On 20 February, Jackie writes: I'm having a really good day. The transport picked me up at 9.00 this morning and brought me home at 2.00 p.m. My evil braces are in the bin. YAY!!! And I can fully bear weight on my leg and arm. Well, not quite; my knee feels like it has a lead weight strapped to it and pins and needles shoot up my leg when I put my foot on the floor. Apparently that's the nerves reacting to being weight-bearing again.
	Please thank the special lady who sends me these lovely cards. This one will join my picture gallery when Mike picks me up a frame Cold Nose, Warm Heart . . . . . .and a repaired arm & leg!
My wrist has very little movement so I can't have crutches till it works better. I have to practice free-walking several times a day to build up my muscles. I also have lots of wrist exercises to do. I have a treadmill, so I intend to set it very slow and walk for 10 minutes twice a day and build up to longer and faster. I can book hospital Transport. They were bringing a wheelchair to transport me in. They were told I was weight-bearing now, so I had a wheelchair to get me into the ambulance, then transfer to a seat; when I got home, they got my walker and I walked into the house. When I go back at the end of March, I should be walking without aids. On 21 February, Jackie writes: Well, I had the best night's sleep in six weeks. The bulky leg brace meant I could only lie on my back and if you're a side sleeper, your body wants to turn, so you can't get to sleep. I have been trying little unaided walks in the kitchen. Strangely, I can stand up quite quickly on one leg, but it's slow on two legs. I think it's that the knee joint is still stiff. I was told to walk with a small gap between my legs for better balance and less likely to trip over my foot. Also to look up and keep my arms by my sides. The actual walk resembles someone on ice skates for the first time or a zombie from Michael Jackson's Thriller. I'm a bit confused, as I was originally told I would be on crutches for three months after the walker; then one crutch for three months. This would take me to September, but now it appears that I have the walker for a month while I build up to full mobility, then . . . nothing.
Ann surprised me today; she borrowed one of these walker/shopper things from her boss. It will give me a bit more confidence to walk into town and I can stop for a rest if I want. I have just walked unaided to my office room to take these pics. I managed to walk from the couch to the sink unaided and get a glass of water. Small achievement, but big pleasure. MARE MOORE in Canada: Re: "But now it appears that I have the walker for a month while I build up to full mobility then nothing." Well that's even BETTER! You're making such great progress, and now, coupled with that borrowed ". . .walker/shopper thing . . ." means that although you will be moving a bit slower than the norm, you'll still be able to get up and go enjoy some summer time relaxin' at your holiday home on the North Sea. I was afraid to mention it before, but I thought that your accident meant you'd likely have to put a kibosh on spending time at your summer home, but now it's looking more hopeful in that regard, yes? Bravo Jac, you just keep on gettin' better 'n' better! Healing hugs still being sent your way, JACKIE IKE: Such wonderful progress, Jackie! You should be proud of yourself for recovering so quickly. It's so nice to know you are healing very well. Hoping that Lily will be back home soon. BOB ANDERSON: What a journey . . . Doing quite well it seems. NEAL SKRENES: Ask Jackie if anyone has told her before she attempts to sit in that walker chair, she needs to be sure that the hand brakes are locked. [My Mother] had one of these. The last thing anyone wants is to back towards the seat to sit down and have it roll away. Jackie replies: I can picture me . . . legs akimbo, rolling backwards through the market square. Ann did mention it and showed me. She said her boss had nearly had a fall, but fortunately she was close to a wall. I won't be out by myself; Ann will probably be with me. When I was at the hospital yesterday, the ambulance driver wanted me to transfer to the hospital wheelchair. Normally they bring one along side me and I slide across. Yesterday they pushed me over to a desk, told me to stand up and lean on the desk, then they took the chair away and put the hospital wheelchair in behind me. Very scary. I was still non-weight-bearing, so standing on one leg, unable to look behind, I had to sit down hoping the chair was there and wouldn't move. It was OK but made me smile because up till January, I would dance jive with Richard and one of the moves was he would spin me face away from him and I would drop backwards; he would catch me, stand me up and spin me round to face him again. It just goes to show how a broken bone or two can take your confidence away.

GOING SHOPPING HERE