Don't Stop Believing!

"When the world says, 'Give up', Hope whispers, 'Try it one more time.'"


Last week I took a total of 1,730 steps! The last 275 of which were climbing my "Everest". With such a banner week, I took two days of rest. I felt my body needed it, and deserved it. The muscles need the time to repair and build, and let me tell you, that's exactly what they did!

I got up to walk today and felt like I was going to rocket forward! My legs are definitely getting stronger, and I can really and truly feel it. It's hard not to doubt my progress, even with such huge accomplishments like climbing my bridge to the top and back down and walking almost 2,000 steps in a week. After spending so many years in a wheelchair, feeling like all was lost and I was just going to have to deal with it, it's very hard to actually believe it can be different, that I might actually walk again someday, on my own power. I guess this is normal, no matter how frustrating it can be. I've learned to not get my hopes up, it has become a bad habit that I am trying to break.

Standing up today, and taking those first 50 steps, really got me thinking that it's not only possible I will walk again unassisted, but that it's going to happen! My standard way of walking has been take a step, focus, swing the other leg, take a step, focus, and so on... but today it was different. Today it was more of a reflex action than a thoughtfully executed one. My steps are smoother, more fluid, and there is less swinging of the legs and more actual stepping. I took those 50 steps like I was in a race, walking from my workout room to my office very quickly and with much more ease than ever before. I'm shocked. I am completely and utterly shocked and amazed.

While I am on the subject of amazing recoveries, I found a woman yesterday who has the most amazing story I have heard in a long time and I wanted to share it with you:

http://barbieguerra.blogspot.com/ (18+ to enter - although I am not sure why it seems clean to me)

Here is someone who really made me want to go walk until my legs couldn't take another step. If she doesn't inspire you to do something great today, then it may be time to seek professional help ;)