ken27

Stroke Survivor - male
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Blog Entries posted by ken27

  1. ken27

    THE FALL WEEK 2 and 3

    By ken27,

    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.
  2. ken27

    THE BIG FALL WEEK ONE

    By ken27,

    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
  3. ken27
    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.
  4. ken27

    Rehab adventures

    By ken27,

    I am making a list of rehabs that I attended to better understand the best approach to take after a stroke and hopefully help others. On September 25, 2008 I had a right side ischemic stroke which led to left side hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and thalamic pain I was 43 years old in good shape and very athletic. Two days after the stroke I started PT which was the hardest thing I ever did in my life but I though to myself I will walk again and use my left side. Somehow with the help of a therapist and a four prong walker I got out of bed and slowly moved and made it two rooms down the hall then back into the room. Every movement was very difficult but with the help of my PT I did as much as I could and after I was as tired as I ever was in my life and experiencing pain that I never felt before. Every day I did as much PT as I could and made it a goal to walk to one further hospital door each day. The pain I was feeling was nerve pain, I have a pins and needles pain in my left hand and foot. Early on when I moved my joints on the left side I would experience pain and every little movement was extremely difficult. I had to think about every move and will that part of my body be able to move it is very hard to explain unless you have been through it before.
    After I was discharged from the hospital I had PT and speech therapy at home 3X a week. Here we worked on getting in and out of a chair and get up from the floor. I was in good shape before the stroke which helps me tremendously in my rehab because I could use my right side to get in the proper positions to better my rehab. We worked on a walking course inside the house using my four prong walker and doing a little more each time. My PT would have me sit in a chair and have me toss and catch a soft ball he thought of all kinds of exercises and my attitude was always the more I do the better with my weak side. My speech therapist had me say the abc’s then concentrate on the letters that I had trouble with, then I would read sections of the paper too her. After two months I graduated to a walking cane, and then was given the ok to go to outpatient rehab at the same hospital I was discharged from.
    I went to physical, occupational and speech therapy as an out patent three days a week. At PT I learned all kind of stretching and physical exercises; at OT I tried to use my left hand as much as possible. At speech therapy I would read out loud and concentrate on proper use of the English language. I knew all my therapists were trying to help me so I did the best that I could and did not complain because there were many patents there in a lot worst shape then I. After two months of therapy my occupational therapist asked me if I would like to take a driver evaluation course. The driver evaluation course was two parts a reaction eye test and a driving test; to get ready I would take practice rides around the hospital with the instructor. The reaction test was a stimulated test, they had a gas and break pedal and steering wheel, I looked into the stimulator and when it was green you would drive and red you would stop. The stimulator would tell the instructor the reaction time between accelerating and breaking and the instructor would keep tract of the results and rate them against the national average, which I did pass. I took the driving test next, I was off the road for nine months and besides the stroke this was the hardest thing I had to do, I thought about it day and night. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to pass the driving test but I can sum it up in one word freedom. After another month of rehab I was discharged at the time I did not know it but it was because of insurance limits.
    My left side was still very weak, I could move my hand and arm some and I was walking with a cane but my gait was way off I was stumbling more than walking. Every day I would exercise using my discharge plan and sum light weights and a rubber ball for my hand. I felt like I was discharged to early from rehab so I did some research on the internet and with the help of my secondary insurance from the job I held before my stroke I signed up for PT at the closes place to my house. The first day I was looked at by the PT instructor and put through different workouts on weight machines. I did this for four months then was discharged, I only talked to the PT instructor that first day the other days I worked out by myself and was asked once in awhile how are you doing. There was a gym not too far away that I joined after this where I could ride a bike, do some light weight lifting, stretch and explore some new ways of improving. I worked out at the gym for two years doing different exercises, I stared mostly riding the bike a little more each day till I got up to 30 minutes, then I increased the resistance or try a different routine on the bike. This help my endurance and balance which resulted in me being a lot less tired and I slept a lot better at night. I started to use the different weight machines they have to build up the strength in my left side, and then I would do one hour of weight training and an hour of endurance on the bike, elliptical and treadmill.
    I did a lot of research on the internet and found that there was a top rated stroke hospital in my area. I called the hospital and asked about rehab and got a number. I called the rehab and found out they were no opened spots for rehab at this time so I had them keep my number to call me when there was an opening. It was October so I wanted to use my insurance before the end of the year so I called a different rehab facility and sighed up for PT. This place was very nice I met my PT instructor and we went over a routine step by step using pull rubber pull cords and some of the newest equipment available. We worked on balance and using my left arm and hand more. This was good PT but again I would call it general PT which handles people with all types of injuries and disabilities.
    At the gym I go to there is a trainer who was a wounded warrior reconditioning instructor in the United States Marine Corps. I took 12 lessons from him that where very helpful, he knows how to work people who are disabled and I still use a lot of the things that he showed me. There are rowing machines at the gym and hanging bands that you can use to stretch your upper body that he showed me how to use and I use them weekly. He showed me a lot of different way to uses light weights to strengthen my weak left side and maintain balance it was well worth the money to train with him. I had one training section left with Pete the Marine when I received a call from the therapy service from the certified stroke center.
    The hospital is called Gates Vascular institute and Gates is a certified stroke center and only 1% of hospitals in the US have that distinction. I waited over a year to get into therapy at gates because the hospital was being moved, it is brand new, and patients from the hospital have first dibs at therapy. The wait was well worth it because this by far is the best therapy I ever had. There are four therapist at Gates who only deal with stroke patients and there are all kinds of devices that they use, some handmade that help stroke survivors. On my first day my PT Judy evaluated me, stretch my arm and legs, watch me walk and she knew right away what was wrong with me. Judy told me that I was plenty strong and did not need weight training but that my walk was way off. My left leg was swinging out like a half circle and I was landing only the outer part of my foot. I was not bending my left knee mush which led to a very stiff left leg that swung in a half circle and using only half my foot to walk and not bending my knee. My posture was also off which led to the right side of my lower back and right knee to hurt because of my bad walking and standing form. My torso on the left side was also very stiff as well as my left arm and shoulder and I thought I was in good shape. Judy first asked me about what happened to me, my passed therapy, if I had any pain, spasticity or tightness and if I had a support system at home. I told Judy I had went back to school and have been working part time for two years and had plenty of support from family and friends. She helped me stretch my arms, legs and shook my muscles to help them relax. She hand me stand and showed me proper posture with shoulders square with the inner thigh and inner feet. If you draw an imaginary line your shoulder blade will line up with your inner thigh, knee and inner ankle. Every PT class is one on one and Judy gives me homework to improve and reinforce what was done that week. One is to slide instead of walking do not let your feet leave the ground almost like ice skating. She told me to slide frontward, backward and sideways in my socks and to use the kitchen counter for support if needed. Judy told me to imagine my shoulders and knees are head lights and to keep them straight when stand and doing different exercises. We are working on making my left leg and midsection stronger without weights, one way is to stand with my right foot in front of my left and stand on your toes with your right foot this puts more weight on the left foot. Another way is to elevate your right foot on a step or crate and keep your left foot on the ground the higher you keep your good foot the more weight the bad foot was. These exercises are all designed to make my left leg stronger and use muscles that I have not used before the stroke. Judy is teaching me the science of walking; she shows me very slowly and in great detail the way to step correctly. As of today I am feeling muscles in my left leg that I have not felt since the stroke and I am slowly stepping with my left leg correctly. Judy also told me to sit and swing my left back and forth slowly and steadily so my knee gets use to moving. I have not used a single weight throughout rehab but I am still very sore (in a good way) the next couple days after rehab. I am slowly learning to walk the correct way and it is not easy but it sure does feel good to know I am getting by far the best rehab I ever had.
    Throughout this whole rehabbing process I felt that I was discharged from rehab as an outpatient because of insurance limitations. This was at the hospital I went to for my stroke. I was discharged hardly able to walk with no course of action for my future; I did not know what to do next. I think this happens way too much to stroke survivors, luckily for me I could drive, went to the gym and worked out on my own and went to more rehab. At the time of my stroke we went to the closes hospital around the care was good but I was told at rehab one day that this would be my last time and that was it. They did not sit me down and go over any plan or give me any take home material for rehabbing on my own. I was lucky that my OT therapist ran the driver training or I would have never now about that. My therapists were all great but I believe their bosses told them Kens insurance is done he must be discharged and that is it. Today I am going to the best therapy I ever had and with the new decision that expands Medicare coverage for long term disabilities things are looking better. I would encourage all survivors to ask there therapists on a plan of rehab before they are discharged form therapy. I hope my rehab adventures help others, I will keep updating my rehab and I will post the landmark decision that boosts Medicare coverage.
  5. ken27

    workouts

    By ken27,

    Finished my 12 workouts with Peter the retired Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Reconditioning Director. These workouts were very tough he had me do the total body fitness reconditioning program. Peter changed the back of the gym into a mobility circuit where you go under plastic bars and over bars and you can adjusted the bars higher or lower.There are handles to help you if you need them, there were different floor exercises so you need to be able to get up and down. We also used some barbells and dumbbells for different exercises. Peter showed me the correct way of doing the exercises and how they all blend together for the total body workout. I was very sore after some workouts even on the effective side which of course was new to me because I was feeling something on the left side. This was a good sore and to have feelings in the left side of my back and leg was unbelievable. He also introducted me to new rowing machines, these are a great workout all by themselves. I was give all the information on paper and sent to my e-mail, so now I can keep track of my progress and workout on my own. This program is not for beginners, I have been going to the gym for 3+ years walking 2-5 miles a week and stretching daily. My mobility and endurance are good; my gait is still off, we all know there is a lot more to walking then meets the eye, but it is getting better.
    Lastly I had my checkup with my neurologist on Friday and she could not believe how much more I am using my left side since the last time I saw her. (6 months) That made my weekend. I am 4+ years stroke and still getting better, so never give up.
  6. ken27
    I was working out at my local gym, and started talking to a guy named Peter. Peter is a United States Marine since 2005; he helped train in a Cross Fit program that he said helped him throughout his military career. Peter could tell by the way I moved that I was a stroke survivor, and he told me that in 2010 he became the wounded warrior athletic director in wounded warrior battalion west in detachment 29 palms in California. Here he honed his skills as both a cross fit trainer and an paralympic coach working with the recovering service members. He was discharged in October 2012, and is now working at the gym and going to a nearby college. Peter asked me questions about my condition and I could tell this guy knows what he is talking about and could help me. He told me he could give me 12 one on one sections that are about an hour each for $60.00 at the gym. I accepted the offer and have now completed three extremely physical and demanding workouts that are different from any rehab I have taken in 4+ years post stroke. Each workout starts with peter explaining in detail on a board and physical what to do and how these exercises relate to body parts and the proper way of doing them. He then will see what you can do and cannot and work on improving your problem areas. His system was four workouts that will use all major body parts; after you completed four workouts he will know your problem areas and explain how to improve them. I have taken so many rehab classes that are the same for everyone, these classes are made for me, and we all know all strokes are different so why should rehab be the same for everyone.
    I will write again when these classes are done.
    Ken
  7. ken27

    mind games Kens blog

    By ken27,

    Whoke up this morning looked out the window a saw snow falling it’s that time of year where we all have be very careful that we do not slip and fall. November has been very busy for me, Monday through Wedsday I drive clients to the low vision clinic I work at. Thursday and Friday I job coach the young and old who are disabled and I have rehab on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
    I am going to a new rehab facility that is fantastic, all the instructors are warm and friendly and really seem to be enjoying what they are doing. The atmosphere is very positive and warm which helps all the clients perform better. I have been going for 3+ months and even 4years post stroke I know the rehab is helping. My first day at the new rehab I told my pt to push,push,push me and he has, at first I was that good sore, now I feel very good after workouts. My left side is looser and I can do things without thinking that I could never do before. I believe the mind is a big part of rehab, if you tell yourself this rehab is good, it works, it is getting me better, you will push yourself more and you will get better. A good atmosphere, the write attitude, and a focused mind can do wonders.
  8. ken27

    LIFE IS GREAT

    By ken27,

    Work is going well, they offer employees training classes and I have been taking a job coaching classes to help the blind and handicapped get work. I finished the classes last month, so now Monday through Wedsday I pick up and drop off clients who have appointments in our low vision clinic. In between I return defective items to their manufactures and help out in the low vision clinic. On Friday I job coach and attend training sessions. This Friday I will be helping a disabled wheelchair client who works in a retirement community in their activity department. I am also taking pt on Tuesday nights and Thursday afternoons and I am a member of the Buffalo Athletic Club, which has several clubs around the city. It feels so good to help and meet new people that sometimes I forget that I am disabled myself.
     
    This January 15 will be the two year anniversary of the passing of my Mary Jo, who died of cancer at 45 years old. We were together for over 14 years through the good and bad times. We often talked a lot about life and to live it to its fullest. It was her wish for me to move on after she passed and to not let my stroke and her passing stop me from living life. I know she would be delighted by what I have done and the progress I have made in the last two years. In the past four years, I had a stroke, lost my girl to cancer, started a new career, learned to live life to the fullest and have fun again. Life is great.
  9. ken27

    Work is a wonderful Place

    By ken27,

    Work for me is a wonderful place, there are over 200 employees and a third of those are disabled to the outside world but once inside these walls no one is disabled just workers. For more than 100 years this organization has served the community by enhancing the lives of the blind, visually impaired and disabled to achieve their highest level of independence. The building is a newly remodeled 4 floor building with an attached 19th century mansion on Main Street in Buffalo NY.
    The first floor has the low vision clinic where I work as a driver and return specialist. There also is the rehab department which helps the blind live more independently. The statler center which is a school for the blind and disabled who want to go back to work is located in the refurbished mansion. There are students from all over the USA, who come to this school to learn how to get back to work, and I enjoy talking to them, I am an alumni.
    The second floor is the manufacturing department were we hand sew American Flags, construction vests and military uniforms to The Department of Defense specifications and this is all done by people who are “handicapped”.
    The third floor has a call center and 211 referral services. The 211 service gives individuals free and confidential referrals to Western New York health and human service providers.
    The fourth floor houses an adult day care center and offices.
    We also have six apartment complexes for visually impaired and physically disabled tenants.
    It is my goal to help people to the best of my ability for the rest of my life and I found a place where I can do this.
  10. ken27

    The Long Journey

    By ken27,

    On September 22 2008 I suffered a severe Ischemic stroke which left the left side of my body paralyzed and my speech impaired. I was 43 years old, active, and athletic. Now what? From that moment I had the choice of giving up and allowing this event to completely change and ruin my life or fight back and make my body work again.
    Drawing upon my own inner strength, I began the long road back by focusing on physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I was determined to use my left side again and walk unassisted but this would not be easy. I was also granted to be in a driver evaluation program at therapy including a driver’s test, which I passed with great pride and relief. I was discharged from therapy, walking with a Cain and some use of my left arm and hand but able to drive back into the real world.
    Arrived home and quickly found out that I had little endurance and my balance was off. I talked with my Doctor and knew I needed more rehabbing so I joined a local gym to continue my rehabbing on my own. Now I go to the gym 5 times a week ride bike, using weight machines, treadmill and slowly improved.
    In October 2010 heard about 12 week class that prepared the disabled for work, I applied and was accepted to this great program. Graduated in January 2011 with the pride off knowing I could function in the real world though I walked with a limp and moved a little slower I could succeed. I was offered and accepted an internship at a company called Olmsted that helps the blind and handicapped in Western New York. Here I learned how to properly communicate and work with the blind, how to walk with them and their seeing I dogs. I was offered a part-time job as a driver to transport the visually impaired to and from the low vision clinic at Olmsted Center for sight which I gladly accepted. I have been working as a driver and was also given the job of returning defective items (RMA’S) in a Low Vision Rehab Clinic since June 2011 and have not missed a day of work. It feels great to be able to help people and be out in the community again. I can truly say it has been a long journey.