Oh what a beautiful day!!

Oh yes! It was a beautiful day! Over 50 degrees and sunny otuside! Going  to be almost 60 tomorrow! OH! how lovely it is that spring is right around corner calling my name! :)

It is also beautiful because today I went to Physical Therapy.

I smoked on the step machine... Brad even bumped me up to level 8 (highest I had been was 4) for a full two minutes and I was able to do it!! :] I was tired and a little shaky when I got off the machine, but then I went to show Brad my sqwats and lunges. He was THRILLED!!

I can do my sqwats with no drag from my right side. They are in unison and smoothly move together to move my body. And with little effort! SWEET!

My lunges he encouraged me to set as deep as I could. And I could go way down AND come back up with not a lot of drag on the right side as well! I was just a little wobbly when I lunged with my left foot on my way back up... meaning my right side still has some off balance/weakness that I can work on. But my right lunge was strong and fluid. My right side caught my weight just fine and allowed me to pull back up just fine too. :]

We reviewed the grapevine and he said that I still need to keep working on that because there is still some jerkiness in my movements when I use the right leg to move. He encouraged me to keep them up, but said my clock/lunges are no longer necessary. (YEA!) He would replace "the clock" with this next one:

Brad then started me on my last exercise. Hop scotch. I feared hop scotch. I am not sure I could even really do hop scotch BEFORE my stroke! (bwahahaha) He let me start on my left foot - one foot, two feet, one foot, two feet, etc. I was a little slow as the thought process registered the movements, but half way across the room my mind caught on and it was quick and fluid. Then we turned around and he asked me to only use my right foot on "one step". I stood there and had the weirdest experience! I could NOT think of how to jump onto my right foot for hopscotch!!! I had JUST done it with my left foot... but my mind could not fathom how to do it on the right!! I had to turn to Brad, with tears in my eyes, and ask how do I do it?

Do I lift my left foot and push off with my right? or do I lift my right foot and kind of step/hop onto it? I could not thought process it AT ALL. (yikes!) He told me to simply lift my right foot off the ground and start with a step/hop motion. It was slow and wobbly, but I worked my way across the room. I started to thought process it pretty well. I am still shaky and a little bit weak, but he said that will come with time. It strained my mind somewhat... but not as bad as other exercises have in the past. ;] I can DO IT!!

We discussed my hand... My writting is coming along, but my cursive is still HARD. I can sign my name pretty well (when I am not tired) but just regular writting is tough. He had me pinch my pointer finger and thumbs together and then had me try to keep them closed as he stuck his finger between them and tried to pull them apart. It took 3-4 times on the right side to keep him from getting through, but I finally got it. Then Brad had me squeeze his two fingers with both hand as hard as I could... he said I had some strength to keep working on. And he wants me to start forcing cursive everyday... practice practice pratice. *grin* He says it will all come back with time.

Then he said one of the best things ever!! He talked to us about where I am at. He said my pathways seem to be mostly recovered. He said my coordination has improved a ton. He talked to us about how rebuilding my strength is still going to take consistency and determination with my exercises. It will be slow, but all in all there is little left he can teach me. He talked to us about my mind and how it will still have some hiccoughs and most of it will be thought processes instead of body uses. I can live with that! My strength will still take months to return... I just have to be consistent. BUT! I "graduate" from physical therapy today!!! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!

We also asked him my most pressing question. It has been the desire of my heart from the depths of my soul for weeks now...

Can I drive yet?

Brad made it the most beautiful day I have had in over 3 months!!!!!!!!!

YES!

He feels confident that I can begin driving!!

 He wants me to take it easy, small trips at first, and get to know where my body is at and how my response time is. But he is confident that it will come back quickly similar to all my other exercises! *GRIN*

F.R.E.E.D.O.M!!!!!!!!

The joy gushing out of my soul cannot be described! It is better than when I was 16 and got my license! It is symbolic of my getting some of my old life back... and that is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

I am tickled! TICKLED!!

I am cleared to start pushing the envelope (so to speak) and get more bold with my exercises. I went walking by myself the other day. Jes made me take my cane because I was alone and he didn't want me to fall. I did well! I only went a few blocks, and was exhausted and swollen by the time I was back... but it was WORTH it! Today, after therapy, I tried to run for the first time. It was only across my house, and I was shaky at it, but I did it! My walks on the treadmill can now be taken outside, on my own if I want, and longer and harder.

I still struggle when walking down hill. I can do down stairs pretty well when not tired, but there is something funky about walking down a hill. My leg tries to give out and not support me. Now that I can go walk outside, I am going to find me some hills too! :) I want to make it so no one can tell I had a stroke unless I tell them! That is my goal! *grin* And to not fall down the stairs, or twist my ankle when climbing out of Jes' truck, or watching things fall on my right foot with nothing I can do about it. My strength will be reclaimed! ;)

It really has been a beautiful day! Another chapter of my life is closing again. I am done with my therapy.  AND I AM SOOO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!