Today’s rehab session was a full workout not just for my body, but for my brain as well.
My physiotherapist and I decided to time me doing a lap around my local creek. It sounded simple enough, but for me, it wasn’t. I was juggling about five things at once; walking with my aid, focusing on my posture, coordinating my limbs, keeping up with the terrain, watching the weather and battling a rebellious bra strap that refused to stay put.
It took me right back to the early days after my stroke when I was learning to walk again with a frame and couldn’t even swat away flies because it would mean letting go of my only support.
I write in my book,
“…we headed outside so I could learn to negotiate uneven surfaces with my frame. I’d been looking forward to getting out into the fresh air and the sun, but after months of life behind glass, it was a bit daunting. There were sticky flies, loose pebbles and even the wind threw my delicate balance…”
Multitasking is so much harder than it looks. The everyday things most people do without a second thought can take enormous concentration and effort during rehab.
Every step, every movement, every little adjustment is a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much unseen strength recovery really takes.