Dec 15, 2006
The morning was spent at the Holiday Party. First we went to a table where a Kwanzaa display was set up, and we learned a little about that celebration from one of the therapists. Then they had a jeopardy-style game on the facts that had been presented --pretty tough, since the various facts had just been rattled off to us! Also at this table, some rice krispy treats and small bags of M&Ms were handed out, along with a party favor that listed the principles of Kwanzaa. At the next table the patients decorated sugar cookies. And at the final table we learned a little about Hanukkah and played a gambling game with a dreidel with letters of the Jewish alphabet on it. Then came the gift exchange "game." Each patient picked a number out of a hat, and in order they could either select a gift from one of the wrapped ones on a table or they could "steal" a gift that had already been unwrapped and "belonged" to another person. A gift could be stolen only twice, however. Evidently no one was overly thrilled with the five-dollar gifts that had been bought, because only one gift -- a lady bug massager -- was "stolen." Gary ended up with a three-pound dumbbell.
Then they served cafeteria-style tacos for lunch. Gary had one of those but will also have his bag lunch and I will have my rice. The only other thing we have scheduled for today is a seating clinic at 2, so right now we are sort of hanging around for that. I have already suggested to Gary that while we wait we should practice something he's learned. He said he'll think about it (he is off currently doing his IC). In terms of his therapy goals, this morning was a waste, but I'm sure you could have predicted I'd say that ;-)
We learned that next Thursday he doesn't have anything scheduled until 10 am, so Gary is looking into buying us tickets for the Atlanta symphony on Weds. night.
***
Okay, now for a continuation. After lunch, we went to the gym, and I helped Gary transfer onto the Easystand -- that is the machine that is like a cross-country machine. He stayed on it forty minutes! (Not continuously moving his arms and legs, of course.) He had no blood pressure problems with it, so I didn't have to lower him at all during the entire session. He then worked out on a machine that was supposed to be good for his shoulders, and then finished with the bowflex.
The seating clinic, which we went to next, was very useful. They moved his wheels in, so that the chair is narrower. He immediately noticed he could make sharper turns. He has greater mobility in it, can get into tighter spaces, and probably gets more force for each push on his wheel since he doesn't have to reach as far out for the wheel -- at least, he says it feels like he gets more for his efforts. They also sawed his tip bars some, so they won't get caught on low curbs and inclines as has been happening. They made his footplate more level -- I couldn't get that adjusted right when I had tried to do so before. Finally, they adjusted the back of his chair so that it hits him higher up on his back, which will hopefully help with the aching he has been getting in his back in the late afternoon, and they also adjusted the angle so that he sits straighter in the chair, which should of course help his posture but also enable him to push more efficiently.
After that we went home. I took a walk and then finally got in one of my own weight-training programs. Then our evening proceeded similar to the previous ones.
The morning was spent at the Holiday Party. First we went to a table where a Kwanzaa display was set up, and we learned a little about that celebration from one of the therapists. Then they had a jeopardy-style game on the facts that had been presented --pretty tough, since the various facts had just been rattled off to us! Also at this table, some rice krispy treats and small bags of M&Ms were handed out, along with a party favor that listed the principles of Kwanzaa. At the next table the patients decorated sugar cookies. And at the final table we learned a little about Hanukkah and played a gambling game with a dreidel with letters of the Jewish alphabet on it. Then came the gift exchange "game." Each patient picked a number out of a hat, and in order they could either select a gift from one of the wrapped ones on a table or they could "steal" a gift that had already been unwrapped and "belonged" to another person. A gift could be stolen only twice, however. Evidently no one was overly thrilled with the five-dollar gifts that had been bought, because only one gift -- a lady bug massager -- was "stolen." Gary ended up with a three-pound dumbbell.
Then they served cafeteria-style tacos for lunch. Gary had one of those but will also have his bag lunch and I will have my rice. The only other thing we have scheduled for today is a seating clinic at 2, so right now we are sort of hanging around for that. I have already suggested to Gary that while we wait we should practice something he's learned. He said he'll think about it (he is off currently doing his IC). In terms of his therapy goals, this morning was a waste, but I'm sure you could have predicted I'd say that ;-)
We learned that next Thursday he doesn't have anything scheduled until 10 am, so Gary is looking into buying us tickets for the Atlanta symphony on Weds. night.
***
Okay, now for a continuation. After lunch, we went to the gym, and I helped Gary transfer onto the Easystand -- that is the machine that is like a cross-country machine. He stayed on it forty minutes! (Not continuously moving his arms and legs, of course.) He had no blood pressure problems with it, so I didn't have to lower him at all during the entire session. He then worked out on a machine that was supposed to be good for his shoulders, and then finished with the bowflex.
The seating clinic, which we went to next, was very useful. They moved his wheels in, so that the chair is narrower. He immediately noticed he could make sharper turns. He has greater mobility in it, can get into tighter spaces, and probably gets more force for each push on his wheel since he doesn't have to reach as far out for the wheel -- at least, he says it feels like he gets more for his efforts. They also sawed his tip bars some, so they won't get caught on low curbs and inclines as has been happening. They made his footplate more level -- I couldn't get that adjusted right when I had tried to do so before. Finally, they adjusted the back of his chair so that it hits him higher up on his back, which will hopefully help with the aching he has been getting in his back in the late afternoon, and they also adjusted the angle so that he sits straighter in the chair, which should of course help his posture but also enable him to push more efficiently.
After that we went home. I took a walk and then finally got in one of my own weight-training programs. Then our evening proceeded similar to the previous ones.
posted by Peg Daniels at 8:43 AM
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