Hi Everyone,
Corey and I worked out in the pool today. All her hard work paid off with another BIG 1st!
She worked her warm up exercises for about 40 minutes. She then practiced balancing and we concluded our hour in the pool with her trying to walk to me unassisted. Corey would release her grip from the bar take a step, hop, hop, hop on one foot then splash…stand up and do it again.
After our afternoon appointments we arrived home about 4pm. Denise our day nurse walked Corey from her bathroom into the kitchen. Just as they entered, I came in from emptying our cargo from the car. Corey stopped to greet me. Denise noticed her posture and her straight stance. She let go of Corey’s waist and arm (her arms remained raised prepared for Corey to topple). Corey stood strong, balancing unassisted.
D – (whispering) Let’s see how long you can stand by yourself Cor.
I moved behind Corey, Denise was in front. Denise and I clasped wrists creating a frame for Corey.
M – Corey, Denise and I will not break our hold. You can’t fall to either side without us catching you. Try to take one step all by yourself.
Corey shifted her weight to her right leg. Her left leg muscles shook spastically as she tried to lift it. She began to lean to her right as if she’d topple but she righted herself.
M – nice recovery! You can do it, take a step. We’re right here you can’t fall.
Corey shifted her weight to her right leg, lifted her left knee and moved her foot forward. STEP ONE.
M – Nice…take another
She shifted her weight to her right again as her left foot advanced for STEP TWO.
M – Keep going…
Corey tried step number 3 but began to falter towards the right. She extended her right arm to brace herself on our faux parallel bars. Her grasp was not a death grip, it was a light touch just to steady herself.
M – can you make it to your chair?
Off she went, using her hand to steady herself as she advanced another 4-5 steps to sit.
3 years and 4 months…my baby took her first steps! Tomorrow we try again…
From Corey;
it felt really good to exercise in the pool with mom and then we got home and i took a few steps.
thinking about it happening in the past i assume it felt something like liberating to take the steps by myself. i assume its kind of like when your new born takes her first few steps only i am not a new born i am 21 years old. so basically with this injury i am like a new born for my mom all over again except with a few changes, i’m bigger.
even though every day is scary giving up is not the answer that is not the way that i was raised.
every one says i keep them on the edge of their seat, i don’t know about that because i’m trying to get out of mine. i guess i am just excited to see what is in store for me too, xoxo