All Right Boots, Start Walkin'

So late last week my custom AFO -- ankle foot orthosis -- arrived. It's basically a molded piece of plastic with a hinge, designed to keep my left foot straight and not flopping and dragging when walking. Friday I managed to walk with the walker across the width of the rehab gym, about 17 feet in two parts, taking a seat in the wheelchair halfway.

Today, Monday, I first managed to cross the room in one go. I've been pushing the walker, braking, and stepping left, then right. But today, it felt right and I kept the walker rolling continuously with an almost normal gait. Whoa, that's real walking. Then I went the length of the gym, some 35 feet. I thought I'd have to pause halfway, but instead I made it in one go.

The gym was rather crowded and the therapists were cheering me on the last few steps, which were getting difficult. Yay me!

In case you were wondering how my rehab was going. Can also stand pivot to and from bed to walker to wheelchair without using the Hoyer lift.

That is all for now.

Dr. Phil

August's Bounty

Mrs. Dr. Phil has been enjoying the West Michigan produce, which I applaud. It's one of the reasons we live here. But, stuck here in the rehab center, relearning how to walk, I can't make my lovely tomato. sandwiches for lunch every day, or revel in the fruit.

But Mrs. Dr. Phil has been bringing some peaches by. First were the Flaming Furies, which are a pretty decent peach, with good flavor, nice amount of juice and a rich peach scent. Then the Red Havens arrived. The perfect peach. A bit too delicate and a bit too rare to ship widely, so we can eat them all ourselves.

Today we shared a plum and a Red Haven. The plum was also quite good. Large, juicy and all sweet -- none of that bitter flavor you sometimes get in a plum.

My year without summer isn't quite devoid of the joys of summer.

Dr. Phil