It wasn't hard. I googled you and found this:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...ptain/cane.jpg

Just a little update for anyone who hasn't seen my posts in the Good News thread up yonder in the Stumb.

I have been training with the Bioness L300 for just over a month now, and to be frank, it has been a veritable miracle for me. They'll have to kill me to get it away from me!

Their site: http://www.bioness.com/Bioness_for_Foot_Drop.php

You can also see patient demos by searching it on YouTube.

This time last year, my neuro and I began in earnest discussing my need for a near-full-time power chair.

Today, I walked 1/4 mile on uneven grass using only trekking poles to check my very poor balance. It's an exponentially greater distance than any I have been able to walk in over six years.


When I finally got set up with the right PT group, on the first day, the "bot foot" as I call it, allowed me to take 10-15 steps with a rollator much more easily. (It is neither robotic nor a foot, and I don't care. ;))

By faithfully doing the exercises prescribed, along with my own adaptations to accommodate my needs, my legs, hips, back, and even arms have begun to redevelop strength and coordination. It has been a blast showing off to my friends and family who have watched this once-athletic chick turn into a blob.

Last Friday, they put me through the original battery of tests to check my one-month progress and they were extremely pleased with the results.

Tomorrow is my last training day with the PT team and I am confident that I will be able to continue my unprecedented improvement!

Milestones:
-can now resist opposing force with once-dead toes/ankle
-can now lift my dead leg and hold it for a few seconds
-it is easier to get up from a seated position
-my emotional health is much improved
-my hip flexors have gone from a range of nada (45°) to the full range of 90° motion
-muscle tone in the leg is becoming visible
-my energy is up a tad
-I can walk into a store to "pick up a few things" again!
-even with it off, I've noticed much more agility in the leg and foot, including being able to lift it to a step again (sort of)

There is a lot more little stuff, and it's an ongoing process as far as I'm concerned, but this thing has literally changed my life in this one month.

I'm impossibly far from my normal, yet, this is the closest I've been to it in a very long time. :)


I will now open the floor for questions.

I can't think of any questions. I'm busy smiling. :D

That is just Awesome, Cindy! I am sooo happy for you!

Now to get sappy :hug: :hug: :hug:
(Just deal, you deserve a hug :p)

Like B2Y, I have no questions. I am too busy smiling here, with a tear in my eye.

I know how much this means to you, and how hard you worked to get where you are today. You're not done, but what a wonderful update!

You DO deserve a hug!
:hug::grouphug::hug::grouphug::hug:

Now get back to work!!!:D

I know River...I am pretty verklempt myself.:hug:

I just watched all the videos again so I can see what you are doing. It is just amazing...I am so happy for you...:)

Do you have to have foot drop for this to work? Can it work for a weak leg as well?

Hmm. Good question. It's indicated for foot drop but I could see how it could still be useful just for general movement work. There is a training mode called the Training Mode that does measured stims to help with the exercises.

It is unique to each leg so it would require two units for both legs.

I'll ask the team tomorrow if they think it could benefit a pair of needy legs. :)

Well I was just talking to Nappy a few minutes ago and she was telling me all about her bot foot walking adventures :D

I might have misunderstood her but she said something about pole dancing :eek::eek::eek: or maybe it was pole-walking....nope had to be pole dancing since she has a hook in her car and calls herself a hooker :rolleyes:

Oh, it all makes sense now. That's how she is making the money to pay for bot. I get it. Yup! That's it Shells!