The other day, I had an assessment of my ability with the prosthetic, to determine whether or not I could continue with my physical therapy. The good news is that I’m making progress, which is nice. So, I get to continue.
You know, you’d think that physical therapy with a prosthetic leg would be just walking, but I promise you it is not. You’ve never live until you’ve done 10 minutes on an exercise bike with one meat leg and one growing-ever-heavier prosthetic. It’s…a lot.
But the thing is, I lost a lot of hip and thigh and butt muscle while I was recovering, and so it needs to return. Otherwise, walking is a lot harder, and I won’t be able to do as much of it as I want…so, you know, butt muscles ahoy.
Which means that every time I go to physical therapy, it’s leg day. (Singular leg, of course)
There are always weights, like a leg press and whatnot, but the part that really wears me out is the balance stuff. Did you know it was really hard to stand on two feet, one in front of the other, and close your eyes while turning your head from left to right? It is. Super hard.
How about sliding a little pad back with your good leg while you put ALL of your weight on the prosthetic, which is essentially your knee? It’s a lot.
And when I leave, my goodness, am I worn out.
Who would have thought that just those little things could make you feel so tired and sore?
But, I am making progress. I’m happy with the progress I’m making. And the thing that I’m really learning, which is something I heard the whole time I was recovering, is that it’s a process.
You see, I was a really good patient, and a really good healer. I did everything well. All of my doctors and nurses and specialists said so.
So, I secretly thought to myself that I would just strap on the new foot, face a small period of adjustment, and just…go.
It takes more than that.
Sometimes, you almost fall over onto your bed while you’re putting on a shirt, because it got suddenly dark, and your balance isn’t what it used to be. Sometimes, it just hurts, and you want to take your foot off and sit in the chair for a little while.
I’m working on it. Trying to get better. Trying to build all of those muscles. The ones you can see and the ones you can’t. Because I really do want to get better. I have things to do.
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As always, if you have it in you, please give a thought to donating time or money to Hospice Austin. They do amazing work for people who are going through the hardest thing a person can face.
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