My life, BS (Before Stroke) Yeah, I know, we really need to work on that one, don’t we? 

Anyway.

My life, pre-accident, was filled with a plethora of multi-tasking two handed tasks. I loved being in the kitchen, inviting friends over for family dinners, GourMonday traditions, Kitchen dance battles with my husband, playing music while I chopped vegetables, pretending I was the next contestant on Master Chef..

A friend once complimented my knife skills and I smiled so big I didn’t even know what to do with myself. oh boy, this is big, I have knife skills. i’m a real adult now!

Cue losing the function in my left arm.

DEPRESSION. DEATH. DESPAIR.

WHO AM I?

I’M A WORTHLESS WASTE OF SPACE.

You know me well enough by now to know I don’t understand the words Give Up. So, I found tools. I should let you know though, in all transparency, that the links that I am sharing are indeed affiliate links, so I will receive a wee-bit of a commission from your purchase (THANKS!) And that commision will go directly toward my Recovery that I’m paying out of pocket for, so you are not only getting some wickedly rad tools that really come in handy for us hemipeligics, but you’re also helping support me and my recovery!! Thank you, kindly 🙂

Enough of that, let’s get to the tools.

1.  The swedish cutting board  First and foremost, my favorite cutting board on the planet. She’s not cute, but she’s efficient. There are Prongs to hold your vegetables in place while your unaffected hand slices, or I’ve used the prongs to hold my toast in place while I butter it or crush avocado on it, The black slider can hold anything in place as needed, be a cheese grader, onion or even a bottle that needs a lid tightened. The bottom of the cutting board has four suction cups on each corner so it won’t slide around. It has changed my life in the kitchen.
2. Electric Jar Opener – This is useful to more than the Strokie community! My best friend, who has been diagnosed with MS uses this too. It can also come in handy, okay, no pun intended, terrible joke, for folks with arthritis who have trouble opening those tricky-to-open jars. One press of the button, and bam your open jar awaits you! It’s basically magic.
3. Kitchen Mama Can Opener I know I said the last tool was magic, but watching this little bullet shaped fella dance around the rim of your can of beans is literally magical and it brings me so much joy. Typical can openers require two hands and are impossible for us strokies, and if we want true independence, we need to automate that shit… this can opener is everything.
4. Pan Holder There is nothing more difficult or frustrating than trying to stir a stirfry or curry on the stovestop with only one hand. Your lefthand unable to hold the handle to stablize the pan as you stir, the pan flying around the stovetop causing a ruckus, your family looking into the kitchen, inquisitively, concerned that maybe you can’t handle cooking after all, after the stroke…. but no no no, you’re so close to independence you can taste it. You just need someone or something to hold this damn pan in place. 
5. Dysem Finally, the gold medalist.The weird sticky pad my coworkers would look at, and say,” well, that’s a curious mousepad.” Anyone who has survived an inpatient Rehab facility probably recognizes this ugly, floppy, piece of rubber. I use it to open jars- when I’m feeling extra powerful, medication bottles, make up, facial care products – my kitchen sink has turned into my vanity during my bathroom remodel, if you’re wondering, though you can bring this floppy friend with you to other rooms, including your work station! I use it to help me stablize boxes while I open them with box cutters. Very helpful when you don’t have another hand to assist!

I really hope this proves as helpful and resourceful for both caretakers and strokies, or stroke survivors or anyone experiencing hemipeligia, pemiparesis, or the weakness of one side of their body looking to find more independence in their lives and didn’t feel too sales-pitchy or obnoxious. I genuinely want to be a resource for you because once I found these tools, my life changed,as did my families. I no longer depend on my family and husband for everything to survive anymore. My husband feels comfortable going on vacation, leaving me to do my own thing for up to two weeks, which is pretty uncommon in the stroke community. I cook for myself, my family and my friends very often, and it fulfills me entirely! I finally have a taste of my pre-stroke life back, and you know what, it’s absolutely possible for you too.