I Can Curl My Toes

I can curl my toes.

I just realized that a couple weeks ago. I don’t know when I regained that ability, but I can curl the toes of my right foot.

Standing up at BCH

A few years ago when I was beginning to recover after having broken myself on the side of a mountain, I started learning that some of my musculature no longer worked the way it used to. The first time I got out of bed after the accident, I couldn’t do it - what I remember is that it took four people to lift me from the bed to standing, and then to move me to sitting in a chair.

At Craig Hospital, the amazing physical therapists helped me learn to walk again. I’m really glad I have the amount and degree of mobility that I do, because no one was sure what my outlook was early on.  

Still, as much as I’m able to get around pretty well these days, I feel like I hobble around. I still don’t have quite as much control over some of the muscles as I used to - not quite as much control as I would like to have. I still limp when I walk, some days more obviously than others. Left turns on the ski slope are much more difficult and unstable than right turns. I have to use my hand to pick my leg up if I’m gonna step up on a higher step (or box, or anything else).

And I could not curl the toes of my right foot. Until just a couple weeks ago. 

Early on I was told that the first six months after the accident were the most crucial for working to regain whatever mobility I could; then, after the first six months, I could expect another 12 or 18 months of continued, but slower, recovery. I recall the staff at Craig telling me that after a couple years they didn’t know how much recovery was possible, because there wasn’t data. My own personal experience indicates that physical recovery continues to occur, though is much smaller and more imperceptible amounts. 

Imperceptible, at least until I notice that I can curl my toes, and I remember that I was absolutely not able to do so a year ago. 

fwiw