Pá,draig’s OT found this in her daughter’s drawer for things she isn’t using anymore but  could and should be used by somebody else. Apparently, and who would suspect this, it’s a cube. Or rather, with the necessary skills, one can re-assemble this into a cube. I tried a few times and reached a point when I thought: it’s not really more time I need. It’s something else…

It reminded me of a situation, maybe a year or two ago, when the answer to our concern about carers transferring Pádraig into or out of his wheelchair was that maybe not just two but three carers were required to do this transfer. It was clear to me, and I made that very clear to the agency at the time, that more people, numbers, were not the answer in this case.

There are times and occasions when less is more. And rather than numbers, skill is required.

Should Pádraig and I ever managed to finish that cube, we’ll post a picture. In the meantime, his therapist said, Pádraig should use it, together with many more items of the widest variety, to wake up, activate, and use his fingers and hands. Feel different structures, weights, fabrics ….

Another absolutely amazing things he did was swinging on a special swing suspended from the ceiling – one in a banana shape, and there was another (he didn’t try): a square board suspended at its four corners. Amazing, because – and who’d ever thought about this – if you are sitting in a wheelchair most of the time, you’re never exposed to the sensation of ‘swinging’ your body over the ground. Something people who walk do all the time. Think about it! It’s a type of sensory deprivation that isn’t so obvious.

On a different note.

Figure this: a few days ago, the Neurological Alliance of Ireland issued a news release stating that as of June 2018 over 4,000 people are waiting more than 18 months to see a neurologist. As a reminder, to my knowledge, and I am open to correction, the National Brain Injury Programme at the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) has no neurologist, nor an EEG.

And last but not least.

Just came across a German band from Hamburg, I didn’t know. It’s called “Kettcar” and they have a new song out called “Trostbrücke Süd”. Here is an amateur but pretty cool live recording of this song.