Here's an update of what I've been doing:
1. Bioness. I have this great new estim machine for my leg and it is a miracle worker. I wear a cuff around my leg just under my knee that is connected to a sensor in my shoe. When I take a step, it turns on and helps pick up my toes. Then when I step down, it turns off and my toes drop. I wear it all the time and it has made walking so much easier. It is helping my leg muscles to remember how to walk properly. It does the same thing that my brace used to, but is helping me rewire my brain by using electric signals. My goal is to get rid of this machine just like I got rid of my cane & my brace. It is a long ways off and a slow process, but that is what I am working towards.
2. Aphasia Group. My therapy sessions were great, but I needed a break. Two and a half years of my life have been spent in therapy and I am doing so much exercising at home, it was time. But my speech has been difficult and so slow to proceed on my own. My speech therapist helped me find a group that meets weekly at a local college - and every single person in the group has aphasia or some other language disorder just like me. It has been a miracle to find this group and work with these people. We have discussions and help each other figure out how to communicate better. We get some support from the leaders of the group, who are all studying speech pathology, but mostly it is us helping each other. I have personally noticed much improvement since I've been going to this group - I use many more complete sentences and find it easier to follow conversations around me. Another miracle worker!
3. Woodshop. I spend so much time exercising, using my estim machines, and walking, but I needed something else to fill extra time besides TV - how boring! The farm where we live has a woodshop and there was room for all my tools - and luckily room for lots more. I've been finding adaptive tools and tricks so that I can safely build projects one-handed. After collecting many, many clamps and creating lots of jigs, I've got a few things built. It only took me 6 months, but here is my first table!
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| Shaker Side Table |
4. Last but not least, thank you all for everything. It has been almost 3 years since my accident and I still have a long, long ways to go. This all takes time and patience and I will get there, someday. It might be one week, one year, one decade. Who knows. But I couldn't haven't gotten this far without your help.
Thank you!
Matt
