Saturday was a special treat for me as I was able to spend the day with Jo and Lydia – two of my friends from REHAB. Jo drove me out to visit Lydia who’s spending time at a facility near Zürich. Jo and I planned this surprise visit last week, and it was such a joy for me to spend the afternoon with the two of them. I had to work hard on my German, but Lydia encouraged me that I’ve improved a lot since she met me – when I could only say two sentences in German.
My walking has improved a lot since she met me as well, and she was exited to see me on my feet as well. Despite the cold weather, I’m trying to spend more time on my feet to strengthen my muscles and improve my circulation. I’ve still been walking around the school auditorium with Hunter, and I feel safe trying new things with him since he’s trained how to help me reach the ground safely were I to fall. This week we switched from him walking backwards in front of me with his arms out to me using just my right stick with Hunter holding onto me with a gait belt. The next day we tried using two forearm crutches instead of my single stick.
Both of these variations are things I’ve tried with Hunter or my therapists before, but have always felt pretty scary and wobbly. This week, I felt a noticeable difference in how I carried myself. I could tell that I was walking better. I still have a looooooong way to go in my balance, but I was hugely encouraged to feel the weight better placed over my legs rather than hovering in my arms. These new kinds of steps indicate new steps in my healing. I’m so excited about the progress, and I’m eagerly anticipating more healing.
Also, after I talked with Anja this week, I’m adding valerian supplements to my bedtime meds in hopes of getting better sleep because she thinks that better sleep can significantly impact the rest of my recovery. I’m grateful for all your continued prayers as I keep working hard to improve my status. God is at work, and it’s exciting to see the positive changes.
