Saebo Glove updates & Exercises

21st December 2015

I have now had two further appointments with the Neurological Physio - to assess my progress in demonstrating what I can now achieve, discuss long term goals and to set new interim targets.
I find these sessions really beneficial and take on board the information and tasks which I am assigned.

The middle band has been removed on the index finger and I have noticed that the band on the middle finger has become slack and before too long will require a shorter length to make the finger work harder. The long term goal is that eventually bands will not be required.

I now walk with a long straight arm and can grasp a soft ball and put it in a cup. The unit comes with four small shapes to test manual dexterity - I was thrilled to be able to grab each one in turn and place it on top of the other.(Photo taken from web-site) One useless task that I can do quite easily is to put my index finger in my right ear!! Useless, I know, but there has to be a fun element. Cleaning my teeth has also become easier as I now no longer have to virtually keep my arm still and move my head, but can do this in the usual manner. I can put shampoo on my right hand but do still require the aid of my left and to lift it to my head. All in all things are going in the right direction, but it is now a case of building on these things and keep testing out things that I always took for granted. General light housework I have been doing for some time, but we've invested in a lightweight vacuum cleaner which enables me to do more chores and has the feeling of achievement as I can push it with the hand that was affected.

As each target is achieved and can be done "second nature" new ones are worked on. If aids or equipment is not readily available in the house I try and improvise with the materials that are around me.

ULTIMATE GOALS: Ideally I would like to be able to use both hands to:

Eat, Wash/Shower, Drink and Use Hair Drier (these are subject to change)

Exercises set at 2nd visit:

   Raise arms and counter balance but keep arm straight

   Pick up ball

   Move and lift both arms to side and then open fingers (splay) - - keeping elbow straight

   Drink from cup

   Hand flip

BEFORE EXERCISES: KEEP TAIL BONE IN AND PULL IN CORE as in PILATES

Exercises set at 3rd visit:

To loosen the arm before exercising - put the right hand  on the top of the bathroom tower radiator and do a knee bob.

Make the hand lead - even if it means flexing wrist upwards and then giving the appearance of pushing off..

I have tried to eat by "stabbing" food with a fork, not always successfully - so I am now trying to "stab" bubble wrap or plasticine/Play Doh doing this up to 30 times a day until I get confident, then I will try a plate of food!

I next have an appointment at the end of January, it will soon be Christmas and the New Year and on top of this family time there are a lot of extra events taking place. I have been advised not to "get hung up" about being 100% diligent. I have previously  noticed that if I don't or cannot succeed due to tiredness or too many commitments my hand is still affected and will not cooperate! 

1st Saebo Glove fitting

 

On the 12th November I had the first fitting of my newly purchased Saebo Glove with the Neurological Physio at my local hospital. It is very important to learn how to ensure that it is fitted correctly, otherwise it may be pressing/resting on incorrect joints which could do harm.
Once confident with this, I was taken through a series of controlled exercises that must be undertaken once a day. As I progress updated exercises will be given, but always under the expertise of professionals.

I have found it useful to take initial photographs so that I can see where to place the tension bands. As the tone improves the bands will need to be changed.

Updates on progress will be published.

Prioritising Household Jobs

As you will know, if you have been reading this blog, I do intermittently suffer with neck problems.

Just recently I have had another two sessions with my practitioner and it would appear that I had a trapped nerve in my neck. I had one treatment and then monitored my progress for any ill-effects for three days and then after a telephone discussion returned for a second treatment. Again I monitored my progress and thankfully, all came good.  

Once I had got completely over my neck problems I re-started a second Saeboglove trial: http://www.saebo.com/saeboglove/
Once again has increased my hand functionality to the extent that I am considering purchasing one. I am hopeful that in time, with continued use of this product, that I will regain more meaningful use of my right hand which was affected when I had the stroke some six years go.

When I went to have the glove fitted I had a discussion with my Neuro-physio about my neck problems and I was given the advice to start prioritising household jobs.

The idea is to grade all the chores into two categories:
A-C (or D)  for how they affect the body
1-3 (or 4) to grade their priority
This will enable me to work out which I can do easily and without any ill-effects to the ones which will affect the  neck, which seems to be my weakspot.

For example:
Washing the dishes - A1
Ironing - B2
Vacuum - A2
Clean windows - C3
Dusting and polishing B1
Clean Bathroom - A1 & 2
Making a simple meal incl peeling vegetables - A1

I have found this advice to be really useful and makes me think about the household jobs - all of which I would like to do, but I know that some household chores will affect my neck.

Whilst preparing food, I will either use this special piece of equipment or hold the vegetables in my right hand and peel with my left if I can.

It is called a butter board/kitchen workstation and can be purhased from retail outlets that specialise in eqipment for the disabled or on-line.

Sleep & Stroke

When I returned home after spending six weeks in hospital the challenges at that time were huge. Initially, I was scared to sleep incase something occured which presented all manner of other problems. These days I try to be active and lead as normal a life as possible during the day and if I need to go to bed early then I do.

 My sleep is very cyclical: I can have unbroken and long periods of sleep for a few weeks and then it can be disturbed sleep where I will wake during the night and not be able to get back to sleep. I do not let this worry me but just accept it as another consequence of my Stroke. I have found an article called: "Tired of Post-stroke Fatigue" by Lisa O'Neill Hill, of which the following are extracts:

As a stroke survivor, you may be struggling with fatigue. That’s not surprising. Strokes are physically and emotionally exhausting. Most stroke survivors grapple with some sort of fatigue and many have trouble sleeping.

 If you’re a stroke survivor and you never feel rested, consider these recommendations:

Wake up at the same time every morning.

Go to bed only when you are ready to fall asleep. Bed time isn’t as important as the time you wake up. Don’t go to bed until you feel really ready.

Don’t worry about the number of hours of sleep you’re getting. There’s no right amount of sleep in terms of a number. In general, sleeping seven to nine hours is a really healthy duration,some people need more and some need less. The key is whether you feel refreshed.

Avoid sleeping on your back. Sleeping on the side can make a huge difference. Sleeping on the back may not be right for everyone. Ask your doctor if it’s OK for you.

Consider pillows. They are not just for your head. Using a body pillow can be helpful and keeping a pillow behind your back may help you stay on your side.

Get exposure to light in the morning. “It could be a natural source—sunlight—or a light box. Morning light will reset your time clock in the brain.

Sleep is really important in restoring function back.

Give a Hand: October 2015

Are you a wannabe tennis pro or a budding artist? Can you bake a ‘showstopper’?

 Whatever your forté this October put your passion into action for stroke survivors around the UK.

A stroke strikes in an instant but its effects can last a lifetime. Three quarters of stroke survivors lose the use of one of their hands. Often they have to re-learn to do the things they’ve always done – using their other hand. 

For Give a Hand the Stroke Association wants you to undertake an activity to raise funds for stroke survivors, such as baking or gardening - but there’s a twist, you need to use your non-dominant hand!

Get Baking -  Bake up a storm with your other hand - bake and decorate something for Halloween

Get Gardening - Take on a challenge to carve out some terrifying Halloween pumpkins,. 

Get Creative -  Are you a dab hand at knitting? Can you paint a Picasso? Get creating 




 Get Playing - Fun and games for all the family indoors and outside, using your other hand

 I am still working hard to get my right hand and arm back to normality. It is a long and protracted recovery, sometimes you don't want to carry out the daily exercises - but it is the only way to fullly recover. Why don't you try and do a daily chore that we all take for granted - - but remember to use your other hand - - your non-dominant one.

Give a Hand from 26 October until 1 November
 https://www.stroke.org.uk/GAH 

 At a recent night out I chose to wear these fingerless gloves which assist in keeping the nerves warm and lessen the probability of the hand clenching. I have several pairs of these type of gloves and found them to be not only practical but they can also enhance a look. During the colder weather I also wear them inside the house.

 

"Think before you speak" . . .

I still walk with a limp or "rock and roll" after six years and always use my stick. An acquaintance called me Jake for about three years. I mostly took it in good humour until I snapped one day. It occured to me, that if it had been a really vulnerable person who had been spoken to in this manner that it could have had a really detrimental effect on them.

In the past someone has suggested that if they had a walking stick that they may be able to walk faster, but the most insensitive thing that has ever occured was when another acquaintance kicked my walking stick away saying that "he'd always wanted to do that to someone"

I am lucky that I know how to deal with these kind of situations, but I hope that people would really think how it could affect the more vulnerable.

So:

Hands, neck and head - degrees of discomfort

It  is now 4 weeks since our mini break and 6 weeks since the Saeboglove trial.

During the third week in July my husand & I had a two nights break in Cheshire where we visited a National Trust property: Dunham Massey and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunham-massey/

Tatton Park, we knew to be a very big park which has two lakes, and we were advised that the flower show is spread over a large area of parkland. With this in mind we took my wheelchair to enable me to get around more easily. (I must stress that I do not use this very often but had to concede that "it was needs must". ) I did find this uncomfortable as it did shake me up and afterwards my neck really began to be painful.

Over the last three weeks I have experienced a very painful neck and shoulder, a "swimmy" head and have noticed that the fingers on my right hand have started to be very tight and curl under. I have found it difficult to be in situations where there are a few people, walking any distances, reading, doing anything on the computer for more than 30 minutes and speaking with people on the telephone.

These areas of discomfort may or may not be related and I have thought about what I can do to allieviate these problems or what may be causing them. It can be difficult at times to separate the issues from one another.
I have had some acupuncture treatment which enabled me to sleep much better however the stamina and heavy legs were just the same - maybe my body is just telling me to rest.

With no sign of these symptoms ceasing I visited my practitioner 4 days ago. After a lengthy discussion I had the treatment to relax very tight neck muscles and put my body back in alignment again. Within minutes the pain that I had been experiencing in my neck and the "swimmy head" all but disappeared and I walked out 35 minutes later feeling a great deal better than I had done over the last weeks. - - Now I need to increase my walking distances and gradually build myself up to the level where I was previously.

I can have meaningful and rational discussions with the people who still work with me and we see various angles of the intermittent problems that I do experience. I do find this very cathartic and useful to stop some of my anxieties.
Last week's pre-treatment dialogue brought me around to giving these points consideration:

1) Try drinking decaffeinated drinks
2) The neck problems and other sore areas in my back were the likely result of using the wheelchair
3) Reading will stimulate the brain and could cause the swimmy headaches - as will over use of the computer
4) The fingers may be as a result of exercising for the 2 weeks period whilst wearing the glove and now I have stopped it may have caused the fingers to tighten.
5) Exercising whilst using the glove will have stimulated muscles and tendons that could have been fairly dormant and will now have stimulated brain activity, causing the swimmy heads.

I just still accept that I will have these little blips but talking and discussing issues are always still a very useful aid to recovery. Knowing what the body is attempting to put right and how it choses to do so is still astonishing to me. I can only thank all the people who are helping me along the way not only in the physical treatment but also with good dialogue.