Focusing on my breathing during speech today

I began my morning this Monday at 6:00 a.m. by non other then stretching, weights, swin air dine, ect. At 7:00 I then went to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. This morning I had oatmeal and english muffin. Reminds me of a morning getting ready to go skiing, because that is what I would eat to warm my body before hitting the slopes. Oh well, next winter. Once I had finished eating at 7:30 I then went downstairs to ride the swin air dine for a half an hour. After my shower I then continued to get ready to go to WestSide. United wheelchair soon arrived at 9:30 to pick me up. Upon my arrivel to WestSide this morning I began my day with a speech session with Diana at 9:30. We spent our time in John's office. Diana first had me lie down. She then had me recite row row row your boat with my arms raised once I had taken a deep breath. She also would like me to practice at home lifting my arms and lowering them slowly while breathing in and slowly exhaling with my lips pursed so the air slowly goes out my mouth. During my support session with Deb we talked about things. Yes I am getting a little discouraged at this point, but that hasn't stopped me from constantly exercising and making progress. It is just not happening soon enough. I know it is a long road toward recovery. Deb would like me to write a poem on how far I have come since the day I was admitted to Eastern Maine Medical Center on May 2nd, to a patient at d'youville, to my first day at WestSide, until now, so that I can look back at the progress I have made. I told her I would give it my best shot. Once I am finished with the poem I will be sure to post it on the blog. I then had my case management session with Piper. We first discussed medical things, we then spoke briefly on how I was dealing with life in general. At 12:30 Lou from United drove me home. Upon my arrivel home at 1:30 I had eaten my lunch before I had lied down to rest. I was so tired I slept from 1:45 until 4:00. I then got up to stretch. I was still a little tired so I cut my work out in half, by shortening each set of stretching exercises I do. I then road the swin for fifteen minutes instead of thirty. At 4:45 I then took a shower before eating my dinner with my mother. At 5:40 I sat down to blog before calling it a night.

Another cookie day

I began my Sunday morning at 8:20 a.m. by stretching as usual. After an hours worth of stretching I then road the swin air dine for thirty minutes. At 10:00 I then went to the kitchen to drink my hot coca. After my shower I then put my laundry away before going out into the kitchen to eat pancakes for breakfast. At 11:30 I went back to my bedroom to lie down to rest. I slept for three hours. All of that exercising sure does wair me out. At 2:30 I then got up to eat some lunch with my mother. Once I had finished eating, I then baked off my cocoanut kiss cookies. Once I had baked those off I then mixed up the batter to the butter spritz cookie recipe. I just love this time of year. At 4:15 I then went to my bedroom to stretch once again, but this time I did a shorter version cutting my routine in half. I then road the swin for fifteen minutes instead of thirty. After I had taken a shower I then went to the kitchen to eat dinner with my mother. At 6:00 I then watched part of a movie before blogging at 7:00, I then called it a night.

Organizing my poems and a visit from grandma

I began my Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. by loosening up my muscles. At 9:00 I then went to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. Mom had made some bannana muffins this morning. At 9:30 I then made my way downstairs to ride the swin air dine for thirty minutes. After my shower I then sat down to copy some of my poems into a notebook that were on my desktop. Just incase my mother baord ever decides to go again I will have them. At 11:30 I played a game of skip-bo with my grandmother. At 12:30 I then had some lunch. My mother had made some english muffin pizza's. At 12:45 I then lied down to rest. I slept until 3:00 before getting up to stretch and do my weight exercises. I then went downstairs at 4:30 to ride the swin air dine. After my shower I then went to the kitchen to eat dinner with my mother. At 6:00 I watched television with my mom before calling it a night. At 8:00 I then went to my bedroom to blog.

Just another day of ...............

I began my Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. Once I was up, I then went to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. At 9:20 I then started a load of laundry before beginning to do my stretching regimen. Once I had completed my stretching routine and off the telephone with my mother who had called from work to let me know of my upcoming appoitments to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. I then began to do my weight exercises. At 10:15 I then started another load of laundry. This time sheets. I then hung them out to dry. At 11:30 I then jumped on the swin air dine to ride for thirty minutes. At noon I then had a bowl of soup for lunch while watching the news. I then took a shower before making my bed. I then lied down to rest at 1:10 thus sleeping until 3:30. I then stretched for thirty minutes before getting on the swin air dine for thirty minutes. At 4:40 I then lifted weights before before cleaning up before eating dinner with my parents at 5:30. I then went to my bedroom to blog.

THE MIND IS A MYSTERY

My feelings towards this stroke I've had

Stretch out so far and wide,

Reminds me of a mirrored image

You really can't see inside.

Although I'd like to know what's going

On inside my head,

The only time when I'm relaxed

Is when I'm Lying in bed.

I'm sure if you looked at my brain

So very deep inside,

The answere to what's going on

Is like a rollor coaster ride.

The doctors tell me, that I could have

Another stroke at anytime,

But to live for what today does hold

Is the only thing on my mind.

I feel like a walking time bomb

And with every step I take,

Just like the earth does tremor

When we experience an earthquake.

But for now, I will absorb

Every day with ease,

As to keep my mind so calm

As the wind does blow a breeze.

Trying to get beeds out of theropuddy. Not as easy as you think.

I began my Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m. by stretching. At 6:00 I then lifted arm and leg weights. At 6:30 I then made my way to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. Once I had finished eating I then went downstairs to ride the swin air dine for a half an hour. Once I was ready to go to WestSide I then sat down to write my poems in my notebook while waiting for my ride. At 9:30 United arrived to take me to WestSide. Upon my arrivel I had my p.t. appointment at 11:00 With Amanda. She first had in the parallel bars doing leg raises. Amanda then had me riding the leg bike for thirty minutes. After a break I then meet with Doctor Perna to discuss how things are going. He will be setting me up to speak with an intern. I then had a break from 1:00-2:00. During this hour I went to an empty room to rest. At 2:00 I then had my O.T. session with Jill. She first had me using the peg baord. Jill then stuck beeds in some theropuddy and I had to get them out, using only my right hand. She then had me trying to take bolts off screws. I then read to her some poems I have written. Once I had arrived home I rode the swin air dine for fifteen minutes. I then went to my bedroom to do my stretching. Once I had lifted my weights I then took a shower and got ready to eat dinner. I then sat down to blog soon calling it a day.

Wee fun or not so fun

I began my Wednesday morning at 4:00 a.m. by performing my stretching routine. At 5:00 I then began to lift my weights in various different exercises. Leg and arm. At 5:30 I then went to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. Once I had finished eating at 6:00, I then went downstairs to ride the swin air dine. After my work out, I then showered getting ready for my day ahead. At 7:00 I then cleaned my bathroom before sitting down to wait for United to arrive, to take me to WestSide. Upon my arrivel for 9:30 I meet with Diana for speech. During our session we first went to John's office to practice breathing exercises. Dianna then had me practice my snear before the end of the session. Diana is also having me recite row row your boat, so as to be able to practice breathing when doing so. At 10:00 Amanda came to the lobby to get me so as to take me to the gym downstairs for our session. Once in the gym Amanda had me riding the leg bike for ten minutes. She then had me using the wee, so as to test my balance. While doing the balance test I was to get a little red ball in the center of a circle the best I could and keep it there. The end results were that I have the balance of a sixty year old man. While I was rocking around on the wee fit board, Amanda had a hold of me for dear life, by using the gate belt. She then had me doing the wee ski, so that I was shifting my weight from side to side while sking the slalom cource, so as to make it around the gates. At 11:00 during my break Amanda opened the room across from the gym so that I could go in to rest. The last fifteen minutes I went to the kitchen to eat my lunch. At 12:00 noon I had my o.t. session with Nancy. We first called Vicky my voc councelor. We then did the peg test timed, so as to see how long it would take me to put them in and out of the holes. My right hand was only 10%. Nancy then had me doing a tapping test to see how many times I could tap in a minute. 1st time 31, 2nd time 38, 3rd time 37, 4th time 36, 5th time 38. Averaged out comes to 38. I then went to the kitchen with Nancy to help her make Tuna and Turkey sandwhich's for tonights Halloween party/dance. Which I did not attend. My body is not up for that type of activity yet both fysically or mentally. At 1:00 United took me home. I arrived home at 2:30. Once I was settled I began my stretching routine at 3:00. I did so until 4:10. Once I had finished my workout I then took a shower and got myself comfortable for the night. At 5:00 I then ate dinner, sat down to blog at 6:00, I soon called it a night.

Better late then never

I began my Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. by stretching. I then was feeling a little hungry for breakfast but decided to do my weight exercises before going to the kitchen to eat. Once I had finished eating I then put my laundry away. At 9:45 I then went downstairs to ride the swin air dine before taking my shower and getting ready to go to the YWCA for aquasize, with a group of clients from westside. Today John had me doing leg raises in the water befor using the noodle to add some resistence to the work out, by wrapping it around my foot and pushing downward. I arrived late to the ywca today, because Butch the United driver was held up in Turner do to an accident on route four. Once I had finished with the workout, I went into the locker room to change. John then walked me to the area where I was to meet United to be picked up for 2:45. I finally arrived home at 4:30. I was a little late getting home because we had to bring Donald home first. As soon as I walked through the door I took my shower to warm up. I then went to the kitchen to eat dinner with my parents at 5:00. Once I had finished eating, I then went to my bedroom to blog at 5:20. I was soon in bed shortly after that. Swimming can really take allot out of a person.