Relearning to walk....

It seems very funny to be telling all of you that in order to gain success on my feet, I've seriously had to revert to moving through the same progression as a child learning to walk.  Bed mobility such as rolling or using my left arm to push myself into a seated position, quadruped/weight-bearing on all 4's, weight shifting on all 4's, crawling, tall kneeling, walking on knees, half kneeling, moving from sit to stand, weight shifting while standing, balancing, and taking steps (while cruising on parallel bars, using the walker, loftstrand crutches, etc.).

This rehabilitative process has been tough, grueling, and downright frustrating at times.  And yet, I have done my best to keep my spirit lifted and to work hard, work intensely, and laugh as often as I can.  It certainly helps to have such an AWESOME team of therapists who are willing to join in on the fun and laugh with me everyday.  

Here are three videos, each taken a week apart, showing my progress when moving from tall kneeling to 1/2 kneeling and back to tall kneeling.  In the first video, you'll see my struggle with the movement (very difficult altering from extensors to flexors) and the placement of the therapists hands to assist me with the movement.  In the second video, you'll notice that the therapist no longer has to help me with the swing phase at my leg/buttocks and is only providing support at my abs/back while helping me shift my weight.  The air cast that compressing my left arm is there to help minimize the painful sensations I was struggling with at the start of the session.  The laughter you hear in the second video starts with me being told I cannot use my right arm to assist with the movement.....then the therapist begins purposefully counting incorrectly in order to make me do more.....and it finally ends with me teasing her that she no longer has to grab my "backside" to assist in the movement but rather my abs/back and we're joking about her "moving up in the world"!    :)  In the third video you'll see how much smoother the movement is getting.  Im still struggling to shift and maintain my weight on my right side in order to free up my left leg for movement.  But it will come....I know it will!

THAT'S PROGRESS!