Tag: Recovery

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Navigating the Challenges of Recovery and Daily Routines

Written 5/31

Hello Dear Readers,

Today, I lagged behind my usual routine due to an unexpected oversleep. Let me share how my day got off to a slower start. Exhaustion took hold of me last night, a remnant from hours spent mowing the lawn. It’s a taxing endeavor, especially when grappling with a compromised kidney function. Fatigue becomes a constant, unwelcome companion when your kidneys aren’t functioning optimally.

In my journey to recovery post-brainstroke, I’ve committed to regular exercise to boost my overall activity levels. This has indeed infused more energy into my days. Nevertheless, there are occasions when, despite a whole night’s rest, I feel unusually drained. Last night was such an instance. I went to bed on time, expecting sufficient sleep to recharge me.

I was awakened by my alarm this morning, ready to start the day. However, as I was about to rise, my wife initiated her post-run shower. My morning routine invariably begins with a bathroom visit, so I opted to wait for her to finish. Unfortunately, the coziness of my bed proved too seductive, and I drifted back to sleep.

This very scenario is why my occupational therapist has been adamant about the importance of maintaining a robust schedule and regular physical activity to strengthen my body’s endurance. It’s crucial for managing my health, particularly with my renal challenges.

Understanding the toll that kidney issues can take on energy levels, my wife is occasionally inclined to let me sleep a bit longer. To circumvent future disruptions, I plan to ask her to notify me when she’s done with her shower. Fortunately, today’s agenda is relatively relaxed, so this minor hiccup in my schedule should be manageable.

Moving forward, it’s clear that balancing my health needs with daily responsibilities will require some adjustments. It’s a manageable challenge that involves better communication and a little more planning. After all, maintaining a steady pace in life’s race can sometimes mean being flexible and adaptive to the unexpected.

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Rehabilitation Through Culinary Arts: Brian’s Journey Back from a Stroke

In April 2015, Brian experienced a life-altering brain stroke that challenged his daily functioning and independence. Known for his culinary prowess rather than his musical talent, despite a brief flirtation with the flute during his high school years, Brian found himself at a crossroads during his recovery. His therapist suggested engaging in activities like playing an instrument as part of his rehabilitation. However, it was his passion for cooking, deeply rooted in his family’s tradition of excellence in the kitchen, that offered a more fitting path to recovery.

Before the stroke, Brian was a proficient cook and baker, delighting in the creation of dishes and baked goods. The stroke in April left him relearning basic skills by July of the same year, marking the beginning of his journey back to the kitchen. That summer, despite the challenges, he and his father baked a cake for my birthday. Although it didn’t quite achieve its intended shape, it was a significant milestone in Brian’s recovery.

In the initial years following his stroke, I was hesitant to let Brian cook unaided. The potential dangers posed by kitchen utensils and the risk of forgetting to turn off the oven were considerable concerns. Despite having an alarm system, the fear of an accident loomed large. Meanwhile, Brian watched me juggle household responsibilities and a full-time job, his sadness at the situation palpable.

Recognizing the importance of engaging Brian in activities he loved, I began to include him in cooking tasks. By 2017, he had regained enough confidence and skill to prepare simple dishes independently. We started with easy Chinese and Japanese recipes, and over time, Brian’s proficiency grew to the point where he could outdo me in dishes like Nanbanzuke and Ma Po Tofu.

Initially limited to a repertoire of four to five dishes, Brian’s culinary skills expanded with the introduction of Hello Fresh, which provided him with a variety of recipes and emphasized the importance of following instructions. His adventure in cooking and baking evolved further as he began to explore recipes from websites, eventually baking cakes that won the admiration of his family, especially his sister, an accomplished baker herself.

Brian’s recovery underscores the slow but rewarding process of rehabilitation from a brain stroke. Cooking and baking, activities deeply connected to his family and personal identity, became therapeutic outlets that facilitated his recovery. The journey was not just about regaining lost skills but also about rediscovering his self-reliance and the joy of contributing to family occasions through his culinary creations. Brian’s story is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance in overcoming the challenges posed by a stroke. It highlights the importance of a supportive family and the transformative potential of engaging in meaningful activities as part of the recovery process.

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Rebooting Myself: Navigating Life After a Stroke

Written on January 8, 2024.

Hello Dear Readers,

Reflecting on my stroke often leads me down a path of wonder and confusion. The cause remains a mystery, as extensive medical evaluations have failed to provide any definitive answers. The complexity of my condition posed a significant challenge, not only in terms of personal acceptance but also in explaining it to others. Through much contemplation, I’ve likened my experience to undergoing a factory reset.

This analogy perfectly encapsulates the profound impact the stroke had on me. The intuitive shortcuts and pathways I had formed over the years to manage my bodily functions and interact with my environment were suddenly erased. It was as though I had to start from scratch, relearning basic tasks that had once been second nature. Brushing my teeth, a mundane task I had performed effortlessly countless times before, suddenly became a formidable challenge. Holding the toothbrush felt unfamiliar, and applying toothpaste required a deliberate effort that was previously unnecessary. Brushing itself could have been more problematic and challenging to navigate.

This transformation extended beyond personal care to everyday activities, such as typing. Previously, typing was an automatic process where thoughts seamlessly transformed into words on a screen with minimal conscious effort. However, post-stroke, this task demanded significant focus and patience, as my mental connection to my fingers had been disrupted. The ability to multitask effortlessly, a skill I had taken for granted, was now a source of frustration and a poignant reminder of my lost capabilities.

The rehabilitation journey was arduous, filled with the painstaking task of reacquainting myself with the most straightforward routines. Activities that had once been effortless, such as walking, eating, and personal hygiene, became hurdles to overcome. Despite the frustrations and challenges, I embraced a mindset of resilience and improvement. The notion of reprogramming myself became a silver lining; if I had to start over, I would strive to rebuild myself to be more robust and capable.

The experience of recovering from a stroke is akin to navigating through uncharted territory, with each step forward marking a victory in itself. It tests patience, endurance, and the human spirit’s capacity to adapt and overcome. My story is one of many, a testament to the challenges and triumphs faced by those who have had their lives unexpectedly reset. It is a reminder that, despite adversity, there is hope for renewal and the possibility of emerging stronger.

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From One Step to 10K: How Small Choices Built a Resilient New Me After a Stroke

People can be characterized by the sum of their habits.

Everybody has habits, but not everybody chooses their habits. Every choice you make is a step toward forming a life-long habit. As such, making choices that lead you toward your desired destination is critical. So, the first step toward developing good habits is deciding where to end up.

 

After my stroke, I wanted to regain my lost mobility and lessen the burden on my wife I had become. The first step along this journey was to be able to take more than one step between resting. My wife helped immensely with this, and we went on daily walks around our Portland neighborhood.

At first, it was challenging as I had to concentrate on moving my legs. One of the things I lost from the stroke was unconscious control of movements. Walking required concentrating on activating the right leg muscles in the proper order, and doing this for more than a couple of steps resulted in neuro-fatigue, a term I learned during physical therapy.

Neuro-fatigue might be something you’ve experienced if you’ve ever spent a long late night studying for an exam the next day and felt exhausted despite being largely sedentary. This used to happen to me just from walking due to the concentration and mental effort this once simple act demanded. Counting my steps helped me maintain my focus on walking, and it also gave me a way to track improvement.

Initially, I would need to sit down and rest every 50 steps. Still, eventually, I was able to last the hour-long walk until we got home again. Now, I can run 10 kilometers without having to sit down midway. In my next posting, I’ll provide a more detailed description of how I built up to a 10k run.

 

If you want to achieve something, you’ve already taken the first step toward accomplishing it, but you need to take the next step. As I see it, the next step is to subdivide your path into small portions. In my walking, this was easy to determine; I just needed to try and put one more effort than I did on the previous walk. If I failed, I had to try that number repeatedly if necessary. Eventually, I would succeed, and I could increase my goal again.

Eventually, I discovered that what was once all I could manage was now merely halfway to my current goal. If you’re stumbling and trying to take your next step, try making your step smaller.

 

Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady will win many races.