frustrating and humbling

At the risk of repetition, I need to reiterate that therapy never ends and ongoing therapy humbles me.  This is both good news and bad news.  The good news is I am able to attend Medicare-enabled twice a week physical therapy at St. David’s rehab to work on my walking - speed, stamina more natural gait, etc.  The bad news is the initial evaluations/tests show how bad I am doing.   For example the therapist conducted a series of tests to measure my balance.  I scored 22 out of a possible 56 points.  So I’m not looking for a sympathy vote, I truly have issues that need addressing.  I’m just excited to be able to do something about it.

What started me down the therapy path again was my friend, Tracy Netherton, and Bob’s sister, Elizabeth. I visited them in Kansas City to get a new leg brace.  I then conducted some fitting adjustments in Austin at Hanger Orthotics.  The orthotist questioned why I wasn’t using the walk-aid that I purchased from them.  Without going into too much detail, the walk-aid is to fix my foot orientation so that one day I might be able to wear regular shoes again.  I couldn’t really answer her question and she told me about a therapist at St David’s who specializes in helping patients walk with the walk-aid. So thanks to a very circuitous route, I’m now getting much needed therapy.

On a completely different note, I attended a beginning of summer party last month and I
 sat with an old colleague.  At the end of our two hour discussion, a comment about my stroke was made.  He said:  “so you had stroke?”  I was thrilled that he did not think anything was wrong with me just through our conversation.  He saw the cane but didn’t ask.  This thrilled me as well.

The two situations highlight the abnormal to normal inconsistencies that I experience daily and the steps I have to take to be normal again.