HOORAYYYYY for shovelling!!!

Words I never really thought I would ever want to utter at all, let alone shout out to the world... but it’s kind of how I am feeling these days.

Throughout my journey with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, I’ve often felt like an unhelpful lump when it comes to chores around the house and especially outside chores. I haven’t safely been able to help with even the easiest, mundane tasks and although I try my best with stuff inside the house, it’s been a whole different situation in dealing with the embarrassment of doing outside stuff where our neighbours can see my slowness and struggling. That horrible pride stuff rears it’s ugly head and I bury into my humiliation..... but not anymore! I’m so close to getting better that challenging myself to get out and try has gratefully grown more important than my feelings of inadequacy.

So this winter, I shovel PROUDLY!

This is my proud face!
I do NOT generally wear hats... if I am wearing a hat... that means it is COLD!
And hood on top of hat..... means it’s COLD with a BITTER wind!

It sounds ridiculous, I know, shovelling snow is certainly not a big deal... until it is. And it’s a big deal to me because I’ve worked really hard to regain the strength and coordination it takes to shovel snow, which I fully realize is often seen as mindless, simple (even if sometimes heavy) work. And shovelling out the boys bathroom break pen may not seem like the grandest fun but I am beyond excited to be able to do it confidently, even if I have to very seriously consider and entirely concentrate on every step, every movement. I use the shovels as ‘walking balance aides’ and I carfully put to work all that I’ve worked so hard to learn in physio so I can properly ‘plant, weight-shift and balance’... all of which helps me to safely manage my newest goal of snow removal. I will admit that I am uuuuubery slow......

Here’s a video snippet to show just how slow... just imagine this snippet being played on constant repeat for an hour or so:

I’m slow and I have to take a LOT of little standing breaks, but that’s okay, too... it just means a little extra time outside in the fresh, crisp air to challenge myself. And today I had a little extra challenge worked in by having to bundle in Enz’s heavy, bulky Tough Duck workwear snowsuit because I left my own snowsuit at camp so I can always be prepared for more sliding when we’re out there! It worked, I didn’t trip or fall down in the extra bulk and I satyed cozy warm while I cleared the boys pen as well as the sidewalk and pathway out to the workshop.

I did need a little sit-down rest when I got as far as the workshop path... but who doesn’t love a snowbank rest??!

Hard to tell in the picture but boy was the wind whipping out there!

It’s just another little part of healing but it sure feels good to be a little bit useful again... especially in my favourite season of all because I do love any excuse to get out and enjoy Winter!!!