In rehab, WA-columnist Dinah experienced some surprising moments of luck. Thanks to the therapy she's taking big steps towards her recovery.

Hamm - I woke up one day and I couldn't stand or walk. I was completely numb from my waist down to my toes. It was impossible to put on my socks or trousers alone. The only way I could move around was using a wheelchair. To find out what was happening to my body, I was admitted to hospital for 8 days.

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There, I felt like a guinea pig, getting poked and prodded every other day. I went through several medical procedures including blood draws, CT scans, EEG's, MRI's, you name it, I had it done. The most frightening and painful test was the lumbar puncture. I had to be awake with no anaesthesia, sitting and bent over a pillow while the doctor injects the base of my spine with a massive needle. Ouch! That was the final test that determined that I had Myelitis - an inflammation of the spinal cord. Finally, we knew what was happening to my body. I was sent home with a cocktail of daily pills and referred to Reha Bad Hamm to reignite my nerves and improve my mobility.

I felt a little cautious because last year, I had my first experience at a Reha in Dortmund. I had no clue what a Reha was, and no one explained it to me. I would receive an activity timetable every morning, not knowing that these activities were supposed to be personalized to my illness. By the 3rd week, my activities had nothing to do with my recovery. The Chef Artz would make a 2 minute 'drive-by' check, mostly looking at my chart, but no real conversation with me. If I had an activity when the Arzt was doing his rounds, then oops! Try again next week. The food was so horrible, I ended up ordering take-away meals from nearby restaurants or surviving on crepes from the cafeteria. I even had packets of instant noodles that I would prepare using a hot water kettle and a microwave. I could not wait to finish my time there and head back home.

When I walked into, sorry, rolled my wheelchair into Reha Bad Hamm, everything was surprisingly different. In my 4 ½ years living in Hamm, I have unfortunately found myself in various medical institutions. The mood was always the same - blank faces and staff not interested in your issues. However, the atmosphere at Reha Bad Hamm was completely different. The receptionists, cafeteria ladies, therapists, administration and fellow patients all had a smile. At one point, I questioned myself if everyone there was on 'happy pills'. By day 2, I was also smiling and saying "Mahlzeit" to every person I saw, a new word I learnt at the Reha.

I really appreciated the weekly planned appointments with my doctor that included meaningful conversations about my recovery and my experiences at the Reha. I could knock on his office door at anytime and change my activity schedule to eliminate activities that didn't benefit my recovery process.

I learnt how to manoeuvre my wheelchair and became a master of reversing my wheelchair. People would wait for me to start reversing then make the beeping sounds of an Lkv going backwards. I loved it.

Oh, and the food was amazing. There was a weekly menu with vegetarian and meat dishes that you could choose from. Even though it was prepared in bulk, there was meaningful thought and care to the meals. I looked forward to lunch and hoped that my schedule would not include a Muckibude session after eating. Yes, Muckibude - another word I learnt during my Reha.

I really appreciated Krankengymnastik. When I started at the Reha, I walked like a newborn giraffe. By the end, I was confident enough to walk a small distance on my own. My therapy helped me graduate from a wheelchair to a rollator, which I think is great progress.

I am eternally grateful to everyone at Reha Bad Hamm who was involved in my recovery. I made new friends and really enjoyed my time there. For now, I continue with Physiotherapy to get me running like Usain Bolt. A girl can dream, Ja?