Day 45 - Keep It Simple.

The mechanics of walking are very complex. We learn these actions without knowing quite what we are doing almost from the day we are born. By the time we can actually walk, we don't have to understand what or why, or how, we just do.

Now, when someone suffers a stroke like cleo, and there is resulting paralysis, as the muscle action begins to return, the brain, because it is having to rebuild the nerve connections that were destroyed when the brain cells were affected by the stroke, creating new pathways, that process needs to be re-learned. The complexity of the process means that it takes a very long time to explain in words how we take a step, from the movement of the foot, to the balance and shifting ones centre of gravity, the knee, hip, and pelvis. By the time all these things have been explained, so you know where to put everything you try to remember all these things and you actually forget what it is you were trying to do.

Now, James the physio is no doubt very good at what he does, and his knowledge and experience are without doubt as good as anyone, but I do feel that sometimes he overcomplicates his instructions to cleo. I was thinking about this today, because whenever cleo walked she seemed to be "locking" her knee backwards, which has the effect of making her ankle unstable, and her balance wrong. I looked at a couple of websites, and examined how we walk, taking note too, of what James had said: if the foot is right, and the weight is on it, it will work, and it won't give way. So, I suggested that cleo try the following: concentrate solely on the foot, place it not too far in front of her, keeping the foot under the line of her shoulder, and facing the direction that she wants to walk, keeping the feet about a shoulder's width apart. Result: everything fell into place, simply by getting the foot right, she didn't need to worry about the leg, knee or hip, because that all followed naturally, and very little knee locking, because the knee will naturally flex slightly if that position is right. Suddenly the walking seemed far easier.

To prove a point we left the wheelchair in the car when we got to the hospital for physio today, and cleo walked into the gym, supported by me of course, but much happier and far more stable than she has been so far.

I still think that the recovery cleo has made so far is amazing: from the dense stroke she had only 6 weeks or so ago to be walking again, and out of hospital too says a lot for her strength of character and determination to succeed.

Include Me In

cleo needs to be involved in the house, it's important to her, and she has been very frustrated of late that she cannot contribute or feel involved. As yet this week we hadn't gone shopping so, i thought, she can do a weeks shoping here: I sat her in front of the pc, and said, "Go Sainsburys, do the shopping online". She did, and that way she can make the shopping choices that she always does, and feel "useful". Not quite the same I know, but good enough. It is important that we include her in the things we do, and don't exclude her from what we are doing or saying. Too often people like that become isolated, and alone. That will never happen with cleo. Apart from anything else she talks too much to be excluded. It's impossible to ignore her.

One thing we have learned this week, is that whatever you are doing you have to plan it, thoroughly and in advance: there is no popping to the shops any more. It takes 15 minutes at least to get cleo into the car, then the same to get out and into the shop, and the same on the way back. The temptation of course is to say "I will pop to the shop", leaving cleo at home, but of course thats how people again become isolated and left out. If we did that all the time then she would hardly ever get out of the house, and that would not be good for her. That too will never happen .

Walking Back To Happiness

Funny, but it's true
What lonliness can do
Since I've been away
I have loved you more each day

Walking back to happiness, woopah oh yeah yeah
Said goodbye to lonliness, woopah oh yeah yeah
I never knew I'd miss you
Now I know what I must do
Walking back to happiness
I shared with you (Yay, yay, yay, yay ba dum be do)

Making up for things we said, woopah oh yeah yeah
And mistakes to which they led, woopah oh yeah yeah
I shouldn't have gone away
So I'm coming back today

Walking back to happiness I threw away (Yay, yay, yay, yay ba dum be do)
Walking back to happiness with you
Said farewell to lonliness I knew
Laid aside foolish pride
Learnt the truth from tears I cried

Spread the news I'm on my way, woopah oh yeah yeah
All my blues have blown away, woopah oh yeah yeah
I'm bringing you love so true
Cuz that's what I owe to you

Walking back to happiness I shared with you (Yay, yay, yay, yay ba dum be do)
Walking back to happiness with you
Said farewell to lonliness I knew
Laid aside foolish pride
Learnt the truth from tears I cried

Spread the news I'm on my way, woopah oh yeah yeah
All my blues have blown away, woopah oh yeah yeah
I'm bringing you love so true
Cuz that's what I owe to you

Walking back to happiness I shared with you (Yay, yay, yay, yay ba dum be do)
Walking back to happiness again
Walking back to happiness again