Today, I walked in the door, and the guy who's behind the counter started clapping and cheering for me. Then he did the same thing for the person who came in behind me, so...slightly less embarrassing. I also noticed that the group of a dozen or so men seated near the entrance didn't even look up when I walked in to that ovation. Introvert crisis averted!
My therapist was astounded at my progress. I've been going twice a week for not quite a month, and already I've made leaps and bounds of progress. She credited my attitude (willing to push myself at therapy) and being active at home. She said so many people go home and sit on the couch until their next therapy session, and they aren't making any progress because they lose any momentum they may have gotten by just sitting all week.
I still experience spasticity in my hand every morning, and I still need my cane to walk when I leave home. My leg still often feels heavy, and my ankle still turns in when I'm standing. None of those problems are gone! However, my balance is better, my core strength has improved, and my muscles that were tight are loosening (specifically hamstrings and calf muscles). I still have a ways to go, but I've already come a long way!