Status

Before I get started I'd like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has been mentioned anywhere on this blog to submit an article. Email is fine: declan.treanor@gmail.com. Any submissions will be edited before publishing. Any subject is fine. However, it would be excellent if there is some educational aspect to it. My hope is that this blog would be a source, for anyone struggling with TBI, or anyone who has an acquaintance so afflicted. As I'm writing this I've thought of a number of other possible target groups. So, really anything.

I got word this week that I will soon be heading into phase D in my epic rehabilitation. This is great news. It's progress. I've decided that now is as good a time as any to give this status update. When I became conscious following my coma. I had, and still have, three major stumbling blocks, that would preclude me from picking up my life where I left off. They are, in no particular order, my double vision, my (lack of the ability to go) walking and, finally, my fucked left arm and hand. We're now 10 months after the accident, so I'll briefly give an update for each of them.

Double Vision:

Sadly this has not seen much change. Sometimes I imagine improvements but, if I'm truly honest, it hasn't got much better. One thing I've noticed, this week, having decided to forgo wearing the eye patch when it's not critical to do so, is that the double vision is more prominent on my left side. I'm not sure what that can mean, so I'll look forward to sharing this new analytical clue with a neurologist.

My Left Arm

I did start fine motoric therapy recently. Unfortunately my hand, which is the subject of this therapy, is at the end of an arm, whose elbow refuses to play ball. Check out this video where I give up trying to put an assortment of coins into a ladybird box. I have also been trying to introduce my left harm(hand & arm)to the chess board, with limited success.

Walking

When I finally walk, I will have Claire to thank. I have physio and Geo, or gang training, but the extra work we do in the evenings is invaluable. I can now walk with a cane, otherwise, unaided. Also, I can, under Claire's supervision, walk caneless perhaps 50 meters. But, this is a real challenge.

GEO(gang trainer)

Attempt with cane:

The aftermath of 100 squats (using the rail)

Talking

I forgot about this. This is the subject, for the moment, of my logopaedie therapy. When I landed in Hamburg, after Malta, I couldn't eat or communicate very well, Anne (pronounced Ann-ae) (same goes for Anne Frank, trivia fans) in the schoen klinik, my, then, logopaedie Therapeutin, steered me in the right direction for which I'm very grateful. Currently my sessions include lots of breathing exercises. I have also started music therapy, which requires that I sing, this also is helping me to coordinate my breathing with noise making. Incidentally, my stutter has pretty much gone away (touch wood).