Likin' the crutches -

July 28, 2013

I went to church where Stephen and Leah talked a little about their upcoming journey to Kyrgyzstan.  I still can’t believe they’re moving there for a couple years to join some sort of chicken business.  Crazy!  

After that, we made our way out to the burbs for a party at pastor Joe Riccardi’s cousin’s house - Mike and Jackie.  They call it a Riccardi Party (pronounced Rikotty Potty, spoken loudly).  There were other family members there and lots of people from church.  Mike and Jackie are great.  They are all italian so we ate really, really, really well.  They have a great house with tons of games and activities in the backyard including monkey bars, a zip line, pickle ball on a tennis court, volleyball… probably more.  I got jealous of everyone playing sports so did a few pullups on the monkey bars (they are kid height), wheelchair with backpack and all!  It got a few laughs.   Wish I had a pic so you can believe me.

After dinner Joe went around and asked a few people to share their testimony.  When he asked me to talk, it went well until I mentioned the accident, then started sobbing a little.  I hate that.  Can’t control it.  I talked about how it has changed my life and how it’s frankly just terrible.  But also how it has brought me so much closer to God and how clear His plan is to me now.  I feel like that’s what it’s like - seeing God’s plan - it’s either blurry and foggy, or clearer and clearer.  I talked about how Rebecca and I had a plan that worked out very well for both God and us, but didn’t necessarily include much suffering for His sake.  It was a convenient arrangement.  And now that we are experiencing so much suffering, it is very clear to me how I can use the suffering to do His will.  I should also look at other ways to change my life so that I am really pushing my comfort levels to do His will, not just stuff that makes me feel good.

I am directly below the photographer here so you can’t see me.  The guy on the steps is talking about his story.  Another good one.

July 29, 2013

Therapy/training in the morning.  Now that Jeremy is gone, I get subs.  On this day I had Jillian.  Holy cow did she push me!  She started nicely asking if 30 minutes was okay on the treadmill.  I told her my records were 41 minutes and 0.52 miles and that we should try to break one of those or both.  Once she realized my attitude she kind of went nuts and we starting doing crazy stuff - walking backwards on the treadmill, interval training much more intensely than I had done before, and more that I’ll explain in a sec.  In the interval training I was doing 1.4 mph, which is a PR for me.  I was so exhausted by the walking backwards that I didn’t have tons of energy left.  And I wanted to try the crutches again, so I only went 1/3 of a mile.  

We went to the 9th floor where they have a sweet track system.  I think I already posted a video of that.  With the crutches I made it two laps this time, or 520 feet!  Definitely a PR for me.  Just two sessions prior I was barely able to make it back and forth a few time for probably less than 100 ft.  It’s nice to be getting the hang of it.  When I practice with the walker at home it seems lame now.  So 4 stars for Jillian.  Good day.

July 30, 2013

Today I headed to the burbs for a co-op board meeting for Papa John’s.  It was nice to see the guys again and talk kind marketing strategy for several hours straight.  Right up my alley.  Thanks to my dad for driving and I’m glad he got to hang out and see what the banter was like.  

After the meeting I had a series of work calls and then worked out at home.  The highlight was heading out to my first wheelchair sporting practice.  After hitting some balls they invited me to go with them this weekend to compete in Nebraska.  Kind of nuts consider I hadn’t even taken the field, yet.  But I think they are short on guys or something.  I had to say no since it’ll be my birthday and we are going to an event with the Bears on Saturday where I’ll be representing PJs.  Here’s a pic of the field:

It’s kind of cool - sponsored by the Cubs and the Chicago Park District.  It even has a scoreboard.  You use specialized chairs, too (thanks, RIC), that have slanted wheels for quick spinning and speed and they can’t tip back at all.  There’s a bar that goes around the front in case you ram each other trying to make it to a base!  Crazy!  Can’t wait to get into this stuff more.  Apparently wheelchair rugby is pretty intense.  Sled hockey just SOUNDS cool.

That’s about it.  Great couple of days.  

God bless!

G’night - 
Chip

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Getting a little more confident with the crutches.  I made it 520 feet today on them.  And that was after 1/3 of a mile on the treadmill.

Jealousy vs. Appreciation

Yesterday in training the crutches went much smoother.  Much like with the walker, it’s going to be easier and easier with the more confidence I gain.  Wednesday I just walked back and forth a few times before I was exhausted (see the video I just posted).  Yesterday (Friday), I walked back and forth for a while, had a conversation with Jeremy while doing it, and he also had me try a side-stepping exercise.  The side-stepping was extremely hard due to the “tone” in my groin muscles.  When my legs lock out (which allows me to stand and walk), my feet also like to act like magnets to each other.  So side-stepping was a challenge.  The plus is that after that, walking normally seemed like a breeze.  

Yesterday was Jeremy’s last day.  He definitely helped me a lot these last several weeks.  I’ll be interested to see who fills in for him.  He’s headed up to Ravenswood for the RIC therapy center there, where he’ll be one of just 3 therapists.  

I didn’t mention in my last post that I walked (with walker) from my apartment all the way to Bar on Buena.  It’s not a record for distance, but it’s the first time I’d walked outside of the building.  I encountered uneven sidewalks like in Michigan, but also very steep corners into intersections that are even hard in a wheelchair.  I also went across a high traffic crosswalk (across Broadway) for the first time.  I ALMOST made it across before the light turned green again.  Almost.  Thank you Erik, for spotting me. 

Worth noting from the walk is that 3 separate people all encouraged me along the way.  One woman on a porch across the street was talking on her cell and stopped to say, “You’re doing great!  You got it!”  A car was driving by and the driver yelled out the window, “Nice job! Keep going!” and a guy walking the opposite direction on crutches stopped to fist bump me.  He also said a prayer in arabic.  I’m assuming he’s muslim.  I said a quick prayer for him, as well.  I have a feeling we had a mutual understanding that we were from different religions and also that we didn’t mind.  Pretty cool.  

Last night we saw a show at Second City with Emily and Ryan, who was in from North Dakota.  It was really hilarious.  I was a little bummed because the show coincided with a talk by John Piper at Moody that I really wanted to see.  Next time, I guess.  

On the way out of Second City, I was waiting on the crew at the bottom of the escalator.  They had all gone to the bathroom.  All the other people were leaving the theater and going down the escalator.  I had to take the elevator - normally I’d take the escalator but it was too narrow for my wheelchair.  It’s always a great reaction from people when I jump on, though!

All these people were heading down - couples, groups of friends, etc.  Some were clearly heading home and some were gearing up for a night out.  I got jealous again.  I watched them effortlessly hop off the escalator, bounce around, goof off, boys chasing their girls, doing dips on the escalator, etc.  It was kind of hard.  I’m getting used to it, but at the same time you never really get used to it.  

I am realizing I have a much greater respect for the human body now.  Whereas before I would just be jealous and get angry when I saw people walking/running/biking/whatever, now I see their muscles and am in awe.  I still get jealous, but it’s also now more an appreciation of movement.  Watching people walk, move their legs while sitting - watching the muscles flex so effortlessly….  it’s really quite beautiful.  For me, moving a leg is like heavy weightlifting.  I know, because I used to do a lot of weightlifting.  It’s exactly like that - grunting, straining, pushing… I see my calf muscle flex just a LITTLE BIT and it’s exhilarating.  Then I head out to Michigan Ave to hop on the bus and the strangest things amaze me now.  If someone stands on their tip-toes to get a better view, they come across as an expert gymnast to me.  God really created something beautiful in the human body.  Now I get more upset when I see people NOT using this gift.  If I had my legs fully return to normal, I’d be overcommitting myself to all kinds of activities.  I get frustrated when I see people that don’t really appreciate what they have.  

When Jeremy left he said he hoped to see me around town and that if he saw me in a year, I’d probably be…. (he paused, being careful what to say) on my feet.  I knew what he meant and that he was just being careful with his words.  Liability and all that.  I told him I hoped he was right!  I hope I can walk again.  I am not accepting anything less than that right now.

Dear Lord, please give me strength, healing, wisdom, and energy.  Fill me with Your holy spirit.  Be with Kurt and his family as his mother just passed away.  Give us all a clearer path so that we know we are correctly following Your will.  Thank You for my life.  Thank You for my determination.  I love you, Lord.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

Have a great weekend - 

Chip

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Stumbling around with my first real attempt at crutches while wearing AFOs.  I’ve already gotten better since this jittery run.

Crutches (again)...

Yesterday in therapy I tried forearm crutches for the first time since one of the last days as an inpatient.  It went way better.  I don’t know if it was my increased strength or moving from KAFOs to AFOs.  Either way, it’s still very hard, but now doable.  I’ve gotten pretty good with the walker but the walker doesn’t mimic a regular gait very well.  Hopefully moving towards crutches will make my gait better and also allow me more flexibility with where I go.  For instance, STAIRS!  I also practiced stepping up and down a 4” block in therapy.  And up to a 6” block.  A regular step is 8” so I am getting close.  I think I could probably do it - it would just be extremely hard and slow going.  Chances are I’ll get my shot at it in Kentucky when I go home in a few weeks.

I met with Peggy after therapy.  She’s on the board of the RIC.  We had talked a few times before and I had expressed my interest in getting involved however I can.  It looks like there’s a chance I can give a talk to current inpatients about what it’s like a couple months after leaving the RIC.  Also I’ll hopefully be joining the associate board which raises awareness and funds for spinal cord injuries and the RIC.  Pretty excited about both aspects of that!

Work in the afternoon, then small group at night.  That’s about it.  My dad headed back to KY for the weekend this morning.

Today was interesting.  I had an ultrasound done at the request of Dr. Anschel to learn more about my bladder and kidneys.  I’ll find out Monday.  They let me know it would be about $500 out of my pocket.  Yay!  Hopefully the estimate is overblown. 

After that I worked out at the RIC gym for a bit.  I met a couple new guys that are my age.  One guy I thought was recently injured since he was an inpatient at the same time as me.  Just on a different floor.  His name is Ali.  It turns out he was injured 10 years ago and is just now gaining some walking function.  Kind of threw me that he had been struggling for so long…

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me strength.  Please give me more strength.  Dear Lord, thank You for giving me wisdom.  Please give me more wisdom.  Dear Lord, thank You for healing me.  Please keep healing me.  Do the same for those that seek you.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

G’night, 

Chip

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The NuStep machine at the RIC gym.  I can go without using my arms for about a minute before I get exhausted.  This looks like heavy settings but it’s the easiest setting there is.  

Many firsts and new PRs -

It’s been a week since my last post.  I’ll try to keep this from turning into a novel, but a lot has happened.

I believe it was Tuesday last week where I left off.  

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Wednesday morning I did some tough training on the treadmill followed by some stretching and strengthening on the mat.  That seems to be the standard now so I won’t bore you with the details.  

That night I had small group at my place.  We are working through Acts.  Per usual, good conversation and reflection on the word.  

Thursday, July 18, 2013

I had my second appointment at the RIC gym.  They assessed my strengths and goals in the first session.  So in this meeting, theycame up with a training program for me and walked me through it.  Lots of arm work but also some good leg strengthening and cardio. 

My dad and I were lucky enough to meet up with the Halls for lunch at D4, close to RIC.  Jim and Connie were the ones that really, really made it easy for my parents to stick around in Chicago when I was hurt.  Let’s just say they have a LOT of Marriott points.  On top of that, Connie rounded up about 90 other people to also donate points.  So my parents were able to stay in a nice hotel suite room for something close to 2 months.  Crazy!

After meeting with the Halls I headed back to the gym to try out that workout plan.  Not bad.  Nice to vary it up a bit.  

Friday, July 19, 2013

Rebecca and I got up early to head to Alma, Michigan, with Leah, Stephen, and Chris.  It was my first time out of town since the injury.  My parents were texting and emailing prayers and thoughts since they were so anxious (unnecessarily so…).  

On the way there we had a lunch pitstop at Founder’s Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Great sandwiches and… beer.

The dark beer was good.  The light beer was not.

We got to Alma in time for dinner with the sisters.  Oh, right, so yeah, Rebecca’s sister Beth, now known as Sister Mary Benedicta, is a “sister” (they prefer “sister” to “nun”… fun fact). Alma is the home of the Sisters of Mercy, who are an amazing bunch of women.  Seriously, they are perpetually smiling, laughing, and just enjoying every aspect life has to offer.  

After dinner Rebecca walked with me outside on the sidewalk.  It was uneven, went up and down, and also there was a small step into the house where we stayed.  It was a great challenge, but nothing compared to what I did the next day.  I probably walked over 1000 ft that night… no idea, really.  

Saturday, July 20, 2013

We headed out to Midforest, Michigan, where Mother Mary Quentin’s family had a fair amount of land, complete with a small house on the lake, ATVs (like 6), and huge floats on the lake (trampoline, log…???).  

I can’t even describe how hilarious and fun it was to participate in all of this.  It seems not so long ago that I was barely able to do anything in the hospital.  

After a bite for lunch, the girls went kayaking while the guys got on the ATVs for a good 2 hours.  We went everywhere!  I had a bit of a hard time getting on the thing but after that it wasn’t so bad.  I stayed on just fine.  

Here’s my favorite pic of the day:

That’s at the top of “blueberry hill”, where the sisters picked some tiny blueberries for us to eat on the spot.  Pretty nice view of the area from up there, too.  I seriously can’t believe this even happened!  Hahaha I love that picture…

We got back from ATVing and the girls were anxious to try it out.  They went for a while and I strategized about how to get into the lake.  One of the sisters suggested I go to the end of the dock and kind of climb down into the lake.  I opted for walking slowly down the sand bank with my walker.  It seemed to work alright.  I “swam” (meaning backstroke with a noodle underneath) out to the inflatable trampoline and log.  There was a large floating mat which I climbed onto.  It wasn’t that comfortable but every time I got into the water these tiny fish kept nibbling at me!  

The mat gave me a good view of what became a contest for everyone else to see how far they could run down the log.  Unassisted, I think Stephen won.  Assisted (Stephen holding the end steady), Chris almost ran the whole way.  I wish I had a pic of Stephen taking 4 steps and then landing on his crotch before bouncing into the water.  Pretty hilarious.

I swam back and was handed my walker to get out of the water.  I had to get up on my knees, then was happily able to kick my right leg forward so that I could stand.  From there it was a short walk to my wheelchair just past the water where an entourage of people got me back to dry land.  Pretty great and fun.  Again, wish I had a pic of that!

Dinner, then back to Alma.  Mother Mary Quentin (she is AWESOME) told me about her nephew that had an accident when he was 21 and is now a quadriplegic.  I didn’t get to meet him but he sounds incredible.  Apparently he now runs a therapy center for others with disabilities.  I also learned later that he barely moved at all for the first 9 months.  He was able to walk with a walker after 3-4 years of therapy.  YEARS!  This is going to be a long road of recovery.  Maybe life long.  The encouraging part is that I’m not even 4 months post-injury and am already walking around quite a bit.  

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Mass at 10am.  Going to Park, it is definitely interesting to participate in a Mass service.  This was definitely what I would call a “pure” service.  Bible readings, songs, more readings, prayers, and that’s it.  Short and simple.  No real “message”/sermon like I am used to hearing.  Pretty interesting.

I decided to walk the way to the small building where we were to have lunch with the sisters.  Everyone joined me which was pretty cool.  The best was walking in the middle of the road to cover the gap where there was no sidewalk. 

After lunch I walked back, as well.  I looked it up later - it was about 2300 ft in total, pretty much crushing my previous walker PR of 1700 ft. 

We headed home and grabbed a deal at Piece to take back to the apartment.  Long day.  

Monday, July 22, 2013

Jeremy is transferring out of the downtown RIC location, so with his transition I got two new therapists yesterday in Sara and another with an ethnic name I can’t recall.  It was great to vary it up a little.  On the treadmill we did interval training (with walking… I know), and the strength training was good stuff.  I can definitely tell my left leg, while still way weaker than the right leg, is slowly getting stronger.  

I was in a sour mood all morning from not getting any sleep after a long weekend.  Sorry for being so grumpy to you, dad.  Luckily I worked in a nap after therapy and was able to get some much needed sleep Monday night.  

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

After getting some good sleep, I got up and headed to Dollop with Rebecca to do some work.  Then I headed to a brunch meeting with Steve at Melrose Diner.  Steve and I typically would meet once a week for brunch there to discuss everything with the business, but we really hadn’t officially done this since my accident.  It was great to be back there.  I transferred over to the booth seat and had my usual feta and spinach omelette covered in salsa.  Delicious.  And we got some great work done.

I jumped on the bus and headed to the RIC gym to workout.  I like the new routine.  It takes about 1.5 hours to complete with all the leg work.  It is going to be a great complement to all the walking I’m doing.  The NuStep machine is pretty awesome, too.  It’s perfect for me to strengthen my legs.  I’ll post a video in a sec of me using nothing but legs on it.  

More work after that and here I am typing this much-delayed blog entry.  

Thank you so much if you have sent me a card.  Some of you have sent me LOTS of cards (you know who you are…).  Aunt Cha, you are the winner.  My aunt Cha sends hilarious “blurbs” all the time, such as, “I can only please one person per day.  Today is not your day.  Tomorrow doesn’t look good, either.”  She’s so funny.

Thank you so much for the prayers.  Thank you, Sisters of Mercy, for an amazing weekend and also for all your support and prayers.  

Thank you all.  I feel very blessed.  This is an extremely long and difficult ordeal but I feel very loved and supported by so many loving and caring people that have entered my life.  I am starting to believe that this accident was a blessing.  

G’night!
Chip

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A little assistance with my stride…

July 16 - So tired

I am completely exhausted these last couple days.  Definitely need more rest.  

Yesterday I got up and went to therapy where Jeremy immediately put me on the treadmill.  He really pushed me, which was awesome.  I am hurting now, though.  I did 4 rounds of 10 minutes on the treadmill.  The first round he pushed me up to .9 mph, gradually.  The second round he used this contraption that pulled my feet a little via strings attached to thick rubber bands.  I got up to 1.3 mph that way.  The 3rd and 4th rounds I got up to 1.1 mph.  I went an extra minute at the end for the heck of it, totaling 41 minutes and 0.52 miles!  I was psyched to have gone half a mile.  New PRs for both time and distance.

Last night I joined up with Rebecca, Eli and Jenny at the free concert at Pritzker Pavilion.  

The concert was fun but the main thing I’m happy about was that I successfully attempted getting down onto the grass without assistance.  I hadn’t tried that, yet.  Even better was getting back into my wheelchair from the ground.  It was hard but still, happy to do it without help!

This morning was just a visit with Dr. Anschel to see how things were going.  All is well.  

Tonight a group of us are headed to the Book of Mormon downtown.  I am pretty psyched about it as there have been pretty awesome reviews.  Plus I’ll be sitting in a regular seat, which should hopefully feel good.

Other than that, trying to get more and more back into work.  It’s hard to balance things with how long it takes me to do things and also all the time I have committed to my recovery.  

Dear Lord, please give me strength, wisdom, and guidance. Please heal me and allow me to walk again.  Please be with those in similar situations.  Please be with my family and friends and ease their minds when it comes to my well-being.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Chip

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Tony and I taking a stroll during a rooftop grill party Rebecca and I had today.

Renewed Vigor

Time since I’ve worn the brace (at all): a week

Time since living at RIC: a little over a month

My back is stronger and stronger.  At first I needed to use the back of the brace in my wheelchair since the backrest is terrible.  But now I don’t even need that.  It pretty much sits in my closet, right where I like it.  

I’ve changed up how I walk now that I have AFOs.  Each step, I try to focus my energy into flexing the right muscles in each leg.  Now that I can bend my knees when I walk, I can focus on the quads, straighten the leg, then try pushing off with the foot and calf.  The lifting and bending of the leg is much, much harder.  They still stay pretty straight.  If I go super slow I can bend the right leg in the air.  My steps are more sure, now.  I rarely clank the metal parts against each other and I don’t “hop” unless I’m going faster.  Yesterday I split up the workout into two sessions and set a new PR of 1700 ft.  Pretty happy since that was with AFOs but I still want to do more and focus on my form; bend the legs more.

I think I’m gonna try going up stairs soon.  I saw on youtube how to do it in a wheelchair, too.  I’ll probably just try both - with just AFOs and with the wheelchair.  It’ll take a little planning to make sure I don’t risk anything - so we’ll see.  Sometime this coming week, maybe.

Right now I’m in the middle of something like 5-6 books.  I’ve always been one to read a book until it’s finished so this is weird.  So when I added yet another book to the mix the other day, I decided to plow through it.  It’s called Rise and Walk by Dennis Byrd.  He’s the Jets player that was paralyzed from a huge hit into another teammate in 1992.  He doesn’t have the same injury as me (he is C5, I am T12) and it seems his spinal cord wasn’t damaged as much, but it was still a good read.  And motivational.  The way he played football and the way he trained was in a way to make sure there was nobody out there doing as much as he was.  My favorite part is how in high school he wanted to practice hitting, so he but a wooden post in his yard and just get hitting it for hours until he was bleeding, exhausted, and crying.  There’s a movie about him out there, too… I think I watched it forever ago.  

Dennis had amazing faith in God all throughout his injury, which resonates with me.  It made it far easier for him to push himself in therapy, to go about daily life, etc.  Same as me.  And, similar to me, even with all that, he still had extremely trying days and felt bouts of depression and loss.  

His recovery sounds much like Ivan’s, an inpatient with me I may have mentioned that came here from Panama to get the finest care.  Ivan was also a higher level injury, but it was what they call central cord syndrome. It means the center of the cord is damaged more than the outside.  Really rare, but the result is that the return in the legs is more than the upper body.  Both people mentioned have upper body return, as well, but they were able to walk with just a walker after just a couple months.  Also it’s natural walking, not like me where my tone helps out a ton.  Mark Stephan, the cool guy I mentioned on RIC’s board, has the same thing.  

There was a really good quote that Dennis attributed to Arthur Ashe.  It was his best example of how to respond when people say, “Why me?”  It’s the most troublesome, deep, question that is asked by patients of all severe illnesses and injuries.  Why me?  Why did this have to happen to me?  Why didn’t it happen to the jerk down the street?  Arthur was ranked #1 in tennis in 1968.  Later he had heart bypass surgery where he contracted HIV during a blood transfusion.  There are two things I think about when this question comes up now:

1. Arthur’s response, “If I say “Why me?’ then I’ve got to say ‘Why me?’ about all the good things that have happened in my life.”


2. God knew I had the strength and faith to get through this and be that much stronger for it and better-suited to do His will.  

Thanks to this book, I am once again motivated to try that much harder in my recovery.  I can do more.  I will do more.  I will walk again.  Heck, I’m already walking, just really slow and not entirely of my own accord.  

Anyway, some people are coming over soon and I need to make a run to Jewel to get some food to grill and whatnot.  Some of the folks coming over were inpatients at RIC with me!  Tony, Kip, maybe Jayme… I’m psyched to see them!  I hope you all have a great Sunday!

Chip

 

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This is the monthly checkup to see if I am getting stronger.  I am.  My left leg is definitely getting stronger, too, which is huge for me.

Stronger

"You don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." - Bob Marley

Yesterday at RIC I had my monthly assessment.  It’s hard to believe I’ve been in my apartment and an outpatient for a full month!  She retested all my muscles (different from the ASIA test) and gave me scores like 4-, 3+, etc. The best you can do is a 5, which means normal, basically.  I had lots of 3+’s and 4-’s in my right leg and 2-’s in my left leg.  All that really matters is that all but two of my muscles got stronger over the past month in BOTH legs.  So that’s really good news.  I just pray it continues.  Thank you all for your prayers.  I believe in them and I believe they are helping me.  Truly.  I’ll post a video in a sec.

After the assessment, Tiffany got me up on the treadmill again (shocker).  We focused on form and which hand to put pressure on, when to shift weight, etc.  It’s like golf in trying to focus on 10 things at the same time.  Surprising considering I’m just trying to walk right but there ya go.  

The new goal is to try out crutches in 2-3 weeks.  Crutches are more maneuverable than a walker and also helps practice a more natural gait.  She expects me to progress enough in the next few weeks to be ready for that.  I hope.  

No hands!  We practiced standing, flexing each quad (come on left leg…), and stepping.  I was exhausted when it was time to do some stretching.  That’s good.  I don’t like finishing without being exhausted.  Feels like you left something on the table when you do that.  

The other kind of cool news is that Sara and Jason from 7 might use my videos and story as an example to inpatients.  The idea and hope would be that it would encourage them to put in that extra effort in order to progress.  Really cool and I hope to help however possible in that way.  

Separate friends Dan and Eli (as in, they didn’t know each other) both came from Cali yesterday so got to hang with them a bit.  We all grilled out on the roof last night and enjoyed a little Makers.  Good times.  I have no idea why there weren’t more people on the roof.  It was great weather and a great sunset.  

Off to brunch for me, then more working out with the AFOs.  I hope everyone has an amazing weekend.

Much love - 

Chip

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Walking with the walker in the pool - going backwards here.  

Another day, another walk

Yesterday at RIC started in the pool with Kelly, who I hadn’t met before.  She pushed me to use the walker and also do some side stepping, which combined works all the muscle groups in my legs.  I’ll post a video of walking backwards in a sec.  

In therapy/training (I prefer calling it training but am afraid I’ll confuse people) with Tiffany, I walked on the treadmill for a while then did some stretching and strengthening exercises.  Good workout - I was pooped afterwards.  

Last night my parents, Rebecca and I grilled out on the rooftop of my apartment building and then played some Rummikub.  Good times.  

While my mom and Rebecca were up in the apartment, my dad and I had a good talk about things.  I had been feeling pretty down the last few days.  While my parents and Rebecca were encouraged by how I had spent so much of the day using my walker instead of the wheelchair, all I saw was the prospect of a very difficult life.  I don’t want every small task to be a workout, but that’s the way it is right now.  

Anyway, my dad gave me a good inspirational talk.  He told me how I could (and should) use this as an opportunity to be an advocate for others who are going through the same thing.  While he was talking, a song was playing on my iPad and it couldn’t have been more prophetic.  Only certain people like this type of music, but I like it and the message was perfect for the discussion.  Flux Pavilion’s “I Can’t Stop”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q9rewnLFYw

Well it’s a rollercoaster of emotion with me but I’m once again motivated.  I want to make a difference in this world.  As I’ve said before, hopefully what happened to me will allow me to have MORE of an impact on the world, not less.  The only way that makes sense is if I use what’s happened to me as a way of impact.  I will.  I just have to figure it out.

God bless and g’night!

Chip 

New Steps

"Life has meaning only in the struggle.
Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the gods.
So let us celebrate the struggle.” - Swahili warrior song

I’m not a Swahili warrior.  And I also am not polytheistic.  But this is a good quote, at least for me. 

The last couple days have been big for me in my training.  And also sad in my home.  I made strides with training but we had to make a tough decision with Goldie, the foster dog we had for about 10 days.

Yesterday, therapy went well and as planned, Vari came down from orthotics and saw me walk for a couple seconds before taking my KAFOs to chop them down.  So I no longer have KAFOs, but AFOs.  Some spinal cord injuries never get to this point so I’m ecstatic!  The AFOs are vastly easier to put on - I just cross my leg and put them on the same way I put on shoes.  It’s great.  Walking with them is actually a fair amount harder since a) my knees bend, lessening stability and requiring more actual muscle work and b) I can’t just rest on them when I stand.  These are good things, because it will force me to work harder and use more muscles all around.  

Another sweet benefit of the AFOs is sitting down.  Instead of my legs staying straight, they bend at the knee and I can sit down much more normally, or rather, less awkwardly.  That means I can pretty much wear them all day and walk when needed. 

Today we had to take Goldie back to PAWS.  The impending loss of our canine friend created sadness and a fair amount of tension between me and Rebecca.  Neither of us wanted to part ways with her, but we decided we weren’t really ready for it and also that a dog like Goldie would be better-suited in a house with a yard.  The result was that we were upset we didn’t have a house with a yard.

My parents went with us and my mom suggested that I try not using my wheelchair and try out my AFOs in full force.  So I left my wheelchair at home, walked down the halls and out to the car, transferred to the car from the walker, etc.  It was a first and very difficult but nice to not feel tethered to the chair on wheels.  

After dropping off Goldie we went to grab a bite close to wear Rebecca needed to babysit for my good friends Ron and Iliana.  Their kids are Miela and Henry - both are pretty awesome and really smart.  Anyway I needed to go to the bathroom (aka cath) and after getting out of the car and into the restaurant - an effort in itself - found out that the bathroom was actually in the adjoining hotel.  Oh yeah, and on the 2nd floor down a hall.  So instead of sitting down to eat, I got my second workout of the day just going to the bathroom.  At least it went well without the wheelchair.  

I got back in time to order and for Rebecca to leave.  Not long after leaving, though, she came back with Miela and Henry to say hi.  Miela was rocking what looked like some crazy, glittery Converse, knee-high boots.  Pretty awesome haha… Henry showed off his knowledge of human anatomy by pointing to ears, eyes, nose, hair, etc.  He’s barely 2, so it was impressive.  The restaurant I think felt bad about my bathroom journey so they gave us some warmed up chocolate chip cookies which made it all worth it.  Henry seemed to think so, at least. 

Here’s a pic of me getting back in the car to head home. 

Good times.  By the time I got home I was so tired I actually missed my wheelchair, something I thought would never happen.

My parents and I just watched the sunset on the roof here with a couple glasses of Makers Mark.  As much as it may seem that I am enduring something extremely difficult, my life is still ridiculously blessed.  

My great aunt Dot turned 87 today.  Happy birthday, aunt Dot!  She has been an extremely positive person for as long as I can remember.  I don’t remember her ever doing anything but smiling and offering to cook me something delicious like fried catfish, hushpuppies, or something of the like.  Apparently she has a group of friends she plays cards with and she’s the “young” one.  At 87!  So awesome.  

G’night!

Chip

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First time attempting a step.  This one is 4”.  A typical stair step is 8”.  Good times.

July 6/7 - Weekend good times

My main problem this weekend was not having enough energy to do all that was available to me.  Good problem to have!  

Yesterday I walked around on my KAFOs while Rebecca’s brothers grilled on the rooftop here.  Since I had two strong guys close by, I successfully attempted walking up and down a few ramps.  That was a new one for me.  And I also stepped down from a raised area.  Really hard to do when you can’t bend your knees!  I’m very much looking forward to tomorrow when I can get my KAFOs (knee-ankle-foot-orthotics) turned in to AFOs (nothing above the calf).  That is huge for two major reasons (at minimum):

• I will be able to put them on in 1/10th of the time.  Just like putting on shoes.


• I will be able to sit down easily with them.  The KAFOs require my legs to stay straight when I sit down and are really hard to unlock.  

The second one means I should be able to strap them on and use them at various times throughout the day without much trouble.  Very happy about that.  

After grilling out we jumped in the car and headed downtown to listen to the Chicago Symphony play in Grant Park.  I love doing that and still can’t believe it’s free.  We had the whole spread of cheese, wine, beer and also took full advantage of my handicap parking tag.  I may have to get a car considering metered parking is free with that thing.  Apparently for $200 I can get a device that lets me drive entirely with my hands.  We’ll see. 

Today after church Pastor Joe Riccardi and a couple elders anointed me and prayed over me with Rebecca, Stephen, Leah, Brandon, Emily, and Chris.  It was really powerful and moved me way more than I anticipated.  It was straight out of James 5:14-16:

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Before they prayed over me I confessed that I struggled with pride - in many ways, but there are currently two main ways pride gets me.  1) When I make progress I want to believe it’s my own doing and not God’s, which isn’t true.  2) I am too prideful to accept help.  Or when I do accept help, it really bothers me.  I hate being a burden to others or negatively impacting others’ lives.  So I need to humble myself and accept my current situation as one that needs help and assistance at times.  

Overall the anointing was one of the most powerful things I’ve experienced since being injured.  I’ll be honest and say that while Rebecca and I were out walking the dog tonight I tried just standing up out of my wheelchair to see if my faith was strong enough to heal me.  My right leg surprisingly kicked out easily, but when I tried to stand… not so much luck there!  Healing comes in many ways.  I wonder how God will heal me.  

After that we went to the Cubs game, where I was very surprised to see how great the handicapped seating was.  We had a great view of left-center field and my friends all had folding chairs.  Erik joined the crew for that and we ran into some other friends at the ballpark.  Really fun and as a bonus the Cubs actually won!

My mom came in tonight.  She’ll be here for a few days.  Therapy is in the morning and considering she hasn’t seen anything but this blog for about a month, it’ll be interesting to see her reaction to my progress.  Also, thanks to the generosity of people that probably read this, we have several restaurant gift cards to use!  Thanks!  I’m not that big of a fan of McDonald’s but that’s alright!  Kidding - they are to nice places. 

I think we are taking Goldie back to PAWS tomorrow.  Kind of depressing.

I love you all.

G’night

Chip

July 4/5 - KAFOs/AFOs

Helen Keller: “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” 

Yesterday was a good day.  The 4th of July, after all!  After researching and not finding anything about fireworks on Montrose Beach, very close to my apartment, Rebecca and I decided to head downtown and meet up with friends at an apartment in Streeterville, with an amazing view of the fireworks.  They also had great Sangria, Caipirinhas, and BBQ.  A true american hodgepodge of cultures and traditions.  What we didn’t think about was the insane amount of people headed to Navy Pier for the fireworks.  The bus took an hour to get there.  Once there, throngs of people were told by police that the Navy Pier was at capacity and to find a place to watch the fireworks elsewhere.  I didn’t even know that was possible!  But it was a good night.  

Earlier in the day, after a late brunch, I hit a new record with my KAFOs, walking about 1400 ft.  Rebecca and Goldie walked around the roof while I worked out and made some new friends.  

This morning, after not a ton of sleep (thank you for pooping your Cage again, Goldie), I got to therapy at 9am and jumped (read: slid) into the pool for a workout with Jeremy.  He had me walk around mostly, but also some stretches for back and hips and some strength exercises.  

After drying off and changing, I met with Tiffany for some treadmill training.  I mentioned how I had gone 1400 or so ft with my KAFOs.  She asked if I took breaks or had supervision.  No, unless you count standing as a break and Rebecca and a dog 200 ft. away as supervision.  Then, a first - she told me that she was watching the way I was walking and didn’t want to change anything.  I disagreed - I’d like to change a number of things, such as getting rid of the treadmill, AFOs, and having far more strength in my legs!  

I noticed she was recording me with her iPhone (without permission.. cough, cough… just kidding Tiffany!).  She said she wanted to compare my form with a normal gait (i.e. fully-functional person walking).  After 25 minutes there we did some single-leg half squats in the parallel bars and then some stretching and strengthening.  Rebecca surprised me and showed up for the last 20-30 minutes to watch and join me for lunch.  

Later on, I got a voicemail from Tiffany.  She had shown the video to someone in orthotics.  They had decided that I was ready to turn my KAFOs into AFOs!  I can’t tell you how much easier that’ll make training at home!  That means I lose the thigh pieces and knee joint, and all the clunky junk and metal that goes with it.  It means I can throw on the gear much faster (and less painfully) to do my training at home.  I’m pretty excited.  I’m supposed to bring the KAFOs in on Monday and the orthotist will cut them down.  I figured I’d get the right leg cut down but I guess they are doing both since the tone in my left leg is so consistent.  All good news!

I hope everyone had a good 4th!  Have a great weekend.  We will most likely be hitting up a Rib fest, neighborhood tasting, Cubs game, church, and maybe some cool places to eat/drink with family and friends.

G’night!

Chip

July 2 and 3 - business, dog, and yep, more walking

Yesterday I had a board meeting for my company that took quite a bit of preparation and last way too long - over 3 hours.  My dad snuck this shot on his way back from the bathroom:

That’s in the party room of my apartment building.  Pretty decent and the chair was the right height and cushioned enough for me to transfer to it.  

I can’t say enough about how working and feeling productive improves my mood and sense of value.  I’m sure this is typical for most people and especially guys.  If I feel like I am accomplishing something and making an income to support myself in the process, my mood is good.  Especially now that I’m injured, feeling a sense of self-worth is as important as it is for high schoolers.  

The meeting went well.  Most of the guys came up to my place for a beer afterwards.  My dad, Rich and Erik put some lumber underneath my bed to raise it a few inches, making it easier for me to transfer from.  Thanks, guys!  I didn’t get a KAFO training in yesterday with all the work before and during the meeting, so I stood up with the walker for a while and walked around a bit.  It feels so good to just do some work with my legs.  

Today was hugely different.  I still worked all morning, but then instead of a meeting in the afternoon, I had a training session with Tiffany at RIC.  We went straight to the treadmill, which seems to be the favorite activity now when I go.  For some reason it was easy today and I went for 40 minutes and 0.41 miles, which is a new PR.  It felt great.  Tiffany helped me improve my form a bit and also had me try this thing where I’d only use one hand while stepping.  At first it seemed impossible but then it started working, however sloppily.  I could take 5 steps alternately which hand I was using, but never more than 1 at a time.  Definitely will have to improve on that.  Similar to what Mark Stephan says, if I can do it for 5 steps, why not 1000? 

My old roommate, Tony, from RIC when I was an inpatient just had his baby, too.  Totally awesome-looking kid.  It will probably have 9 foot long arms to block volleyball shots like Tony did.  

Update on Goldie: the dog will NOT poop or pee outside!  Totally ridiculous.  I don’t want to give her back to PAWS but she has got to learn how to go to the bathroom outside.  Ridiculous.  Beautiful dog, though.  She ran around at a dog park with another dog just a little bit ago.  That was really fun.

I can smell the stuffed bell peppers that Rebecca is cooking… time for me to go. 

Dear Lord, thank You for this day.  Thank You for giving me so many ways to feel fulfilled in life.  Thank You for all my great friends and family.  Dear Lord, please be with Tony and his new baby and family.  Let everyone have a fantastic 4th of July and remember tomorrow how great our nation is and how much better it could be if we all shared the same appreciation for it.  Let everyone realize that everything we have is because of You.  Nothing we have and nothing we can do is from our own organic abilities.  We need You, Lord. Please be with us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

G’night and have a good 4th!

Chip

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More walking… here I’m trying to lift the opposite foot that I’m stepping with.  This is putting all the weight on my right foot and left hand, for instance.  I do it a few times in this clip.  The best I could do was 5 steps in a row before it fell apart and I needed both hands again.  Still… progress…

July 1 - Tres Meses

I was injured about 3 months ago on Easter Sunday.  When milestones pass by like this it reminds me of how they say, “You’ll have 60% of your total recovery by month 6,” or, “You will pretty much be recovered at 1 year/18 months/2 years/never,” depending on which expert you are asking.  I suppose I’m ahead of the curve as far as SCI recoveries go, but it still feels rough.  

This morning I had another good training session with Jeremy.  I was on the treadmill for half an hour with just the AFOs again.  At the end I pushed and increased speed until I got to 1 mph for the last 2 minutes.  That sounds like a snails pace but it was blazing for me.  

After training my dad and I went to the ground-breaking for the new RIC hospital, which we found out will be called The Ability Institute of RIC.  It was a really fancy presentation/show, with music, plenty of speakers including Rahm Emmanuel (Chicago’s mayor), a couple state senators and also some wounded vets.  Really cool to hear the stories.  It looks like the new center will be way, way ahead of the curve in technology.  Totally state of the art.  I figure I’ll still be an outpatient when it opens in 3 years to take advantage of it.  I wonder where I’ll be by then…  Sadly I didn’t get any decent pics.

Anyway I have a ton of work to do tonight.  And I’m also beat.  Not sure I’ll get to the work until morning at this point.  

Buenas Noches (no idea why I’m using spanish today),

Chip