I got to see Amanda doing squats at the Keiser machine on Wednesday. I watched her body react to standing and I’m pretty sure that I know how that feels. Everyone’s body with MS reacts differently and MS effects everyone differently. I tried my best to not make comparisons. I’ve had MS longer and I don’t know where her lesions are located. But it seemed so familiar the way her back bent. It’s the way my back bends in resistance. I shook my head and tried to look away. I got lost in conversation with her caretaker and then she moved over to the blue table. I tried focusing on how GOOD my body has been feeling lately and how well I’ve been sleeping in spite of this cold weather. My legs were relaxed with my feet on the floor opposed to sticking straight out. Megan may have seen the look on my face trying to convince myself to be positive and she came over and gave me a hug. I told her to look at how relaxed my legs were and told her that my next stop was walking.
Amanda’s dad came in and he remembered meeting me at the “American Muscle” premiere. We shook hands and Mike came over to get me. Nick was working with Amanda on the blue table so Mike and I waited. I saw Nick grab Amanda’s hands and she stood up and walked to her chair. It was a shaky walk but steps just the same. I was envious and it may have shown on my face. Amanda’s dad told me that, “with a smile like that, you can’t give less than 100%.” I smiled and responded, “For sure!” as Mike put me on the table. My left shoe was untied so he just took both of my shoes off so as to expose my red and white striped socks. (I don’t like matching socks and those obviously match in the basket of mismatched socks). He told Megan to look over (she was working with Garret on the white table nearby). Apparently, it’s “Wacky Sock Wednesday.” Oh, I can dig this FOR SURE!!!
Mike stretched me differently than he did on Monday but just as intense! My butt and hamstrings hurt really badly on Thursday and even a bit today as I write this. He didn’t get an, “Ooh Doggie!” out of me but instead got a WHOLE LOT of, “Oh My Gosh!”es. He had me roll over on my stomach just as I looked at the clock. I mumbled that I could do ANYTHING for 10 minutes. He asked what I said so I repeated it louder. As I laid on my stomach grunting because it hurt so badly; I tried to recall a time when this felt normal and I couldn’t. Mike put me in my car kind of smoothly. My legs felt relaxed and I felt tired. Before I fell asleep for the night, I laid on my stomach and this must have been almost what it felt like.