Rebuilding my life at 70 after suddenly losing the ability to walk

Last year my life changed in a way I never expected.

It wasn’t an accident.
It wasn’t an injury.

It was something much quieter — and much more frightening.

A severe potassium imbalance damaged the nerves in my body. Slowly, I began losing sensation in my arms and legs. Not pain… not weakness… but feeling.

My body stopped giving me feedback.

I couldn’t trust my balance.
I couldn’t trust my grip.
Eventually, I couldn’t trust my legs to hold me up.

Before I had time to understand what was happening, I was in a wheelchair.

There is something profoundly humbling about suddenly needing help with things you’ve done your whole life without thinking.

Standing.
Walking across a room.
Holding something in your hands.

Recovery has been slow. Physical therapy, patience, and learning how to rebuild strength little by little.

But something unexpected happened during this time too.

I started writing about the experience — about healing, resilience, and what it means to rebuild life later in life.

I’m 70 years old, and instead of giving up, I’m trying to rebuild stability, reconnect with family, and move closer to my daughter and grandchildren.

Some days are harder than others. But sharing the journey has helped me keep going.

If anyone is interested in following the story or learning more about the recovery journey, I’ve started documenting it here:

Medium:
https://medium.com/@joninesster

Website:
joninescott.com

Thanks for listening.

And if anyone else here is rebuilding their life after something unexpected, I would love to hear your story too.