Woke up Sunday morning to more rain . . . but got the NBF on without any problems so I put on my gear and headed out the door. John (the fiance) came with me and we set out to walk a mile. After the first 1/4 mile I was feeling tired already, and couldn't figure out why . . . then John reminded me that I was keeping up with his steady pace, which was more like a stroll. He claimed he wasn't slowing down for me. Yahoo! I was limping, but I was keeping up!!!
After doing a half-mile in 15 minutes, I decided to take a rest. Last week when I walked a half-mile it took me 30 minutes. Most of that was spent figuring out how to negotiate inclines - both downhill and up. Today was easier than last time, especially the uphill portion, and I was really starting to feel like I found a groove . . .
With the first half-mile done, I decided that there was nothing wrong with me breaking up my one mile walk into two half-mile walks taken at separate times of the day. After 15 minutes of strenuous activity, I need to take off the NBF and check the limb for skin irritations - if I end up with blisters or sores on the limb, that means I can't wear the prosthetic at all until they heal; so not only would I lose a day or two of walking/training, but I would not be able to do the usual day to day things that I need to do without crutches, like errands, laundry, cleaning, etc. A small setback like a blister really interferes with life in general. Splitting the mile into halves is a good way to ease into it without stressing the limb out too much.
I am really happy with the way the walking went today - I still am walking head-down because I am so cautious of where I step. The thought of tearing my eyes away from the sidewalk, and the fear of stumbling over an acorn or a crack in the sidewalk, is almost paralyzing. But, every now and then I would take a few steps, head up, just to see if I can practice trusting my prosthetic, and myself, to get me where I want to go without falling down.
Every step I take I am amazed at the mechanics of walking. Of all the little things your body does, your eyes, your ears, your trunk muscles and arms.... everything is engaged, and you don't even realize it. Seems like years ago since I just got up and walked without having to think about it. I wonder if it will ever become second nature again, or if it will always feel like so much work.
Tomorrow morning I will be up and out the door as soon as possible. I felt so good after my walk - my body is craving the exercise. I think I am doing pretty well considering that I have had no physical therapy since the surgery, other than the exercises I looked up on the internet. I really should be in PT, especially to work on going up and down stairs - which I still can't do - but at $75 bucks a week, I simply can't afford it. I'm hoping that doing stretches before and after walking, and the walking itself, will help make up for the fact that I am not in PT, and get me back into the shape I was in before my surgery.
I did realize today that there is a little downside to the walking . When I get done, I have to take the prosthetic off and rest the limb for at least an hour or two. It can be so frustrating to do all that work and then have to sit on the couch doing nothing for an hour. To be able to walk a half-mile, uphill, is a great accomplishment at this point, but it's a bitter sweet victory when afterwards you're back to being totally dependent on crutches or a wheelchair. The prosthetic truly is my New Best Friend, and like all friends, it should not be taken for granted!
Again, it's the one-legged, two-legged, brain adjustment. All day, every day.... switching gears and trying to figure it out. Who knows, maybe all this walking will give my brain a chance to sort it out on it's own . . .
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