JENNY’S NEWS

MK IS REALLY MY CARETAKER, BUT I DO HAVE SOME1 WHO COMES. ANGIE COMES 2 1/2 DAYS/WEEK–MON. , WED., & THURSDAYS, FOR ABOUT 3-7 HOURS. BUT SHE’S NOT TRAINED OR ANYTHING. JUST A CHURCH FRIEND WHO’S LIKE A PERSONAL ASSISSTANT, WHO OCCASIONALLY POTTIES ME. THE 1ST YEAR I HAD NURSES, BUT 1 LIED & STOLE, & NURSES TEND 2 TREAT ME MORE LIKE THE MEDICAL CONDITION, &/OR MENTALLY CHALLENGED. CHURCH FRIENDS HAVE BEEN HONEST, & I HANG OUT & HAVE FUN WITH A FRIEND ALL DAY, WHICH REALLY HELPS EMOTIONALLY! SHE DOES THERAPY W/ME, GIVES ME FOOD (I FEED MYSELF NOW, BUT WHEN I COULDN’T, IT WAS AN ISSUE W/THE NURSES), & HELPS ME DO ODD JOBS, WHETHER CLEANING, BURNING A CD, ORGANIZING, OR SCRAPBOOKING. MY CURRENT “HELPER” DOES A LOT OF HEALTHY COOKING 4 ME, AS WELL. & I HAVE A SPECIAL BOND WITH HER TODDLER…SINCE HE’S A TALKER, HE LOVES 2 HAVE ME TALK…IN FACT, WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT NO1 UNDERSTANDS COMPLETELY! LOL (WELL, ANGIE GETS MOST OF IT, SINCE SHE UNDERSTANDS HIM, & USUALLY CAN FIGURE ME OUT TOO!) BETWEEN HIM & HER, IT HAS REALLY HELPED MY SPEECH!

YES. & I HOPE IT WILL HELP ME TO STILL RECOVER MORE. (WHEN I HAD MY STROKE, I WAS TOLD THAT WHATEVER I RECOVERED AFTER 6-9 MONTHS WAS ALL I’D GET BACK. WHAT A HUGE LIE! I REMEMBER I WAS SO UPSET, CUZ I BARELY STARTED RECOVERING THEN! I’VE RECOVERED TONS SINCE THEN!)

THE 1ST YEAR POST STROKE, WE HIT EXERCISES PRETTY HARD. NOW, I DO ENOUGH 2 MAINTAIN THAT PROGRESS, SO I DO TILT TABLE FOR AT LEAST 30 MIN. A DAY, OR MY HUSBAND WILL SUPPORT ME SO I CAN STAND WHEN WE ARE ON VACATION, OR IF I CAN’T SEE SOMETHING.

I DO WATER THERAPY ON OCCASION, & CAN TAKE SOME STEPS W/MY HUSBAND’S SUPPORT. IT’S HARD 2 MAKE MY LEFT KNEE BEND, & 2 RAISE MY LEFT FOOT AS I STEP FORWARD, SO I TEND 2 SWING MY LEG AROUND, OR MY HUSBAND NUDGES IT WHEN I GET STUCK.

AT 1ST, I HAD WATER SQUEEZED IN MY MOUTH. BUT WHEN I LEARNED THAT I COULD USE A STRAW, I HAD A CUP THAT FIT IN A CUP HOLDER IN BACK OF ME, & THE STRAW WRAPPED AROUND FRONT ( I HAVE A PICTURE ON A SCRAPBOOK PAGE CALLED“JENNY’S WAY”–HTTP://WWW.JENANNLYNN.ORG/?PAGE_ID=648 ).

THEN I GOT STRONG ENOUGH 2 HOLD MY OWN CUPS, SO I WOULD HOLD THE CUP THEY USED 2 SQUIRT WATER IN MY MOUTH, CUZ IT HAD A STRAW, BUT THE PLASTIC WAS SOFT ENOUGH 2 SQUEEZE (I ACTUALLY LIFT IT 2 MY BELLY, & SUPPORT IT W/MY BELLY. LOL –WHICH IS HARDER 2 DO, IF I AM THINNER!) & AT RESTURANTS, WE TRY 2 BRING MY CUP, BUT IF WE FORGET, ANY CUP W/A STRAW WILL WORK, BUT IT’S BEST IF IT HAS A LID. HERE’S THE CUP—BUT THEY STOPPED MAKING THE PINT SIZE THAT I USE, & NOW DO A HUGE, QUART SIZE! SO, I’M CURRENTLY SHOPPING…LOL:

YES, THEY CAN TRANSFER ME TO A SMALL CHAIR THAT ROLLS DOWN THE AISLE… WE TRIED IT ONCE. I HATED IT, CUZ I HAVE LIMBS THAT ARE, IN A SENSE, “PARALYZED” (LEFT ARM & LEG), CUZ I CAN’T MOVE THEM, BUT I FEEL THEM JUST FINE…SO THOSE LIMBS WOULD FALL OFF & GET HURT. SO MY HUSBAND CARRIES ME ON FIRST, & WE SIT IN THE 1ST ROW. (I AM SO SPOILED!) & EITHER A KID OR STEWARDESS PUTS MY W/C CUSHION ON THE SEAT (OR MY BUTT WOULD KILL!)

BUT WE RARELY FLY, CUZ I CAN’T HAVE MY GOOD POWER CHAIR.
IT TILTS & ELEVATES, BUT WEIGHS LIKE 300 POUNDS, SO MY DEAR HUSBAND DRIVES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SO I CAN HAVE MY CHAIR, W/O IT BEING DESTROYED BY THE AIRLINES) WHEN WE FLEW, I USED 2 BE STUCK IN A MANUAL CHAIR AT THE MERCY OF OTHERS, UNTIL A GLORIOUS DAY WHEN I FOUND A SUPER CHEAP, COLLAPIBLE POWER CHAIR ON EBAY FOR $100! IT DOESN’T TILT (WHICH PREVENTS PRESSURE SORES), BUT I HAVE A SUPER ROHO CUSHION, & IF I NEED 2 CHANGE THE ANGLE, I EITHER PULL MYSELF FORWARD, OR MK OFFERS 2 STAND ME UP.

MY HUSBAND CARRIES ME OUT 2 THE OCEAN, THEN SUPPORTS ME AS I FLOAT &/OR STAND. (TOLD U—I AM SPOILED–& VERY GLAD THAT I MARRIED A MAN WHO CAN CARRY ME!)