Snowshoes Race Result

Carrie Lewis
Stroke Survivors Tattler

February 22 / 2014

Saturday, February, 22 9:30am until 10:15am in the main pavilion at Hawrelak Park, beside the lake. 

Snowshoe running is the fastest growing winter sport, and the Sliver Skate Festival is excited to add a snowshoe race to the events in 2014. Come see what snowshoe running is all about in our first annual snowshoe race of the festival. To host an amazing race, the Silver Skate Festival has partnered with Snowshoe Canada, the national organization that promotes the sport, as well as Monika Owczarek, Canadian snowshoe running Champion and 4-time World Championships qualifier.

John C. Anderson
Stroke Survivors Tattler

Carrie & myself (John), attempting Silver Snowshoes Race 1km (actually is 1.3km)  at relative brisk morning -21ºC but lots of sun; Edmonton in the winter, average temperature is -17ºC so we wear a toque, gloves, and parka i.e normal in Edmonton.  Carrie was the photographer for SSTattler and she took many pic's (and videos unknown to me).

Monika Owczarek set the course with little flags about 25m apart so the route is clear.  Other admin people was in route to tell you to stay on the course and yell at you to "go faster, go faster,...".

Monika started the race. At the very start you have to 1) go up the hill & then down, 2) relatively flat most the way, 3) approximately 180º degrees back to start, 4) go down the hill and up, 5) cross the line to end of the course.

It is very obvious, I was not in the medals! but I claim my task is the anchor (anyway, I was last but had lots a fun) - young pre-teens boy was the first at approximately less 12 minutes and many people clapped to me to finish.  Carrie took pictures and the video below. They had lots coco/tea/coffee and snacks at the end.

From Monika Owczarek, Canadian snowshoe running Champion:

2014 was the first annual snowshoe race at the Silver Skate Festival as an addition to the current sports events (winter triathlon and marathon skate races).  There was a 1km and a 5km distance. As next year is the 25th anniversary of the Silver Skate Festival, the snowshoe race will be even bigger, with a larger launch. The event in 2015 may have a 10km distance in addition to this year's distances. Expect another great event for the whole family. Looking forward to it!

(Plasticity) Barbara Arrowsmith-Young: The Woman Who Changed Her Brain

Published on Apr 27, 2013

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is the Creator and Director of Arrowsmith School and Arrowsmith Program, and the author of the international best-selling book The Woman Who Changed Her Brain (www.barbaraarrowsmithyoung.com/book). She holds a B.A.Sc. in Child Studies from the University of Guelph, and a Master's degree in School Psychology from the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). Arrowsmith-Young is recognized as the creator of one of the first practical applications of the principles of neuroplasticity to the treatment of learning disorders. Her program is implemented in 54 schools internationally.


Standard YouTube License @ TED

RMR: Rick at the AGO

Published on Jan 29, 2014

Rick visits the Art Gallery of Ontario and goes behind-the-scenes with curators, conservators,

and guides.

Standard YouTube License @ Rick Mercer Report

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Saturday News

Contents of This Week:

• Headline -  Balance
• Comics   - ForBetterOrForWorse, Dilbert, Peanuts, Doonesbury
• Eclectic - Many articles from many guest bloggers
• Trailer  - RickMercerReport - Intelligence, humorous, politics...

Def'n: Balance

Balance (Ability) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A woman demonstrating the ability to balance

In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the line of gravity (vertical line from centre of mass) of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. Sway is the horizontal movement of the centre of gravity even when a person is standing still. A certain amount of sway is essential and inevitable due to small perturbations within the body (e.g., breathing, shifting body weight for one foot to the other or from forefoot to rearfoot) or from external triggers(e.g., visual distortions, floor translations). An increase in sway is not necessarily an indicator of dysfunctional balance so much as it is an indicator of decreased sensorimotor control.

Maintaining balance requires coordination of input from multiple sensory systems including the vestibular, somatosensory, and visual systems.

• Vestibular system: sense organs that regulate equilibrium; directional information as it relates to head position (internal gravitational, linear, and angular acceleration)
• Somatosensory system: senses of proprioception and kinesthesia of joints; information from skin and joints(pressure and vibratory senses); spatial position and movement relative to the support surface; movement and position of different body parts relative to each other
• Visual system: Reference to verticality of body and head motion; spatial location relative to objects

The senses must detect changes of spacial orientation with respect to the base of support, regardless of whether the body moves or the base is altered. There are environmental factors that can affect balance such as light conditions, floor surface changes, alcohol, drugs, and ear infection.

Video: Balance

SSTattler: The last YouTube you have to see to get better...

Gait and Balance

Published on Sep 12, 2013

http://rehabharness.com

Gait and Balance Activities: Rehab Harness "Gait training System, Therapy and Rehab Harness and Rail Company with the most comfortable, easy to use, ergonomic and customized harnesses on the market, for unloading, walking support, body weight support treadmill training, gait physical therapy, locomotor training and gait training, for amputees with prosthetics, stroke rehabillation, and cerebral palsy. We work with Prism Medical (prismmedicalltd.com) and biodex (biodex.com)"

Standard YouTube License @ REHAB HARNESS (OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL) 

Saturday Comics

For Better and For Worse
Lynn Johnston - 2014/02/23

"Elizabeth, if you want to see your hair in ponytails,..."

Dilbert
Scott Adams - 2014/02/23

"GAAA!!! I just realized I'm in idiot!"

Peanuts
Charles Schulz - 2014/02/23

"What? Oh, yeah,... sure, absolutely,..., uh huh,..." 

Doonesbury
Garry Trudeau - 2014/02/23

"Overseeing the digitalization of chats and grudges..."

  
** I tried to get low or free price at the people http://www.UniversalUclick.com/ for the images for the cartoons. It was too high for Stroke Survivors Tattler i.e. we are not a regular newspaper and our budget is very low. Fortunately, you will have to do only 1-click more to see the cartoon image, it is legit and it is free using GoComics.com and Dilbert.com.
Note: Now SSTattler are running cartoons starting on previous Sunday.

Eclectic Stuff

Definition: Eclectic(noun) a person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.

AFO, 911 & Other Disasters

DianeThe Pink House On The Corner

Friday, October 5, 2012

I feel like I've just run a marathon after spending this whole week dashing to seven different doctor's offices, first to drop off medical records release authorization forms, then to pick up medical records. And these darn offices are spread across the city. I tell you, I put some miles on The Green Machine, though I don't know how many for sure, as the odometer doesn't work.

On one my last mad dashes, half-way home it began to rain and I'm thinking, oh crap, because I've only got one working windshield wiper, and it's a pretty jerky wiper at that. So I turn it on and, of course, you know it, there's this rather loud CLUNK! and the thing dies. Now, this is not just the wiper blade that I'm talking about, those are easy to replace, this is the whole darn mechanism: the rod that goes down under the dash which snapped. Bubba had warned me this was about to blow. I thought I had a bit more time...

So there I am, driving in the pouring rain, with no windshield wipers. I can't see a thing. The rain, plus the fact that I really need a new prescription for my glasses, but haven't been able to afford it. I am half blind. And, to add injury to insult, the darn radio fizzles out. I tell you, my knees were weak when I got home.

Tumor Radiation Therapy

Andrea
A Year of Living In My Head

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My tumor is a meningioma.  Attached to the lining of my brain, but not the brain itself.  It is a large grape size, and pressed tightly against my brain stem with my hearing and balance nerves running near it.

That is the risk of the Gamma Knife surgery, that those nerves will be harmed.  I am at the point of not being able to take in information.  I feel this is a major fail on my part- the woman who does research on the best toenail clippers of 2011-- and I can't even research this surgery beyond the cursory.   I am going to trust my doctors.  They have no idea what a big deal that is for me.

I have all my xmas shopping done, the tree up.  Today and tomorrow are for cleaning the house and putting the lights up outside. The next day is surgery prep and surgery.  I am going with the "I will be fine" tagline.

My therapist recommended I write notes to each of my kids in case something happens.  You have no idea how that made me cry, but she was right.  Since I am a major procrastinator the tendency is to obviously put it off, but I cannot. I wrote little notes, but really, how can you write something as if you will never say it again?  I know I was missing crucial parts but I guess it is what it is.
 
I also started going to a mindfulness therapist - which is meditation - my favorite part about that is when she starts talking calmly her small fluffy dog sacks out next to her and starts snoring. Her skills even work on dogs.

The gamma knife will kill the tumor, turn it into scar tissue.  If it is fast growing it will come back.  If it is malignant (very small small chance) it will come back.  But there is a high probability it will stop it altogether.

Strangely enough, I am in a happy place right now.  My stroke effects are minimal other than memory and odd left side awareness issues.  I have people coming out of the woodwork to support my family,  and this stubborn independent woman is learning to graciously receive help as it is offered.

See the original article:

Tumor Radiation Therapy

in

A Year of Living In My Head

Clinical Correlates of Between-Limb Synchronization of Standing Balance Control and Falls During Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

Dean Reinke
Deans' Stroke Musing

Thursday, July 5, 2012

So if sensorimotor impairment may cause falls, what therapy is needed to bring it back to normal? Its a simple question. I was tested in one  of these called a Balance Master 4 weeks post-stroke. The force plates I was standing on could move side to side, front to back and tilt in various directions, all the while the three sides; front of you and each side were moving around. You were strapped into a harness to catch you when you fall. After it was all done my PT ran my scores thru the universe of  results and at that time my age of 50 results were better than the average 50 year old male. I just told him I would really have enjoyed that testing  challenge when I was healthy. Its like kneeling on a yoga ball  for balance practice. This was all absolutely necessary  for keeping upright in a squirrely whitewater canoe. My favorite was a Mad River Outrage. Ok, feeling sorry for myself again.
 

Sage Journals - Abstract etoc

ABSTRACT

Background. Stroke-related sensorimotor impairment potentially contributes to impaired balance. Balance measures that reveal underlying limb-specific control problems, such as a measure of the synchronization of both lower limbs to maintain standing balance, may be uniquely informative about poststroke balance control. Objective. This study aimed to determine the relationships between clinical measures of sensorimotor control, functional balance, and fall risk and between-limb synchronization of balance control. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of 100 individuals with stroke admitted to inpatient rehabilitation. Force plate–based measures were obtained while standing on 2 force plates, including postural sway (root mean square of anteroposterior and mediolateral center of pressure [COP]), stance load asymmetry (percentage of body weight borne on the less-loaded limb), and between-limb synchronization (cross-correlation of the COP recordings under each foot). Clinical measures obtained were motor impairment (Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment), plantar cutaneous sensation, functional balance (Berg Balance Scale), and falls experienced in rehabilitation. Results. Synchronization was significantly related to motor impairment and prospective falls, even when controlling for other force plate–based measures of standing balance control (ie, postural sway and stance load symmetry). Conclusions. Between-limb COP synchronization for standing balance appears to be a uniquely important index of balance control, independent of postural sway and load symmetry during stance.

See the original article:

Clinical Correlates of Between-Limb Synchronization of Standing Balance Control and Falls During Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation

in

Deans' Stroke Musing

Fall Hazards Are Subtle

Rebecca Dutton
Home After a Stroke

February 25, 2014

Babies learning to walk do not get hurt when they fall because they are 18 inches (45 cm) tall.  When I fall I go crashing to the ground like a tree that has just been cut down.  Stroke survivors with impaired balance need procedures and equipment that prevent falls.  It's the small things we do not pay attention to that trip us up.  I do not fall because I crash into my sofa.  I fall when I do not lift my hemiplegic (paralyzed) leg high enough to stop my toe from catching the edge of a rug which lifts the rug up. The rugs in the photo keep the floor dry when people at church track in rain and snow.  I have fallen when my toes caught the edge of this type of rug.  I learned the hard way to look down to see where the edge of the rug is before I step onto it.

Another procedure keeps me safe at bedtime.  I rely on my vision to tell me if I am vertical.  If I turn around after I darken a room by turning the lamp off I stumble badly.  I quickly learned to make sure I am turned to face the lighted room I am heading towards before I look down to find the light switch.  It's a relief to find the lit room as soon as I look up.

If these procedures sound trivial, let me tell you about a stroke survivor who could have ended up in a long-term care facility because of a bad fall.  He has impaired balance so the hospital staff gave him a long-handled reacher so he would not lean over to pick up objects on the floor.  But using a reacher at home was frustrating.  If he was downstairs the reacher was upstairs.  If he was at one end of the house the reacher was at the other end of the house.  This repeated aggravation tempted him to reach down to pick up something even though he knew it was not safe.  He fell and broke his sound wrist.  When he finally got back home he bought three more reachers.  A reacher is always close because he has two reachers per floor with one at each end of the house.

I learned not to let subtle fall hazards lull me into a false sense of security because they do not make me fall every time I encounter them.  Are there hazards in your home you are not paying attention to, like a poorly lit front porch or extension cords snaking across a room?

See the original article:

Fall Hazards Are Subtle

in

Home After a Stroke

Out of the Comfort Zone

Grace Carpenter
My Happy Stroke

Friday, January 25, 2013

Right after the stroke, I was warned repeatedly to be very, very careful. So I was. I went without falling at all for more than six months after the stroke. When I did finally fall, it was a very gentle plop in my backyard. I've stumbled some other times, but I've always been able to catch myself.

But since October, I've fallen three times. The last time was Monday, when I got up early (very unusual for me) and decided to go outside to get the newspaper with my PJs and  robe on. As I was climbing up the four steps up to the porch, with the newspaper clutched under my right arm, I suddenly lost my balance and fell sideways. I landed beside the steps, into a pile of plastic shovels. I broke my daughter's play shovel. I got a scratches on my right hand knuckles. My dignity was hurt. I was shook up.

Sometimes a little thing can mess up my balance: an especially windy or cold day; an outfit I haven't worn much; two steps that don't have a place to grab on to; holding something I usually don't hold. That day, I was challenged by all these things. (That, and my lack of coffee.) Usually I'm meticulous about preparing myself, but I didn't do that on Monday. I just wanted to get the damned newspaper.

My husband and I agree that, in some ways, it's a sign of progress: I'm  pushing at the edges of my comfort zone. I just hope that I can get through this phase of my recovery without any more serious injuries than scratched knuckles.

See the original article:

Out of the Comfort Zone

in

My Happy Stroke

Ten Steps

Marcelle Greene
Up Stroke

Sunday, October 30, 2011

For more than a decade, I've belonged to a women's group that gets together every Saturday morning. We meet in a Craftsman-style house. There are ten cement steps leading up to a broad wooden porch. The steps are uneven with no railing up the right-hand side. Post-stroke, when I first tackled those steps, I climbed only with my strong leg, using my cane for balance and pausing often to rest.

Each week my Saturday women would stand on the porch watching like nervous mothers and exploding into smiles when I reached the top stair. In time I found the courage to climb leg over leg.

A couple months ago I set a goal of climbing the stairs without my cane. One of my Saturday women would climb beside me so that I could grab her if I lost my balance. Last weekend I tried for the first time to climb alone. I lost my balance on the eighth step and called for help. Then I went back to the bottom and tried again. That second time I cleared the tenth step. My Saturday women hugged me and we cried.

A long time ago my first boss taught me this: "Marcelle, you're going to encounter two kinds of people in this world – those who pull you up and those who pull you down. The ones who pull you up are 'Balcony People' and those are the people you want in your life."

She was right and I found mine standing on a porch.

See the original article:

Ten Steps

in

Up Stroke

Balance

Amy Shissler
My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery

May 20, 2012

Good balance depends on 3 things.  These are your vision, vestibular system, and proprioception.  I described proprioception in an earlier blog post.  The vestibular system is in the inner ear and controls equilibrium.  In school, one way we tested our balance was by doing the Foam and Dome Test.  The first thing we would do is time how long we could just stand there without shoes.  Next, a dome was put on our heads, this took away our vision so we were only relying on our vestibular system and our proprioceptors.  Next, with the dome still on our head, we had to stand on a piece of foam and this took away our proprioceptors so by the end of the test we were relying solely on our vestibular system.  You can’t really do anything to mess up the vestibular system.  It’s a test for balance and it tells what needs to be worked on.  There are different variations of this test.  After my stroke, I had terrible balance.  The vestibular system goes to a lot of areas in the brain but some of it is controlled by the cerebellum.  Proprioception -  controlled mostly by the cerebellum.  My vision was OK after a month.  So I had 2 strikes against me.  My cerebellum was damaged and therefore both my vestibular system was messed up as well as my sense of proprioception.  Now, my balance is far from normal but sooooo much better.  I can now balance on my right leg for 20 seconds.  If you want to learn more than you ever wanted to about balance, go here.  (This link downloads a powerpoint presentation).

See the original article:

Balance

in

My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery

Sunday Stroke Survival ~ It's All About Balance

Jo Murphey
The Murphey Saga

Sunday, February 23, 2014

I'm trying to find my new normal after my second event (stroke). I don't know if I can do it but I'm going to try follow the stroke e-zine guides that republish me for March. I know it isn't March yet (almost) but they will publish the articles during March. So here goes...

It's all about balance in everything you do either as a stroke survivor or not.  I know the gist is supposed to be about balancing to keep from falling but I am taking a different tact because I can. :oP

I'm going to talk about rebalancing your life. You've heard the old saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" or something to that effect? It is so true. When you don't listen to your body other things crop up to make you listen and regain your balance.

In the hospital and when I first came home for about three months, I was in rehab mode. In fact, I had little energy to do anything else because I was exercising three times a day! I was that determined I was to get everything back. I refused to compromise with what was. I had no energy to speak of to socialize. When I wasn't physically moving towards improving my body, I was attempting to improve the cognitive function of my brain and dealing with overcoming my aphasia issues. I was an automaton. Sleep, medications, eat, exercise, and rest. All because I was told that this was the way to get it all back in recovery.

Yoga and Balance

Jeff Porter
Stroke of Faith

Monday, June 13, 2011

Personally, I'm not into yoga. Then again, maybe I should be. My own stroke didn't leave me with balance issues, but that is a very common occurrence. Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability, and often, balance is affected.

WebMD recently reported that yoga may improve balance of stroke patients: 

• The study shows stroke survivors who participated in a specialized post-stroke yoga class improved their balance by up to 34%.
• Researchers say the participants also experienced a big boost in their own self-confidence after their yoga practice and became more physically active in their communities.
• "It also was interesting to see how much the men liked it," says researcher Arlene A. Schmid, assistant professor of occupational therapy in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, in a news release.

See the original article:

Yoga and Balance

in

Stroke of Faith

Stroke Victim? Survivor, Triumphant or Stroke Warrior!!!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Gary center - Receiving recognition as a Provincial Library volunteer

Maybe I was a stroke victim and maybe I never was. There was a period of about six weeks post stroke when I couldn't walk. In fact, for part of that time I was bed-fast and in a coma. I never lost the will to recover and with the much appreciated help and support of friends, family and health care professionals I was able to stand and then walk short distances before I left rehab. Determined to walk I established a personal routine of walking while at the same time learning to work within the confines of severe fatigue, balance issues and Left side deficit. Now, almost 12 years post stroke I still struggle with fatigue, noticeable balance issues and Left side deficit but I maintain a regular routine of walking as part of my recovery. I have never considered myself a victim but rather a survivor or as some have termed it "Stroke Triumphant": "STROKE WARRIOR". Three keys to recovery are to maintain a positive attitude, set attainable goals and work at it every day. Also, a forth very important key is  - NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!!!

See the original article:

Stroke Victim? Survivor, Triumphant or Stroke Warrior!!!

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Prince Edward Island Stroke Recovery

Stroke Rehabilitation

Richard Burns
Live or Die: A Stroke of Good Luck

Friday, September 14, 2012

Same excuse.  Know you've got to write blogs twice a week, at least once... but then you don't sell that little book that tells what your new life is all about - how, how long, the perils, the set-backs, the challenges that face this new you.  Eventually, a better new you.

They say that home is where the heart is.  In this case it's where the brain is.

Home rehabilitation allows for greater flexibility so that the patient may tailor their program of rehabilitation and follow individual schedules.  Stroke Survivors may participate in an intensive level of therapy several hours a week.  Or follow a less demanding schedule, according to doctor's instructions and their own abilities and time.   It is suggested that such arrangements may be best suited for one type of therapy at a time.  Note that patients who depend on Medicare coverage must meet "homebound" requirements to qualify for these types of therapy.  The major disadvantage of home-based rehabilitation services is the lack of specialized equipment.  But then there's you and your purpose and desire and the advantages of practicing skills and developing alternate and compensatory strategies in their own living environment.  In recent trials, intensive balance and strength rehabilitation in the home was equivalent to treadmill training at a rehabilitation facility in improving walking.

Always remember that you're not alone anymore.  Research-qualified organizations such as National Stroke Association, American Stroke Association,National Institute of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Easter Seals, Aphasia Hope, National Aphasia Association, National Rehabitation Inforfmation Center - the list goes on.  

Next up - how you.

Richard Burns
www.liveordieburns.com

See the original article:

Stroke Rehabilitation

in

Live or Die: A Stroke of Good Luck

PT is for Personal Training!

Pamela Hsieh
Rehab Revolution

10 September 2011

I’ve already written about personal training before, but I’d like to revisit the topic. Since around 2008, I’ve worked with a number of personal trainers and gone through dry spells as well. Like anything else, there are pros and cons to regularly working with a trainer, but in this case the pros heavily outweigh the cons. I think the only downside to working with a trainer is the costs — both financial (though some practices will take medical insurance as long as it is rehabilitative) and of time.

If you struggle with self-discipline and regulation, a trainer will no doubt keep you accountable to getting you to the gym and working out on a consistent basis. Also, a good trainer will also keep an eagle eye out on your form to make sure you’re doing the exercises as correctly and efficiently as possible. They’ll also evaluate your eating habits to make sure your nutritional needs are met and ensure that you’re working out on your own too.

I’m fortunate enough to have had a free training session with a trainer at my gym who wowed me! In thirty-five minutes, she had me burn 380 calories (to know this, a heartrate monitor is an excellent tool) without my getting on a single cardio machine! The explanation? The exercises she had me doing were specially tailored to my needs, rather than just being the generic one-size-fits-all programs that everyone does.

I’ll only be working with her once a week, unfortunately, but with her guidance I expect results to show quickly. My particular program will first factor in what’s called corrective exercise, involves logging what I eat every day, and requires me to get in cardio as much as possible in between the strength training. In addition to my chiropractic strength and balance exercises, I should be just short of bionic by the end of a couple months!

I’d love to ask my trainer, who is apparently also a writer (and a dancer!), to write a guest article for us, so I’ll keep you posted on that.

To our healing,

See the original article:

PT is for Personal Training!

in

Rehab Revolution

What Rush?

Barb Polan
Barb's Recovery

28th May 2013

A second post for today ... Every year on the anniversary of the stroke I had, I try to do some challenge I haven't done since the stroke. So far, I've made a list of what I learned in the first year; walked on Crane Beach (a large beach with very fine-grained sand, which makes it difficult on the dry areas); and walked 2 miles around Eastern Point. I've been wondering lately what I would do to acknowledge my 4th anniversary, and have been thinking about something water-related. The first time I brought up the topic, my aquatic PT suggested doing 16 laps (one-quarter mile), doing my modified running in the water with 4 floats keeping my head above water. I suggested treading water sans floats. She was very negative about it, and said she didn't think I'd be able to kick hard enough and "scull" my arm fast enough to keep my weak side afloat. "How long?" "15 minutes is good, right?" Dale nodded. That "can't" attitude clinched it; since then I've been mulling it over even more. Today I brought up the topic again, and she agreed to help me try to tread water naked. "First," she said, " we'll get rid of this dumbbell, then put a smaller float here, get rid of that other one, and you might just have to accept keeping that last little one." She immediately took the dumbbell, which I've been using to help balance myself when I'm feeling a little tippy. I didn't sink, and I didn't tip over. Then she pulled off the large around-the-right-arm float she wanted to replace with something smaller, but then didn't replace it with anything. I didn't sink, just listed to my left as I put more weight on the float on that side, not a problem. Then she cocked her head and eyed the smaller around-the-arm float under my left armpit. "Wait, wait, wait," I said, "we have until November to accomplish this; it's not like we have only to the end of the week. November 12th." Ironically, of the 2 of us, I'm the more goal-oriented, and I tend to rush to get an exercise finished, while she wants me to relax and do all the motions very slowly. I can't wait to see what floats she takes away from me on Friday.

See the original article:

What Rush?

in

Barb's Recovery

Stroke-Life Balance

July 5, 2013

We’ve all heard of work-life balance.  Some people feel there is no such thing.  Some lean more towards work and some more towards life.  I was also struggling with work-life balance before the stroke.  I worked three (long) days a week to spend more time at home with my family…but I actually worked from home every single day to make up for not being there in person.  When I was home, it was a constant struggle…housework or zoo? home-cooked dinner or more time with the kids and a frozen pizza?  As my kids are growing, I could sometimes integrate things a little more: make supper together, make a few phone calls for work while cuddling with my son.

Stroke-life balance isn’t something you hear much about… but for those who have had a stroke (or really have any other chronic medical condition that affects their stamina), it is a constant struggle.  There are several reasons this is difficult:

• TIME.  We are all given 24 hours in a day…but if you, like me, need to sleep for at least 12 of them to be halfway human, you’ve just cut out a big chunk of time.

Speed is Good.

Peter G. Levine
Stronger after Stroke

Monday, December 13, 2010

The ability to get from one place to another is essential to every animal. The speed at which travel takes place is an essential to determining the success or failure of everything from food acquisition to escaping danger. Gait requires input from the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscular power, and joint and cardiovascular health.

Because of all these systems are required to coordinate gait, gait speed is an indicator of the health of many physiological systems. In all animals, gait speed decreases with age. In humans, the speed of our mobility is predictive of so much more than if we will eat, or are eaten.

What is remarkable about testing gait speed is how much it reveals about people. Here is a laundry list.

• A decline in gait speed predicts a decline in attention
• An increase in gait speed predicts a substantial decline in mortality while a decrease in gait speed predicts an increase chance of mortality
• Gait speed correlates well with functional ability, future health status and the patient’s confidence in their balance
• Gait speed predicts where discharge will take place (home, SNF, etc.), the chance of hospitalization, an increase in medical costs, disability and mortality
• Gait speed predicts the need for rehabilitation
• Gait speed can be used to determine the effectiveness of a particular rehabilitation treatment option.
• Gait speed can be used as a surrogate for quality of gait; the faster the walking, generally speaking, the higher the quality of gait.

And much more!

Also, gait speed is modifiable. Walking speed is not only predictive of decline, it can also predict improvement.

See the original article:

Speed is Good

in

Stronger after Stroke

Garden Boxes

By Regina Price

When I went back to our acreage home after staying in the University Hospital for one month and then Glenrose Hospital for two months, I indicated to my husband ( I lost my speech) that having boxes in our first acreage garden would help me with gardening -- without putting my knees on the ground and straining my back every day. As a psychologist -- before my aneurysm — I knew that gardening would help me heal (as it would by eating organic vegetables from our garden).



So, he decided to build 6 boxes about 2 feet tall, 8 feet long,4 feet wide. He nailed on a 2x4 on the top for me to sit on when I am weeding and picking or cleaning up that box. Then we put them into the garden area 6 inches deep and put into good black dirt to fill them 6inches from the top.

After this, gardening was less painful and more enjoyable than putting all the dirt in the boxes. I planted the seeds in the end of April to the middle of May. We have some water containers or barrels which catch the rainwater from the roof and I need to put the water on each box when they need it. By the June, we are eating lettuce, mustard greens, spinach and later by August, we are eating peas, beans, carrots, kale, zucchini, etc.

Every year, I am glad that I am gardening and eating what we grow. It helps me give my relatives garden produce, including my Mom who is 88, and my daughter and her family. It helps me appreciate our lives and how helpful we can be without having a job.

1. Neuro Film Festival & 2. Silver Snowshoes Festival & 3. Snowshoe Techniques

Carrie Lewis
Stroke Survivors Tattler

1. Neuro Film Festival - In 2013 festival entries has 80 YouTubes and currently in 2014 Neuro Film Festival Entries has 45 available and more coming... So far in we will plan Stroke Survivors Tattler "Mar/29/2014 - 2014 Neuro Film Festival (?tentative)".

John C. Anderson
Stroke Survivors Tattler

2. Silver Snowshoes Festival - We had a lots a fun in the Snowshoes Race February 22 / 2014. I was last in 1.3km course but this is my only third time using snowshoes (and I fell only once) - I sure I'll be in Silver Snowshoes/Skate Festival next year. The winner is (a kid approximate 10+/- years old!) with a time is less 12 minutes. He has no poles and at the start he went over the first hill and disappeared! This is the first Silver Snowshoes Festival so be prepared for 2015! By the way, Carrie L expert with snowshoes, took many pictures - see below:

3. Snowshoe Techniques - I saw the "Snowshoe Techniques" on YouTube and, for me and many stroke survivors, it will show to fall and pick yourself up again - see 2:10 minutes. You can see the whole YouTube (approx 4:17 min.) - nice video.


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So What’s in It for You?

Kate Allatt
A Rocky Stroke Survivors

February 22, 2014


Stop press……

Groundbreaking OPPORTUNITY to Sponsor not 1, but 2 Fighting Strokes projects:

So what’s in it for you?

• Front Page Logo
• Internal Website Tab
• Extra Internal Tab – content TBA
• Fantastic imagery & sponsor story
• Social Media Content & links
• Mentions on the App Store
• In-App Messages & thanks
• Advertorial for your company
• Reach a captive audience through association with a dynamic charity, that practically helps people make more recovery
• A Free inspirational or medical speech
• Complimentary sample books

Please Contact: Kate@fightingstrokes.org

See the original article:

So What’s in It for You?

in

A Rocky Stroke Recovery

The 'Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd Grade Teacher

Jackie Poff
Stroke Survivors Tattler

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid,takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.' 

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.' 

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.  They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there in the first place.' 

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's Show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.

Fractured Bones and a Doctor with an Attitude

Joyce Hoffman
The Tale of a Stroke Patient

Feb 23, 2014

I broke my big toe on a cutting board that had fallen from a pile of stuff. Please. Don't ask. Imagine whatever you'd like.

That was in October 2013 and I quit going to the gym, and naturally, what I had gained gym-wise was depleting rapidly. In November, I went to rehab in Pittsburgh, where I was visiting my son, and the therapist phoned the rehab doctor, known as a physiatrist (I always love to say physiatrist because people always think, as a result of my  stroke,  I'm mispronouncing psychiatrist and they think I'm going to a shrink--sorry to disappoint), who said that 2 or 3 weeks in the rehab in-patient facility (rehab 4 to 5 hours every day of the week) might prove to be not such a bad thing. He was serious, and he said to come back Monday for a solution. I mean, I couldn't just check in to a hospital for rehab without his help, but ironically, something happened to make it so.

In December, still visiting Pittsburgh, my cousin came to visit for a week. Do you know what the Ancients said about visits? Visits are like bad fish. Stay for more than 3 days and they'll both end up stinking. I don't about that analogy, but her stay was hectic, with her 10 steps ahead wherever we went. I tried to pretend I could keep up with her--it made me feel normal, but it was pointless. She was always in a hurry, like she was having a race with her bucket list.

She left when the week was up, and I was invited to my son's house to chill out and have chicken soup with non-gluten matzah balls. You'd think non-gluten matzoh balls would be a set up for a joke, but it's not.

TED Top Ten Best Talks

Uploaded on Oct 3, 2009

This video compiles the ten most popular talks from the TED platform. Their description of the clip follows:

'With 50 million views since we started posting video two years ago, TEDTalks have become a powerful cultural force.

To celebrate this milestone, we're releasing a never-before-seen list: the Top 10 TEDTalks of all time, as of June 2008.

With speakers like neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor (stroke) and global health expert Hans Rosling, the list proves one of the compelling ideas behind TEDTalks: that an unknown speaker with a powerful idea can reach -- and move -- 'a global audience through the power of quality web video... Even if you've seen them all, the highlights video... is darn fun.'

 
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RMR: Rick at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park

Published on Jan 29, 2014

Rick travels to Squamish, BC to ride and restore historic locomotives.

   
Standard YouTube License @ Rick Mercer Report

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Saturday News

Contents of This Week:

• Headline -  Why Use Wikipedia in Stroke Survivors Tattler
• Comics   - ForBetterOrForWorse, Dilbert, Peanuts, Doonesbury
• Eclectic - Many articles from many guest bloggers
• Trailer  - RickMercerReport - Intelligence, humorous, politics...

Def'n: Why Use Wikipedia in SSTattler

SSTattler: Encyclopaedia ---> Wikipedia vs Britannica
                by statista @ Creative Commons in 2012

This battle for survival is even clearer when viewed against the behemoth that is Wikipedia vs. Britannica. The Internet’s free and open encyclopaedia and sixth highest ranked website in the world benefits from almost 200 times the number of contributors (751,426 vs 4,000) and 60 times the number of articles (3,890,000 vs 65,000). The vast majority of people searching information will and do choose a free Wikipedia over the $70 cost of an annual subscription for Britannica.

Hmmm - My wallet is little bare - I will use Wikipedia for SSTattler at least for now.

See the article: Encyclopaedia Britannica vs Wikipedia: A Battle Already Lost?

Wikipedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The logo of Wikipedia, a globe featuring

glyphs from several writing systems

Wikipedia (wik-i-pee-dee-ə) is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia that the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation supports. Volunteers worldwide collaboratively write Wikipedia's 30 million articles in 287 languages, including over 4.4 million in the English Wikipedia. Anyone who can access the site can edit almost any of its articles, which on the Internet comprise the largest and most popular general reference work, ranking sixth globally among all websites on Alexa with an estimated 365 million readers.

Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched Wikipedia on January 15, 2001, the latter creating its name Wikipedia, from a portmanteau of wiki (a type of collaborative website, from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning "quick") and encyclopedia.

Wikipedia's departure from the expert-driven style of encyclopedia-building and the presence of much unacademic content have received extensive attention in print media. In 2006, Time magazine recognized Wikipedia's participation in the rapid growth of online collaboration and interaction by millions of people around the world, in addition to YouTube, Reddit, MySpace, and Facebook. Wikipedia has also become known as a news source because of the rapid update of articles related to breaking news.

Video: Why Use Wikipedia in SSTattler

1. Introduction 

Is Wikipedia a Credible Source?

Published on Oct 4, 2013

It's the go-to website for information on just about anything. But is the info on Wikipedia worth it's weight in megabytes? Trace has the answer and tells us about a new plan to up the accuracy of some of its most popular pages.

Read More: UCSF First U.S. Medical School to Offer Credit For Wikipedia Articles

"UC San Francisco soon will be the first U.S. medical school at which medical students can earn academic credit for editing medical content on Wikipedia."

Medical Students Can Now Earn Credit for Editing Wikipedia

"Starting this winter, medical students at the University of California San Francisco will be able to obtain academic credit from an unlikely source: Wikipedia."

Using Wikipedia

"As a tool for scholarly research, Wikipedia can be either a grade-killer or a valuable friend, depending on who you ask and what you hope to accomplish using it. What is fairly certain is that your professor won't let you cite it in a scholarly research paper."

Citing Wikipedia

Most university lecturers discourage students from citing any encyclopedia in academic work, preferring primary sources; some specifically prohibit Wikipedia citations. Wales stresses that encyclopedias of any type are not usually appropriate to use as citeable sources, and should not be relied upon as authoritative."

Special Report Internet encyclopaedias go head to head

"Jimmy Wales' Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries, a Nature investigation finds."

Britannica attacks... and we respond.

Watch More: Are We All Internet Addicts?

Scientists Vs Internet Trolls

7 NEW Wonders Of the World:
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DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily.

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