Mom headed back to Arkansas last Thursday, so I am officially on my own for the first time since my stroke six months ago. I had a trial run last weekend, due to a two day bioinformatics workshop in Vancouver. I went with two coworkers and had a wheelchair accessible room, so things went very well. Mom and I spent Wednesday running around taking care of last minute shopping and errands, and my coworker helped me get mom to the airport. I had good intentions of getting to work afterward, but I wound up collapsing at home instead. The few days before had apparently zapped my energy level.

Even as tired as I was, I got through the day. The strangest part of the situation was how mom leaving reset my entire adjustment level. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had come to the conclusion that since I was on my own, I had no remaining deficits. I tried to type with both hands, got irritated when I needed the chair, and at times was convinced it was last October again and the entire experience had been some cheesy TV dream sequence. It took another couple of days to get used to yet another new situation, but I have become more confident in my ability to take care of myself just by having done it.

I had both physical and occupational therapies on Friday and had no real difficulties getting there. Luckily, I had set the alarm for ridiculously early, as getting ready on my own took significantly longer than I had expected. After therapy, I stayed awake through a few hours of work before heading home and sleeping half the weekend away. When I wasn’t resting, I practiced walking and studied computer tutorials for the new software I will be using. The rest break seems to have been a good idea, because I set several new records in my exercise class. 1262 steps during my 20 minutes on the NuStep! I have also been working on walking one foot in front of the other behind the walker instead of the three-point gait I have been learning. I can only go about 10 feet that way, but it’s 10 feet I couldn’t go a week ago. My total walking distance using the three-point gait is holding pretty steady (about 100 feet before resting), but I’m steadier and safer over that distance.

The one handed knives and cutting board arrived last week, adding one more step toward full independence. I’ve still only gotten to microwave meals, salads and sandwiches, but it’s been less than a week. Every small step seems like a big one right now.

It hasn’t been easy, but I’m glad to feel independent again. Hopefully I will continue to improve and get back to my normal activities soon.