Greetings everyone
For a change tonight there is a different aspect of PBs to report. Bryce has been beavering away trying to work out an objective measure for Mike to use to assess his fatigue. Those of you who know Bryce well will understand the importance of such measures to him. Despite heaps of scorn poured on by me, his ever-admiring wife, I have to admit that he has come up with quite a neat idea, at least for someone like Mike.
The system relates to mental arithmetic that Bryce and his class mates did at Primary School. Yes I know you have to wonder about someone who remembers anything from that long ago, let alone specific mental arithmetic, but we're talking Wilkinsons here and it was Christchurch where there'd be stuff all else to do. The system involves giving Mike a number between 1-100, then two numbers to add and subtract. (The adding number is higher than the subtracting number, just to make it easier.) Then Mike adds and subtracts the same numbers for a minute - how many can he do in a minute. Then he keeps track of how he performs during different degrees of tiredness and can track fastest performance and slowest. So tonight I arrive, I think Mike seems fatigued but he says he isn't bad. He volunteers to do THE TEST and lo, he was very tired. Lowest score so far. Interestingly, I could see half way through the minute that suddenly the fatigue kicked in and his rate dropped fast. (You will notice that there is no mention of Yours Truly subjecting herself to the test!) In essence the message from that test meant: 'Go home Mum'
Progress with the walking today. Mike got so that he can bring his leg right through the stride, rather than just bring it up to the other leg. When you think about it that advance takes nerve and, if successful, quite a lot of balance. Mike had both.
Regards and happy mental arithmetic
Lee
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Monday, May 30, 2005
May 30th: Back to the olds
Great to get all your positive comments for Mike. I can see that the Hutt Valley has a bit of an image crisis! It sure felt a wonderful place to us as we drove Mike around for the first time. The small things in life take on such a new meaning. We were armed with clean up gear because brain injured people often get car sick, but not Mike.
Each day Mike gets a little bit better co-ordinated and a tiny bit stronger. It is hard to describe unless you see it close up and notice the micro changes. Where even a week ago he was so shaky I had to get help to transfer him from the wheelchair to his bed, now he is good enough to manage with only me. But they think it will still be six weeks till he is really freely walking on his own.
The fatigue is an on-going issue and we're all still learning about it. Even just Mike lying in bed listening to music or reading tires him. Even having us read to him is not restful enough - he doesn't lose energy, but he doesn't gain it either. So its quite a challenge, particularly for a guy who all his life has been either full on or sound asleep! Any suggestions for ways to rest are welcome! I've been teaching him yoga breathing. I plan to seek out someone to teach him meditation when he has more stamina, but it would have to be someone really willing to adapt their technique to brain injury.
One good thing from his goals though - by July apparently Mike will be doing his own washing and they will have taught him to cook. At that point, we will all move into Cavit with him and he can look after us.
Mike is really enjoying his visitors. Thank you so much to the regulars and the casuals. Just call me if you're planning to visit so I can keep things co-ordinated.
Lee
Each day Mike gets a little bit better co-ordinated and a tiny bit stronger. It is hard to describe unless you see it close up and notice the micro changes. Where even a week ago he was so shaky I had to get help to transfer him from the wheelchair to his bed, now he is good enough to manage with only me. But they think it will still be six weeks till he is really freely walking on his own.
The fatigue is an on-going issue and we're all still learning about it. Even just Mike lying in bed listening to music or reading tires him. Even having us read to him is not restful enough - he doesn't lose energy, but he doesn't gain it either. So its quite a challenge, particularly for a guy who all his life has been either full on or sound asleep! Any suggestions for ways to rest are welcome! I've been teaching him yoga breathing. I plan to seek out someone to teach him meditation when he has more stamina, but it would have to be someone really willing to adapt their technique to brain injury.
One good thing from his goals though - by July apparently Mike will be doing his own washing and they will have taught him to cook. At that point, we will all move into Cavit with him and he can look after us.
Mike is really enjoying his visitors. Thank you so much to the regulars and the casuals. Just call me if you're planning to visit so I can keep things co-ordinated.
Lee
Sunday, May 29, 2005
3rd Post - 1st Drive
Hi guys,
Saturday 28th May was a milestone day or, in my Dad's words, a PB. I had my first car ride with Mum and Dad. The ride through the Hutt (from the hospital) was (fortunately) uneventful.
There was some nervousness as it is common for head injury patients to get nausea. Fortunately, I was not inflicted with that problem. All I had was some dizziness and it was gone by the time we got home. Unfortunately, the ride wore me out and I was stuffed afterwards.
For those of you who know the Hutt, we went up to the Wainui hill lookout and the Petone foreshore for a coke (I had to get some caffeine in there somewhere). We also checked out two houses that I grew up in (neither had changed much).
The ride, along with my first weight measurement over 60 kilos the day before, felt like more of a return to normality,
Kind regards,
Mike
Saturday 28th May was a milestone day or, in my Dad's words, a PB. I had my first car ride with Mum and Dad. The ride through the Hutt (from the hospital) was (fortunately) uneventful.
There was some nervousness as it is common for head injury patients to get nausea. Fortunately, I was not inflicted with that problem. All I had was some dizziness and it was gone by the time we got home. Unfortunately, the ride wore me out and I was stuffed afterwards.
For those of you who know the Hutt, we went up to the Wainui hill lookout and the Petone foreshore for a coke (I had to get some caffeine in there somewhere). We also checked out two houses that I grew up in (neither had changed much).
The ride, along with my first weight measurement over 60 kilos the day before, felt like more of a return to normality,
Kind regards,
Mike
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