Triumphs

In the last few weeks, coinciding with major improvements in my leg, I have achieved the following:

1. I have walked everywhere without my cane. That's no brace…no cane. Practically naked!
2. I walked around my block in 18 minutes (without a cane) – beating my best time by 8 whole minutes!
3. I attended an all-day seminar – only getting up to walk around at break times like everybody else. I was a bit stiff for a couple days afterward – but I was present and awake the entire time!
4. I cycled water with my legs in the pool (straddling a noodle) for 45 minutes without my leg going into spasm, though my foot did. Then I climbed out of the pool taking the largest and last step onto the deck with my weak leg! Last year I wasn't strong enough to walk out of the pool – I had to scoot out backward on my bottom.
5. I did 9/10 of a mile on the Cross Trainer in 20 minutes – almost half of what I used to do before the stroke, but a quarter-mile more than what I have been doing in the past year!
6. Yesterday for the first time, I was able to pedal the recumbent bike fast enough to turn on the electronic controls and add resistance. I can pedal only at Level 1, and I did lose my footing several times – but that leaves plenty of room for progress!
7. The progress in my leg has given me new hope for progress in my arm and hand; so I've added the highest resistance spring to my SaeboFlex!
8. After a couple months of not being inspired to post on my blog, you are reading this!