OT was great the other day! We did some more evaluations and checking to see what my coordination was like and testing my cognitive function. Every time she says "great" or "good job" it makes me so happy!
First, we tested my grip strength. Can you guess what it was?
It was 50 pounds!! The average adult female can grip up to 44 pounds. I'm already above average!! Look at me and my TBI brain!
Next off, we tested my pinch strength. My pinch strength in my right hand was 17 pounds and in my left hand it was 16 pounds!! The average for adult females...right hand is 12 pounds and left hand is 11 pounds! Above average AGAIN!!
We then tried moving my eyes and of course, I can't move them from side to side! She said I do a great job rolling my eyes!! Practice makes improvement :) My music therapist said that to me because NO ONE is perfect!
Back to OT - we did other exercises with my eyes and face. She encouraged me to do them after my surgeries, as well. At one point in these exercises, she told me to raise both of my eyebrows like I was surprised! So, I did it.... and one eyebrow rose. She told me to do it again, like I was surprised! I did it again and my left eyebrow rose again. The right one stayed in place. I TRIED! She told me she hadn't noticed that part of my facial paralysis, which makes me feel better! I'm always so insecure about my facial paralysis and think people can really notice those types of things.
She gave me papers with my exercises, and I have been doing them at home already!
She had me put pegs in holes and try to do them as fast as I can. I'm thinking I did an okay job at that. My average was anywhere from 25-30 seconds.
Lastly, she had me put together a puzzle! I told her that I help my 94-year-old Grandmother put together her puzzles and I stated the last time I was able to get 4 pieces! She asked how many pieces and I said she only does 1000-piece puzzles. She will not do anything much less! My OT therapist pulled out a 60-piece puzzle and told me to go to town. It was a dinosaur puzzle by Melissa & Doug, and I completed it! She said that I can graduate to 100-piece puzzles and nothing more as it might overwhelm me.
She told me that when we have our children do puzzles, we start them with the basics to train their minds and work on their fine motor skills. I have to start with the basics to train myself again. I shouldn't feel embarrassed by that and by me telling you, I'm not!
I know and accept that I had a severe traumatic brain injury. My brain is damaged and still healing. I definitely want to take in how to fully be able to heal and I will do any exercise that can benefit me!
In music therapy today, we did a lyric analysis on the song, "Different" by Micah Tyler. If you haven't heard it, I highly recommend it! I relate to this song a lot as I want the Holy Spirit to fully immerse me, and I want the world to be educated about TBI and I want the Lord to be glorified.
Picture below was taken on the river walk in San Antonio, Texas last summer.
"With a broken wing she carries her dreams. Man you ought to see her fly!"
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