Joanne Heim

Buh-Bye!

So, I did announce this on both Twitter and Facebook, but the news is BIG and deserves its own post here on my poor, neglected blog...

I AM CANE FREE!!

I began to wean myself from my cane a couple of months ago--using it only in the shower and outdoors and away from home.  And then I stopped using it at home altogether, only taking it with me to new places, or out if the weather was bad.

I began to leave it in the car for church (since it's a familiar place where I am comfortable and safe).

Then I began to leave it in a corner at the stroke center, only using it to walk outside to and from the bus.

I went cold turkey and left it at home all the time. And the last time I used it at all was Mother's Day since we had five inches of snow and safety seemed prudent.

So I have been totally cane-free for weeks now--shopping, church, appointments, the stroke walk this morning (two quarter-mile loops around a lake at a local park).

It feels great! With a my right hand free, I can set and clear the table at meals, cook some,walk Maddie  and make and carry my coffee in the morning.  It's awesome! A miracle even! Something I wasn't certain would happen. But all this hard work at PT and perseverance and prayer (thank you!) has paid out some big results!  

Seeing progress like this has motivated me to keep working hard to stay positive, to refuse to consider giving up.

Just had to share my big news with you!

Enjoy your weekend!

With love and gratitude for your support and prayer,

Joanne

Overdue

Just like Kate, I have been past due--not for a baby, thank goodness!--but for a blog post.  And since Kate delivered her baby yesterday, I'd better get busy too.

What used to be such a simple task has become so much more difficult for me.  And I miss it so much.  I hate that I've neglected something so good for me and that always brought such joy.

Anyhow...

We are back in Colorado after a lovely and WARM March in Arizona.

I've been cold ever since.  But with my electric blanket and my Maddie-girl to snuggle, I have yet to turn into a popsicle!

It is good to be back home and back into our normal and busy schedule.

We hope summer will bring some emptier days that require brainstorming at the breakfast table to fill, but until then, there are appointments, activities at the Stroke Center and errands to run in between...

I did qualify for bus service with Access-a-Ride, which is part of Denver's RTD service.  I am taking the bus to and from my activities at the Stroke Center on Mondays and Tuesdays each week.

The bus comes to the end of our driveway and then takes me right to where I need to go.  The drivers are kind and helpful and walk me to the door to make sure I arrive safely.  It gives Mom and Dad a break from chauffeuring and I've met some interesting people.  

The independence is good for me  and only requires a simple phone call to their reservation line to schedule my trips each week.  

In other news, I am joining our church after attending for the past year and teaching Sunday school with Dad.  We are now teaching the middle school class and enjoy our time on Sundays with a group of great kids.

Physical therapy is super hard work, but I am seeing progress and have even begun to leave my cane at home on a regular basis!  It feels good to have better balance and some ability to get around more easily - even if Tuesday's PT class keeps me sore through Friday each week!I am also doing lite gait therapy on Saturdays. It is a pretty cool treadmill that I couldn't fall off, no matter how hard I tried. You can google "litegait" to see pictures of it, if you really want to see it for yourself.

Dad is now unwired from his broken jaw in Arizona and is now eating with a fork instead of a straw and is able to talk more easily too.

Mom and I are thrilled for him and are quick to tell everyone that he never once complained during his six weeks of being completely wired shut.  He is amazing!  I'm sure I would have done nothing but complain...

We don'yt have any big summer plans except to be home and to be warm and to spend some time at the pool each day.  I can hardly wait!

Counseling is going well and I am becoming more and more independent and confident, all while hearing God tell me that dependence and neediness are good things.  I, of course, struggle with that balance as I long to become independent and more self-sufficient in daily life.

It's hard to believe that I have been living in Denver with my parents for a year now, but it really has been that long.  I have not seen my girls during this year and I miss them each day and pray for them constantly.  I have heard from Toben that they are doing well and I imagine they are excited for summer vacation and for school to be out.

Wishing you all a happy spring filled with blooming flowers and warm sunshine.

With love,

Joanne

P.S.  Maybe independence is really about living in dependence rather than being totally self-sufficient.  Hmmm...  Independence by living in dependence. Something to ponder...

J.