Hanging in mid-air

With the new medicine, I talked to someone and decided to go to physical therapy that specializes in neuro stuff. Last time I went for evaluation. Today I went and got worn out - it's s good thing.

There's a treadmill and then I'm put in a harness, attached to a contraption, and then lifted via the contraption. Then I attempt to walk, with the contraption holding me vertical. It's very strange. Then when I can't really do it, some therapy bands (think big rubber bands) are strung though the contraption and around my feet, or various legs muscles. The PT moves my right leg and I move my left, but I can't get the rhythm quite right so she tells me when to move the legs.

Then we work on standing in this contraption, so I am standing vertically. Then she tells me to tell her when I'm tired. Ha! Already tired. Pushing on.

Then I'm lowered off this thing and go to the therapy table, although for the next hour I feel a bit like I am floating. On the therapy table, we practice a lot of sitting stuff, again working on being vertical. Then there are legs exercises.

I feel like I've done a marathon but I've only been there an hour.

And then I go to the "real world," where there is too much to do with too little time.

But tomorrow a part of all this will come to an end. We will have our disability awareness dinner during this, the national disability employment month. I'll see old friends, meet new friends, and hope we got all the never-ending details right.

Then I'll start again Wednesday and revisit all the therapy ahead of me. Life is exciting and exhausting at the same time. Insomnia and nausea with Ampyra are no fun, but I keep going, going, going.

It's an exciting journey.

We used to run a route we called "Death Quest" (now a skateboard park) in training for cross-country. 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes rest - around a triangle where we climbed a hill, ran across a flat, up a bit more, then back down and around. At the flat part, our coach would stand and yell "MAINTAIN!!!" So now I'm maintaining. One more bump and then I get to glide down the hill.

I think I like this new version of "Death Quest." I do like this journey. I pause a bit to gather thoughts and connect with God.

And in the end, there is,

Peace.