Posts by Alon Kaplan
The child with cerebral palsy and me
On Tuesday, I was sitting inside the San Antonio airport terminal. A little girl with cerebral palsy walked by with her family. She was pushing her four-wheeled posture control walker* as she crossed the aisle in the terminal. The little girl made a beeline right towards me and put her arms around me. She hugged…
Continue ReadingStroke facts from the American Stroke Association
STROKE INCIDENCE, MORTALITY, AND DISABILITY • About 800,000 (approximately 795,000) people in the United States have a stroke every year, with about 3 in 4 being first-time strokes..• In the U.S., about as many people have a stroke each year (795,000) as a heart attack (790,000). • Someone in the United States has a stroke…
Continue ReadingArt Jensen loves his AlonGlove
“The designers should be proud of their work. The AlonGlove can be worn comfortably 24 hours a day. I love my AlonGlove. It’s the most comfortable splint ever. The AlonTwig helps reduce the spastic reaction in my hand by 50% reduction in the spastic reflex. I’ve been wearing the sleeve a lot lately (worn under…
Continue ReadingHow to put on the AlonTwig
You can put on the AlonTwig elbow brace by yourself quickly and easily. The Twig is designed to be fully adjustable as it helps you manage tone (or spasticity) in your arm. It helps you flex your tricep muscles by forcing your bicep muscles to lie low while it is worn. Start with the Twig…
Continue ReadingI have climbed a mountain
I have climbed a mountain. For someone like me who has survived a stroke, this has meant stepping from “stroke victim”, climbing to “stroke survivor”, and, finally, reaching the summit at “stroke warrior”. My life post-stroke has been an adventurous journey. I have had to shed my victimhood, say goodbye to my doctors, therapists, and…
Continue ReadingTell that to the Stroke Warrior…
Overcoming aphasia is difficult but possible. Alon stepped up on stage this week to tell his story and pitch his startup business at One Million Cups of Coffee. Three years ago, I could talk by only using broken phrases.
Continue ReadingI can’t find my pinkie
What’s it like to deal with hand paralysis? This morning, I can’t find my little pinkie in my brain’s map of location. Furthermore, I can’t find my four toes (the big toe is hard to miss).
Continue ReadingBefore and after my stroke
Before I had the stroke, I cleaned, gardened, cooked, and did the laundry. I played with my daughters, nursed them back to health when they were sick, took them to school in the morning, and picked them up from school in the afternoon. I was the “assistant director” for my daughters; always at my daughters’…
Continue ReadingAnd, I wept
This memory poem is about my stay at CarePartners, a rehabilitation center, after suffering the consequences of a stroke. I penned this poem a few years later.
Continue ReadingMy sweet spot
My tango teachers, Eric and Cassie, taught me to understand the subtle “sense” of kinesthesia. Kinesthesia is the sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints. This is what happens when my brain gets feedback about the way my body is moving and the way my dance partner’s body…
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