Aussie Ken

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 in tracing my family tree, i just wish my parents and grandparents were still around so i could fined out more. But at least i'm now in contact with some aussie cousins plus i'm also in contact with some Engish relations related to my grandfather. so have a good week everybody Ken

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

Merry Christmas Sue and Ray, we hope you have a great day with the family 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 received his results yesterday, he passed in all subjects. We also attended his schools presentation and he received 2 first placings, 3 sports awards, schools sportsman of the year. I also had to present 2 awards on behalf of the Lions club so it was a busy night. well everbody we would like to wish all Stroke members a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year best wishes Ken

Hi Sue Sorry i haven't been on the site for a couple of weeks, i hope christmas will be special this year and as you say life is so precious and too short, what i can't work out is why so many good people get struck down in there prime and yet so many people who don't deserve to walk this earth have no health problems, have a lovely christmas and we are all thinking of you. Ken

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 will walk into the pool. then one day i hope to walk into the swim centre from the car. hope everybody had a wonderful Halloween and that the elections go well next week.

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 and worked on many projects. When i married in 1986 we moved to western Sydney to my current area. During that time i have once again been President of my present club. i have also been Secretary, Treasurer and many other board and committee positions. During the past 28 years i have met a lot of people from all walks of life and situations. Just after my stroke my club members were a great help and assistance to my family I'm glad that they were around as my wife's family all live in New Zealand. I'm very thankful that i belong to a great organisation and have wonderful friends.

Sorry to here the news Sue, i will be thinking of you. Look after yourself as well as i know Ray is in good hands. take care Ken

Our daughter is currently working in a US summer camp near Detroit, from a phone call last week she is really enjoying herself. a great way to travel the world and meet people. glad to her you enjoyed yourself. Ken

Have a loverly anniversary, gee i feel like a pup as we celebrated our 22nd this year. since tracing my family tree i have discovered that most of the family have had long happy marrages. Ken

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 stroke, so in would be interesting if any other stroke board members has had the feeling come back. I know my deep water running in the hydro pool my movement was a lot better. other then that the cold weather has arrived here in Sydney. since the stroke i feel the cold more and am looking forward to spring. My daughter is enjoying her stint in the US summer camp, so it will be interesting to here how she enjoy the 4th of July celebrations. well have a great week. Ken

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 me back and join the group, they meet monthly and have guest speakers, a topic for the day, and general chit chat. It was a great afternoon and my speech therapist was really pleased how well i went. We may even be able to get a group started up in my area. Unfortunately the cold weather has started and i now hate the cold, i'm glad we don't get snow. give me summer/spring anytime. have a good week Ken

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 i was President, Secratary and Treasurer with my Lions Club plus have addressed groups through work. My Hydrotherapy has been going great guns, last week my therapist put the floats on my and let me lose on my own, except for a few side steps i kept my balance and did 6 laps accross the pool without assistance. Then yesterday for my deep water therapy i did 11 laps by myself. next week i will do 12. i feel at home in the water. :laughbounce: have a great week. Aussie Ken

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 will be attending has a set topic each month and each member has to talk on the subject. the topics include Hobbies, Sport etc. My Hydro is really showing results as my balance is improving every week and the deep water therapy is the best. i managed 6 laps across the pool last wednesday. Next Monday i see my other physio and aim to walk 30 min on the treadmill. I'm also getting more strengh in my right arm and hand. So everybody have a great week and Keep smiling :laughbounce:

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 session Tuesday and aim to reach the 30 min on the treadmill. i'm glad i have a stubbon streak in me, other wise it would be easy to give up, but i've got something to prove and prove wrong those who wrote me off.

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 this rotten drop foot would go away. But it has inspired me to keep thying. i'm really looking forward to the session next week. :happydance: :cheer:

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 weight have help with the rehab of my affected arm. I'm hoping the water will assist me in regaining my balance so that i can get rid of the wheelchair. so here's hoping, unless you try you will never know. To all the romantics out there HAPPY VALENTINES DAY.

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 six months since i started this session. i just have to keep practicing and not let people speak over me or for me. With physio Paula had me walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill last session. I saw my doctor and he has given me permission to try hydrotheropy so i will see my physio and arrange for a session at the pool. i'm really looking forward to it, after all it can only help and it may assist with my balance. On the home front i have been able to contact a cousin i haven't seen for over 30 odd years. i tracted him through the Ancestry web site whise tracing my family tree. I also have been able to contact an old school friend i haven't seen for 27 years since i left high school, so looks like it will be an exciting year. well have a great week and remember KEEP SMILING

hi Super Sue i'm not being smart, for some reason people seem to forget that you need time for yourself and the more you want to help the more people seem to want. so Sue my simpe advice is you and Ray are the most inportant thing in your life. Since i had my stroke my lions club is still surviving, the house is still functioning, so in all look after yourselves so that your health dosen't suffer. take care Ken

We hope you have a great christmas and really enjoy the day :ChristmasTree: :reigndeer: :santa:

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 year i will be trying hydro theropy so it's something to look forward to. So till the new year take care and beleive in the dream. :ChristmasTree: :ChristmasTree:

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.