Walking with a Reciprocal Walker

By now we were getting into September 2006 and I still managed to walk about and also managed to walk a little at work, and for the first time in my life I couldn't wait to go to work and see what challenges were facing me because I thought well I think I have cracked the mobility challenge and things were going great, so I thought well if I can do that then I can cope with whatever work and life throws at me. I was on the top of the world although in the back of my mind I thought maybe this might all stop and I will come crashing down to earth. This soon faded into the back again and I thought no I am going to take each day as it comes and enjoy it.I then went back to my Physio and they were very pleased to see the walking progress I had made although I was still rather tight in general I was doing ok.

During the session I discussed at length with her that although I enjoyed walking a lot now it still felt alien to me to walk the way I was with the wheeled frame, and said that I had been thinking about using different walking equipment "what were you thinking of" I then went on to tell her about a friend that I was a school with who used to walk with a frame that appeared to go from side to side but still looked like the usual frames. "Ah that sounds like a reciprocal walker" I said I wasn't sure but I would maybe remember what it looked like if I saw it.

We then started to look through the equipment catalogue to see if there was one and sure enough there was one for children. I said that's it or it looks like it but do they do them for adults? My Physio then said "I'm sure they will" I will have a look on the web I'm sure we will be able to order one from somewhere if not I will make some enquires and will see what I can do"I was on a mission now couldn't wait to get home to see if I could find this walking frame on the net, firstly I asked my friends on my discussion group to see if they had heard of it before and or had used one although they hadn't so it was going to be a case of searching for it. I soon found what I had been looking for and it looked too big for me but nevertheless I emailed my physio to say I think I have found the frame we are looking for.

It was then ordered for me and it was just a case of waiting.A few weeks went by and I went back to my Physio for a treatment session, and this I think was the turning point for me. After spending time with her going through all my stretches she said "I have something for you that I think you might like to try" and I replied is it my frame? "no we are still waiting for it" anyway I followed her into the Gym, I enjoy working in there because that is where the parallel bars are and the machines that I used to work on before I got my back operation.