One small step for man One huge step for Mankind

I suppose you could say I was like Neil Armstrong when he landed on the moon One small step for man one huge step for Mankind, but for me it was the other way around one huge step for me one small step for Mankind. I was quite tired after the session but it didn't bother me in the least I made another appointment for the following week and I couldn't wait.Things were going great from me that week, I carried on walking further and further and work was going great also I was free and on cloud nine what more could I want, a great new job, fantastic colleagues and a huge improvement in my disability.

The world was my oyster and I just wanted to grasp it with two hands and take it onMy next appointment came and I couldn't wait to get there, this time my Manager was coming with me so that they could experience first hand what it was like for me and to understand my condition better. We both went into the room and initially we all talked and my Physio explained how things where for me and how that I liked a challenge and that I wasn't afraid to ask for help if needed.

Then while we were still in the room I went through my usual treatment regime and things had improved a lot compared to last week, I wasn't as tight, then my favourite bit we all went into the gym and off I went to the bars and I couldn't believe how much easier it was to walk I was virtually running, anyway following a brief rest I asked if I could try getting up stairs and my manager looked a little worried but my physio went off and came back with a block the height of a normal step and placed it in front of me. I looked at it and thought how the heck I am supposed to step up on that when my leg is straight.

My Physio said " right then lets try this out step up with your good leg first" so I did "now bring up your straight leg" so I took the weight through my good leg and some through my arms and brought my leg up onto the step then smiled the biggest smile "There see wasn't that difficult was it" No it was easy and there I was standing on the block looking at myself in the mirror I remember my manager saying well done you ah I said that might have been the easy bit but how do I step down, "the same way you got up but rather than step of it forward go backwards" so I lifted my good leg and stepped backwards then brought my straight leg back and stepped down. "There you go how easy was that" that was good I replied "ok lets see if you can do another 5 I was on a mission as I imagined the block being a flight of stairs and I managed to do the whole 5 without any problems.

I turned to my manager when I had finished and said stairs here we come now "yes there's no stopping you now"I seemed to be getting stronger and stronger all the time and then I had a phone call from the hospital to say my new frame had finally arrived so I made the earliest appointment to go and try it out When I got to the hospital I when into the Physio department and there it was waiting for me and let me tell you it looked massive I remember thinking there's no way that's going to fit through the doors at home. My Physio said well there you go over too you so I walked up to it and then swapped over to the new one. I stood inside the frame for a while and then said do I move the opposite side of the frame when I step through so it would be left side of frame right leg and so on. I took a few steps then I had to work out how to turn so that I could walk into the gym. It took me a few minutes to work out how to turn and then I was on the straight run into the gym.

Working in the Gym

I walked in to the parallel bars and starting walking to the end and then back again, I like using the bars because it is the only time that I feel that I am walking normally, after a few times I was allowed to sit and have a rest then my physio went to get a gym ball and I looked and said "is this the gadget you want me to have a go with?”Yes" then the Physio assistant came in to help us out. I got up and walked into the middle of the bars and the ball was put behind me and I sat down on it but I still had hold of the bars so it felt ok.

Then I had to sit further back on it so that my feet weren't touching the floor, damn there's my comfort zone gone but hey I still had hold of the bars so it hadn't gone altogether. Then the hard work started I was sitting on the ball holding for grim death onto the bars, physio in front of me, assistant behind. Then my physio said "think you balanced enough if so leave go with one hand, you decide which hand, I said "are you sure because knowing me I will slide off it" "No you wont trust me I wont let you fall go on try it" So I very slowly took my hand off the bar, and yes you guessed it I wobbled and thought I'm going to slide off here. After a few seconds I realised that I wasn't going to slide but realised that I had to use my trunk muscles to keep me on the ball and using my trunk muscles is something that I had forgot how to use somewhat with having the metal rod in my back that now was supporting me so my muscles have sort of fell asleep, but now oh boy they woke up with a shock!!!!!!

Then once I had got used to taking my hand off the bar I slowly lowered it onto my lap ok I wobbled a bit but still kept the control then "Now take your other hand off" and I went through the same process and before I knew it I was sitting on the ball without holding on and I started laughing and my Physio replies I know why you are laughing "Why is said" "You have achieved something that you thought you wouldn't and now you have I knew you would grasp it" I said "well yes because I thought I was going to slide" "Well there you go then I told you that you weren't going to slide and that I wasn't going to let you fall and now look at you balancing" I was over the moon because I had never been able to sit unaided before until now of course now there was no stopping me I was on such a high I couldn't wait to tell my family and friends. As I was getting ready to leave the gym Mariah Carey came on the radio singing Hero and it stuck me the second verse.

"And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on

And you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive,

So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong,

And you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you."

Fit exactly how I was feeling at that moment I was quite tired after the session but it didn't bother me in the least I made another appointment for the following week and I couldn't wait.

Walking with a Reciprocal Walker

By now we were getting into September 2006 and I still managed to walk about and also managed to walk a little at work, and for the first time in my life I couldn't wait to go to work and see what challenges were facing me because I thought well I think I have cracked the mobility challenge and things were going great, so I thought well if I can do that then I can cope with whatever work and life throws at me. I was on the top of the world although in the back of my mind I thought maybe this might all stop and I will come crashing down to earth. This soon faded into the back again and I thought no I am going to take each day as it comes and enjoy it.I then went back to my Physio and they were very pleased to see the walking progress I had made although I was still rather tight in general I was doing ok.

During the session I discussed at length with her that although I enjoyed walking a lot now it still felt alien to me to walk the way I was with the wheeled frame, and said that I had been thinking about using different walking equipment "what were you thinking of" I then went on to tell her about a friend that I was a school with who used to walk with a frame that appeared to go from side to side but still looked like the usual frames. "Ah that sounds like a reciprocal walker" I said I wasn't sure but I would maybe remember what it looked like if I saw it.

We then started to look through the equipment catalogue to see if there was one and sure enough there was one for children. I said that's it or it looks like it but do they do them for adults? My Physio then said "I'm sure they will" I will have a look on the web I'm sure we will be able to order one from somewhere if not I will make some enquires and will see what I can do"I was on a mission now couldn't wait to get home to see if I could find this walking frame on the net, firstly I asked my friends on my discussion group to see if they had heard of it before and or had used one although they hadn't so it was going to be a case of searching for it. I soon found what I had been looking for and it looked too big for me but nevertheless I emailed my physio to say I think I have found the frame we are looking for.

It was then ordered for me and it was just a case of waiting.A few weeks went by and I went back to my Physio for a treatment session, and this I think was the turning point for me. After spending time with her going through all my stretches she said "I have something for you that I think you might like to try" and I replied is it my frame? "no we are still waiting for it" anyway I followed her into the Gym, I enjoy working in there because that is where the parallel bars are and the machines that I used to work on before I got my back operation.

Turning Point

Saturday morning came the sun was out although a bit cold but not too cold for me to go for a walk so off I went but this time instead of walking down over towards our shops and decided to go the other way as I wanted the challenge of the slight incline at first I set off quick quickly but then I needed to slow so that I didn't tire myself because I had to walk back. I paced myself for the rest of the weekend the same as I had done the week before and by Sunday night I had reached the first road crossing.

After having a rest for few minutes I turned round and started to make my way back, going home was easy because it was downhill all the way first time in my life it felt like I was running a mini marathon and it felt great I sort of felt free I don't think my poor frame could keep up. Think I had worn out the wheels. I got home and usually I would flop into my armchair shattered, but this time I didn't feel as bad. Once I had had a rest I went onto my computer to plot my route to see how far I had got when I had calculated it was about 220 yards, which might not sound that far but it was a good achievement for me considering I had not really walked for about 2 years properly.

It was like having one of those height charts when you where a kid that you hung on the wall to measure how much you had grown, but for me it was to see how far I had walked. I carried on doing this while it was still light on a night and on a weekend I really enjoyed the walk and before I knew it I had managed my first mile and it felt great.

A New Start

2006 was the start of exciting new beginnings for me, now where do I start how about at the beginning. It was April when my life started to change for the better the 1st to be precise, in fact I thought it was an April fool but no it was really happening. On the first I was transferred within work to a completely new department and new responsibilities and I relished the challenge let me tell you. I was situated in my local Town Centre in a ground floor office and it was my like my dreams had come true, to be back in a ground floor office no lifts to worry about and the best bit was I was free to go out in my chair. We had some alterations carried out but apart from that it was fine.

I was a bit nervous as you can imagine at first but that soon went and I soon got into the swing of the new responsibilities I had and the new team that I was now part of. I really couldn't believe how things had changed for me and I felt great and I couldn't wait to see what challenges I had each day after a couple of weeks I went back to see my physio and even they could see a difference in me I said I think its because I am able to get out and about under my own steam of my powerchair rather than asking for help all the time.As I was feeling so good and the weather was good I decided to set myself a challenge to see if I could improve my walking outside, so I came home from work and while it was so nice outside I set off and walked a short distance and then thought oh I had better plan this because I have got to be able to walk back home. The first night I managed to walk 6 houses passed mine and slowly turned around and walked back. When I got back I was shattered and sat in my armchair for the rest of the night. I thought to myself I bet I won't be able to move tomorrow because my muscles will have tightened up but I was fine! And thought yes I did it and I felt really good.

The next night I decided to see if I could get passed the six houses from the night before so off I went passed my neighbours and on a bit further, then a bit further and before I knew it I had got to the end of the road and managed to turn the corner. Not only was it a turn in the road, but it was a turn in my life because I suddenly realised that I was back to walking like I was before I had had any problems with my knee. Also I thought ah I no longer have the back pain either which was a second bonus for me because once over I was walking virtually without realising the distance but it was painful to say the least, but now ok it wasn't the same distance at the moment but I wasn't in any pain which was great and just made me feel like I wanted to go further and further.So I set myself a challenge that each night while the weather was so good that I would walk to the point I had stopped and see how long it took me and then have a brief rest and see how far I could get. This went on everything day and each day I got further and further and it feel so good it was unreal and I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger.

One thing that I had started to feel was that I was finding easier to get in and out of my riser recliner chair and my electrically adjustable bed, I know you might be thinking well the chair rises up anyway, but I wasn't needing it to rise all the way to a standing position, only half way was enough support. Not only that but even getting in and out of my wheelchair, and getting in and out of the car that takes me to work was starting to become easier.

Before I knew it I had walked further than I ever anticipated so at the weekend I decided that I would go onto my computer and load up my auto route add my starting point and end point to see how far I had actually walked. During my walks I would stop and talk to people and I didn't realise how many people were out walking their dogs and each day we would chat and they would say to me wow you doing so well and I remember one of my neighbours saying you will be entering the next half marathon at this rate Saturday morning came the sun was out although a bit cold but not too cold for me to go for a walk so off I went but this time instead of walking down over towards our shops and decided to go the other way as I wanted the challenge of the slight incline at first I set off quick quickly but then I needed to slow so that I didn't tire myself because I had to walk back. I paced myself for the rest of the weekend the same as I had done the week before and by Sunday night I had reached the first road crossing. After having a rest for few minutes I turned round and started to make my way back, going home was easy because it was downhill all the way first time in my life it felt like I was running a mini marathon