Update

February 1, 2008


It has been almost 7 months since I stroked out. Since I have not commented much lately on the recovery process and I have been receiving some questions and inquiries I thought I'd give an update. First, some recovery facts. The first six months are the most important. People generally experience their most significant gains and recover the bulk of what they ultimately will during this time. The second six months are also considered very critical and many people continue to exhibit dramatic improvement during this phase. Year 1 through 2 is more about refining your movements, gaining strength and stamina, and working on specific limitations. Year 2 and on is about accepting your lot while still trying to make improvements. Another recovery fact is that plateaus are common. People may be steadily improving when all of a sudden they hit a wall. They plateau and for weeks or months they may make little or no progress. This can be temporary though and people break through these plateaus and continue to improve. Another recovery fact is that people generally don't rebound 100%. My neurologist and my therapists have all been very clear that they do not expect a 100% recovery. Those are the recovery facts as I understand them.

When I heard that the first 6 months were the most critical and that strokies recovered most of what they will during this time, I foolishly expected that I would be running, jumping, and swinging by 6 months. As 6 months approached it dawned on me that I would not be running, jumping, or swinging, so I decided to extend my time frame to one year. Although I am a generally a very practical person it has sometimes been difficult remaining practical about this process. One year, however, is practical. More importantly, it is realistic and possible.

So, how am I? I am good. I never use a cane. I can walk long distances over any type of terrain and through ridiculous crowds. Though I find them difficult and irritating, I have also mastered hills and stairs. I still, however, prefer to use the railing and if there is no railing, I tend to use Casey as a cane. I grab her foreman and use it as a stabilizer. Unfortunately for her, I tend to push down on her arm and she ends up taking the stairs crouched down and stooped over. She endures this silently and surprisingly has become so accustomed to it that she often scurries around to my right side and proffers her forearm.

My speed has increased and at times I even move with the flow. Typically though, I am the slowest guy in the room. Although I was initially bothered by my snails pace I have now come to embrace it. I embrace the fact that I am never in a hurry. It is amazing what never being in a hurry or in a rush does for your attitude. I am often late getting to where I am going. I often see the elevator or train doors closing just a few feet in front of me. I often am the last one in line. I just don't care anymore. This coming from a guy whose first instinct when stuck behind a slow moving person on the street or when unable to weave my way through a crowd is to punch that slow mover right in the back of the head. That sounds terrible but lets be honest. When you get off the escalator and some dude is just standing in the way, not moving or moving very slowly, don't you just want to punch him in the back of the head? Be honest.

My walking has been at one of the afore mentioned plateaus for about a month now. I have a new Physiotherapist though who has assured me that she will have me running again. She has been studying my walk and has designed some new exercises that should improve my gait, help me with my balance, help me have sensation below the knee, and get my muscles moving quickly again. I have also designed my own exercises. My favorite is the "spaz out". I just stand there and then start spazing out. This means you just lose it and start moving your feet and arms in a total spaz out fashion. The more you turn around, twist your body, flail your arms, and turn in circles the better. Try it. If you have dogs or kids they will probably love it.

So, how is the arm and hand? Very good. For example, I am typing this blog with both hands. Though my style is unconventional, I make a ton of mistakes, and it is painfully slow, I am at least using my left hand for fairly dexterous purposes. I do a lot of exercises using marbles, toothpicks, matches, etc. I still have trouble making quick, sudden movements with my left arm but hopefully, with the introduction of the "spaz out" and my new best friend the tennis ball, that will improve. I am annoying my neighbors by consistently throwing a tennis ball against the floor, ceiling, and walls. My therapists are confident that in time, most, if not all, of my dexterity and coordination will return. My favorite exercise to insure that this indeed happens is called "isolation". I tie my right hand up in a towel, rendering it useless, so that I have to exclusively use my left hand. At first, I would tie my right hand up, get frustrated, and sit down to watch a movie or take a nap. Now, however, I tie it up for several hours and go about my day.

My two biggest complaints right now are discomfort and weakness. Each month the discomfort lessons so I am hopeful that in a few more I won't even notice. What started as a constant tingling, like when your arm or leg is asleep is now not so constant. The tightness and pain should go away as my strength, stamina, and flexibility increase. My other complaint, weakness, is really more of an ego issue. I am a weakling right now and terribly out of shape and it drives me crazy. What really drives me crazy is Casey has to carry the grocery bags,the backpack, etc. We are going to Cambodia in a few weeks and she will have to carry our pack. I should be happy about this but it annoys me.

That is my update, although not a very brief one. I have finally broken through my walking plateau and my therapist promises that she can get me running again. My left hand, although still an uncoordinated left hand, is doing magical things like picking up 10 matches and putting them down one by one. I am very pleased with how things have been going and I am very pleased that I still have five and a half months before I hit the one year mark. My goal at the one year mark is to be able to beat most of you in a foot race and to beat most of you in a left handed thumb wrestle.

Now to make you all jealous. I just received a project from the translation company I have done some work for. They want me to edit TWO TEXTBOOKS for the Faculty Of Business And Management at Open University Malaysia. 1)E-Commerce 2)Audit YES!! I can hardly wait - it is going to be so interesting.