Journal entry by Leah Durtschi —
Yesterday was a big day at home. The hoyer officially left the house!!! YAY!!! Not only does it free up space in the house but it means I can transfer myself independently which feels amazing. I have mastered the slide board transfer enough that I felt good about the hoyer going away. The standing machine also left the house because I am standing on my own using a walker. So now we need to get rid of the equipment and we are hoping to pay it forward to someone.
I have been working on using the walker to do pivot transfers. It’s still a hot mess but keeps getting better. Sometimes it’s difficulty to maneuver with the wheelchair, the walker, my feet, and Amy’s feet. I am wearing the harness more as a safety net now. If only the right leg would start working a little more the steps would be much easier.
Last week I got a new tattoo. The lotus flower represents a new beginning, or going through a struggle and emerging as a symbol of strength. I found the quote “pain shapes a woman into a warrior” A number of people have called me a warrior throughout this process. There are a number of imperfections with the tattoo because my leg did not fully cooperate. The artist called it a bucking bronco. I think it’s just one more thing to show that my legs continue to be the boss.
A friend said I should share a video of earlier on in my rehab to compare to what I am doing now. As slow as I feel this is taking I have come a long way in 8 months. At the beginning of the video is 2 clips of my legs after a few weeks in rehab.
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New tattoo
So long hoyer and stander!!
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