John's Blog

 If you have been following my rehabilitation process then a few weeks ago I achieved the milestone of 57 Ross Return stands in 45 minute. That is a movement using legs and arms to pull myself to a standing position and sit back down again all in a controlled fashion and from varying heights. Believe me the lower you sit the harder it is to push up! Now fast forward to Thursday 19 October. My brilliant Physiotherapist gave me a choice, more of the same or standing and sitting using a walking aid called a Zimmer Frame, being up for a challenge I choose the Zimmer Frame. After standing and sitting, unaided, using the Zimmer Frame a few times my Physio turned to me and said “You are ready to walk” . After which, I was attached to a safety harness and proceeded to take my first steps in six months of being in hospital using a zimmer frame for support. Not one step, Not three steps, But fifty steps in total, yes fifty. It hurt, it was hard work but my mind and body were determined to do it.

  Anybody that follows me here or knows me will know I am effectively being taught how to stand and walk again after an accident earlier this year. Part of this rehab is undertaking sitting to standing exercises using an #NHS supplied tool called a #RossReturn ( https://healthcare-matters.com/product/ross-return-7500i-patient-transfer-system ) This is designed to train the legs to push to a standing position from a seated position and back again in a controlled fashion. It can also be used to transfer between seating on a hospital bed to seating on a wheelchair for example. My previous “personal best” for standing cycles was 26, that’s moving from seating to standing as described above. On Friday 13th, I not only passed that record, I totally smashed it by achieving 57 stands and 3 transfers!!!!!!!!!! This is a testament to the staff at the Oxford Centre for Enablement here in Oxford, UK but also my own personal determination to walk again by Christmas. The moral of this story is Never