1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
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Day 19 Walking, map reading and achievements.

Discussion in 'Structured Educational Program' started by movingcloud, Oct 15, 2012.

  1. movingcloud

    movingcloud Peer Supporter

    When I was posed the question "what have I done since starting the program that makes me feel proud?" I immediately thought of 3 things. Then I started to question whether they really had given me the proud moment, or if they had just been activities that I could easily interpret as such for the purposes of writing. So I stopped thinking about it. An hour later I realised that I had done something that had no impact whatsoever on anyone but me, and it made me very proud indeed.
    Today, my SEP day 19 started with stories about walking. I feel great elation that in the last year - using the techniques of pacing that the hospital psychologists and physio's taught me - I have increased my distance from a few yards to 4 miles. For anyone who doesn't know about this, here is a link:
    http://www.thephysiotherapysite.co.uk/physiotherapy/back-pain/pacing
    It brings me immense joy to be out and about in the countryside with my camera, walking my way to health.
    Last week I'd worked out a walk of about 3 miles. It was at my current limit of ability. It was the longer of two circular walks that both started off in the same place but diverged after a short distance. At that point - 3 tracks ahead! - there was a chap and his son doing some work in their garden and we struck up a conversation. He pointed me down the hill as the way to continue, and off I went. At the bottom of this steep hill I looked at the map, and realised he'd sent me off on the short route. I didn't want to re-climb a big hill to the place I'd gone wrong. But if I cut through the woods a short way, I could pick up the longer path. So I did. And I got a bit lost. 1/2 hour later I found the path - hooray, but then, a short bit further on, I realised I was walking back along the path I'd first travelled, so I about turned and walked on. The track was sludgy and slippery following torrential rain. At a second place I tried again to cross to the longer path. After 10 minutes I came to a 3 way junction at the edge of woods and fields. I had to pull out all of my map reading skills to realise where i was, and where I should go. I decided to go straight ahead. But then stopped, told myself to really be SURE it was right. And then there followed a moment of clarity about what the landscape was telling me, and how that was interpreted on the map. It took me a minute or two, but once I was clear I walked on - along the right footpath! I was elated. Proud. What a sense of achievement! I had put my fears of getting lost for a second time behind me, and I can now feel much more sure about doing something risky! I walked the rest of the way, over fields, roads and lanes - climbing back up to the start point with elation. As I climbed I watched the sun setting over the horizon. I learned so much - that I can be self-reliant, that I can map-read well enough to get myself out of any pickle I find myself in when out, that if you stick with things they may work out, that I don't have to give up when I make mistakes, and that I can be out for 3 hours, and walk further than the limits I have been setting myself. Best of all, I am ready for the next walking challenge.
     
    Forest and veronica73 like this.
  2. Forest

    Forest Beloved Grand Eagle

    This is very inspirational. Thank you for sharing. One of my symptoms was knee pain, and I also had this fear that if I walked somewhere my symptoms would start up, and then I would be stranded. This fear of being stranded prevented me from being active more than having symptoms. Looking back, this fear was probably rooted in my abandonment and isolation issues, but I didn't realize it at the time.

    When I think of what I enjoy the most about being pain free, one of the top things that come to mind is that I can simply walk to class or to the grocery store or anywhere else without being afraid if I become stranded. It sounds like you are making wonderful progress. Keep it up!
     

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