A new, bright note

[aadler]

I have occasionally mentioned my wife’s mobility issues. Well, they’ve been increasing.

The way it’s been

When she was doing her three years in California, to maximize her VA pension, she started using a walking stick when she went to the beach or followed one of the nature trails. She continued using that on occasion after returning home.

While we were in Spain, we bought the wheelchair for her to use in circumstances that otherwise would have called for a great deal of walking. We continued to use that on occasion after returning home.

A couple of months ago, I bought her a rolling walker, so she could have support while she attempted to get in at least a little exercise, to keep from losing too much ground. We didn’t get a great deal of use out of that, because she simply couldn’t keep up even supported walking for very long.

A few weeks ago I got a multi-pronged cane for her to aid in actual walking. That helped some, but she came to need me to support her on the opposite side, sometimes putting so much weight on me it threatened to pull me over.

Within the past week, I had noticed she even needed the cane to get to and from the bathroom. Since we’re living in a motorhome, that was a distance of twelve feet, but she could no longer safely cross it unaided.

Last week, she started a new program for pain management and amelioration. Though Susan isn’t (yet) availing herself of all their approaches, the program can include vagus nerve stimulation, ionic therapy, magnetic resonance therapy, microcurrent therapy, neuromodulation, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide infusion, soundwave current to break down internal scar tissue, and doubtless others I’ve forgot.

Yesterday, after her third treatment, she started walking without use of the cane, and didn’t even realize she’d done so till I pointed it out. When she was able to make it to the door — and even out to the car, unassisted — she began to cry.

There’s still a ways to go. Even so, things might be beginning to work out.