We're eating!

...  ""The ROYAL "we", the EDITORIAL.""(--'The Big Lebowski') ... Yesterday, I ate some chicken and french fries from McDonalds/Burger King.  (I KNOW they're NOT "HEALTHY", but DON'T JUDGE ME!)   (At least the chicken was GRILLED NOT fried!) Although I STILL couldn't TASTE my food, I liked the TEXTURE.  It made for easy maneuvering/swallowing.  Also, the LITERAL interpretation of the subject applies. (After every TWO bites I fed MYSELF, I would hand-feed my dog ONE.

"Sense/Feeling of Accomplishment"

Yesterday, I tried this new exercise during my WORKOUT.  My trainer attached this pulley-device above a closed door.  I  maneuvered my wheelchair near said "pulley".  I would then grab the TWO handles and, PULL MYSELF UP into a STANDING-position.  While I was STANDING (for ~10 seconds), my trainer would  LIGHTLY/MINIMALLY hold/assist me--JUST to STABILIZE/BALANCE me.   I did said exercise five times.

"Lift with your legs NOT your back."

... Yesterday, during my workout-session, I--with JUST my trainer using his LEFT foot to block the inadvertent sliding/slipping of MY LEFT, BAD foot--pushed myself up and STOOD next to my LOW workout-mat/bench. YAY!  (I held my trainer's arm and stood for ~10 seconds, before I SLOWLY bent my knees to lower myself to sit down.)  (I did this task TWICE.)

GREAT/INSPIRING words!

... My motto:  "ANYTHING worth doing  is TOUGH."(--'Patch Adams')  ... WALKING is "worth doing". ... GREAT film!

... FURTHER changes:

... Also, my Physical Therapist thought that I was ready to try my "WALKING" OUTSIDE.  So, I "rolled out" in my motorized wheelchair( YES, I smiled and waived at the ogling, staring, drooling ladies/fans.) to the top edge of my driveway--JUST outside my garage.  I "set myself up" next to my "walker" and "WALKED" to the sidewalk.  Then, I "WALKED" ON THE SIDEWALK ~30 feet  "down my block".   I needed a break, ONLY because my EXCESSIVE perspiration was causing me to repeatedly lose my grip on my "walker"-handles.   All in all, I would say that today's "output" was VERY ENCOURAGING!

... AGAIN!

... I began my day by doing my "WALKING-routine" (from my bed, into my bathroom and back). THEN, I had my Physical Therapy, in which I did EVEN MORE "walking".  BUT, my Therapist decided it was time to alter the "terrain". FIRST, I did some "WALKING" in a small-ER, room with a CARPETED floor.(The carpet creates more FRICTION and PREVENTS me from simply DRAGGING my left, INJURED foot along the floor.)

I was INSPIRED.

So, earlier today, my mother, girlfriend, trainer, my therapists and I had a "meeting" about my progress and what I can do to be more proactive.   Well, JUST NOW, I decided to try "WALKING"--with my "walker" into the bathroom.   So, I sat up in bed, swung my legs up and out of my bed, positioned them on the floor--alongside my "walker"--and WALKED out of my bedroom and into my bathroom. Upon getting in there, I was happy with my "output"/"production".  So, rather than sitting down in a chair, I decided to do an "ABOUT-FACE" and "walked" ALL THE WAY back to my bed.  I normally begin my day with THIS "routine", but I wanted to do MORE. Moral: BOO-YAH! (The difference between "ordinary" and "extraordinary" is that little "EXTRA".)

"They can't ALL be winners."

So, I've started this new DAILY routine in which, in the morning, I WALK--with my "walker"--from my bed to my wheelchair in the bathroom to brush my teeth. Well, my WALKING HAD been going pretty well the last few days.  But, on this day, my LEFT,INJURED leg wasn't "cooperating".  Ergo, I STRUGGLED to take FULL STEPS with that leg.   But, as much DIFFICULTY as I had, it was QUITE THE RELIEF when I--SAFELY--sat down in my wheelchair!

My OWN Physical Therapy:

... Today was GREAT!  1) I begin each day with "P,T."  Today, while lying flat in bed, I tilted my head forward and UP and OFF my bed.  Simultaneously, I raised my legs/feet  UP and OFF my bed for 30 seconds FIVE times.  (I conduct this exercise SIX times a week.) However, THIS morning, I employed the motto, "START strong.  FINISH strong." Ergo, for my first repetition, I held my feet up for 60 seconds.  On my sixth--and final--repetition, I held my feet up for 60 seconds.   2) I, SUCCESSFULLY, "prepared myself" (using MOMENTUM to swing my legs off my bed) to get into my wheelchair.  THEN, I--ALMOST by myself--pushed myself up, STOOD (YAY!), sat down in my wheelchair, buckled my seatbelt, pushed down my footrests and adjusted my sitting-position. 3) After ALL THIS, I STILL did ten squats.

In hindsight,

... I find it REMARKABLE that I used to have the patience to COMPETITIVELY play the practically NONSTOP-game of "soccer" ("'futbol'", to my fellow foreigners).  Also, since the game/sport tends to be rather low-scoring (Also, goals usually require some set-up/strategy), soccer requires a great deal of PATIENCE.  (My brain-injury has SEVERELY decreased/diminished my "patience.) I was the "left midfielder".  (Wow, how did I remember THAT?!)  So, I played BOTH offense AND defense.  (Yes, you GROSS, SOPHOMORIC jokesters might say that I "went both ways".  Ha ha, CHILDREN.) I possessed enough ball-handling skills and strategic wherewithal to help "produce" goals.  I was also talented enough to be my team's FIRST line of defense against the opposition's (USUALLY stronger/better) RIGHT side of offense/"forwards". Let's hear it for the WORLD'S most popular sport! O-LAY, o-lay, o-lay!  O-LAY!  O-lay.

(PRIOR TO my UNFORTUNATE accident:)

...  "Now, it USED TO BE I ran to get where I was goin'.  I never thought it'd take me anywhere."   "... That's all I have to say about THAT."   "Do you KNOW what it's like to not be able to USE YOUR LEGS?!" "Yes, I do."   (Regarding my accident and UNFORTUNATE injuries:) "Life is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you're gonna get."  "Some people said that what I did" (my blogging) "gave people HOPE.   NOW, I don't know about THAT." (... I JUST do what I CAN.) (--'Forrest Gump')