March 31

"My blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through pain and trouble." Don't I know that. I've said it over and over, God has shown His goodness and blessed me abundantly through all this pain. I'm thankful everyday for the relationships I've formed over the past seven months- both strengthening relationships I've already had and introducing me to new people. That's what I have to remind myself of. 

The Lord blesses me with this peace and lifts my spirits at just the right times. When I was first assessed by Becky 3 weeks ago, she could feel trace movement everywhere, it was just not quite noticeable to see. They evaluate this by having me lay on my side, a short table between my legs, and a scooter like contraption with wheels under the leg that's on top. This way, movement is more noticeable because of the wheels and slick surface. Dennis had me do a lot of arm exercises and lifting, then I got in the harness that hooks to the overhead lift in order for me to do assisted walking across the gym. I hadn't done it in a little over a week (not since the video Mom took where I realized I actually was initiating each step). I was a little discouraged earlier this week because we did the GEO with stim and didn't get the same response as the last time I did it (there had been very obvious quad contractions and my left knee was visibly jumping). Dennis was both surprised and excited to feel activation in my quads...so much so that he changed his original plan of doing core exercises at the end of our session to doing that assessment again. The therapists usually feel more with my left leg, so that's the leg I wanted him to start with. I had to try to kick my leg forward (driving my knee upward) and then bring it back. It moved the slightest bit and Dennis said he could see me initiating the movement in both directions. Then, we did the same on the right side and it was even more pronounced! Like, the wheels on the thing under my right leg slid across the table top surface almost a whole inch! We put stim on my quads and glutes and continued that movement- bringing my leg up, driving my knee upward, then back down in order to help enforce that connection in my brain. It was a good way to end the week. It helped remind me that although things feel like they're progressing ever so slowly, they're still progressing nonetheless. Muscle and neuro regeneration takes 6-8 weeks and I'm already seeing things that weren't there after 3 weeks. God is good.