Yesterday we were back at the hospital/rehab for a day of outpatient therapy. I am scheduled for several weeks of therapy two times each week. Thankfully, it is only ten miles away.
Each therapy trip involves three 1 hour sessions. There is one hour of physical therapy, one hour of occupational therapy and a third hour of speech therapy.
I would not say that it is completely enjoyable, some of it is plain hard work. However, it is all necessary to try to get the use of my body and voice back to normal. I look forward to each session.
The physical therapist is working on helping me walk by strengthening my right side and working on my balance and dizziness issues. Incidentally, they checked last week to see if the dizziness might be ear related. It is not. The problem is directly stroke related.
The occupational therapist is mostly working on the manual dexterity in my right hand and the balance and dizziness issues as they affect the day-to-day things I need to do. They are also tasked with getting me prepared to drive again in the future.
The speech therapist is working on helping me swallow better, expand the type and texture of foods that I can eat and the quality of my voice. My speaking and singing voice has been greatly affected, and they are helping me with that the best they can.
All three of these descriptions are only general characterizations of much more complicated processes. The therapists are optimistic that I will gain back much of what I am lacking now, but there is no guarantee.
Much of the progress depends on how diligently I work. Therefore the therapy continues each day at home. I break it into 3 to 5 sessions each day.
Very early in the morning, I work on my hand and arm. A little later in the morning I work on a lot of the balance and strengthening exercises and activities. Early afternoon I work on a lot of breathing and voice exercises. Later in the evening, I go through random exercises of all kinds that come to mind.
So literally every day is a day of therapy. As my brother Steve said, This is now my job. I say it is a job I want to do well.
Kelly and I are so thankful that we have these professionals to guide us because we would absolutely have no clue what to do.
Ultimately we are thankful that the Lord has stood by us and is helping us daily. We are experiencing and expecting divine intervention as we move through this process.
We appreciate God’s people very much for encouraging us and praying for us. We have always valued you and we realize that value more and more each day.
May God bless you, our dear friends. Thank you for reading today.
Davy
