sessions to try to get me back walking, i've almost got there on many occassions but i still needs assistance in case i fall backwards. This is were the frustration sets in. I was so ac
All i seam to be doing these days is climbing more mountains and hitting brickwalls, my progress seams to have stalled and some areas gone backwards. i'm still enjoying doing my hydrotherapy and every two weeks i visit the physio and do a session on the treadmill for 35-40 mins little assistance.
Footdrop is my main problem still and recently heard of a Canadian system called Footlift AFO but i doubt if it would be available hear in Australia and if it would be suitable for me.
I would try a
For Foot Drop, it's the only thing holding me back from leading a near normal life. i use a custom made AFO and when i'm on the treadmill i can get my foot and leg though ok but when i only have the cane i can only manage a shuffle. it may be more mine over matter as i don't want to fall. If i could get more strenght into my hand and arm i would try a walking frame.
I do daily stands using a wedge but it still hasn't corrected the problem. i've tryed to find out more about drop foot but there
I have just been searching through the site under therapies etc to see if there is any posts were members have used WIIfit games and balance board as a therapy tool. The reason i'm asking is that a stroke survivor i've met through my Facebook page has found the balance board a great tool to help her correct a balance problem. I will be raising the question with my physio when i see her next.
I was wondering if any of our hosts could point me in the right direction if there is a posting in the
Last week our computer had a major meltdown, so Kathy took it down to the puter shop to get fixed. Because it was a second hand machine from my old work it didn't have much memory (like my brain now) so we are now in the process of upgrading to a bigger puter. so finally i will be able to post more photos of my past life.
The biggest problem is looking through old photos is remembering how active i was and wishing that i wake up tomorrow and that it was all a shocking nightmare.
But i guess
Last Sunday was the first trail games for my childrens soccer games for the up coming season. As it was an overcast and gloomy day, plus an early start we rushed out without proper sun protection, the first game (son's) was ok as i was able to sit in the shade undercover. Then for for the second game (daughters) we had to move to the bottom field away from shade. Everything was fine untill the sun broke through the clouds and although it didn't feel very warm because Kathy and myself are fair sk
Hi everybody, i didn't realize that it's been awhile since i last blogged.
well my hydrotherapy has been going great, i feel so free when i'm in the water as i do most of the exercise programme with little suppervision. my biggest problem is hyper extending my affected leg, i need to relax more. The heat here in Australia has been shocking and energy zapping.
With my 5 years fast approaching frustration and keeping my mind active has been a great challenge, i also have made great inroads
I just would like to wish everybody a very happy new year and hope the the new year will bring you much joy and happiness and that you all achieve your goals on the long journy of recovery.
best wishes
Ken
Hi everybody, well we reach another christmas, once again it will be a quite time for me, just a family day at home.
My hydrotherapy is going great guns, for the past two weeks i have successfully walked into the hydro pool and have been walking out for the past six.
I actually was able to attempt a proper breat stroke this week and managed 2 laps across the pool as well as the deep water running who know i may get to the London Olympics yet.
My son finished his high school exams and recei
of the Hydrotherapy pool las Wednesday :Clap-Hands: . Last week after completing my hydrotherapy session i was waiting for pool attendent to come around and hoist me out of the pool as per usual. But i said to my therapist what if i walk out of the pool today. and she said why not, so we organised for my wife to take the pool wheelchair around to the steps and so holding on to the rail i was able to walk out of the pool. So i will be doing this feat weekly now. Then in about a months time i wil
i have just got home from seeing the orthotic specialist who made me a new AFO and it feels strange but time will tell. i have been using an off the shelf type but it was a bit short according to the doc. so i will have to start learning all over again as it will give me better support.
not much else is happening my daughter got home yesterday from working in summer camp in Michigan then a 3 week tour around the the northern half of the states.
well have a great day
Ken
High everybody I'm on top of the world at the moment because last monday night whilst attending my Lion's Club meeting i was awarded Life Membership to Lions International.
I joined Lions in August 1970 whilst working in north Westen New South Wales, (commonly called the outback) it was a great way to meet people and to join in the community. After being transfered back to Sydney i joined the club at Bankstown which is a suburb in Sydney were i grew up. During that time i became President a
This week i attended my monthy physio session at my physio where i walked for thirty minutes on the treadmilll, i covered 1km with only 2 short breaks.
But in the afternoon i had more feeling in my leg, then yesterday while doing my stand on the wedge i could actually feel the calf muscle stretching and the walk back along the hallway was spopt on no wobbles or anything.
Then this morming my balance was a lot better.
It's been 4+ years since i had any feeling in my right leg since the stro
Last thursday i was invited to talk and have fun with a group of people from a neighbouring area. It was the first time i've done a presentation since my stroke in 2004. Before my stroke i was confident in public speaking having been president of my Lions club and doing presentations through work.
I was able to give the group a 10 min presentation on my history, my stroke, how it has affected me and my family and were i'm going to in the future.
Well i'm pleased to say that they have invited
My Daugther Kristine has applied for a camp councilor at one of you US summer camps stating in June. she has been accepted as a hike leader at one of the camps near Detroit, Michigan i think it's a Jewish camp. she is so looking forward to it, being her first trip to the US. Have any of the member been to this camp. i know she will have a great time.
Next week i will be addressing the speech therapy group at Mt Druitt hospital here in Sydney. i just have to practise more and i'm not nervous as
From speech therapy
On Monday i had my final Speech Therapy session and passed with flying colours, she has now invited me to attend one of the other groups at a neighbouring hospitals as a guest speaker, and i'm looking forward to it. She invited her boss to hear my presentation and he was very impressed. Over the past 6 months i have been having one on one sessions with Natalie.
I'm looking forward to it and hopefully they may start a simular group here in Penrith. The Blacktown group i
Since starting Hydrotherapy 3 weeks ago i've been getting more feeling and sensation down my right hand side. it is almost 4 years since my stroke and in that time i felt as though i was cut right down the middle. at time my foot was very sensitive and almost kicked the poditist when he was cutting my nails. But now i have more movement in my shoulder and side. i will miss it this week if the eye specialist is running behind time as normal but if not i will try to get there. i also have a physio
Last Wednesday i had my first Hydrotheropy session and i came through with flying colours, but it was like doing a moonwalk my affect right side seam to be floating away when i was placing my foot to take another step, but i did 2 crosses of the pool with no stumbles, i then did a serious of stepping and balance exercises and arm and shoulder ones. Although i was tired that afternoon the warmth of the water stimulated the nerves and when doing a walk i could feel the calk muscle working. if only
Next week i will be strarting Hydrotheropy with my physio. I didn't think i would ever feel the water around me again but by physio and doctor agree that it's time for me to start my next phase of rehab. i'm really looking forward to it as i loved swimming going to the beach etc.
Yesterday i breezed though 20 min on the treadmill and my physio hardly had to do any work, except to remind me to keep walking so the pathways in the old grey matter must be finding there way.
also using light weig
This weekend we are celebrating Australia's discovery by captain James Cook, and proclaimed a British colony, it's not until you compare the history of Europe, America etc how young Australia is. We had a very quite day and didn't go out to enjoy the festivities, more because like many countries they don't caterer or have easy access for people in wheelchairs. this why i'm still working overtime to get mobile again.
This week i have my last day at speech theropy, i have cqme a long way in the
I just thought i would wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Yesterday i had another visit to my PT and i achieved heaps, the past couple of visits she has tried me in a treadmill, well yesterday i walked for 20 minutes in 5 minute blocks and this time i bidn't get fatiged to just near the end, she was guiding my foot whislest kathy was holding my hips.
We then did some more arm and shoulder exercises to try to get my affect shoulder moving.
Hopefully in the new y
i think i might have cured the computer, so now to get me working properly, speech theropy today, the physio again next week, i've been using the treadmill with the physio and getting better movement in the n knee without it locking, i get good heal strike for a few paces but then the drop foot kick in and back on the ball of the foot, very frustrating, so my greatest christmas wish would be able to walk properly again.
have a good day.
