June 19 - Go Hawks!

Days til brace off - 7, please

Yesterday I ended up doing a standing workout - I stood with a walker but without braces for 10 minutes straight.  It’s weird to say my workout was standing but there ya go.  Then as an experiment, I threw on my KAFOs and walked (with walker) to the kitchen and “helped” Rebecca cook some dinner.  By “helped”, I mean I cut a few pieces of bread.  Then I plopped down in my recliner and took off the KAFOs.  When it was time for bed, I was in a p-o’ed mood about not being able to do the stuff I used to do so I made it to bed with my walker - no braces.  It felt good realizing that during dinner all that, my wheelchair remained by the bed.  

I had outpatient therapy today with Jeremy for 1.5 hours.  After I showed him how I can walk without braces (but using my spasms), he had me walk around with the walker.  I thought last night was tough!  I walked around for a lap, or 175 feet.  Then we put an AFO on my left foot and I did it again, then a different one and again.  Then added an AFO to my right foot and did it again.  Total distance was 700 feet with no braces above the calves.  Definitely a PR for me.  All the AFO experimentation was to try and get my knees to bend and walk normally in order to activate more muscles. The more normal, the less my spasms kick in, and therefore the harder it is.  I was getting to be toast so we switched it up and practiced standing and sitting.  Really hard - especially sitting.  All in all a good day!  I’ll post a video in a sec.

Afterwards I headed home.  My church small group met up at my place to do a quick bible study, watch the Hawks’ game, have a couple beers and eat some Papa John’s.  It was nice to have people over and feel normal!  Halfway through the game my small group left but Stephen, Leah and Rebecca were there and they stayed until the end.  It was such a great game!! 6-5 in hockey… those are high scores.  Let’s go, Chicago…

My brother Marc was really encouraged when he saw one of the videos my dad took of me at therapy today.  He asked if I was happy with how things were going and I said, “I’m happy with where I am now, but I’ll never be satisfied, either.”  Does that make sense?  Probably not, but I think you know what I mean.  I feel very lucky to have this life and to be where I am today.  At the same time there are tons of things I still want to do, including a bunch of stuff that requires my legs to work better than they do right now!  

Well it just passed midnight here.  I’m bushed.

G’night,

Chip