Ah, the canes. The candy canes are gone, the cookies (almost) eaten, the candy cane infused peppermint ice cream is history. The only canes remaining are the ones in the corner.

cane collection in a corner

Amigo’s is the long white cane with a red tip. Mine is the shorter support cane. It may look black, but it’s actually a dark green that suits my personality. I use the cane almost any time I leave the house — work, shopping (not often), appointments, etc. It’s good for me in many ways.

The news, if it’s news, is that my left side is showing signs of recovery. The neurologist (with the cool shoe wardrobe) checked my reflexes, and my left leg actually kicked. It didn’t move as much as the right does, but it moved. The last time she checked my reflexes, the left leg didn’t move at all. It just sat. This is improvement – significant improvement.

Doctor Shoes reminded me that recovery from an episode like mine, similar to stroke, can take a while. Healing a broken bone may be measured in weeks, but when nerves are healing, it’s more likely to take months. I think she saw my deep sigh at this one, because she told me to keep up PT and hang in there.

The deep sigh, however, wasn’t one of disappointment. Resignation, maybe, but also relief. Slight recovery means progress, and progress leads to more progress. Her tests confirmed what I was feeling; I feel a little stronger now than I did two weeks ago, when I felt stronger than I had two weeks before.

The cane is still my accessory, my tool for getting around. It will remain by my side and in my cubicle and in my corner. Add that to the medical pros in my corner, and I think I stand a good chance of walking to work again – sooner or later.