Name: Jenny, Age: 23 - In third year of recovery from left hemisphere stroke
My Experience:
Initial Diagnosis and Symptoms- a stroke of the left hemisphere of the brain which controls motor function and affected the right side of my body. It was caused from an infection that spread to my heart after having a root canal 3 years ago.
- “hemiplegia” which is complete paralysis of the right side of the body.
- short-term memory loss, and asphasia with the symptoms of trouble saying words and remembering numbers, telling time and knowing left from right.
- Legs: My first priority was learning how to walk again by teaching my brain to use my leg muscles, I went from wheelchair bound, to walking crutches, to full leg braces(yes like Forrest Gump) to where I am now with low-key ankle braces which help me keep my balance and help prevent foot spazams.
- Arm: has not been as successful. I have numbness my fingers and minimal movement and some feeling in my shoulder which basically means I can shrug. I can move my arm with my left and hold small things (about a pound or 2) against my chest, it’s basically like a tool that I opporate with my left hand. The doctors say I have approximately 5% use of my arm and hope that with continued therapy I might reach up to 25% in my lifetime
- Motor Skills and effects: my verbal skills are much improved(My speech now waivers between relatively normal and kind of like I can’t hear myself which happens when it becomes hard for me to swallow.) I still have some problems with word reqcognition and math in general, I have about the same amount of cognitive disability as someone with moderate dixlexia. I also often have trouble focusing and confusion occurs when short term memory loss occurs.
Name: Jenny Age:19 - trying to gain perspective
My Experience:
Why I chose this “persona”
- It is a very real threat that can happen to anyone.
- It is a change in one’s persona and way of life that can’t be taken off.
- I wanted to try to gain some perspective of someone I’ve known my entire life but have always been afraid to ask (my cousin’s husband, Mike who had a stroke at the age of 23 and had/has the same symptoms only his has taken 20 years of therapy to get to where he is.
Where I Got My Research:
- From my cousin Mike, a stroke victim himself, he explained basically everything from point A to B about his experience
- My mother and my cousin(Mike's wife): their memories from his event
- Internet research of the types, causes, symptoms, long and short term effects of strokes
- Videos documenting stroke rehabilitation
- I used a mixture of tape and ace-wrap on my hand and wrist Friday and Saturday to achieve the stiff hand and fingers. On Sunday I switched to a wrist cuff covered by a fingerless glove.
- I also made a “brace" for my leg which made it difficult to bend my ankle
- I also made use of my knee brace that I use for my opposite leg to make walking even more constricted (Note: I did not use this element on my second day as the added stress on my left leg ending up causing a lot of pain for my other leg.)
- I also ate about 30 halls cough drops each day to make it more difficult to talk in my normal voice.
- I placed a weight around my left ankle to create unbalance (because muscle becomes uneven when paralysis occurs)
- I tied string to my arm and attached it around my waist so I was unable to raise my arm more than approximately 30 degree without the assistance of my left arm.
Annoyances:
- Showering - not so fun anymore and I seem to always wash one side of my head more extensively than the other
- Tying shoes, the first show isn’t a huge problem because you can use your feet, the second...teeth were involved
- Wallets/dealing with money: I only bought one thing during my 48 hours but the cashier was obviously annoyed
- Turning book pages
- Typing on the computer
- Opening jars
- Sweeping
- Washing dishes
- texting
- buttoning pants
- Finding the opening of those produce bags as the grocery store
- Doing anything at a grocery store
- Knives
Emotional
- The "is it offessive?" question: I had a lot of trouble with this one myself and almost didn't do it because of it I had a number of serious talks with my mom but when I finally bucked up the courage to call my cousin and ask and he gave me his permission I was ok...
- until the night of my first day when I called my mom sobbing about how unfair life is to some people...
Physical
- After the 48 hours were up, it felt extremely strange using my arm again
- numbness in right hand: Which was actually my plan from the wrist brace I wore but I quickly learned that after about an hour my hand was purple so I would loosen brace and put my hand in a vertical position to make blood flow better. Aside from sleeping it was the only time I intentionally broke character
What I'v realized:
- That I have had at some point in my life similar symptoms as to the one's I took on, but having them all together, for life, takes so much strength.
- The amount of time that you have to give up is really shocking, I made dinner the first night, just pasta and vegetables, it normally takes me about 30 minutes but instead it literally took over 2 hours.
- We can adjust, although it started with a lot of slip ups in the arm category, as the time went on I got used to it and even now I randomly feel guilty when I use my right arm.
- If it would have been my non-dominant hand it would have been a whoooole different story, I can't even imagine, I was clumsy enough as it was with my dominant hand.
- It really has humbled me. I'm really grateful for a body that works.
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