tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79237057964074477212024-03-13T09:57:32.308-07:00The Turtle WalksA Blog About Spinal Cord Injuries and the Road to Recoverytesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-55043849517927173902023-07-30T13:31:00.000-07:002023-07-30T13:31:08.733-07:00Physical Therapy 2023 and End of an Era<p>This is the final post of The Turtle Walks. It’s been 7 years since I’ve been back to physical therapy and 8 years since I’ve written on this blog. I’ll give a general summary of what happened in my life, an update on my most recent physical therapy, and an outlook to the future. The last time I wrote on this blog, I had graduated from grad school, my mom had just passed, and I had just started my journey into working in biotech.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJBvzc5S5i80nKtp63l4yo53fL_AkyNQ2sA3CQqnZKZ_XI6pgMkZQ5J0TGiu7oUfQDxGebNK917j44v1Gpbnv0eQX8YMwVqM8r9ZyOfi97nRDUuYaawXcJ8Qva56p_SQZDZ-V1QWxIlO-g31r9zr6VQfS4XOlFB8u19MOzPIwM77sUiRQiGz1-MhyAA/s388/End%20of%20an%20era.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="388" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJBvzc5S5i80nKtp63l4yo53fL_AkyNQ2sA3CQqnZKZ_XI6pgMkZQ5J0TGiu7oUfQDxGebNK917j44v1Gpbnv0eQX8YMwVqM8r9ZyOfi97nRDUuYaawXcJ8Qva56p_SQZDZ-V1QWxIlO-g31r9zr6VQfS4XOlFB8u19MOzPIwM77sUiRQiGz1-MhyAA/s320/End%20of%20an%20era.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It was the best of times... but not the worst of times.</i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Career:</b></h3><p>My career has had many ups and downs. </p><p>In my last entry I had just started working on the overnight shift at a 24 hour medical testing company. It was my first job out of college and was the worst job I’ve ever had. I was working the night shift which made having a social life almost impossible. The work itself was extremely tedious. I put new labels on tubes sent from doctor’s offices and sent them down the line to be tested. After a year or two, I might have gotten a job testing those same vials but it wasn’t clear if that would happen in one year or three. I started job searching almost as soon as I started working and found a new job after about 6 months.</p><p>The next few years I spent working at CROs (Contract Research Organizations). These are labs hired by various Big Pharma companies for drugs in various stages of clinical trials. I learned a lot in those first few years: how pharmaceuticals are developed, the regulations around drug development, and the many MANY years of work that go into every medication you will ever take. I made a bunch of friends and majorly beefed up the skills I had learned in school and working in a research lab. I learned a lot about cell culture, ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays), ligand binding assays, and many other scientific sounding things that won’t make sense to a bunch of people. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VwbZsT92JkfVLiGGpfO4D0waufgCt2tGYfSmc5Q1BV9rcuNzQmoK_TZwKMAsPKYA5wHoOkLOP_0eKT7qKe8KkgDxBifRXTm6AbsB3qJyWdUdylu-mMIBGj1quRQIqo8hMftcMSRev04REznDz0o8hWdjNpMGX5a8Jc6uhlJ47O0YzpPJkOPXvyCj7g/s960/scientist-what-I-do-meme.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="960" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VwbZsT92JkfVLiGGpfO4D0waufgCt2tGYfSmc5Q1BV9rcuNzQmoK_TZwKMAsPKYA5wHoOkLOP_0eKT7qKe8KkgDxBifRXTm6AbsB3qJyWdUdylu-mMIBGj1quRQIqo8hMftcMSRev04REznDz0o8hWdjNpMGX5a8Jc6uhlJ47O0YzpPJkOPXvyCj7g/w429-h331/scientist-what-I-do-meme.jpg" width="429" /></a></div><p>I outgrew my imposter syndrome and started to realize I am becoming an expert in my field. In the world of CROs, scientists are treated as replaceable parts and you end up having to change companies to advance. Those years were a time of incredible growth but I knew I would have to find something more long-term. </p><p>Two years ago I got a job offer from a Gene-Therapy company. They work on diseases that have genetic factors/causes with no treatments available or the treatments available are hard on patients. My background working on drugs in clinical trials was highly attractive to them. They were just starting to put together a program to test clinical patient samples in-house, meant to replace a lot of the work done by CROs. This would lean heavily on my existing skill set while challenging me to learn more about FDA approval, documentation, and teaching skills to other members of our team. I love the work I’m doing and I can see myself working here for many years to come.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqHbbXxYrTT5AnaHD0f43AAAILEN7G2GA06of0gspT4LafH4L7hPdc3u_-42rTdKpq-qjYfJXD-7lmIBd5I2bmxHgxByL-akgz-qHccPcAtNdhf9AGSeZEoGB9vrXHeidWelRMaMGRhF7T04SPCKj2EpPvTOJCSBwGZsGeytW2i3P8BlFyQqz5fG3Aw/s7500/GettyImages-1040300740.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="7500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqHbbXxYrTT5AnaHD0f43AAAILEN7G2GA06of0gspT4LafH4L7hPdc3u_-42rTdKpq-qjYfJXD-7lmIBd5I2bmxHgxByL-akgz-qHccPcAtNdhf9AGSeZEoGB9vrXHeidWelRMaMGRhF7T04SPCKj2EpPvTOJCSBwGZsGeytW2i3P8BlFyQqz5fG3Aw/s320/GettyImages-1040300740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An exact picture of my work life every day.</i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Personal Life:</h3><p>For many years my love life was kind of a mess. I would go on a date and the person would pretend to be someone they thought I would like or they would balk at my disability. Parts of it were disheartening but I grew a thicker skin and leaned on good friends. I stopped trying to please other people and found a calm place where I loved myself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW3p2uHvNZ1IDunCe-PsQIWAhwm4rSaJo2sagfb2UXapKTHA0CxzCqe4fecbzmTFWZQD7dIp32XwpSP_6cLYaNaHX1UvDLnClp7XY6u_KjivCBk9QeXzAGNbRde1Qvdtcony_KkL6IAh3rCXnA5OttnrVG9LI-Rbl8Qs1YjfMCqWwIeXwPNGAZhWr_g/s700/ru-pauls-drag-race-if-you-cant-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody-else-prints.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOW3p2uHvNZ1IDunCe-PsQIWAhwm4rSaJo2sagfb2UXapKTHA0CxzCqe4fecbzmTFWZQD7dIp32XwpSP_6cLYaNaHX1UvDLnClp7XY6u_KjivCBk9QeXzAGNbRde1Qvdtcony_KkL6IAh3rCXnA5OttnrVG9LI-Rbl8Qs1YjfMCqWwIeXwPNGAZhWr_g/w320-h320/ru-pauls-drag-race-if-you-cant-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody-else-prints.webp" width="320" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Easy words to say, hard words to live by.</i></div></i><p>In 2016, I went on a date with a man who was completely himself and it threw me for a loop. We connected almost immediately and I found myself falling without even meaning to. He was a little older than me, recently divorced, newly out, with grown children and grandkids. He didn’t sugar coat his journey and approached me with an open mind. He listened intently to my story and told me his and we discovered things about each other that the other didn’t know about ourselves. Being overly cautious, I warned him I would forget to text and I never answered phone calls. Cut to a few months later, we were boyfriends and called each other every day. His name is Anthony.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pdy6yciXgCr-MICuPITqPBtUwEdNG9Z0xms4X3JDgpJqaHtpYgW-1MqGYUIhX24RddsXDzkq5gdbnqR_JMhwjQGWX9w94qDUTMlHk3a0enh4GUXgzLWutWou6hezkRuX37xvBbvVQfW_xhnXUA1Ef2-g2TPri71tevHf5VB-jxyKeX-M6EydayTKcQ/s1080/37966881_10156255794547819_1535236502336831488_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pdy6yciXgCr-MICuPITqPBtUwEdNG9Z0xms4X3JDgpJqaHtpYgW-1MqGYUIhX24RddsXDzkq5gdbnqR_JMhwjQGWX9w94qDUTMlHk3a0enh4GUXgzLWutWou6hezkRuX37xvBbvVQfW_xhnXUA1Ef2-g2TPri71tevHf5VB-jxyKeX-M6EydayTKcQ/s320/37966881_10156255794547819_1535236502336831488_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>I met all the kids and grandkids. While protective of their dad, they got to know me pretty fast and we were soon hanging out most weekends. We ended up cooking, doing art projects, and watching movies together. My relationship with each person was different but all of them grew naturally. In 2018 I moved in and we became the beginnings of a new family unit. We traveled together, worked on the house together, celebrated birthdays and graduations. It felt like we had been together a lifetime and it became harder to remember the times without each other.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KLWGUOvKJq3dEYYeepHErpgVJOGg8_XoF9FdA5DwCUlvCzHomwfsIvaJ1NUtVObF4nWLdzm5ppiUDfSEDvdTvmzewceSBdv51v0pfOS1sSaVaw6loCykw5HjjvlIL8cFkVoWxom1t-lDYTRsE28yWv5bvuMaPo55kzde6HBqubeHM6GxofD0NFolaw/s1080/19467614_10155186202492819_8631652033266196806_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1080" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KLWGUOvKJq3dEYYeepHErpgVJOGg8_XoF9FdA5DwCUlvCzHomwfsIvaJ1NUtVObF4nWLdzm5ppiUDfSEDvdTvmzewceSBdv51v0pfOS1sSaVaw6loCykw5HjjvlIL8cFkVoWxom1t-lDYTRsE28yWv5bvuMaPo55kzde6HBqubeHM6GxofD0NFolaw/s320/19467614_10155186202492819_8631652033266196806_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I can't believe I'm this lucky.</i></div><p></p><p>In February 2019, in the National Botanical gardens I proposed to Anthony. He said yes! We were married that May. I was so proud to stand up in front of all our family and friends and declare our love for each other. Many of my aunts and uncles, who had seen me grow up and then saw me relearn how to walk, were in tears as I walked down the aisle. Our kids were so happy for us and were shouting their love from the rooftops. I couldn’t have asked for a better family!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RLsF3dPSnDBRH-vxGMnRI9WJgZ28AB7pYdJohjhXKK2bQh8hhYKcaawOIwJClgsEx_s3fITm4j17hdIzFLk_yvGf8bzEqigMiI9XeKWdzoWvw9wQvLIkdZ2JyuA1AAN_SBATUloD_7D9dBk1xmmQ0XDyRhMH2QqvmB8eYJbnRbUV1tbf0Tfsy14YzS4D/s960/66175755_10157040699952819_4898607344381853696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RLsF3dPSnDBRH-vxGMnRI9WJgZ28AB7pYdJohjhXKK2bQh8hhYKcaawOIwJClgsEx_s3fITm4j17hdIzFLk_yvGf8bzEqigMiI9XeKWdzoWvw9wQvLIkdZ2JyuA1AAN_SBATUloD_7D9dBk1xmmQ0XDyRhMH2QqvmB8eYJbnRbUV1tbf0Tfsy14YzS4D/s320/66175755_10157040699952819_4898607344381853696_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Thank you for saying yes. I'd marry you again 100 times over.</i></div><p>In March of 2020, the whole world shut down from the Coronavirus. It was a weird time to say the VERY least. My extrovert husband was forced to work from home and slowly grew more and more stir crazy. The lab I worked at remained open and I went into work every day but it was forever different. Every manager and executive only contacted us through email and I only ever saw people in the lab. I did the stuff everyone did: puzzles, gardening, endless Netflix. I like my solitude but it got to me too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BGb74b4c3ncyFM6yZEfk8qgnmYrNbMXG3Z7fpszsDwOiL8pUKFq2fKAzNRrH1vYDH4aJ1k0KDHIENNme__QdMa265E8-IOwDGHyWSJSE545DK1JDuic2KW9O5sSZthKj17WavX378M6W1VBFb7IB4Q0JkKKhfXUKZlABJdz_mVqbZyKApepz_6Qb9OQz/s2600/Gaza%20COVID%20street%20art.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BGb74b4c3ncyFM6yZEfk8qgnmYrNbMXG3Z7fpszsDwOiL8pUKFq2fKAzNRrH1vYDH4aJ1k0KDHIENNme__QdMa265E8-IOwDGHyWSJSE545DK1JDuic2KW9O5sSZthKj17WavX378M6W1VBFb7IB4Q0JkKKhfXUKZlABJdz_mVqbZyKApepz_6Qb9OQz/s320/Gaza%20COVID%20street%20art.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We survived. That's enough.</i></div><p>Our one saving grace, our new dog Reggie! He’s a mutt with a heart of gold and the build of a bodybuilder. We got him the week before the shutdown and we had to scramble to train ourselves with mixed results. We got a local trainer who helped us cement the basic commands and routines. His “teenage” months stretched our patience but walking him every day got us to meet our neighbors. He’s grown into a sensitive silly dog who is there for everyone. He’s always been sweet but he’s turned into an amazing member of the family and now we can’t imagine our life without him.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lyRw0ka9h4diDbAysF95Cb0MPjfF8yF6VXqT2YcjUocK-ABoQqwStslPI3tBuXUX8iHGLInGmz3v7vKKfbKK3_dyNvYeRM-EaAyEeYWrABuQekn_pmMDCNCHDOcbu_EawLHYVgIUENZJERmjZKD0z0X_PhJVK0eRjdw2Pb7a0x4p78BXEAsnHla11yIG/s2104/IMG_20220731_103806397_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2104" data-original-width="1578" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lyRw0ka9h4diDbAysF95Cb0MPjfF8yF6VXqT2YcjUocK-ABoQqwStslPI3tBuXUX8iHGLInGmz3v7vKKfbKK3_dyNvYeRM-EaAyEeYWrABuQekn_pmMDCNCHDOcbu_EawLHYVgIUENZJERmjZKD0z0X_PhJVK0eRjdw2Pb7a0x4p78BXEAsnHla11yIG/s320/IMG_20220731_103806397_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;">He's the best boy!!!</div></i><p>Life continued on for the next few years. The waves of Coronavirus ebbed and flowed and we got new rhythms to our lives. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Physical Therapy:</span></b></p><p>Due to some gentle nudging from my husband, in 2023 I finally scheduled my return to rehab at Kennedy Krieger Institute. I knew it would help me but I avoided even talking about therapy for years. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qgxskuysHSV_KsT9t3VwxNSe8y4ghLYY4yWgIunCtQoXS_ptHXimOAltPPv_AdV2V2LxFWs6qAymQze_teeMYziBN0YT8W2abyToGIJzQoLKzYWNcD5uAXHLvp-t7SHixJxyefyy3D9D7z6tssOLMC8e8OZdcZPDdfItrGDqUF_70rn3GZ6dqEr7pFNX/s590/rs=w_1280.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="590" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qgxskuysHSV_KsT9t3VwxNSe8y4ghLYY4yWgIunCtQoXS_ptHXimOAltPPv_AdV2V2LxFWs6qAymQze_teeMYziBN0YT8W2abyToGIJzQoLKzYWNcD5uAXHLvp-t7SHixJxyefyy3D9D7z6tssOLMC8e8OZdcZPDdfItrGDqUF_70rn3GZ6dqEr7pFNX/w200-h154/rs=w_1280.webp" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm the problem, it's me.</i></p><p>My last week-long boot camp was in 2016 and it was an emotionally loaded subject. I’ve gotten less and less return of muscle function as the years progressed. People to this day will still ask me if I’ve gotten strength back in my left left leg, which is almost completely atrophied, and I don’t have anything to say. Add on top of that my painful memories of the early days of rehab, and the shade of my late mother who attended all of my rehab for years. I didn’t want to go back but I knew it would help me refocus and give me some key exercises. </p><p>My new therapist Miranda was a ray of sunshine. She’s been working at KKI for the last few years and knew just about everyone I’ve ever worked with. She saw where I was and immediately saw areas we could improve: focusing on a better walking pattern, strengthening my core, and working out the few muscles I can move in my left leg. Some areas, like the distance I could walk and my area of strength and sensation, hadn’t changed at all. There were a lot of bad habits with my gait I’d developed over the years which got called out. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxymGP73c2ldzuGscqiztK07O97J2-7n-ify_ub7n_NvAF5MItA28Gy2ExSxyG9SkbuhS8hW-W5171VPIdGK7xArfX-MoeGRrb6n6COYWKXE40xAlFd-aO6WWNXW29LbcwkQGSfoc3gv5Qb0By_b0aBBHaWSjpz3b0NQ9L69Vt5XHtEsy86UkyyTgpXNoI/s1080/Screenshot_20230419-123618.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1080" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxymGP73c2ldzuGscqiztK07O97J2-7n-ify_ub7n_NvAF5MItA28Gy2ExSxyG9SkbuhS8hW-W5171VPIdGK7xArfX-MoeGRrb6n6COYWKXE40xAlFd-aO6WWNXW29LbcwkQGSfoc3gv5Qb0By_b0aBBHaWSjpz3b0NQ9L69Vt5XHtEsy86UkyyTgpXNoI/s320/Screenshot_20230419-123618.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There's getting called out and then there's getting called out by your physical therapist.</i></div><p>A lot of the exercises we worked on were variations of single leg stance. I’d put the opposite leg on a step and balance, switching legs every few minutes. When I started getting the hang of this again, she started throwing things at me or changing the step to an exercise ball. She worked on my form when walking, which has gotten extremely sloppy over the years. In my early years I had a running list of things I was supposed to focus on when walking: shoulders back, quads engaged as I step through, glutes contracted, keeping my frame square, core tight, arms swinging… The list goes on. I’ve tried to revisit this list over the years but having someone yell out everything on this list for a week cemented a lot of these more.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSpqjf82eN9Ett7n2UL08mEAPzoNbLnGoI2ku21oJO6OClkX-jf7oC3MB9zb9oBbMUC4pEKcVXqoIQNcvdWsm_bMzkHcKifMKk8gggRFuwrDAM6LCruqU-xGeNu9hr-HyXpBf1kQRzh9Qe5e0_1LHVVJGfhgn7TX5sP4BqvmBM-w70ZFarDXdmZQWM418/s1418/Screenshot_20230419-123615.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSpqjf82eN9Ett7n2UL08mEAPzoNbLnGoI2ku21oJO6OClkX-jf7oC3MB9zb9oBbMUC4pEKcVXqoIQNcvdWsm_bMzkHcKifMKk8gggRFuwrDAM6LCruqU-xGeNu9hr-HyXpBf1kQRzh9Qe5e0_1LHVVJGfhgn7TX5sP4BqvmBM-w70ZFarDXdmZQWM418/s320/Screenshot_20230419-123615.png" width="244" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Taking one step at a time.</i></div><p>A couple of times throughout the week I walked in a weight supporting harness, the ZeroG Gait and Balance System. The harness is attached to a track on the ceiling. The machine lets out rope as you move, stopping and catching you if you either drop too low or the rope is pulled too fast. I worked on obstacle courses and attempted running and jumping, which worked when it was supporting a lot of my weight. It was a fun device and it gave me the freedom to try things that wouldn’t have been possible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oC95TdHUuYTWxv-jlBgobQUdyQy074J5ztLfYY045PfaQrTXpdrBs0VOdnLoWwofAySKI1XFs_IBm8cS0FQ6DxU_f4fdSIwATh4MZ7cPz8R4emqZcw9y1__ZfpJC4QyExrWET1qE4E4U72L6gTPuCLRacMiw8e1PKZecXehN-WkvEqs6h8BRM48kzQpu/s2104/IMG_20230421_113201940_BURST000_COVER_COMP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2104" data-original-width="924" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oC95TdHUuYTWxv-jlBgobQUdyQy074J5ztLfYY045PfaQrTXpdrBs0VOdnLoWwofAySKI1XFs_IBm8cS0FQ6DxU_f4fdSIwATh4MZ7cPz8R4emqZcw9y1__ZfpJC4QyExrWET1qE4E4U72L6gTPuCLRacMiw8e1PKZecXehN-WkvEqs6h8BRM48kzQpu/s320/IMG_20230421_113201940_BURST000_COVER_COMP.jpg" width="141" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Next on the Main Stage... Zero G. Harness!!!"</i></div><p>Doing aquatherapy on the underwater treadmill brought back a lot of memories. Over the years I’ve used the treadmill a lot. The water level supports my weight and cameras in the side of the pool allow me to pinpoint things in my walking pattern that others can see but I generally can’t. We did balancing exercises similar to those we worked on land: single leg stance, step ups, core and leg strengthening exercises, and lots of walking. The water is a great support but the resistance of the water makes for an extremely tiring workout.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThQ3Vwg3m3PDLp6xfOcMwb5kUoSEhKjPmM7KPoGVfHiImx_qGlI-oYtWIVIhia75zKCA5725O5IfcFIXl5hDhHht7rwCkGXt6mOVIh5gdXIdK36iGMq9tvA9lq-lIFKyJDA8TyBGoJEHFnMNreXKT1tfHYbzrhO4QE-0ebzgBdGEIvPES1tYMMFf3ZUxP/s3978/IMG_20230418_084948377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1746" data-original-width="3978" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThQ3Vwg3m3PDLp6xfOcMwb5kUoSEhKjPmM7KPoGVfHiImx_qGlI-oYtWIVIhia75zKCA5725O5IfcFIXl5hDhHht7rwCkGXt6mOVIh5gdXIdK36iGMq9tvA9lq-lIFKyJDA8TyBGoJEHFnMNreXKT1tfHYbzrhO4QE-0ebzgBdGEIvPES1tYMMFf3ZUxP/s320/IMG_20230418_084948377.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A wonderful and exhausting experience.</i></div><p></p><p>I tried a new AFO with a supporting strut on the back, the Spry Step, which I’ll be investigating moving forward. My current model of AFO, the Blue Rocker, has a support plate in the front of my leg to prevent my knee from buckling. The new brace instead has a support strut on the back of the leg, which would prevent hyperextension (knee pushing too far backwards as I walk). I’ve fallen far less over the years and I need to protect my knees so this may be the way to go. I tried the Spry Step in therapy and while it would need some small adaptations (it gave me a blister and it’d need some sort of protective foam/cover) I like the way I felt walking in it. I’m going to talk to an orthotist soon to see what they recommend.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FxzgqOf3Gf91xLl7bDANutQk5IMFEtz4gP1fcCAgyZqU84u_R3YTz2AnmoVxcHdAh_W1NbhiEMEAgw3qGA574qODwJj66o0fk0P4ZJ9P4NiLZtKFZsV4WCqgktscPpWl6L6dltEErC2uhdLwCfri--0DHd1z2gaDVcXSGpC5GrktDKnHfsQIeZ6922At/s1000/SpryStep-Original_Web_001.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FxzgqOf3Gf91xLl7bDANutQk5IMFEtz4gP1fcCAgyZqU84u_R3YTz2AnmoVxcHdAh_W1NbhiEMEAgw3qGA574qODwJj66o0fk0P4ZJ9P4NiLZtKFZsV4WCqgktscPpWl6L6dltEErC2uhdLwCfri--0DHd1z2gaDVcXSGpC5GrktDKnHfsQIeZ6922At/s320/SpryStep-Original_Web_001.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p>During the middle of the week, my husband attended one of my sessions. He’s been my biggest support these last few years and I’m glad I was able to show him this. I’ve talked about Kennedy Krieger for years and he was impressed by their facility. Understanding both my physical needs and my emotional struggles with therapy, involving him in this part of my life is so important. We worked on balance and strengthening exercises. We also walked around the KKI campus and he got to hear my Miranda yell out the things I’m supposed to be focusing on when stepping and walking. Impressed by everything he saw, he’ll help keep me accountable and remind me of this post the next time I try to procrastinate on health stuff.</p><p>I’ve done Physical Therapy for thirteen years so it should be no surprise I saw people I knew. My very first therapist at KKI, Meredith, was there! I got to give her a giant hug and give the best compliment: she’s still the voice in my head when I’m focused on my walking. We caught up, we’d both gotten married and moved on in our careers, and she had a kid now. She spoke fondly of my mom, who will always be my biggest cheerleader. It was amazing to see her and remind myself of both where I had started and how much has changed.</p><p>All too soon, the week was over and I returned home. I feel stronger already and much more conscious of my body. I want to keep this energy going and move forward with this new attitude. I’ll definitely be returning next year for a tune-up.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1Yxbn4LmkQPaUz4oSwHlV_Oso81eNwQXURZAYM5oQ7gLEk5VdGQdPpaWHw8jqwz2DSGhJUcEPfeoQwG3QExqL88h-DhUF1uu1Qk3pv4MrUmh6GlegU2t7zGTg0Vk9IELBHfwgVckg4dheUg5UEQpUd5DRfYeq9mOVbfG9m2WbVNDCVYAOuviFlZ5ptkp/s612/istockphoto-1356736080-612x612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1Yxbn4LmkQPaUz4oSwHlV_Oso81eNwQXURZAYM5oQ7gLEk5VdGQdPpaWHw8jqwz2DSGhJUcEPfeoQwG3QExqL88h-DhUF1uu1Qk3pv4MrUmh6GlegU2t7zGTg0Vk9IELBHfwgVckg4dheUg5UEQpUd5DRfYeq9mOVbfG9m2WbVNDCVYAOuviFlZ5ptkp/s320/istockphoto-1356736080-612x612.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Thanks KKI. I'll see you in 2024.</i></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Blog Comes to an End:</h3><p>Thank you to everyone who read this blog over the last 13 years. You’ve helped me more than you will ever know. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp5SbwR1W7wyzvqeNQ3uWRY6cLo9JkKctaFDtYgpBVTzdnAe-wYxY4oiABBWPdp-4jxLnSZmmVqwoaQkbzoAEQuP3IVjafisBqWA9j_-uKv0-s0fdm4HN9WP_UJ3EjyafFP2HoDZmcv0oUL5IFLSU4zMlB5xLxzRTSdf6r8AZGtrgYjk-yaB-gVYAT_np/s542/2f65d9ef142e91b6260de8543c3815a67c41ad8359c0650571b0696d632dbb70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp5SbwR1W7wyzvqeNQ3uWRY6cLo9JkKctaFDtYgpBVTzdnAe-wYxY4oiABBWPdp-4jxLnSZmmVqwoaQkbzoAEQuP3IVjafisBqWA9j_-uKv0-s0fdm4HN9WP_UJ3EjyafFP2HoDZmcv0oUL5IFLSU4zMlB5xLxzRTSdf6r8AZGtrgYjk-yaB-gVYAT_np/s320/2f65d9ef142e91b6260de8543c3815a67c41ad8359c0650571b0696d632dbb70.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>You are amazing.</i></div><p></p><p>My life has changed a lot since I started this blog back in 2010. My very first post was a defense tactic, so I didn’t have to give progress updates to each person in my family individually. It turned into a way to process my newly injured body, communicate my journey to family and friends, and as a way to fill time in between painful physical therapy. It put words to the bizarre feelings that kept creeping up in every situation, big and small. I didn’t think anyone would care, or if they did that only a handful of family would read it. Instead, it’s been read by thousands of readers over the past 13 years. Writing helped me form a crucial part of my story, and served as a reminder that I had things to say. </p><p>As the years went by and muscle groups in my legs returned, The Turtle Walks became a wall of honor: pride for myself and my support network on how far I’d come. By the time I went off to grad school, it became a defining part of me and my personality. It wasn’t just an online journal, it was a roadmap for everyone else with similar injuries! I sometimes forgot that my amazing recovery was due as much to luck and a spectacular support network as it was my own hard work.</p><p>The farther I got away from my accident, the less relevant my blog and my journey felt. It was like it happened to me in another lifetime or to someone else. I was employed, I walked with a limp but had convinced myself I wasn’t otherwise noticeable. The memories started to blur and fade. I appreciated everyone who had supported me but it was no longer needed. Or so I thought.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl8ldmu6l8-RKP6NLqAsosYvDpl7A29tGiZ1nLjkyUeCAUnafzAzYJg_X7DYAyfik6wPKWyN2_CRdNn_Vx95J3OC_zX8BRHLV8XDzlg5rirjAWwP-iYmC8r32_XIul9IciUtqdTqnBMzcO2tR67-Y29FWPYQW9hMB9k6Rq09vGBq4JVFKkZcYp1MRZ9Ex/s2000/il_fullxfull.3539759965_7vg7.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVl8ldmu6l8-RKP6NLqAsosYvDpl7A29tGiZ1nLjkyUeCAUnafzAzYJg_X7DYAyfik6wPKWyN2_CRdNn_Vx95J3OC_zX8BRHLV8XDzlg5rirjAWwP-iYmC8r32_XIul9IciUtqdTqnBMzcO2tR67-Y29FWPYQW9hMB9k6Rq09vGBq4JVFKkZcYp1MRZ9Ex/s320/il_fullxfull.3539759965_7vg7.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We're all just making it up as we go along. Do the best you can and support others doing the same.</i></div><p>My recent rehab has made me look back at how I got here. In preparation for this post I re-read all of my old posts. It’s heartbreaking to see the pain and hilarious to see some of the things I thought were important. It’s the reminder of where I’ve come from and how much things have changed. I now look at The Turtle Walks as a time capsule of the boy I was. He had a long way to go but he was already learning lessons that he wouldn’t put together until years later. He was convinced he was too broken to love but didn’t stop anyway. I’ve not only learned acceptance but to love myself. I’m not going to pretend I’ve got it all (or anything) figured out but I’m happy with where I am and who I’ve become.</p><p>It's possible that I'll write more entries on here but I wanted to give this blog a proper goodbye. Opening up has made me more confident and put words to things I didn't know I needed to express. It's lead me to discussions with other disabled people who have called me out on my own ablism and biases. It let me share a side of myself that most of the world would never see. I'll always be grateful that I had that in my life and got to tell this part of my story. I don't see myself as a "blogger" anymore but I want to express how much it has brought to my life. </p><p>This is the end of a chapter of my life but the beginning of another. I don't know where it's going to take me but I'm excited to find out.</p>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-32260978298416928892015-09-21T20:42:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:53:01.130-08:00Gains and LossesMy apologies for not writing an entry for so long. This blog was my outlet during my recovery but the past few years I've been bad at keeping up with it. I thought I'd just give you guys an update.<br />
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First of all, I've graduated with my Masters in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins! Those of you who follow me know what a long road it's been and what a huge accomplishment it was to walk across that stage. Thank you to everyone who helped get me there.<br />
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<i>Plus look at that handsome mug!</i><br />
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After graduation, the next phase of my life was in limbo. No one wanted to hire someone with little full time lab experience for the positions I was interested in. I had been looking since before I graduated but I kept at it. The next few months I was on my computer or at the computer lab, job searching 6 days a week. I applied to companies all over the US in a variety of fields so I was unsure if I would be staying in Baltimore or moving cross country.<br />
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<i>Limbo: not as fun as it sounds.</i></div>
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Eventually my resume was picked up by a 24-hour Lab Testing company in northern Virginia and I was hired for a position as Sample Technician. Essentially, I sort and prep samples so that they are correctly labeled and in the required size/shape/type that the lab needs. It's complicated work and I'm rubbing elbows with people from various labs and building work experience. The crew I'm working with is awesome and supportive. The company expects a lot from us but my coworkers help to make sure everyone gets through.<br />
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<i>It's a living...</i></div>
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The weirdest part about the new job is my new hours (11pm-9am). Anyone who's known me knows I've always hated mornings but my new schedule ensures that I'm up for almost every dawn. On my days off I've taken long walks around the neighborhood, seeing things in a way I never had. Here are a few of the fun pictures I took in the Hampden area of Baltimore before I moved.<br />
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<i>Everything is prettier at dawn, even the concrete jungle.</i> </div>
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I've moved to the Fairfax area, in a wooded suburb south of the city. It's quiet and relatively secluded and the best part: my commute has changed from an hour and fifteen minutes to twenty minutes.<br />
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<i>My cats seem to have settled in nicely.</i></div>
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Lastly, for anyone who doesn't know, my mom Anne Exner passed away last month from metastatic breast cancer. She had had breast cancer back in 2000 and beat it with chemo and radiation. A few years ago it returned and lodged in bones, and about two months ago it was discovered in her brain. My mom opted not to receive additional chemo, instead enjoying the time she had left with her husband, 4 children, and 2 grandchildren.<br />
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She was an amazing person, very talkative, friendly, always there with some kind words and some helpful advice (whether you wanted it or not). She was a nurse and worked long hours, though made sure she had time for everyone else. She was always there with a kind word and a healthy snack. She was a world traveler, an experienced mom, a hard worker, and improving the world with an infectiously upbeat quirky attitude. <br />
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She is one of the biggest reasons I am where I am today. When I was injured back in December of 2009, she quit her job and moved in with my Aunt and Uncle while I did inpatient rehab. She drove almost an hour down to Baltimore everyday for months. While I lay in a hospital bed my mom would massage my useless legs and yell "MOVE!!!" over and over while I strained to move even a toe. She had been at this almost a month when I got a toe wiggling. She ran and got a nurse and they were both jumping up and down as they watched my right big toe twitch a millimeter.<br />
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<br />She was always my biggest advocate. She was always helping me with insurance forms, medication lists, doctors appointments, scheduling my continuing rehab... she was always chatty and cheerful so even if someone didn't recognize me they knew me as Anne's son. She helped arrange the paperwork so that I could finish my Bachelors in Biology from Colorado State by finishing my classwork at Elizabeth City State University, the school in our hometown in North Carolina. There, she and my dad were able to provide me with the support and love I needed as I healed mentally and physically. She continued to push me, getting me to explore nature. My favorite quote from her, "Nature... it's everywhere!" was her response to any animals or cool plants we saw as I learned to walk again.<br />
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Even as I learned to walk without any canes and moved off to grad school, she was still there for me. She would call to remind me of my appointments and check how I was doing in my classes. She was always willing to listen to my woes and always had the best stories to cheer me up. She is the reason I have the job I do now, helping me to go through the paperwork and making sure I had all the required documents and was prepped for my interview. <br />
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When it was discovered that she only had a few weeks left, the whole family gathered together for a weekend that was both fun and very sad. Near the end, even when the cancer made it difficult to form sentences, she'd still say the first few words of movies quoted by the family (Emperor's New Groove or Young Frankenstein). Even in her final weeks she was still trying to get those around her to smile.<br />
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She's gone now and the world is a little less bright without her. Still, the world is a better place for her having been here. Every single person at the funeral had stories of her having been a great positive influence in their lives. With lots of family and friends, she was laid to rest outside Bel Air, MD.<br />
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There have been some significant gains and deep losses but for now, things are okay. I'm in a better place and I am looking forward to an exciting new career. I always end my posts with a song so this post I'll end with one of my mom's favorite song by The Beatles.<br />
<br />testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-1654234475461053852014-10-25T00:15:00.001-07:002014-10-25T15:39:10.212-07:00Grad School, Jumping, and The Way ForwardBeen awhile since I've written anything here so here are the big updates:<br />
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I'm currently working on my Masters in Biotechnology. This is a fun field with interesting and challenging opportunities. Most of my teachers have either started Biotech companies of their own or are doing research for the university. I have teachers designing tests for cancer markers and a teacher who runs the Infectious Disease department at a local hospital. As exciting as it is, it's exhausting and complicated. Most days after class I feel like my brain is leaking out my ears.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4BETrknGd8/VEr96ZzxxVI/AAAAAAAABVs/sTcfyC_YGQA/s1600/calvin.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x4BETrknGd8/VEr96ZzxxVI/AAAAAAAABVs/sTcfyC_YGQA/s1600/calvin.gif" height="131" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I know how he feels.</i></div>
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I will be graduating in the spring and from there... who knows! I've been applying to research positions both in academia and in industry. Where ever I end up, I will probably be taking some time to use my microbiology skills in the field instead of going straight into my PhD. <br />
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<i>Though this does look SUPER fun...</i><br />
<i> </i>
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Physically, things are going well. The pace of my recovery has slowed over the years but I am still regaining small amounts of muscle control in my weak leg. I can fully used my right leg and the left leg I have full control over the muscles above the knee. I use an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) that allows me some ankle movement while still keeping me upright.<br />
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<i>I still get asked why I am wearing one shinguard. </i></div>
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The newest tricks I'm working on are jumping and jogging. Jumping I have a decent handle on when my feet are together, allowing my good leg to do a lot of the work. My therapists are slowly taking this crutch away, working on having both legs do equal amounts of work. Though I won't be winning the Olympic long jump anytime soon, I can now play a decent game of hopscotch.<br />
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<i>My friends wonder why I'm so tired after Physical Therapy.</i></div>
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I'm also working on jogging/running. I'm doing this thanks to the wonder of underwater treadmills. Kennedy Krieger's underwater treadmill allows me to practice the motions of running without worrying about pesky gravity. I'm not yet up to running on land but I see it happening in the near future. I do miss being able to run (in the abstract) but to honest I've never liked running. I have no desire to run marathons, but it'd be nice to know that that it was an option.</div>
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<i>Even if I did run marathons, the competition is intense.</i></div>
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I still have things to work on, but at the end of the day I'm doing okay. If you've made it this far here is your reward: pictures of my cats and my friend's pet duck.<br />
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<i>This is Hobbes. He thinks he's a meerkat </i> </div>
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<i>This is Terra. She thinks she's an armadillo. </i></div>
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<i>This is Donald. He is a week old and my friend carries him around in a fanny pack.</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-90059798632365420132014-04-27T18:10:00.000-07:002014-04-27T18:27:28.502-07:00Some things changeSome things change but some things stay the same. One thing that will always stay the same is that children will ask the questions that people have been conditioned not to ask.<span style="background-color: cyan;"><br /></span><br />
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I'm free of the wheelchair but I still have my leg brace. People don't notice the leg brace itself (though I still limp and am slow) when I wear pants and I'm a jeans kind of person. On a lazy Saturday with perfect weather, I wore a pair of basketball shorts. This allowed the leg brace to be visible.<br />
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I was walking to my car when I passed a dad and his 7 year old son playing soccer on the lawn of my apartment complex. The son took a look at me and asked "Why are you wearing a shin guard?" The father looked thoroughly annoyed at his son but I just laughed. I told the son I'd been in an accident and now I needed a leg brace for my ankle. The son seemed satisfied though the father still looked annoyed at his son.<br />
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<i>The eyeroll is strong in this one. </i></div>
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Some things change and some things stay the same. <br />
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-56573423913643495492014-02-20T20:36:00.001-08:002014-02-20T20:42:36.892-08:00First post of 2014Sorry about the decline in the number of posts. I've recently started grad school and due to an increase in my work load, any posts have been through my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theturtlewalks" target="_blank">facebook</a> page. A lot has happened over the past few months and here is a quick overview.<br />
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1. School<br />
Last fall I started grad school at Johns Hopkins, studying Bioinformatics, which is essentially combining computers and microbiology. I learned a lot that first semester but I feel more comfortable switching to Biotechnology, which had most of the same requirements and cool electives. Biotechnology is more centered around bench work, small in-person labs, and I really enjoyed doing lab work. In class we're going to do bacterial cloning and a bunch of other fun experiments.<br />
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<i>Poor billy...</i></div>
2. Work out<br />
I've actually been fairly faithful to my work out schedule lately. I keep a calendar my sister gave me for Christmas on the wall, writing down whatever exercise I do on that day's square. It's not a perfect system but so far it has worked. <br />
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<i>This is from the calendar she got me. </i><br />
<i>A cat yoga calendar... you know me so well. </i></div>
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3. Artwork<br />
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<i>Pizza... mmm...</i></div>
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<i>Cats in the Moonlight</i></div>
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<i>Full Moon Rising</i></div>
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<i>The Fire Flower</i></div>
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<i>Down the Rabbit Hole</i></div>
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-70751837405109810762013-11-17T20:20:00.005-08:002023-01-28T15:51:26.308-08:00Boot Camp - Summer 2013This the long overdue account of what happened my second week of bootcamp. We did a lot activities that challenged me physically but were often a ton of fun. <br />
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1.Jenga balance<br />
Anyone who grew up with the game Jenga knows how tricky the game at the best of times. As a balance exercise, they removed the brace and put me on a foam square to throw me often... and then we played Jenga. It was a blast but it is one of the hardest games I've ever played. To make things even harder, my therapist would occasionally try and push me in different directions.<br />
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2.Just Dance<br />
I'm now in the process of getting a Wii for one simple reason: Just Dance. This video game forces me to move in ways that my body hasn't moved in years (if ever...). The music is upbeat and fun and the movements are challenging. Plus it's always fun to challenge other patients to a dance battle.<br />
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3.Turtle Races<br />
Every year, in the courtyard you can find the Johns Hopkins Turtle Derby. The event benefits the Department of Child Life at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Perkins Day Care Center. $10 enters in a turtle with your name on it. Last year I was in the hospital when the Derby was going on. I named my Turtle "Calypso", after the 3 legged turtle that was the inspiration for this blog. Suprisingly, she won first place. This year I was all excited, hoping for another victory. I named turtle "The Doctor", but my racer decided not to move out of the starting circle until the race was well underway. Needless to say he wasn't a victor that day.<br />
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4.Vibration Plate
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A relatively new piece of equipment challenges balance by shifting the left and right up and down. When increased to a fast pace, the machine will make your entire body feel like it's vibrating.<br />
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5.Splitbelt Treadmill<br />
A simple concept, this treadmill has two narrow tracks instead of the one rubber track of a normal treadmill. This allows my therapists to set the speed for each leg differently, slowing my left leg down and allowing me to balance my step length on both sides.<br />
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6.Stairs
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Going up stairs is a continual challenge for me. Though I can handle them worlds better than I used to, going up stairs still require that I take one step at a time. My new brace allows me to go step over step when going down stairs but even that required training of stabilizing muscles.<br />
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7.Gait Maping
Gaitrite
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The Gaitrite is an interesting contraption that maps out on a computer my step length, the pressure I'm putting on my foot (and a picture of where I'm putting that pressure). Though improved from last year, the gait mapping program illustrated a few things to work on, such as evening out my step length.<br />
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8.Therastride
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The Therastride is a magnificent machine, a treamill that supports your weight as you walk. I used to require 4 different people helping me to move my legs and stand up straight; now I only require 1 person to make sure I don't trip over my own feet. Improvements asides, the therastride allows me to practice proper walking technique without all of my weight.<br />
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9.Meeting With My Therapists
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I had the privilege of meeting with a few of my old therapists. Both lovely girls, they were the first ones who encouraged me to challenge myself. I was able to congratulate both of them on their upcoming weddings and give them updates on my progress.<br />
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10.Volunteer Appreciation
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I was able to attend the appreciation dinner for volunteers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Though there are many ways to volunteer, I participated in the Patient Ambassador program. This matches me with potential patients who could use some advice on what it's like to reenter the world, newly disabled. I have a phone call or two with patients giving advice on things like what it's like going to college/a new city in a wheelchair or how to get involved in adaptive sports (it's so easy!). The dinner was tasty and the other volunteers were a cheerful motivated crowd with lots of interesting stories and good advice.<br />
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11.Walking to the Barn With My Cousins
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During a trip to my Aunt and Uncle's house, bored with some of the conversation, I decided to join my cousins in the backyard. We walked across the grass to the barn that lies near the back of their property. Apparently while we were walking conversation stopped as everyone looked on, marveling at the improvement in my walking. Though I could manage with my wheelchair, I much prefer this mode of transportation as well.<br />
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12.Meeting Old Friends and Meeting New Friends
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Coming back to Kennedy Krieger is always great, partially because of all the people I get to see again. I'm always happy to see old therapists, doctors, techs, nurses, volunteers, patients, and families that I've seen off and on since my injury. We celebrate accomplishments, commiserate failures, and share our dreams for the future. These random assortment of people are now part of my family and I love them all.<br />
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13.Underwater Treadmill
Playing Volleyball
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The underwater treadmill is one of the parts of my boot camp experience I look forward to the most. Like it sounds, the treadmill allows me to walk with water supporting much of my body weight. To challenge my ability to walk with distractions around me, they had me walk while hitting a beach ball to all the techs and therapists in the room. A fun game, it forced me to keep my technique while engaging in the next game after my Jenga battle.<br />
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<b>14.Working On My Art Journal </b><br />
The newest art form I'm experimenting with, I traveled up to Baltimore with only pencils, a sharpie, and box of highlighters. Here are some of the pages that developed<b>. </b>I've since added to many of them. Here are a few samples.<br />
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-3911155649691893102013-11-17T19:48:00.003-08:002013-11-17T19:48:47.010-08:00A Walking Poem<br />
<div class="_38 direction_ltr">
<span class="null">So I took about an
hour break from studying and explored the area. It's a really nice area
but this was forming through my head as they finally turned on the
streetlights. Which were bright white and way too bright. While this was
going through my head I tripped. I got back up right away but that made
it in here too. I liked it enough I wanted to get it down before I lost
it:<br />
<br />
<b>Streetlights</b> <br />
<br />
I walk along, under the streetlights.<br />
Bright new city, strange new sites.<br />
Strange new air, strange new nights.<br />
And the streetlights burn.<br />
<br />
The memories flood back of biking in the night.<br />
Long runs in the cold, warm yellow light.<br />
The long shadows of Fall,<br />
That cause me to fall.<br />
<br />
Falling over memories, falling over pain,<br />
Falling over memories of utter loss and gain.<br />
I get back up like I always have<br />
And yet its not the same.<br />
<br />
I walk along, under the streetlights.<br />
Bright new city, strange new sites.<br />
Strange new air, strange new nights.<br />
And the streetlights burn.<br />
<br />
Different path through the streets, long rides back to home.<br />
They look completely different from the ones I've always known.<br />
I'll walk them still with confidence but inside I'll always know<br />
Each step was fought for, as steps they slowly grow. <br />
<br />
I don't know where these steps are leading me, looking for their path.<br />
They don't know how far it is, don't want to do the math.<br />
The lights are all on way too bright and the shadows are all wrong.<br />
But I'll keep walking on and on, strides confident and long.<br />
<br />
I walk along, under the streetlights.<br />
Bright new city, strange new sites.<br />
Strange new air, strange new nights.<br />
And the streetlights burn.</span></div>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-65033291343684288192013-05-20T12:32:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:56:52.190-08:00Graduation, Boot Camp Day 1, and some more paintingsI<span style="font-size: normal;">t doesn't take a genius to realize that I haven't written anything in a while. I've been busy, my attention taken by school, physical therapy, and art.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: normal;">The first priority for the past few years has been working on my bachelors degree. I am proud to say I have earned my degree in Biology! They even wrote a little <a href="http://commencement.colostate.edu/grad-profiles-spring2013.aspx" target="_blank">press item</a> on the graduating CSU students and my 6 year journey to graduation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5EnbCioCN7g/UZpnK33HXHI/AAAAAAAABAA/z5QtG2MCKzw/s1600/peter-exner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5EnbCioCN7g/UZpnK33HXHI/AAAAAAAABAA/z5QtG2MCKzw/s200/peter-exner.jpg" width="183" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;">Peter was in a traumatic car accident on Dec. 29,
2009 when his family was driving down the freeway and their car spun
out of control, braking suddenly for stopped traffic. He shattered
two of his vertebrae, broke both arms and suffered extensive internal
damage, ultimately requiring a wheelchair and rigorous rehabilitation. He went through several surgeries and regained motion in his legs and
was eventually able to start walking with a brace and walker. Despite
wanting to resume his education at CSU, health problems made it
difficult for him to be successful on campus, causing him to return home
to North Carolina. There, he resumed his CSU education online. Since
then, he is recovering more and more and has made such great progress
that his wheelchair now serves as a bed for his cats. He is set to
graduate this May with a degree in Biology. He also has applied to
several graduate schools and is interested in Bioinformatics, the
merging of genetics work and computer programming. In the future, he hopes to work in a lab doing research.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: normal;">I'm glad simply to have made it this far, physically and academically, though I've a long way to go still until I'm satisfied with either. Physically I've been improving by leaps and bounds. And by that I mean I can actually jump (even if it's not very high).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NdPmRLIe7go/UZpoGZhGThI/AAAAAAAABAM/NwM_7TITXB8/s1600/nsOpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NdPmRLIe7go/UZpoGZhGThI/AAAAAAAABAM/NwM_7TITXB8/s320/nsOpa.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>Who knew I could jump higher than the average house!</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: normal;">I'm currently up in Baltimore for another round of Boot Camp, the two weeks twice a year where I get pushed by spinal cord specialists to improve the best I can. The exercises are tailored to my injury and how much recovery I've made. This generally includes some work in the pool, work on balance, strengthening, using treadmills, or all of the above. Today was the first day and was mostly tests, evaluations, and deciding which exercises required more work and which were too easy. According to their tests, since last Boot Camp I've gotten stronger, faster, and better coordinated. The real work starts tomorrow and I know after 3 hours of grueling work I'll sleep like a babe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBQp4SfgA4Q/UZppk3nnOwI/AAAAAAAABAY/uEL4QAIM8oE/s1600/9BwDJo4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sBQp4SfgA4Q/UZppk3nnOwI/AAAAAAAABAY/uEL4QAIM8oE/s320/9BwDJo4.png" width="274" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Well... maybe not.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;">Finally, I've been busy painting. This past Christmas instead of buying gifts for people I gave each person a painting instead. This has started me on a painting rampage which continues today. I work mainly with acrylics on canvas and have come up with a few nice pieces. I've also begun Art Journaling, a combination painting and scrapbooking, layered with inks, stencils, stamps, stickers, and million different mediums. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>Sawfish, Spotted Eagle Ray</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Crying Robot, Green Coffee Cup, Red Coffee Cup</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Blue Coffee Cup</i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Green Coffee Cup</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MiO0V5AH08k/UZpqtLMaE-I/AAAAAAAABBA/TC6UKrEdWoY/s1600/130413_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MiO0V5AH08k/UZpqtLMaE-I/AAAAAAAABBA/TC6UKrEdWoY/s320/130413_004.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Red Coffee Cup</i></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78fVkYIjnGc/UZquy1N-kDI/AAAAAAAABD4/Q7IvfO46Eqc/s1600/130420_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-78fVkYIjnGc/UZquy1N-kDI/AAAAAAAABD4/Q7IvfO46Eqc/s320/130420_001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Blue Coffee Cup</i></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ji7t0R_YTGU/UZpzoWdKTtI/AAAAAAAABDo/EjqSXORAaJw/s1600/577440_585784118107310_1276419992_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ji7t0R_YTGU/UZpzoWdKTtI/AAAAAAAABDo/EjqSXORAaJw/s320/577440_585784118107310_1276419992_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i> Painting outside on a warm day. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fv_TUXLa1MY/UZpq0DW9TFI/AAAAAAAABBg/Ntu3Sv50Fw4/s1600/130427_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fv_TUXLa1MY/UZpq0DW9TFI/AAAAAAAABBg/Ntu3Sv50Fw4/s320/130427_001.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrPQFj4qqxE/UZpq8bmofoI/AAAAAAAABBw/Mr9IDrIg8PA/s1600/130520_009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrPQFj4qqxE/UZpq8bmofoI/AAAAAAAABBw/Mr9IDrIg8PA/s320/130520_009.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>Dragon on a teacup.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbK5FdqwJMU/UZpq9RAovAI/AAAAAAAABB4/9RTWZ7h80QE/s1600/130520_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RbK5FdqwJMU/UZpq9RAovAI/AAAAAAAABB4/9RTWZ7h80QE/s320/130520_010.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>Winnie the Pooh art journal page.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jojNyBYGv0k/UZpq-Tu3QiI/AAAAAAAABCA/DX_6CPoc1hU/s1600/130520_011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jojNyBYGv0k/UZpq-Tu3QiI/AAAAAAAABCA/DX_6CPoc1hU/s320/130520_011.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>"What day is it?" asked Pooh.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>"It's today, " squeaked Piglet.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>"My favorite day" said Pooh.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JcI1WG5oaC4/UZpq_fCylqI/AAAAAAAABCI/VHr6mWmyPAA/s1600/130520_013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JcI1WG5oaC4/UZpq_fCylqI/AAAAAAAABCI/VHr6mWmyPAA/s320/130520_013.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>"Life is art, live yours in Color."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bMFYUmZEm8s/UZprARwOuCI/AAAAAAAABCQ/T27ac3t_18Q/s1600/130520_014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bMFYUmZEm8s/UZprARwOuCI/AAAAAAAABCQ/T27ac3t_18Q/s320/130520_014.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>The first layer of an art journal page.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iR45KShYvGE/UZprBZNwQII/AAAAAAAABCY/pOY87JpHOJA/s1600/130520_015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iR45KShYvGE/UZprBZNwQII/AAAAAAAABCY/pOY87JpHOJA/s320/130520_015.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>You have no idea how much I love turtles!</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_WFm1kLk9Q/UZprCQXYvYI/AAAAAAAABCg/j0ycdk376os/s1600/130520_016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t_WFm1kLk9Q/UZprCQXYvYI/AAAAAAAABCg/j0ycdk376os/s320/130520_016.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>What happens when I get bored and have only highlighters and sharpies. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vsLJszoq0ho/UZprDVOZXBI/AAAAAAAABCo/tkGDqaUjopg/s1600/130520_017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vsLJszoq0ho/UZprDVOZXBI/AAAAAAAABCo/tkGDqaUjopg/s320/130520_017.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"> <i>Darth Vader Art</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LJu-O20qaE/UZprEav_biI/AAAAAAAABCw/bXg6flSNV50/s1600/130520_018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4LJu-O20qaE/UZprEav_biI/AAAAAAAABCw/bXg6flSNV50/s320/130520_018.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>A Whale in Love </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27bLwegcbEM/UZpwZj9yTmI/AAAAAAAABDA/cbBEdzoxWxE/s1600/130503_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27bLwegcbEM/UZpwZj9yTmI/AAAAAAAABDA/cbBEdzoxWxE/s320/130503_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i> A City in Flames.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYDTQwR-z_4/UZpwdBDvI9I/AAAAAAAABDQ/vrTw30w-u0c/s1600/130503_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYDTQwR-z_4/UZpwdBDvI9I/AAAAAAAABDQ/vrTw30w-u0c/s320/130503_004.jpg" width="240" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i>Dragon on a cliff.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvAIwpmX7cQ/UZpw2gmq4ZI/AAAAAAAABDY/ln7Jd1kvqFc/s1600/130520_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SvAIwpmX7cQ/UZpw2gmq4ZI/AAAAAAAABDY/ln7Jd1kvqFc/s320/130520_006.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><i> The Peacock, done in highlighter.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: normal;">If you like the art, are a fan of my recovery, or just like turtles, 'like' The Turtle Walks on facebook. I'll start keeping the blog updated but my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theturtlewalks" target="_blank">facebook</a> is where I spend most of my time online. Also check out <a href="http://theturtlewalks.tumblr.com/">theturtlewalks.tumblr.com</a><i> </i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K2cYWfq--Nw" width="560"></iframe></span>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-66022826497448432352013-04-03T10:30:00.000-07:002013-04-03T10:30:50.772-07:00It's Like Riding a BicycleFor the first time in 3 years, I rode a bike. I fell a time or two when first getting on but once I found my rhythm I could have rode for miles. It was dark so I didn't get to ride for long but this experience has me extremely excited. I'm already walking without canes and now I can ride a bike. Hell yeah.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GugsCdLHm-Q" width="420"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-53711876619821584782013-02-10T22:37:00.001-08:002023-01-28T15:46:44.831-08:00My Story As Of Today: From Wheelchair To WalkingI was 20 at the time of my accident.
I've moved around a bit in my lifetime. My dad worked in the army and
then the Public Health Service. We moved everywhere from West
Virginia, Germany, Wisconsin, to Seattle. Not strongly connected to
one place very closely, I was going to college at Colorado State
while my parents lived in North Carolina. Minus a few crazy events
here and there I had a pretty boring childhood and early adulthood. I
had never even had a broken bone.
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RU4UGSuIqvM/T8A7836nbXI/AAAAAAAAAlw/DTPTFz8tw3Y/s1600/1011_526811917849_31804173_32218040_728_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RU4UGSuIqvM/T8A7836nbXI/AAAAAAAAAlw/DTPTFz8tw3Y/s320/1011_526811917849_31804173_32218040_728_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Me pretending I know what I'm doing on a longboard.</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After spending Christmas with friends,
I flew out to spend New Years with my family. We were up in Maryland
where much of my extended family lives.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
THE ACCIDENT - December 29<sup>th</sup>,
2009.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The plan was to spend a few days in the
Baltimore area then drive home to North Carolina the day of the
29<sup>th</sup>. I've always hated long car rides, so I always tried
to sleep through them. I figured I'd be sleeping the entire ride to
North Carolina, so I spent the entire night before my accident
playing video games on my little cousin's XBOX (Lego Indiana Jones).
I was asleep practically before we left my Aunt and Uncle's driveway.
I did wake-up momentarily to hug my older sister as we dropped her
off at the airport but otherwise I was down for the count.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/Lego_Indiana_Jones_cover.jpg/252px-Lego_Indiana_Jones_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/Lego_Indiana_Jones_cover.jpg/252px-Lego_Indiana_Jones_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>How I spent the last night before the accident. I finished the entire game about 30 minutes before everyone woke up.</i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I slept in the back seat up against the
door with my seat-belt on. From what I'm told, my Dad was driving on
the freeway when he saw the car ahead of him stop suddenly. My dad
slammed on the breaks and our car started spinning wildly out of
control. Our car slammed into the bumper of a neighboring truck.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My Mom was in the front seat and had
been knocked unconscious. My dad, awake and unharmed, told me later
that I was screaming my head off; I have no memory of this. They
shipped my off to Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland.
I had two of my vertebrae (L1 and L2) completely shattered, broke
both arms, and had lots of other internal damage. They put two
stabilizing rods on either side of my spine but the surgeons felt it
was better not do any surgery that could damage potentially intact
nerves. The bones in my arms were set and a metal rod was placed in
each.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Illu_vertebral_column.jpg/250px-Illu_vertebral_column.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Illu_vertebral_column.jpg/250px-Illu_vertebral_column.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>I
broke L1 and L2(top of Lumbar curve) but my injury level is considered
T10(bottom of Thoracic curve) since that was the initial line of what I
could move.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I woke up not able to move anything
below the level of my belly button. The next few days were a morphine
haze interrupted by a swirl of visiting family. I was sort of
emotionally numb, staying upbeat the entire time. I just kept
repeating that I wasn't going to be stuck using a wheelchair. They
moved me out of there and into a rehab hospital. I starting to
learn about the realities of my new life and what it would be like to
move and live in a wheelchair. </div>
<br /> I eventually went through all 5 stages of grief and loss over my legs. I felt that the part of my life where I walked had died. </i></div>
<br />
It was about 6 days after the accident
when I finally broke down. I wasn't able to wheel myself around with
both arms in slings, I couldn't move very well, couldn't even control
when I shit, and didn't know what I would do. It all hit like a ton
of bricks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
NURSING HOME (rebreaking my right arm)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
About
a week into my new rehab I rolled
on my right arm in therapy and rebroke it. My surgeons, extremely
irritated with me, said that I wasn't allowed to continue therapy there
for at least a month and advised me to go to a nursing home.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7QmqfR9YT-Q/T8A8zoh55pI/AAAAAAAAAl4/aZSHELfwkl8/s1600/IMG_3555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7QmqfR9YT-Q/T8A8zoh55pI/AAAAAAAAAl4/aZSHELfwkl8/s320/IMG_3555.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>In the nursing home after I rebroke my </i>arm.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Though some of my darkest moments were
in that nursing home, this was the place that I regained movement in
my legs. After a month not moving anything I wiggled my right big
toe. The next day I wiggled my left big toe. Progress slowed for
awhile but over the next few weeks I regained good chunks of my right
leg back.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
KENNEDY KRIEGER</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
During my stay at the nursing home we
heard about the spine program at Kennedy Krieger Institute. An
offshoot of Johns Hopkins, the hospital had a reputation for
significantly improving function after spinal cord injuries. A few
people warned me, including my physical therapist at the nursing
home, that they felt Kennedy Krieger made too many promises. I was
hesitant but after the dismal conditions at the rehab hospital and the nursing
home I felt that anything was worth a shot.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsIBUYDx_xc/T8A9fiTJOAI/AAAAAAAAAmA/g7Bk2zMlJio/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VsIBUYDx_xc/T8A9fiTJOAI/AAAAAAAAAmA/g7Bk2zMlJio/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The staff of KKI helped put my mind at ease and helped push me forward. Shown here trying out e-stim on my leg. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It turned out to be better than I could
have ever hoped. Primarily a kids hospital, the spine program's
inpatient wing will take you if you are under 21. Full of energy and
excitement, the feelings were infectious. They advocate activity
based rehab. This is the idea that muscles needs to be used and
exercised, in the hope to promote new nerve growth. They make no
promises but the research shows that if the spinal cord isn't cut
completely the working of muscles will help to promote the growth of
nerves. This is accomplished through electrical stimulus, in the form
of portable electrical stim-units and electrical stim-bikes. They use
these alongside more traditional mobility, balance, and care
training.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IUDR8kUSfMw/T8BhaP63ENI/AAAAAAAAAm0/eaI12zLriJ4/s1600/152.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IUDR8kUSfMw/T8BhaP63ENI/AAAAAAAAAm0/eaI12zLriJ4/s320/152.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Showing off my wheelchair biceps and my scars.</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
MORE BACK SURGERIES</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Repeat imaging near the end of my
inpatient stay showed that the broken pieces of spinal column were
pressing on the cord. I had gotten significant function back in my
right leg by this time but the left leg was still mostly inert. Even
electrical stimulus couldn't get the muscles in the left leg to move;
the hope is that another round of surgeries could improve my overall
function.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They cut into my back and removed the
broken pieces of spinal column. They then put in a metal cage and put
the pieces of bone back in. The alive bone cells would regrow into
the shape of vertebrae, this time without pinching my spinal cord.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-24fyewAs1Qo/T8A-HRSh-3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/Xl9RaG8dgKw/s1600/24122_384988388664_7030844_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-24fyewAs1Qo/T8A-HRSh-3I/AAAAAAAAAmI/Xl9RaG8dgKw/s320/24122_384988388664_7030844_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It is safe to say I've seen more hospital beds than I care to mention. Here I am reading a stack of get-well cards</i></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I stayed in Baltimore with my Aunt and
Uncle until the end of the summer, doing outpatient rehab at Kennedy
Krieger. While the effect wasn't immediate, over the next few weeks I
began to get significant function back. I had my right leg completely
back by the end of the summer and few more trace muscles in the left
leg. I now had enough function back to walk around with a leg brace
for short distances, with the help of a walker or crutches.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7GbigDn-mhA/T8A_FB5TLgI/AAAAAAAAAmY/sX-GC7prMoU/s1600/040.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7GbigDn-mhA/T8A_FB5TLgI/AAAAAAAAAmY/sX-GC7prMoU/s320/040.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Out stretching my legs.</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
COLORADO</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was my goal to return back to
Colorado State again. I was still using the wheelchair but I felt
confident enough to move out there on my own. I happened to have an
older brother who was taking graduate classes at CSU at the time who
was willing to share an apartment. I was excited and pumped to start
things off again.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Though things started off strong, I
eventually started having various health problems. I'm not naturally
self motivating so when I felt down I would just lay in bed which
only made things worse. Eventually I was in so much pain I stopped
going to class altogether. By halfway through the semester I hit my
lowest point ever. My mother came for a visit and saw the condition I
was in. She asked if I wanted to move back home with them and I said
yes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
NORTH CAROLINA</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Having someone to kick me out of bed
was exactly what I needed and my parents obliged. They started by
getting me to wheel around and to do more and more walking. Though
this was still difficult I got better. I slowly began to work up
stamina and endurance. I had a 3 times a week PT program and worked
out/swam at the YMCA. I transferred to Elizabeth City State
University, our city's university. Though no Colorado State
University they were close and offered a biology degree program. I'm
still in North Carolina today, working on finishing up my degree. I'm
set to graduate spring 2013.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My physical function continues to
improve. I go periodically to Kennedy Krieger for additional rehab.
These 2 week bouts, nicknamed “Boot Camp”, yield the most
exciting results. In January 2011 I trialed using two canes instead
of walking with crutches. In June 2011 I trialed using an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthotics#Ankle-foot_orthosis_.28AFO.29" target="_blank">AFO</a> (Ankle
Foot Orthosis, up to just below the knee) instead of the<a href="http://www.mycarbonexpress.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/k/a/kafo_3.jpg" target="_blank"> KAFO</a> (Knee
Ankle Foot Orthosis, up to the hip) I had used up to that point. I
started out the fall semester of school vowing that I would not bring
the wheelchair from the house; every time I left the house I would
have to take my leg brace. I was still using my KAFO when I walked
anywhere and used the AFO only in therapy. The KAFO was a heavy mess
of wires and levers. October 2011, one of the wires on my KAFO
snapped during a long holiday weekend. Since I had sworn to not take
the wheelchair from the house I used my AFO the rest of the weekend;
I never went back.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vRrqy5X-C3g/T8A_oM8pZdI/AAAAAAAAAmg/UwdgNdtELHI/s1600/042.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vRrqy5X-C3g/T8A_oM8pZdI/AAAAAAAAAmg/UwdgNdtELHI/s320/042.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Trialing out two canes instead of crutches.</i></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
I finally ditched the wheelchair
completely this past January, two years after my accident. I was
using the AFO and canes well enough that I felt it was time. It was
hard to get used to at first but I managed eventually. My wheelchair
now serves only as a bed for my cats.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My most recent accomplishment is to
have regained enough strength and balance to switch to walking using
only one cane. Not quite as dramatic a shift as some of my others, it
still wasn't easy to adjust to losing a walking aid. I continue to
work toward my eventual goal of walking without any leg braces or
canes. I'm not there yet but these past two and a half years have
shown me it's more than possible.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgJnN62MJ3U/T8BALm_ktCI/AAAAAAAAAmo/ofJsEej93hY/s1600/318743_272094856142906_241979895821069_1128778_243959026_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgJnN62MJ3U/T8BALm_ktCI/AAAAAAAAAmo/ofJsEej93hY/s1600/318743_272094856142906_241979895821069_1128778_243959026_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>With one cane and my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthotics#Ankle-foot_orthosis_.28AFO.29" target="_blank">AFO</a>. </i></div>
</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm not the boy I was. Who can say what I'll do with my life now since I almost
lost mine. The focus of my journey has changed quite a bit, from
learning how to use my wheelchair to walking again. I'm walking full
time now but it wasn't quick or easy.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I fully acknowledge I was lucky my
injury wasn't as severe as it could have been and that I had a lot of
help along the way. I can't speak for everyone with a spinal cord
injury, since each experience is different. I do know that the most
important thing is to be up and aiming toward something. Whether this
is finishing the next level of school, getting back function, or
simply being fit enough to try something new. At one point I would
have stayed in bed and given up. And if I had stayed there I would
never have gotten out of my chair. So who knows where you might end
up.<br />
<br />
One suggestion was to get shoes with more ankle support<b>. </b>I'm
pretty sure they were talking about hiking boots but since I have a
sense of style I got a pair of Chuck Taylors, the old school high top
Converse. Though I wasn't expecting these to make any difference, I
found myself walking better and better.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoH02nFEwf0/UQ6R-iQ4hvI/AAAAAAAAA6w/rcXR-Cx3UJ8/s1600/converse-shoes-1t660-right.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoH02nFEwf0/UQ6R-iQ4hvI/AAAAAAAAA6w/rcXR-Cx3UJ8/s320/converse-shoes-1t660-right.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA" target="_blank"><i>Oh my god, shoes! </i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I began walking so well that I decided to leave the cane at home. That
first day was kinda rough but after that I just kept going. <b>It's now been 2 weeks since I used my cane at all! </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhdXG9Iy8Gw/URZvubOwmNI/AAAAAAAAA9k/PUYhgoPLDmA/s1600/broken-canes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhdXG9Iy8Gw/URZvubOwmNI/AAAAAAAAA9k/PUYhgoPLDmA/s320/broken-canes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>No I didn't break my canes. They're in the corner collecting dust!</i></div>
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lfA1od2hnl8" width="420"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-79109598272316330642013-02-10T09:34:00.000-08:002013-02-10T09:34:00.174-08:00Artwork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here are some of the art pieces that I've been working on.<br />
Enjoy!<br />
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-47398299738881633412013-02-09T08:51:00.000-08:002013-02-09T09:55:43.623-08:00Boot Camp Week 2For those who missed <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2013/01/boot-camp-week-1.html" target="_blank">Boot Camp - Week 1</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Spinal Cord Rehab Boot Camp - Week 2 </span><br />
Highlights: I'm no longer using a cane to walk! Plus parties and artwork!<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, Day 5:</b><br />
On Monday I used the Therastride, a very useful (if uncomfortable) machine. The harness holds you over a moving treadmill and with the assistance of some therapists it allows those that haven't walked in a very long time a chance to step again. I no longer need much of any direct help though my therapists are still there to assist my legs and hips as needed. The harness takes a little of my weight off the ground so I can focus on walking correctly, instead of focusing on simply not falling over.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qx3AqvtYOvE/TThkG1pxsII/AAAAAAAAAEk/_GSEwQxqhUY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qx3AqvtYOvE/TThkG1pxsII/AAAAAAAAAEk/_GSEwQxqhUY/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>An <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2011/01/boot-camp-week-2.html" target="_blank">old picture</a> of me on the therastride. This was back when I needed someone to help with both legs (I only need help with the left leg now).</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
Another machine they've had me use before is a vibration plate. Depending how far apart you put your legs, the more the device throws off your balance. The last time I attempted this, a few boot camps ago, I could barely stay on at all. Now I'm able to work my legs halfway out, which is a medium difficulty. Either way I still end the session just as wobbly.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fZ4mTgJDJEQ/UQ6NJlQCOJI/AAAAAAAAA54/2uiLBwaCHiY/s1600/pro-fitness-vibration-plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fZ4mTgJDJEQ/UQ6NJlQCOJI/AAAAAAAAA54/2uiLBwaCHiY/s1600/pro-fitness-vibration-plate.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Your whole body feels like it's buzzing after you step off the vibration plate. </i></div>
<br />
A large part of our focus these two weeks is on my hamstrings (the muscles behind the knee that allow most people to bend their legs back) muscle groups that have slowly been returning. In previous boot camps I focused on getting these muscles to contract at all. Now I can get the muscles to contract consistently but they're still very weak. I can get my leg to bend in the pool and when I'm lying on my side, though bending the leg on land is still a work in progress. Still, to see my leg act like it's supposed to in the pool is encouraging.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1gK6V66z_KQ/UQ6NoT3m3WI/AAAAAAAAA6A/IBcT54LisZQ/s1600/Hamstring+Muscles+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1gK6V66z_KQ/UQ6NoT3m3WI/AAAAAAAAA6A/IBcT54LisZQ/s320/Hamstring+Muscles+3.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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<i>These are the hamstrings</i>.<br />
<br /></div>
<b>Tuesday, Day 6</b><br />
On Tuesday we went to a lower floor to the children's gym to use the split belt treadmill. It has two rotating belts instead of just the one, with adjustable speed on both belts. This allows me to work on the timing of my walking. We had planned to use it the first week but it was having mechanical issues. This week everything worked fine with each leg getting its own individualized workout.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7R_j5e3wSt8/UQ6OGrh34SI/AAAAAAAAA6I/uWKMqkuNRW8/s1600/the-split-belt-treadmill-may-help-researchers-understand-how-brain-and-spinal-cord-circuitry-can-rewire-itself_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7R_j5e3wSt8/UQ6OGrh34SI/AAAAAAAAA6I/uWKMqkuNRW8/s320/the-split-belt-treadmill-may-help-researchers-understand-how-brain-and-spinal-cord-circuitry-can-rewire-itself_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Harder than it looks to have two legs at different speeds.</i></div>
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<b>Wednesday, Day 7</b><br />
One of the strangest experiences of my two weeks but also one of the best was the "Bro-Party". There were a few other early 20-something guys there for bootcamp so someone decided to throw a "bro-party", a tradition one of my fellow patients had started at a previous boot camp. While doing our various balance exercises, we listened to "bro" music, wore cool sunglasses (I got the leopard print) with fake mustaches, while playing Gatorade pong (we're in a hospital, gotta keep it PG). It was one of the strangest experiences of my two weeks but I had a blast! My team ended up winning so that was an extra bonus.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZTUXz6VuZc/UQ6O_kU5maI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/rSECMGZSX3E/s1600/130109_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZTUXz6VuZc/UQ6O_kU5maI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/rSECMGZSX3E/s1600/130109_001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i> Me at the bro-party with shades and a fake mustache. Brotastic.</i></div>
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<b>Thursday, Day 8</b><br />
Another group of us got into a dance-off playing <i>Just Dance</i> for the Wii. It was me, a young girl using a walker, and an old guy in one of the standing machines they have around the gym. It was hard to come to a consensus on which song to play, though mostly because all 3 of us were so indecisive. I don't remember who ended up winning as far as points but we all looked extremely silly so it's a draw in the end. But we had fun and I got to spend some of my exercise time dancing (badly) to some of my favorite songs.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAo7lCAlaRE/UQ6QQju0sBI/AAAAAAAAA6g/gJ47n-LSkNw/s1600/B002MWSY3O.02.lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lAo7lCAlaRE/UQ6QQju0sBI/AAAAAAAAA6g/gJ47n-LSkNw/s320/B002MWSY3O.02.lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>We were not nearly this coordinated.</i></div>
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<b>Friday, Day 9</b><br />
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The last day, like the first day, is always reserved for evaluations and tests to see how I've progressed over the two weeks. I did make significant improvements, walking slightly more even on the Gait Rite, the machine that takes a digital image of your walking pattern. I also improved my times in all the walking tests they had me do. I can attribute most of this to my therapist teaching me how to use my brace so that I get more spring in my step, which propels me forward.</div>
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.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPZiseWB9yU/UQ6QzRoMzrI/AAAAAAAAA6o/fggWJvfT9xI/s1600/130103_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPZiseWB9yU/UQ6QzRoMzrI/AAAAAAAAA6o/fggWJvfT9xI/s1600/130103_002.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.gaitrite.com/prosthetics.html" target="_blank">Gait Rite</a></div>
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They also gave me a home program of exercises that I can do from my room, such as spelling out the alphabet with my weak leg (this practices strength and coordination). It's full of exercises that'll keep me busy and challenged hopefully for the next 6 months.<br />
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<b>AFTER I GOT BACK</b><br />
When I got back to North Carolina I started putting into action the suggestions of my therapists. One suggestion was to get shoes with more ankle support<b>. </b>I'm pretty sure they were talking about hiking boots but since I have a sense of style I got a pair of Chuck Taylors, the old school high top Converse. Though I wasn't expecting these to make any difference, I found myself walking better and better.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoH02nFEwf0/UQ6R-iQ4hvI/AAAAAAAAA6w/rcXR-Cx3UJ8/s1600/converse-shoes-1t660-right.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SoH02nFEwf0/UQ6R-iQ4hvI/AAAAAAAAA6w/rcXR-Cx3UJ8/s320/converse-shoes-1t660-right.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA" target="_blank"><i>Oh my god, shoes! </i></a></div>
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I began walking so well that I decided to leave the cane at home. That first day was kinda rough but after that I just kept going. <b>It's now been 2 weeks since I used my cane at all! </b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhdXG9Iy8Gw/URZvubOwmNI/AAAAAAAAA9k/PUYhgoPLDmA/s1600/broken-canes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qhdXG9Iy8Gw/URZvubOwmNI/AAAAAAAAA9k/PUYhgoPLDmA/s320/broken-canes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>No I didn't break my canes. They're in the corner collecting dust!</i></div>
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<b>Artwork</b><br />
I've been in kind of a winter funk and hadn't felt like writing for the last couple of weeks. I did however channel that weird mood into artwork. I've post some of my paintings up here already but you may not know I also enjoy drawing. I was given a giant sketchbook for Christmas and have been slowly filling it up ever since (plus more paintings). These are just a few examples of what's been filling my time instead of my blog (sorry internets!). I have dozens more and I will post more in the coming days. Enjoy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dHtwZ07N1ic" width="560"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-19115278035718771052013-01-05T00:06:00.004-08:002023-01-28T15:43:05.151-08:00Boot Camp Week 1It's that time again! Every 6 months I return to Kennedy Krieger Institute to do physical therapy, known as <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/05/boot-camp-time-again.html" target="_blank">BOOT CAMP</a>! I go in for therapy for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, for two weeks (with an added hour in the pool 3 times a week). This grueling but necessary addition to my PT program has helped me to improve as far as I have; they help me push the limits of what I can already do and get me to try new skills. In the end I leave a step ahead of when I arrive, ready to put my new skills to work.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ_xJueHFwk/UOfI9dqTN3I/AAAAAAAAA3o/0Iwz0Qgn4ak/s1600/128669401562648105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ_xJueHFwk/UOfI9dqTN3I/AAAAAAAAA3o/0Iwz0Qgn4ak/s320/128669401562648105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>You and I will never be this hardcore.</i></div>
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<b>Day 1</b><br />
Every time I come to Kennedy Krieger, the first day is filled with tests and evaluations. These give them a baseline of my strength and balance; it's not generally very exhausting (that comes later) but it lets them have numbers to compare when they're comparing my progress. I've been lucky that my numbers continue to improve, though over the years they have started to slow. The measures that continues to improve the most are standing balance and walking endurance.<br />
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One of the tests they always do is the 10 meter test, a test of how fast I can travel 10 meters. A long time ago my dad commented that it was how fast I could outrun a bear. I said that I didn't think I was fast enough to outrun a bear just yet. He qualified his original statement, saying it was a test to see how fast I could outrun a <i>disabled </i>angry bear. Since then we've called it the disabled angry bear test, a name that never fails to crack up the person timing the test.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48ctqvRmbPk/UOfIWXrHidI/AAAAAAAAA3g/0UiTv1tVGsM/s1600/dreamstime_7780523_disabled_bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48ctqvRmbPk/UOfIWXrHidI/AAAAAAAAA3g/0UiTv1tVGsM/s1600/dreamstime_7780523_disabled_bear.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>I dare you to try thinking about outrunning a disabled bear without smiling.</i></div>
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<b>Day 2</b><br />
The second day we really got down to work. We started off the day with various exercises for my left left (the weaker leg). After this we went off and used the <a href="http://www.gaitrite.com/prosthetics.html" target="_blank">Gait Rite</a>, one of the few pieces of equipment that I hadn't at least tried before. The Gait Rite measures step length, foot placement, and the relative amount of weight you put on either foot to get an idea of how to improve your walking pattern.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bBHvK2pz-Q/UOfLvVJ_IlI/AAAAAAAAA4A/aQXgKWLmzKQ/s1600/Lady+on+GAITRite+silo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bBHvK2pz-Q/UOfLvVJ_IlI/AAAAAAAAA4A/aQXgKWLmzKQ/s320/Lady+on+GAITRite+silo1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The computer records a picture of your steps as well as all the associated data.</i></div>
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I walked over the sensor using my cane and again without my cane. The data showed that my steps were more even when I walked without a cane. Though this is exciting news, meaning that I am ready to slowly start weaning off the cane, it's hard to let my cane go. I've walked using so many assistive devices that the idea of walking without one is a little scary. It's as hard to let go as a <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2011/07/losing-my-security-blanket.html" target="_blank">security blanket</a>. </div>
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<b>Day 3</b></div>
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My therapists love to try different pieces of equipment out on me. I've been around for 3 years so I'd thought I'd seen most of them but I was surprised again. We worked out using the <a href="http://www.biodex.com/physical-medicine/products/dynamometers/system-4-quick-set-0" target="_blank">Biodex System</a>, a machine that allows you to isolate every conceivable muscle in your leg, hip, and trunk. It has a dozen or more attachments (that I saw) and we worked as many as we could before I was exhausted.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S22Ux6Ozv9Y/UOfPyZP4mVI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/FckbQEf31WQ/s1600/840-000_0_beauty_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S22Ux6Ozv9Y/UOfPyZP4mVI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/FckbQEf31WQ/s320/840-000_0_beauty_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>The data generated from this machine is accurate enough to use in peer reviewed studies. </i></div>
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I always end up working hard but that's not to say there isn't some fun mixed into the day. There is a Wii used for different exercises, though it's largely there to distract the kids who come to KKI while they do therapy. Along with Wii Sports and Wii Fit, I'm regularly roped into a dance battle using the game <i>Just Dance.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-waz-CHDHIr0/UOfR_2oHqtI/AAAAAAAAA4w/iljx8B-RueM/s1600/mick-jagger-forgets-the-lyrics-on-stage-1Dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-waz-CHDHIr0/UOfR_2oHqtI/AAAAAAAAA4w/iljx8B-RueM/s1600/mick-jagger-forgets-the-lyrics-on-stage-1Dm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Nothing screams irony more than a group of disabled people rocking out to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEPTlhBmwRg" target="_blank">Moves Like Jaggar. </a></i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEPTlhBmwRg" target="_blank"><br /></a></div>
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<b>Day 4</b></div>
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The <a href="http://www.kennedykrieger.org/patient-care/patient-care-programs/outpatient-programs/aquatic-therapy-program" target="_blank">pool at KKI</a> is one of the best things about coming here. The pool has a floor that raises and lowers, cameras in the sides so you can watch your legs as you walk, and an underwater treadmill. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sC8U34mTPgM/UOfUp_a0XHI/AAAAAAAAA5I/FvDSejagn8M/s1600/Kennedy_Krieger_2lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sC8U34mTPgM/UOfUp_a0XHI/AAAAAAAAA5I/FvDSejagn8M/s320/Kennedy_Krieger_2lg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>They also have more aquatic therapy equipment than I knew existed.</i></div>
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This pool session was unique in that it was the first time I was able to walk without any assistance on the underwater treadmill. I can walk without a cane on land with relative ease but moving underwater with at least a rail to lean on is always challenging. The therapist I worked with made the same observation as my therapist on land, that I walked more evenly when I didn't have something to lean on. </div>
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All this week I'd seen people with the same T-shirts, from <a href="http://www.3elove.com/" target="_blank">3E Love</a>. I've followed them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/3elove" target="_blank">facebook</a> for a while but this trip has made me determined to go and get myself a hoodie with this design. How can you not love these?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vU4jmWk-1I/UOfWh7-j2HI/AAAAAAAAA5g/UjgIG9WL8MQ/s1600/kelly_1_medium.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vU4jmWk-1I/UOfWh7-j2HI/AAAAAAAAA5g/UjgIG9WL8MQ/s1600/kelly_1_medium.png" /></a></div>
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<i>You can find different designs, different styles, different colors, T-shirts, hoodies, decals, jewelry, temporary tattoos... the list goes on.</i></div>
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It's the end of the week, I'm tired and I'm sore but there's already some progress made. I still have another week to go but this week has reminded me what I'm working towards. I am grateful to everyone at KKI who works with me, kicking my butt all week. I've worked hard but they've worked just as hard on planning my program and molding it based on what I can accomplish. KKI rocks!</div>
<br />testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-14379274165914521822012-12-29T17:50:00.000-08:002013-02-09T09:55:43.620-08:003-year Anniversary of My AccidentI haven't written anything on this blog in a while but the anniversary of my car accident is a date I couldn't ignore.<br />
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If you happen to be reading this blog for the first time, read <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/05/i-was-20-at-time-of-my-accident.html" target="_blank"><u><b>this post</b></u></a> first, explaining my story. <br />
<i>(If anyone wants to see how things have changed you can check out my <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2010/03/three-finned-turtle.html" target="_blank">First Post After The Accident</a>, <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2010/12/year.html" target="_blank">Year 1</a>, and <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2011/12/2-years.html" target="_blank">Year 2</a>)</i><br />
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This year has been one of continuing progress. I've had 2 different leg braces, ending the year using the <a href="http://www.allardusa.com/dokument/toeoff.html" target="_blank">Allard Toe-OFF AFO</a>, an ankle brace that makes use of carbon fiber to make it durable and light. This is my smallest and lightest brace yet, compensating for the lack of ankle movement in my left leg. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egYLABxiJQg/UJyMN7kSfsI/AAAAAAAAAy0/HII_y337HHo/s1600/120926_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egYLABxiJQg/UJyMN7kSfsI/AAAAAAAAAy0/HII_y337HHo/s320/120926_003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Some of my old braces took about 5 minutes or more to get on. This takes about a minute.</i></div>
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I've still had my share of medical issues. I've had <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/abscess-or-why-i-hate-mris.html" target="_blank">multiple surgeries</a> for an ongoing infection that's gotten all the way down to the metal in my back. Once metal hardware is infected (especially necessary hardware that you can't remove) it's very hard to get rid of. Precautions have been taken and every measure is being taken to try and eradicate the bug in my back. </div>
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<a href="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/090/7/8/Round_Hospital_Room_by_bezzalair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/090/7/8/Round_Hospital_Room_by_bezzalair.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Read my <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/09/insights-from-inside-er.html" target="_blank">5 Insights From the ER</a></i></div>
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I finished another semester, leaving me only one more until I graduate with my bachelor's degree in biology. I'm already applying to graduate schools for next fall, where I'll study bioinformatics (a combination biology and computer programming).<br />
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<i> </i></div>
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I've been continuing to explore my <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/11/school-sucks-some-awesome-paintings.html" target="_blank">new found passion for painting</a>. This year I painted my Christmas gifts for people, coming up with a few really great ones. Some are better than others but I had fun painting each and every one of them.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CmBKIfnYkoE/UOJJ7kt_lgI/AAAAAAAAA1s/daeWaxmBW0w/s1600/121224_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CmBKIfnYkoE/UOJJ7kt_lgI/AAAAAAAAA1s/daeWaxmBW0w/s1600/121224_005.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="http://www.thehighdefinite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wookiethechew.jpg" target="_blank">Wookie The Chew</a></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wztqkPXaLXQ/UOJKAnyGTpI/AAAAAAAAA10/ZmqY5lUYoFc/s1600/121224_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wztqkPXaLXQ/UOJKAnyGTpI/AAAAAAAAA10/ZmqY5lUYoFc/s1600/121224_003.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i> The tabernacle of a church, painted for my mother.</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tA7aBTgdTEg/UOJKEehZWpI/AAAAAAAAA18/A2PjyOtgAHA/s1600/121222_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tA7aBTgdTEg/UOJKEehZWpI/AAAAAAAAA18/A2PjyOtgAHA/s1600/121222_001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The Four Seasons, for Q. Try looking at it upside-down.</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_cc-b6DoXQ/UOJNqhWY19I/AAAAAAAAA2w/Xwbv3WAHKLY/s1600/121219_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_cc-b6DoXQ/UOJNqhWY19I/AAAAAAAAA2w/Xwbv3WAHKLY/s1600/121219_001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The final painting turned out really well, though this picture didn't do it justice.</i></div>
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<i>The original.</i><br />
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<i>The Nightmare Before Christmas, for Kayla.</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPzjacxRiOE/UOJJy9njgXI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/JuHXVFUUH38/s1600/121224_008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HPzjacxRiOE/UOJJy9njgXI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/JuHXVFUUH38/s1600/121224_008.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>Batman Celtic Knot, for Philip.</i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBASMT3FP0Q/UOJOSccl-yI/AAAAAAAAA24/NtS9IHZtE4o/s1600/121224_007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HBASMT3FP0Q/UOJOSccl-yI/AAAAAAAAA24/NtS9IHZtE4o/s1600/121224_007.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i>The Sun Over Lake Michigan, for my aunt.</i> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KI1TGPb0ybg/UOJOssoktzI/AAAAAAAAA3I/uV7-TJf-ZO4/s1600/121211_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KI1TGPb0ybg/UOJOssoktzI/AAAAAAAAA3I/uV7-TJf-ZO4/s320/121211_001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings, for my dad.</i> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qoARCCFFEsE/UOJOYJfC_iI/AAAAAAAAA3A/kpBLFSMSKIE/s1600/121126_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qoARCCFFEsE/UOJOYJfC_iI/AAAAAAAAA3A/kpBLFSMSKIE/s320/121126_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>My friend Cat asked for a picture of me and I painted her this. </i></div>
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There are still a couple of others in the mail that I won't post. Needless to say I've been spending countless hours working on these. The best part is that from all my brainstorming sessions of what to paint for people, I have a giant stack of painting ideas and sketches that I can still use. </div>
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Lastly I want to thank everyone who's helped me along this past year. I've worked hard but no one gets anywhere without some from help of those around them (family or friends). I first want to thank my Mom and Dad, who've been there to kick my butt over the years when I'd already given up. Dad, thank you for being there for advice, counsel, and a fresh pair of eyes. Mom, you've been there since since the beginning and have carried me kicking and screaming down the road to recovery; I love you both more than words can convey. To my siblings, thanks for being there to dish out the family gossip, to commiserate, to give me a patient ear when I've needed it, and helping to keep my life in perspective. Thanks Philip, a true friend through anything. Thanks Kelley, my amazing faghag, who helped keep me sane no matter what was going on in my life. Thanks Tony, for reminding me to relax and enjoy life and not to take things so seriously. Thanks Kayla and Eli, the cutest family I know, for reminding me what's important in life. Thanks all the staff of Coastal Rehab (though especially Mindy and Lynn) for tireless working to keep me improving. Thanks to all the staff up at the Kennedy Kreiger Institute and <a href="http://www.spinalcordrecovery.org/" target="_blank">The International Center for Spinal Cord Injury</a> (Kristin, Meredith, Brooke, Stephanie, Marjorie, and so many more) who've been the driving force in my rehab since I was first injured. Thanks to all the doctors (there's dozens), nurses (hundreds), and other staff who've helped me with my ever climbing number of medical visits. Thank you to the orthotists who've worked tirelessly to make sure I have a working leg brace, without which I wouldn't be walking at all. Thank you to all the people who've read my blog, followed me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theturtlewalks" target="_blank">facebook</a>, <a href="http://theturtlewalks.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a>, etc; though this may be just a way to pass time for you, the support I've received from all of you has kept me going for all these years.</div>
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I'm currently up in Baltimore for <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/05/boot-camp-time-again.html" target="_blank">Boot Camp</a> again, so expect updates to follow in the next few days.</div>
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-61945132763773358152012-12-01T00:01:00.004-08:002023-01-28T16:00:05.285-08:00Title TBDI've been absent from my blog lately, a hiatus caused mostly by school work.<br />
Here's what's new:<br />
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<b>ToeOFF AFO</b><br />
I've been walking more and more using the <a href="http://www.allardusa.com/dokument/toeoff.html" target="_blank">Allard ToeOFF AFO</a>. It's been working great. I was finally able to ramp up the amount of time I spend wearing it so now I can wear it all day (with breaks to give my skin a break).<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egYLABxiJQg/UJyMN7kSfsI/AAAAAAAAAy0/HII_y337HHo/s1600/120926_003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egYLABxiJQg/UJyMN7kSfsI/AAAAAAAAAy0/HII_y337HHo/s320/120926_003.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<i>My leg brace with extra padding in the background.</i></div>
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I love that this brace gives me the ability to raid my closet for shoes. Now that I'm not wearing my bulkier brace I fit into some of my old shoes, some of which I haven't worn since before the accident. </div>
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3HqlCAv9-tQ/UJySE6gAR5I/AAAAAAAAAzg/LGwl2BvG8Fc/s1600/FF_iA69926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3HqlCAv9-tQ/UJySE6gAR5I/AAAAAAAAAzg/LGwl2BvG8Fc/s320/FF_iA69926.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<i>It's like my feet are going back in time to before the accident.</i></div>
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<i> </i><b> </b></div>
<b>Wound VAC</b><br />
For those of you who remember this little bad boy right here, I went through a stint on the Wound VAC.<b> </b>It sucked out all the unwanted buildup in my back in order to help fight the infection I was dealing. It's healed up (finally!) but I still have to be careful. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1v4uCopB1KA/TJXglxcLl7I/AAAAAAAAACM/l66lhfxQKq0/s1600/IMG_1130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1v4uCopB1KA/TJXglxcLl7I/AAAAAAAAACM/l66lhfxQKq0/s320/IMG_1130.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>WoundVAC with complementary awkward man-bag.</i><br />
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Once it's had a few more days to heal I can...</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<b>Return to the Water!!!</b><br />
<b> </b><i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0dvxI9J6Fc/Td_-CWdApQI/AAAAAAAABGU/DDorIcm6zF8/s400/david-doubilet-baby-green-sea-turtle-swimming-in-a-tropical-paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0dvxI9J6Fc/Td_-CWdApQI/AAAAAAAABGU/DDorIcm6zF8/s320/david-doubilet-baby-green-sea-turtle-swimming-in-a-tropical-paradise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>It's difficult to convey how extremely excited and overjoyed at this I am!</i></div>
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I've been exiled from the water since <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/01/freedom.html" target="_blank">last year</a>, when I had to wait for my surgery scars to completely heal. Every few weeks I'd get excited that I <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/02/return-to-water.html" target="_blank">might get to go back</a> but to no avail. I'm not making this whole post all about that or it won't happen.<br />
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<b>School</b><br />
School is kicking my butt as we move toward another round of finals. I've got to get through the fall and the spring and I'll have my bachelors in biology. After I graduate I'm going to be looking for a career in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioinformatics" target="_blank"><i>bioinformatics</i></a>. This fascinating field is all about paring microbiology and computer programming. I never expected to love computer programming but I seem to have a real knack for it. I'll soon be looking at grad schools for next fall.<br />
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<b>Painting </b><br />
I've been filling my spare time with painting, an activity I picked up recently. I currently have several underway. Here are a few fun one's that I've done recently:<br />
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<b> </b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xmSYRquxuuw/UJyMm9i1h4I/AAAAAAAAAzE/bZmrtaWr_qQ/s1600/120927_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkIhmP6kDew/UJyMrh1Q10I/AAAAAAAAAzM/vuJx0xSi3wc/s1600/student+ID+albany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkIhmP6kDew/UJyMrh1Q10I/AAAAAAAAAzM/vuJx0xSi3wc/s400/student+ID+albany.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Who-who!</i></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xmSYRquxuuw/UJyMm9i1h4I/AAAAAAAAAzE/bZmrtaWr_qQ/s1600/120927_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xmSYRquxuuw/UJyMm9i1h4I/AAAAAAAAAzE/bZmrtaWr_qQ/s400/120927_010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> <a href="http://www.suncatchersofhilo.com/images/plants/bird%20of%20paradise%20gallery.JPG" target="_blank">Bird of Paradise</a></i><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUaCfoihvYk/UJyMkEsjv2I/AAAAAAAAAy8/sKyslQmWB7A/s1600/120816_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QUaCfoihvYk/UJyMkEsjv2I/AAAAAAAAAy8/sKyslQmWB7A/s400/120816_005.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<i>Long shadows are long.</i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjAVQhZdKTc/ULmy5B_L-aI/AAAAAAAAA0o/WdkH0fwPH8k/s1600/120622_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjAVQhZdKTc/ULmy5B_L-aI/AAAAAAAAA0o/WdkH0fwPH8k/s320/120622_006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>Not actually mine. This picture is from my Dr.'s office in Albany this summer. I will have to paint my own version of this at some point.</i><br />
<i> </i> <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3awiToXEyk/ULm0ga05ToI/AAAAAAAAA1A/k8_WaZz7xUM/s1600/121117_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3awiToXEyk/ULm0ga05ToI/AAAAAAAAA1A/k8_WaZz7xUM/s400/121117_001.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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<i>My take on the <a href="http://muttscomics.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">Mutts</a> comic strip.</i></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-01ENn1xQTsU/ULmzG5SkRJI/AAAAAAAAA0w/qBE9BF_TzLQ/s1600/121117_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iktZ_p_mY0w/ULmzJTFp9aI/AAAAAAAAA04/zhjWYHo_HlI/s1600/121126_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iktZ_p_mY0w/ULmzJTFp9aI/AAAAAAAAA04/zhjWYHo_HlI/s320/121126_006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>The turtle I painted onto the stopper of my cane.</i></div>
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<br /></div>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-46862387188924859862012-11-22T01:04:00.000-08:002013-02-09T09:55:43.621-08:00School sucks + some awesome paintings<span style="font-size: small;">I'm in the heart of my senior year but I'm nearing the end. I'm graduating next spring with a bachelors in biology. In the meantime I'm studying for finals which has put a crimp in my time to write.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />In the meantime here's some paintings that I painted.</span>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DDDLpbMEZ9M/UK3o2Gc2QJI/AAAAAAAAAz0/2So1vf0Bp1g/s1600/120927_010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DDDLpbMEZ9M/UK3o2Gc2QJI/AAAAAAAAAz0/2So1vf0Bp1g/s320/120927_010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Bird of Paradise flower.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I6QfzV2QMCY/UK3o6Zmcp2I/AAAAAAAAA0M/fyDc6SmqESs/s1600/student+ID+albany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I6QfzV2QMCY/UK3o6Zmcp2I/AAAAAAAAA0M/fyDc6SmqESs/s320/student+ID+albany.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These I did at <a href="http://serenityartsandbrew.com/" target="_blank">Serenity Studio Arts</a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYFXMxGIT4M/UK3o79qwwCI/AAAAAAAAA0U/61R3K73c4MI/s1600/120816_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYFXMxGIT4M/UK3o79qwwCI/AAAAAAAAA0U/61R3K73c4MI/s320/120816_005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I have a real post in the works here soon.<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Turtle</i></span>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-59284136508345180682012-10-14T22:46:00.004-07:002023-01-28T15:41:28.384-08:00How Do You Find Balance?How do people find balance in their lives? I've always had a hard time balancing things in my life. I tend to go to extremes whenever I have a choice in front of me and it comes back to bite me EVERY TIME! You think I'd have learned by. There are the things I've always struggled with (homework vs. leisure time, clean vs. orderly, health food vs. junk food) but I've got a few that have come to the forefront lately.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) Slides vs. Hitchhiking</b></span><br />
A project I've been working on for my parents is to scan in their old projector slides. My dad is a photobug and has slides going back to when he was a kid (though most are from me and my siblings lifetimes). Realizing that the film was degrading my dad got an attachment for our scanner so that we could scan them into the computer. Only problem is that it only scans in four slides at a time.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G1LyiGSZaOU/T-ZrwZnhUDI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/8PVK-_Ak25M/s1600/Slide+Carousel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G1LyiGSZaOU/T-ZrwZnhUDI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/8PVK-_Ak25M/s320/Slide+Carousel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>It takes about 2-3 hours to scan in one carousel of slides. Most boring job I've ever had.</i></div>
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This extremely tedious task was offered to me, in exchange for a small amount of gas money. As I'm not otherwise employed this is one of my few opportunities for real work, so I dived right into it. For obvious reasons I'd rather drive myself, rather than say hitchhiking. I started doing 2-3 reels a day.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy,_english.svg/144px-The_Hitchhiker%27s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy,_english.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy,_english.svg/144px-The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy,_english.svg.png" /></a></div>
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<i>If I ever do end up hitchhiking I won't forget my towel.</i></div>
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The problem with this is the longer I did this the more I felt increased lower back pain. My back pain had more or less vanished since I gave up my wheelchair at the beginning of this year. If I push myself too hard scanning slides, I end up slightly less broke but in pain. I've been trying to moderate myself, only doing one (maybe one and a half) a day; gas is a good motivator but back pain is a good deterrent. Finding balance is the goal but it's hard not to do a ton or give up entirely. It's a process...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2) Old Brace vs. New Brace</span></b><br />
I'm now in the middle of two different braces, both AFOs.
<i>The <a href="http://www.allardusa.com/products/toeoff.htm" target="_blank">Allard ToeOFF</a> is a carbon fiber brace with enough flexibility to let me bend my leg a little without falling over.</i></div>
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They can both be a pain in different ways. My old AFO gives me blisters on my heal and cuts into my skin near my knee. The new AFO gives me blisters where the bottom strap is. Since my leg is used to the old AFO it does far less damage, but the new AFO allows me a more natural gait and more freedom of motion. I tried wearing my new AFO full time but the skin around the straps isn't ready for full time usage. I'll try and ramp up the amount of time I spend in it but it's going to be a long time before it's ready for full time use.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3)School Mode vs. Exercise Mode vs. Internet Mode</b></span><br />
I come from a family of procrastinators so it's hard to get the things I need to accomplished. I'm doing well in school but I still struggle with finding time for everything else in my life. I try and spend so much time each week exercising but it inevitably gets sucked into school time or internet time (i.e. this blog). I love my blog, since it's how I communicate with family and friends on how my recovery is going. But to keep writing is a lot of work, especially when I've got a million other things on my plate.<br />
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<a href="http://inforrm.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://inforrm.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/internet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Be sure to check out The Turtle Walks <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theturtlewalks" target="_blank">facebook page</a>.</i> </div>
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It's not perfect but somehow I've struggled and found a tentative balance between all the activities in my life. For now, it's working. No matter how tempting I won't blow off school, my exercise time, or writing on this blog; they've all become important parts of my life. Just don't ask me for anything else; not because I wouldn't do it but I'd end up doing it when I get around to it. And I have been known for being a little flaky...<br />
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<a href="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/w031230b033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/w031230b033.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<i>Yep, that's me alright.</i></div>
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Let me know how you find balance for your life.<br />
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testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-27628593100109195262012-09-22T10:37:00.002-07:002023-01-28T15:37:44.078-08:00Insights From Inside the ERSo this past week was eventful. Last weekend another wonderful bubble from the infection in my back popped up. I got sent to the ER, in Baltimore... again.
I whiled the 14 hours in the ER, what with some time on my hands, I discovered a few simple truths of Hospitals.
<b><b> </b></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-omMb7kGMvUQ/UF0sXCjqJdI/AAAAAAAAAwo/LTs-sbOQDJs/s1600/sigh_wall_clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-omMb7kGMvUQ/UF0sXCjqJdI/AAAAAAAAAwo/LTs-sbOQDJs/s200/sigh_wall_clock.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Spend enough time in the ER and you too will unlock the secrets to the universe.</i></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Turtle's 5 Universal Truths About Hospitals</b></span> </u><br />
<br />
<b>1) 15 hours of fasting will turn a tortilla, sub-par ham, and American cheese into the most delicious meal of your life. </b><br />
<br />
The possibility of surgery was looming. I wasn't allowed any food or drink because of the vast chance that surgery would be done that afternoon. Fortunately we had eaten at a mom and pop diner where I got a big breakfast.<br />
<br />
It's getting around 10:45 pm and I'm getting really hungry. So I call in the nurse and ask her if, since there was little to no chance of my having surgery that evening if I could eat. She disappeared, saying that she would ask. Around 11:45 pm I gave up hope and there she was with a cold ham and cheese wrap. Kings don't eat this good.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMf6ttFPjR8/TyK0zYZebHI/AAAAAAAAAdI/3gZgpTBUDXA/s1600/feast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RMf6ttFPjR8/TyK0zYZebHI/AAAAAAAAAdI/3gZgpTBUDXA/s320/feast.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To my brain, it was kind of like this.</i></div>
<ol>
</ol>
<b>2) If given headphones during a scan and the music stops... STOP THE SCAN!</b><br />
<br />
They took me back frequently for MRI's, CT's, X-Rays... the list goes on. During the MRI, a very <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/abscess-or-why-i-hate-mris.html" target="_blank">loud and noisy</a> process, they frequently give you earplugs or music to listen to through headphones. I'm not usually claustrophobic but the first time I went through one of those just about gave me a heart attack.The music allows me to calm down and go off somewhere else.<br />
<br />
They stopped the music temporarily while they loaded contrast into my IV. But when they went to stick me back in the machine they forgot to turn the music back on. I tried yelling and getting their attention without moving too much; I was afraid to mess up the scans.<br />
<br />
I should have stopped the scan early on to point out the music situation. But I sat back and tried to grin and bear it. My heart was racing inside my chest the entire time but I made it through. It was only after pulling me from the machine that the tech noticed "Huh! I forgot to turn the music back on..." YA THINK!!!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images3.alphacoders.com/739/73967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://images3.alphacoders.com/739/73967.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The music is usually better when it's switched on!!!</i></div>
<br />
<b>3) Lies are often more dependable than the truth.</b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“<i>It was a lie, of course, that it wouldn't hurt a bit. But since adults
always said that when it was going to hurt, he could count on that
statement as an accurate prediction of the future. Sometimes lies were
more dependable than the truth.</i>” </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
–Ender's thoughts</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Ender's Game</i> by Orson Scott Card</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Bandages come off, nurses or doctor comes in, checks it out, bandages back on. Repeat. Tape on and off... all night long. My favorite line "This should only hurt a little bit."</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>4) My poor braincells. DAMN YOU FAMILY FEUD!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The TV was on to <i>Family Feud</i>. If any of you know <i>Family Feud</i>, it's been on so long that it's had 6 hosts since 1976. There are decades worth of the most obscure topics that you've ever seen. I felt I was both learning and killing brain cells at the same time. At least it killed time.</div>
<br />
<b>5) "You smell clean... like... sanitary!"</b><br />
<br />
The response from my awesome friend when I got back. Though I laughed it off, this reminded me of all the chemical smells of the hospital. All the disease, all the meticulous cleanliness, all the life, and all the death...<b> </b>all the cleaning products. Though you can leave the hospital the smells and memories never leave you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/090/7/8/Round_Hospital_Room_by_bezzalair.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/090/7/8/Round_Hospital_Room_by_bezzalair.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Hospital Rooms have that great ability to make you feel super clean and super creeped out at the same time.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.uiowa.edu/~calvin/image/cpc2727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lU_V_zzEm4s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-48240333810398885872012-09-14T08:48:00.002-07:002012-09-22T10:35:11.690-07:00Why I Need A New Brace and What Happened in ColoradoWhen I walk I use an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthotics#Ankle-foot_orthosis_.28AFO.29" target="_blank">AFO</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthotics#Ankle-foot_orthosis_.28AFO.29" target="_blank">Ankle Foot Orthosis</a>. (A fancy name for an ankle brace) This little shell of
plastic ends up doing more than its share of the work when I walk.
I'll lean on the front to hold myself up, take full
advantage of the small spring in my step that it gives me, and unintentionally bang it against nearly every object.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5eST12tv1Hs/UFK8K2hDDQI/AAAAAAAAAv0/nNwFx5WU48U/s1600/314152_441348132550910_1349444958_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5eST12tv1Hs/UFK8K2hDDQI/AAAAAAAAAv0/nNwFx5WU48U/s320/314152_441348132550910_1349444958_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>So True! Meanies!</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
While my old AFO has been good to me,
it's time to move on to a new brace. I always feel better if I have a
goal, something to work towards. And for the last year or so that
goal has been learning to master my current AFO. Now that I've pretty much
got that down, I'm finding myself getting comfortable again... and
therein lies the trap! Once I'm comfortable I don't work as hard and
I stop making progress, at least until I pick myself up and start
again. This happened with my wheelchair, <a href="http://www.cascadeorthotics.com/html/kafo-knee-ankle-orthosis.html" target="_blank">my KAFO</a>, and now this. It's time to push on before I start sliding backwards.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-at98PtctkRE/UFK8ai0GeFI/AAAAAAAAAv8/fVB6HInhrrg/s1600/img_thumb_254576294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-at98PtctkRE/UFK8ai0GeFI/AAAAAAAAAv8/fVB6HInhrrg/s1600/img_thumb_254576294.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>My new brace, the <a href="http://www.allardusa.com/dokument/toeoff.html" target="_blank">ToeOFF</a>. It's lightweight, it's cool looking, and it's something new to work on. What's not to love?</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The new brace is called the <a href="http://www.allardusa.com/dokument/toeoff.html" target="_blank">Toeoff</a>. It's got a sleek design, with only one very strong carbon
fiber cable on the side. It gives me support but far less than I'm
used to. The one feature that's vastly improved over my previous brace is
that it has increased spring in the ankle, which propels your body forward.
It's still hard to use and it will take a lot of practice but I'm
confident that just like all the others I'm going to master this too.
And I can guarantee that once I do my question will be, “What's
next?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I haven't written in several weeks for
a few reasons. First of all, I started school again; though my
university may not be the most prestigious in the world it still
offers challenging classes. Secondly, I visited Colorado for a week.
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.myonlinemaps.com/images/colorado-map.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://www.myonlinemaps.com/images/colorado-map.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>For those less geographically inclined, here's Colorado.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
My reasons for visiting Colorado are
purely personal. I've been wanting to return to Colorado since I left
there two years ago for medical reasons. My best friend had a baby a
few months ago, and I was named godfather. I wanted to be there more
than anything in the world but because I had continual health issues,
my trip was delayed several times. Now that I'm finally in the clear (mostly) I took off without
looking back.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg/300px-Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg/300px-Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>It was completely worth the hassle of going through TSA with a leg brace to see my friend and my godson.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Now 5 months old, my godson is now at
the point of learning how to crawl; he hasn't quite mastered the
skill yet but he's working his butt off. Because of a few issues that
arose when he was born, he has some muscle weakness on his left side.
His mother, taking my recovery as inspiration, threw herself into
physical therapy with him every day. And lo and behold... he's doing
just fine! He's healthy, happy, and excited to explore his new world.
Since it's likely that he'll need more PT and other services for some
of his life, his mom is keeping ahead, making sure that he's got the
best head start he can.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2d4TSfUCl_s/UFK94v10LLI/AAAAAAAAAwE/OU2PgU5w63Y/s1600/128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2d4TSfUCl_s/UFK94v10LLI/AAAAAAAAAwE/OU2PgU5w63Y/s320/128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>Om nom nom!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dollsfordaughters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/BCB_Logo_4Color_R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I also got to visit some of my favorite
food spots. Big City Burrito has a burrito that has
never been matched in my opinion. Luciles, a Cajun restaurant, had dishes and smells that just brought back memories.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dollsfordaughters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/BCB_Logo_4Color_R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://www.dollsfordaughters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/BCB_Logo_4Color_R.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A potato burrito with melted onions and cheese, rice, black beans, a ladle of chicken mole, corn salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and a drizzle of ranch. Perfecto!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I didn't see all the friends that I've
missed since I left but I saw a fair few. The rest will just have to wait until I
return in a couple of months. Sorry, but it's the best I can do.
Until then they and I will just have to make do with the
communication we have. This is the main reason my facebook is
unlikely to die anytime soon. All hail the mighty facebook...<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LsHC8Hwnh30" width="560"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-30933847907303332592012-08-12T13:21:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:35:32.077-08:00Phantom Equipment Syndrome<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For update on my health, skip to the bottom of the page.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a past post, I talked about what's
been nicknamed <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2011/01/phantom-wheel-syndrome.html" target="_blank">Phantom
Wheel Syndrome</a>. I was in a wheelchair for 2 years after my accident. I started
decreasing the amount I used it but I didn't give it up
entirely until this January. I had to
transition from the wheelchair to canes, and I found myself constantly reaching
for my wheels out of instinct... only to find them not there anymore.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Your brain makes a mental picture of your body, sometimes including certain pieces of equipment, like my wheelchair... until the wheelchair wasn't there anymore! My brain still had a mental wheelchair which it instinctively relied on. Think on that! </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm now having <u>Phantom Equipment
Syndrome</u>. I was equipped with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative-pressure_wound_therapy" target="_blank">V.A.C. Pump</a> that I had to carry
around in a bag, which was about the size of an Ipad. I'd remove the strap if I was sitting
or if I was in a car to relax my much abused back muscles. My first move whenever I sat up was to put the
strap back over my shoulder and go. Thankfully, the wound on my back has healed enough so that the pump is no longer necessary. Yesterday when
I got off the couch to go outside the first thing I did was reach
for my bag... only to find it not there anymore.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/KCI_Wound_Vac02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/KCI_Wound_Vac02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative-pressure_wound_therapy" target="_blank">V.A.C. pump</a> that's been traveling with me since May. Until one day... it wasn't. My brain still had a mental V.A.C. pump. Think on THAT!</i></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While not a limb, my equipment is a
constant part of my life in one form or anther. It's part of who I am
and for few months that bag around my shoulder was part of me. I
won't miss it (I named him <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_Games_%28movie%29#Plot" target="_blank">Cato from The Hunger Games</a>, take what you want
from that) but I will remember it. I can't say too much against it,
because there's always a possibility that I could end up using it in the future.
Hopefully not any time soon but I thought I'd escaped the vacuum pump
before. Only time will tell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Update:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/08/on-precipice.html" target="_blank">My previous post</a> on the possibility of
surgery turned out to be unnecessary. The only option at the time
was to put a drain into the large fluid engorged tissue above my
spinal hardware; we didn't end up doing this. They
attempted to use an ultrasound machine on the mound on my back to see if they
could find any fluid collections they could drain. They found one,
but with barely any pressure the collection fled into the tissue.
Unless a major fluid mass forms instead of the current fluid filled tissues,
the doctors won't touch it.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JCaUwFDaZOg/UCgJj5gm3II/AAAAAAAAAuw/-1xgDrk6PoM/s1600/adm_tst_thyroid_ultrasound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JCaUwFDaZOg/UCgJj5gm3II/AAAAAAAAAuw/-1xgDrk6PoM/s320/adm_tst_thyroid_ultrasound.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There's a great chance that all the fluid will be
absorbed by the body eventually. Until then I will have a weird
looking hump on my back. To accent this particular feature, below it is where the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative-pressure_wound_therapy" target="_blank">Wound V.A.C.</a> sucked out all the excess fluid; that skin is now sunken in, leaving my
whole back marked with interesting geography.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_17uwCbvomeU/TFRtIsPZosI/AAAAAAAAAtI/Gafd9GJmtbQ/s1600/hump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_17uwCbvomeU/TFRtIsPZosI/AAAAAAAAAtI/Gafd9GJmtbQ/s320/hump.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>"You know I'm a rather brilliant surgeon... perhaps I can help you with that hump." "What hump?" </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm otherwise healing up nicely, though I
won't be declaring “<a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/07/healing.html" target="_blank">Mission Accomplished</a>” again any time soon. I hope I heal up enough to go in a a pool or swim in
the bathtub warm waters of the inlet sound that surrounds our house out here in the
middle of nowhere. Who knows, these hopes and wishes might even come true.
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WbaWdyDipcw" width="560"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-8191873180751277742012-08-07T22:09:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:34:23.246-08:00On The PrecipiceI'm on the edge of another choice, one that is not up to me. After a week of doctor's appointments I'm left with the prospect of a few-minute procedure or hours of surgery. All this is in respect to the <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/abscess-or-why-i-hate-mris.html" target="_blank">bubble</a> that's been steadily forming on my back over the past few weeks. I've been patiently awaiting the verdict on whether I'll have another major surgery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.funnyjunksite.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/funnyjunksite_surgery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.funnyjunksite.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/funnyjunksite_surgery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To be fair, I have total faith in my surgeons. I just hope this isn't what they ask once I'm under.</i> </div>
<br />
The doctor I saw today was from plastics (plastic surgery). He recommended a <u>drain</u>, guided in to the correct spot with the help of an ultrasound machine. This would be a quick procedure and allow me to leave the very same day. On the other hand if the pockets of fluid that have been collecting in my back are dangerously close to anything vital, they will have to cut me open and clean out the area by hand. This would be far more invasive and keep me in pain for a much longer period.The decision over which route to choose is up to my neurosurgeon, who I see tomorrow.<br />
<br />
I thought having concrete answers over what my options were give me some piece of mind or clarity. I admit I'm freaking out less than I was and I'm slightly less frustrated. But that doesn't mean I like it. I feel like in a constant game of Marco-Polo with my doctors, always in search of the final solution. They shout their hints to give me a general direction but they don't tell me exactly where I'm going. It's frustrating, like I'm flying blind.<br />
<br />
But brooding over it won't change my fate. While it's true that I have the final say on any procedures done but I trust his decisions, since he's the one who rebuilt my spine from the ground up (not an exaggeration). So I value his word, his insight, and his wisdom. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't value an answer a little <b>sooner! </b>And if he chooses to abstain and not really give an opinion either way, <u>I'll be getting the drain in tomorrow</u>! Wish me luck.<br />
<br />testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-63377307358608609532012-08-04T14:50:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:32:49.215-08:00A Retraction (Sort Of)Here at The Turtle Walks I strive to set the bar high and keep the record as accurate as it can be, considering I write whenever I feel like and pretty much say whatever I please. So I want to hereby issue my first retraction. Okay, not really a retraction so much as an update. In my <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/07/healing.html" target="_blank">last entry</a> I talked about the bubbles on my back as well as the tunnels of fluid working their way through my back tissue. Thanks to the vacuum pump (<a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-wound-vac.htm" target="_blank">Wound VAC</a>) that I've had attached to me, the pockets of fluid had pretty much vanished and the wound had healed all but for a few cm's near the base of my spine.<br />
The problem? <b>A new bubble</b> has started rising out of the top of my back. <b>Again</b>! What does this mean? For one thing it means that I spoke too soon and
I'm not miraculously healed. The underlying infection in my back is
still active and giving me hell. <br />
<br />
I've just finished with the summer class I've been taking in New York and will be visiting with my doctors, surgeons, etc. in Baltimore at the beginning of this next week. The bubble takes a while to build up so it's not an immediate threat. This does mean that there is the chance of surgeries, major or minor, in my future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F_wgWEMMIQ4/UBzHKuM8bZI/AAAAAAAAAuc/0d_JrRAQ3DU/s1600/6a00d8341c59aa53ef00e5538bdd398834-800wi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F_wgWEMMIQ4/UBzHKuM8bZI/AAAAAAAAAuc/0d_JrRAQ3DU/s400/6a00d8341c59aa53ef00e5538bdd398834-800wi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He ain't kidding.</i></div>
<br />
While I'm not going to let this stop me I am a little sad. Not because I'm worried about surgery (14 and counting) or that it'll interfere with my life (just let something try). No, I'm sad because this means I won't be able to get in the water. While any wound on my back is open (as has been the case since March) I'm <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/02/return-to-water.html" target="_blank">not allowed to swim</a> lest I get further infections. Not counting the 2 weeks I was allowed to swim in late February into March, I haven't been allowed to swim since my back surgery last December.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dx4lurZ6mjk" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
Think about this: My symbol is a sea turtle. What do sea turtles do mere minutes after they hatch and for almost their entire lives. SWIM!!! I know eventually I'll be allowed to return to the water, but until then I'll just have to visit the water while I sleep. Sweet dreams...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DI5_sQ8O-7Y" width="560"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-6775832903877739872012-07-25T23:11:00.000-07:002012-08-08T14:48:56.056-07:00HealingNot to jinx myself but I'm healing
really well. <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/abscess-or-why-i-hate-mris.html" target="_blank">The hole in my back</a>, which has been plaguing me for
months, is finally closing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MAr1KJcfKvk/THHt6BiGZmI/AAAAAAAAAAk/R-qzyxg343M/s1600/Black+Hole+Movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_MAr1KJcfKvk/THHt6BiGZmI/AAAAAAAAAAk/R-qzyxg343M/s320/Black+Hole+Movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>How my medical issues seem sometimes. I keep trying to get away but they just suck me back in.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For those who haven't been following
along, a few months ago fluid had built up under my back from an
undetermined infection, forming a <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/03/abscess-or-why-i-hate-mris.html" target="_blank">zit-like bubble</a> an inch wide. There were several clinic visits and 2
inpatient surgeries on the pocket in an attempt to stem the build up
of fluid. After my last surgery
they put in a <a href="http://www.kci1.com/KCI1/sciencebehindwoundtherapy" target="_blank">vacuum pump</a> on my back to suck out any fluid that may
have formed underneath the surface. I've essentially been walking
around with an open wound for the past few months. Though it's annoying to be carrying around the car battery sized pump, I'm glad I had it. Fairly recently, due to/in spite of my surgeries, pockets of undermining (fluid filled
caverns in my back) that stretched as far as 20-30 cm in different
directions had formed underneath the surface. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8K7wOvP8vE/TeWOHSz904I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/dVmZnYyr1RE/s1600/BottomlessPit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N8K7wOvP8vE/TeWOHSz904I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/dVmZnYyr1RE/s400/BottomlessPit.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>Alright mine's not a bottomless pit but it's deep enough to screw with my life.</i> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Though the wound is not completely closed, all of the undermining has been sucked up! It should only be another week or
two before I'm allowed to be free from the tyranny of the vacuum
pump. The underlying infection, which may
possibly go all the way down to the metal hardware in my back, is being
suppressed with oral antibiotics. With any luck I'll be rid of it soon. In the meantime, those antibiotics should keep me from
developing any more <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/04/return-of-bubble.html" target="_blank">bubbles</a> (fingers crossed!).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/12/article-1199149-05AF03E0000005DC-989_634x581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/12/article-1199149-05AF03E0000005DC-989_634x581.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Aaaaaaaaand...<b> (pop</b></i><i>!) bubbles no more</i>!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This amazing healing is no doubt in
part to my complete lack of a social life all summer. I've been
getting up, walking, stretching, doing my exercises; but other than
school I don't get too far from our apartment. Even if I had people
to go see, after I am done with the studying my summer class I don't
really feel like doing anything except facebooking, watching shows from the 90's, and taking long naps. To say the least I've
been nice to my back and gotten plenty of rest. So here's for the
healing power of boredom.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oYWWBxuA2MU/TFCS8pwwgYI/AAAAAAAAgpk/wLSgn1bTBo0/s1600/Bookworm+baby+-+Adele+Enersen+-+GalleyCat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_oYWWBxuA2MU/TFCS8pwwgYI/AAAAAAAAgpk/wLSgn1bTBo0/s320/Bookworm+baby+-+Adele+Enersen+-+GalleyCat.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>A baby bookworm, taking a well deserved nap.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now if I would just heal up already! I
want to get back to being a brainless 20-something; this whole frail and sickly thing is getting old pretty fast. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hvXeUqlfxhY" width="560"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-50877397866517555022012-07-07T09:49:00.001-07:002023-01-28T15:30:52.636-08:00Back on CampusIn <a href="http://theturtlewalks.blogspot.com/2012/06/view-from-up-here.html" target="_blank">one of my last posts</a> I wrote I was traveling up to Albany, NY where I'm taking a summer class. If everything goes well I should be able to graduate in the spring. It is kind of bizarre being back on campus again, though besides the <i>gurgling</i> from the vacuum pump on my back my newest injuries haven't affected my class too much. At least the teacher always remembers my name.<br />
<br />
I've been doing a lot of walking lately to the different parts of campus. We park near my class but if I want to visit the library (which I do nearly every day) or go grab food at the cafeteria, it can be quite a hike. At my usual pace it takes me a while to get anywhere.<br />
<br />
One of my favorite lines when traveling with someone else is "I only have one pace, so SLOW DOWN!" I am usually yelling that at the backs of whomever I am walking with. This, in all honesty, isn't completely the truth. I have two speeds: turtle speed and turtle hyper speed. Turtle speed is about the pace of a lazy stroll to anyone else. It let's me focus on staying upright, contracting the muscles I'm supposed to (abs, glutes, leg muscles, back muscles, etc.), and walking in a more or less straight line. Turtle hyper speed is the speed akin to a slow speed walk. Like a spaceship on any sci-fi show, I can only manage this over short distances and it wears me out when I do.<br />
<br />
Recently, I've been practicing on these cross-campus journeys to try and maintain turtle hyper speed over longer distances. Only problem with this is that when I tire myself out I tend to catch my feet on things and I loose my balance. Which leads to me picking myself off the ground.<br />
<br />
It is good to be back doing something. I'm terrible at self-motivating but if I have something to work towards I am an over-achiever. So here's to new places to go and new goals to achieve. Just slow down for me, otherwise you'll be doing a lot of waiting while I'm working on my goals.<br />
<br />testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7923705796407447721.post-2488077299734036552012-07-01T21:32:00.001-07:002013-02-10T22:25:44.626-08:00A Story of Hope - How i RollI connected with this great guy through facebook. We contacted each other via facebook a while ago and we swapped stories. He posted <a href="http://www.howiroll.com/your-story/the-turtle-walks-peters-story/" target="_blank">my story</a> on his blog a few weeks back and I'm more than happy to return the favor. In his own words here is <a href="http://www.howiroll.com/my-story/" target="_blank">How I Roll</a> (check his blog out! It's a great resource for anyone new to a wheelchair):<br />
<br />
<br />
My name is Jacob. I’m 30 years old and live in West Palm Beach,
Florida. In a nutshell, this is the story about a defining moment in my
life.<br />
<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
February 4, 1982:</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Born in West Palm Beach, FL.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="make-relative no-float"><a href="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baby-pic2.jpg" rel="rokbox"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-909 aligncenter" height="207" src="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baby-pic2-300x207.jpg" title="baby pic" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
January 26, 1999:</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just like any other day, I arrived to homeroom 5-10
minutes late. All I heard was noise as the teacher, whose name I
couldn’t recall if my life depended on it, reamed me out for being late
to class, again. I could <i>hear</i> her perfectly fine, but chose not to <i>listen </i>to
the noise coming out of her mouth. I was a 16-year-old junior in high
school, who could have cared less about high school… I was more
interested in my new girlfriend and my hockey game that coming weekend.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And just like any other random day, after homeroom ended 2 friends and I decided to cut class 2<sup>nd</sup> period, as we’d done many times before. I’ll call the driver “Mike” and my other friend “Ryan” to explain the story. We
often parked in the faculty parking lot, so getting on and off campus
was a breeze. We decided to go to my house because nobody was home during
the day except my older brother. After playing Nintendo 64 for over an
hour (007 multi-player was sweet back in the 90′s), I had to get back to
school for a math test, which I had studied zero for. All 3 of us loaded
up into Mike’s 2 seater Ford F-150 (no extended cab) and headed back to
school, which was only 2 blocks away. At the last minute Ryan decided he
wanted to go home instead of school, so we dropped him off at home 2
blocks away.I vividly remember pulling up to his house and letting him
out of the truck. What I don’t remember is what happened shortly after. I
had hopped back into the car, and within 60 seconds my life was changed
forever, in an instant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mike and I were close, like brothers. Out of all my
friends, I trusted his driving skills more than anyone. But, on this day,
2 blocks away from our high school, he made a mistake, which ultimately
left me paralyzed from the waist down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I honestly don’t remember a single thing about the
car accident, absolutely nothing. I don’t remember being in pain, or
afraid, or bloody. Nothing… I learned later about what had happened from
eye witnesses on the road. Picture 2 lanes going each way. We were in the
left lane, cruising at 55-60 mph in a 45 mph zone. Witnesses stated our
car was riding extremely close to the rear bumper on the large flatbed
truck directly in front of us. Driving this close resulted in limited
vision around the sides of this flatbed truck. Mike then
decided he wanted to pass the slow flatbed in front of him. So he looked
in his right side mirror to see if he could get over into the right
lane. He didn’t see a single car next to him, so naturally started to get
into the right lane…. BANG!!! He slammed into a huge double entrance
community transit bus, which was stopped up ahead in the right lane
picking up passengers.He never saw the transit bus because of how close
he was to the flatbed directly in front of us in the left lane.Traveling
around 55 mph, the front right corner of our F-150 slammed into the
back left corner of the stopped bus.As a result of the impact speed, the
F-150’s front right tire was sheered off the axle. Mike
was wearing his seat-belt and had an airbag, while I had
neither.Furthermore, all the impact from the crash was on my front
side.The F-150 cabin was covered in blood, and all of it was coming from
my face, which had multiple cuts from slamming the windshield.The
impact was so great that the dashboard moved toward my chest, pinning me
between the console and my seat back. Keep in mind, the F-150 was not
an extended cab, therefore my seat-back couldn’t go back any further.
Mike says I was conscious and scared, throwing my arms around trying to
get loose. To keep me from further injuring myself, Mike wrapped his arms
around me to limit movement. I lost conscious shortly after.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="make-relative no-float"><a href="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/epson009.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-906 aligncenter" height="197" src="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/epson009-300x197.jpg" title="Wrecked F-150" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When paramedics arrived they had to use Jaws of
Life to slice open the damaged door. Once cut open, they are able to pull
me free. I was told months later by one of the rescuing paramedics that
they thought for sure my right eyeball was somewhere in the car, and
they spent time looking for it.I was Trauma Hawked (helicopter) to
Delray Medic Center. On the way to the hospital my heart stopped, and
needed to be resuscitated multiple times.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once at the hospital, they realized I had
internally torn my descending aorta from the blunt impact of the
crash. Very few people live through a torn descending aorta. Therefore,
the doctor began preparing for surgery prior to my parent’s arrival and
consent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as I was positively identified my parents
were contacted. They were told “Your son has been in a horrible car
accident, please come to Delray Medical Center immediately!”… This phone
call is absolutely every parent’s worst nightmare. I can only imagine
the fear that came over them. Keep in mind, the police officer who
contacted my parents said “your son”, never using my name. At the time,
my older brother had graduated high school and was still living at
home. I was supposed to be <i>in </i>school that day. My parents hung up
the phone thinking it was my older brother who’d been in the car
accident. The entire ride to the hospital they were paging my beeper
(yes, I thought I was cool and carried a beeper in the 90′s).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My girlfriend at the time was best friends with Mike’s (the driver’s) older sister. She
was a freshman in college, while I was a junior in high school, so we
attended different schools. She came to the hospital immediately once
she received word of the crash. My parents were already there,
frantically worried. They had seen me briefly while being wheeled into
surgery. Prior to surgery the doctor told them I had only a 3% chance of
survival. My girlfriend and mother began to cry when they saw each
other. While hugging, my mother said to her “Where is Jacob, why hasn’t
he returned our phone calls?!” It was in this moment my girlfriend
realized, my mother thought my brother was in the car accident, not
me. With tears in her eyes, my 18-year-old girlfriend had to clarify what
had happened.“ Janette, it wasn’t Brian who was in the accident, it was
Jacob.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After the surgery was finished security had to
clear the halls, which were cluttered with friends and family who had
received word of what happened. My girlfriend and best friends were
waiting in another branch of the hospital, away from the crowd. By
chance, to avoid the large number of people gathered in the halls, the
nurses decided to wheel me directly by my girlfriend and best
friends. Although I must deal with pain from a 1<sup>st</sup> person
perspective, I wasn’t conscious that day, and I can’t begin to imagine
the sadness they felt having to see someone they cared about in that
condition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="make-relative no-float"><a href="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/epson010.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-908 aligncenter" height="196" src="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/epson010-300x196.jpg" title="Hospital" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
January 29, 1999:</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
To perform the surgery I
was induced into a coma. Although the surgery itself lasted only 69
minutes, the coma lasted 3 days longer. In my mind I was asleep, at a
happy place deep in dreams…I remember thinking softly to myself, “This
is such an odd dream” as I chuckled. In the dream there were stickers and
wires all over my body. The wires were hooked up to monitors, and the
monitors were beeping.“Beep… Beep”. In this dream state I was amused,
therefore I proceed to remove the stickers from my chest. The next time I
arrived in this dream state my wrists were tied down. Keep in mind I was
unaware of the car accident, therefore unaware this was anything other
than a unique dream.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br />
Surrounded by family
and doctors, I regained consciousness 3 days after surgery. Like it
happened yesterday, I remember the doctor asking me “Can you touch your
fingertips to your thumb one at a time?” To which I replied, “Of course I
can doc”, mirroring his hand movements spot on, almost mocking him. And
like it was yesterday, I remember when he asked me “now can you move
your legs for me?” My brain began to reply, “Of course I can doc”, but my
legs remained silent and motionless. I was told of the accident the same
moment I began to realize my legs didn’t work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
As the truths began to
hit me like a ton of bricks, I subconsciously went to a safe place. I
detached to an asylum where the raw pain couldn’t hurt the last bit of
innocence I still had as a child. For the first few days I didn’t cry
once, emotionally unaffected by the trauma.I would smile, telling myself
it would “all be back to normal in a month or 2 tops”. Between the
doctors, family, and friends there was no time to reflect because I had
so many visitors each day. As hospital days slowly passed, it was the
silent nights alone I began to dread….</div>
<h3 id="" style="visibility: visible;">
</h3>
<h3 id="" style="visibility: visible;">
February 4, 1999:</h3>
I was transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital for 30 days of
in-patient physical rehabilitation therapy. During my stay at Jackson I
learned the necessary textbook fundamentals of my new life in a
wheelchair. Then, during my 8<sup>th</sup> night at Jackson Memorial I
broke down emotionally. Alone in my bed, in the still silence of the
night, I realized what had happened. Of all the things lost, the one that
could never possibly be given back was innocence. I could close my eyes
and dream about running again, but my innocence was taken forever. Then,
30 days later my stay at Jackson Memorial Hospital had come to an end. I remember being terrified as I slowly rolled my wheelchair toward the exit for the final time.<br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
March 4, 1999 to Present:</h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" id="" style="visibility: visible;">
</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="make-relative no-float"><a href="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/me-in-Central-Park-color.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-944" height="300" src="http://www.howiroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/me-in-Central-Park-color-199x300.jpg" title="Central Park " width="199" /></a></span><br />
</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>-</b>Returned to high school senior year and graduated with my class.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Accepted to The University of Florida.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Studied international business in Valencia, Spain for 2 months while attending college at UF.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Graduated with a 4-year degree in Business Administration from The University of Florida.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Started a profitable business dealing in residential and commercial real estate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Purchased a house in my hometown West Palm Beach, FL.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Met and married my wife Ana (aka “Ana Banana”).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been rambling on, probably boring whoever may
have gotten this far.I guess what I’m trying to say is, I made it. The
pain and fear could have easily swallowed me, alienating me from friends
and family, but I made it through. I dare you to rise to the challenge
if you’re a green (new) paraplegic and/or new to a wheelchair. Hopefully,
this blog can serve as an informative hub for anyone new to a
wheelchair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His blog is <a href="http://www.howiroll.com/my-story/" target="_blank">How i Roll</a> and if you made it this far you definitely NEED to give it a look. </div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NUbTW928sMU" width="420"></iframe>testhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593496553364055538noreply@blogger.com0