Gimme the quick way, Please! ~ LuAnn Kleemeyer

There are a lot of quick schemes out there. Get Rich quick. Get Thin Quick. Get out of Debt quick. You name it, it seems like someone is always trying to sell us on the idea that we can get things down quickly. But ask a person that gets things accomplished and they will tell you that anything truly worth having takes commitment to it over a long period of time before you can get it. You need to commit to the process, no matter how laborious or tedious or tough it can be. This is true when learning to walk again (for some of us).

Let's all face it; re-learning to walk is a tedious job. Being a high right above knee amp I have to walk from the hip so I use muscles that I haven't used for walking before. The first thing the PT wanted me to do was a series of exercises. BORING!!!! I wanted to just go and walk. Never in my life did I dream it would be so hard. Luckily I was in pretty good shape before the accident happened so I had that going for me, but I was not in the best of shape after laying in a bed for the better part of 4 months. Even though I knew I needed to do the exercises at first I didn't do them as much as I could, but I figured out quickly that if I was going to walk again I needed to work hard because I WANTED MY LIFE BACK!!! Being mad at the thought of not having my independent life again put the fire back into me. I worked so hard that at the therapy sessions others took notice. My therapist commented at one session that others will work harder when I was there. That made me laugh and say, " O, how I wish I was there with a sore hand or elbow." But don't wish you life away, as Nike says- Just do IT. I went to PT off and on for a year and a half. I understand that not all insurance covers many therapy sessions, but call your doctor and a therapy business and get yourself there. Most times if you do not have insurance they have a special price. Ask for it, makes payments (as I did) because this is your life and if you desire walking this is one of the sacrifices you will have to make. No one else can do it for you.

There is also no get-happy-quick scheme that can guarantee you lasting happiness and fulfillment overnight. BUT if you commit to the process of getting up, getting out of your comfort zone, making the right choices day after day, you will begin to experience the happiness for which you are looking. Scott Hamilton wrote this when facing brain cancer once again, "Facing death yet again, I realized I was no longer living to win. Rather, I was living to not lose." When my accident happened I faced death, but what I saw was the face of God. I want to make him happy, I want to make him smile, and I do not want to let him down for saving me that day. I work hard for him as much as for myself. I still walk with a cane and always will, I have come to terms with that. But I walk straight and with a heavy, but beautiful metal leg, and hope I make God smile when he sees the effort I have put into where I am today with my life.

Peace and Blessings on your day,

LuAnn Kleemeyer