Blisters

We've all had blisters. Whether they were from wearing new shoes, or walking without shoes for too long, they all hurt. Sometimes trying to avoid them is nearly impossible, and when we have one, it's like living in our own personal hell. Every step you take is like stepping on knives, and there's literally nothing you can do except wait it out.

Well today, I developed my first real blisters since being paralyzed. Currently, I have three, and they're all covered by very stylish Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles band aids. And while I was pretty bummed when I realized that I have blisters, (all three are on the bottoms of my feet) I also realized that these blisters are so much more than sore spots on my skin. They stand for something. They mean that I'm not paralyzed anymore; they mean that I'm STILL progressing. Currently, I'm physically the best I've been since being paralyzed. I can walk faster and stand longer than I have ever been able to in the last three and a half years. And in the past year, I have lost 20 lbs without really trying. But I've started eating healthier since I've been home, so I'm looking forward to losing more weight this summer, as well as walking more and pushing my limits. 

It's truly incredible that I'm still physically progressing after all this time. I remember being told that I had to work as hard as I could to regain everything I could within a certain amount of time after being paralyzed, (I'm pretty sure it was a year) because after that, I'd stop progressing, and that's the amount of function that I'd be left with. But I'm living proof that that's not necessarily true. Anything is possible if you just put your mind to it. And right now, I'm determined to run again. I can't wait for that blog post someday! But until then, I'm just happy with my blisters.