F.A.Q.

WHEN I HAD MY STROKE, MY FAMILY HAD 2 SCOUR THE INTERNET 2 LEARN ABOUT MY CONDITION, & I STILL GET QUESTIONS EITHER ABOUT MY DISABILITY, OR ABOUT BEING DISABLED.

HERE I WILL FOCUS ON ANSWERING THESE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, ABOUT ME, &/OR ABOUT MY CONDITION,ONE AT A TIME.

FEEL FREE 2 CONTACT ME (BY MY 2 EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE “CONTACT ME” PAGE) W/ANY & ALL QUESTIONS THAT U WANT 2 KNOW. IN TIME, I WILL DO MY BEST 2 ANSWER U, & I MAY EVEN COPY & PASTE IT 2 THE FAQ SECTION OF MY BLOG.

How ru feeding ur self?

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, & LOTS OF TRIAL & ERROR! SEVERAL OLD POSTS COME 2 MIND, LIKE DUMPING WATER ALL OVER MYSELF AT CHURCH!) BUT “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild those plans and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” Author Unknown)

YEARS OF BABY STEPS & LOTS OF PATIENCE. I STARTED SMALL & I HAD AN ARM BRACE AT 1ST. I EVENTUALLY GOT A “TREAT MACHINE” (IT LOOKS LIKE A GERBIL FEEDER, & I TWIST A DIAL, SO SNACKS FALL IN A BOWL). THERE’S A PICTURE OF BOTH ON MY BLOG, ON A SCRAPBOOK PAGE CALLED“JENNY’S WAY”–http://www.jenannlynn.org/?page_id=648 . ANYWAY, I KEPT FEEDING MYSELF, & MY ARM GOT STRONGER. MEANWHILE, MY MUSIC THERAPIST HAD ME LIFTING 1 LB. WEIGHTS 2 MUSIC, WORKING ON MY GRIP, & WORKING ON MY AIM. I WAS A MESS AT 1ST, & 4 A WHILE, I STOPPED, CUZ IT BOTHERED ME THAT THERE WAS MORE FOOD AROUND ME, THAN IN ME! BUT WHEN I WAS LOSING WEIGHT, I DIDN’T CARE ANYMORE, & WATCHING A BABY GROW INTO A TODDLER HAS ITS BENEFITS! ? STILL, EVERYTIME I EAT, I HAVE 2 PRACTICE THE ANGLE 2 HOLD FOOD ON A UTENSIL—SO THE 1ST FEW BITES ARE MESSIER. HENCE, I PREFER MY HAND! LOL

WHAT’S IMPORTANT 2 REMEMBER IS 2 ENJOY & APPLAUD URSELF 4 EACH SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENT ALONG THE WAY, & 2 ENJOY WHAT U HAVE, CUZ IT MAY BE AS GOOD AS IT GETS, BUT DON’T LET THAT MAKE U GET COMPLACENT!
“Aim at the sun and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if you had aimed at an object on a level with yourself.” Author Unknown

THEN WHEN IT GETS BETTER, U CAN BE SURPRISED & THRILLED!

“Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good things. Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. You are not destined to be a scrub. You are a child of God, of infinite capacity.”
Gordon B. Hinckley

What has bothered you the most after your strokes?

I HATE THE LOSS OF INDEPENDENCE (I CAN’T EVEN POTTY ALONE, & IF I WANT I 2 GO PLACES, I NEED SOME1), & I LIKE MY ALONE TIME, SO MY HUSBAND HAS FOUND WAYS 2 BE LEFT HOME ALONE (LIKE, I CAN USE A PHONE 2 CALL 4 HELP, EVEN THOUGH I DON’T TALK!)

I ALSO HATE BEING SO DEPENDENT, & I CAN BE TOO STUBBORN TOO ASK FOR HELP, SO I KEEP TRYING UNTIL I FIND WAYS 2 DO THE EASY STUFF! I LEARN THE MOST WHEN I’M ALONE. THINGS TAKE LONGER,, BUT I GET CREATIVE, & MUCH MORE INDEPENDENT! PLUS, I FIND IT HELPS THAT I THINK I’M CAPABLE OF MORE THAN I SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING, CUZ THEN WHEN I FAIL & AM FORCED BACK 2 REALITY, I CAN SEE THE BABY STEPS I NEED 2 ACTUALLY DO IT, & I’M SO STUBBORN & DETERMINED, THAT I’LL KEEP TRYING UNTIL I CAN DO IT, & BE RIGHT THAT I KNEW I COULD DO IT! LOL

HUMOR HELPS 2 DEAL W/IT, BUT MOST OF ALL, I CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I HAVE, NOT WHAT I DON’T HAVE!

Can you share more about your personal victories in your craft room?

IT IS JUST THINGS THAT ENCOURAGE MY INDEPENDENCE, BY FINDING CREATIVE WAYS 2 ACCOMPLISH A SIMPLE, “NORMAL” TASK:–THE THINGS I DO ARE SIMPLE TASKS 4 OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I MAY FIND UNIQUE & CREATIVE WAYS 2 ACCOMPLISH IT ONE-HANDED. SOMEEXAMPLES:
1. OPENING A CD CASE & PUTTING IN THE CD
2. ACCESSING & PUTTING IN THUMBDRIVES.,
3. HOW I SET UP THINGS SO I CAN BURN CDS ALONE
4. OPENING WRAPPERS 2 GET AT THINGS (SOME THINGS ARE SEALED, OTHERS TIE, & THEY ALL ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAPER)
5. HOW I GET ZIPLOCS, POST-IT NOTES, & PENS OUT ON MY OWN, THEN HOW I OPEN THE ZIPLOC, PUT STUFF IN IT, & WRITE ON THE POST-IT THE THINGS I NEED MY CAREGIVER TO DO WITH WHAT IS IN THE ZIPLOC…
6. HOW I MOVE THINGS & CLEAN…
7. WHEN BLANK PAPER ACCIDENTALLY COMES OUT OF MY PRINTER, I CAN PUT IT BACK IN & PRINT ON IT.
8. HOW I PICK UP SLIPPERY FLAT, HEAVY, &/OR ROUND OBJECTS W/MY GRIPPER
9. HOW I MOVE CHAIRS, REACH THINGS, ETC.
RECENTLY, I WAS GOING THROUGH THE DOUBLES OF MY PICTURES, DECIDING WHAT TO THROW AWAY, & WHAT TO SCRAPBOOK. I ACCIDENTALLY THREW AWAY A PICTURE I HAD WANTED. THERE WERE A LOT OF PICTURES TO GO THROUGH, BUTT THHE TRASH HAD JUST BEEN EMPTIED, SO IT WAS JUST PICTURES. (KEEP IN MIND THAT A 2 POUND WEIGHT IS HEAVY FOR ME!) I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE LID & LOOK. AFTER A WHILE, I HAD 2 GIVE IN & HAVE HELP FINDING THE PICTURE, BUT AFTERWARDS, SOMEHOW I PICKED UP THE HEAVY TRASH CAN LID W/MY GRABBER, PUT THE LID ON CORRECTLY, & MOVED THE TRASH CAN BACK WHERE IT BELONGED.