It was Sean’s 14th birthday but he of all people knows first-hand how IMPERATIVE it is that I go to Barwis. It was the only time I was scheduled for that week so I HAD to go! I worked with Sue on a black table. We started with the PNFs I always do. This time Sue added a different PNF. I laid on my back and instead of me pushing my leg straight out (which I am getting pretty good at!), she turned my foot in and left my knee straight. I needed to push my foot out. It felt extremely strange and Sue had to talk me through it and touch the spots in my legs and hips where I needed to use. It was DIFFICULT and it made my butt and outside of my hips ache from overuse because I NEVER use those muscles.
Sue explained to me that this stretch will help me with pivoting and changing direction when I stand or walk. Standing up from my chair has become A LOT easier for me but I don’t know what to do after that. I just smile once I am standing straight up with my weight evenly distributed on my feet and tell whomever I am working with that day that I don’t know what to do and have them help me to the table. I don’t feel upset anymore that nowadays my time at Barwis is largely comprised of stretching and PNFs because NOW I understand that all of these PNFs ARE getting my muscles stronger. It’s a piecemeal. I’m activating different muscles one-by-one in isolation and when I will put all the activated muscles together, I will walk.
Sue looked over to the shuttle and then at her phone. She told me that we would not have time to go over to the shuttle so instead she was going to be the human shuttle and mimic the movements I would need to do as if I was on the shuttle and she would offer the resistance like the shuttle did. I liked this because it was a movement I was familiar with and am getting kind of GOOD at! My legs proved to be pretty Jell-O-y as I tried to stand to transfer back to my chair so Sue had to help out a lot. Once in my chair, my legs felt looser and warm. I LOVE that feeling and I was satisfied and knew that I worked extremely hard.