She Collapsed, Then Learned Her Walk Could Be Retrained

The story

Jane Biehl, a cancer survivor, found herself on an emergency gurney in Boston after a collapse. Imaging ruled out a stroke and pointed toward spinal problems: discs, bone spurs, stenosis.

Fear of falling can cage a person faster than pain. She left with assistive devices and a pile of paperwork, which is how modern medicine sometimes says: keep going, elsewhere.

What happened next

Seven weeks of physical and occupational therapy, plus injections, returned strength. One day the walking clicked. She told the staff she was stronger. She began taking her dog farther.

A lesson you can use this week

Treat therapy homework like a prescription, not an optional class. The boring repetitions are often the whole miracle.

Sources

Jane Biehl, CURE, “Cancer Taught Me to Cope,” April 21, 2026.