Be good to yourself

Have patience with yourself

Love yourself

Have fun

My right side used to be my dominate side. But after the stroke I learned to brush my teeth, hair, shower, wipe myself (toilet), type, text, do everything with using my left hand. Utilizing my right as a backup if that makes sense.

Tip

Music, Talking and Chewing gum

I was a Polynesian dancer, so I used to listen to every kind of music. With music my mom had given me gum. So, I chew gum, maybe like ten (10) packs of gum a day on the affected side. I kept biting the inside of my mouth until it bled. Then I’ll take a break and start over. I needed to approach things differently. You need to exercise your jaw. I’m thinking my jaw works because it’s attached to the dominate side but, NO it needs to be exercised.

Music on the radio, music I have recorded to my mix tapes. 😁 I used to put music on and try to sing along like karaoke with no mike😂. As I am singing the words it makes sense because after a stroke our memories and thoughts are all jumbled up. The song that I sang is Tracks of my tears. Line by line. The entire song I felt like that song was made for me. I cried while singing the song, chewing my gum until my mouth bled. Whoosh this entire struggle was by the far the toughest.

People say I'm the life of the party

'Cause I tell a joke or two

Although I might be laughin' loud and hearty

Deep inside I'm blue

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears

I need you, need you

Since you left me if you see me with another girl

Seemin' like I'm havin' fun

Although she may be cute

She's just a substitute

Because you're the permanent one

So take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile looks out of place

If you look little bit closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears

I need you, need you

Outside, I'm masquerading

Inside, my hope is fading

Just a clown, ooh yeah

Since you put me down

My smile is my make up

I wear since my break up with you

Baby take a good look at my face

You'll see my smile, looks out of place

Yeah just a closer, it's easy to trace

The tracks of my tears

Baby baby baby baby baby

Good look at my face

Yeah you'll see my smile, looks out of place

Look a little bit closer, it's easy to trace

Yeah the tracks of my tears

Oh yeah, baby baby

Tracks of my Tears

I really couldn’t move my right leg, like I said before I was dragging my right side everywhere I went. First it started with my foot. In the hospital, I moved my right foot I’d say about an 8th of an inch. This is very minute but for a stroke survivor it was huge.  I cried just like a baby. My emotions were everywhere.

If you read my story, you will know my mom got me in the pool.  So, I would get a bucket fill it up to half put my leg in the bucket. Concentrate, focus, relax, close my eyes and think to lift my toes. I did this for a while but my toes started working.  I still walk with a limp but I’m ok with that.

Walking

I can remember a few things while waking up from the stroke. I remember waking up in the hospital. My right side not working, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk, so I got up and fell off the hospital bed. I got up, dragging my right side into the bathroom. Took a shower, washed my hair and body using one hand, crying.

Shower

My arm and hand eventually started moving because if you read my story, I was in the pool. So, I was in the pool aside from dancing, holding my shoulder up and when I didn’t have a pool, I would soak in the bathtub or fill a bucket with water. I’d be there soaking my body, arm or hand, close my eyes and focus totally on one thing at a time. Could be lifting my toes or my fingers. You need to give yourself time to heal.

Hand & Arm

My shoulder was just hanging there. I used to shrug my shoulders. It was hard. How am I supposed to do that, when my entire arm just hangs. So I started holding my shoulder up with my opposite side, until the affected side got stronger. Then every time I get up to do something I made my right shoulder touch my right ear and hold it there until I couldn’t. Then I’ll repeat all the time. Until I didn’t need to do it anymore. But at times I still need to do these exercises or approaches to keep going. You know that saying “if you do not use it you will lose it” in our case, it’s true.

I use clothes with elastic. It’s a lot easier. So, when I had my stroke, the first time I showered myself in the hospital, I used a tank top, no bra, I tried I could not clasp it together. I used shorts that had elastic waist bands.

Clothes

Because of the stroke, I hung up everything that could be hung. Things I could I would fold was shorts, panties and socks. The socks and panties of course I had separate drawers for that.  I didn’t fold them but it was put away. The shorts I folded them, then put them away.

ALL THE WHILE MY ENTIRE BODY ACHED.

AFTER EVERYTHING I PUT MY BODY THROUGH WITH MY JOURNEY, I DON’T ACHE BECAUSE OUR BODIES WERE BUILT TO MOVE.

Every so often you will see me dancing, I dance everyday at my house, I am the best dancer. 😁 I keep telling my youngest, when I am singing “my voice is coming back” he tells “no its not”. 🤣🤣🤣

Caregivers

Let us do things ourselves.

Not everything but somethings.

It may take a while but we can do it.