Bonnie’s Bulletin - Road to Recovery

She’d been in this wheelchair long enough. Nothing was going to stand in her way of at least trying to take a step today.

Without giving away too many spoiler alerts, Bonnie struggles to learn to walk again. At first she resists any attempt at therapy, but then finds the inner strength to keep going. Her goal - to walk back into Mabel’s life and tell her she was wrong.

Even if you follow the expert’s advice and write what you know, at some point a writer is going to have to do research to finish their book. One of the topics I researched for A Scent of Lilac was physical therapy.

In the beginning physical therapy was used as a last resort for the treatment patients to alleviate pain. It was first used as a way to treat soldiers returning from World War I, but basic therapeutic practices saw an increase during the polio epidemic in the 1920’s and 30’s. With the advancement of medicine after World War II, many soldiers returning home with injuries required therapy provided by physical therapists. During the 1960’s, Medicare legislation is passed to expand the funding for medical services, including physical therapy. In the 1970’s physical therapy once again expanded to include cardiac rehabilitation and orthopedics.

One piece of therapeutic equipment that seemed standard in all my research was the parallel bars. You may remember them from junior high or high school. The 11 foot wooden bars are set 6 1/2 feet off the ground, 16 1/2 inches apart and are supported by metal legs. The bars used in therapy are typically 3-4 foot high and the bars are set wider apart, typically at 3 feet to account for the various shapes of patients.

In my book, Bonnie uses the parallel bars for her atrophied muscles. She must first learn to stand, which is a hard task since she hasn’t used her legs in three months. In spite of the physical exertion it takes for Bonnie to stand, it’s not enough for her. While Phil, her physical therapists wants to celebrate the small victories, Bonnie sees nothing worth celebrating. Taking her first step in months is the only thing Bonnie will accept as a victory.

It had been exhausting, but today she’d taken a step in the direction of her dreams.

Find out the rest of Bonnie’s journey in A Scent of Lilac. Coming July 2021.