New Disabled Blog

Jamie Berke alerted me to this rather interesting blog and site which says it has "news and insights on assistive technologies and innovations for people with disabilities" on their About Us page. Co-founder and editor Suzanne Robitaille herself is deaf, though her partner, Gregory Papajohn, is not. Not only is it a blog, but there's News Watch, Tech Talk, and Expert Views.

One article of interest is Do Movies Deserve Captions? The blog's got other disability issues, such as Amazon's Kindle 2 failing the accessibility test, ignoring accessibility being a costly gamble, talking books, toys for seniors and disabled, and more.

Recipe - Cube Steak Quesadillas

I made this when I had to make dinner quickly and we had some cube steak, also known as "steak-umm."

2 tablespoons cooking oil like wok oil
1 box Steak-Umm or cube steak (about 12-16 oz)
2 eggs
1 diced medium onion
3-4 chopped scallions
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 can stewed tomatoes (optional)
tortillas (large or small)
cheese

1. Break up and brown the cube steak
2. In a wok or other cooking utensil, stir fry the eggs and garlic.
3. Add the cut-up onion and scallions when the egg is done.
4. When the onions are soft enough, add in the cube steak and stir fry for a few minutes
5. Serve hot on tortillas. Eat like a wrap or fold it over, sprinkling cheese on top.

Depending on the size of your tortillas and how hungry people are, it can feed 2-3.

Post-Knee Surgery Exercises

They say that putting your knee back to work after a total knee replacement is important. They're so right. Check Marie's post, Exercise after a TKR Is Critical, and article link within. Within two days of surgery, you can put your weight on your new knee unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Here's a listing of exercises that have helped me out greatly;

- leg lifts - 20-40 twice a day,
- side to side leg slides - 20-40 twice twice a day,
- heel slides - 20-40 twice a day, hold in extended position 5-10 seconds,
- foot slides - while sitting, slide your foot backwards on the floor, using your other foot to assist if needed, and hold for about 20-30 seconds. You may have to move forward a little yourself. This may be a bit painful.
- Ways to Elevate Your Leg While Sitting At A Desk - I use a computer case,
- if physical therapy calls for it, a 4-pound weight on the knee for 2-4 minutes,
- take a walk around the house, inside and out, and maybe to the mailbox and the corner, and if you can, walk further, and,
- in a swimming pool, walk forwards, backwards, and sideways - 3-4 laps each

It helps also if you do upper body exercises with weights and stretchy items. Don't have weights at home? Improvise.

But first, talk with your physical therapist to determine what program is best for you.

"Growing Up Deaf" Post Update

Back in my Growing Up Deaf - Part 6 post, I mentioned something about a character called P. Mooney. Apparently, I was using the wrong search keywords. I tried again recently and found something.

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/pldkp.aspx

...and a closeup of the puppet on page 4...

http://www.cdlcpreschool.org/documents/MicrosoftWord-Oct08.pdf

...and then there's the Whee post on a blog called School of Blog...

Amazing what we find when we remember more...

Researching Your Knee Replacement - Part 3

As mentioned in the previous two posts, doing your research and pre-op activities can help the healing process along. For getting around, you may need some walking aids like cane and walker/rollator. Sometimes a wheelchair helps if you can borrow one. Many good drugstores have canes for up to $30. Membership warehouses such as Sams Club may have collapsible canes.

You may need to go through a home/inpatient program and then outpatient before you do things at home on your own. Will you go right on home after hospital discharge or will you go to a rehab facility? When I had an occupational therapist come to my house, I showed her what I could do as she listed them. The only things I could not do was put the trash out front and get down the last few steps (split level home - ground level to lower - no handrails) for the laundry.

Most important is how to get home and in the house. Driving yourself is out if you use the operated leg for driving. You may not be able to drive for about several weeks.

Researching Your Knee Replacement - Part 2

In Marie's Getting Prepared for a TKR post, I agree with her that preparing your living space is an important thing. Not doing so can really cause problems. At first, I thought steps were going to be a problem, but I didn't have to worry. Going up I can do, but I go down backwards. The rehab center's physical therapists agreed with me when I said that I'd be able to better use the steps after the other knee was done.

Don't forget the bathroom. A commode chair with handgrips and a shower seat can help BIG TIME! Bed Bath and Beyond may have a grab bar that uses suction cups. You can get a handheld shower head as well as a tub bar. Plastic lawn chairs are great. I used one when I had my arthroscopy on both knees in 1994 and 1995. Check ebay and Craigs List including other auction/seller sites, but be careful of what you're getting and ASK QUESTIONS of the seller.

All these things can be picked up over time before the surgery. Sure, it might drive some people nuts, but it's going to save them from having to deal with you when you need help most.

The Rest of the Story

There was this young boy, born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who just about grew up in newsrooms, building his own radio sets. His frequent contributions to radio and communications lent him a spot in the Radio Hall of Fame. While at KCOK in St. Louis, a girl walked into his life whom would he would marry.

When both moved to Chicago, both combined their talents into a newroom career. He created his own style of delivery while one of his radio programs, one of which was "The Rest Of The Story." He could be heard on numerous radio stations and had many more fans. Each story described a certain well-known person in history, ending with him revealing who he just described, with a "...now you know the rest of the story." If you missed the broadcasts, he published "The Rest Of The Story." I read them years ago, and they're quite a good read since I couldn't understand the radio what with my hearing loss.

He was one of 14 recipients of the presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, given by President Bush.

He passed away February 28, 2009, at age 90 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Thanks for your contributions, Paul Harvey.

And now you know...the rest of the story.