Half a Mile

Here's an update on Mom's walking progress - and a photo for proof!

Two weeks ago Mom and Dad started going to their church almost every day for walking practice. The church has long hallways with thin industrial carpet that's not too difficult for Mom to walk on (with the help of Dad and her walker). The first day of walking Mom did 1/8 of a mile and was pretty tired. The next day she did 1/4 of a mile and was exhausted. That 1/4 mile walk took almost an hour. But by the end of the week, Mom could walk a half mile. This past week Mom did a half mile every day and was able to get her time down to 31 minutes. Dad's latest email to me on the subject shows off his "coach" mentality: "Her form is also improving a lot." :)


Initially Mom and Dad assumed that Mom would need a 3-inch heel on her left foot with a flat shoe on her right foot since it's still hard for Mom to straighten her left leg. Now Dad says that things are already looking hopeful, and Mom may be able to wear matching flat shoes in another week.

Mom has a wonderful doctor who has been very encouraging. He loves the contraptions Dad and the employees at Autometrix have made for Mom, and he is very happy with Mom's progress. At an appointment last week he told Mom to keep up the good work, saying, "You're beating the odds!" He wants Mom to continue walking lots despite the pain she feels in her joints from the heterotopic ossification (If you're having a hard time keeping your medical terms straight, you can refresh your memory... I first wrote about heterotopic ossification here). Mom's doctor actually hoping that the motion from stretching and walking will challenge the ossification and perhaps stop the process.

I'll end this post with the last paragraph from Dad's recent email to me:

In what may be the most exciting news of all, Mom slept 4 hours straight last night, between 1:00 and 5:00. Previously, she had been up every 45 minutes to 1 hour for most of the night. Thank you, Lord, I need the sleep.