Pat Me on My Back

Hurray! I can walk again. I couldn’t believe it at first. Only a few days ago it was unimaginable to me. At this advanced age not being able to get up from bed or from a chair without someone’s help appeared too shocking. It happened due to my continuous confinement in my room for over three years at a stretch. I never peeped out of my room. You may not believe it, this is what I did exactly.

I was in tight grip of doubt. Is it inevitable and irreparable? What do I lose if try to walk again? Nothing, I took it as fun trying it.

My current position is dismal. When I can’t simply get up and stand erect independently, talk of walking is irrelevant. I gave a hard thought to it and drew up a plan of tackling the problem in following sequence.

(1) Stand upright holding the handles of walker and stay in that position for a while, swinging sideways.

(2) Repeat the above procedure without holding the handles of walker. Swing sideways and around without losing balance. I can move somehow but not without. When I tried to lift one leg up, holding the handles of the walker, it felt like wearing a one ton iron shoe. It’s so heavy. Slowly and very slowly I lifted left leg up and then right leg -- once, twice, thrice -- till it became easy to lift one leg turn by turn.

(3) Next, practice of walking on the spot. I found simply walking with the walker doesn’t help much in independent walking. First, I began walking holding the handles and then without holding the handles. All, on the same spot. From outside it will appear like walking on the treadmill -- spatially no distance is covered.

(4) Repeat walking on the spot without holding the walker. Nothing came easy. Every step needed perseverance, determination and repetition and repetitions. 

Gaining confidence went out in the courtyard to practice walking with the walker. After sometime set aside the walker and began walking independently. And Bravo! I can walk. I was so happy. Earlier while walking I had to bend forward making a question mark (?) pose. I can walk now with straight (I) pose. I’m refining and consolidating it by regular practice.

Lessons to be learned from this:

(a)It proves the veracity of the common saying: Use it or lose it. I didn’t use my legs for walking for a long time and as a result I lost the power of walking. Now, I resumed using my legs and regained the ability to walk.

(b)There is need for self-intervention. Death is inevitable; aging process is irreversible. The decay happens naturally with aging. But there is scope for reducing the rate of decaying. It is in your hand. You have to take concrete step for lessening the effect of aging.

I’m happy that I can walk again. Don’t you think I deserve your pat on my back?