Hand and Foot

Today we have started being under the care of the community physiotherapists and they will keep coming for as long as necessary - no time limit, so we feel very encouraged by that. I think they will be coming only twice or three times a week instead of every day but that is ok as we can do quite a lot of exercises on our own - not manipulating muscles etc. obviously but just stretching and getting the weight onto his right leg. Today Suzanne and Susie (I know! They are all called the same!) came and did a lot of work on his right foot. Suzanne took a lot of time just getting to know Pete and what he can and can't do and what he hopes to be able to do in the future - long term goals. Anyway, she worked his right foot to keep the heel flat on the floor and trying to get his foot to do a walking movement rather than being very stiff and straight. By the end she had got his foot very relaxed and he was wiggling his toes on his own! She hopes that eventually he may not need his stick, or at least an ordinary stick rather than the four prong one, but that is all in the future. She also worked his right hand (still absolutely non-active) and advised he puts it in warm water and also tries different textures to try and wake it up and remind his brain it is still there! Then put some hand cream on and massage it. We have done this tonight for the first time using flannels, towels, nail brush and comb just for different feelings. Hopefully, if we do this regularly things may improve. Pete has an appointment to have a Botox injection into his wrist next Saturday. This will relax the muscle and allow more movement as at the moment it is very stiff and usually very sore. This means I have five days to perfect the manoeuvre whereby I study what they are doing very closely and, unfortunately, just before the needle goes in I stumble and it hits my face!!!!
The kitchen workstation arrived today and Pete assembled it, not used it yet but it looks ideal. One of his goals is to be able to prepare and cook a meal with minimal help if any help at all.
To go back to the episodes of anger that Pete experiences, this apparently is quite a common thing among stroke survivors - I don't know why, but I suppose it could just be the 'why me?' phenomenon and anger that a fully independent person now has to rely on someone else for a lot of stuff. This is particularly ironic for Pete as, only last year, my mum lived with us and he was her carer, now we have turned a full circle and he is the one needing a carer, very hard for him.
Tomorrow our car goes in for it's MOT, got to get up early as Martin will be here at 9.00 am to take it in (I can't drive which is a big disadvantage and I need to psych myself up to remedy this situation) so hope it passes ok. Martin uses our car to take Pete anywhere as it is easy for him to get in and out of. Martin has been such a fantastic help to us and never moans, although he must get fed up sometimes! So thanks Martin.