1109 this week in therapy ....

I had a speech evaluation today. Speech therapy also includes swallow therapy, so we had lots to go over. I met with Anita, since Amanda is no longer working at LBMMC. We reviewed the results of my last swallow study and I'm to stick with nectar-thick liquids for now.

She continued with the VitalStim treatments (electrodes on my throat) and gave me a new set of exercises to work on at home, in front of a mirror. If you see me and it looks like I'm making faces at you, give me some leeway; I might be doing my exercises at that moment (and three of the exercises involve sticking my tongue out). LOL

One of the exercises had me making sounds at varying pitches. Anita asked my if I liked to sing. I told her that I used to perform with my church's worship team, before the stroke, but I no longer do because I can't carry a tune anymore. She asked if I was a tenor; I replied that my church is non-denominational. She just smiled and explained that she serves a choir director for her synagogue, and that we can include singing in my therapy sessions. Cool.

On Wednesday, I had an OT session with Jenny. I made the mistake of mentioning to her that I like to bake, because she had me standing in the therapy kitchen, spooning cookie dough with my right hand, then putting them in the oven. We only had an hour, so the cookies were a little underdone. But it was fun.

I also met with Charro, my PT, and we reviewed my decline in walking, since I'm not doing my daily walking exercises anymore since my father's collapse (see 10/26 blog). I'm now shopping around for a treadmill, as that may help me to pick up the slack.