For Carol, Phil, and whoever,
I appreciated what Joseph had to say today about slouching solutions.
I, too, recommend that you try to get help from someone who can observe your
personal needs, but knowing that it is hard for some to get out, I will try
to describe a few exercises. (We got some of our PT at home from Medicare
when Glenn broke his pelvis a few years ago.)
1) Head and neck
"Double chin exercise" Sit straight in a straight backed chair. Chest
up, shoulders back, draw chin under and back. Repeat six times several times
a day. A variation is to do this exercise and hold the position. See how
long you can hold it. By the time that was suggested to us, Glenn could not
hold for an entire minute. I had asked the PT what I could do to encourage
him to hold himself straight when he walks. She said it would be impossible
for him to do that unless he could hold his head straight five minutes while
seated. This can also be done on the bed, lying on your stomach, with chest
up supported by your arms.
Doorway stretch - Put a hand on either side of the door frame at about
shoulder height. Lean in to the empty space and hold for a count of six.
2) Shoulders - do each six to ten times:
Lie on your stomach on a firm bed, arms at your side. Lift your arms up
until hands are 12 inches or more above the bed.
Then lay hand palm up on small of back just below waistline. One at a
time lift arm as high as you can.
Arms in policeman position - either one at a time or both at once have
arm lyng on bed L-shape and lift as high as you can.
Arm hanging off side of the bed - lift up keeping hand pointed down,
arm bent, and pulling elbow high.
3) Back - I asked for an efficient exercise when energy is low. The PT
suggested while lying on stomach, arms by side, lift shoulders and head as
high off the bed as possible. Even lifting the head one or two inches
tightens some of the muscles needed to hold head up straight.
DRIVING DOUBTS - Alan's story had short story form - suspense and a surprise
ending. Halfway through, I was shaking my head and saying to myself, "He
shouldn't be driving!" I felt safe riding with Glenn long after the
children and other relatives were voicing their concern. He was always a
good, careful driver, and I felt that experience counted for a lot as other
powers diminished. In 1991 we started from California to Boston and we knew
then that I would have to do most of the driving, because of fatigue if
nothing else. I had little experience driving on freeways, but I knew I
could drive to Texas as we had done it many times. And we would leave the
car with my son in Corpus Christi and take to the air if I didn't have my
courage up by then. Well, we drove all the way. I drove 90% of the time and
I actually enjoyed it. I was amazed at how well the traffic engineers have
designed the freeway system across the country.
But one hot summer afternoon, driving south on I-55 in Illinois, I was
drowsy and asked Glenn to take over. The
18 - wheelers were thundering past, and I was mildly concerned, but trying to
relax, when the friendly flashing lights signaled us to pull over to the
side. The patrolman said he had received several alarm messages from the
truck-drivers because our car was weaving into the other lane and they asked
me to drive and offered to take Glenn to a hospital if he needed medical
care. Glenn didn't mind, later, telling that story on himself and he liked
to say, "Not everyone has a college graduate for a chauffeur." When his
license expired last year, he didn't even ask to renew it. I was the one
with tears in my heart when I took him to get his senior citizen's ID card.
If he comments on my driving, I tell him I have had a good role model all
these years and that he is still helping me drive.
Jan Kramar <[log in to unmask]>
