Monday, October 31, 2011

It Did More

Early on  I was put on a depression med, an SSRI. In retrospect, that medication did more than stop a current behavior. I took one during the course of my brain injury, Celexa. Here's my comment on another site: http://twextra.com/ajbk1z

On Twitter there was a Tweet on neurogenesis/depression that got me thinking. When I 1st came out of coma, I couldn't do anything but open my eyes (prolly only my lt eye). A while later (maybe a month)  I could move my head. I couldn't talk. It had been explained to me the AVM was still in my head. It had only "leaked." It couldn't be removed due to size n where it was. When able to move my head, I started shaking it. Doctors knew what I was trying to do-I was gonna make it bleed so it would kill me. They put me on Celexa, an SSRI or anti-depressant. I must have stopped shaking my head soon after cuz I don't remember doing that anymore. That was the beginning of 2003, and I was weaned off (can you believe I was the psych consult?) in 2005/6.

If I hadn't been given that medication would I be able to write this?

There are reports of SSRIs increasing cognition: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656299/; http://hddrugworks.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=203&Itemid=119; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100201171523.htm I could go on. There are so many reports.

This document would just be an example of an SSRI's effect other than the immediate reduction of depressive behavior.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Occupy Brain Injury

Again I looked to see if anything has come out on this movement and the brain injured community. Again nothing. But this time something new, the vet that was injured in the Occupy Oakland incident received a brain injury.

Doctors in Oakland, California, are struggling to save the life of an Iraq war veteran who has become a rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street movement after he was badly wounded in clashes between protesters and police.
Scott Olsen, 24, a former US Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq, was struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by police trying to prevent protesters from reclaiming a public square, protest organisers said. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/5866509/War-veteran-hurt-in-Occupy-Wall-Street-protests


Why is this movement important to the brain injured community? Not because of incidents like this. Last weekend there were local protests and a woman spoke of  an issue so many brain injured have dealt with. She had to move from her house to a "small apartment in the ghetto" just to pay her medical bills and feed her family.





Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Fine Motor

Why am I updating fine motor? I believe my right hand will be doing like my speech. I was never supposed to talk, but I do. I was never supposed to move my right hand, but I do.
 
 
In fine motor, I use an inferior pincer grasp, or thumb against the side of my index finger. Usually, we see the neat, where one is nit picky. One thing to be noted, I'm now left handed. I was right.

There was a time when my right hand did nothing. My whole right side was paralyzed. Later, I was able to move it, but my hand was fisted. I searched through old pics. I found this one. It was taken without a thought of my hand. You can clearly see my right hand is closed.


A short while ago, I did this, https://plus.google.com/114061315171466252323#114061315171466252323/posts/P8PwAzowrny At that time I was at 2 rows. I'm now at 5. If you count, there are only 5 rows. So I'm doing the whole board. With my right hand I take out the pegs and put them in a container.
 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Working My Way Back To You

Do you remember this?

 

That's a bit like what I've done. There isn't any technology, though. I'm all natural me. I have used technology. I've used it to communicate. Like right now to type this I've used one hand, yet I've done things requiring two (like capitals).

It has probably taken me so long because it is natural. It has meant doing the same thing everyday for the last few years. A special education teacher who has had  the same student for 5 yrs would know what I mean. Ask any PT (or an OT, or a special ed teacher) you will make progress, although it may be slow.

That's what I am doing with my motor skills. I am slowly making progress. But my cognitive skills are a different story. Cognitively I'm okay.You're supposed to be messed up after a brain bleed like mine. I'm not, and in some ways "better than before (like the video says). That would have to do with re-wiring, which takes more time than allowed by current insurance for rehab.

Now, I'm just working my way back.


Early On

Last Hospital

Now At Home
Before


You can see I'm getting back (You can actually see it in photos!).



Sunday, October 9, 2011

Why ART?

Turning started in the hospital. I couldn't yet talk or move, and as required by hospitals, patients must be turned to prevent pressure sores. I managed to indicate which side to turn on, usually by turning my head to the way I needed to go. Initially, I was keeping track because of the pressure sore procedure. Eventually, I could move again, and this procedure wasn't needed. I kept it up, though, for this reason http://thoughtfulveg.blogspot.com/2011/08/neurogenic-therapy.html.
  
At some point I remembered a conversation about "positive pressure" and a goal of physical and occupational therapy is weight bearing. A person might get 15 min of this "positive pressure" in a therapy session. Wouldn't it be even better to get 8 hrs of positive pressure?
 
So I continued to sleep on my side. My left side was moving. My right now was barely. This works on the brain, though, so I kept it up. I would put my new found movement to work. Range of Motion exercises went from passive to active. Then that arm got included in Physical Therapy exercises. Right now, I've added pegs https://plus.google.com/114061315171466252323#114061315171466252323/posts/P8PwAzowrny. I'm up to almost the whole board now.
 
I would say ART works. For me it has not only restored movement, but made what is there better. Initially, there was no movement at all on that right side http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aha/strokeconnection_20090708/index.php#/10/OnePage. So shouldn't I stop now? Maybe I want to see how far this takes me, but for now, goal accomplished.
.
Right hand is fisted.

Right hand is functional.