Rocktape Application For Shoulder Pain
Read our post on Rocktape in the Devices & Gadgets section.
Check out Rocktape Australia’s vast collection of videos on YouTube: Rocktape Australia
TOTO Washlet C200 Elongated Bidet Toilet Seat with PreMist
Toto Washlet Bidet Toilet Seat, $419.40 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uvTpSY
Have you ever been to one of those gas station car washes? You know, the automated type where as you drive into it, high-pressure water jets clean your undercarriage? Well, that’s what the Toto Washlet toilet seat does! Except, in this case, it blasts your personal exhaust instead of your car’s. (more…)
Respect for Physical Therapists
Physical Therapist and patient doing gait training
My physical therapist tells me that one of the most insulting things he faces is the lack of respect that he gets regarding the level of education necessary to get his postgraduate degree. Some people have gone so far as to ask: “So… did you take couple classes at the junior college to become a physical therapist?” (more…)
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, by Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, by Mark Manson: from $6.99 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gT70QU
Mark Manson’s #1 New York Times Bestseller is a perfect and funny rebuttal to all the self-help drivel that somehow finds its way into print these days. Sick of all the superficial “Power-of-Positivity” pablum that people serve up? Then this book is for you. (more…)
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage, by Ryan Holiday
The Obstacle Is the Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage, by Ryan Holiday, from $8.85 on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2gSQ8tu
Generally speaking, I don’t seek out ancient wisdom and philosophy from 30-year-olds. However, Ryan Holiday is something of a prodigy with half a dozen books under his belt. This one is a very articulate and thorough introduction to the philosophy of Stoicism. (more…)
Mirror Box
OPTP NOI Mirror Box Triangle, $60.00 on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2vlxhtI
This is just plain weird, but I bought it anyway and it actually helps! You place your affected hand inside the triangle (where you can’t see it) and you stare at the reflection of your good hand while you do your exercises. Somehow, it fools your brain into believing that your affected hand is moving too. Jedi mind tricks, I suspect. (more…)
Emerging Rehab Treatments
Emerging Treatments for Motor Rehabilitation After Stroke, by Edward S. Claflin, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4357600/
Some very innovative and out-of-the-box solutions are being examined by the medical community for rehabilitation of lost motor functions in stroke victims. (more…)
E-Stim: Electrical Stimulation Device
Hi-Dow AcuXPD-S Rechargeable Physical Therapy Performance Tens Unit $348.98 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uVZ98a
I received this top-of-the-line “TENS” (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit as a gift from my sister. Of course, she picked the most expensive one she could find. This one is deluxe. It has 12 different “modes,” or electrical pulse patterns, and two separate channels that allow you to electrify your arm and your leg at the same time. It’s very powerful. I regularly use it to treat both pain and spasticity. (more…)
Wheelchair Arm Tray
Sammons Preston Modified Universal Arm Tray, $144.28 on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tbR7pK
If you’re in a wheelchair, here’s a device that will help relieve shoulder pain immensely. Check out my post for other solutions: Shoulder Pain. Fairly simple idea; it slides right on to the armrest and stays there without any tools or clamps or screws necessary. It keeps your arm up, taking the weight off of your shoulder joint. (more…)
Sling: Bilt-Rite Mastex Health Shoulder Immobilizer
Bilt-Rite Mastex Health Shoulder Immobilizer, Black $38.34: http://amzn.to/2sNuAQE
I ordered this sling to replace the one they issued me in the hospital. That one was killing my neck and I just wouldn’t wear it as often as I should have. Read my post on Shoulder Pain if that is why you’re considering a sling. (more…)
Rocktape
Rocktape: various prices and choices on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uOqYzm
This stuff works. Designed for serious athletes, or people that injure themselves while fantasizing that they are serious athletes. For the latter, it’s available in all kinds of colorfully-printed designs. It also comes in pre-cut lengths if you have trouble using scissors. (more…)
Shoulder Pain Solutions
Shoulder Pain
You won’t find any medical advice on this site because I am not a medical professional in any way shape or form. But I can share my experience with shoulder pain and how I solved it: (more…)
The Power of Habit, Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg, $9.02 on Amazon,
http://amzn.to/2sSdPrH
Charles Duhigg is New York Times reporter and Harvard Business School MBA. You can read more about him on his Amazon Author’s Page: Charles Duhigg
Although his books are probably intended for business executives, this one gives you great insight into your own behavior. Think you’ve got free will? Not exactly, according to this research. Many of our behaviors are hard-coded into our brain, and we do them automatically without thinking. (more…)
Stronger after Stroke, 3rd Edition, by Peter G. Levine
Stronger After Stroke, 3rd Edition, $15.49 on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2oVe5Si
If you can read only one book on stroke recovery- read this one.
Recently updated edition. NEW 3rd Edition now available.
“This book is not for stroke survivors who are okay with where they are. This is a book for stroke survivors who want to get better.” – Peter G. Levine
This book is something of a Bible for me. It really is a “Roadmap to Recovery” as the subtitle suggests (more…)
Unfortunate News
Use this form to explain your stroke your friends and family with minimal effort.
Attitude Is Everything
So you’ve suffered a stroke and now you find yourself trapped in a body that no longer works the way it did before. You can act like you’re in prison, or you can make the best of it. Which will you choose?
Anesthetic
This was my view from the hospital bed with my pre-op liquids.
Genius Idea
C’mon, admit it. You’d spend more time walking if you could take your favorite beverage along, wouldn’t you?
Only In Oklahoma
This made me laugh.
Therapy Device
I got some really great news today! My physical therapist called and offered me a free in-home session. He sent me this free therapy device as well. He says he’ll show me how to put it on when he gets here. It’s a late-night session beginning at 10 PM. Seems kinda weird him wanting to work so late, but hey, free is free right?
In The Hospital…
Ever notice how difficult it is to get a decent beer in the hospital? They have the coolest beer mugs, but their beer is just plain awful.
Steve Wampler
This slab of rock is El Capitan. For those of you who haven’t heard of El Cap, it’s a 7,500-foot sheer cliff in Yosemite National Park.
My friend Steve Wampler, who is wheelchair-bound with cerebral palsy, made it to the top. When he’s not accomplishing the impossible, he runs a non-profit wheelchair camp for disabled children in the wilderness near Lake Tahoe, CA. (more…)
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income
Benefits For People With Disabilities
The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. While these two programs are different in many ways, both are administered by the Social Security Administration and only individuals who have a disability and meet medical criteria may qualify for benefits under either program.
Social Security Disability Insurance pays benefits to you and certain members of your family if you are “insured,” meaning that you worked long enough and paid Social Security taxes.
Supplemental Security Income pays benefits based on financial need.
National Aphasia Association
Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that impairs a person’s ability to process language but does not affect intelligence. Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand others.
The Mission of the National Aphasia Association is to promote public awareness and understanding of aphasia and provide support to all persons with aphasia and their caregivers.
The NAA envisions a society in which aphasia is a commonly understood word and where all persons with aphasia, regardless of individual differences, their families, health professionals, and the public have access to appropriate education and resources that would enhance their potential for an acceptable quality of life.