33 Meters, or How I Learned to Walk Again

On Thursday, I walked approximately 33 meters in PT. The route started at the parallel bars, went all the way down the length of the gym, turned at the front entrance and concluded at the parallel bars. 33 meters -- despite a switch from floor tiles to carpet and back, and the one wheel on the rolling walker that just didn't understand it was supposed to roll in unison with the other one.

My therapists are truly great at what they do and have managed to challenge me while at the same time respecting my limitations. That balance of work and rest is not an easy one to find. My condition has been frustrating in many ways, but currently the biggest obstacle I'm facing is fatigue. I can feel really great one day and totally just-ran-a-marathon drained the next. Sometimes it's because I've pushed myself too hard, but other times there's really no way to account for why I don't have any energy.

My therapists understood from the beginning that while total independence was my personal goal, strength and flexibility had to come before I could try to stand or even take my first (wobbly) step. To get me where I wanted to be, my therapists started me out with tiny leg movements where they did most of the work. This gradually led to complex tasks that involved more than one muscle group where I had to do all the work.

I'd like to think that from this experience I know more than the average person about physical rehabilitation and therapy. But in all honesty, I probably don't know that much. What I do know is that if I hadn't had such caring and compassionate therapists working with me, I wouldn't have been able to make it this far this fast.

And speaking of how far I've come, my doctor has given me clearance to start working part-time on Sept. 21. I don't know if the 21st will be my official first day -- I still have to work out all the details. However, the date that my doctor randomly picked just happens to be exactly six months from when I went to the ER at Duke. Ain't that somethin' else?