If you see me out and about without the help of a cane, that means the weather is unusually fair and balmy.
It also means that I know I’m mostly on even, flat, and stable ground.
At the moment, I’m in the middle of physical therapy and am finding walking without assistance coming easier.
Well, mostly – it depends on the factors mentioned above.
If I have the cane in hand and am bundled up against the cold, then it’s not exactly a great day to be outside of the house.
But, still, walking around is something that I’m grateful for having the chance to experience again.
Now, don’t get me wrong, my stamina is still abysmal and pretty low if I have to be on my feet for long periods of time.
That being said, I’m also working on that while trying to find my balance again.
My uneven balance is equal parts working through pain and being afraid that my leg won’t support me when I move.
Things are different now with my right leg.
I spent so many months in a wheelchair or unable to put much weight on my leg that whatever normal reflexes I had before the accident can’t be relied upon just yet.
Sometimes I have to consciously tell my foot or leg to do something and that creates a delay in my movements.
There are also bad walking habits I developed while wearing a walking cast, too!
I developed a small limp in the interim between the chair and walking while putting my full weight on my right leg.
It’s definitely a struggle to remind my foot and leg to take their correct positions when I’m in a hurry to get somewhere, too.
But, according to my physical therapist that’s a normal thing that will fade with time and use.
She gave me around eight different stretches and exercises to work my right ankle joint and build up the muscles and tendons there.
Though sometimes I wonder if I’m doing them all correctly because my calf is totally sorer than my ankle.
I’m just hoping with my memory of basic anatomy that it’s all going to work out in the end.
Or, at least by the time I visit her again in two weeks!
If I could also get the weather to cooperate with my recuperation that would also be awesome.
In the meantime, mom is still chauffeuring me to appointments and meetings until I get cleared to drive on my own.
And given how physical therapy builds up over time, it’s going to be much longer than she’d like!
Still, I’m grateful for the physical therapy and how much improvement I’ve been able to notice in my own time.
I know that when others have seen similar progress, they just think they can continue on their own and drop physical therapy.
I’ve also seen some of those people regress or have more trouble down the road and would rather avoid that myself.
After all, if I want to be able to stand for entire graduation ceremonies this year, I’ve got to do my best and be consistent.
The end of May seems so far off, but in reality, it’s just roughly 13 weeks from now, and with more events to cover in the coming months – it’ll just fly by!
