YOU’RE A SURVIVOR NOT A VICTIM!!!
Yes,life after a stroke may be very different than it was before the stroke and it’s not unusual to ask”Why me?,What did I do to deserve this?” Dwelling on these questions will not help with your recovery and could lead to serious Depression The question I’m constantly asking myself is “Am I working hard enough to get better? And/Or:”Should I be doing more?” No one owns your recovery except YOU. Best w
MY JOURNEY
After I had my stroke 13 years ago,I became very frustrated that there wasn’t a “GO TO” website where I could easily find tools,devices,gadgets that I could use to help with my recovery. So I decided to create this site in the hopes that I could help other STROKE SURVIVORS avoid these frustrations
I have started with first adding items that I found in my research I have used some,but not all of them The site is intended to be a Cotinuous Work IN Progress because of the frequent addition of new products that I find and/or recommendations from other SURVIVORS
I AM A STROKE SURVIVOR (stroke in 2013) I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR THERAPIST
As mentioned above I’m 13 years post-stroke and I still have several deficits from the stroke. My left arm is partially paralyzed and my fingers on the hand are curled,therefore I’m forced to do everything with my right arm and hand I’m fortunate in this regard because before the stroke I was right handed. My left leg remains weak and my ability to bend my knee and ankle and move my toes is very limited. Fortunately I’m able to walk using a cane. I’m not able to use a walker because of the issues with my left arm and hand
Nevertheless I go to therapy every year for the number of sessions my insurance covers My approach to physical therapy is non-conventional Also to be perfectly honest I can’t identify an area that I’ve improved in because of therapy However I do believe that both therapy and my daily walking and home exercise’s have prevented me from regressing or getting worse
Despite the fact that I can’t put my finger on any specific improvements gained from working with a therapist I try to go to therapy every year I’m unconventional in doing so because I try to go to a different therapist and tfacility every year I do this because I learn something new from every therapist and facilities often have different equipment Although most therapists follow the same protocol and exercises based on what they were taught in school I find that the therapist’s with the most experience tend to do things a little different and they introduce me to different exercises I like the different exercises because I’m very committed to my home exercise program after I’m discharged by the therapist because I’ve exhausted the number of sessions that will be paid for by my insurance I enjoy adding the new exercises to my daily at-home routine I’ve had the opportunity to have several pool therapy sessions but unfortunately facilities offering pool therapy are
limited where I live This is unfortunate because I feel that I could make better progress if I could have all my sessions be in the pool I feel this way because I can feel the effects of these sessions much more afterwards than after a land based workout. Unfortunately the opportunity for pool therapy where I live is very limited
DenTimAnd
Administrator&StrokeSURVIVOR
Our
Who We Are
"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."
Being a Stroke Survivor is usually a completely new experience for most people,unless they’ve had a prior stroke or experienced a family member have one Accordingly most SURVIVORS are starting out without any knowledge or experience on what to do Learning will usually start in the hospital through consultations with your doctors, nurses and therapists. You will hear many terms that your unfamiliar with I found myself using the internet to research what many of the terms meant if the doctors and therapists didn’t explain them clearly to me
i thought that I was fairly well versed in how to do excercises,but I quickly found out from my therapists that I was wrong for example most did not subscribe to “No Pain,No Gain. Many felt that you ran the risk of injury by doing things until it hurt. Instead they encouraged focusing on the quality of the exercise/movement and not the quantity They also encouraged a steady and deliberate speed I have a tendency to do things to fast. So I’m frequently told to “slow down…You’re running a marathon not doing sprints”. Even after going to therapy annually,I find that I have to constantly monitor the pace of my exercises
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Learn from experienced instructors who bring real-world knowledge to every lesson. Their insights help you understand not just the “how,” but the “why” behind every skill.
Recovery requires HaRD WORK
No one cat tell you how much you can recove. But they can tell you with certainty that if you do nothing you will get nothing. In fact you could actually cause yourself to get worse. If the stroke affected your ability to walk normally Not doing exercises or stretches for your legs could cause you to lose the ability you do have,or you could cause a balance issue which creates the possibility of falling and suffering a significant injury No one can force you to do exercises, you have to motivate yourself to do them. Because REMEMBER, YOU OWN YOUR RECOVERY! Your Caretaker or family members can only try to encourage you to do them but they can’t make you do them
I’m a STROKE SURVIVOR: I am NOT A DOCTOR OR THERAPIST
I hope this site is helpful for other SURVIVORS IT’S very important for everyone to understand that the site contents are based on 13 years experience and knowledge gained from being a STROKE SURVIVOR. I don’t have any formal training or education about recovering from a stroke. What I do have is Real World Experience in trying to recover from a stroke