A STROKE OF LUCK
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 Was it a stroke of luck?

“You’re lucky.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard often since my stroke—lucky to have my sight, lucky to have avoided more severe deficits, and lucky to be here.
​

I don’t feel lucky about what happened. But I do feel grounded in gratitude for the path of healing I’m on, for the people walking beside me, and for the ways this experience continues to shape how I see myself and the world.

This blog is where I make sense of that journey in real time—through story, reflection, and the quiet work of rebuilding.

Knot sure about climbing? My adaptive experience and lessons learned

7/21/2023

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My functional PT had recommended rock climbing as a potential great activity to integrate my left side to the rest of my body, so I've been curious.  I don’t recall the last time I went indoor rock climbing, but I have done it in my past. Enough so, that I was familiar, conceptually, and felt comfortable theoretically. Last Friday, on my way down the parkway, I was detoured past our local rock climbing gym. I thought about the adaptive programs in Colorado and wondered if they might have an adaptive program here. The answer was yes and it was happening on Tuesday - so I signed up. 
I apologize in advance for the long unwieldy post, there's a lot to unpack.
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Background

Finding an adaptive climbing program was important because that meant people at the gym have worked with people with disabilities. I still wasn’t sure how things would go for me, I’m always conscious that having non-visible disabilities means that you’re not seen - so I was excited and nervous. The intake form had the opportunity to explain my my concerns and limitations - it was great to get that all laid out prior. I tried to be very explicit since I knew it would help them plan for the help I might need. 

So what are my challenges in this situation? I had an ischemic stroke in the RMCA so I have a weaker left side, and both my ankle and wrist can have poor range of motion as well as my (my previously frozen) shoulder. Since I can’t feel anything in my hand I was worried about being able to hold on or accidentally slipping off the holds-  and since the concussion my hand’s been wonky (that’s a technical term).  I just had no way of knowing if I could functionally do the work of climbing and pretty sure I hadn't given my cognitive disabilities much thought, more on that later.

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  • Home
  • My Story
    • In my own words
    • In the Community
    • Service Dog Days
  • Advocacy & Impact
    • American Heart Association
  • Art & Expression
    • Artist Statement and Bio
    • Portfolio
    • 75-Day Art
  • Blog & Reflections
  • Resources
    • Cuban Cooking with Mom
  • Connect