My exciting news - 40 very wobbly steps with no stick!!! I thought it would never happen but wont be trying it outside just yet!!!
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Wobble on friend.
. . . and congratulations!
just watch out for the speed cameras
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. Thanks Bobbi! Musnt get over confident!
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Well done, keep on improving.
We all like to hear positive news.
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WowâŚand no sticks 
Thatâs just got to be celebrated and now youâve started hopefully it will start to speed up quickly . . . and before you know it, youâll be entering to London marathon 
Well done, keep it going.
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A Marathon! The 40 wobbly steps felf like a marathon! Thanks Emerald
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Well done you
Such a good feeling when you achieve something so difficult. Keep on keeping on
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@Apple thatâs amazing. A massive well done to you. Thereâll be no stopping you soon. So pleased for you xx
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Thanks Ann. I honestly thought I would never walk without a stick. Certainly wonât be walking outside minus a stick for a while!
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One stage at a time. Master inside first then when youâve built your confidence outside will come. Took me ages to build the confidence to go outside but got there in the end. Still take a support though (usually the golf umbrella 
).
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Congratulations! This is such wonderful news! Reward yourself, now. Just because it feels good and will remind you how far you have come when you forget a month or two from now, because you are on to wobbling down the road to the beat of âAnother One Bites the Dustâ. I think I will treat myself to M&M topped Cherry Cordial Ice Cream in your honor. Shall I have some for you as well?
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Iâve been trying to do this for 2 years, how long did it take you? I just want to encourage myself to keep trying, though I can only do about 100 metres, with a quad stick, indoors.
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@Jfitz
You make the effort and you will reap the rewards.
Keep coming back to this thread and posting your victories. It will be a record of your progress.
Beware of that word âonlyâ it is only one step at a time that will get you to where you are going. Each step is a massive achievement.
Be patient and kind to yourself, you are worth it. Come back and make lots of noise here, we want to congratulate you and urge you onward.
If things turn out sour we have sympathy and listening ears too, but for now celebrate your success.
Keep on keepinâ on
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Thanks Bobbi. That seems to be one of the mottoes of this site - âkeep on keeping onâ ! very appropriate 
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Hi Jfitz. Iâm 7 months post stroke and honestly thought I would never walk without a stick. Suddenly thought yesterday I will try and although Iâm very unstable and definitely wouldnât attempt it outside it was quite easy! Am prepared for setbacks but am very lucky in that my husband has been amazing and I also still have a great NHS physio once a week
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DeAnn. They sound delicious- could you post me one please!
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To both @Apple and @Jfitz the trouble with walking sticks is they are both a blessing and a curse because of the muscular effects they will have on your posture. So the walking sticks will be throwing your balance off regardless of what they do for you.
Cause and effect
Donât know if either of you ever saw a medical drama called House, played by Hugh Laurie as an American doctor who had a limp due to an infarction of his quadriceps muscle and walked with a stick. Since those days, whenever he hears the word âactionâ when filming anything else, he instinctively starts limping.
But also, pretending to have a limp has caused him real injury in that itâs given him knee issues as a limp requires a lot of hip work as well as shoulder strain. He did try to relieve the issue somewhat by switching the cane from hand to hand whilst filming onsetâŚand the series ran for 8 seasons.
For stroke survivors it is a true case of mind over matter, our walking issues are of the mind as not a physical injury to the leg itself. Hence the necessity to throw off the use of any walking aids as quick as you can after a stroke. Because the longer you leave it the more naturally dependent you become of them, youâll retrain your brain, wrongly, into believing it canât walk without them. Also cause you any number of painful shoulder, arm, hip and knee issues.
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Congratulations,Iâm new here but already finding just reading others little victories is just so heartening.So thank you for sharing and I hope you keep improving
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Hello Justin. This is a great group and packed with information. As I was so convinced I would never walk without a stick Iâm amazed when I found I could! Good luck with your recovery- it just seems so slow at times doesnât it?
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I agree with you on this, and have experienced it as well. I will say one must decide which risks are bigger problems before giving them up. I have a 4 post walker, rolling walker, cane. I am able to walk without them, however, I cannot see well enough for walking so after falling many times and causing further damages I am still using them outside of home depending on whether someone is with me or how dizzy I am feeling at the time. Mostly use the 4 legged or a shopping cart. I was bending over that thing like I have osteoporosis, have to remind my brain I can stand up straight, but that is hard to do while I am reminding my brain to take steps, trying to deal with movement around me, noise, and remember the steps to where I am going. Two odd but happy occurrences, my brain remembers how to walk correctly in heels, and typing posture. I donât care about the heels, but my brain remembers a different center of balance. It doesnât recognize these new flat shoes I bought so I wouldnât trip. The typing posture certainly helps with neck and back pain. It only remembered, though, after I recently purchased a real keyboard instead of trying to type on the laptop.
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