by Cathy Hadad

When we received my husband Chris’ FTD diagnosis, we were devastated and scared – emotions I know are not unique to our family. And while we try to make the best of our situation, inserting fun and laughter into every day, with the passage of time our journey only becomes more difficult. But somehow, in the midst of it all, Chris maintains such a positive attitude about life. He always finds something to be happy about – something I’m not sure I could do if I were in his shoes.

Lately, Chris has been having a lot of difficulty walking. Over the past year he’s begun to feel less stable on his feet. In the spirit of maintaining our good humor, when this happens I’ll look at him and say, “Shaky Jake is here today – you are a bit wobbly.” When I say it, he always laughs.

For a while, I tried holding onto his hand as he walked, but he expressed discomfort with that. Then, about two months ago, I asked if I could get him some hiking poles. What he really wanted was a large walking stick, but I worried that it would be heavy and cumbersome. Not only are hiking poles lightweight and adjustable, they help the person to walk upright and give support with each step.

When the poles arrived, I could barely believe what a difference they made. Chris was so overwhelmed with joy that he began to cry, and said, “I haven’t felt this secure on my feet in over a year.”

Over the next two days we ventured out for five different walks! Chris is so happy that he can walk without my assistance, maintaining a sense of independence on his FTD journey. Who would have thought that a simple pair of hiking poles could give our family a win, at a time when we thought there weren’t any more wins to be had.

We just returned home from another outing, and Chris has decided that tomorrow we need to take a three-mile walk, spanning the entire neighborhood. The freedom Chris has gained is invaluable – he even wanted to show the neighbors and our son how comfortably he can walk on his own. It’s been a while since we’ve smiled this much, and been able to say that we are looking forward to tomorrow’s adventures.