I must be getting better

I must be getting better because I am getting ornery. I am really getting sick of my shell now. Every day I count down until the day I "might" be able to take it off. I am really hoping for my birthday, if not earlier. Of course, when that day finally comes it will be terrible since I won't be able to make it more than 15 minutes without my shell. My back still hurts if I sit without it too long. But at least then the real healing can begin and I can start feeling like a normal person again.

I am also getting sick of my walker. It seems like it is too big and clunky and I am starting to feel like I am ready to move beyond it. In fact, I have already ordered my cane. Sneak preview: it looks like the one on the right.

I am actually getting better though. I am able to stand up from just about anywhere without needing the walker to get up. I have caught myself several times without the walker. What do I mean by that? I mean that a couple of times my right leg has started to give and my quad has caught it before I went down. It happened so fast as a reaction that I didn't even have time to catch myself with my upper body before my quad caught me. In other words, I didn't need to the walker to keep from falling. I am still using it to be safe, but I am anxious to move on.

There is a noticeable difference in my quad when I try to straighten my leg. I can press my knee down into the pillow it is on and you can see my quad flexing. The contraction feels a lot more normal. I still have strength issues but it seems like a lot more of it is working now than used to.

My sensation seems to be about the same and so does the neuropathic pain. It comes pretty consistently every evening, but I can live with that. Function has improved a lot though. In addition to my quad, I think my shin muscle is waking up. I can start pulling my foot up now, not just my toes. Not much, just a little. Also, I am not taking any medications anymore except something at night for the neuropathic pain and the occasional ibuprofen. Not that everything is working perfectly, but life is better without the medication at this point.