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A Stroke Can Feel Like the Ultimate Thief of Control and Independence – You Can Find Them Again

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A Stroke Can Feel Like the Ultimate Thief of Control and Independence – You Can Find Them Again A Stroke Can Feel Like the Ultimate Thief of Control and Independence – You Can Find Them Again Four stories of individuals who regained physical function & emotional healing post-stroke through the MyoPro By: Ashley Jones “I miss folding my laundry.” This is one of many simple, everyday tasks that individuals like Jessica, 34, who struggle with mobility and function of their limbs, miss. Holding a piece of cloth. Feeling it in your fingers. Folding it neatly and putting it away. At that point, folding laundry is no longer defined as a chore. It’s defined as ability. As independence. As humans, we go through our entire lives working to identify and rely on ourselves – through language, thought, action and experience. As we age, we begin to find comfort in who we are and what we’re capable of – our abilities, our memories, our intentions, our perceptions, our self-reliance. Who we are is completely stored in the brain, which acts like an organized attic of keepsakes from our past and present that inform our future. But the human brain is much more complex than that. It’s an organ made up of more than 100 billion nerves that communicate trillions of connections. It controls our motor function, sensory information, emotions, cognition and more – sending signals through the body like a mailman in the busiest post office you can imagine. Often, when we think of an injury to the brain, we automatically think of a physically traumatic event – a car crash, a motorcycle accident, a high-impact sporting injury. However, sometimes it’s not external forces, but internal irregularities that can affect the brain and its functions. As defined by the American Stroke Association, a stroke “occurs when arteries supplying blood to the brain are either blocked (by plaque or a blood clot) or burst. As a result, part of the brain does not get the blood it needs.” When the brain lacks the blood supply it requires, parts of the brain that are affected cease to continue working correctly. Depending on the amount of damage the brain experiences and which part of the brain is affected, individuals may face problems with their speech, vision, cognition, memory and overall control of certain parts of their bodies after suffering a stroke. Both right- and left-brain strokes can result in full or partial paralysis on one side of the body, known as hemiplegia. For those who experience hemiplegia following a stroke, often they are left without the use of one of their arms. For mothers and fathers, it can mean not being able to care for your children in the capacity you once were capable. For those who were serving or served our country, it can lead to the loss of pride and physical strength you once exhibited. For musicians, it can mean losing your passion. For anyone, it’s much more than just a physical loss – it can feel like a loss of your sense of self, the self you’ve been working so hard to build your entire life. Physical impairment is directly related to the way we perceive ourselves, and healing both physically and emotionally all starts with the mind. That’s where Myomo, a medical robotics company based in Cambridge, MA, and the MyoPro powered brace comes in. MyoPro is the only orthosis that, sensing a patient’s own neurological signals through sensors on the surface of the skin, may restore their ability to use their arms and hands. Many users can feed and dress themselves, live independently and reduce their cost of care. Some have even returned to work. If you’ve suffered a stroke that has left you with an impaired upper limb, the MyoPro may help! Here are the stories of four MyoPro users who have found success with the device, and subsequently found themselves again. A Strong-Willed Veteran Fights to Regain His Independence – Meet JJ In December 2013, JJ, a Vietnam Veteran, suffered a stroke that affected the left side of his body. He was left unable to walk and unable to use his left arm. A Marine Corps & Navy veteran, JJ expressed his initial reaction: “I felt helpless, like I couldn’t do for myself anymore. If I’m being honest…it really kind of pissed me off.” As a man who once served in the Marine Corps, a branch with a reputation for having some of the toughest physical training requirements, JJ’s frustrations with his physical limitations were understandable. “You’re used to being independent and confident in your abilities and then all of a sudden, you can’t do the things you once could. And people offer to help, but that isn’t always necessarily a benefit [mentally].” Despite his frustrations, JJ tried not to let his limitations get to him. He searched for alternatives that could help, only to be let down each time something didn’t work. Then, he found the MyoPro through Veterans Affairs (VA), becoming the first veteran to use the powered arm and hand orthosis in April of 2014. After about a year of using the MyoPro diligently, JJ’s arm demonstrated significant progress in improved function and muscle tone. In addition to these physical milestones, the use of his arm again and being able to conduct tasks like driving or mowing the lawn drastically improved his mental outlook. “It’s [MyoPro] brought me back to 100% mentally. It made me rely on myself again, because you’re not relying on the device solely. You have to depend on yourself to make it work. I feel like myself again and that’s incomparable. I feel like ‘I still got it.’” Six years after finding the MyoPro, JJ has regained enough function and strength through the device that he no longer needs to use it as often or rely on it as much as he once did. After experiencing so much success, JJ has become an advocate for the device for those who have undergone circumstances similar to his own. “My progress would be so delayed without the MyoPro. I’ve seen others who have suffered a stroke and don’t have the advantage of the device and their arm is still not functional. They still have no control. It’s atrophied and limp. That’s a security risk to your person, you know? It makes you vulnerable. When you use the device, you’re actively exercising those muscles – it’s like constant physical therapy.” “I want people to know there is help out there. And that help is the MyoPro.” Seven Strokes in One Year Didn’t Take Away Her Drive – Meet Gayle In 2017, Gayle had a more difficult year than most. At the age of 50, she suffered her first stroke which left her dominant arm paralyzed which subsequently left her out of work. Little did Gayle know that in that same year, she would suffer six more strokes before being officially diagnosed with AFib (atrial fibrillation), a condition defined by the American Heart Association as “a quivering or irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.” Although she was luckily able to begin immediate treatment for her AFib, Gayle was still left with her arm paralyzed and was sent home with little information, direction or assistance in terms of what she could do to cope with or reverse the effects. “I didn’t know anything existed that could help. Following my stroke, they sent me home with no action plan moving forward. I was left to my own devices – I felt like ‘well, I’m stuck like this.’” Not receiving vital information regarding treatment and next steps for peripheral paralysis is an unfortunate reality for many. But Gayle did her own research and ultimately found Myomo through Facebook. After further digging and communication, the folks at Myomo came down to her home state of Texas to have her try on the MyoPro in October 2019. “It was weird putting the device on for the first time. My muscles began spasming immediately. That was the first sensation I’d felt in that arm for quite some time. I can’t imagine life without it now. I’m starting to feel and move my arm in ways I haven’t for over three years.” Finding Strength and Recognizing His Abilities Again – Meet Dave In February 2011, Dave was 61 years old when he suffered a stroke which left the right side of his body paralyzed. As a mechanic, Dave relied heavily on having both arms for work. Following his stroke, he found it difficult adapting to not only working with one hand, but in adapting typical, everyday tasks as well. As veteran of the Army National Guard, Dave was in a stationary arm study at the Veterans Affairs in Maryland in 2018 when they told him he might be a good MyoPro candidate. Dave had never heard of Myomo or the MyoPro prior, but was willing to give it a try. “It was very interesting when I first tried the MyoPro on. I was able to move my elbow and my fingers which at the time was extremely limited without the device. It didn’t take me long to get acclimated. The more you use it, the better.” Two years later, Dave can hold a glass and has grip strength again even without the MyoPro as a result of the exercise his muscles get from using the device, which helps him as he passes time in his woodshop. “It’s amazing because it’s almost like it’s [the MyoPro] is retraining your brain to do these functions again.
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