"Stepping" Up

So on Sunday, July 4, 2022, I WALKED up the steps for the first time.

The past few months since I've been able to get up the steps, I've been going up, scooting on my butt lifting myself with my arms and one of my kids holding my right leg.... Then I had to scoot myself in the room and then lift myself onto my bed with one of them holding my right leg and my back against the bed. This was a draining but very necessary process. Since, my first consultation with Adam at the hangers clinic, I've been contemplating how I would maneuver around without killing myself or contributing to the already intolerable pain. When I got my custom leg brace, "Mad Max", I had all of these plans and endeavors in which I would master easily in my head. However, the initial use went horribly wrong. I had sporadically booked two hotel rooms for me and the kids at a casino in Atlantic City for two nights.

The plan was to get a handicapped accessible room so I could shower on my own for once but I was assigned a deaf capable room instead. So you can imagine how terrible the first few hours were. Then, while dealing with a bathroom crisis we found out the family pool was closed🤦🏿‍♀️. Then I called the front desk and they moved our rooms to another less upgraded tower and the transfer was less than smooth.  We and the bell captain along with our belongings were separated for almost an hour before we got to our rooms in the right elevator. After all that, the room was just dirty, dusty and smelled like cigarette smoke. When all of that was out of the way it was late and I was very tired but I needed to get into the shower. It was almost impossible. Thankfully my kids are competent.

The struggle was very necessary but a struggle nonetheless. Taking steps has been my goal and now I can say I'm getting there.