Music Arrangements

Most Effective Exercises for Hand Paralysis

 I'll tell you what, hand paralysis is a bitch. I've been asked "Is it like when you wake up from sleeping with your arm above your head? You know, when all the blood drain from your arm and you have to shake it awake?" 

No. No it's not. My hand is not numb; I can feel everything, perhaps even more than my left hand. My brain is telling my hand to move i.e. "wiggle your fingers!", "turn over!", "flick off the guy in class who keeps interrupting you!", but as hard as I will my hand to move, no matter how many neurons I feel traveling from my brain to my fingers, it is always the same result. A tone-tightened fist.

Sometimes, on good brain days, I can hold up a number four when I stretch or yawn. I try to keep my hand in that pose for as long as possible to strengthen the brain connection, but it exhausts my mind. I keep on trying.

Here are three exercises that have been most effective for cueing hand motion.

1. Ring Grip

I do as many reps as my brain can handle. On good brain days, it's about ten. I usually am able to repeat 2-3 times a day.  I like this as opposed to a regular gripper because it encourages natural hand formation as well as targets the extensor pollicis brevis (that squishy muscle at the base of your thumb).

Buy a Ring Grip

2. Hammer Pronation/Suppenation

Some days, I can't do this exercise at all. Make sure that the hammer is not too much weight for your wrist, otherwise you'll do more damage than good. I find that top weight gives me more feedback, so I use a light-weight wooden-handled mallet. For this one, control is the name of the game. On good brain days, I can open a doorknob!

3. Individual Fingers

Buy a Finger Exerciser

This is my nemesis. I only do three reps per finger. It's frustrating when my fingers slide off their respective buttons, but that where true will power comes into play. This video is me attempting to isolate my third finger, which has the strongest connection. It doesn't seem like much, but I assure you connections are being strengthened. In order for it to make a difference, it must be practiced daily, even though it's annoying as hell.

I realize this has been a very specific post that most like only applies to about 1% of people, but if I can help just one person, it's more than worth it.

Yours,

Amy

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Introduction 

I've spent 15 minutes trying to come up with a witty opening remark. This is the profound statement I have chosen.

Hi. My name is Amy.

It's the same as the pick-up line that my husband used on me 10 years ago. 

"Hi, my name's Kris." 

Straightforward. To the point. Down to business. I like that.

Here is a picture of us on our wedding day!

First, I'll get the personal information out of the way and then get to the more compelling content of this introduction.

1. I am 33 years old.

2. I am a music teacher as well as a private piano instructor.

3. I am obsessed with classical piano repertoire and majored in piano in college.

4. I live with my husband.

5. I do not have children yet.

6. I am a Christian.

Good? Good.

There are also many qualities that make me stand out from the vast sea of recovery bloggers. I wish for this blog to revolve on it's unusual qualities- the qualities with which I have unique experience, and for every individual to gain positivity and motivation from reading it.

In July, 2016, in the peak of my health and fitness, I had a seizure in my sleep that changed everything about my life. The seizure was the result of a golf ball sized astrocytoma on the left frontal lobe that was pressing on the motor cortex. It knocked me unconscious, leaving only dream-like snippets of life until post-removal. The surgery left me paralyzed on the right side with severe aphasia and cognitive damage. You can watch the full story here.

The tumor ended up being cancerous, so I had to spend the next year taking chemo and radiation treatments all while summoning the energy to do physical, occupational, and speech therapy from deep within my spirit.

After five years, I have accepted that I will spend the rest of my life tirelessly fighting to fully recover. Originally, I believed that I had to recover my physical self and cognitive self. In truth, that was simply the naive, idealistic self-talk. I had to find my authentic self all over again.

PTSD, infertility, self-confidence, anxiety, depression, friendship, and marriage will be discussed as well as physical and cognitive recovery.

It is my hope that this blog helps others, not only those recovering from a brain injury, but everyone on a self-healing journey.  

Yours,

Amy