There’s still so many basic things that I can’t do. Hopefully things will return to normal soon … I live on that hope.

We take so many things for granted when we’re healthy. I never knew that walking required so much coordination from the brain to the spine down to the toes.

Dr. Guisado assured me I will return to normal life, but wouldn’t tell me when. And I understand. There are many variables we’re dealing with here: my current health, my therapy, my will to recover …

I’m still walking with a cane. Without the cane, I could take maybe 10 steps but my hip will give up and I wobble.

I can’t stand on just the right leg. Which means no One-Leg Standing Tree, no Warrior stances in Yoga. I need to sit down to put on my pants, socks, boots …

I can’t stand on my toes. The toes on the right leg are the weakest link and slowest in recovery. At least I can wiggle them now, compared to them being totally dead some months back.

My handwriting is ugly. Sometimes, the hand wouldn’t move, so I ended up scribbling over the same writing space.

My physical reactions are slow. I came across some ants in the backyard, and I just stood there looking down not knowing what to do next. I was at Costco the other day and some woman bumped into me. My body slowly slided down, I didn’t even think of grabbing onto the cart or the shelves. It’s almost like the neuropaths for crisis reactions haven’t been re-established.

The cold weather has put a big dent in my well-being. Sometimes the hip hurts so bad I couldn’t lift my leg up to make a step. Our body is such a delicate, exquisite and complex creation. My legs are fine and strong. But they are useless without a healthy brain.

Yet I say it again. I’m thankful to God and everyone else that I’m where I am. Yes, I had the stroke. Yes, I’m sometimes confined to a more limited capability. But I’m still the luckiest girl. I’m alive and doing better everyday.