🕺 Life on the Outside 🎥

 

The Breakfasts are way better!😋🍳

81 days post stroke

I’ve been home for just over a month...Figure I’m long overdue for an update on my progress.  Just being around the house has been good for my rehab. Unlike the cocoon that was my hospital room/floor, it requires a lot more effort just getting around and getting things done.  

The time between Inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab is normally about a two week gap.  During this time there is something called the LHIN (local health integration network) that provides in-home Physio and occupational therapy visits.  I received visits from both with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, because of Covid, this two week gap has now grown to six weeks.   I am going to the outpatient rehab clinic (called STEP-UP), at Oakville hospital this Thursday for my assessment...Hoping that I will then begin 8 weeks of rehab there.

I have supplemented the in-home visits with two or three days a week at a private neurological Physio clinic. My physiotherapist there, named Ruth, has been incredible. She has been helping me recover from a shoulder injury sustained from the paralysis, and is also helping with my gait, and other ailments.  I am also able to do my own physio at home on days when I don’t go to the clinic.

Thera-Band

Hard at work with Ruth

Toe separation 

K-tape

I’m always making videos of my progress… This is me walking by the lake on Labour Day weekend. You can see me wearing the AFO, helping with my foot drop. I’m trying to get away from wearing it as much as possible to help strengthen my ankle on its own.

🚶🏃

In the following video, you can really see what I’m working on with my left foot…

One of the best ways to rehab is to just get out and DO things...

Family picnic by the lake

Mini golf with the kids (and my walker)

Picking up Lucy from first day of school

Wine tasting🙄

On the morning of my stroke, Jillian and I visited the Agawa campground visitor centre where we saw a painting that we both loved. We thought ‘let’s think about it for a day and if we still love it, we can come back tomorrow and buy it’. Well, things happened and we never got back to that visitor center. But we did end up buying that painting and after much effort, we had it shipped to us just in time as a 16th anniversary present to ourselves.  It will forever be a reminder of that fateful day.

Happy Anniversary to US. ♥️

A view for Lorna, Lake Superior 

Tomorrow starts a busy couple weeks with follow up appointments with cardiology, haematology and neurology.  Assuming I start at STEP-UP next week and continue to see Ruth at the clinic, I will hopefully continue to see improvements.  I’ll keep the camera rolling and update you along the way.  🎥 

 ♥️💪🦶