Progress

Over the last few days Pete has been trying to write words from memory, not too successful. But I did discover something which is progress! I decided to see what letters of the alphabet he could write without any clues as to what they looked like. So, starting with A and finishing with Z, I told him the letters and, with the exception of about 4/5 he could write them all from his memory, even ones we haven't touched on since his stroke, for example J and Z. So this means it is starting to come back. He can't write words spontaneously, but seems to now know all the letters. Today we have gone one tiny step further in that, after a twenty question session, I gleaned he wanted me to do something for him. I asked him if he could write the first letter of a word that would help, and he wrote W, that narrowed the field tremendously!! Windows? Wash something? Water something? Wear something? No to everything, so I thought well, that's it, W is wrong. Then he got up and went to the bathroom and got the scales - aaah, weigh him!!! So W was right, brilliant, just me not guessing that one! As I have said before, we go round and round in a very convoluted fashion! Pete has also given me two other first letters of words which have proved to be correct. So, I am hopeful we can use this more often - it is still difficult but it doesn't half help!
Tonight he also peeled the potatoes for tea! Again, progress. It took a while and he tried to give up a couple of times, but, after persuasion, he persevered and managed it. The dyspraxia tried to kick in in that it took several goes before he realised he had to use the central metal bit and just had to pull it over the surface, not try to dig it in the potato with the corner. The metal spikes that hold the potato in place are a bit dodgy - anyone got any better ideas on how to hold it in place? You have to keep taking it off and jabbing it back on in a different position. As I said, it was a very laborious process but he achieved success and will get better with practice. It is the first time he has shown any interest in using the peeler, and, I think, did very very well.
Then, after tea, Pete went off to do the dishes on his own. He usually washes and I dry and put away. I also usually do all the pans first. But tonight he indicated he didn't want me there and would do it all on his own - which he did. I went through to see how he was doing after a while and met him coming back, asked if he wanted a cup of tea, went to the kitchen and found everything done and two cups of tea waiting for me to carry through!!
So, all in all, excellent progress. The only down side at the moment is that we both seem a bit short tempered and emotional - its the weather and time of year I think which is getting us down. We had a dry day on Tuesday but the last 2 days have been very wet with that thick drizzly mist, and January and February are always rubbish months with rubbish weather and nothing to look forward to, so roll on March and signs of Spring!