Using virtual reality to support my rehab

By Yvonne Denehey

I was home alone on Sunday 15th of March, 2020 when I experienced my stroke.

It started with a bad migraine. I had suffered from migraines most of my life but hadn’t had any for a few years. Two weeks prior to my stroke I had started to get them again, but they felt different than I’d experienced before.

I saw a GP who reassured me they were migraines and gave me advice to take pain relief.

I was at home watching television when I started to see coloured lights flashing in front of my eyes, and my vision became distorted. I thought it was an aura migraine, but when I attempted to pick up my water bottle, my arm fell to my side and I couldn’t move it.

It was then that I realised something more serious was going on, and I rang triple 000. The paramedics arrived quickly. They did some checks and asked if I could walk to the ambulance waiting outside. I could walk, but I kept veering to the left and walking into the wall.

In the ambulance I lost all movement on my left side. My daughter was in the ambulance with me, and she was beside herself. It is not something you want your children to ever experience.

My first few days in hospital were a bit of a blur. But I do remember I had many scans and tests. The results of these showed a right frontal lobe haemorrhage with subarachnoid extension. The size of the bleed was quite large, and my survival or outcome was unknown.

But, the days passed, and the bleeding stopped.

After about a week, I was transferred to another hospital as COVID-19 was ramping up. A week after that a bed became available in the rehabilitation hospital. I was wheeled in there on a bed, still paralysed on my left side.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions I was alone, without my husband or kids for support. The rehab hospital where I stayed for two months had a ‘no visitors allowed’ policy. It was scary and very lonely. In many ways this time continues to haunt my family.

The stroke left me with left sided paralysis. I relearned how to walk and regained some arm movement. My left hand and fingers are still affected and the movement in my upper limb is hindered by spasticity.

In the first year of my recovery the exercise physiologist (EP) at my rehab gym introduced me to virtual reality headset and I began playing games to improve my mobility. I played a game called Beat Saber. I loved the feeling of being in another place with the sounds of upbeat music. The game had me moving around with a light saber trying to smash boxes that were coming at me. I discovered that I work best when I have a visual target to aim for. This game suited me to a tee, and I was having fun.

Playing virtual games has helped me regain some movement in my arm. The goal of scoring points gets me so focused and motivates me to move more. I push my range because I am a little competitive and I am having fun. I can see the impact on flexibility and strength in my arm.

I have my own headset so that I can self-direct my own rehab at home as well as getting support from professionals, including my EP, OT, and a physiotherapist. I feel like this has made a huge difference. NDIS funded my headset, and it was easy to get it signed off. I outlined how it would benefit me with a link to the item and the price. I believe it may have helped that I had also used the headset with my EP.

In the early years I used the headset up to four times a week. Because I was having fun, my home rehab sessions would go on for an hour. Much longer than if I was simply doing repetitive exercises. Now I can move my arm more I have found new passions, so I use it less. But it did its job, to get me to a place where I could get back to my hobbies and interests.

My favourite games are:

• Les Mills body combat - I found Les Mills Body Combat where I had to punch targets, squat and dodge had the biggest impact because it is a game that used my whole body.
• Audio trip - I like this game for its upbeat music. There are targets to swipe or bang like a drum, it involves my whole body in it. 
• Best saber - it has beams of light that you hold,  it's like being in a Star Wars movie. It gets progressively harder the more points that you get for your range of movement. 

I am very proud of what I have accomplished. I have overcome mental and physical struggles. I feel stronger in my body and my mind. But it took a lot to get here. For a long time, I felt like an inferior version of myself. I have now come to realise that persistence through struggle is one of my superpowers. I know what I am made from tough stuff and that I have passed these lessons onto my children.

I feel that there are many things you need to be successful in your journey back to health. Strong, brave, resilient and motivated. But also, patience, self-compassion and acceptance of your different life, and other people’s lack of understanding.

It’s a rollercoaster of a journey, but also revolutionary.

P.S. I have not relied on just the headset for my rehabilitation. I attend a rehab gym three times a week, get dry needling in my arm, trap muscles, and attend a ballet for brain injury program with QLD ballet. My life sounds like it revolves around physical rehab but about 18 months ago I found an art teacher to learn to paint and I have found a new passion. It is a way to express my emotions.

Please call the team on StrokeLine 1800 787 653 to find out more about virtual reality headsets and rehabilitation.