Video: walking

I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this one. It's a short clip but it's enough to show that the limbs are working (if not properly, enough to get me to the kitchen).

Quick loading for dial-up.


Higher quality video.


A defining moment
Today, we tested me walking for 6 minutes and I was really, really slow. I walked a total of 62,5 meters (68 yards or 205 feet). I'm sure this is even slower than my 92 year-old grandmother. Titia described "community walking" - what would be acceptable speed for walking around town - is 300m in 6 minutes. So, I've got a long, long road ahead, if I'm going to get even close to this speed.

I'm not going to pull any punches. This is not the news I wanted to hear. I am now 2 months through recovery so I have a long time to work on improving speed. But my therapist confirmed my own suspicions that this was not going as well as it should be. Something isn't working - that something is my foot. It just won't listen to my brain no matter how hard I try.

Titia says this means a orthoses is needed for my foot, something that, up to now, we've been working to avoid. An orthoses is probably some kind of plastic insert in my shoe molded to keep my foot at a 90 degree angle for easier walking outside. Additionally, I need to have a similar contraption to keep my foot from angling inward which, if left unattended, over time would cause damage to my angle and knee.

The possible loss of normal mobility is really the first bad news I've had since this started. But what can you do? I've just got to move through it like everything else. And I will find lots of silver linings because that's just the way I am. Cry, then find a reason to smile again.

Weekend update
I'll give the weekend update tomorrow. Lots of good stuff, I promise.