My Cane

Grace Carpenter
My Happy Stroke

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Around of the end of last summer, I started walking around my neighborhood without a cane. It was a little scary at first, but I'm happy that I've made the leap (so to speak). I'm putting more weight on my affected side, and in general I feel stronger.

I have many canes, but this is my favorite

But I still do use my cane, especially in bad weather. I also use it, for instance, when I go to a store; or to a meeting; or any time I might encounter a crowd--especially a crowd of children. When I have my cane, people give me more room to pass. They hold doors. Parents ask their children to step aside. When I can't spit out the words at a normal pace, people (usually) give me more time to speak if they see the cane.

Sometimes I think I should ditch the cane, but I wish there were some other way to signal that I might need extra space or time. I guess I could hang a sign around my neck, that says: "Warning: Brain-Injured Person," but the cane does seem more elegant.

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My Cane

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My Happy Stroke