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Originally Posted by CRPSjames
Catra that is great news. Things were slow for me at first. Each time I got symptom reduction I would attribute it to something else but eventually I just kept getting better and better. Isn't the energy thing great!!!!! It just builds on itself.
Keep up the good work!!!!! What I try to do is not to look at daily progress but I measure my progress on the same day each week. In that way I have been able to clearly see that my severe headaches are gone, etc.
I am so happy for you. The transition to the cane was a hard one for me. Sometimes I have the urge to retrieve the walker from the shed. My wife thinks maybe I should for a while but I am too stubborn.
The symptoms in my wrist that were caused by a spinal cord revision surgery are now gone. I hope it won't be long and you will be sharing the same thing too!!!!!!!
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I have to be honest...I will likely be very hard pressed to swap the walker for the cane for anything other than what I do now which is to use the cane to go upstairs and then use that when I am up there (which is usually not for much time at all each day and I mostly do it just to get the therapy of going up and down the stairs).
The walker actually gives me so much more freedom with most things and I have a much more normal walking gait with the walker (it is the kind with 4 wheels and a seat). I can "carry" things with the walker by putting them on the seat or in the pouch under the seat. I can kneel on it (only when it is locked of course) and have my hands free to do the dishes, grab something off the shelf, etc. And of course then I always have the seat if I need it when I am out shopping or something. I can even go grocery shopping by myself and just put a shopping basket on the walker and use my walker like a cart (okay...so no BIG grocery shopping trips by myself). I also just feel safer with the walker because of the balance problems that can hit me seemingly out of no where. I can be walking normally and if it hits I just stop and put the brakes on...sitting if I need to. With the cane I don't feel like it would be so easy and feel I would be much more likely to fall (and then possibly hurt myself and flare up my RSD). And another added benefit is that people tend to give me much more space (generally) with the walker
I don't know...maybe I am just scared of the change but I feel like the walker allows me more freedom than the cane...especially since I can just walk along normally and can have the freedom to use both my hands when I need to without sacrificing safety/balance. But I tell you...if these balance problems go away I will be thrilled to not NEED the walker or cane.
Ballerina also advised me not to think about my progress in a daily sense but rather to review the progress after the entire week. I write down my daily progress in a journal and I just reviewed the past week this morning. It was encouraging and I feel good about it. One step at a time, right?
