Rant #3,315: Take a Giant Step

I am trying to wean myself away from my leg brace, albeit very slowly.

During my examination by my dictor/surgeon last week, he told me that although I still needed the brace, when I was sitting around the house, I could keep the brace off.

It took a few days for that message to get into my head, but finally yesterday morning, I did as he said.

I am sitting here now typing this Rant out without the brace on, and I haven't had it on for a few hours now.

Without the brace on, my leg feels a bit tight in the knee area, but I noticed that when I sat at the counter in the kitchen to read the newspaper, my leg was not straight out, as it would be with the brace on; it was naturally bent without the brace, not fully bent but certainly more so than it would be with the brace on.

So I think that is good.

I still have to use the brace when I am outside of the house, and it will remain on every time I have to go somewhere in the car or when I walk outside.

I try to get outside of the house each and every day, and one of my jobs that I recently appointed myself to do is to go to the mailbox and get the mail--with either my wife or son with me--six days a week.

The development we live in has a common area which includes a mailbox section. It is a short walk from our apartment, but for me, it is a giant leap on my road to recovery.

Back inside our apartment, I am a little hesitant about what to do when I am sleeping. Do I keep the brace on or not? 

I simply don't know what to do about that.

The doctor also said that I would not have to wear the brace at all by mid-April, so what I am doing now is simply a precursor to all of that.

Look, I still have quite a way to go physically, mentally and emotionally with this injury, but I do think I am getting there.

Nothing is easy, and I am working on every facet of this situation each and every day, with varying results.

This has been a tough ride for me during the past six months or so.

I have learned that you just can't simply blink, and it will go away just like that.

It takes a lot of hard work.on all levels, but I think the mental part is the most difficult to shake, but like I said, I am working on it.

One day, I hope to look at the brace and say to myself, "Remember when?"

I am not at that point yet, but I do feel.like I am getting there ... slowly.

Baby steps ... literally and physically and emotionally ...

I will reach my goal, but I still have a lot of work to do.

Due to work obligations--I have a major meeting to cover beginning today and extending through Wednesday--I am going to have to skip the next two days of Rants.

I will need a lot of time to transcribe and write up a decent story about the proceedings.

But I will be back as good as ever on Friday, so speak to you again then.