I am naturally a walker- whether in tennis shoes (sneakers, gym shoes, trainers), sandals, dress shoes, it doesn’t matter. I would give campus tours in heels and wore platform sandals at universal studios. Walking has been my means of exploring the world around me. This was until I started having issues with my knees and hips. According to one of the physical therapists that I’ve worked with, each point of walking is connected so while my knees presented the problem, my hips and ankles could be affected too.
At this time last year, I was at the point that I could BARELY walk. I started a new job and had to travel to headquarters for a week of training. And when I got back, I woke up one morning and had to hop on one leg to move around. I lived in a high rise building and used a cart to bring my groceries or other purchases up to my apartment. That became my lifeline and I had to use it everywhere. But I thought- wouldn’t getting a cane be better?!
But I’m only a 40-something! Who wants to use a cane?!
After using the collapsible cart to take some things to a college that I work with, I broke down and bought a cane. The first one was black with 3 legs at the bottom; I needed that extra support because putting weight on the right leg was painful. Aleve was my best friend too. And with all of my work travel, I requested lots of wheelchair assistance at the airport; bless the porters! Between then and now, I bought a new cane- this is a jazzy, telescoping pink cane. It’s much easier to take on flights and tighter spaces than the other.
But…I even use the pink cane much less now! Many times I’ll take it with me as a precaution, especially on days like today at the airport as longer distances while carrying my laptop are still a challenge. And though I walked slow, today I didn’t even have to use the cane at the airport!!!! 👏🏽🙌🏽🎉 Right now, everyday isn’t super wonderful but I’m celebrating today’s feat and look forward to the time when I won’t have to use it at all! Share your story of being an overcomer or how you hope to overcome a challenge. Until next time …🥂
Fantastically 40-ish 