Friday, January 23, 2004
I taught my niece how to play jacks when she was about five...
...and I was about twenty-five. Any woman who spent time on an elementary school playground in the 60's (of the 20th century) can tell you that if you have to teach someone how to play jacks they are too young to learn. The peculiar and intricate weave of strengths and skills that would be considered good hand-eye coordination for playing jacks requires muscular and mental prerequisites that a five year old doesn't yet possess. What I had to do in order to succeed, I realized, since imitation out of desire wasn't going to work, was analyze (quickly) exactly what skills and combinations of skills are required to play jacks, teach each skill then teach them in sequence combination. As it turned out I ended up reinventing the game for five year old coordination, which pleased both of us.
Since my mother's fall I've been having to reteach her how to walk. Because the ghost mini-stroke left her brain a little hazy on how to get her right side going I found it necessary to try to figure out how to retrain her walk, since it has been the ghost-stroke debilitation of her ability to walk that lead to her critically weakened back and her fall. I used to praise her for her basket runs in the grocery store, full well understanding that she was using the grocery cart as a walker. Now I see that she was also supporting her back in a dangerous manner which weakened it. So, with the wheel chair as a guide she is learning (relearning) how to walk supporting herself more advantageously instead of using support in a dangerous manner. The wheel chair is a magnificent guide and perfectly fits her stance.
Today, while shopping (she decided to take a nap which was fine with me), I observed the way I push a shopping cart, which hits my body at about the same place the wheel chair handles hit my mother's body. I've been coaching her as she walks with the wheel chair, "Don't push with your back, push with your legs, let the momentum of your legs push the wheel chair, use your arms to steady and direct it." At the beginning of the walk she's a star pupil but when she tires she begins to look as though she's toting the wheel chair. So I remind her, "Eyes forward, shoulders back, you're not 'totin' a bale o' cotton'." When she walks eyes forward her shoulders automatically straighten, relax and her back begins to fall in line. I noticed this today when, during our walk three separate car drivers used the a bit of the driveway area in front of our house to turn around, look at maps and reestablish their bearings. My mother continued to walk and was keenly interested in each couple in each car. During all of these episodes she walked straighter and more easily than at any other time. I pointed this out to her later on when she was beginning to drag and posited, "You don't really have fun dancing until you can do it and no longer look at your feet." She got the message and again she visibly relaxed.
I have, for the time being, become her physical therapist.
On the one hand I hope my mother recovers her ability to walk and her strength beyond what it was three years ago. I think there is a good chance that she can, since attention is now being paid to her musculature and muscularity. On the other hand, while I'll keep in mind her previous astounding healings, I'll also be aware that dice are constantly being thrown. I'm hoping we don't stumble on any for awhile.
Company again next week. Twice. Good. We could use it.
Since my mother's fall I've been having to reteach her how to walk. Because the ghost mini-stroke left her brain a little hazy on how to get her right side going I found it necessary to try to figure out how to retrain her walk, since it has been the ghost-stroke debilitation of her ability to walk that lead to her critically weakened back and her fall. I used to praise her for her basket runs in the grocery store, full well understanding that she was using the grocery cart as a walker. Now I see that she was also supporting her back in a dangerous manner which weakened it. So, with the wheel chair as a guide she is learning (relearning) how to walk supporting herself more advantageously instead of using support in a dangerous manner. The wheel chair is a magnificent guide and perfectly fits her stance.
Today, while shopping (she decided to take a nap which was fine with me), I observed the way I push a shopping cart, which hits my body at about the same place the wheel chair handles hit my mother's body. I've been coaching her as she walks with the wheel chair, "Don't push with your back, push with your legs, let the momentum of your legs push the wheel chair, use your arms to steady and direct it." At the beginning of the walk she's a star pupil but when she tires she begins to look as though she's toting the wheel chair. So I remind her, "Eyes forward, shoulders back, you're not 'totin' a bale o' cotton'." When she walks eyes forward her shoulders automatically straighten, relax and her back begins to fall in line. I noticed this today when, during our walk three separate car drivers used the a bit of the driveway area in front of our house to turn around, look at maps and reestablish their bearings. My mother continued to walk and was keenly interested in each couple in each car. During all of these episodes she walked straighter and more easily than at any other time. I pointed this out to her later on when she was beginning to drag and posited, "You don't really have fun dancing until you can do it and no longer look at your feet." She got the message and again she visibly relaxed.
I have, for the time being, become her physical therapist.
On the one hand I hope my mother recovers her ability to walk and her strength beyond what it was three years ago. I think there is a good chance that she can, since attention is now being paid to her musculature and muscularity. On the other hand, while I'll keep in mind her previous astounding healings, I'll also be aware that dice are constantly being thrown. I'm hoping we don't stumble on any for awhile.
Company again next week. Twice. Good. We could use it.
