When I started going to outpatient rehab about two months after my stroke, my PT Judy at Scripps rehab in La Jolla made me remove my specially fitted brace for my left foot/ankle.

After the session I was free to put it back on but she stressed the importance of retraining the muscles to begin working on their own once again. Now there are times that you absolutely need the prescribed devices to help you function and I am certainly not advocating that you do anything that is contrary to any medical advice that you have received.

Through my personal experience though I can absolutely recommend that as soon as it is safe to do so, you will want to lessen your dependency on all aids as soon as possible.

I believe that this is good advice for everyone and not just stroke survivors.

God created a marvelous machine in the human body and in order for the body to function as intended it must be used and exercised. The age old adage "Use it or lose it" holds true.

I am constantly amazed at both how slow and how quickly my  body is recovering less than two years after being totally paralyzed on my left side.

There are times when it is just so damn frustrating that I can not just work real hard and see the immediate results like I could before my stroke.

On the other hand I can see the tremendous advances that I have made this summer compared to last summer.

Though the task at hand can be daunting and extremely frustrating at times, I know that only through a total commitment to myself to improve can I expect to see the results that I Will have in time.

To date there is no magic pill or device available that can restore the body to your pre-stroke condition.

In fact there are no guarantees that you will ever get there however I can say with all conviction that you have a much greater chance of a recovery if you take on the challenge with a positive attitude, dedication, hard work and a commitment to  be an inspiration to to yourself and to others.