"A WHOLE NEW WORLD!"

... --'Aladdin'    So, last night I attended my Karate class.  My old Karate/"jiu-jitsu" ("jujitsu") instructor would like me to FIRST "shadow" him, THEN I may AGAIN teach.  (PRE-accident, I was a REGULAR instructor for Kids' classes.)   The class went VERY WELL!  (I EVEN--quietly and off to the side--corrected one of the TEACHER'S movements after he taught a technique.  He thanked me.)    ((I'm ALREADY devising lesson plan(S) for when I teach.))    P.S. For those of you NOT "in the know, 'jujitsu' is Japanese for 'flexible/pliable art/technique'.  (REALLY, it's essentially 'ground-fighting'.)    P.P.S. "Don't you dare close your eyes."  (THAT'S the next line in the subject's 'Aladdin' song.)    P.P.P.S. Why/How do I remember THAT?!    Brain-injury, WHAT?!

"MISS INDEPENDENT!"

... (Alternate the GENDER of the subject, because ... I'm a "MISTER".) Last night--upon my getting in bed after my trip to Karate class, I--SUCCESSFULLY--pulled down and off my shorts.  (Ladies, RELAX!  I'm "TAKEN"--MUCH to your chagrin.)   Honestly, I didn't think that I could accomplish SUCH A TASK.  But, with "some" (Read: "A LOT of".) perseverance and effort, I "made it work".   Moral: "MIND over MATTER."    Scorecard: Will power-1 Brain-injury-0

Due to some scheduling-mishap,

... I had both Physical Therapy AND Speech Therapy today (Thursday, 6/28/12).  Actually, my Speech Therapist arrived toward the end of my P.T.  So, my Speech Therapist had THE PRIVILEGE of watching me "WALK"!  (Granted, my Speech Therapist HAD TO do "her JOB", so she made me SPEAK as I "WALKED".) (I counted ALOUD EACH STEP.)    ... I "hope" (Scratch that: "KNOW") she enjoyed my "SHOW"!   (MISSED OPPORTUNITY!  She SHOULD'VE quoted 'Zoolander' by yelling, "Yep, it's a WALK-OFF.")     (Ergo, my therapy today: MULTI-tasking.)

"I'm doin' the work. I'm not a slacker. PLEASE!"

... --'What About Bob?'  Today, my Physical Therapist ASKED ME what I'd like to do during my session this morning.  Provided with my options, I selected the most difficult task--FOR ME: WALKING.  So, I walked--while leaning on my walker and stabilizing myself via my Physical Therapist's grip--SIX LENGTHS of my LARGE living room/den.     GOOD STUFF!

... My LAST blog

... is evidence of my MENTAL strength! (WHAT "brain-injury"?!  SSSHHH!)

"Oops! I Did It Again!"

... I beat "Expert"-level of Minesweeper (TWICE) yesterday afternoon.  Then, I had Speech Therapy.  So, I was in a good mood for Speech.  My Speech Therapist said that my tongue-movement has "DEFINITELY IMPROVED!"  (The judges are still debating on whether there's a DIRECT CORRELATION between Minesweeper and the flexibility of my tongue.) (... F.Y.I.: The tongue is the strongest muscle in the human body.) (Ergo, Minesweeper gives me "INNER" strength.)  P.S. Although I quoted a Britney Spears song, I SWEAR I'm HETEROsexual!

HOW APPROPRIATE!

... I JUST defeated the "Expert"-level of Minesweeper--WITHOUT "marking" any bombs--in between the ending of the film, ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (about A BUNCH of mentally-STRANGE people) and the beginning of the film, 'Rain Man' (about one patient with SEVERE autism) (But, he's great with numbers--LIKE ME.). However, I do NOT have "behavioral problems".

Pardon my truancy.

... Last Wednesday I fed myself--WITH A SPOON--WITH NO COUGHING!  THIS might NOT seem like BIG DEAL to all y'all "NORMAL" folks.  (But, WHAT'S "NORMAL"?!  ... NOT ME!  THANK GOODNESS!)   So, I'm "recovering". ...

My "observation":

... I think that my "situation"--CONSTANTLY either SITTING in my wheelchair or LYING DOWN in my bed--"promotes" lethargy.  Now, by NO MEANS am I "lazy"!  But, UNFORTUNATELY, I've noticed that I get tired easier.   Using my mathematical mastery--"Alliteration aside"(--'Dodgeball')--the "CONSTANT" here would be my UNFORTUNATE LACK of leg-strength/activity.   (Check my math.) (...  HA HA HA!)   (... I'm laughing, 'cuz I KNOW I'm correct.)

The Dude Astride

Everyone,
I visited AJ on 5/31/12 and captured this video of him walking in his home. It's fantastic. Notice how much (really how little) support Leeann and James give AJ. These are clearly steps in the right direction.
- Grant


AJ asked me to add his own commentary:


Notice that I periodically glance up/forward--to make the "walking" more "NATURAL".  (People DON'T look down while walking.)
ALSO, I'm still trying to LIMIT my "Frankenstein-steps"--in which I somewhat LOUDLY slam my heels onto the floor.  ((SSSHHH!  I was hiding my stick.  As the saying goes: "Walk SOFTLY," (NOT ME!) "and carry a big stick."))

↵ Use original player

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Walk 4 - 5/31/12 on Vimeo.

THIS may not SEEM like a BIG DEAL.

... But--EXCUSE ME FULLY-FUNCTIONAL humans, I'm A BIT "disabled"! Yesterday, once in the morning and once in the evening, I used my LEFT--INJURED--hand to push down my left wheelchair-brake after I was pushed to my desired location.  (The "brake" prevents any wayward movement.)  BOTH TIMES I was alongside my couch.  So, the couch-cushions were in my way.  (HA HA HA!  THAT was MERELY an obstacle!) TODAY, I put on my LEFT-brake AGAIN!   So, scorekeeper: THAT'S A.J. 3, Brake 0.   "Write that down."--Michael Scott (Steve Carell), 'The Office'