Graduating From A Walker To A Cane 1/5/2019

Good Morning,

From out house to yours I hope this note finds you all with peace and your needs met. I intend to have a prayerful day and one of quiet myself. I just poured myself a cup Door County White Christmas Coffee and now it is time to write.

Proverbs 31:27 New King James Version (NKJV)

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household,

Rehabilitation on my two knee replacements is going strong. I have lots of help in that area. A physical therapist and occupational therapist have been visiting me at home. Now when I say visit I really don't mean it. They come and help me twist, bend, and turn my legs into positions they have not seen since high school.I look forward to their  "visits" because the pain is worth the gain. But in all honesty I am wiped out when they leave. They could be called "passionate" health caregivers.

In their absence I am to do my daily routine of strengthening, bending and icing my legs. This includes walking and walking correctly. It seems that while my knees were in their last part of the journey before replacement I had started to compensate for the pain and discomfort by adjusting the way I walked. This poor style has carried over into this phase of rehabilitation and it is not good for me. I never realized that I was walking funny in an unhealthy way.

My beautiful wife Rene assists with my therapy and will bend and push my legs as she was instructed when they tighten up on me. Her hands have rubbed a gallon of lotion on the legs to keep them from drying up. That nightly massage of the legs is something I look forward to.  Rene has also appointed herself as the "Walking Cop". When she sees me shuffling instead of the heel/toe and bend the knee proper style of walking she is on me like a two year old is on an Oreo Cookie, correcting my bad habit. She has received some glances and snarls from the "Bear" now and then.

Yesterday one of my therapists asked me to walk across the room without any assistance. I did and he was all smiles. I asked how it looked and he replied, "you are now ready to drop the walker inside your home and use a cane. Your walking great. Use the walker outside for another week or so. But you have graduated.!" My walking cop was all smiles too.  I will write more about the cane tomorrow.

Later in the day it was time for a little more distance of a walk than just doing laps in the house. Rene took me to a place at the medical center with a long straight hallway that is not too populated and I walked for about 30 minutes. She tagged along providing water and encouragement.  Once we were finished walking she pronounced that it was already time for dinner. Rene surprised me with a trip to the custard emporium. It wasn't frozen custard that she had on her mind for me. She knows that I love their "chili dogs". She stood outside and ordered our dinner and returned to the car with the Milwaukee South Side delight known as Leon's Chili Dog.  I devoured those two hot dogs in no time flat. My bride joined me in the dining delight.

She said "keep up the hard work Hon. It is paying off". I got a little emotional. She asked me why. I told her that in 1974 my journey with knee many knee surgeries began that year while I was in high school. And when I had the sutures removed from that first go around my mother took me to Leons Frozen Custard to celebrate a step ahead.  The memory was a little too much to ponder.

Here's the lesson. God knew in both instances that I needed a push and a little celebration. He provided Godly women both times to do so. Two women who prayed for me, loved me and helped me to recover. This memory helped me to appreciate what happened then and then the repeat helped me to see what was being done for me now and how to appreciate the gift God sent in the form of a mother and a wife.

Love to all,

Marty