Get Well Trev

Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay - Part Two

2011-12-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Erin and my mom with the medal after the relay
A while ago I wrote about my niece Erin being a part of the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay. The relay went through their area a few weeks ago and she did her part. Unfortunately, Rick Hansen himself wasn't able to be there for the day - even when that happens the day goes ahead as planned because of the tight schedule. Still, Erin says it was a great experience.

The relay goes right by our front door here in Richmond on its way to the finish in downtown Vancouver, and I was so impressed with Erin that I applied to take part out here. You can see the whole route and find out more about the relay here: Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay.

Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

2011-12-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

The ducks get a bit carried away in the parking lot
Last weekend Debbie and I went to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. It is right across the river from us, which is one reason why we have so many snow geese flying over Steveston - the sanctuary is one of their wintering grounds. We saw plenty of other birds there too, including a bald eagle, a woodpecker and yes, plenty of ducks. Debbie posted some more pictures on Flickr.

The sanctuary was quite accessible, all the paths we took were hard-packed dirt or gravel, it's all flat, and one of the observation platforms even had a ramp for me to go up. We will definitely be heading back regularly. Ironically, even though it's right across the river, it's quite a drive to get there as we have to go out to the highway, through a tunnel under the river, and back.

We Made It!

2011-11-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

The view from our balcony

We have moved back to Canada! Debbie and I are now in Steveston Village, a subdivision of Richmond BC, just south of Vancouver. Fittingly, it was a beautiful autumn day when we showed up and the leaves on the street were very colorful. We are still getting our bearings and doing plenty of exploring, especially along the river and in the village proper. We've already found some great restaurants, walking/rolling paths along the river and the old fishing village - and we haven't even been into Vancouver proper yet. Loads to see and do for a while yet!

Vancouver

2011-09-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Granville St. in downtown Vancouver
The area of Vancouver we are moving to is called Steveston Village, which is a suburb of Richmond, just south of town where a branch of the Fraser river empties into the sea. It's an old Japanese fishing village that still has a lot of the buildings and docks left from that era. The canneries were working until as late as 20 years ago.

Check out the area on Google maps: Steveston. We will be living in a nice condo just east of the "downtown" area of Steveston. From the balcony out front we will be able to see the mountains, while we can walk/roll out the back door and down some paths right to the water

Canada!

2011-09-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

A view from Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC

Although I haven't posted in ages, a lot has been going on. A number of things have come together and the end result is that Debbie and I will be moving to Vancouver, British Columbia, at the end of October. Returning to Canada has quite a few benefits for us, most importantly for my long-term health and care. We had heard a lot of good things about Vancouver, and just got back from a week-long trip there to see for ourselves what it's like. After just a couple of days there we found a condo to rent in a nice area, and decided to take the plunge. I will explain more in a couple of follow-up posts later in the week.

Swimming Update

2011-08-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

The big-kids' pool at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
At my swimming lesson last week, I went into the big pool at the Aquatics Center for the first time. It's one of two Olympic-sized pools at the facility, used for lessons, lap swimming and diving. It has a ramp at one end so I could shuffle in easily, although I think it's easier to use the steps - which we did on the way out. The pool is usually set up with lanes across, I managed to do one length (25 meters, or about 75 feet) using front crawl (freestyle), and one length breast stroke. My instructor figures I'm ready to do lengths on my own now, although we will still practice in the therapy pool for a bit.

Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay

2011-08-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

With my niece Erin at Santa Monica pier
Twenty Five years ago, Rick Hansen circled the world in his wheelchair and raised $26 million dollars for spinal cord research. Next week, he will start a cross-Canada trek to mark the 25th anniversary of that tour. People can enter a contest to be a part of the relay, and walk, wheel or run with Rick Hansen as he goes through their community. My niece Erin called yesterday and said she entered and was chosen to be one of the medal-bearers as the relay goes through her area in November. I'm very proud of her! Find out more about the relay: Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay.

Doug Henry

2011-07-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

A video from CNN about Doug Henry
The above video is about Doug Henry, a former professional motocross and supermoto racer that is now a paraplegic. The amazing thing is that Doug still rides motocross and even races snowmobiles. Here is another story and video on his local news station. Now I'm not about to jump on a bike or snowmobile anytime soon, but I really admire people such as Doug who won't let paralysis stop them doing something they love.

Swimming Update

2011-07-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is not me...

I've been swimming three times at the Aquatic Center now, and it's going...swimmingly. I can make it across the pool using the backstroke or breaststroke, but mastering the front crawl is turning out to be a bit difficult with lots of flailing about. We are still amazed at how easily I can float, which makes some things easier and some things more difficult. All the moving around in the water seems to be helping what little abdominal muscles I have work better, and the swimming is good exercise for some of my arm muscles that don't usually get much use.

Last week we visited our Canadian friends Steve and Chantale, and I got in and out of their pool without much trouble. It didn't take me long to find the water guns and get into trouble, of course. The swimming is turning out to be great fun as well as having many benefits, so I will keep at it. My instructor at the therapy pool says I will be able to go in the regular pool eventually and try swimming in one of the lanes.

Swimming!

2011-06-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to go in the pool
On Wednesday Debbie and I went to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center and I went swimming for the first time in more than two years. I say swimming but it was more like floating around with a bit of paddling. The Aquatics Center has a therapy pool, which is kept at 91 degrees and has water right to the top to make it easy to get in. We had a couple of therapists guide us through getting in and out and some of the basics. I couldn't believe how easily I float now - they had to put weights on my ankles for me to stay upright, otherwise I would just float up to the top!. It was a great time and we are going back next week for another session, although this time I am loading up on sunscreen - my poor belly hadn't seen the sun for ages and got nicely lobstered.

River Stroll

2011-06-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

A little bit of nature in the middle of the city
Our apartment complex is right on the Los Angeles river, although most of the year it's not much of a river - just a concrete swath cut through town with a trickle at the bottom. Near the apartment the river is all closed off and you can't get near it, but not too far away sections are open with paths alongside. We found one a couple of weeks ago with a paved path and walked/rolled along it for a block. It's actually a bit lush and there were ducks in the little bit of water flowing, a surprising bit of nature right in town. It ended up being a bit of a workout for me as the ramps to get in and out of the pathway are quite steep, but definitely enjoyable; we'll be hunting around for some more of these for sure.

A promising development in research

2011-05-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday there was an interesting story in the paper about a paraplegic man that can take some steps on a treadmill and regained some other movements. This was accomplished through the use of electrical stimulation directly on the spinal cord over an extended period of time, along with intensive therapy. Read more about it at the Los Angeles Times or the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

The Great Wall

2011-05-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

No, not the one in China
In our search for wheelchair-friendly parks and paths, we stumbled on the Great Wall of Los Angeles, a mural painted in one of the local river basins that is half a mile long and covers the history of California. It was started in 1974 and took five summers to paint, with the artwork depicting everything from prehistoric man through civil rights in the '60s. The Social and Public Art Resource Center has more information and pictures of the entire mural.

Kayaking

2011-04-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last week we went kayaking for the first time ever. It was part of the Outdoor Adventures program at Casa Colina, the same group I went sailing with when I was at the Casa. The kayaking was at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area near Irwindale, which has a small lake with loads of birds around. Both Debbie and I had a great day in the kayaks, and it's something we'll definitely look into doing again.

DONE!

2011-04-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Even George approves!

After all the problems and delays with getting an implant for my tooth, we decided to get a bridge rather than try the implant again. It was one session at the dentist's to take a mold, another (long one) to prepare the two teeth on either side, and then a third visit to fit the bridge. It turned out great and the process was a lot easier than what I would have had to go through for an implant. This, hopefully, is finally the last thing I needed to have done as far as surgeries, procedures, replacements, removals, installations and whatnot, so now I have two reasons to smile!

It's a small world

2011-04-10T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last week, Debbie and I had lunch with these two nice young ladies. On the left is Kent's (my boss) girlfriend Meg. On the right is Briana, one of my therapists from the acute rehab facility at Huntington Hospital. In one of those six-degrees-of-separation kind of ways, it turns out that Briana and Meg know each other as their sons go to school together. We found this out a while ago, and finally had a chance to all get together (with Debbie and Kent, of course!) for lunch. It was a great afternoon and nice to catch up with everyone. If you look closely you may notice something new about my smile - details next week!

This is Yoga?

2011-03-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Row, row, row your wheelchair...
For the past few months one of Debbie's yoga instructors has been working with me once a week, trying all kinds of things. We've done a lot of different stretches, strength-building work and even some eye exercises. Last week I "rowed" my wheelchair up and down the room with a stick. It was more difficult than you'd think, and worked my abdomen as much as my arms as I had to keep the wheelchair from just going in a circle!

RTI update

2011-02-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

My progress (the jagged line) vs. the average of all users

Things are going well with my RTI bike, the electrical-stimulation bicycle that zaps my legs to ride. When I showed my initial progress, I was a bit below the average of all users based on distance traveled. I went through a couple of months where I would get spasms about halfway through the session and have to stop, but lately I've been getting past that and closer to the average most times. I try and ride every other day; so far that means 68 sessions and a total of about 300 miles.

Walking Papers

2011-02-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

Another interesting memoir

I just finished this book, Walking Papers: The Accident that Changed My Life and the Business that Got Me Back on My Feet, a memoir by Francesco Clark. He is a quadriplegic that worked hard after his injury to become an ambassador with the Christopher Reeve Foundation as well as start his own business, Clark's Botanicals, a line of skincare products.

What I found interesting about the story was that Mr. Clark's rehab and dealings with the therapists were quite different than my own positive experiences at Huntington and Casa Colina. His outlook on recovery - maybe as a result - is also quite different, and his perspective really gave me lots to think about.

You can't get there from here

2011-01-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

Map from Google Earth, one of my favorite programs

This map of the area near our apartment (the white circle) shows how close we are to a park. The park is split into two sections, north and south of the river. Even though we are so close, it's a long way to get to either part because the park is on the other side of the freeway - the white lines show how we have to get there.

We drove to the north side last week, and yesterday we walked/rolled to the south part. It was a bit of a haul, and steep going over the freeway, but it was worth the effort to get there. The little street on that side of the freeway, right in the southwest corner of the park, is actually our street, so before the freeway was put in the park would have been just a couple of minutes away. Oh well, at least this way I'll get some extra exercise.

Wheelchair Mobility

2011-01-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

The hills don't seem as steep as they used to
When I go back to a place I haven't been for a while, it always seems like the doors are easier to open, the ramps not quite as steep. It's not that the doors or ramps have changed, but I'm still getting better at wheeling around. Lately Debbie and I have been trying to find some new places to explore, and finally visited the park that's across the freeway from us. Turns out it's got a few paved trails and some steep hills, so it's perfect for wheelchair mobility practice.

Another Walking Device

2011-01-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

The ReWalk is made by Argo Medical Technologies in Israel

Recently I came across another device that helps people with spinal cord injuries to walk, this one is called the ReWalk. Similar to the eLEGS I posted about a couple of months ago, the ReWalk is an exoskeleton that moves your legs for you in motions required to walk or even climb stairs. Rehab versions are available now, and the company says personal versions will be available late this year. Check out Argo Medical Technologies for more information.

Sitting Balance

2011-01-16T12:49:00.000-08:00

Sitting on the floor - not as easy as it looks

One part of rehab I don't miss much is the sitting-balance practice, but we've started to do more of that here at home. I have to sit on the floor without back support, and Debbie and I play catch for a while. The idea is to make me reach for the ball as much as possible and still stay balanced. It helps get my abdomen muscles working, and I also have to get out of my chair and back in from the floor - more practice for fall recovery.

Easily Pleased!

2011-01-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Stickin' it to the man!

Last week Debbie and I had to go downtown, so instead of driving and paying a king's ransom for parking, we decided to take the train. I had taken the train from the Casa to Pasadena when I was in rehab, and I didn't think it would be much of a problem. What I had forgotten though, was that disabled people ride for just 25 cents as opposed to $1.50 for the regular fare. Score!

All joking aside, the trip was easy and the subway is fairly accessible. I say fairly because at the station downtown we had to take three different elevators to get from platform level to the street, and two of them were tucked away in little corners of the station where you'd never think to look. Downtown LA is surprisingly hilly and there's a big hill between our apartment and the station at our end, so the day turned into a lot of wheeling and wore me out. It was nice to go downtown though, and now we know I can get there easily enough.

Yoga with Eric Small

2010-12-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Working with yoga instructor Eric Small

Last week Debbie and I went to a yoga workshop for people with disabilities. The workshop was conducted by Eric Small, an instructor who specializes in adaptive yoga for people with multiple sclerosis. Mr. Small is 80 years old and has MS himself, but looked more fit than many people half his age. It was a very interesting afternoon and we learned some new stretches and exercises for both in and out of my chair, some that I can do myself and some that Debbie can help me with.

eLEGS

2010-11-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

eLEGS photo courtesy of Berkeley Bionics

Later next year some rehabilitation centers will have the eLEGS personal exoskeleton, "a wearable, artificially intelligent, bionic device that powers paraplegics up to get them standing and walking." It comes from Berkeley Bionics, a Bay-area company that makes exoskeleton devices that allow people to carry up to 200 pounds for several hours at a time. The eLEGS is battery powered and works by sensing gestures the wearer makes to then move the legs and walk. Read the press release or watch a video.

Two Years

2010-11-10T16:16:00.000-08:00

Today, the 10th, marks two years since my tipover. As usual when these anniversaries roll around, it feels both a lot longer and a lot shorter than that. Some days I feel like everything is new, and other times it seems like I've been in my chair for ever. We celebrated the occasion by going to the dentist.

Recently I re-read the book "Wayne Rainey: His Own Story". I have been a big fan of Wayne Rainey for a long time, and reading his book with a new perspective gave me even more respect for him. If you don't follow motorcycle racing, Rainey is a three-time 500cc world champion whose career ended when he broke his back in 1993. We have almost the same spinal cord injury; I'm T5, he is T6. A lot of people say I'm an inspiration for them, but this is one person I draw a lot of my own inspiration from. The book is available from Amazon in paperback and is a great read.

Will Rogers State Historic Park

2010-10-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

This old car probably hasn't moved in 65 years

Debbie's dad was in town this past week and we did some sightseeing while he was here. First stop was Will Rogers State Historic Park. An actor/cowboy/radio personality/newspaper columnist from the '20s and '30s, Will Rogers built a ranch in Santa Monica overlooking the ocean, with 31 rooms, a golf course, stable and polo field. The ranch is pretty much as it was when his wife died in 1944 (Will Rogers died in a plane crash in 1935), including the car above. We took the guided tour of the ranch house, which was quite interesting. While I couldn't get up the stairs to see some of the rooms, the wheelchair ramp to get in is at a back entrance so we got to see rooms that most people don't get to, like the kitchen and butler's quarters.

Las Vegas!

2010-10-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

A moody picture from Las Vegas

Last week Debbie and I were in Las Vegas for a couple of days so that I could go to the Kawasaki dealer meeting for work. We stayed at the snazzy Renaissance hotel, had a nice dinner at Canaletto in the Venetian and even managed to zip out to Red Rock Canyon for a bit. The first evening we spent at the dragstrip, where Debbie took this picture. There was lightning and mean-looking clouds all around, but luckily it didn't rain on us.

RTI progress

2010-10-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Distance traveled, with my results on the bottom, average on top

With my RTI electrical stimulation bike, I can check my progress online and see how I'm doing as all the information for each session is uploaded to a server. This graph compares my distance traveled (the bottom line) with the average of all riders (top line) based on the number of sessions. I'm below average for a start, but catching up pretty quickly. The bike knows when my legs get worn out and stops on its own; the first couple of sessions I only went for a few minutes, but I'm already up to a half-hour. I have fewer spasms now and some other benefits too, so I'm glad I've got the bike for sure.

RTI Biking

2010-09-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have company on the bicycle too

A couple of weeks ago I got my very own RTI bike. It's an electrical stimulation cycle, which uses electricity to make my legs work the pedals. It's used to keep the muscles toned, give me some exercise and help with other internal things. I had used one in outpatient therapy a few times and found that it worked well and wanted to continue, but having my own bike is way better than going to a clinic or gym. With it here, I've been using it every other day and seeing some improvements already.

That Dang Tooth

2010-09-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

George is doing a good job of keeping me company

Earlier this week the doctor tried to put the post in for my front tooth again, but unfortunately there still wasn't enough bone for the implant to take. He used bone powder to fill in the area (as opposed to doing another graft) and now we have to wait another two or three months for that to set.

The procedure wasn't a complete loss. While he was in there the doctor took my wisdom teeth out, something that needed doing as well. So a bit more of a wait for the tooth, and for now I'm doing a pretty good chipmunk impression.

Another good read

2010-09-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

I recently found this book in our shelves, it turns out my sister Susan got it for me while I was in the hospital. Still Standing by Perry Cross is another good autobiography. An Australian hurt in a rugby accident, Perry took up public speaking after his accident and gives motivational talks. He's a quadriplegic and on a ventilator, which adds an extra dimension of difficulty to everything, and it's quite an inspirational book. For more information about Perry or his book, check out www.perrycross.com.au.

A day out

2010-09-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Roaming the paths at the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

Debbie and I found out about the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary last week on an episode of California's Gold. Yesterday we went to check it out for ourselves. The sanctuary is part of the Irvine Ranch Water District, and has a network of ponds to naturally treat the water. We saw some pelicans, ducks, and even got within a few feet of a blue heron. The paths are all pea gravel, so it was pretty easy to get around - although I needed help in a couple of sandy spots and hills. We had a nice stroll/roll around the ponds and followed it up with a picnic lunch. It was a real surprise to find something like right in a big city like Irvine, and worth a visit if you're in the area.

Going Low

2010-08-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Michael swaps out the struts and springs while Justin takes pictures

When I first got my car, my friend Corey gave me a lowering kit for it. The idea was that with the car a bit lower, the seat would better line up with my wheelchair and it would be easier to get in and out of. Things snowballed a little bit, and some people at work set me up with more goodies. Last week our shop foreman Michael and Justin from Super Streetbike magazine installed the lowering kit along with some new shocks to match.

With the lowering kit installed, my chair lines up perfectly with the seat height, and it's way easier to get in and out of the car. More bling is coming, and Justin will be writing about it all for Modified magazine, another one of the magazines in our company.

To the beach!

2010-08-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hermosa Beach

On Sunday Debbie and I spent the afternoon at Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. Los Angeles is mostly flat, but near those beaches the area is quite hilly. At Hermosa, the residential area where we parked was on a steep hill, and Debbie had to help me up and down. At Redondo, the beach and boardwalk are at the bottom of a super-steep and sandy ramp; there was no way I'd go down, as even able-bodied people were having trouble on it. Even at that, we had a nice afternoon, going to the end of the pier and rolling along the boardwalk at Hermosa Beach and lunch in Redondo Beach.

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot

2010-08-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

One of my friends recently sent me this book, "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot", the autobiography of John Callahan. You've probably seen Mr. Callahan's cartoons at some point, they have a distinctive style and his work has been in many different magazines and newspapers. He was a quadriplegic and recovering alcoholic, which gave him an interesting take on life in general; his cartoons were often controversial and many made light of disabled people and their predicaments. The book was a good read, and I could relate to many of the cartoons included - especially the How to Relate to Handicapped People guide.

Unfortunately Mr. Callahan died just a few weeks ago. You can check out some of his work as well as other books he's written at www.callahanonline.com.

More from the holiday

2010-08-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

Heading into the CN Tower
When we were in Canada we met up with some of Debbie's family in Toronto. Her Niece Courtney lives downtown, and we stayed in a hotel not too far from her apartment and did some sightseeing. One of our stops was the Terracotta Army at the Royal Ontario Museum, a very interesting exhibit and worth checking out if you can. On the same day we went to the CN Tower.

It was really hot that day, and the power to downtown Toronto (including both the Tower and our hotel) went out right when we were at the top. We were stranded for a little bit, but made it back down without too much trouble. Once we made it down though, it turned out to be a maze to get back to the hotel. The elevators to go up and across a bridge weren't working; we wheeled around for a bit trying to find a way around, but ended up trapped. Debbie's brother-in-law Shane and another nice gentleman that stopped to help us had to carry me up a flight of steps, a big job in the heat.

We were able to stay at Courtney's apartment for a little while before going back to the hotel once the power came back on, but it ended up being a long day and a lot of wheeling around. Still, we had a great time.

Double anniversary

2010-07-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the American Disabilities Act. To commemorate the anniversary, the Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation got 193 people together at Dodger Stadium and broke the Guinness World Record for number of wheelchairs moving in a line. I was number 170 in the line.

It's also exactly one year ago today that I came home from rehab. It certainly doesn't seem like that long, and I probably would have missed it if Debbie hadn't reminded me. Looking back, I've come a long way in the year and things are still improving every day. Here's to many more!

Sailing

2010-07-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

A tall ship leaves the Toronto harbour
On our trip home we spent a couple of days in Toronto, and went for a sail with my brother Stephen. There were plenty of people to help me get in and out of the boat so that part of it was no problem. A fleet of tall ships were visiting and just happened to be leaving the harbour (which has a "u" in Canada) while we were on the water, giving us a good show for the afternoon. Although I don't think I'll be gearing up for the Disabled Sailing World Championships anytime soon, we had a nice time and I'm looking forward to going out again.

Therapy bird

2010-07-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Debbie and Carl get to know each other
On our holiday we stayed with my brother Peter and his family. They have a budgie, which they adopted after it flew into my niece's work one day and wouldn't leave. Carl is quite playful and seems fascinated by lids, fingernails and anything he can see his reflection in. He wasn't sure what to think when he got on my shoulder and I started wheeling around though. Now I'm wondering if I can get a budgie for a "service bird", which would let me take it anywhere. Not sure how good a budgie would be at getting the newspaper or my slippers though...

I Can Fly!

2010-07-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Just like a bag of potatoes being delivered
We just got back from a holiday in Canada visiting family. It was the first time I had flown anywhere in my chair and we were a bit worried about how all that would go. It turned out to be a bit of an adventure, but it all went fairly well. The airlines use a narrow chair to get down the aisle, and at the airport in LA that part went smoothly and we got on the plane with no trouble. But when we got to Chicago, the first stop, we had to wait a half-hour for the special aisle chair, making us have to rush to the next flight. At London, there are no jetways so a ramp is used. Here I am getting wheeled down the ramp in the aisle chair.

On the way home the ramp in Chicago was broken, so I had to get carried down the stairs. That was a bit dodgy but again turned out okay, and we ended up with plenty of time to make the connection. It turned out to be a great trip and I've got more pictures and stories for the next few posts.

The Arboretum

2010-06-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Recently we went to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, which is something we've wanted to do for a while. It has some nice areas with an old cottage and barn from the 1800s, a waterfall, some fountains and a lake, all with mostly paved paths that made it easy to get around. It wasn't quite as hilly as the Descanso Gardens we've been to, but I still needed a push up a couple of the hills. The peacocks were making plenty of noise, and we saw plenty of interesting wildlife. For the first time in a while I had to have a nap when we got home - it was a lot of wheeling around and it's starting to get hot out, which seems to wear me out a bit more.

Cooking (and cocktails, of course)

2010-05-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been trying to do more cooking, making dinner on Saturday or Sunday night while Debbie is at yoga or just taking a break. Last week I made these pulled pork sandwiches with a spearmint/ginger/tequila concoction on the side, and last night it was a beef stir-fry with lemon drops. Debbie suggested a site - Cooking for Engineers - with recipes that detail every last step so that it's hard for me to go wrong. Cooking may not sound like a big deal, but wheeling around with pots and pans full of hot foods and liquids is definitely tricky.

A visit with friends

2010-05-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went to see our friends Jim and Diana at their new house in Torrance. The house is new to them, but was originally built in 1928 and has narrow doors and steps between almost every room. I could just fit into the house, and Jim had made a couple of nice ramps that we used to get up and down the stairs - thanks Jim! We went to Redondo Beach for lunch and a quick roll down to the beach. As you can see from the picture it was cold and windy at the beach, but we had a great afternoon.

Back to the track

2010-05-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went to Willow Springs to help my friends Corey and Eric with some data acquisition on Corey's racebike. I managed to stay out in the heat all day and not get too tired, something I've been worried about as it's getting warmer. My stamina seems to be slowly getting better, although I still need plenty of sleep at night and a couple of long days in a row really catch up with me. Back to the track for work on Wednesday this week as well.

A roll in the park

2010-05-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

No, I have not transformed into a duck. This is some of the local wildlife.

On Sunday Debbie and I went to Lake Balboa Park, which is part of the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area and not too far from home. The park has paved trails and we went all the way around the lake - about 1.3 miles according to the city's information page. The park is part of a 2000-acre flood control basin, with golf courses, a wildlife area, sports centers and more. I can't believe we've lived here for so long and had never been before, but now that we know what's there and that a lot of it is accessible, we'll hopefully be going again soon.

2010-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Debbie and I went to Venice Beach to check out the craziness. It was a perfect day for it, and we strolled/rolled up the boardwalk quite a distance - about halfway to Santa Monica according to Debbie's iPhone. There are quite a few medical marijuana dispensaries - kush clubs, as they're called - on the boardwalk. I felt a bit left out when I saw that this one advertised "walk in" rather than "roll in". Isn't that discriminatory?

Cocktail Club

2010-04-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, Debbie and I hosted the Cocktail Club. We did an Italian theme, with food from Porta Via in Pasadena; Debbie found this nice deli when I was in the hospital as it's right across the street from the Huntington. For drinks, we served Bellini cocktails, different Italian wines, Limoncello and Grappa. 18 people in our little apartment left it a little tight for me to wheel around, but we had a great time and it was a lot of fun. I even stayed up an extra half-hour past my bedtime and didn't get to bed until 9:00!

One year ago

2010-04-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

At the Upland Lemon Festival a year ago

I find it interesting sometimes to look back through the blog to see what was happening this time last year. I had just been home for the first time, gotten over a cold, and was heading for a nasty couple of weeks courtesy of a double infection. At times I wish I was further ahead than I am, but when I check back and see what was happening just a year ago I'm surprised at how far I've come.

A Day at the Races

2010-04-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

But not the races you think! Debbie and I went to see A Day at the Races - a 1937 movie starring the Marx brothers - at an old theater in downtown Glendale. The movie was great fun and the theater had good accessible seating, especially for a building so old. The film was presented by the Alex Film Society, Debbie has been doing the newsletter and some other design work for them lately. Check out her newsletter for Psycho!

Abilities expo

2010-04-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since my last post, but it's not for lack of things happening. Between doctors' appointments and work I've been quite busy in the last couple of weeks. Today we went to the Abilites Expo, which is a trade show for all kinds of things associated with having disabilities. We went specifically to see about handcycles and a couple of therapy items that I still need, and it was a productive trip - although I didn't see as many handcycles as I would have liked to.

The expo was in the L.A. Convention Center downtown, and it was quite ironic that the show was on the second floor and there was only one elevator. Needless to say, there was quite a line to go up or down. I got frustrated after just a few minutes wait and we went up the escalator. Woohoo!

Whew!

2010-03-19T01:03:00.000-07:00

It was a busy couple of days at the racetrack and the trip completely wore me out, but we had a great time and everything went well. The drive up and back was pretty uneventful. When we got to the hotel they didn't have us down for an accessible room, and the first room we were in I couldn't even get through the bathroom door. Eventually we ended up in a nice accessible room that was quite comfortable. The restaurant at the hotel was really good as well, so we had cocktails and dinner there each night.

Debbie dropped me off at the track both days and then went exploring on her own. The first day she checked out some of the small towns in wine country, the second she visited the Charles Schulz museum in Santa Rosa. Now we just have to go back sometime for a real holiday.

Sonoma bound

2010-03-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

Photo credit Peter Griffith www.sonomacountry.com
This week I'm heading up to Sonoma, just north of San Francisco, and a two-day test at Infineon Raceway for work. Luckily, Debbie will be going with me. It wasn't too hard to convince her to go, as the track is right in wine country as well as being close to places like Sausalito, the Muir Woods and the Pacific Coast. Three nights away, plus a lot of driving, I'm sure I'll be worn out by the time we get back.

Ouch!

2010-02-23T20:26:00.000-08:00

Photos courtesy of Kevin Wing.

My day at the track last week went great, although it was a long day by the time I drove out and back as well. Luckily there wasn't too much to worry about as far as actual work was concerned, so that part of the day was pretty light. As you can see from the picture, my friends were happy to have me there as well.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the tooth installation the next day. Once the doctor got in there, he realized there wasn't enough bone for the tooth base to attach to and had to do a bone graft. The bone for that came from the side of my mouth, so it was a painful few days after. I'm still on mostly soup to eat, hopefully some solid food is in the near future.

The calm after the storm

2010-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

After a busy few weeks, I realized we missed some important milestones. February 2nd was the day a year ago that I transferred from the Huntington hospital to Casa Colina for rehab. And January 25th marked six months that I've been home from the Casa. That means I've been at home for longer than I was at the Casa, even though it doesn't seem I've been home that long. The blog has been up for more than a year now, so it's easy to check back and see what was happening a year ago - although I don't like the reminders from looking back.

Now, a look ahead: Tomorrow I go to the racetrack, this will be the first time for work and it will be a long day. And then Tuesday I get the base for my tooth put in. Later in the week I'll hopefully be able to check out a gym near the office for more rehab work. I guess I'll be busy again!

25th Anniversary Kawasaki Bodywork

2010-02-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

BK Designs Speedpaint and Kawasaki Canada have put together two auctions of the bodywork used on the Kawasaki team bikes at the Mosport round of the Canadian Superbike Series. The bodywork marks the 25th anniversary of the Ninja brand and was used on the ZX-10Rs of Jordan Szoke and Alex Welsh. Some of the money raised from the auctions will go to the Get Well Trev fund, but - more importantly - some will go toward the Canadian Rider Safety Fund, a worthy cause.

Thanks to Jeff Comello of Canadian Kawasaki, Kevin Kernohan of BK Designs Speedpaint, Colin Fraser of the Canadian Superbike Series, Jordan Szoke and Alex Welsh for their support! Check out the auctions here: Jordan Szoke bodywork, Alex Welsh bodywork.

Another busy week

2010-02-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of days after my brother Peter left to go home, my brother Stephen showed up with his wife Janice for a week. While Peter's visit was a big surprise, I knew Stephen was coming and was a bit more prepared. We went to the Huntington Library in Pasadena, Hollywood (where I got my picture taken with Spiderman!), the Gamble House, also in Pasadena, and of course the Cheesecake Factory where Eric made sure it was my birthday for the third time in two weeks. Stephen and Janice kept busy on the days I went to work, visiting Venice Beach, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. After all that, they are now in Hawaii for Part II of their holiday.

Ride of the Century

2010-01-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

Left to right: Ari, Zach and Troy.

My friends Troy, Ari and Zach from the office rode the Stagecoach Century in Ocotillo last weekend, with all three completing the 100-mile ride. Their team of six riders raised almost $3,000 dollars for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, with Troy blowing past his personal goal of $1,000. Congratulations, and thanks to everyone that supported their hard work. Visit the Team TreV page at the Reeve Foundation website and see how they did.

Job done!

2010-01-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

After a long day at the DMV, I finally passed my test and got my license. When we got there, the computer system was down and the building was packed with people waiting. Luckily, they were still doing tests although we had to wait almost three hours - yep, three hours - to do it. There was even a break in the rain for my actual test, and the sun was shining when we finally finished the paperwork and headed home.

The whole day was made easier because I have a surprise visitor this week. My brother Peter showed up at the door on Wednesday and came with me to the DMV. I think everyone but me knew he was coming, so it was a big surprise when I got home from my appointment that day and he was here. Hopefully there will be a break in all this rain and we can do some fun stuff!

This Week

2010-01-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

My driving test is scheduled for Thursday. I've been practicing in the parking lot a few times and the controls are almost second nature now. Getting in and out on my own is a different matter; I've got it down to about 10 minutes each, so there's still some work to do on that. It's just my luck that it's supposed to rain all week, and that will add an additional challenge on Thursday. It will be a busy week otherwise as well, with three doctor's appointments. Luckily, I can put my three half-days of work in at home and don't have to go into the office.

That means the next time I go to work I will hopefully - yikes! - drive myself.

Movie-star yoga

2010-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

The people that run Debbie's yoga studio are working on a documentary about yoga for mobility-impaired students, and I spent Saturday afternoon in a class that was being filmed. It turned out to be a good class; I learned some new stretches that I can do, and Elyse - the teacher - is always fun to work with. It all went quite smoothly too. The only thing we had to re-do a couple of times was the introduction. And we did that at the end, for some reason.

Back to work!

2009-12-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Even though I've been doing my columns and some other things for the magazine for a while now, today was my first official day back at the office. Everything went well, it was great to see people again and everyone is helping to make things as easy as possible for me. In the time I've been away we've moved into a new building. I have a nice big workstation and it's all tidy, something I'm really not used to. All the stuff from my old office is in storage, and it will be a big job just to sort through all that! Day two is Wednesday, and I'll be on half-days three times a week for a while to see how it all goes.

A Big Day

2009-12-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today I had my workplace evaluation; a lady from the insurance company came to the office and checked everything out to make sure it was okay for me, and everything looked fine. It's a one-story building with nice parking, a big shop and I have an open corner workstation with plenty of room.

Eric took me in the toaster truck, and we stopped at a big parking lot and I drove the Scion for the first time. That all went fine, although with my cushion on the seat my legs hit the steering wheel a bit; I'll have to get a lower cushion, raise the steering wheel (not an easy job with the hand controls mounted to it) or lower the seat.

And finally, the doctor gave me a note to go back to work and I'll have my first day on the 28th. Just three days a week and half-days to start for at least a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to that, although it will be a busy week as I have two days of therapy as well.

Clear the roads!

2009-12-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

We finally sorted out all the details for a car, I got a Scion xB - the toaster truck, as Debbie calls it. It had to get modified with hand controls, and we picked it up on Friday. Well, Eric drove it back to the apartment as I don't have my license to drive it yet. You have to be licensed to drive a car using hand controls, so the first time I drive it for real will be when I take the license test. Yikes!

Back to the track!

2009-12-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went back to the racetrack for the first time in more than a year. Debbie took me to a trackday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, and we hung out with Eric and some Canadian friends. It was great to be back, and I had no problems wheeling around - although Fontana is one of the nicest facilities and is well-equipped for disabled people. It was windy enough that a lot of the time I didn't even have to push my chair, it went all on its own!

A surprising improvement

2009-11-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

After the last big change in my elbow's range of motion it had stayed about the same for a few weeks. I had practically given up on getting more movement, but in the last week or so it's gotten a few degrees better - enough that I'm using the full range of the CPM machine. That was just in time to see the surgeon for my bi-monthly checkup; he figured the CPM machine won't do me much more good because of that, so that will go back this week.

We've been hunting around for paved (or solid) hiking paths, and while we were at the doctor's office we stopped at Eaton Canyon, just up the road from the office. I was able to get around the nature center and some of the trails, but not the majority of it. We also checked out Johnny Carson park in Burbank, and I could get around there pretty good. In the next couple of weeks I've found some bicycle trails I'm hoping we can check out as well.

Gone fishing

2009-11-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

My usual occupational therapist at the Casa is pretty innovative. We've been trying to build up my trunk strength and find what muscles still work down there, and he's come up with all kinds of different exercises. This week it was fishing; picking up cones and setting them on the table using a weighted pole. Of course, I have to do this while balancing, adding another dimension to the activity.

All the trunk work is paying off. I can do a little bit of a crunch now, and I actually have a bit of posture during sitting balance. The best part is that I have more control leaning forward in my chair and won't just fall straight over. Leaning forward gives you a lot more leverage on the wheels, and that in turn makes going up ramps and hills easier.

Year One: Done!!

2009-11-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my tipover. It almost slipped by without me realizing it but a couple of people called and e-mailed to wish us well and that reminded me. To Debbie and me it seems like it's been both a long year and a short year at the same time, but I think we're both glad it's over.

Now, of course, we can look forward to year two! Less than a month now before I go back to work and that is the next big step to work toward. The office moves to a new location later this week that is supposed to be more accessible than the old building, so the timing works out just right for my return. I'll be counting the days now.

Progress

2009-11-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week we went to San Diego for a couple of days. It was my first overnight outing so it was a bit of an adventure, but it all went great. We stayed at a nice hotel that was very accessible, and that made everything easier. While we were there we visited the Midway aircraft carrier museum. I could get on the main deck, the hanger deck and one lower deck with my chair, leaving just a few exhibits that I couldn't see. It was an important stop for me, because when I was in the hospital I made a "to do" list and that was one of the first things on the list.

More good news: I have a new rehab doctor that's closer to home and we saw him last week. We came up with a schedule for me to go back to work part time - starting in early December, I'll be going to work three days a week.

Friendly fleas and fireflies

2009-10-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Don't make me say the title of this post. Yesterday I had the remains of my front tooth pulled, making all those Fs hard work. Now I have to wait a couple of months for things to heal up in there, and then I'll have an implant slipped in.

Yesterday happened to be my birthday as well. It was pretty low-key as both Debbie and I have colds and I spent most of the day in bed after seeing the dentist. I was surprised to have Ricky Bobby call and leave me a personalized birthday greeting. Don't believe me? Listen to it here: Ricky Bobby's message.

Oot and aboot

2009-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Debbie and I have been all over lately, and I'm surprised at how accessible everything has been. Last weekend we went for Canadian Thanksgiving in Long Beach, at The Madison Restaurant. During the week we went to the El Coyote Cafe with some friends from work. I had always remembered the restaurant having a couple of steps to get in, you can imagine my surprise when I saw the elevator that's always been there-right next to the steps. Thats me in the lift, above. This past weekend we went to the Descanso Gardens in La Canada. It was a bit hilly there, but I managed with some help from Debbie to get everywhere. There was even one hill with a sign "no wheelchairs". Of course, we just had to try...

Tonight we're off to visit some friends, it will be my first after-dinner outing and our first outing where we know we'll have a couple of steps to go up. Yikes!

Toof time

2009-10-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's finally time to have my tooth fixed. Coincidentally, the doctor looking after part of my tooth is the same doctor that did my face and bedsore surgery. He originally started as a dentist before going into plastic surgery. The whole replacement will take some time, as first what's left of the tooth has to be pulled. Then the base of an implant put in, and then the implant itself installed. In between each phase I have to wait a while for things to heal up.

The first step was to have a panoramic X-ray done for the doctor. I was quite surprised when I took a look at it, you can see some of the hardware that was used to fix my face up. The doctor said that what's on the x-ray is only a small part of it all. You can see the X-ray here. Warning: like the other x-rays, not for the faint-hearted.

Whew!

2009-10-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

We all had a great week with my sister Susan and her family in town. Both Susan and her husband Marty came to my therapy to see what goes on, and they even helped out a bit. What was a bit odd for me was that I haven't been out after dark in ages, and I was out three nights in a row - but not past my bedtime, mind you. Some things never change though. One evening I went over to the grocery store with my niece Erin and nephew Ryan. Susan had asked us to take some pictures, so we came back with lots. Pictures of the milk, eggs, toilet paper... I'm not sure that's really what she wanted though.

Busy busy

2009-09-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few days with my sister and her family in town. On Friday we went to Olvera Street downtown. That evening we had some friends over, and at the end of the night I was worn out enough to need a push back to the apartment. Luckily, someone was more than willing to help!

A big week

2009-09-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family are coming to visit this week, something we've all been looking forward to for a while now. Debbie and I did the most important part of the preparations on Saturday: a trip to BevMo for supplies. We're ready!

A stimulating day

2009-09-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

In physical therapy today I got hooked up to an electrical stimulation cycle for the first time. It's a stationary bicycle that my feet get strapped into, and electrodes attach to my legs. The bike starts out doing the pedaling itself, but after a couple of minutes the electrodes start to work and my legs take over. There are a few benefits to doing this; it tones the muscles and helps prevent atrophy, it gives a cardio workout, and it can help improve circulation and reduce spasms. It was really odd to see my legs work - and to break out in a bit of a sweat - when I wasn't doing or feeling much of anything. It certainly did seem to help with the spasms for the rest of the day, and that alone makes it worth doing regularly.

The power of 10

2009-09-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Today, the 10th, is our 10th wedding anniversary. Debbie and I celebrated by going out for a nice lunch in Pasadena after my doctor's appointment and had a great afternoon. Ironically, it's also been exactly 10 months since my tipover, an anniversary I'm a little less thrilled about. That said, as time goes on I think less and less about the last 10 months and more and more about the next 10 years, as things are moving along well and getting back to something resembling normal.

New wheels

2009-09-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend Eric ($$) came over and made the mods to my chair so we could put the bigger wheels on. Bigger wheels let me go further with each push, so it's a lot easier to roll around. I noticed a big difference right away on the carpet in the apartment, and this evening Debbie and I went over to the grocery store - that was easier too. The wheels sit higher in relation to the chair so my elbow has to bend quite a bit more, but over the last couple of weeks I've gotten more range so even that's not much trouble.

Yogahhh!

2009-09-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

Just another yogi trying to get his yoga on.

Debbie and I went to a yoga class at her usual studio, Yoga at the Village, on Friday. It was a great class for me, I stayed in my chair and the instructor gave me individual exercises when the class was doing something I couldn't. It helped in a bunch of ways, and it was especially nice to go back to a familiar place and do something I used to do.

Back to work...for a visit

2009-09-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Debbie and I went into the office to check out my new cubicle and say hi to everyone. Our offices were moved from the 17th floor to the ninth floor a couple of months ago, and I ended up in an oversize cube. I was in a window office before but there's no way I could have gotten in and around the desk with the chair, so the cube is perfect. Unbelievably, all my junk got boxed up and set aside, and my cube is super clean and tidy. Hopefully I can keep it that way! It was great to see everyone and say hi, and people have really gone out of their way to make my return as easy as possible. The visit left me looking forward to getting back to work, and hopefully it won't be long now until I get the green light.

Team TreV

2009-08-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Troy contemplates his 100-mile bicycle ride.
My friend Troy from the office is entering a charity bicycle ride to benefit the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. It's a 100-mile ride (whew!) that takes place in January. As well, Troy has joined with a couple of his friends to make "Team TreV". Check out his page on the Foundation's site: http://www.christopherreeve.org/ccp/tsiahaan where you can donate to the Foundation in support of Troy's ride. And the Team TreV page: http://www.christopherreeve.org/ccp/team_trev where you can join the team and take part in the ride yourself!

Finally!

2009-08-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

This week I've had a noticeable improvement in my elbow, which has in turn made some things easier. A while ago I got a Dynasplint to wear at night. It puts constant pressure on the elbow, basically forcing it to bend. I've gradually been adjusting it for more force as I've been getting used to it, and my elbow has gained a few degrees of flexion just in the last couple of weeks. It had been stuck for a while, but I think finally it's making some headway. That little bit extra has made fall recovery a lot easier, and on Monday in therapy I got down onto the ground and back in my chair, twice, with almost no help. I'm super happy with that. The only downside is it's been getting pretty sore, but it's well worth it.

Week 4: done!

2009-08-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

And what a week. With therapy and a couple of doctor's appointments, it was plenty busy. On Thursday I had an appointment in Pasadena and we made a couple of stops on the way home. It all added up to a total of 20 transfers in and out of the chair for the day, which has to be a new record. And after that busy day we had to get up at 5:45 Friday morning for me to get to therapy on time. Needless to say, I was bushed after all that and have been catching up on my sleep since.

Still, I managed to finish a couple of things today, including planting some beans in our little balcony garden. The hummingbirds have found one of the flowers and are around regularly now, and not at all timid. And of course I can always plant some more interesting things that the doctors at the Casa recommended for um...medicinal use.

Back to therapy!

2009-08-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

After a nice break I started therapy again today. It's back at the Casa for now, a couple of hours twice a week. Today's sessions were evaluations for PT and OT; the occupational therapist figured it would do me more good right now to concentrate on my elbow instead of general OT, so I'll have at least some elbow work each day. The time at home hasn't done it much good, so I'll be happy to get back at it. As for PT, I asked to work on getting more handy in the chair as far as things like fall recovery and going up and down stairs and curbs when someone is there to assist me.

Moving right along

2009-08-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today Debbie and I went to check out the Scion Xb. A lot of people have recommended it for me and it has a lot of things that are good for someone in a chair. I got in and out really easily using my sliding board, as the driver's seat is just a little bit higher than the height of my chair. I felt comfortable right away in the seat. There's tons of headroom to bring the chair in after me. And if Debbie comes along there's plenty of room in the back for my chair even without taking it apart. Aside from all that, it's a pretty nice truck. Unfortunately I can't test drive a demo, but the actual driving part of it is not as important as the other stuff right now.

Rolling rolling rolling

2009-08-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

After the golf tournament on Friday I had a pretty quiet weekend at home. Debbie has been busy at work the last few days so I've been on my own quite a bit. On Monday I went over to the gym by myself and that went fine - although the door into the building is a real chore as it's a huge and heavy plate-glass thing. Monday was also the nine-month anniversary of my tipover; I hardly even thought about it all day and I think that's a good sign.

We've been trying to get me into Northridge hospital for therapy but there is a long wait time even to get an evaluation, so it looks like I'll be heading back to the Casa a couple of days a week starting probably next week. In the meantime I've been stretching as much as I can, going to the gym and getting out and rolling around. This evening we wheeled over to this historic landmark that's just around the corner. Do you recognize it?

Golf and more

2009-08-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

The golf tournament and banquet went really well yesterday, we had a great time and Canadians Abroad raised a pile of money for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. I got to meet hockey player Luc Robitaille, KTLA morning news anchor Asha Blake, and the Canadian Consul General in Los Angeles David Fransen. As part of its promotion for the tournament, the Reeve Foundation has a story about me: Canadian Californians Golf for Reeve Foundation. We offered to help out with other events for the foundation, and hopefully we'll be doing more with them in the future.

Debbie posted some more pictures on here Facebook page: Debbie's pictures. The one below is her favorite though.

Andrew with the Molson Girls.

Another step

2009-08-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

Walking metaphors always crack me up now, but today I took "another step" toward independence by rolling over to the pharmacy on my own. It all went fine, but I was surprised that I actually felt a bit self-conscious about being in a wheelchair. It's not that I worry about how I look, but I kept thinking people were looking at me and wondering if they should rush over and help me somehow. Just another thing to get used to, I guess.

Tomorrow we're going to a golf tournament put on by Canadians Abroad and benefiting the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Unfortunately I won't be able to play golf but we're sponsoring the longest drive competition and get to take part in the buffet BBQ dinner.

Week 1: Done!

2009-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

We survived the first week at home and I think we passed with flying colors. Things are still getting easier every day and we're getting into the morning and evening routines. The days seem to fly by; once I get up in the morning, have breakfast and do an hour of CPM it's pretty much lunchtime. Another hour of CPM and it's nap time. Then dinner, yet another hour of CPM and then bedtime. At least that's what it seems like. How did I ever fit five hours of therapy into a day? Speaking of, it sounds like outpatient therapy may be delayed a bit more than we at first thought, so we've got a few more days to relax. I'm not complaining about that!

We had a few friends over on Sunday to celebrate my homecoming and had a great afternoon. It wore me out (and Debbie too!) but it was great to see everybody, some that I hadn't seen since November. I've got a lot of catching up to do, that's for sure.

Griffith Observatory

2009-08-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Andrew and our nephew (from Canada) Tyler at the Observatory.

Our trip yesterday was a lot of fun and it was great to get out for a bit. We were worried at first as it seemed that all the wheelchair entries were locked, but it turned out we were early and the Observatory hadn't even opened yet! It took forever to find the one wheelchair accessible bathroom as well, and of course it ended up being as far away as it could be. Luckily, there were ramps and elevators everywhere, and it was easy to get around.

The life of Riley

2009-07-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Things are going smoothly at home, and getting better every day. It's been pretty quiet so far, we've been out to dinner with some friends one evening and out shopping briefly yesterday, but otherwise I've been home. We went to a restaurant just up the street, to a place we went on one of my weekends home. The last time it seemed to take forever to wheel there and I needed a lot of help from Debbie, but this time I managed it all on my own and it seemed a lot closer and I was happy to see that improvement (and I'm sure Debbie was too!).

Tonight Debbie is at her drawing class, and this will be my first time getting to bed totally on my own. The last couple of nights she's only had to keep an eye on me, so I'm sure it will go fine as long as I don't forget something and have to get up again.

Tomorrow we're heading to the Griffith Observatory with Debbie's nephew. After a few days in the apartment I'm ready to go out for a bit, it will be our first real outing from the apartment.

Monday

2009-07-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well today was really a "this is the first day of the rest of your life" day for me. The weekend felt like the last couple of weekends at home, but it really sunk in on Sunday night when I didn't have to rush back to the Casa after dinner. And then again this morning, the first Monday in a while that I haven't had therapy, it was a treat to have a leisurely breakfast and do normal everyday things for a change.

We haven't done a whole lot so far. Yesterday we went to the gym in the apartment complex for a bit, and there is one machine that lets me do a lot of the exercises I need to, so that's nice. Today Debbie's nephew arrived in town for a visit, something that was arranged long ago and just happened to coincide with my first week home, so we drove down to the bus station and picked him up. Otherwise it's been pretty quiet, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for this week.

GO!!!!

2009-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well after a couple of false starts I'm finally home! It was actually a bit anti-climactic, and I don't think it will really set in until Monday morning when I don't have to go to therapy. Still, it's great to be home and looking forward to doing normal things. I had a couple of surprises today, some flowers from my family at home and a basket of baked goodies from one of Debbie's friends. The best welcome though was that my family had gotten together at home and opened a bottle of champagne for me while I took part via Skype. Otherwise it was a pretty relaxing afternoon, and I'm looking forward to a couple more of those next week before I start outpatient therapy.

But wait!

2009-07-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

My exit from the Casa has been delayed for a day as I've got some stomach troubles and the staff doctor wants to make sure I'm in good shape before I go. I think it's all sorted out now, so we're on track for tomorrow (Saturday) morning to leave. The wait did give me a chance for more therapy, so we practiced the car transfer and curbs, and Debbie had a go at transferring me into the chair (in case I'm sick and can't do it myself someday). She did great for a first attempt.

Not sure how much sleep I'll get tonight, but I can't wait for tomorrow morning.

Set

2009-07-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

I was all geared up for our outing to Victoria Gardens today, thinking it would be nice to wheel around outside and check out some gardens. Imagine my surprise when we got all loaded up and drove to the Victoria Gardens mall then... It ended up being a nice morning, I did some shopping at the Apple store and we had lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. The therapists with us had me transfer into a booth seat for lunch rather than sit in my chair, something I had never really thought about. But it was comfortable and good to get out of the chair for a bit, so now I'll try that more often.

My room at the Casa is getting empty, we've left just enough clothes for the rest of the week and that's about it. Debbie will take the CPM machine tomorrow and then Friday it will be my turn. Two more days!

Ready

2009-07-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing weekend at home, staying in all day Saturday and only venturing out to Whole Foods for some supplies on Sunday. I have trouble staying out in the heat for a long time, and it was plenty warm at home. All the morning and evening work went well, and every time we go through it we are finding ways to make it easier and quicker. I'm getting more comfortable with some of the transfers, and got myself out of bed and in the chair while Debbie wasn't even looking once. The turning at night is getting better, but it's still a lot of flailing around. I've been trying all kinds of different things here to make it easier, and hopefully it won't be long before I've got that sorted.

Debbie snapped this picture while I was waiting for her to bring the car to the front door of the Casa, we've been gradually cleaning out my room and taking stuff home so that on Friday we're not cramming everything in the poor Civic. Only four more days!

Shouldn't that hurt?

2009-07-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

The day after our sailing trip I discovered a bit of sunburn on my leg. It's the only place I missed with sunscreen and it looks like a good burn. One of the misconceptions a lot of people have, even workers in the hospital, is that I'll feel something if it's really painful. But in fact there's nothing at all from below my sternum - I don't feel the sunburn and wouldn't feel it even if I, say, broke my leg. It means I have to be real careful about running into walls with my feet, scalding my legs with hot water in the shower, and things like that.

I'm at home this weekend again, Debbie picked me up at the Casa yesterday afternoon and we'll head back tomorrow evening. We don't have any big plans as Debbie has a bit of a cold. I'm perfectly happy just lazing around though! Next weekend will be weird as once I get home on Friday I will be home for good. What will I do with myself?

Sailing

2009-07-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Daniel the Casa Colina Tech.

The outing today was supposed to be to look at cars, but at the end of the day yesterday they asked a couple of us spinal cord clients if we'd like to go on a sailing outing with some of the brain injury people. Our group headed down to Long Beach this morning with the Outdoor Adventures crew, who offer a whole slew of different activities for disabled people. We split up onto three boats, and I ended up on a 20-footer with a volunteer captain that has the same kind of boat himself. We went all the way from the marina out to the Queen Mary as there was plenty of wind, and it was a great trip. It was nice to do an activity that didn't require a whole lot of wheeling around, the crew lifted me onto the boat and I sat up front and worked the jib sheet for the trip.

Morning meds

2009-07-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Every morning after breakfast and before therapy, I get this rainbow of pills. Fish oil for my skin, a cranberry supplement to help ward off bladder infections, an anti-inflammatory for my elbow, something for my stomach to reduce the damage the anti-inflammatory can do, and a pill to reduce the bone growth in my elbow. There are more pills at lunchtime, dinnertime and before I go to bed. At bedtime, I get the extra treat of rubbing a testosterone gel on my belly. I don't get three wishes, however.

This morning we tried a couple more car transfers with the Civic, I managed to get in along with the chair in around six minutes, and get out in eight minutes. Overall that's about five minutes quicker than last time, so it's getting better. The outing this week is to go car shopping, more for the people with power chairs that need a conversion car or van to ride into, but I'm looking forward to peeking in some different cars to see how the seats line up with the chair and how much headroom is available to get the chair in. Once I get home we'll have to start car shopping seriously, as it's practically the only way to get to the office from home. Ten more days!