jriva

Stroke Caregiver - female
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    givincare

    Posted

    Kristen

     

    The contraint therapy for speech is only done in California and one of the professors where Don goes for thearpy says it's really just a marketing tool for doing the something that is too frustrating to do 100% of the time. It involves not replying to anything thing but actual speech. The client goes for six weeks, all day, with someone not queuing or accepting jestures as they do things like get dressed, eat, etc. Someone on this site once posted about it and said it did help but I question whether spending that much time with a regular speech program wouldn't have gotten the same results for a cheaper price. You can look through the old posts in the Lanuage Disorders forum to read more.

     

    Jean

    swilkinson

    Posted

     

    Deenie,

     

    My dad was also a carpentar---not by trade, but as a hobby---he built our cottage, helped my brother build his house and did lots of remodeling over his life time.

     

    Get your husband into building gingerbread houses and villages for all the holidays....and not just for Christmas. They don't need to be straight and all the candy choices they have to decorate with makes shopping for the houses fun as well. The baking and decorating days can stretch out as long or a little as you like. Try making a Candy Cane Lane for Christmas, Chocolate Village for Valentine's Day, Jelly Bean Beach Cottages for Easter, Fort Freedom for 4th of July, and Turkey Ridge Condos for Thanksgiving. the projects are fun your husband can give them away, too.

     

    Jean

    swilkinson

    Posted

     

     

    Sue,

     

    I agree with Asha and I want to add that as much as our guys can frustrate us at times it's still easy to see that both Ray and Don handle their disabilities with as much grace as possible. Nice tribute you wrote here. I only wish that Ray could return the favor and I'm sure he would if he could.

     

    Jean

    rdittman

    Posted

     

    Bob,

     

    Since Sue brought up the rods, do you have a little vice that you can use to free up one hand? I remember you posting that this is a problem. I met a certified rods builder and fishing instructor this fall and he teaches using the one-handed rods. If you post on this topic again, don't forget we have the new disability sports and hobbies forum.

     

    Jean

    rj711

    Posted

    Rich,

     

    Before you go to China, couldn't you get your physical therapist to do some precise testing and measuring so that when you come home you/they can do the same? That way, you'd have something concrete to pass on here that could help others, should they want to consider this journey. It would be good for you to have this knowledge also. I know therapists can do this type of testing for insurance companies to doucment improvements or lack there of.

     

    Jean

    Budweiser

    Posted

     

    Karen,

     

    I think you're right that a lot ot the road blocks they put up are designed to make it so hard that some people die or drop out of the process and burn up their savings instead....if they even have any left. They also don't want to get you locked into a disability payment too soon in case you get better.

     

    The other side is there is a TON of fraud going on with people who claim disabilities who aren't disabled. Don used to have a neighbor who made a living defrauding one insurance company after another with false claims and he was very open about the network of doctors you could buy to back up a phony claim to get off from working. People like him are one of the reasons they give us all a hard time. It was only when they started following this guy around with a video camera that his 20 years of fauding for a living caught up with him.

     

    Bill,

     

    Take a deep breath and jump through a few more hoops. Eventually you'll get your disability so hang in there and then they will be kissing your bum for real!

     

    Jean

    justsurviving

    Posted

    I guess that I am saying that while we can't compare, it is important to acknowledge and include.
    Sherri, What you're saying is true and sometimes very hard to do. The word "stroke" covers such a broad spectrum of conditions. I must say that since I've come to know a lot about MS through our niece who has it, the same can be said of that diease as well. Her MS related support circles have the same kinds of frustrated between the mild and severely effected as we sometimes see here. Plus, a lot of their issues are the same as those in the stroke community. It's a human condition that will never change that we compare. When Paris Hilton cries over a hang nail, the person with no hand is shaking his/her head in frustation or struggling to understanding that everything is relative.

     

    The task here is not comparison but encouragement, support, ongoing concern etc as everyone struggles with some of a long list of residual deficits physical and emotional.
    You're right about our task here is to encourage and support. But I believe that on rare occasions the comparisons/tough love approach can be very useful to snap a person with a mild stroke out of their self-pity mode. Until they do that, they can't move forward with their recovery process and to make changes in life style that can prevent another one.

     

    Jean

    l_klakring

    Posted

     

    Bob and Juice,

     

    Both good stories!!

     

     

    Juice: I always wondered, too, if champagne would stay in a shoe or run right out the toe or something. I remember that scene in the movie too. What did you mom say when she found out?

     

    Jean

     

     

    Robyn

    Posted

     

     

    Hi Robyn,

     

    We all love it when people come back and update us from time to time. And it helps us all---especially the newbies---to realize that there can be a happy and fulfilling life again, after a life crisi grabbed hold of us.

     

    Merry Christmas

     

    Jean

     

     

    arogers

    Posted

    Ann,

     

    I know what you mean about it being hard to explain your caregiver role to your doctor and how your husband fits into every aspect of what you can do for yourself. I solved that problem---after getting frustrated one too many times---by switching doctors. Now Don and I have the same internist and it works really well that way. I know that won't work for you because Bill goes to the VA but I mention it for others who may be struggling with this problem.

     

    I wish I could bring you some soup and tea!!!! Feel better soon.

     

    Jean

    l_klakring

    Posted

    Asha,

     

    3:30 in the morning isn't the middle of the night at my house and drama queen that you are I didn't call either, I PMed you pleading with you to get Lucy up and running with the rest of us ASAP for the reasons you stated---that part you got right. :lol:

     

     

    lucy,

     

    Welcome to the blog community. I'm super impressed with the way you've handled your post stroke journey. It couldn't have been an easy trip so far.

     

    I know you're going to enjoy the fun and the therapeutic process of being in our blog community. We learn a lot from one another. A dozen welcomes.

     

    Jean

    swilkinson

    Posted

    Sue,

     

    This is a very insightful blog entry and you should be proud of yourself for the conclusions you've come to in the last paragraph. The Sue you were and want to be again is still there in the tightly closed box that you put her in after Ray's stroke and she's waiting for you to let her out again. The careiver role and co-exist with her. You just have to work harder at carving me-time out than you did before and as you said, it's not going to diminish your caregiver role at all. It will make you a better caregiver in fact because it will keep the depression and hopelessness at bay.

     

    Jean