Payoff

I have been getting behind on my posts. Too much going on and not enough time to keep up. I'm still working on a post from two weeks ago...but wanted to get this all down while it is still fresh in my head!

57 minutes of walking; 2443 steps!

I broke my own record this week. First, I drove myself to Parkwood, by myself. Usually, I have a friend or Theo or even one of the kids (but not behind the wheel) come along, but today I thought I would fly solo. It was one of the rare "high energy" level days - where two hours of physio doesn't completely knock me on my butt. I even managed to pick up the StopGap ramp paint (the first batch of ramps are nearing completion) and a few groceries for the long weekend.

It was an Ekso day, and because I got there early (interesting...) I was able to walk for the longest time ever. Boy was I exhausted (yes, Barry, I was tired).

Speaking of tired, I have changed up my physio schedule to reduce driving time so I am now doing one and a half hours with Bill and Mark once a week. One and a half hours is a long time - especially with the RedCord system - but it's working. I am on a roll with my new found ability to upload videos and make use of YouTube. This was from two weeks ago. I am using the support of my knees against the bed but am able to hold my hips pretty steady with their own strength. Look closely and you can see how I can shift my hips from side to side. 

Since then, the strength of my hip flexors has improved tenfold. The most exciting thing of all...my new muscles! They have been identified as the quadratus lumborum (QL for short) and are a part of the hip flexors group of muscles. I realized they were working last weekend when while laying in bed on my side I was able to roll my hips front to back. Just like that, all of the sudden they were working! As you watch this look carefully at what my right knee is doing. The left side also works :)

All this work I am doing to get the message through and get the muscles going - well, it's working! Patience, slow and steady and hard work on a whole new level. I feel like I am panning for gold, one tiny nugget at a time.