I saw this the other day. Looks like I found Buddha Bear's big brother.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Segfree
I stumbled across this the other day while web surfing. They come out of South Africa, and you can get an on-road version for about $6,000. The off-road version is probably a little more, but man that looks like fun.
Segfree
The US importer sells a lot of interesting toys for the disabled.
Segfree
The US importer sells a lot of interesting toys for the disabled.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
October
Procrastination has finally metastasized into a malignant tumor of guilt, which must be surgically excised into a blog post. Unless someone knows of a homeopathic solution.
Apparently my most loyal readership is my friends' moms. In the last few months, several people I know have told me their parents wanted to know when I was going to post. It's good to know your audience I guess.
Justin once told me that his mom, a retired school teacher, appreciates my attention to proper grammar. I don't know why I'm good at it. I remember my dad being a bit of a stickler growing up, but nothing too excessive. I was never good at identifying parts of speech in school. I just know what sounds right, and I learned a few basic rules about where commas go, though I'm pretty sure I screw those up occasionally. Anyway, the compliment felt good, so this post is dedicated to Justin's mom. Hi Mrs. Klingman.
My last post was in June, and honestly, I didn't do a thing worth mentioning until October, but October was chock full of activity.
My mom came to help out for a week and make sure I was eating my vegetables. Later I went to the State Fair with the usual group, and we ate everything BUT vegetables. Finally, my friend Emily came for a visit where we tried to eat every delicious thing we could think of, regardless of its fiber content.
The first two activities weren't much different than when they happened in previous years. If you want a lot of details, go back and reread the posts from last year, but imagine that I'm 12 months older.
The purpose of Emily's visit was to see a Monty Python show on Thursday that we had been waiting 6 months for. That was a lot of fun. I always thought it would be fun to see John Cleese live, and now I can say that I did. He and Eric Idle showed some sketches, performed a few sketches, and told the story of how Monty Python got together. Theyfdid a nice job of pretending they hadn't been telling the same exact story every night for months, and all in all, I'm glad I went. It was also nice to see how disabled access to the Durham Performing Arts Center works. There were really no complications, and everything about the show went smoothly.
The next day at 5:15 PM, while we were trying to figure out what to do for dinner, I noticed an email from my friends that usually come down twice a year for the Martinsville race. It was sent around 11:00 AM and said, "We should be there around 5:30." I had known Martinsville was coming up, but thought it was the next week. "Emily? I think we may have a bunch of guests in a few minutes...." So our dinner plans had to change, but fortunately Emily already knows some of those guys, and everybody had a good time. I think their visit was more fun than usual because it was completely unexpected.
The Food Fairy continues to keep my fridge hilariously full.
With all the guests, I'd been eating out quite a bit and getting behind on my refrigerator contents. Some people helpfully suggest, "Why don't you just put some of that in your freezer?" I realized recently that I haven't eaten any food from my freezer in well over a year, so if I put more food in there, the freezer will just fill up, and then what do I do when that's full, Mister Smarty-pants? Hmm?
One of my biggest concerns lately is the size of my belly. It's starting to noticeably restrict my range of movement, and it's encroaching on my lap space. Both of those things are fairly damaging to my independence so I'm probably going to have to try to do something about it. I'm fairly certain the main culprit is all the midnight snacking I like to do (When else are you supposed to do it?), but man, giving that up really doesn't sound like fun.
I'm still dealing with the same back pain I've had, but if I don't move around too much, it's usually manageable.
All in all, I'm still the luckiest cripple you know, and nobody can tell me any different.
P.S. We've got the holidays coming up, so if I get enough interest from people's moms, maybe I'll write something about that.
Apparently my most loyal readership is my friends' moms. In the last few months, several people I know have told me their parents wanted to know when I was going to post. It's good to know your audience I guess.
Justin once told me that his mom, a retired school teacher, appreciates my attention to proper grammar. I don't know why I'm good at it. I remember my dad being a bit of a stickler growing up, but nothing too excessive. I was never good at identifying parts of speech in school. I just know what sounds right, and I learned a few basic rules about where commas go, though I'm pretty sure I screw those up occasionally. Anyway, the compliment felt good, so this post is dedicated to Justin's mom. Hi Mrs. Klingman.
My last post was in June, and honestly, I didn't do a thing worth mentioning until October, but October was chock full of activity.
My mom came to help out for a week and make sure I was eating my vegetables. Later I went to the State Fair with the usual group, and we ate everything BUT vegetables. Finally, my friend Emily came for a visit where we tried to eat every delicious thing we could think of, regardless of its fiber content.
The first two activities weren't much different than when they happened in previous years. If you want a lot of details, go back and reread the posts from last year, but imagine that I'm 12 months older.
The purpose of Emily's visit was to see a Monty Python show on Thursday that we had been waiting 6 months for. That was a lot of fun. I always thought it would be fun to see John Cleese live, and now I can say that I did. He and Eric Idle showed some sketches, performed a few sketches, and told the story of how Monty Python got together. Theyfdid a nice job of pretending they hadn't been telling the same exact story every night for months, and all in all, I'm glad I went. It was also nice to see how disabled access to the Durham Performing Arts Center works. There were really no complications, and everything about the show went smoothly.
 |
| They let me in early. Can you spot the cripple? |
The next day at 5:15 PM, while we were trying to figure out what to do for dinner, I noticed an email from my friends that usually come down twice a year for the Martinsville race. It was sent around 11:00 AM and said, "We should be there around 5:30." I had known Martinsville was coming up, but thought it was the next week. "Emily? I think we may have a bunch of guests in a few minutes...." So our dinner plans had to change, but fortunately Emily already knows some of those guys, and everybody had a good time. I think their visit was more fun than usual because it was completely unexpected.
 |
| The Martinsville gang plus Emily |
The Food Fairy continues to keep my fridge hilariously full.
 |
| There are a few containers hiding in the back that I didn't even know about when I took this. |
With all the guests, I'd been eating out quite a bit and getting behind on my refrigerator contents. Some people helpfully suggest, "Why don't you just put some of that in your freezer?" I realized recently that I haven't eaten any food from my freezer in well over a year, so if I put more food in there, the freezer will just fill up, and then what do I do when that's full, Mister Smarty-pants? Hmm?
One of my biggest concerns lately is the size of my belly. It's starting to noticeably restrict my range of movement, and it's encroaching on my lap space. Both of those things are fairly damaging to my independence so I'm probably going to have to try to do something about it. I'm fairly certain the main culprit is all the midnight snacking I like to do (When else are you supposed to do it?), but man, giving that up really doesn't sound like fun.
I'm still dealing with the same back pain I've had, but if I don't move around too much, it's usually manageable.
All in all, I'm still the luckiest cripple you know, and nobody can tell me any different.
P.S. We've got the holidays coming up, so if I get enough interest from people's moms, maybe I'll write something about that.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Gizzat Weekend 2015
Two posts in a month. Try to contain your excitement.
I had such a good weekend the other week that I feel like I had better write about it.
When I arrived at Virginia Tech in 1995, I didn't know a single person. I moved in two weeks before most of the students so I could try out for the marching band, but I didn't even make it through the first round of cuts, so I didn't have time to make any band friends.
I was painfully shy at that time, and when my dorm had the first big social event after the rest of the students moved in, I was standing alone under a tree, wishing I had somebody to talk to. There was a group of kids from Northern Virginia talking nearby, and I will never forget that Jenny D. looked right at me, and said, "You can come stand with us if you want." It's funny how easy it can be to make friends for life.
That group, with Justin, Bobby, and Adam contained some of my best friends through all of college, and was the core through which I met almost all of my college friends. In a few years, Justin, Bobby, and I, together with a variety of others would live together in a townhouse that we called The Good Gizzat (jiz'-aht). It was a special place to all of us, and a lot of my favorite memories happened there, or with those people, and the people who claimed honorary membership.
One really unique feature of living at the Gizzat was that Bobby volunteered to do all of the grocery shopping for the house, and cook dinner at least three nights a week with the stipulation that we all had to eat together around the dining room table. We did that for three years. I don't know if I appreciated it as much then as I do now. Besides getting home cooked food most nights, we spent time together almost every day, even when we were all busy. It made us feel more like a family. I felt more at home there than anyplace I've been since.
I'm not much of an initiator, and I would probably never see any of those guys anymore, except that Justin is a natural born organizer. He has planned almost every Gizzat event we've ever had, including all the ski trips we used to do. Years ago, he and Adam started planning regular golf weekends in Blacksburg with Bobby, Adam, honorary Gizzat member Paul, and myself. Since I got hurt, they've been coming here instead.
The Gizzat weekend this year was May 28th to the 31st. Even though Justin recently moved to the Raleigh area, and bought a house 20 minutes down the road from me, I still don't see him much. A job and 2 kids will do that. Bobby and Adam drove down from the D.C. area. Bobby has 5(!?) kids now so I don't know how he ever gets to leave home. Paul moved to Texas a few years ago, so he can't really come anymore, but we did patch him in on Skype to say 'hi' and get an extremely detailed walking tour of his house.
We did a bunch of fun stuff over the weekend. My favorite was dinner at the Angus Barn. It's a fancy local steak restaurant, and sort of a local landmark. I have wanted to go since I moved to the area in 2000, but had never had the right occasion. The waiter recommended something called The Tomahawk Chop, so we got two of them to split 4 ways. It's a 42 oz. rib-eye that comes with the entire 18-inch rib bone. It was easily the best steak I have ever had. It had a ridiculous amount of marbling, and was perfectly seasoned. Plus there was enough of it for all of us to really injure ourselves.
Saturday, we went to a Durham Bulls game. I don't much care for baseball, but I do like beer, peanuts, and awesome weather: three things we had in abundance.
Afterwards, we got some pizza and wings, and spent the evening drinking margaritas, and playing Speed UNO. It's UNO for grown-ups, and it's a lot of fun if you have the right group.
I had more fun than I've had since the Gizzat weekend last year. I hope one day I feel good enough to travel up to Blacksburg to do a proper Gizzat weekend. I know my friends would like to see the campus, and eat at The Home Place, among other things. I would like to do those things too, but as much as I love Blacksburg (and I really do), it took me a long time to realize the most important thing about it was always that it was where my friends were, and wherever we're together, that's a pretty special place too.
I had such a good weekend the other week that I feel like I had better write about it.
When I arrived at Virginia Tech in 1995, I didn't know a single person. I moved in two weeks before most of the students so I could try out for the marching band, but I didn't even make it through the first round of cuts, so I didn't have time to make any band friends.
I was painfully shy at that time, and when my dorm had the first big social event after the rest of the students moved in, I was standing alone under a tree, wishing I had somebody to talk to. There was a group of kids from Northern Virginia talking nearby, and I will never forget that Jenny D. looked right at me, and said, "You can come stand with us if you want." It's funny how easy it can be to make friends for life.
That group, with Justin, Bobby, and Adam contained some of my best friends through all of college, and was the core through which I met almost all of my college friends. In a few years, Justin, Bobby, and I, together with a variety of others would live together in a townhouse that we called The Good Gizzat (jiz'-aht). It was a special place to all of us, and a lot of my favorite memories happened there, or with those people, and the people who claimed honorary membership.
One really unique feature of living at the Gizzat was that Bobby volunteered to do all of the grocery shopping for the house, and cook dinner at least three nights a week with the stipulation that we all had to eat together around the dining room table. We did that for three years. I don't know if I appreciated it as much then as I do now. Besides getting home cooked food most nights, we spent time together almost every day, even when we were all busy. It made us feel more like a family. I felt more at home there than anyplace I've been since.
 |
| Dinner at the Gizzat during my regrettable shirtless phase |
I'm not much of an initiator, and I would probably never see any of those guys anymore, except that Justin is a natural born organizer. He has planned almost every Gizzat event we've ever had, including all the ski trips we used to do. Years ago, he and Adam started planning regular golf weekends in Blacksburg with Bobby, Adam, honorary Gizzat member Paul, and myself. Since I got hurt, they've been coming here instead.
The Gizzat weekend this year was May 28th to the 31st. Even though Justin recently moved to the Raleigh area, and bought a house 20 minutes down the road from me, I still don't see him much. A job and 2 kids will do that. Bobby and Adam drove down from the D.C. area. Bobby has 5(!?) kids now so I don't know how he ever gets to leave home. Paul moved to Texas a few years ago, so he can't really come anymore, but we did patch him in on Skype to say 'hi' and get an extremely detailed walking tour of his house.
We did a bunch of fun stuff over the weekend. My favorite was dinner at the Angus Barn. It's a fancy local steak restaurant, and sort of a local landmark. I have wanted to go since I moved to the area in 2000, but had never had the right occasion. The waiter recommended something called The Tomahawk Chop, so we got two of them to split 4 ways. It's a 42 oz. rib-eye that comes with the entire 18-inch rib bone. It was easily the best steak I have ever had. It had a ridiculous amount of marbling, and was perfectly seasoned. Plus there was enough of it for all of us to really injure ourselves.
 |
| Not pictured: pain |
 |
| Take me out |
 |
| Uno! |
I had more fun than I've had since the Gizzat weekend last year. I hope one day I feel good enough to travel up to Blacksburg to do a proper Gizzat weekend. I know my friends would like to see the campus, and eat at The Home Place, among other things. I would like to do those things too, but as much as I love Blacksburg (and I really do), it took me a long time to realize the most important thing about it was always that it was where my friends were, and wherever we're together, that's a pretty special place too.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
You're Welcome
Spring is in the air, and I have heard your cries. You have demanded free high-quality entertainment from your favorite crippled blogger, and a glimpse into his exciting and glamorous life. I can ignore my adoring public no longer. Grab a snack and get comfy. This is what you've been waiting for.
Probably best to attack this chronologically.
I can't remember as far back as February. My Google calendar mostly shows appointments with doctors and physical therapists, so I think that's when my back was seriously jacked up. I think most of that month was spent in tremendous pain, and I had a hard time getting out of bed.
That wasn't fun, and I was especially appreciative of the ridiculous quantities the Food Fairy continues to pile into my refrigerator. Every time I get another delivery, I just stare at it and giggle. I am thankful when things are going well, but when I could barely move it was unbelievably awesome.
Looks like I got the back pain under control sometime around the end of February. I still don't understand how or why my back gets better or worse, but it has pretty manageable through March, April, and most of May, though the last week has been kinda iffy.
Here's something interesting that happened around the end of February or the beginning of March. We got maybe 2 inches of snow one night, maybe less. A day or two later, my neighbor invited me to the new Mexican restaurant here in my neighborhood (Mi Cancun - it's fantastic - try the carnitas). Since I had a chaperone, it seemed like a good opportunity to see how I would do in the snow.
Right outside the front door of my apartment, there was a little patch of mostly melted snow about 1 inch thick and 8 inches wide. Something you wouldn't even notice while walking. It was on the gentle ramp from the front door down to the main sidewalk, and I was able to use a little momentum to roll over it. I was pretty pleased with that result, so I decided to turn around and see if I get back over it going back uphill. There was no way I could have gotten over just that little patch going uphill. There was just no traction at all, and if I did manage to get up into the middle of it, I'd have been stuck right there until it melted. If I didn't have somebody to push me, I would never have gotten back in my building.
Even on perfectly flat ground, it was impossible to move on any sort of snow or ice which means that if I want to go outside next winter, I'm going to need some sort of snow tires. I have some ideas for that, but the ideal thing to do is probably to throw a bunch of money at another set of wheels with some mountain bike tires.
In March, my Martinsville friends came to visit, and like most Americans, I did my taxes. That was fun and tedious, respectively. As far as my calendar is concerned, that's all that happened that month. I don't remember anything else, so there probably isn't anything else to tell.
In April, my mom came to visit for a week, and to help with whatever I could think of. We got a lot done. I set up as many appointments as I could since I had a ride all week. One major goal was to get to the DMV and do the driving test for hand controls.
The rules for hand controls in North Carolina are weird. In order to purchase the nice controls that mount permanently to the vehicle, you have to have a hand control endorsement on your license. In order to get the endorsement, you have to take a driving test at the DMV on your own hand control operated vehicle. The DMV does not apparently see a paradox here.
I think the way people normally navigate the process is to get driving lessons through vocational rehab, and then they can use the teaching vehicle to take the test. I didn't go through that rehab, and I wasn't about to pay someone to teach me to drive, so I bought what are considered "portable" hand controls, and used them to take the test.
I've been using them for months now, and I find them to be pretty intuitive, and not at all difficult, so I felt confident I would ace the test. The day before the test, however, I started wondering how I'd do if they asked me to to parallel park. I had no idea what they would test, so I thought I'd better be safe and practice.
I found some household items to serve as makeshift traffic cones, and I headed out with my mom to practice parallel parking. It was quite the high school flashback. Naturally, I nailed it. I'm amazing.
We got to the DMV 30 minutes before they opened, and there were already 15 people in line. Fortunately, they got to me quickly, and before I knew it, we were on the road. Turns out the test is basically the same road test they give teenagers though I don't think they nit-pick every single turn signal because I missed a few silly ones that they never said anything about. I think they're just making sure you have adequate control of the vehicle. I was almost disappointed they didn't test the parallel parking. She said they don't even test high-schoolers for that anymore. That doesn't seem fair.
I haven't taken a driving test since high school, and taking it again after all this time was pretty surreal. I remember how nervous I was as a teen, and it was a little weird to do it relaxed and calm. The only thing I was worried at all about was that my back might start acting up during the test, but it did fine.
I'm still waiting for some of the paperwork to go through from my doctor, but I should very shortly be legally licensed to drive with hand controls, which I've been doing now for many months. Driving still hurts my back after a short time, so nothing at all has really changed, but at least now it's done.
Another major project my mom helped with was to clean and organize my bedroom closet. This apartment has very little storage, and I had a lot of stuff in my closet that I wasn't using, so we finally went through it with the attitude that if I hadn't used it in the 3 years I've lived here, I didn't need to own it anymore. That project was a complete success, and we ended up taking something like 7 garbage bags of clothes and a box of books to Goodwill.
During that project, we were going through a shelf full of my old shoes. If you've been following this blog, you know how hard it is for me to find shoes that fit me because of the way my feet swell. I don't know if my mom suggested it, or if it was my idea, but I decided to try on one of my favorite old pairs of Sketchers, and they slipped right on. I was flabberghasted. I spent the rest of the day taking them off, and putting them back on and giggling. I absolutely couldn't believe they fit, and fit really well.
So those are my favorite shoes now, and I wear them all the time. I even bought some elastic shoelaces for them. On my other shoes, I just tie the laces really loose so they can slip on and off without untying because tying shoes is really complicated the way I would have to do it, so they look kinda weird, and they fall off my feet real easy. With the elastic laces, these shoes look normal, and as a bonus, they squeeze my feet like compression socks, and keep them from swelling. It's pretty awesome.
So that was April.
I haven't done a whole lot in May besides celebrating the anniversary of my arrival on this planet. If you spend your free time on Facebook, you may have seen what Gus gave me to commemorate the occasion.
.
So that basically catches you up to the present. Pretty exciting, right?
I'm sorry I didn't write for so long. I know you guys get antsy when you don't know what I'm doing for five minutes. This weekend, my college friends, Justin, Bobby, and Adam are coming to visit, so that should be interesting, and maybe I'll write something about that. I have a few other post ideas lined up if I can force myself to write them, so stay tuned.
Probably best to attack this chronologically.
I can't remember as far back as February. My Google calendar mostly shows appointments with doctors and physical therapists, so I think that's when my back was seriously jacked up. I think most of that month was spent in tremendous pain, and I had a hard time getting out of bed.
That wasn't fun, and I was especially appreciative of the ridiculous quantities the Food Fairy continues to pile into my refrigerator. Every time I get another delivery, I just stare at it and giggle. I am thankful when things are going well, but when I could barely move it was unbelievably awesome.
Looks like I got the back pain under control sometime around the end of February. I still don't understand how or why my back gets better or worse, but it has pretty manageable through March, April, and most of May, though the last week has been kinda iffy.
Here's something interesting that happened around the end of February or the beginning of March. We got maybe 2 inches of snow one night, maybe less. A day or two later, my neighbor invited me to the new Mexican restaurant here in my neighborhood (Mi Cancun - it's fantastic - try the carnitas). Since I had a chaperone, it seemed like a good opportunity to see how I would do in the snow.
Right outside the front door of my apartment, there was a little patch of mostly melted snow about 1 inch thick and 8 inches wide. Something you wouldn't even notice while walking. It was on the gentle ramp from the front door down to the main sidewalk, and I was able to use a little momentum to roll over it. I was pretty pleased with that result, so I decided to turn around and see if I get back over it going back uphill. There was no way I could have gotten over just that little patch going uphill. There was just no traction at all, and if I did manage to get up into the middle of it, I'd have been stuck right there until it melted. If I didn't have somebody to push me, I would never have gotten back in my building.
Even on perfectly flat ground, it was impossible to move on any sort of snow or ice which means that if I want to go outside next winter, I'm going to need some sort of snow tires. I have some ideas for that, but the ideal thing to do is probably to throw a bunch of money at another set of wheels with some mountain bike tires.
 |
| Here's one idea I saw |
In March, my Martinsville friends came to visit, and like most Americans, I did my taxes. That was fun and tedious, respectively. As far as my calendar is concerned, that's all that happened that month. I don't remember anything else, so there probably isn't anything else to tell.
In April, my mom came to visit for a week, and to help with whatever I could think of. We got a lot done. I set up as many appointments as I could since I had a ride all week. One major goal was to get to the DMV and do the driving test for hand controls.
The rules for hand controls in North Carolina are weird. In order to purchase the nice controls that mount permanently to the vehicle, you have to have a hand control endorsement on your license. In order to get the endorsement, you have to take a driving test at the DMV on your own hand control operated vehicle. The DMV does not apparently see a paradox here.
I think the way people normally navigate the process is to get driving lessons through vocational rehab, and then they can use the teaching vehicle to take the test. I didn't go through that rehab, and I wasn't about to pay someone to teach me to drive, so I bought what are considered "portable" hand controls, and used them to take the test.
 |
| Basically a couple fireplace pokers attached to the pedals |
I've been using them for months now, and I find them to be pretty intuitive, and not at all difficult, so I felt confident I would ace the test. The day before the test, however, I started wondering how I'd do if they asked me to to parallel park. I had no idea what they would test, so I thought I'd better be safe and practice.
I found some household items to serve as makeshift traffic cones, and I headed out with my mom to practice parallel parking. It was quite the high school flashback. Naturally, I nailed it. I'm amazing.
We got to the DMV 30 minutes before they opened, and there were already 15 people in line. Fortunately, they got to me quickly, and before I knew it, we were on the road. Turns out the test is basically the same road test they give teenagers though I don't think they nit-pick every single turn signal because I missed a few silly ones that they never said anything about. I think they're just making sure you have adequate control of the vehicle. I was almost disappointed they didn't test the parallel parking. She said they don't even test high-schoolers for that anymore. That doesn't seem fair.
I haven't taken a driving test since high school, and taking it again after all this time was pretty surreal. I remember how nervous I was as a teen, and it was a little weird to do it relaxed and calm. The only thing I was worried at all about was that my back might start acting up during the test, but it did fine.
I'm still waiting for some of the paperwork to go through from my doctor, but I should very shortly be legally licensed to drive with hand controls, which I've been doing now for many months. Driving still hurts my back after a short time, so nothing at all has really changed, but at least now it's done.
Another major project my mom helped with was to clean and organize my bedroom closet. This apartment has very little storage, and I had a lot of stuff in my closet that I wasn't using, so we finally went through it with the attitude that if I hadn't used it in the 3 years I've lived here, I didn't need to own it anymore. That project was a complete success, and we ended up taking something like 7 garbage bags of clothes and a box of books to Goodwill.
During that project, we were going through a shelf full of my old shoes. If you've been following this blog, you know how hard it is for me to find shoes that fit me because of the way my feet swell. I don't know if my mom suggested it, or if it was my idea, but I decided to try on one of my favorite old pairs of Sketchers, and they slipped right on. I was flabberghasted. I spent the rest of the day taking them off, and putting them back on and giggling. I absolutely couldn't believe they fit, and fit really well.
 |
| Tee-hee! |
So those are my favorite shoes now, and I wear them all the time. I even bought some elastic shoelaces for them. On my other shoes, I just tie the laces really loose so they can slip on and off without untying because tying shoes is really complicated the way I would have to do it, so they look kinda weird, and they fall off my feet real easy. With the elastic laces, these shoes look normal, and as a bonus, they squeeze my feet like compression socks, and keep them from swelling. It's pretty awesome.
So that was April.
I haven't done a whole lot in May besides celebrating the anniversary of my arrival on this planet. If you spend your free time on Facebook, you may have seen what Gus gave me to commemorate the occasion.
 |
| Next year, I will probably get a shirt with this picture on it |
So that basically catches you up to the present. Pretty exciting, right?
I'm sorry I didn't write for so long. I know you guys get antsy when you don't know what I'm doing for five minutes. This weekend, my college friends, Justin, Bobby, and Adam are coming to visit, so that should be interesting, and maybe I'll write something about that. I have a few other post ideas lined up if I can force myself to write them, so stay tuned.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Christmas Present
After harassment ranging from mild to severe from each of my two remaining readers, I'm finally posting! This is your belated Christmas present. Enjoy.
I made it through the holidays in one piece. My last post was before Thanksgiving, and for that holiday I made a successful trip up to my sister's house in Danville. My brother flew in and drove me up. The whole family was there, and the change of scenery was nice. I'm still happy that I can actually get my wheelchair into that house, (even into the bathrooms!). I also got to see my niece and nephew. I got to see them at the fair in October, but kids are always nervous in an unfamiliar setting, even if it's the fair. They were much more themselves at home.
I also got to make balloon animals for the kids. Jessica gave me a balloon sculpture starter kit years ago to help me bond with the kids, and this was my first opportunity to show them what I've learned. As I told them, I know how to make over 200 animals that all look like dogs.
Right after Thanksgiving comes Christmas, and my parents and brother came down to stay with me for a few days just like last year. We all had I nice time, and there weren't any murders or even attempted murders, so that was very nice. We also had crab cakes from Timbuktu. If you have never had a REAL Maryland crab cake, from Maryland, then you don't understand why these are worth the money to have them shipped.
I got my usual complement of Christmas cards from all my friends.
Everybody who has kids sends the picture cards so you can see what everybody looks like this year. Last year I kept all the cards up all year because I like having the pictures of my friends around. I think it might be weird to send a card like that if you're just a single guy in his 30's. I don't know; you tell me. I think if I sent one this year, I would have used this picture.
I got to go to a New Years Eve party at Cullen and Caitlin's house. That was fun. I even drove myself home afterward. I have also taken a few more grocery trips with my neighbor, so the driving has gone relatively well.
I barely need to go to the grocery store though. Brian and Kelly have been supplying me with more food than I can safely eat. Here's a couple pictures of the last few food deliveries. My biggest problems are trying to get through it all before it goes bad, and having to turn down invitations to go out because I have too much food at home.
Nothing much else has been going on. Things have basically stabilized around here. My back was feeling pretty good over the holidays, but the last week or so, it's been really uncomfortable. I think that's just how it's going to be.
Mister Gus still stops by with Evelyn, maybe once a week for lunch. That's nice. I still really enjoy their company. Evelyn is growing up so fast. She can read and write now (when she wants to), and she's even starting to gain an appreciation for sauce with some foods (or so I hear - I'll believe it when I see it).
Anyway, I hope both of my readers have found this quarterly blog update satisfactory, and that it will hold you over to the next one. If not, you'll just have to come visit. :)
I made it through the holidays in one piece. My last post was before Thanksgiving, and for that holiday I made a successful trip up to my sister's house in Danville. My brother flew in and drove me up. The whole family was there, and the change of scenery was nice. I'm still happy that I can actually get my wheelchair into that house, (even into the bathrooms!). I also got to see my niece and nephew. I got to see them at the fair in October, but kids are always nervous in an unfamiliar setting, even if it's the fair. They were much more themselves at home.
I also got to make balloon animals for the kids. Jessica gave me a balloon sculpture starter kit years ago to help me bond with the kids, and this was my first opportunity to show them what I've learned. As I told them, I know how to make over 200 animals that all look like dogs.
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| I can also make this hat. |
I got my usual complement of Christmas cards from all my friends.
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| Except a few - you know who you are |
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| Pucker up |
I barely need to go to the grocery store though. Brian and Kelly have been supplying me with more food than I can safely eat. Here's a couple pictures of the last few food deliveries. My biggest problems are trying to get through it all before it goes bad, and having to turn down invitations to go out because I have too much food at home.
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| They brought everything with a red lid |
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| I am so lucky |
Nothing much else has been going on. Things have basically stabilized around here. My back was feeling pretty good over the holidays, but the last week or so, it's been really uncomfortable. I think that's just how it's going to be.
Mister Gus still stops by with Evelyn, maybe once a week for lunch. That's nice. I still really enjoy their company. Evelyn is growing up so fast. She can read and write now (when she wants to), and she's even starting to gain an appreciation for sauce with some foods (or so I hear - I'll believe it when I see it).
Anyway, I hope both of my readers have found this quarterly blog update satisfactory, and that it will hold you over to the next one. If not, you'll just have to come visit. :)
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Oh, Hello
Oh, hi. I didn't see you there.
Come on in. It's been a while, hasn't it? Too long. How've you been? How are the kids? Good, good.
How've I been? Oh, you know, same old, same old. Takin' it a day at a time. Blah blah blah.
You don't care about details, do you? It's all boring. Oh, you do? Well, if you insist, here are the highlights from the last few months.
In September, I reacquainted myself with my old friend, candy corn. Turns out I really like candy corn. Like really a lot. Too much, if I'm honest. Fun fact: Jelly Belly candy corn isn't nearly as good as Brachs.
I went to the State Fair with Gus's family and my sister and her kids. We ate a bunch of food, and the kids got to ride some rides. The weather was great, and I felt pretty good, so it was a really good time.
The Martinsville guys stopped by for a visit. We had a lot of fun, and made a lot of noise, and probably irritated my neighbors. I had been thinking that paralysis is like a full-time job except that you don't get to go home, and you never get a vacation. This is as close to a vacation as I ever get.
I went over to Cullen and Caitlin's house for dinner and to carve pumpkins prior to Halloween.
I took a trip with Gus out to Greensboro to buy an interesting new piece of equipment. I wanted it because it's supposed to be good for your overall health. It can also provide you with some useful capabilities though there are some limitations.
The other big news is that I have been experimenting with driving the van with mixed results. The actual driving isn't difficult since I installed a chest strap so I can't fall out of the seat. I've taken a couple solo trips without a chaperone, and they went about as well as could reasonably be expected except that I've discovered that sitting in the driver seat messes up my back really badly. On one 5 minute trip, it triggered my sciatica to the point that I was essentially stuck in bed for the next 2 weeks, and it took a month to get the pain back to the level it had been.
I'm continuing to play with it, but I'm reluctant to try anything longer than a 5 minute drive in case my back gives out. I can feel the pain starting as soon as I get in the seat, but it usually takes a few minutes to become a serious problem. I've done a couple trips with my neighbor to the grocery store. It's a good arrangement because she can't drive due to epilepsy, and I can't reach the top shelf at the store or carry a lot of groceries back to my apartment. I've been hoping for a long time that we could work together on this, and our two trips so far have worked out great.
So I guess I've been making very slow progress. Pain is still the main thing holding me back, and it's still a huge problem, but at least I'm learning what to expect from it, and I've been able to do some fun things in spite of it.
Come on in. It's been a while, hasn't it? Too long. How've you been? How are the kids? Good, good.
How've I been? Oh, you know, same old, same old. Takin' it a day at a time. Blah blah blah.
You don't care about details, do you? It's all boring. Oh, you do? Well, if you insist, here are the highlights from the last few months.
In September, I reacquainted myself with my old friend, candy corn. Turns out I really like candy corn. Like really a lot. Too much, if I'm honest. Fun fact: Jelly Belly candy corn isn't nearly as good as Brachs.
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| Dangerously affordable |
I went to the State Fair with Gus's family and my sister and her kids. We ate a bunch of food, and the kids got to ride some rides. The weather was great, and I felt pretty good, so it was a really good time.
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| Georgia and Evelyn were incredibly cute together |
I went over to Cullen and Caitlin's house for dinner and to carve pumpkins prior to Halloween.
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| Mine is the sad, mentally challenged one on the end |
I took a trip with Gus out to Greensboro to buy an interesting new piece of equipment. I wanted it because it's supposed to be good for your overall health. It can also provide you with some useful capabilities though there are some limitations.
The other big news is that I have been experimenting with driving the van with mixed results. The actual driving isn't difficult since I installed a chest strap so I can't fall out of the seat. I've taken a couple solo trips without a chaperone, and they went about as well as could reasonably be expected except that I've discovered that sitting in the driver seat messes up my back really badly. On one 5 minute trip, it triggered my sciatica to the point that I was essentially stuck in bed for the next 2 weeks, and it took a month to get the pain back to the level it had been.
I'm continuing to play with it, but I'm reluctant to try anything longer than a 5 minute drive in case my back gives out. I can feel the pain starting as soon as I get in the seat, but it usually takes a few minutes to become a serious problem. I've done a couple trips with my neighbor to the grocery store. It's a good arrangement because she can't drive due to epilepsy, and I can't reach the top shelf at the store or carry a lot of groceries back to my apartment. I've been hoping for a long time that we could work together on this, and our two trips so far have worked out great.
So I guess I've been making very slow progress. Pain is still the main thing holding me back, and it's still a huge problem, but at least I'm learning what to expect from it, and I've been able to do some fun things in spite of it.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Core
Here's something that happened recently. I didn't notice it until late last week. It's not terribly useful at the moment, but it's definitely interesting.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Voodoo
The last time I posted to this blog, I was in a LOT of pain. My lower back hurt, and was spasming uncontrollably. The pain in my posterior was the worst it had ever been, and it felt like someone was electrocuting my leg continually. It was the most pain I have ever experienced, and I was not particularly happy. I had just started seeing a new physical therapist, Jon Weinberg at Team Care, for my back pain, and I was cautiously pessimistic about whether he could do anything about the butt pain that has kept me in bed for the last year.
Skip ahead a few weeks, and I'm feeling a LOT better.
I think physical therapy is voodoo. This is the second time that a PT has told me that a terrible pain was actually coming from a nerve problem in a completely different location.
At some point in the first year of my injury, after I began sleeping on my stomach, I began waking up with extreme pain in my elbows. It was bad enough that I could barely use my arms to sit up in the morning. I tried everything I could think of to take pressure off my elbows while I was sleeping, but nothing seemed to work. When I finally told a PT about it, she said, "Oh yeah, there's a nerve in your armpit that is causing that. Find a sleeping position that takes strain off your shoulder, and it should clear right up." She was dead right. My shoulder and armpit weren't bothering me at all, but that was the source of the problem, and once I took pressure off it, my elbow pain went away as if by magic.
For a year, my butt has been getting worse and worse, and nothing I did seemed to make it better. Jon comes along and tells me I need to stretch my back to make my butt better. I told him I didn't think that would help, but that I'd try anything. He's got me doing these twists to try to straighten out the disks between my vertebrae. The theory is that I've got multiple bulging disks bulging in different directions, and it will require a variety of weird stretches to improve the problem. It has already helped tremendously.
The problem I have is that with my engineering background, I tend to think in terms of problems and solutions, and I like to solve my own problems. I've been very successful when it comes to improvising mechanical solutions to problems, but when it comes to problems with my body, I'm missing key knowledge about how things work. If a problem isn't caused by the thing that hurts, you can work on that thing forever without making any progress. It's that detailed knowledge of how things work that makes PTs so effective. I guess I can't solve ALL of my problems myself.
I'm certainly not pain free, and I have to take frequent breaks to get in bed and do my stretches or else the pain comes back, but the progress I've made in the last couple weeks is nothing short of amazing. I'm feeling better than I have in over a year, and I'm able to spend a lot more time up in my chair. I'm already thinking in terms of doing more stuff, although I don't want to get ahead of myself. I need to get the pain control a little more consistent than it is right now before I try to go too far from home. It still fluctuates quite a bit from day to day.
It doesn't help that I need assistance to really do this stretch properly. Gus helped me rig a strap around my bed to help me do it myself as best I can, but I don't think it's as effective as getting someone to help me do it. Ideally, I'm supposed to do it every two hours, so if you want to stop by and give me a hand, here's the procedure.
I don't know where we go from here, but the fact that there has been any improvement is both unexpected, and very exciting.
Skip ahead a few weeks, and I'm feeling a LOT better.
I think physical therapy is voodoo. This is the second time that a PT has told me that a terrible pain was actually coming from a nerve problem in a completely different location.
At some point in the first year of my injury, after I began sleeping on my stomach, I began waking up with extreme pain in my elbows. It was bad enough that I could barely use my arms to sit up in the morning. I tried everything I could think of to take pressure off my elbows while I was sleeping, but nothing seemed to work. When I finally told a PT about it, she said, "Oh yeah, there's a nerve in your armpit that is causing that. Find a sleeping position that takes strain off your shoulder, and it should clear right up." She was dead right. My shoulder and armpit weren't bothering me at all, but that was the source of the problem, and once I took pressure off it, my elbow pain went away as if by magic.
For a year, my butt has been getting worse and worse, and nothing I did seemed to make it better. Jon comes along and tells me I need to stretch my back to make my butt better. I told him I didn't think that would help, but that I'd try anything. He's got me doing these twists to try to straighten out the disks between my vertebrae. The theory is that I've got multiple bulging disks bulging in different directions, and it will require a variety of weird stretches to improve the problem. It has already helped tremendously.
The problem I have is that with my engineering background, I tend to think in terms of problems and solutions, and I like to solve my own problems. I've been very successful when it comes to improvising mechanical solutions to problems, but when it comes to problems with my body, I'm missing key knowledge about how things work. If a problem isn't caused by the thing that hurts, you can work on that thing forever without making any progress. It's that detailed knowledge of how things work that makes PTs so effective. I guess I can't solve ALL of my problems myself.
I'm certainly not pain free, and I have to take frequent breaks to get in bed and do my stretches or else the pain comes back, but the progress I've made in the last couple weeks is nothing short of amazing. I'm feeling better than I have in over a year, and I'm able to spend a lot more time up in my chair. I'm already thinking in terms of doing more stuff, although I don't want to get ahead of myself. I need to get the pain control a little more consistent than it is right now before I try to go too far from home. It still fluctuates quite a bit from day to day.
It doesn't help that I need assistance to really do this stretch properly. Gus helped me rig a strap around my bed to help me do it myself as best I can, but I don't think it's as effective as getting someone to help me do it. Ideally, I'm supposed to do it every two hours, so if you want to stop by and give me a hand, here's the procedure.
I don't know where we go from here, but the fact that there has been any improvement is both unexpected, and very exciting.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Food Fairy
Two posts in two days?!?!? I KNOW!!!
Brian and Kelly, dropped off more food this morning. They have given me a ton of food the last couple weeks, and I can't even express how much I have appreciated having it when the pain has been so bad. It has been so great not to have to prepare anything when I get up, and to be able to get back in bed as quickly as possible. It doesn't hurt that it's all amazing.
Between this and a couple Taco Bell runs, I have been well fed for the last couple weeks, and will have a hard time getting through this before my mom arrives in a week.
I can't believe I have friends who do this for me. I'm still the luckiest cripple I know.
Brian and Kelly, dropped off more food this morning. They have given me a ton of food the last couple weeks, and I can't even express how much I have appreciated having it when the pain has been so bad. It has been so great not to have to prepare anything when I get up, and to be able to get back in bed as quickly as possible. It doesn't hurt that it's all amazing.
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| 2 weeks ago: ravioli, chicken, roasted veggies, meatballs with glazed pineapples and onions |
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| Today: Italian pasta salad, chicken and crispy onion sliders with chipotle honey, ginger sesame chicken salad, honey mustard pretzel chicken, broccoli pasta salad, jalapeno corn slaw |
Between this and a couple Taco Bell runs, I have been well fed for the last couple weeks, and will have a hard time getting through this before my mom arrives in a week.
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| Dinner tonight including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, gnocchi, pistachios, probably some other stuff. Delicious! |
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Physical Therapy
It's not one of the things I promised to write about, but I thought I should throw a quick update. I went to see a physical therapist on Thursday, and he was able to help with the back pain a little. He also thinks he might be able to help with the butt pain. That was an unexpected development. I'm not convinced he's right, but it would be irresponsible not to pursue this line of inquiry until I'm 100% sure he's wrong. I really hope he's right. You could say I'm cautiously pessimistic. He thinks it's related to sciatica and caused by the same lower back problem I went to see him about. We'll see I guess.
Tobi has agreed to take me to 2 appointments this week, and my mom will be in town next week and should be able to take me to 2 more. I probably need to go to at least 2 more appointments the following week which I know Tobi can't do, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Jimmy took me last week to get an MRI on my spine, and Tobi is also taking me next week back to talk to the doctor about the MRI. Either this week or next, I'm going in to get my wheelchair adjusted to help with my posture. I have a couple options for rides for that, and it just depends on when they can schedule me.
So after many months of nothing happening, there's lots of stuff going on. Hopefully some of it helps.
If anybody wants to sign up to take me to a mid-day appointment the week of August 18th, let me know. If they can actually make significant improvements in the next couple weeks, I might try to drive myself, but we'll just have to see how I feel.
Tobi has agreed to take me to 2 appointments this week, and my mom will be in town next week and should be able to take me to 2 more. I probably need to go to at least 2 more appointments the following week which I know Tobi can't do, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Jimmy took me last week to get an MRI on my spine, and Tobi is also taking me next week back to talk to the doctor about the MRI. Either this week or next, I'm going in to get my wheelchair adjusted to help with my posture. I have a couple options for rides for that, and it just depends on when they can schedule me.
So after many months of nothing happening, there's lots of stuff going on. Hopefully some of it helps.
If anybody wants to sign up to take me to a mid-day appointment the week of August 18th, let me know. If they can actually make significant improvements in the next couple weeks, I might try to drive myself, but we'll just have to see how I feel.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Still Broken
July is rapidly coming to a close, and it's time for me to confirm, for the five remaining readers of this blog, that I'm still alive and kicking (so to speak). I was sitting here thinking about all the things I have to write about from the last month and feeling a bit overwhelmed, so instead of doing one long comprehensive post about everything I've done (besides sleep), I'm going to try to ration it out in a series of shorter posts. The way blogs are supposed to be. The question is whether the pain will allow me to do that. We'll see.
The last couple weeks, I've been spending a little more time up in my chair. Not much, but a little. I've been trying to tell myself that my butt has been feeling a little bit better. That may or may not actually be true. It's possible I'm just telling myself that to have an excuse to get out of bed. I can only take so much lying down.
So while I was sitting up a couple weeks ago, I started to notice a stabbing pain in my lower back, well below my line of injury. It felt like somebody was stabbing me directly in the spine with an ice pick, and it forced me back into bed. The pain went away after a couple days, but it came back a week later. Again, it lasted about 2 days, but this time it returned sooner. Now it's almost every day.
My butt has been bothering me a lot less since it started, but I think that's just because whatever hurts the most is the only thing I can feel at any given time, and the back problem hurts a LOT. It was suggested that it might be a herniated disk, and that sounds plausible to me.
Tobi took me to the doctor, and Gus took me for x-rays. This week, I'm going for some PT, and to get an MRI. Finding rides to doctor appointments is still one of my most difficult problems, but I'm very fortunate that Tobi is out of school the the next few weeks, and can drive me around to all of these. Hopefully one of them helps.
I'm still trying to spend time out of bed every day, but it's hard. I've been icing my back every day, and taking pain meds. They do help, once again, lying in bed is the only real relief I get, so I need to find a more permanent solution to this problem. A lot of times, like right now, the pain is relatively little as long as I don't move, but all the spine movement associated with pushing the wheelchair around is very problematic. It's challenging just to move around my apartment; going outside to check the mail seems unrealistic.
So that's what's wrong with me THIS month, and is probably the most important update, but it's not the only thing going on in my life. Now that we've gotten the negative stuff out of the way, hopefully I'll be able to write about the better stuff in the near future. Stay tuned.
The last couple weeks, I've been spending a little more time up in my chair. Not much, but a little. I've been trying to tell myself that my butt has been feeling a little bit better. That may or may not actually be true. It's possible I'm just telling myself that to have an excuse to get out of bed. I can only take so much lying down.
So while I was sitting up a couple weeks ago, I started to notice a stabbing pain in my lower back, well below my line of injury. It felt like somebody was stabbing me directly in the spine with an ice pick, and it forced me back into bed. The pain went away after a couple days, but it came back a week later. Again, it lasted about 2 days, but this time it returned sooner. Now it's almost every day.
My butt has been bothering me a lot less since it started, but I think that's just because whatever hurts the most is the only thing I can feel at any given time, and the back problem hurts a LOT. It was suggested that it might be a herniated disk, and that sounds plausible to me.
Tobi took me to the doctor, and Gus took me for x-rays. This week, I'm going for some PT, and to get an MRI. Finding rides to doctor appointments is still one of my most difficult problems, but I'm very fortunate that Tobi is out of school the the next few weeks, and can drive me around to all of these. Hopefully one of them helps.
I'm still trying to spend time out of bed every day, but it's hard. I've been icing my back every day, and taking pain meds. They do help, once again, lying in bed is the only real relief I get, so I need to find a more permanent solution to this problem. A lot of times, like right now, the pain is relatively little as long as I don't move, but all the spine movement associated with pushing the wheelchair around is very problematic. It's challenging just to move around my apartment; going outside to check the mail seems unrealistic.
So that's what's wrong with me THIS month, and is probably the most important update, but it's not the only thing going on in my life. Now that we've gotten the negative stuff out of the way, hopefully I'll be able to write about the better stuff in the near future. Stay tuned.
Monday, June 23, 2014
May and June
I guess its been a while since I wrote anything about myself in this blog. I suppose it's time. The last two months have been quite a contrast.
May
Driving the Van
Later, I went out on the road and drove to Gus's house for dinner. Gus accompanied me as a chaperone, but I did all the transferring and driving unassisted.
May
Driving the Van
I felt pretty good for most of May, and I got to do a lot of fun stuff. I finally got to experiment with driving my van.
Gus removed the passenger seat, and we rigged it so I could transfer to the driver's seat, and I took an exploratory trip around the parking lot.
And I did some practice transfers .
Later, I went out on the road and drove to Gus's house for dinner. Gus accompanied me as a chaperone, but I did all the transferring and driving unassisted.
We uncovered some possible challenges during this excursion . Notably, if I make a sharp turn to the left, I tend to fall out of the seat to the right. Overall, however, the experiment was a great success , and it gave me a lot of confidence that I will end up menacing public roads eventually.
Willie Nelson
Back in March, I learned that Willie Nelson was coming to play a show in Cary with Alison Krauss, and I thought it would be a good excursion if I could find some friends to go with me. I invited Cullen and Caitlin, and we bought tickets for the May 5th show. The show ended up being postponed until May 19th, and Gus and Uyen were given tickets, so they came too.
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| Fun times |
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| Who invited him? |
The weather was perfect, and I felt really good. We all had a great time. It was nice to get out of my apartment for an evening, and the show was fun. I always enjoy Alison Krauss, but the reason I wanted to see the show was to see Willie Nelson before he dies. I always wanted to see Johnny Cash, but I never got to.
It turned out Willie Nelson doesn't really sing anymore so much as stand in front of a band and recite lyrics, but the man is a legend and I guess he can do what he wants.
Memorial Day Cookout
In the month of May, I made friends with a couple here in my apartment building. On Memorial Day weekend, they invited me to grill some fish with them on the communal grill down by the playground. Philip is from Florida, and knows something about seafood. He picked up some red snapper at Whole Foods, and prepared it with some marinade. He grilled it whole with the head and skin on. I had never had fish prepared like that, but it was some of the best fish I have ever had.
The next day, we grilled hamburgers. They were made with special corn fed ground beef from whole foods, and they were the most flavorful hamburgers I have ever had .
It was really nice to have some friends in the building here, but unfortunately Philip and Wendy purchased a house and moved away in early June. It might actually be for the best from a weight gain standpoint.
Amy and Joe's Party
My friends Amy and Joe threw a big party Memorial Day weekend, and I decided to go. Gus and Uyen were nice enough to transport me, and the party was in the driveway so I didn't have to worry about getting inside their house. They did a pig pickin', and there was tons and tons of food.
The weather was great, and a lot of my friends were there. It was another had a really great time.
June
To Bed
In May, I had a lot of fun, and I spent a lot of time out doing stuff. Too much time I think.
The pain in my butt when I sit on it had been worsening all through May, and by early June it was unbearable. I could not sit up for any length of time, and I couldn't imagine sitting on a car seat when the fancy air cushion on my wheelchair was so painful. I decided I had to stay in bed until it got better. So that's been my June.
It's really frustrating because I felt like I made actual progress in May, and this feels like a big step backwards. I feel like I'm just laying here watching my life pass by, powerless to do anything about it. Fortunately I like sleeping, so its not all bad.
Not sitting up means it's almost impossible to type which makes it very difficult to post to the blog which is the main reason I haven't posted anything in so long. Right now I'm lying on my stomach, using Google's (awful) voice recognition software to painstakingly piece this post together. I'm fixing all the mistakes with one finger. It's excruciating. I've been working 4 hours and counting.
The good news is my butt is definitely improving, but very very slowly. I have no idea how much longer I'm going to have to stay off it, but I'm going to try to let it heal as much as possible. I don't want to have to do this again.
I think the cause of the problem is twofold. I think I injured my butt sitting on it too much, but I also think I got a little more feeling back in my lower extremities. When I say that to people they always ask if that isn't a good thing, but I think it's a very bad thing. All paraplegics have pressure issues with their butts, but they can't feel it so it's easy to live with. If they could feel it, they would be miserable all the time.
I've been wondering if there are any surgeries to disconnect your spine since I think I would be a lot happier if mine had been broken properly, but I doubt anyone will do that.
So that's what's going on with me. I'll write again when I feel better and can sit at a keyboard. Now I'm going back to sleep.
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| Willie is the blur to the left |
It turned out Willie Nelson doesn't really sing anymore so much as stand in front of a band and recite lyrics, but the man is a legend and I guess he can do what he wants.
Memorial Day Cookout
In the month of May, I made friends with a couple here in my apartment building. On Memorial Day weekend, they invited me to grill some fish with them on the communal grill down by the playground. Philip is from Florida, and knows something about seafood. He picked up some red snapper at Whole Foods, and prepared it with some marinade. He grilled it whole with the head and skin on. I had never had fish prepared like that, but it was some of the best fish I have ever had.
The next day, we grilled hamburgers. They were made with special corn fed ground beef from whole foods, and they were the most flavorful hamburgers I have ever had .
 |
| Phillip and me down by the grill |
It was really nice to have some friends in the building here, but unfortunately Philip and Wendy purchased a house and moved away in early June. It might actually be for the best from a weight gain standpoint.
Amy and Joe's Party
My friends Amy and Joe threw a big party Memorial Day weekend, and I decided to go. Gus and Uyen were nice enough to transport me, and the party was in the driveway so I didn't have to worry about getting inside their house. They did a pig pickin', and there was tons and tons of food.
The weather was great, and a lot of my friends were there. It was another had a really great time.
June
To Bed
In May, I had a lot of fun, and I spent a lot of time out doing stuff. Too much time I think.
The pain in my butt when I sit on it had been worsening all through May, and by early June it was unbearable. I could not sit up for any length of time, and I couldn't imagine sitting on a car seat when the fancy air cushion on my wheelchair was so painful. I decided I had to stay in bed until it got better. So that's been my June.
It's really frustrating because I felt like I made actual progress in May, and this feels like a big step backwards. I feel like I'm just laying here watching my life pass by, powerless to do anything about it. Fortunately I like sleeping, so its not all bad.
Not sitting up means it's almost impossible to type which makes it very difficult to post to the blog which is the main reason I haven't posted anything in so long. Right now I'm lying on my stomach, using Google's (awful) voice recognition software to painstakingly piece this post together. I'm fixing all the mistakes with one finger. It's excruciating. I've been working 4 hours and counting.
The good news is my butt is definitely improving, but very very slowly. I have no idea how much longer I'm going to have to stay off it, but I'm going to try to let it heal as much as possible. I don't want to have to do this again.
I think the cause of the problem is twofold. I think I injured my butt sitting on it too much, but I also think I got a little more feeling back in my lower extremities. When I say that to people they always ask if that isn't a good thing, but I think it's a very bad thing. All paraplegics have pressure issues with their butts, but they can't feel it so it's easy to live with. If they could feel it, they would be miserable all the time.
I've been wondering if there are any surgeries to disconnect your spine since I think I would be a lot happier if mine had been broken properly, but I doubt anyone will do that.
So that's what's going on with me. I'll write again when I feel better and can sit at a keyboard. Now I'm going back to sleep.
Monday, May 26, 2014
A Few Of My Favorite Things - Part 8: Hand Vac
REVISED BELOW - I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE VACUUM
Everybody makes a mess from time to time, and I'm no exception. The other day, I spilled dry coffee grounds in my lap. If you did that, it wouldn't land in your lap because you wouldn't be sitting down while working with coffee. But if, for some reason, you were sitting down to make coffee, and you ended up with coffee grounds in your lap, you would stand up, and brush the mess onto the floor where it would be easy to sweep up.
Sweeping is not easy for me, and standing is much harder, so how to get rid of the mess? Enter the 18 Volt Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum.
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| In its natural environment |
I haven't used my cordless hand vac too many times yet, but I like knowing it's there in case I need to collect some wayward M&Ms, clean up after a preschooler who eats like a defective wood-chipper, or perform a hands-free scary bug removal.
REVISED 8/24/2019
I haven't looked at this blog in 4 years, but I wanted to update this entry since I fell out of love with the Shark, and fell deeply in love with the Dyson cordless vacuum line.
I have 2 different models. Of the two, I prefer the V7 which is the newer one. I suspect any model would do the job although I think they get heavier as they get newer which might make them more difficult to handle.
This vacuum is smaller and lighter than the Shark, and the shape does a better job staying on my lap for transport. I found the Shark tended to roll around as it wasn't really flat on the bottom. I lay the Dyson on its side on my lap and it stays put, plus I think the V7 is just as powerful as the shark if not moreso.
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Dyson V7 Motorhead Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner |
Monday, May 19, 2014
A Few Of My Favorite Things - Part 7: WeMo Light Switch
There are a lot of weird problems that come with paralysis. One of the ones I noticed very quickly after I came home from the hospital was turning off the light at night.
Getting in bed at night is non-trivial for a paraplegic, especially when they are new to it. Transferring from the wheelchair to bed, or from bed to the wheelchair can be a bit hairy, especially in the dark. When I first moved into this apartment, I was brand new to these transfers, and I did not feel comfortable doing them in the dark. My solution was to have a night light running in my room all the time. This solution was a compromise. There was a little bit of light when I was doing my transfer, but not as much as I really wanted. Then there was more light in the room while I was sleeping than I would really prefer.
Smart phones are fantastic. I held out getting one for several years while some of my friends pressured me to get one. Ultimately, I did get one, only about a year before my injury. I don't know how I'd ever survive a spinal cord injury without one.
I use my phone for everything. I use the alarm feature many times a day to remember to take pills, or to empty my bladder. I use a grocery list app to share my grocery list with Gus so he can pick things up for me if he goes to the store. I use several chat and email apps to stay in contact with my friends. I use the camera to take pictures for the blog. I use the calendar to keep track of doctor appointments and dinner dates with friends. I use the contact list to keep track of all the doctors and therapists I've seen. I use the IMDB app to find out what actors were in certain movies. And now I use WeMo to turn my lights off at night.
The WeMo light switch, by Belkin, is a smart light switch that uses your home WiFi network to talk to your smart phone.
There's not a lot to say about it except that I love it. I can now get in (or out) of bed with the lights on, and then turn them off (or on) when I'm ready using an app on my phone. It may seem like a little thing, but it makes my life a LOT better.
Update (5/20/2014) - My friend, Ben Parees, wants credit for introducing me to the dorky world of home automation. It's true. He did. Thanks, Ben! If you run into him, ask him about his project to automate the opening and closing of his mini-blinds in correspondence with the position of the sun!
Getting in bed at night is non-trivial for a paraplegic, especially when they are new to it. Transferring from the wheelchair to bed, or from bed to the wheelchair can be a bit hairy, especially in the dark. When I first moved into this apartment, I was brand new to these transfers, and I did not feel comfortable doing them in the dark. My solution was to have a night light running in my room all the time. This solution was a compromise. There was a little bit of light when I was doing my transfer, but not as much as I really wanted. Then there was more light in the room while I was sleeping than I would really prefer.
Smart phones are fantastic. I held out getting one for several years while some of my friends pressured me to get one. Ultimately, I did get one, only about a year before my injury. I don't know how I'd ever survive a spinal cord injury without one.
I use my phone for everything. I use the alarm feature many times a day to remember to take pills, or to empty my bladder. I use a grocery list app to share my grocery list with Gus so he can pick things up for me if he goes to the store. I use several chat and email apps to stay in contact with my friends. I use the camera to take pictures for the blog. I use the calendar to keep track of doctor appointments and dinner dates with friends. I use the contact list to keep track of all the doctors and therapists I've seen. I use the IMDB app to find out what actors were in certain movies. And now I use WeMo to turn my lights off at night.
The WeMo light switch, by Belkin, is a smart light switch that uses your home WiFi network to talk to your smart phone.
 |
| WeMo on the right |
There's not a lot to say about it except that I love it. I can now get in (or out) of bed with the lights on, and then turn them off (or on) when I'm ready using an app on my phone. It may seem like a little thing, but it makes my life a LOT better.
Update (5/20/2014) - My friend, Ben Parees, wants credit for introducing me to the dorky world of home automation. It's true. He did. Thanks, Ben! If you run into him, ask him about his project to automate the opening and closing of his mini-blinds in correspondence with the position of the sun!
Monday, May 12, 2014
A Few Of My Favorite Things - Part 6: Reacher Grabbers
The world we live in is designed around people with functioning legs. Spend one day in a wheelchair, and this fact becomes painfully obvious.
I live alone, and if I need to reach something that is either too high, or too low, I have to use a reacher grabber. I don't especially like having to rely on a fancy tool for something so simple, but I don't really have any other options.
I have an assortment of grabbers, and each is useful in its own way.
If I could have only one, it would be the Duro-Med 26-inch. This is the one they recommended when I was in rehab. It has decent grip strength, and it has excellent precision. If you drop a pill under the table, this is the grabber you want.
I own four of these that I keep in different rooms. In rehab, I remember them specifically saying this one was good if you want to grab a cloth to wipe something up on the floor. I haven't tried it yet, but that's probably true. I keep one in the bathroom to help flush the toilet since I can't get my chair close to the handle, or to pick things up if I drop them in the shower. I keep one near my bed, and when the HO was keeping me from reaching my feet, I used it to help put pants on.
This grabber is also somewhat effective for pulling things down from high cabinet shelves in the kitchen. My strategy for managing my kitchen space is that I keep just about everything that I use every day on the counter where I can reach it. My kitchen is very small, and I can't afford to waste any space, so some things that I don't use daily have to go in the upper cabinets. I have my friends put things up there when they come. Extra food has to go up there sometimes, so when I need it, I just use a grabber to pull it down. Most of the time that means pulling it off the front of the shelf, and either catching it, or letting it hit the counter. I try to put durable foods up there. Putting anything back up on a shelf is tricky at best.
The grabber I use more often for pulling things off shelves is the Unger 32-inch. It has a longer reach than the Duro-Med so it can reach things on higher shelves, and the jaws open a lot wider so it can grab larger things. The inside of the jaws also have a rubberized cover, so it has a chance of gripping a bottle. The head can also turn 90 degrees which is convenient for grabbing vertical boxes.
The problem with the Unger is that it does not have very good grip strength. If it did, it would be much more useful. Once I pull a box of cookies off the shelf, the odds that the Unger can hold it for a graceful landing are very low. For that reason, that's about the only thing this grabber is good for, but sometimes it's the right tool for that job.
The jaws of the Unger aren't very precise, so it wouldn't be good for picking up a pill, but another issue is that it's just too long. It's hard to appreciate until you try it, but using a grabber that is too long is very awkward. One reason the 26" Duro-Med is so useful is that it's a very convenient length, but sometimes you want something even shorter.
The PikStick 20-inch is such a grabber. I'd say this is my least useful grabber, and I haven't really used it much. I bought it to use to help with putting on pants, and I think it would have been perfect for that job, but I stopped needing a grabber for that at about the same time it arrived. Its head turns 90 degrees like the Unger, but I'm not sure if that's a useful feature for a grabber this small. Its grip strength is also not very good. It might be weaker than the Unger, so if I were to give up one of these grabbers, it would be this one.
A grabber that I would NOT want to give up is the Grappler 33-inch. My aunt sent me this when I first came home from rehab, and it took me a while to appreciate its usefulness. It's a little bit heavy which makes it a little bit clumsy to operate, but it has incredible grip strength. It's also the longest grabber I have, so if there is something up high, and I want to have a reasonable chance of not dropping it, this is the grabber I want.
It was designed as a trash pick-up tool, and it's made almost entirely from steel so it's super strong. The jaws also open much wider than any of the other grabbers so it will pick up things they won't. The jaw tips have rubber booties on them so it has reasonable "gription" as Gus likes to say. Most recently, I used it to take down my wall clock which is well out of reach so I could replace the battery. I also was able use it to put the clock back up. None of my other grabbers could come close to doing that.
At this point, I feel like my grabber collection is just about complete, but the Grappler is so impressive, I am considering buying the 24-inch version as well. That would give me a smaller, lighter option for those times when heavy or large things aren't quite as high up or as far away. After that, I think I will have a reacher grabber for every situation.
I live alone, and if I need to reach something that is either too high, or too low, I have to use a reacher grabber. I don't especially like having to rely on a fancy tool for something so simple, but I don't really have any other options.
I have an assortment of grabbers, and each is useful in its own way.
 |
| My collection |
 |
| Duro-Med 26" |
This grabber is also somewhat effective for pulling things down from high cabinet shelves in the kitchen. My strategy for managing my kitchen space is that I keep just about everything that I use every day on the counter where I can reach it. My kitchen is very small, and I can't afford to waste any space, so some things that I don't use daily have to go in the upper cabinets. I have my friends put things up there when they come. Extra food has to go up there sometimes, so when I need it, I just use a grabber to pull it down. Most of the time that means pulling it off the front of the shelf, and either catching it, or letting it hit the counter. I try to put durable foods up there. Putting anything back up on a shelf is tricky at best.
The grabber I use more often for pulling things off shelves is the Unger 32-inch. It has a longer reach than the Duro-Med so it can reach things on higher shelves, and the jaws open a lot wider so it can grab larger things. The inside of the jaws also have a rubberized cover, so it has a chance of gripping a bottle. The head can also turn 90 degrees which is convenient for grabbing vertical boxes.
 |
| Unger 32" and PikStik 20" |
The jaws of the Unger aren't very precise, so it wouldn't be good for picking up a pill, but another issue is that it's just too long. It's hard to appreciate until you try it, but using a grabber that is too long is very awkward. One reason the 26" Duro-Med is so useful is that it's a very convenient length, but sometimes you want something even shorter.
The PikStick 20-inch is such a grabber. I'd say this is my least useful grabber, and I haven't really used it much. I bought it to use to help with putting on pants, and I think it would have been perfect for that job, but I stopped needing a grabber for that at about the same time it arrived. Its head turns 90 degrees like the Unger, but I'm not sure if that's a useful feature for a grabber this small. Its grip strength is also not very good. It might be weaker than the Unger, so if I were to give up one of these grabbers, it would be this one.
A grabber that I would NOT want to give up is the Grappler 33-inch. My aunt sent me this when I first came home from rehab, and it took me a while to appreciate its usefulness. It's a little bit heavy which makes it a little bit clumsy to operate, but it has incredible grip strength. It's also the longest grabber I have, so if there is something up high, and I want to have a reasonable chance of not dropping it, this is the grabber I want.
 |
| Grappler 33" |
At this point, I feel like my grabber collection is just about complete, but the Grappler is so impressive, I am considering buying the 24-inch version as well. That would give me a smaller, lighter option for those times when heavy or large things aren't quite as high up or as far away. After that, I think I will have a reacher grabber for every situation.
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