Henning's Headquarters

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, monitoring resulting muscle bio-signal activity and electrical signals from the brain.

Wow, quite interesting!  I hope with all of my heart that it helps.

PD

[Karl Henning]

Wow, quite interesting!  I hope with all of my heart that it helps.

PD

Thanks! There's the odd chance it may help me, and if not, there will be others who will benefit. 

[relm1]

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, monitoring resulting muscle bio-signal activity and electrical signals from the brain.

Don't turn in to this guy.

[Karl Henning]

Don't turn in to this guy.

Great show! In my favor, I'm not Welsh  😎

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Don't turn in to this guy.

Is that from an old Twilight Zone episode?  Looks vaguely familiar....

PD

[Karl Henning]

Is that from an old Twilight Zone episode?  Looks vaguely familiar....

PD

The Outer Limits, "The Man With Six Fingers" That's David McCallum in tons of makeup.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The Outer Limits, "The Man With Six Fingers" That's David McCallum in tons of makeup.

Ah, Ducky! 

And thanks.  Another show that I used to watch way back when.

PD

[Cato]

Great show! In my favor, I'm not Welsh  😎

And not a coal miner! 

Great news, Karl!  Keep it coming!

[Karl Henning]

I'll plan on 15 minutes for the Opus 192

It's a journey. In the back of my mind I'm wavering between "I like this" and "but is it any good really?"

[relm1]

The Outer Limits, "The Man With Six Fingers" That's David McCallum in tons of makeup.

Yes, a common man *evolved" as a result of being in a scientific experiment.

[Karl Henning]

Yes, a common man *evolved" as a result of being in a scientific experiment.

I'm thinking (tongue in cheek) of the scene in Meaning of Life: "It's scientific experiments for the lot of you!"

[Szykneij]

Don't turn in to this guy.

Back then, science fiction movies portrayed people from the future with giant heads needed for the increased mass of their greatly developed brains. In reality, with our continued reliance on computers, cell phones, and artificial intelligence, humans will likely only need golf ball sized heads to hold their atrophied gray matter.

[Karl Henning]

Thanks! There's the odd chance it may help me, and if not, there will be others who will benefit.

Today was just an evaluation of my capacity. I imitated various gestures and motions with my left hand and arm so that they know where I'm starting from. About a half hour of wearing a "cap" (dozens of sensors reading electromagnetic impulses from my brain (I felt a little like Agatha in Minority Report) while:
First I looked at a plain white screen for five minutes, then five minutes of my eyes being closed. Then pictures (short videos of a right hand clenching and unclenching. There were cues for me just to watch. Cues for me to imagine that I was clenching my right hand, and cues actually to clench and release. Then that suite was repeated for my left hand.
Then a series of timed tests comparing my right and left hands doing everyday tasks. Writing out a sentence. (Yes, they wanted me to do this even with my left hand, and even though (A) I don't write with my left hand and (B) cannot even properly hold the pen in my left fingers. Picking up small items and dropping them in a jar. The problem with my left fingers is such small objects (paper clip, penny, e.g.) stick to my unfeeling finger. I have to ask my PT tomorrow why/how that happens. I expect it has subtly to do with proprioception. Generally, though, I noticed a significant improvement from my last Occupational Therapy appointments, so notwithstanding the superficial discouragement of the activities being neither elegant nor as quick as with my right hand, I was pleased with the experience. Then, stacking five checkers. Again, a little rough and inelegant with the left hand, but a significant improvement over the past. So if this research study should help me improve even a little, I'll take it. Lastly, a garden variety cognitive test. Exactly the sort which the former president laughably crows about "acing."
A puzzle consisting of drawing lines to connect a series of letters and numerals. Reproducing a drawing of a cube. Drawing a clock reading a specific time (by the way, the very first time I took such a test after my stroke, the clock I drew was pathetic. Again, the purpose of the test is to determine cognitive ability) Recognizing four animals. Repeating a set of five words. Keeping those five words stored in the back of your mind for recall five minutes later. Repeating a series of four or five numbers first in order, then in reverse. Starting at one hundred and subtracting mentally by sevens. Stating as many nouns beginning with "F" as you can (actually there was some top limit, I forget what it was. I gave as many as were needed, yet felt that I ought to have been able to come up with more.) Not including proper nouns or numerals. Repeating back the five words from earlier, in what order soever. Oh, saying what certain pairs of words have in common. I did fine. I go to my next appointment Thursday.

Separately, I've had a nibble on another prospective job, so may have an interview next week.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Today was just an evaluation of my capacity. I imitated various gestures and motions with my left hand and arm so that they know where I'm starting from. About a half hour of wearing a "cap" (dozens of sensors reading electromagnetic impulses from my brain (I felt a little like Agatha in Minority Report) while:
First I looked at a plain white screen for five minutes, then five minutes of my eyes being closed. Then pictures (short videos of a right hand clenching and unclenching. There were cues for me just to watch. Cues for me to imagine that I was clenching my right hand, and cues actually to clench and release. Then that suite was repeated for my left hand.
Then a series of timed tests comparing my right and left hands doing everyday tasks. Writing out a sentence. (Yes, they wanted me to do this even with my left hand, and even though (A) I don't write with my left hand and (B) cannot even properly hold the pen in my left fingers. Picking up small items and dropping them in a jar. The problem with my left fingers is such small objects (paper clip, penny, e.g.) stick to my unfeeling finger. I have to ask my PT tomorrow why/how that happens. I expect it has subtly to do with proprioception. Generally, though, I noticed a significant improvement from my last Occupational Therapy appointments, so notwithstanding the superficial discouragement of the activities being neither elegant nor as quick as with my right hand, I was pleased with the experience. Then, stacking five checkers. Again, a little rough and inelegant with the left hand, but a significant improvement over the past. So if this research study should help me improve even a little, I'll take it. Lastly, a garden variety cognitive test. Exactly the sort which the former president laughingly crows about "acing."
A puzzle consisting of drawing lines to connect a series of letters and numerals. Reproducing a drawing of a cube. Drawing a clock reading a specific time (by the way, the very first timeItook such a test after my stroke, the clock I drew was pathetic. Again, the purpose of the test is to determine cognitive ability) Recognizing four animals. Repeating a set of five words. Keeping those five words stored in the back of your mind for recall five minutes later. Repeating a series of four or five numbers first in order, then in reverse. Starting at one hundred and subtracting mentally by sevens. Stating as many nouns beginning with "F" as you can (actually there was some top limit, I forget what it was. I gave as many as were needed, yet felt that I ought to have been able to come up with more.) Not including proper nouns or numerals. Repeating back the five words from earlier, in what order soever. Oh, saying what certain pairs of words have in common. I did fine. I go to my next appointment Thursday.

Separately, I've had a nibble on another prospective job, so may have an interview next week.

Well, I hope that this helps!

And good luck at your appointment!

PD

[Karl Henning]

Thanks!

[Karl Henning]

It's a journey. In the back of my mind I'm wavering between "I like this" and "but is it any good really?"

I kind of casually added a few notes yesterday. Still considering them.

[Karl Henning]

I kind of casually added a few notes yesterday. Still considering them.

These may be okay, after both yesterday's testing and today's physical therapy, my brain is in Sleep Mode, and I'll let the piece be until the weekend.

[Karl Henning]

These may be okay, after both yesterday's testing and today's physical therapy, my brain is in Sleep Mode, and I'll let the piece be until the weekend.

Added a little. Inching along, and letting what I've already written "settle." The big question, which needn't be settled today is: "How do I get to the string fugato?" Maybe I need to think of an ending and plot an approach thereunto. 

[Karl Henning]

And today, in A Concatenation of Unlikely Circumstances: periodically I get a newsletter from a Belgian musician. I don't normally give it a second thought (the performances being so far away) but today I opened the message, and it dawned on me that she directs a chamber orchestra. I wrote to ask if she would allow me to send a score, and she directly responded. So I've sent her For You, Fuchsia. 

[Pohjolas Daughter]

And today, in A Concatenation of Unlikely Circumstances: periodically I get a newsletter from a Belgian musician. I don't normally give it a second thought (the performances being so far away) but today I opened the message, and it dawned on me that she directs a chamber orchestra. I wrote to ask if she would allow me to send a score, and she directly responded. So I've sent her For You, Fuchsia.

Wow, that's cool!  How did she happen upon your music?  And does she live in Belgium?

PD