Physio was all about walking, strength building and regaining coordination and balance.

 

With my innate stubbornness, as irritating as it was at the time, being constantly told to slow down helped.  

 

Learning to go at a slower pace meant I was constantly, but eventually I realised slow progress was still a win.  

Picking up pens and identifying objects with my left hand became a useful but equally repetitive task.

Throwing my phone across the room and opening water bottles without soaking myself were the harder parts.

 

 Manual dexterity was a big part of this. Even getting dressed requires hand control.

Eating and speaking are a part of normal life, so not being able to do either was the hardest part.  

 

All the swallow tests were disgusting, but I knew they would eventually lead to regular food, so as far as I saw it, it was a short-term issue for long-term gains!

 

Trach weaning was far from easy and involved sounds that would seriously concern anyone who didn't know what was going on.

 

Eventually, singing was hilarious, even though it wasn't pleasant for anyone to listen to!