The Strokie Glove!

How COOL is this?? A man named Hoyoung Ban developed a "robotic hand" to help strokies regain control of their hands! This is amazing! It is operated through an app and uses games to help work the muscles in your hands and arms out and you can rent it for as little as $99 a month.
I am so thrilled of what this can mean for people who have lost control of their hands. Rehab is difficult on its own but now having a glove as an added source of strength training...well this will make physical therapy so much more supportive. I see you 2017! You can read all about this incredible invention here.

What Illness Can Reveal

I just read something truly inspiring this morning and had to share it with you all.

“Cancer has changed my life for the better. It’s made me a better human being. It stripped away all of the walls and the barriers...It exposes any lie in your life whatsoever. It exposes who’s not really there for you and who really is there for you,” - Shannen Doherty

This is 1000000000% true and hits home in more ways than one.  It exposes any lie in your life whatsoever is so striking to me. One of the things I will never forget (stroke joke) is how so called friends just disappeared when I was sick. I don't know what it is about sickness or change that scares people. It was incredibly painful to have to come to the realization that those who I would have immediately run to if they were sick, wouldn't do the same for me. In some ways, that was one of the worst parts of my recovery but I am thankful for it. It has made the circle I do have, tighter and stronger.

I'm often reminded of someone I was friends with in college who was suffering from MS. During my senior year, she took a turn for the worse and went from walking as any healthy person to using a cane, to being in a wheelchair.  We were in a class together. I noticed how hard things became for her and immediately jumped in to help her. No one else did. I was shocked that none of her peers would even ask how she was. It was as though MS was an elephant in the room. When we graduated, we lost touch but I still think about her. I think about what she taught me.

Remember, your illness can also be your blessing. Pay attention to all it can show you.

“It’s this brilliant thing where you just look around and think, ‘Oh my God, this person is amazing, they’re showing up for me in a way I never expected.’” - Shannen Doherty

Talk About Your Medicines Month

October is The American Recall Center's "Talk About Your Medicines Month" so I thought I would tell you a little something about when I used to be on Warfarin that almost got me in serious health trouble. I got the flu in 2011. Ugh, as if recovering from a stroke wasn't enough, I had to deal with fever, chills and nausea from something that made me feel 10x worse as I was recovering. You know if you've got the flu, you don't feel like eating. Your favorite thing in the world could be sitting in front of you laced in gold and you wouldn't touch it. This was the case with me. I felt so weak and sick that I didn't even want to eat and I didn't think I was doing harm to myself. I wasn't eating anything with Vitamin K...but I also wasn't eating at all (aside from a cup of tea or sip of broth). I still took my Warfarin as usual but what I didn't realize was that I was actually hurting my body.
I mustered up the strength to get my blood checked as I did twice a week while I was on my thinners and the nurse came in after pricking me with wide eyes. She said my blood had become pretty much like water and asked me what I was doing. I told her about my illness and she didn't even let me finish.

"Go out and eat everything you can." she said.
"Even greens?" I asked inquisitively.

She nodded which made me the happiest and the saddest girl in the world. On the plus, I got a free pass for the first time in several months. I was able to eat anything I wanted. On the other hand, I was sick. I didn't realize that not eating was so dangerous when you were taking Warfarin. People don't talk about what happens when you're sick and you get sick with something else. How does this affect our dosage and our bodies? Thank goodness I went to the doctor when I did otherwise I could have done serious damage to my kidney and liver not to mention my heart. If you even have something as small as a cold, talk to your doctors. Tell them you don't have an appetite. Your dosage may be tweaked during that time to help you heal. Even if you think it's an insignificant change, it's better to be safe than sorry!

For information on The American Recall Center including an article on Xarelto, a medicine to prevent stroke and clots, click HERE

Why Fruit Ninja Makes Me Happy.

As many strokies can attest, when you are in recovery, chances are one side of your body is a litte slow. Now, I have posted about the benefits of video gaming post stroke but I cannot recall if I did the same for apps.

I recently installed Fruit Ninja on my phone. It's free and great for passing the time while you're waiting for the train. It's also great for re-training your reflexes. You basically just have to slice delicious fruit and avoid bombs using one finger on one hand. I highly recommend it.

Have you guys downloaded any apps that make recovery easier? I'd love to know.

Staying Warm In The Cold Post Stroke

So one thing I've noticed after having the stroke and being on blood thinners is that I am very sensitive to cold temperatures. In the winter, I am slower, my right side definitely feels weaker, and the chill in the night air gets to me even more than it did before. At first I thought it was just me and maybe what I was feeling was all in my head but upon research, I found that it is actually common.

Right when I was able to walk more than a few blocks in 2010, I went to Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing store, and was just poking around window shopping. I came across clothing they had called Heattech. This thin, lightweight clothing is designed to absorb body moisture and generate heat when your bod gets cold and IT WORKS! I first bought a tank top and used that, skeptical that it wouldn't work but sure enough it did. This could be just a comfort thing and it may not work for everyone but if there's anything that brings a small bit of relief, I welcome it.

I passed by the store again this weekend after feeling kind of numb on my right side (thank you Winter) and bought a pair of Heattech leggings and a long sleeve Heattech shirt, hoping that it helps my right side to keep up with my left. I highly recommend this to anyone who has cold sensitivity due to stroke. It really makes a difference. Anyone who suffers from this problem knows that relief makes all the difference in the world, especially with this long Winter ahead of us. Uniqlo doesn't know how much of an impact it has had on me in these cold months.

I am thankful :)

Is It Too Late For Physical Therapy?

During a spirited game of "Tag", I tried to grab my boyfriend's foot with my right hand before he pulled it away and could not. I was just too slow. I tried this several times and my right hand just wasn't fast enough to catch his foot. I tried one time with my left hand and was able to catch it. This made me realize even more that I should have done Physical Therapy for the right side of my body. It was definitely a wake up call to see that my right side isn't as fast and strong as I thought. I was in shock for a minute and then wondered if I was still a candidate for Physical Therapy.

If you recall, I refused Physio when I was in the hospital still under the impression that nothing was wrong with me. I now realize that I was stupid and just reacting to my situation. If I do decide to go to treatment, is there even a possibility that it will do me some good at this point almost 2 years since the stroke? Is it a mental ailment or a physical one? Mmmm.

Sure, Get That Botox!

So I was just thinking about strokies who have been left with weakened or stiffened limbs and muscles and wondered what else would help them besides physical therapy. My friends and I always joke about needing botox now that we've entered out 30s and how we look like we're in our 90s. As a joke, I was going to put together this whole spiel about botox and came across an article about the wrinkle smoother and stroke victims. Apparently botox Type A is usd for helping strokies with their atrophied limbs. It allegedly helps improve patient's mobility helps muscles relax. Wow! That is awesome!

It is NOT approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this use but it is so widely accepted that Medicare and other insurers are reimbursing patients for its use. I'm not sure what doctors practice this but apparently this isn't news. I'm finding articles on botox and stroke from 2002! All the articles seem positive regarding treatment for spasticity due to stroke.

Mm, kind of makes my day.