Speech Therapist in Hospital
My writing was gobbledygook at the start when I was in hospital
©IMK
I could not talk when I woke up from my coma after a week in hospital and the right side of my body was paralysed. The second week after my stroke, a speech therapist came to see me. She wanted to try and form letters from my speechless mouth. I was eager to try it. Although I was voiceless, I practised S and L sounds with her (for example Saa, See, Soo, Laa, Lee, Loo) - it was very demanding!
The 3 phrases which the speech therapist had me repeat
countless times (I made mistakes continuously!)
©IMK
When I was able to talk again - only a couple of words due to aphasia, I had totally regressed in my writing - it was equivalent to a three years old's work in substance and style...Nevertheless, my husband had organised speech therapy every day of the week in hospital and I was very keen to attempt the lessons.
First of all, the speech therapist wanted me to try the sound /tch/, /sh/, and /th/, for example with the words "systematisation" and "saber-toothed tiger". I found the pronunciation very difficult to do (although I could say it in my head perfectly).
Some exercises included: the speech therapist would ask me a very simple question, for example 'How does the boy look?' of a drawing of a little boy with a big smile of his face. Or practicing words out loud: the speech therapist would say a phrase written down and I would have to repeat it a number of times (I got it wrong so many times too!).
My homework towards the end of time of 7 weeks in hospital
©IMK
