Her eyes brightened, then she had a worried look, “Sure I want to get out, but can I? Is my leg OK to walk on? I mean, will it break open where you stitched it if I, uh, you, know, it’s funny to say walk on it. And is that skinny pole strong enough to support me?”

The doctor smiled, “Slow down there. I stitched your leg together myself, I assure you with the stitches I put in it will stay together. And that pole as you put it would support someone more than three times your weight. Let me worry about those things. Let’s get you down to PT ASAP. I had them clear the one room for today for the three of you in case we needed it. Secret service orders.”

The nurse appeared with a wheelchair. They lowered her bed, helped her to the edge. Her left leg hung over the side, the right pointed straight out in an almost unnatural pose. Tears came to her eyes. She wiped them. “Help me up.”

They helped her stand, she pivoted on one foot, almost as if she had always done this, then lowered herself on the wheelchair with her hands. The nurse lifted the right leg rest to support her leg. It looked funny just sticking our there. Before they could push her she grabbed the wheels of the chair, “Let me do this myself, I really need to, where am I headed, I have to do things for myself. I’m not letting this stop me.” The president shook his head, she was approaching this like she did everything else, just another hurdle to clear, another challenge to meet. Even the statement, “where I’m headed” carried the message that she was in the process of moving on. Her leg was history. Learning to live without it was the future. There would be tears at times but she would be looking ahead not the back.

The First Family: Chapter 1 – Introduction

The First Family 17: Mitzi Awakens for the First Time

The First Family 19: Jaci Has Her First Therapy