It's a simple task that needs to be done daily. We normally don't use a tablecloth, but placemats. When the table is clear and all the placemats shaken out, I use a damp sponge and start my pulling the crumbs towards the end of the table. The idea is to pull the tidbits to the end and sweep them into a waiting hand. It is difficult overcoming spasticity and to keep the hand steady, what I do is press my thumb and forefinger against the underside of the edge of the table with considerable force in order to stabilize the cup shaped hand. The spasticity in my arm fights against my keeping it steady, so I have to really have to press hard and lodge my hand against the table. When all the crumbs are lined up in a long pile, I sweep them into my waiting right hand.
I first read about crumbing in Finnegans Wake, the novel by James Joyce. I had never heard the reference, and I did not really know what crumbing was. Let me put it into context. The characters had just finished dinner and were cleaning up. A couple of women were crumbing the table, which basically means to get all the debris, including crumbs, from the meal off the surface of the tablecloth or tabletop. Of course, I asked my wife, who happens to be English, though not Irish, what she knew about it; she described it as a simple task people did, and still do, of cleaning off the table cloth to the very last crumb before it was washed or stored. Crumbing is required after every meal, and it gives me a chance to use my affected right hand and arm in conjunction with my left arm and hand. It's a simple task that needs to be done daily. We normally don't use a tablecloth, but placemats. When the table is clear and all the placemats shaken out, I use a damp sponge and start my pulling the crumbs towards the end of the table. The idea is to pull the tidbits to the end and sweep them into a waiting hand. It is difficult overcoming spasticity and to keep the hand steady, what I do is press my thumb and forefinger against the underside of the edge of the table with considerable force in order to stabilize the cup shaped hand. The spasticity in my arm fights against my keeping it steady, so I have to really have to press hard and lodge my hand against the table. When all the crumbs are lined up in a long pile, I sweep them into my waiting right hand. Update on my progress: Please refer to my April 20, entry called Necessary and Beautiful, where I discuss the mechanics of walking. I have developed the theory where by using my hip flexor complex, it will set off a chain of events that utilizes all muscles, tendons, and nerves needed to walk effectively and efficiently. It promises to be an effective way to walk. All I have to do is remember the sequences and keep in mind that I have to tighten up the hip and go from there. If soreness is any indication of how I'm doing, my quadriceps had been getting a good workout.
1 Comment
Christina Green-Martinez
5/23/2016 12:14:27 pm
You missed one! Just kidding. Too bad the sound did not come out, I guess the phone video doesn't pick up sound too well.
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HandySports? It's because most stroke survivors are hemiplegiac, affecting either the left or the right side of their body. In my case, and with most other stroke survivors, one of the hands is spastic. Meaning it can't move naturally, calmly, or fluidly in unison with other parts of the body. Advertising on this site are Adsense links. Each time you click on one, I earn a small commission for sending a customer their way. This costs you nothing extra, but lets me keep doing what I do. Thank you!
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