Determination To Get Your Life Back And Walk Again

I arrived at the nursing home in Leon yesterday morning as usual. Almost as soon as I arrived, Jose called me to his room.

Jose has poor circulation and it has resulted in the partial loss of his left foot and the loss of most of his right leg.

On Friday he had an appointment with the prosthetic nurse to get fitted for a prosthetic leg. It arrived early this morning.

I can’t explain how happy he was. We speak in Spanish. That means that he talks, I try to formulate my own subtitles based on the words I understand, and I try to ask intelligent questions as if I understood what he said. Ok, I admit it. That’s been my trick the whole time I’ve been in Mexico 🙂

But the passion with which he spoke, the excitement of having this second-hand prosthetic device and how it’s going to allow him to have a normal life again, to walk again.. well, it was just wonderful to see. Nursing homes can be downright depressing, and I’ve experienced my fair share of depressing in the past two weeks. But here, finally, was a positive that temporarily but overwhelmingly blinds you from seeing all the negativity or reasons to be depressed around you. It was wonderful.

He told me how getting this prosthetic device has been his goal ever since he arrived at the nursing home after his operation. He has remained positive and kept his sights set on walking out of the nursing home by the end of the year.

It made me think a bit about all the things I take for granted. I’ve never really thought about how life would be if I were confined to a wheelchair. I genuinely enjoy walking and it’s my main outlet for exercise. Anyway, seeing his excitement gave me some much needed perspective.

He expects to be up on his feet and fully self-sufficient by Christmas. I hope that comes to fruition, but I know his determination will guide him there no matter what.