Whenever I mention my blog, the first question people have is why do you call it "handysports"? I call it that for two reasons. The first reason being that since my stroke I have only had good use of my left hand. My right arm is dominated by spasticity and I cannot use it worth a damn. Although my hand has quite a bit more agility than my arm, in general, spasticity prevents it from performing quick movements such as throwing a disc and more deliberate movements such as typing on a keyboard or balancing a cup of water by the handle. Which is not to say I cannot pick up cup by its handle; I can once I get my hand in position to clasp it, but I have to be in position because I cannot reach out and extend due to the incredible tone in my arm. So there you have it, I call it handy because the activities discussed only require one hand.
    Sports can be defined "as an individual or group activity pursued for exercise or pleasure, often involving the testing of physical capabilities and taking the form of a competitive game such as football, tennis, etc." Originally, I had intended the blog to be about activities that a person could compete in that requires only one hand. Of course, I would like to believe that everything revolves around sport, in one way or another, and that everything we perform, as disabled people, is a challenge and our opponent is of a physical or mental nature. Playing against great foes like paralysis, aphasia, or apraxia, and many more. I truly believe this to be so: that every act we do is in response to overcoming our disability whether it be walking, talking, exercising, writing, playing chess, disc golf, traveling by car or plane, sightseeing you name it, and if it is an activity, then in my book, it is a sport. I know a guy who is a stroke survivor and scratch golfer with a 12 handicap, and he plays with only his right arm, and the other arm is  locked by his side  in spasticity.
    But I have to say, and my therapists would most likely agree, that the name is a self-fulfilling prophecy, meaning, the title insinuates that I have given up on my hand. And the more I use my hand and arm by doing what they are asking me to do, I am thinking that maybe they could be right. All is not lost! And there is a way to unlock my spasticity, and I think that OT and PT play a role in finding the key so I can set myself free.

     My WalkAide, or WA as I shall refer to it from here on out, I have had for a little over 2 years, and it has been a godsend. Where a device the size of a cell phone can be attached to the leg in order to  activate the peroneal nerve  in order to lift the foot to make walking a little more fluid. Anybody suffering from foot drop can know turn to devices like the WA and the Bioness to stimulate that nerve into action.
​     No longer would I have to accept my rigid, plastic and metal AFO (ankle foot orthosis)  as the only option to walking that is available to me. Now I had a state of the art device that could facilitate my walking and not make it such a foreboding status to overcome.  Also, it would free my ankle  to exercise without the constraint of the hard plastic given by the AFO.
     I wear it in conjunction with my AFO or some other brace because my ankle tends to roll over when it doesn't have any support. Thank God I have much flexibility in my ankle because otherwise I would've broken it on several occasions, long ago. When my ankle rolls over I ended up just standing on it, bent and fearful, waiting for somebody to rescue me. So I don't take any chances anymore, though with my softer braces I still have that concern, but I am very careful and always conscious of the fact that it could happen. The rigidity of the AFO is very safe in preventing my ankle from rolling.
     When I am at home on even ground, most of the time barrier free, I walk around with my WA in my slippers, stocking feet, or just barefeet. But out in the bigger world where there is much uneven ground and many barriers I need my walking kit and that consists of my AFO, WA, and cane along with my size 12 Fila's, so that I am able to go anywhere for as long as my endurance lasts. I tried walking without my cane for a spell, and then I had a therapist tell me it wasn't safe and I agreed with her. I felt so much more secure with the cane that I understood I was just taking chances going rogue.
     First thing in the morning I reach for my WA, try to use my right hand to steady it in place below my knee and fix the clasp on. Then I turn it on to one and a half on the dial and I'm ready to go usually to the bathroom. I have the updated version which is other than the Velcro strap design in the video which was made in 2009. The WA runs on a single AA battery that needs replacing approximately every two weeks, or when the beeping starts and that's a signal that the batteries are going.
     I know what you are thinking, "why does he need two devices, the AFO and WA, that were designed to do the same thing." Well, I feel that the WA gives me the impetus to walk and of the AFO provides safety to my ankle. And with this combination I feel very confident in where I am going and what I am doing. Let me give you an example of a time where I did not have my AFO. I was in Taos, New Mexico walking in gravel, thinking I could get by on just my WA and impress my friends, when my ankle began to fold under me, and my friend had to rescue me many times, and after that trip I never left home without it.
     The WA has been a godsend. When used in conjunction with the AFO it provides me the opportunity for safe, enjoyable walking. Not everybody may need to use the WA in conjunction with the AFO, that will depend on your circumstance. I'll explore more of the pros and cons behind the WA in future posts.

      Yesterday I started the University of St. Augustine's OT Mock Clinic, that meets Wednesday morning 9 to 11 a.m. through February 3. St. Augustine's is located in  Circle C Ranch in far South Austin just off La Crosse after Slaughter. I have been attending the free PT clinics for nearly 3 years, but this is the 1st occupational therapy session organized by Dr. Rebecca Estes.
      There was much assessment and many questions to answer, so I had to be on my toes and think fast. The two therapists, Brooke and Christina, were all business and made me feel right at home. I guess it's because I'm an old hand at working with students by now. They started off by asking stuff like did I live alone, did I have many steps in my house which went on for about 15 minutes, and then they administered the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure which is a way to establish a connection between therapist and client so that the therapist has an idea of what goes on in the life of the client. It was a pretty interesting assessment that determined if and how much I use my affected arm and hand in daily use in a variety of instances such as community, social, and hobbies, to name a few.
      Next, the two assessed the range of motion in my arms, from big movements like lifting my hands over my head, to the smaller ones such as turning my palms up and back again. My spasticity limited my right arm's participation. Then they tested my sensation on the skin which when combined with my lack of proprioception and my confusion about minutia, and I think I didn't do so well on that part. She touched me, and I got confused about where the front of my arm was and the back of it. Sometimes I felt her pressure on 2 places at once.
        The rest of the time was spent doing sit to stands, standing in place with my feet close together then farther apart. And I showed my therapists and Dr. Estes my AFO and my WalkAide. They had all kinds of questions about those 2 things and I found out that there was another man at the clinic who also had a WalkAide. Then I opened the door by turning the handle with my right hand.  But this is already stuff that I could do, not any real breakthroughs such as reaching across the table, breaking through my spasticity, to hand somebody an item that they needed. Also, I would like to pick up a cup by its handle without spilling the contents and set it back on its saucer. But at least I'm a lot more conscious of using my right hand more and not neglecting it because these past  two and half years, I have failed to utilize my right arm and hand to is full potential, and I believe it's the reason for my balance issues. Right now it's dead weight, just hanging there, where as if I engage it more and train it to do what it was meant to do, my hand and arm would be a lot happier.
​  My Homework (using my right hand exclusively)
1. Turn on a light switch.
​2. Turn on a faucet.
​3. Open the door by twisting a knob.
4. Pick up a glass of water. 
​5. Wash and dry hands.
      I can hardly wait to go back to St. Augustine's next week. I have included a video of me mashing beans for chalupas with my right hand.

     Last week I decided to have a birthday party at the Austin Beer Garden Brewery and invite all my Facebook friends, or at least the ones I was most familiar with, and my family members who all live in Austin. I was a little apprehensive at first because, you know how Facebook is, you never know how relationships have changed since the last time you saw each other. But I sallied forth up the long ramp to the ABGB entrance and come what may, I was willing to take the chance.
     I told everybody to be there between 4 and 7 PM at the ABGB, as it is known. My wife Chris and I got there at 3:50 PM and got in line to order a pitcher of the Day Trip pale ale. That is my new favorite. Then we went to claim the table. The brewery is situated in a warehouse type building so they can accommodate their brewing operation, which is extensive, and the kitchen that produces some fantastic pizza at reasonable prices and their 30 foot (mas o menos) long bar with multi-taps.
      We had been warned earlier that they were going to be busy on Sunday. We decided to sit outside since there were no empty tables with space to accommodate at least 20 people that we were expecting. It was already 50° and dropping, so it was pretty cold. I was on the verge of being uncomfortable, but when my 2 grandsons and nephew showed up I was glad that we were outside because they had room to play. Allison showed up 1st while we were in line and helped us bring out the glasses and decide on the table. Then Kerry and Pamille came next, followed by John and Janet and their youngest child. Then came Christie P. and John F. and then the flood gates opened with guests ordering pitchers of beer and every type of pizza they had to offer. Charlie and Amy, Joni and David, Dennis and Leah, Amelia and José, my stepdaughters Kim and Adrienne, along with Jason and Charles, and Celia were all there. It seems that every time a guest showed up to the table they were announcing another pitcher. At one point Jason, my new son-in-law, brought me an Imperial pint of the Superliner IPA because he said that I would like it. No arguments there.
     Later, my siblings showed up. Terry, Cristy, and Carlos are the rock of my recovery, along with my stepchildren and wife. They have been there since day one providing monetary assistance, moral support, and practical advice. My two other sisters could not make it because they live out of town but have been big supporters of mine, as well.
     Because I was trying to watch my carb intake, I held myself to two slices of pizza and 4 beers (mas o menos). Even at my own birthday party I was trying to control my carbohydrates. It's a good thing there was no cake because I don't know if I could have resisted that.
      All in all it, was a great time! Though my greatest regret is that I have no pictures to show. Everybody who showed up said they were going to be there. My point is, and everybody already knows this, friends and family are the most important facets in our lives! Do not take them for granted, as I used to do. Do not under-estimate their ability to lift you out of the dumps, help you celebrate any occasion, provide assistance when you need it, or inspire a good laugh. Friends and family are essential, like hops and grains.