Exercises and Eggs!

Have you ever tried to eat a boiled egg using just your non-dominant hand? Not easy, as Pete discovered at tea time today! For a start the egg won't stay still and just swivels round in the egg cup, and then you can't get the spoon in the right place due to the shape of the egg! In the end we just had to take all the shell off and put it on a plate so that he could eat it. When he decided that was what he wanted for tea he got two eggs out of the fridge and tried to bring them to the cooker, whilst also using his stick! Something had to give and, unfortunately, it was one of the eggs which ended up all over the floor! He hadn't planned that manoeuvre very well - but will know better next time!
We did loads of exercises today and it went so much better than yesterday which proves the point that they must be done every day. Pete did 30 lifting his leg from the knee whilst lying on the bed, then 10 foot sliding followed by 10 sit to stands. Sit to stands have to be done with his left foot further forward than the right in order to push up on the right leg. I think he is a bit frightened of what Suzanne will say tomorrow if he hasn't been doing the exercises!!
We have also been doing some writing of names today without copying. Pete can write his full name on his own providing I give him the first letter P, this was totally on his own and without copying. Then it was on to writing my name and Martin and Adrian. He can write these if I tell him the letters, it takes a bit of thought but he did it several times. As it is quite a while since he has done writing I was really encouraged by this. It seems as if he may be getting some letters back into his brain and can write them if you just say the letter - an impossibility a couple of weeks ago. Of course it is just a few letters at the moment - but slowly, slowly the track is being made.
More of 'the book' in which Edwyn has now been transferred to a rehabilitation unit so is getting more interesting again as can compare it to Pete's progress and the therapies used to achieve results. Edwyn had the full right side paralysis just like Pete.
Personally, I have felt a bit down this evening, just that feeling again of being on my own trying to cope and am I doing alright? Whatever, I am doing the best I can and I know these feelings will pass as they always do.
Tomorrow Suzanne brings the FES machine (if she remembers, I'm sure she will) so that should be interesting! Pete has practised a bit with the normal walking stick, he is ok on the level but a slight slope throws him off balance still and causes wobbles, but practice makes perfect as they say.