Saturday, October 31, 2009

Occupational Therapy














About two and a half weeks ago I started doing occupational therapy with Harsha. Dr. Shroff thought it would be a good idea to start retraining my brain as to what things feel like. For example when Harsha rubs a cotton ball along my arm I think about how cotton used to feel and how it is soft and a nice feeling, but when she rubs the rough side of a sponge on my arm I think about how it is hard and not pleasant. Harsha's goal with me is to try and get my feeling back and she works on that by doing various deep pressure exercises, textile exercises, movement exercises, etc. I see her about a half hour twice a week. We haven't set confirmed days or times yet, but it's not like we have any other plans. Today in therapy we did about seven or eight different things. We worked on deep pressure, she would push my fingers together and push my shoulders down, etc. We also worked on movement by me bouncing up and down on a ball, moving a board back and forth and rolling putty into a ball. Since we are also trying to get smell back we are doing an aroma therapy by using an orange scent right now. A few new exercises came up today, finger painting, being wrapped up in a bed sheet like a burrito and getting a ball rolled over me, and trying to differentiate between hot and cold water. Hopefully therapy will help me a little bit, and I will be able to continue it back home. I think it might be more useful when I can feel again rather than now because when I feel again I will have to retrain my brain as to what everything is. It's up to the doctor's though and I will give each thing they through at me 110% and just hope it does something.


The pictures above are from today, they are me being rolled up into a burrito with Harsha applying pressure with a ball, and my finger painting.

2 comments:

  1. Monica and Mom, I'm a total stranger to you but I became aquainted with Bret and Marge (over the phone) before they left for New Delhi. Your blogs are beautiful. I tried to read the walking from the Icecream story to my wife and choked up marveling at your progress. We are hopeing that we will make it to Delhi for treatment of my MS.

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  2. Monica, I'm thrilled to hear that the docs have devised such beautifully individualized treatment for your unique condition. Brilliant! Here's to all kinds of good feelings! - Denise

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