Saturday, January 09, 2016

Saturday News

SSTattler: Launched on November 2015 by Apple - it is version 1 so you have to be careful to buy it. Some details in iOS are weak but useful e.g. Apple Pencil is really good for the artist - watch out Wacom! Lets look in the future iPad Pro version 2... 
iPad Pro is a tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Announced on September 9, 2015, the iPad Pro was released on November 11, 2015. The tablet features a 12.9-inch screen, larger than all previous iPad models. Three configurations are available: Wi-Fi-only models with 32 GB or 128 GB of storage space, and a 128 GB model with Wi-Fi/cellular connectivity. iPad Pro is the first iPad to feature LPDDR4 RAM. Among features: Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Retina display 2732-by-2048, Apple Pencil, Smart Connector for a Keyboard and four stereo speakers. A longer definition comes from Wikipedia.
    • Video: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil
      • Apple Pencil Full Review | Surprisingly Good (iPad Pro)
      • Top 5 iPad Pro Apps for Your Apple Pencil
      • iPad Pro - Extra Long In Depth Review
      • iPad Pro vs. Surface Pro vs. Wacom Cintiq Companion
      • iPad Pro - Shoe Sketch using Apple Pencil and Pro Create
      • iPad Pro and Apple Pencil: How to Draw an X Wing Part 1
      • iPad Pro and Apple Pencil: How to Draw an X Wing Part 2
      • Hands on: iPad Pro and Apple Pencil with Adobe Sketch, Markup
      • WIRED's Creative Team Tests Apple's iPad Pro and Pencil
      • First Impressions of iPad Pro+Apple Pencil
      • Apple Pencil - How to Modify With a Grip
      • Apple Pencil Drawing Demo #1 on iPad Pro and Artist's Review
      • Apple Pencil Drawing Demo #2 on iPad Pro and Artist's Review
      • Apple Pencil Drawing / Painting Demo, How to Paint a Sky in Procreate
         Saturday News | Future Topic
         --------------+---------------------------------------------

         Feb/06/2016   | Reading Comprehension
         Jan/30/2016   | Neuroregeneration
         Jan/23/2016   | Global Warming
         Jan/16/2016   | Bobath (NDT - Neuro-Developmental Treatment)

    Definition: Introduction & iPad Pro & Apple Pencil

    Introduction (by SSTattler)

    • Launched on November 2015 by Apple - it is version 1 so you have to be careful to buy it. Some details in iOS are weak but useful e.g. Apple Pencil is really good for the artist - watch out Wacom! Lets look in the future iPad Pro version 2...
    • Some details a) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating (very good), b) Retina display 2732-by-2048 resolution at 264 ppi, c) four loudspeakers (great sound), d) Apple Pencil was designed for low latency to enable smooth inking on the screen (I'm not the artist but it is excellent), e) cost - $799USD to $1079USD (ouch!),
      f) camera - video image stabilization & improved face detection & ...,  g)..., etc.
    • Wikipedia articles needs much more work but, at least, you can read it and, I'm sure, the articles are going to be much better soon.
      • iPad Pro Second Impressions! [Apple Pencil] video below by Marques Brownlee (and not by Wikipedia but soon).
    • See the Video: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil for the next article(s).


    iPad Pro From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


    This article needs attention from an expert in iOS. The specific problem is: this article needs to be expanded. WikiProject IOS (or its Portal) may be able to help recruit an expert. (November 2015)


    iPad Pro is a tablet computer designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. Announced on September 9, 2015, the iPad Pro was released on November 11, 2015. The tablet features a 12.9-inch screen, larger than all previous iPad models. Three configurations are available: Wi-Fi-only models with 32 GB or 128 GB of storage space, and a 128 GB model with Wi-Fi/cellular connectivity. iPad Pro is the first iPad to feature LPDDR4 RAM.


    Standard YouTube License @ Marques Brownlee

    History


    Video: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil

    SSTattler: ① We will concentrate on drawing in iPad Pro. (It is great compared with competitors - Wacom and Surface Pro).  ② Are you are an artist? An amateur artist? Many stroke survivors are an artist as well. Read the most popular classic drawing book since 1988 - Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain  by Betty Edwards. You too can become an artist! "A revised edition of the classic drawing book that has sold more than 1.7 million copies in the United States alone. Translated into more than seventeen languages, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is the world's most widely used drawing instruction book. Whether you are drawing as a professional artist, as an artist in training, or as a hobby, this book will give you greater confidence in your ability and deepen your artistic perception, as well as foster a new appreciation of the world around you".



    Apple Pencil Full Review | Surprisingly Good (iPad Pro)

    Published on Nov 26, 2015

    The new £79/$99 Apple Pencil is an exclusive accessory for the iPad Pro. While it may sound expensive for a stylus, it adds a lot more fun and functionality to your iPad Pro.

    In this extended, hands-on video review, I use the Pencil in a range of creative apps including Adobe Sketch, Forge, Paper 53 and Notes. I also discuss the look and feel, responsiveness, palm rejection, battery and price.

    While it may be expensive for a Pencil, let me show you why I think it's a must-have accessory for the iPad Pro.

    If you enjoy my videos please Like & Subscribe :)

    Standard YouTube License @ The Tech Chap TV



    Headline Blog: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil

    Definition: Blog (noun). Add new material to or regularly update to a blog. (≃1990s: blog shortening of weblog)

    Apple Special Event - September 2015

    Published on Sep 11, 2015

    SSTattler: We set YouTube for the iPad Pro / Pencil: start=15:27 and end=51:40.

    "A refreshed iPad has landed! The new iPad Pro brings a slightly larger screen at 12.9 inches to accommodate gaming, entertainment, a full-size software keyboard and a multi-tasking tool. iPad Pro’s packing 2732 x 2048 pixels, making 5.6 million pixels in total. That’s even denser than a MacBook Pro with Retina display, says Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller.

    With the iPad Pro also comes a smart keyboard accessory that attaches to the tablet magnetically. Apple’s also releasing a stylus to go along with the device called the Apple Pencil, which charges via a Lightning port. You can use the stylus to mark up emails, images and others directly via select iOS apps."

    Check out iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, learn about the powerful iPad Pro, take a look at the new features and bands for Apple Watch, and see the premiere of the all-new Apple TV.


    Standard YouTube License @ Apple

    Stroke Recovery With an iPad

    Jeff Porter
    Stroke of Faith
    Thursday, October 03, 2013

    Back about 15 years ago, I used a educational toy called a Geo Safari to help me bring back some language skills after my stroke, in addition to speech therapy.

    Now, moving 15 years to the present, current stroke survivors can use even cooler technology. I ran across one story how a support group uses iPads to help stroke survivors regain function:
    "The applications are on my laptop," [Suzanne] Hill said. "I'm on it most of the time. There are 15 applications that I can use. I just enjoy it so much. There's no chore to any of this for me." 
    Indeed, some of the apps are games, such as Scrabble or connect-the-dots. Some resemble putting the user back in an elementary school classroom, such as viewing a picture of a dog, then selecting the letters from an alphabet jumble to spell d-o-g. 
    "I have limitations on my right side," Hill acknowledged. "My right hand is not so flexible, (but) my typing skills are coming back."



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    in

    EEG

    Barb Polan
    Barb's Recovery
    Posted 31st July 2010

    On Thursday, I had the new experience of having an EEG. despite the trouble in my brain since last November, I had not yet undergone the test before.

    One state that the neurologists wanted to see my brain waves during was sleep, so to ensure that I would sleep during at least a portion of the test, the asked that I go to bed as usual the night before and then wake up at midnight and stay awake until showing up for the test at 5:30 a.m. To do so, Tom set the alarm for midnight, I got up and sat in the recliner reading until it was time to get ready - 4 o'clock.

    Since getting my iPad, I have refrained from using it in the evening because reportedly the display makes your brain so active it interferes with subsequent attempts to sleep - so it seemed like the perfect tool to help me stay awake from midnight to 4 - and I managed to stay awake.

    When Two Become One

    Pamela Hsieh
    StrokedUP
    21 October, 2010

    I’m proposing myself a new experiment, a twist on the old “walk for an hour in Reebok Reeinspires” idea. Today as a favor for a friend of mine needing to heal from plantar fasciitis, I agreed to post up flyers around my neighborhood for him. I set out around noon and did a couple hours and a half in my Reetones. I’m taking a short break now to post and chill for a bit.

    So, first — it has occurred to me that perhaps my loyalty to mini socks (the kind that barely even reach the ankle, and therefore don’t usually show when you’re wearing shoes) may be simply too vain for practicality. Why? Because I now have a new blister. And these are gym shoes! It may be time to downgrade to traditional, taller gym socks.

    (On that note, please try on the shoes first before you buy them, to make sure they’re the right size. Mine are a bit snug, and I probably would’ve been better off with a half size bigger.)

    In the Hospital

    Amy Shissler
    My Cerebellar Stroke Recovery
    July 13, 2012

    Hospitals are so much fun.  It took me a while to really understand what happened to me.  When I was in the hospital and had been told I had a stroke, I didn’t get it.  I just knew I could barely speak.  I started comparing myself to everyone I knew that had had a stroke, which you sooooo cannot do.  I even compared myself to my dog.  My dog, Cassie, had a stroke a year before I did.  I think I’m the only person in the history of mankind that that has happened to.  I’m so unique! :-)  Anyway, I remember saying “Cassie still has deficits.”  I compared myself to a dog.  Ummmm.  I also asked for the English version of Rosetta Stone.  My dad bought me an iPad for in the hospital and I had gone on the internet and found something by a woman who had a stroke and recovered her speech using Rosetta Stone for the practice of speaking/pronouncing things.  So I asked for it, I had no idea.  It wasn’t for me, but I think it can be useful for some people.  Months later my dad found this hilarious and said to me about asking for the English Rosetta Stone – “you didn’t forget the English language!”  I’m a big fan of Tosh.0 and I was watching it in the hospital one day and Tosh had on an interview that I’ve seen since and was so obviously not real but at the time I thought it was.  My brain was not working right.  Aside from that viewing of Tosh.0 I had on TBS for a month straight.  That was my channel of choice in the hospital.  One of the biggest things I remember is for a long time it was extremely uncomfortable to turn my head.  Not tilt it, just turn it.  I remember being in my hospital bed and trying to look at everyone and it was awful to look to my right or left.  That’s still not a favorite of mine but NOTHING like it used to be.  Ahh, the good old days. :-)



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    in

    10 Things I Learned About Living as a Stroke Survivor

    Joyce Hoffman
    The Tales of a Stroke Patient
    Jul 8, 2015

    I live a life of peacefulness. I'm not rich and don't want to be. I am a Goodwill addict. And I've never accepted the stroke fully, but I'm close, getting to recognize that I am competing with myself--one more step to climb, yet another minute on the bike, an additional hour standing.

    I have solitude now, but I'm not lonely. When it's quiet in my apartment, I am thinking all the time--of this blog, another book to read, another book to write. And the ten things I learned about living as a stroke survivor. Here they are:

    1.  I find people staring at me, like an oddity of sorts among the "normals." I used to return their stare, angry and maniacal, but now, I like myself enough to not care.

    2.  I'm worthwhile, making a contribution, albeit small, to society at large, by giving my knowledge about strokes to anybody who affords me the opportunity to speak. There is always a stroke group who loves to hear the stories behind a stroke survivorship.

    3.  I pursue my love of reading to keep my brain at optimum level. If my eyes tire and can't read the words on the page, I use audiotapes.

    Update - August 28, 2012

    Robert & Allison
    Allison's Brain
    Tuesday, 28 August 2012

    The most remarkable thing happened today! Allison has been weaned off the IV that's been administering blood thinner and so her mobility is greatly improved. Marya took her Mom to a piano at the Civic which happened to have a piece of sheet music on it. Allison proceeded to sight-read and play the 2nd movement of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. None of us expected her to be able to do this. The rest of this update pales in comparison.

    Allison has had another good week in the Neuroscience InPatent Unit. She continues to become physically stronger and is often quite talkative. Her comprehension generally seems to be quite high, and in her own words with respect to how things are going on the cognitive front, "it comes and goes."  Steady work with elementary iPad games has resulted in good improvement in her results. Marya has also had good success giving her Mom some simple dictées. We are hoping this bodes well for her upcoming work with skilled occupational and speech therapists when she is moved to a rehabilitation center.

    A Federal Holiday

    Diana Smith
    Beyond Reality
    December 26, 2011

    I was surprised that the banks and post offices were closed today. Oh, well back to normal tomorrow. My son had a great day. His friend that could not make his party came by early in his pjs. They played nerf guns. Later another friend came over and they played nerf guns as well. They did take breaks to play with the ipad touch, wii, and occasional texting. My son does not have a cell phone, his friend was texting. We went to see the Chipmunk movie, after pizza and cake. It was ok. It was full of pop songs, if I did not have a 12 year old, I never would have heard them before. I could have fell asleep during the movie, I am glad it was only a little over an hour long.

    A random House Christmas 2010
    I am letting my son stay up until midnight. Just for tonight, it’s his day. He can’t get enough video games. I might have to start a 12 step program, to get the kids away from the electronics and into the real world. I am tired, so will start on that tomorrow.






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    in

    My Brain is Broken

    Leslie
    Living After Stroke

    The nightmare continues………………


    I survived my first and last helicopter ride only to be left in the care of:

    Useless Doctors


    Did you ever play with a water balloon, squeezing it until all the water was on one side, just to see how much it would take to burst? Remember how thin the balloon would get before spewing water everywhere?

    Well I had 2 near bursting balloons for eyes with the fattest drill bit ever burrowing deep into my brain between them.

    What’s my pain level from 1-10? FIVE F-ING HUNDRED.

    This is how my days in ICU went:

    Day 1


    Doctor 1:

    Dr: Do you know where you are?
    Me: The hospital 
    Dr: Do you know why you’re here?
    Me: My brain is broken 
    Dr: What’s wrong with your brain?
    Me: It’s bleeding (like I even had a clue as to what that meant to me or my future) 
    Dr: Who’s the president?
    Me: Well if it’s still October, then Obama

    The IQ of Steve Jobs

    Bill Yates
    Brain Posts
    Posted 25th October 2011 

    I've been distracted from my review of Google Reader neuroscience feeds for a few days reading the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs.

    I don't buy many books right after publication. I typically wait until they arrive at my local Tulsa Public Library or until an electronic version is available free for download from the library. OK, I admit I have a reputation for being frugal.

    But I have to admit this book is a book I wanted to read really bad. So I rationalized and said I will spend the money to read this biography as soon as possible. Some of the money will go to the family of Steve Jobs. My life has been changed by this man and his products.

    I have purchased so many Apple products and they have influenced me in many ways. Here is a partial list:
    • Apple II: I wrote my first scientific paper on this computer and that led me to a career in academic medicine
    • Macintosh and derivatives: I was introduced to Excel and the power to manage data and to perform statistical analysis
    • iPod: I have spent hundreds of hours listening to music on the iPod and use the iPod Touch to access medical information to provide medical care
    • iPad: I used this Apple product to make brain imaging accessible and understandable

    Weekly Columnists

    Definition: Columnist |ˈkäləmnist| (noun). A blogger or a journalist contributing regularly to a blog or newspaper

    Musing: iPad Technology for Home Rehabilitation after Stroke (iHOME): A Proof-of-concept Randomized Trial

    Dean Reinke
    Deans' Stroke Musing
    Thursday, July 17, 2014

    Don't you know enough to search for existing research on your topic of choice? My god are these people obtuse. Like this:

    iPad Technology for Home Rehabilitation after Stroke (iHOME): A Proof-of-concept Randomized Trial

    Gustavo Saposnik, Chi-Ming Chow, David Gladstone, Donna Cheung, Edward Brawer, Kevin E. Thorpe, Avon Saldanha, Alice Dang, Mark Bayley, Tom A. Schweizer and on behalf of the iHOME Research Team for the Stroke Outcomes Research Canada Working Group†

    Article first published online: 7 JUL 2014
    DOI: 10.1111/ijs.12328
    © 2014 World Stroke Organization
    Cover image for Vol. 9 Issue 5
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE

    Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT01836159

    Funding: This study is supported by the Ontario Stroke Network, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and by the Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. No support is received from Apple. Dr Saposnik is supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) Distinguished Clinician Scientist Award. Dr Schweizer is supported by the HSFC New Investigator Award.
    Principal investigators: Dr Saposnik and Dr Chow are the co-PIs of iHOME Acute. Dr Saposnik, Dr Gladstone, and Dr Schweizer are the co-PIs of iHOME Chronic. Dr Bayley is the site PI at Toronto Rehabilitation.

    Keywords: outcomes; rehabilitation; stroke; tablet technology

    Background

    Sunday Stroke Survival: Life Isn't Fair

    Jo Murphey
    The Murphey Saga
    Friday, January 1, 2016

    Happy New Year everyone!

    So how did you spend New Year's Eve? Was it spent partying and drinking with friends? Did you quietly watch the ball drop on the television and all the fireworks afterwards? Did you thank God that this year was over because it's been such a bad one for you? The new year has got to be better than the last one! I fall into the latter category as you can imagine.

    New Year's Eve started just like any other day for me. I forgot it was the last day of the year. I really haven't exactly been in a celebratory mood for months. Sure there have been some happy moments that I'll cherish but nothing totally lifted me out of my grief. But I've put on a happy face and continued on.

    I didn't even realize it was New Year's Eve until my physical therapist told me and asked if I had any plans or a special meal I fix for the occasion. All the while, he was searching for trigger points to deaden with dry needling.  I actually felt pretty good. The autumnal slump with my Botox was history and the new series was working as advertised. My shoulder which had a torn rotor cuff was healing, or at least wasn't painful when stretched. I'm actually 15 degrees away from full rotation again which pleases me to no end.

    Caregiver:
          Ending The Year With A Bang (Quite Literally...)

    Diane
    The Pink House On The Corner
    Sunday, January 3, 2016

    So, Kona and I spent a quiet Christmas -- on the couch, watching movies, eating left-over pizza.  One of the movies we watched was Ghost -- and I cried but it was good cry and, all in all, I got through the day.  New Years Day was more difficult.  I woke up on Jan. 1st, tears in my eyes, the beginning of a new year without Bob....  Some days, I swear, it seems impossible to go on.

    Between the holidays, I did have a visitor from out of town, and we did a little sight seeing and one of those days, we were coming home and when I turned into our alley, we heard a horrendous BANG!!!

    I stopped the van and thought -- what the hell did I hit??  But looking back, both Julie (my friend) and I could see nothing.

    Now our alley, like our street, is made of historic brick. And therefore, is a somewhat bumpy road.  And, as always, I'm driving very slow, less than 5 miles an hour. I pulled into our parking space behind the house and got out to look and was absolutely shocked at what I saw:  the rear passenger door of our van was crumpled.

    This is our alley, the loose brick came
    from the bumpy area on the right hand side.
    Oh-kay, now this is freaky, because I didn't think I hit a thing. And on inspection of the alley, found a brick lying loose in the road.

    And the only thing we could surmise was that my front tire had somehow triggered this brick to pop up, catch on the undercarriage of the van and somehow wedge itself against the vehicle and practically tear up the door....  The brick was from an area of the alley where a tree root had buckled up the bricks.

    Jester: CARP – [Canadian Association of Retired People]

    Jackie Poff
    Stroke Survivors Tattler
     Questions and Answers from CARP Forum

    Q:  Where can single men over the age of 60 find younger women
           who are interested in them?
    A:  Try a bookstore, under Fiction.

    Q:  What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
    A:  Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the
          basement. When you're done, you will have a place to live.

    Q:  Someone has told me that menopause is mentioned in the
          bible... Is that true? Where can it be found?
    A:  Yes. Matthew 14:92:  "And Mary rode Joseph's ass all the 
          way to Egypt ..."

    Q:  How can you increase the heart rate of your over-60 year-old husband?
    A:  Tell him you're pregnant.

    Q:  How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
    A:  Take off your glasses.

    Q:  Seriously! What can I do for these crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
    A:  Go braless. It will usually pull them out..

    Q:  Why should 60 plus year old people use valet parking?
    A:  Valets don't forget where they park your car.

    Q:  Is it common for 60-plus year olds to have problems with short term memory storage?
    A:  Storing memory is not a problem, Retrieving it is the problem.

    Q:  As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
    A:  Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

    Q:  Where should 60-plus year olds look for eye glasses?
    A:  On their foreheads.

    Q:  What is the most common remark made by 60-plus year olds when they enter
          antique stores?
    A:  "Gosh, I remember these!"

    TED Talks - Joe Sabia: The Technology of Storytelling

    TED.com
    Uploaded on Nov 23, 2011

    iPad storyteller Joe Sabia introduces us to Lothar Meggendorfer, who created a bold technology for storytelling: the pop-up book. Sabia shows how new technology has always helped us tell our own stories, from the walls of caves to his own onstage iPad.


    Standard YouTube License @ TED

    Rick Mercer Report: Going for Gold & Front Page

    www.rickmercer.com

    RMR: Going for Gold

    Uploaded on Mar 24, 2009

    Rick goes skiing with the Canada's Para Olympic team


    Standard YouTube License @ Rick Mercer Report




    The Front Page

    Published on Dec 2, 2015

    The Front Page for December 1st, 2015.


    Standard YouTube License @ Rick Mercer Report

    Laid-Back Admin: XKCD & Eclectic Stuff on Wednesday

    Dr. Beagle C. Cranium
    Stroke Survivors Tattler

    Problems: One Minor and One Medium


    Minor - XKCD:
    We talked last week about the choice of XKCD cartoons every week. Well it is really simple:
       1) if there are good cartoons this week then I will
            publish it,
       2) if it is not good cartoons then I will push the
            button Random until a good cartoon appears. 
    I tried it and it looks about maximum 5 times to work Random i.e. effort is total less than a minute.
    Medium - Eclectic Stuff on Wednesday:
    In the past, four times Stroke Survivors Tattler was too big for the total article by bytes (i.e. I use a different site to test the DRAFT SSTattler). One article title "-----------"  (with no text) is to big but just ignore it; two other weeks I deleted the article "Laid-Back Admin:..." and then, by bytes, it fits; fourth is last week , "Emotional Recovery", and total max articles is between 30 articles to 35 articles and I stopped at 31 articles. With nearly one-third I did not even read the other articles - it is, probably, going to be too big. 
    I thought about a year ago, SSTattler to divide in half - half is publish on Wednesday and half is on Saturday. The problem is hard or not - I really did not understand completely. This week, I spent about a day to try it using DRAFT SSTattler and it is really simple. 
    The solution is it to divide Eclectic Stuff on Wednesday and Saturday is headline (Definition... + Video... + Headline Blog...) plus Weekly Columnists... There are a minor parameters have to change but the visible is:
        1) Title "Eclectic Stuff on Wednesday" and publish at Wed 6:00pm MT,
        2) Headline+Weekly Columnists publish at Sat 12:00am MT (as before),
        3) we will publish the index Saturday News included with Eclectic Stuff on
             Wednesday.
     Most important is: approx.  Eclectic about 35% on Wednesday and the rest about 65% on Saturday i.e. two different days. Maybe it is even better!

    XKCD: A Webcomic Of Romance, Sarcasm, Math, And Language

    |<                Random               >|

    2016 Conversation Guide


    |<                Random               >|


    Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

    Wednesday, January 06, 2016

    Eclectic Stuff on Wednesday

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

    Singing for Stroke Patients - Aphasia Therapy

    Jeff Porter
    Stroke of Faith
    Tuesday, December 29, 2015

    I've previously told my story about how singing seemed to help in my recovery from aphasia, an effect of my 1998 stroke.

    Now, here's another story of how singing does stroke patients good:

    ▶ In a hospital atrium at Mount Sinai Beth Israel this week, a choir gave its first public performance. Wearing light-up necklaces and accompanied by drums and guitar, the performers rang bells and sang such holiday classics as “Silver Bells” and “Joy to the World,” occasionally breaking out in harmony.

    Photo from Scott W. Vincent via Flickr
    ▶ While every member of the choir sings, some are united by a less common bond: They have lost much of their ability to speak.

    ▶ The group, Singing Together Measure by Measure, is made up of those who have had strokes and those who care for them, both family members and health-care professionals. It is part of a clinical trial, led by Joanne Loewy, director of the hospital’s Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, creating therapy around a phenomenon that has been noted for centuries: that some people who can’t speak can still sing.

    ▶ Technically, the study is focused on a condition called aphasia, a brain disorder that causes difficulties speaking and communicating but doesn’t necessarily affect intelligence.



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    What to Dispose of for 2016: Aphasia Speech Therapy

    Mark Ittleman
    Teaching of Talking
    December 30, 2015

    I recently saw this on the internet and it sure did resonate with me. Makes a lot of sense, esp. as we approach the new year!

    Things to give up:
    • self doubt
    • negative outlook
    • unhealthy criticism  
    • fear of failure
    • procrastination
    • resentment
    • finger pointing

    It’s a message we can all benefit from!

    Happy Holidays and New Year!

    http://teachingoftalking.com/screeningtestanddocs

    Moshe Mark Ittleman, M.S., CCC/SLP
    Teaching of Talking
    Senior Speech Language Pathologist



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    in

    Snow Shoes for a Stroke Survivor

    Rebecca Dutton
    Home After a Stroke
    January 4, 2016

    Since my stroke I'm careful about venturing outside when it snows, but I'm not trapped inside until spring comes either.  I never walk on snow covered concrete, gravel, or grass. because uneven slippery surfaces are a fall hazard.  Oonce streets, sidewalks, and access to my car are clear I wear boots over my shoes to protect them from the slush.  Boots I tried on at a shoe store would not fit over my leg brace.  My leg brace won't let me point my toes which is a pre-requisite for donning boots.  On-line I found the Neos overshoe with a Velvro opening that goes all the way down to my toes.  The Villager model is lightweight and designed for occasional use which is perfect for me.

    A video at www.overshoesonline.com shows how to don this boot.  Warning #1: I do not put the boots on while standing as the video shows because I do not have good standing balance.  My boots go on safely while I am sitting.  A trick the video doesn't show is to make the ankle straps as long as I can before I put on the boots.  After I snap the straps closed I pull on the ends of the straps to make them tight.  Warning #2: The first set of boots I ordered was too big so they flopped around when I walked.  Bottom Line: I get good traction from the treads and don't arrive with soggy shoes.  I walk more slowly with boots on, but that beats not being able to keep important appointments like a visit to the doctor.



    See the original article:
    in

    The Best Brain Food, is Soul Food

    Tim Seefeldt
    Brain Food Cafe for the Mind
    Posted December 31, 2015

    It’s been a great Christmas season for me, I hope the same is true for you.

    I really wasn’t expecting greatness, to be honest. I was just shooting for stable. It’s been that kind of year. There’s the thing with my bride which I’ll blog in detail about soon. My oldest daughter, Kristina moved to Toronto for school in August. Until two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen her for four months.  A job change for me meant that I wasn’t flying to the big smoke every month so my convo’s with K have been by phone, text and FaceTime.

    Downtown Canmore
    Thank God for cheap long distance, text and FaceTime!

    My youngest, Anna, had been so busy with school and work that I wasn’t seeing much of her, either. We decided that we would just hang out in Alberta, visit Pat’s parent’s for Christmas, take a run to the Canmore, AB to drink in the Rocky Mountains and then chill at home the rest of the time before the real world kicks in again on January 4.


    Don't Believe the Hype -OR- Have You Been Lowballed? -OR- Clinician Fulfilled Prophecy

    Peter G. Levine
    Stronger After Stroke
    Thursday, December 24, 2015

    Bottom line: 
    What the therapist predicted: very little
    What the survivor achieved: a lot

    Let me tell you about a stroke survivor I worked with a year or so ago. I'll call him "Joe."

    I was working in a skilled nursing facility. I heard about Joe a couple of days before I met him. The front office had informed the therapies (OT, PT, Speech) that a new survivor was to be admitted from the hospital to our facility. The physical therapist that was to do Joe's admitting evaluation told me that Joe would be added to my caseload.

    The next day I read the PT evaluation and it was pretty shocking. One thing stuck out: The "long-term goals" that were laid out by the evaluating therapist was on thing: "bed mobility."

    There it was. The best that Joe was expected to do was to be able to roll around in his bed. He wouldn't be able to stand. And walking was beyond belief.

    The day Joe was to have his first treatment I went to the nurses station to read his chart before I met him. Nursing facilities often have a cluster of patients in wheelchairs right around the nurses station. It's where all the action is.

    “Who I am and Why I’m Here”

    Diana Smith
    Beyond Reality
    January 3, 2016

    My first assignment for blogging 101,  I am hopefully going to learn how to do this best finally.

    First of all I am here in blogland to share my story of recovering from a stroke. I had three strokes by the time I was 47. The last one left me paralyzed and numb on one side, and a whole lot of messed up cognition issues that screw with a “normal” life but are not measured or even of interest to doctors (none that I have seen). I don’t want to be known solely as a pitiful disabled person that sometimes wets her pants. My mind still has clarity of many things, I still yearn to live the life I want and believe I was made for.

    I have been a single parent on and off for almost 8 years. I am still searching for my soulmate. I share tales of my life as a grandmother, mother to a depressed teen, struggles of living on social security, my quest to be in tune with the Universe, my selling of vintage items, my attempts at humor and poetry, my gardening with one hand, cooking and baking low sodium foods, and more everyday life.

    50 Shades of Lime

    Sas Freeman
    January 5, 2016

    Ways of Immune Boosting


    During the winter months especially, and for those of us not able to exercise as much as others, boosting our immune system is more important than ever.

    One way we can do this is to increase our intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Particularly foods rich in vitamin C and antioxidants help boost the immune system and help fight off flu & colds.

    Lime
    We can also rethink some of our regular daily drinks, instead of always reaching for tea or coffee try adding lemon or lime juice to hot water each day for one or two drinks at least.

    Another thing we can do is increase our iron absorbency. Iron deficiency is one of the greatest reasons for anaemia in developed countries. Combining foods rich in vitamin C with foods rich in iron increases the bodies absorption of iron. This can be done so simply for example squeeze lemon juice on a salad with spinach or chickpeas, both rich in iron. Lime juice also has antibacterial qualities. Vitamin C also helps people with asthma, it assists in preventing asthma.

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    Saturday, January 02, 2016

    Saturday News

    Emotion is, in everyday speech, a person's state of feeling in the sense of an affect. Scientific discourse has drifted to other meanings and there is no consensus on a definition. Emotion is often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. On some theories, cognition is an important aspect of emotion. Those acting primarily on emotion may seem as if they are not thinking, but mental processes are still essential, particularly in the interpretation of events. For example, the realization of danger and subsequent arousal of the nervous system (e.g. rapid heartbeat and breathing, sweating, muscle tension) is integral to the experience of fear. Other theories, however, claim that emotion is separate from and can precede cognition. A longer definition comes from Wikipedia.
      • Video: Emotional Recovery
        • Stroke Survivor’s How-To: Living With the Emotional Impact of Stroke
        • Feeling Overwhelmed -- The Emotional Impact of Stroke
        • Recovering Emotions After Stroke (Stroke #3)
        • PROVIDENCE-Stroke - Emotional Recovery - Chapter 1
        • PROVIDENCE-Stroke - Emotional Recovery - Chapter 2
        • The Link Between Stress And Stroke
        • Eddie's Video Diary - Stroke Survivor
        • STARs - Mood and Emotion After Stroke (Marion)
        • STARs - Mood and Emotion After Stroke (Murdoch)
        • The Neuroscience of Emotions
           Saturday News | Future Topic
           --------------+---------------------------------------------

           Jan/30/2016   | Neuroregeneration
           Jan/23/2016   | Global Warming
           Jan/16/2016   | Bobath (NDT - Neuro-Developmental Treatment)
           Jan/09/2016   | iPad Pro & Apple Pencil