Learning To Walk Again

Kelli has been working hard to get her muscles strong enough to be able to walk again.  She has physical therapy three days a week, and she practices some of her exercises at home too.  At the moment, she is confident enough to stand alone without holding on to anything and to walk with her walker.  Two days ago, she managed to lift her left leg into the air when she was lying down without using her hands to help it move.  It was quite the accomplishment for her.

Today we picked up her new shoes that have a 7.1 cm lift.  At first she pitched a fit about having to walk in them.  The way she was screaming you would have thought there were knives in her shoes.  It took her almost 20 minutes to walk with her walker the short distance from the door of the office to our car because of her temper tantrum.  At first she said it hurt - her right heel hurt, her left foot hurt (but couldn't identify where), her legs hurt.  By the time we made it to the car, she was screaming that she was scared.  That time I think she was being honest.  When she is afraid of trying something new she will say her legs or feet hurt in an effort to get out of it.

Once she calmed herself down in the car, I explained that we needed to stop at the library next.  I planned to use her wheelchair since she was having so much difficulty walking in her shoes.  Guess what?  She wanted to use her walker, and she didn't fuss at all as we walked through the library.












This has been a long, difficult journey, but it is teaching us a lot.  Kelli is learning to become more confident and to overcome her fears, and I am learning to be patient.

walking in the grass is difficult

at church