Therapy - It never ends…

Prior to my stroke, I did some form of exercise 4-5 times a week.  The reasons then were to stay fit, look good in clothes and a bathing suit, stay healthy, try to stave off osteoporosis and almost eat whatever I wanted. My routine consisted of running or some form of aerobic exercise, cycling, weight training and lots and lots and lots of ab work.  Although my routine changed after my stroke, no longer able to run, cycle or weight train, I have to do some form of therapy 4 – 5 times a week.  If I don’t exercise it is a setback for me.  If you are a stroke survivor, I strongly recommend you have a therapy routine.

This blog is to discuss here is where I was, here is what I did and here is where I am today as a result of my routine and the help of Bob, my physical therapist, Programs with a Purpose in Kansas City, and my family, and friends.

Here is where I was:

After 7 months in the hospital and first day at home I was wheelchair bound. I could not stand, walk, sit up straight, eat without difficulty, dress myself, bathe or groom. Any motion was painful. Bob, rightly so, limited the pain meds. One of the more frustrating things was I couldn’t straighten my legs so Bob spent 20 minutes every morning and 20 minutes every evening just straightening my legs.  He did this for 6 months.  Every trip to the bathroom and getting in and out of bed required assistance.  I was in therapist’s vernacular “maximum assist “. Here is what got me to “minimum assist”. 

I was going to get out of this thing. Rules were “if we have to take the chair we are not going”.

My introduction to physical therapy post stroke was at TIRR rehab hospital in Houston. The therapists followed their curriculum. I was hoping to walk out of TIRR but this did not happen.  It wasn’t until I hired a physical therapist in Austin with a background in Pilates that I started seeing major results.

The home therapy focused on getting me walking. My caregiver/spouse and physical therapist had one goal, i.e. get me walking as soon as possible. Just standing would have been a feat since every trip to the bathroom and getting in and out of bed required assistance. Bob spent hours trying to get me to stand in our living room. Like any husband and wife instructional activity, I was stubborn and unwilling to listen, Bob thank goodness, was unwilling to give up.

I supplemented the physical therapy with programs I heard about through others.  One example is Programs with a Purpose in Kansas City.  After my stroke, my sister-in-law, Elizabeth, started volunteering at a stroke clinic in Kansas City http://www.programswithapurpose.com/dev/ the program run by Tracy Netherton, has served as a therapy reinforcement program.  In my case, I will always need some form of physical therapy.   I have found there are many different types of therapy and it is good to consider there is more than one way.  Tracy’s clinic for example has a fit and balance room that simulates environments outside my comfort zone like stepping up on curbs, walking over rough terrain such as cobblestones, walking on uneven sidewalks, etc.

My daily routine consists of

- 20-30 minutes on my recumbent bike

-Squats at ballet bar

-Arm pulley to exercise my left arm

-Left arm weight lifting 10 minutes of ab work

All the above and the relentless concern of a setback keep me motivated to maintain my current minimum assist status.  This status allows me to travel across the country independently, go to movies, shop, grocery store, etc. by myself.