Update on Pat's walking

Well we should probably start off by saying that Pat did not win the bet... yet.  I heard that he is trying to get double or nothing going.  We were touched and overwhelmed by the comments and praise from our family and friends, most of who we did not realize even knew about the bet.  We truly are blessed with the very best support group.  So here are some highlights from our trip and recent gym sessions:

For the Utah trip, I want to go on the record saying that Pat was the one who requested that we keep the second story room in the hotel with no elevator.  He did a great job climbing up and down the stairs a few times without seeming tired at all.  He said he wouldn't have minded even if he was on the third floor.  (but I bet our bellboys were glad they didn't have to carry the bags up and down another flight). 

Pat decided that it would be best to take his wheelchair with him due to the sheer distance and I am glad that we did even though he didn't use it much.  He walked and walked and walked especially at the temple.  He was standing so much straighter and walking faster and more evenly.  He seemed like a different man almost.  You could tell that he really didn't feel like he had to rely on a spotter to walk behind him anymore like he used to.  I think given 6 more months, he could make the whole trip on his own with the walker.

We did have a small blip on the radar, he did fall down once at the rest stop but a nice police officer offered to help him up and we were back on the way again.  Considering all of the rugs he traversed without falling, the fact that he fell on this one is pretty amazing.  Don't tell him but it might have been partially my fault anyway because I was looking away when he fell and didn't exactly see what happened.  But that is part of learning to walk on his own.

So now for the truly amazing news.  Last week we decided to drag our saggy rear ends back to the gym.  (It had been a while).  Pat got on the Elliptical and managed to make it a few turns around before he got off.  It was quire an education for him, but it didn't stop him from talking smack when at my 20 minute mark I was slowing down because I had chosen to much of an incline.  He quickly stopped the smack talk when I threatened to make him get back on and do a whole minute this time.  That wasn't the amazing part though. 

Once he got on the treadmill, he really started to shine.  He walked 5 minutes straight without stopping and then got off while I ran a few miles.  Then he got back on and did two separate chunks of 4 and 3 1/2 minutes for a grand total of 12 1/2 minutes.  He kept saying just one more minute, one more minute when I asked him if he wanted to get off.  I made him get off because it was pretty clear from the way his left leg was shaking that he would be falling on me soon if I didn't kick him off.

And today, it just keeps getting even sweeter. Pat got himself on the tread mill (he has never done this before) and while it was not the conventional way of getting on, he did it all by himself which is not to be sneezed at.  He only did one straight shot today, but it was 8 1/2 minutes which is by far his longest stretch ever.  The fact that he can even walk on the treadmill pretty much by himself is amazing.  He tried to get Reed to agree to by a three month gym membership and go to the gym with him when he hits a 15 minute stretch but maybe he should have waited until Reed agreed before telling him how long he walked today.  hee hee.

And for the record, Mama Spud sent us a potato head family with pets for Christmas so we could be reminded of how close we are and who is going to be on top and who is going to be a pile of potatoes!