Käpylä centerKäpylä centerSeems, that money from the lottery has finally been
used wisely.. Jump to my next
trip there!
I was in Käpylä during July 1997. The main idea was
improving my physical condition. In the beginning KELA (that's
our insurance system) gave two weeks. Okay, finally they made
it to full four weeks.
So, gymnastics was the most important thing. And, I got plenty
of it. This device for improving stomach muscles.
Physical therapy made attempts
at my neck, too. Normally, my other eye has the blinder in the
eye. But not now, the neck gets this way better position - no-one
cares, how I can see!
I admit, that stretching is very
important thing. But I think, it's some refined version
of torture, anyway.
Here my neck-muscles are stretched. Very painful!
Then massage. That's very important thing,
too. Especially as my muscles are so stiff.
Some
part of exercise is done in water. In very warm water.
My wheelchair got some renovations.
Very dramatic changes to back.
This is the final result!
Quite bizarre thing: horses are
used for therapy. One forgets to be tense - one is more afraid
of the horse. By the way, the horse should be very tame!
I'm so negative about that! But my wheelchair was modified
just before that. And that modification wasn't very good!
I nearly forgot it: the gym.
When training-things for "normal" people are very odd-looking,
the ones for handicapped look like some medieval torturing-instruments.
And they are very much like that...
Speech therapist tries to do
something. But what can she? By the way, this speech therapeut
is Leena Tuomiranta. She worked with me for the first two weeks.
The new speech therapist does
things to my neck. This seems easy, but it really isn't!
Problems in my neck are detrimental to speech. So, the most efficient could be affecting them.
Speech therapy is really hard. One can say, that it's harder
than physical therapy.
My neuroshrink tries
to do something, too. I don't know, because her place is in the
beginning. Then her job is really important.
Then I put of her own text. Neuropsykologhy examines and rehabilitaties people with brain damage:
Neuropsykolog tries to make one conscious about injury. And then it's affects on mental things, ability to work/go to school, and - for instance - ability to drive a car. Neuropsykolog consults relatives and other therapeuts, too. (S)he is very importantly in doing further plans.
Work therapy is a very important
part. Okay, it's mostly pottering.
Occupational and physical therapists visited my home. Just to look at my computer installations!
Then we are choosing new furniture
for my computers (I must agree, my computers are rather bizarre).
All my therapeuts (and my mother & father) met in a rehabilitation meeting. There we discussed, what had been done and what will be done...
Then I must introduce everyone. From my left:
Quite many!
One can see my doc here. And
where I lived, roughly behind my head!
Then there were all kind of groups. Here is
the "handling of wheelchair". And that time, there was
just one member to that group!
I was once
in relaxation group. Dimmed lights. Music. We lay down on mattresses.
Hypnotic speaking. Might be effective, I must admit.
We visited a 'pesäpallo' match. That game is the Finnish version of baseball (but don't say so in certain places of Finland (or, if You have very big suicide-urge...)).
And then - after long and hard day
- there's some time for actual relaxation. One really needs it,
be sure!
In the beginning (okay, nearly all the time) it was just intolerably
hot. Okay, I admit, that complaining about that thing in this
country, is a heavy sin. So, I'm a sinner.