The Addams Family and Ideational Apraxia

I have blogged about apraxia before. The clinical definition is: “Ideational apraxia (IA) is a neurological disorder which explains the loss of ability to conceptualize, plan, and execute the complex sequence of motor actions involving the use of tools or objects in everyday life. Ideational apraxia is a condition in which an individual is unable to plan movement related to an object because he has lost the perception of the object's purpose. Characteristics of this disorder include a disturbance in the idea of sequential organization of voluntary actions.”

When my strokes happened in January, 2012, I was paralyzed in my right arm. My right arm was useless. It came back quickly, but in the hospital, I would look at my right arm and it seemed that it was NOT my arm. Over and over, I would move that phantom arm because, it did not seem like it was attached to my body.

It was like “Thing” from “The Addams Family.” A hand with a life of its own.

When I got out of the hospital, right away, I got acupuncture and massage for my right arm. I firmly believe that those unorthodox therapies made a huge difference in my recovery. Sometimes, I need more acupuncture and massage because sometimes my right arm seems weak.

Most people do not know that I had paralysis because I look “normal” but, in the night, when I lay wrong – “my arm is asleep” – I jump out of bed because I think that stroke will happen again. Then I settle down, and realize it nothing.

However, there are still residual issues. Months ago, I could not put on my right sock in the right way. I put the heel upside down. It took my son to help me overcome that issue.

But I still have a semblance of Ideational apraxia:

When I drive, I cannot park correctly!

A parking stall is should be perpendicular: “An angle formed by the perpendicular intersection of two straight lines; an angle of 90°.” But when I park, the angle more like 85°!

I try and try and try. I over compensate, but my angle is always off.

Oh well. It could be worse. I can parallel park very well!

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