Run Forrest Run!

Some of you have had the privilege of seeing me run. Others of you have not been so fortunate. Wendy took a video of me running while we were playing outside with the girls. I decided to post it so you can all see my progress. To put this in context, I constructed a timeline of my advancements so you can see how long it has taken to be able to do certain activities.

1 week - I start rehab.
2.5 weeks - I can roll myself over in bed.
1 month - I get out of rehab. By this point I can walk about 30 feet on a walker before collapsing.
1.5 months - I start climbing steps. I can also take a few steps on my own although I fall a couple of times attemping this. My distance on the walker is improving (I can make it several hundred feet at a time now).
2.5 months - I am mostly using the walker now. I only use the wheelchair for convenience (now that I finally have one that is).
3 months - I am starting to see some progress in my right quad. I can straighten it when lying on my side in bed. Also, I am starting to stray from the walker. I purchase a cane.
4 months - I exchange my plastic shell for a corset. I can just barely raise my right leg leg against gravity (while I am sitting in a chair). I start using a treadmill with a lot of upper body assistance, and fall in the process.
5 months - I am walking most places without a cane now (this is December). In fact, the first week of January I travel to D.C. and that is the last time I take my cane anywhere. I can also drive (with my left foot).
6 months - My corset comes off, so no more back braces. The only piece of mobility equipment I still use is the left-foot accelerator in the car. I also try my hand at bowling for the first time (not too pretty).
7 months - I am getting around well enough to do major projects around the house. For example, I put in a new bathroom sink.
8 months - I am walking well enough that most people don't notice anything different unless they see me go up or down stairs. In fact, I fool everybody I meet on my trip to Ann Arbor, MI.
9 months - I can completely straighten my right leg against gravity, so there is noticeable improvement in my quad. I can also start to lift a meaningful amount of weight with my right leg.
10 months - I sell all of my equipment except my novelty cane and my left foot accelerator (which I still need). I don't think anymore about distances; I can walk as far as I want to.

I guess I didn't mention that I sold all the other equipment: wheelchair, walker, shower bench, etc. I finally didn't need it anymore and we decided to get rid of it before we moved.

And now, just short of 11 months, I can jump (a little) and run (kind of). Here it is for your amazement. It looks pretty ridiculous, so feel free to laugh; I always do.