Week 5

I have definitely passed that 3-4 week plateau and am now making loads of progress! I have graduated to getting myself into and out of bed without help, which is huge! Of course, it still hurts to do so, but it’s manageable now. I can walk without the crutches around the house in short periods, so I’ve been able to start washing my own dishes and serving myself food—so great to be more independent in that way. I even put my own underwear and shorts on for the first time, which hurt a lot. (I wasn’t quite ready for that step yet.) I only have one more week of the crutches!

In PT I’m also making strides. The past couple sessions, I’ve tried new exercises and been able to do them—I even rode the bike for 5 minutes! Katie, Brandon’s aid, exclaimed that seeing me now was like night and day from only the week before. Brandon and Greg were also surprised at how far along I’d come. I also sweat now, which feels sweet! Mentally, I am slowly allowing myself to let go of my fear of pain, which enables my hip muscles to loosen and fully benefit from the exercises. This is still a big battle for me, but one I know I can win if I keep working hard at it. I feel like I’m close to making a break through into more difficult and rewarding physical therapy.

Here are my new ski poles!

Walking down the my street with the ski poles