Mar 3rd
This was a bit of a rougher start to the day. I realized very quickly why I don’t drink…. turns out that I have some really hard things I have to do in the morning that require my body to not be in pain or hurtin’ in other ways. Just getting out of the bed becomes that much more difficult, where my legs have tightened up from the spasms so bad I can hardly muster the strength to even move them. definitely not ideal. It’s really hard to watch everyone around me drinking with their friends and family. I understand that there are many reasons that people will choose to abstain from drinking, because the social pressure around us to drink is very much there. I don’t mind it at all, not drinking. I do very much like and enjoy the social aspect of being around people. That very much is a big part of who I am.
Mar 4th
Well! I had a pretty decent start to the day! Being able to get myself up and about, do my morning routine, make a couple phone calls, and get back to it all on a day off felt really good.
I had a wonderful conversation with my old therapists today! It was really nice to be able to let them know where I have been and up to for all these months!
Anthony gave me some great advice to get a standing frame, let’s see how this goes! Katie had some really kind things to say about my journey and experience. I really can’t slow down, and just need to be able to focus and help keep myself on track with all the various things I am working on!
Mar 5th
What’s wild, is how people coming in and out of therapy can still smile. People’s family members, caregivers, you name it, they are all smiling. I took a second before therapy here to take note on this. I find it really interesting, how some people with some of the worst luck that could ever befall them, are still smiling. All these folks with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, strokes, you name it. They are all still about to wear a smile on their face!
I’m really “doubling down” on motivation and productivity these days. Turns out there’s a lot of really good side effects to having to be “on the ball” 24/7. I really do feel like I am able to be productive alot more these days. Just a little bit more every day.
Therapy went really well, and I had walked the furthest in the walker than I had ever done without taking a break!! My legs felt so good afterwards! I could really feel my foot on the ground pushing thru and helping step me! It was absolutely amazing!
😅 well, this was an extremely rude awakening from the afternoon nap I definitely needed! I was super tired from therapy, and I realized I needed to lay down. I tried to get in a long sit before stretching out, and I kinda had a bit of a harder fall onto the ground, and felt a bit of a “pop” in my back…. It wasn’t that hard of a landing, but I am always trying to be as careful as I can before that year mark my neurosurgeon recommended. I sometimes feel like the pops and cracks I feel are just me getting my body into positions it hasn’t gotten to feel in a really long time. I don’t think they are super bad, but always interesting to feel. Actually, now that I think about it, they have to be okay? popping from just not moving has to be a good thing? Right?
After taking this super deep sleep of a nap, I woke up in some of the most excruciating pain that I have experienced in months. I was literally paralyzed from the pain and could not hardly even talk. Just the thought of moving an inch of my body was making me hurt.
So, Callie was gracious enough to help prop me up, and be there for “a spot” when I was getting up and into the chair. I was a mess, I could hardly even push myself out of the bedroom because I was so stricken with pain.
Turns out I was dealing with a case of extreme bloating and fatigue, and all the sensations down around my abdomen are still working their way back to normal sensations. When there is pain down there, I absolutely need to be extremely cognizant of what I’m doing in my body. Without going thru my checklist of symptoms and what I am doing thru the day, I’m dead in the water.
I know that I have to be taking very serious care of myself, and without taking time to set a good baseline for myself, I really am just setting myself up for a heavy dosage of pains and aches. These are times when I would describe my tum and abdomen as “the black cauldron”.
After making a few rounds of phone calls with the family about what I can do to help relieve the symptoms, I was able to slow myself back down and get things under control.
You know, so this thought just came to my mind. After changing my blog’s name to The Astronaut on Earth, and reading some posts on the support group, “Spinal Cord Injury Walkers” on Facebook, I realized something. I’m really not alone. I’m not the only “astronaut” out there. There are so many other people, well, not “SO” many others but a few! There are other “astronauts” out there working their way thru one of the most difficult situations one could ever experience.
With this being said, it’s not that what I’m experiencing is the hardest “mission” ever. It’s not that I’m the only astronaut, whereas being the lizard king seems to be something that there would be only one of, really. What it all means is that I’m Just Joe. I’m just working on what I can, with the resources that I have. Not the best, not the worst, but all fortunate, just the same.
I’m really grateful for being able to have the strength, knowledge, and courage to put myself into these awkward, difficult and stressful situations. Without pushing myself, I’d be nowhere. And I know that with each day, I am making progress! No matter the ups and downs I might be facing at the time.
I took some time this evening to do a little meditation and thinking. And what I ended up doing was working on my eyes closed balance. What I realized, is that if I am able to move myself around and keep myself upright and balanced in a chair with my eyes closed, and my hands out in the air besides me, is that my legs and core are working to keep myself supported! This is like what Jake was talking about a little bit even, how little kids will work on just even “holding themselves up?”
Mar 6
So, I woke up from my alarm today at 6:50! This is the first I’ve done this since the accident! Instead of waking up and slowly starting my day, I’m really working on being more productive in the morning. I know I feel better In the morning, and more motivated!
Speaking of the morning…. I can feel how this day has really turned itself on end… I had quite the day at therapy today, the stuffy nose I had this morning ramped up and started a day I wasn’t quite expecting to have….
So, I am sick. It happened. Idk what the heck happened, but I have a cough, a ton of phlegm that I’m coughing up, an extremely stuffy and runny nose, and the body fatigue has really ramped up now. It reminds me of all the UTI’s I’ve had, and how something so significant changes when my body is going thru this. I get a return in some sensation, or motor function, or something changes when my body is experiencing something so wild.
I’ve realized today, that the amount I’m feeling in my knees, my gastroc’s and the bed of my feet have never felt this significant for the entire duration of the day. I was up standing today in therapy, and they are helping get me setup with a standing frame at home! Hopefully I won’t need it for too long either like Bill, the friendly fella who is giving it to me! He is such a kind hearted man, and only said, ”please just give it to someone when you are done, I’m not asking any money for it” which was so incredibly kind. The folks that I’ve met while being in therapy have been some of the kindest and compassionate human beings I have met in my entire life. I guess a little spinal cord trauma can do that for you.
What’s crazy is this is really how most folks I have met from therapy all are. They have an incredible optimism in their eyes. I see all of the clients come in (I prefer to call ’em that and not patients, cuz we aren’t in a hospital) and if I look at them, regardless of the look on their face, I smile at them. When I do, I almost always get a smile back. A smile that is so sincere, it really makes me wonder.
Everyone else is also going thru an incredible journey, and I’m not alone. Like this newer analogy I’ve found where we are all astronauts on earth, is also relevant here as well. The amount of different stories, I can only imagine.
Mar 7th
Wow, I kinda got some good rest? My nose wasn’t so extremely clogged that I could actually breathe thru my nose! Also, the sensations thru my feet and toes are out of those world! It’s really great to know that the theory I had last night, seems to be coming to fruition!
It’s so hard to get myself comfortable when I’m sleeping. Be it on my stomach or on my side or back. It’s like as soon as my body gets used to a position, the next day I have to rethink how I should sleep??
I need to feel better today! I’m definitely feeling less thru my nose and throat, and that cough is going away.
It’s almost like Callie said, “your immune system can only do so much healing at once, so when it’s trying to get you back motor function and sensation, it becomes more sensitive to other things, like the errant cold or flu.” It seems to check out. My feet and lower parts of my legs are realllyyy feeling it today! Like, I really do feel the sheets and blankets against them! my butt, too, is really feeling a consistent tightness at the top! I really feel alll of my back! It’s working its way down, I know it!!
😅 well, today turned into a really wild and adventurous day. I feel like a lot has happened! I was crawling on the floor!! I was able to get myself from a long sit and crawled over to the mirror! that’s all the way across the room!! I can’t even believe this sometimes! Im fighting off this cold, took a 3 hr nap cause I was extremely exhausted after therapy. My watch told me my body was so freaking low. Like, usually as low as it is at the end of a long day, so it makes sense that I was pretty well tuckered out.
I’m really excited for my brothers to come this weekend! They are also bringing max! I’m a bit nervous and also excited, to be able to get my boyyo back. It’s been quite some time! I’m nervous and anxious for all the things, but the pupper is worth it. He’s so great, and I’ve missed him so dang much! He’s been waiting for me this whole time, and I’m not gonna let him down by not being able to get back running and taking him for bike rides!
Mar 8
My legs are feeling so much! I really thought last night after I had awoken from my nap how heavy my feet were feeling, inside my feet! It was really a wild feeling!
I also noticed how my left leg in particular was starting to creep up when I was laying on my right side, and not only was my knee to my chest, but the lower part of my leg was also creeping up… which makes me think about the mechanics of walking, and how I need to get my knee into flexion to be able to walk without the KAFO’s?!? So does this mean my knees are getting function?!?
So, I’m down on the floor right now, and my body is doing some wild things! Im working on stretching out my hand one at a time while I’m in a quadruped position. It’s actually going a lot better than I thought! One day at a time! It’s wild, just getting myself into a “W” position with my hands and arms had been really hard to do just a week ago! And now I’m able to lift my hands off the floor!
My brothers and Max made it! and we had an absolute amazing night! Well, the second part of the night I’m not going to talk about because I had a really bad time and needed to find the bed. But the first part of the night was an absolute blast! We did so much on that first night that the guys came! I even tried to give max a walk on this rainy Friday! that wasn’t going nearly as well as I thought… I need alot more practice on the sidewalk before I can make walks with max happen. That’s kind of a bummer, but at least I gave it a try!
So, I decided we were going to do something kinda silly, and we were going to make schnitzel! Schnitzel is one of my brother’s and mine favorite foods! The problem is, none of us have ever made it….. We also made red cabbage, mashed potatoes, and a salad! Mom would be so proud of us! I am not sure what came over me, but I really do think that food can really bring one another together. We had so much fun making the schnitzel! John made the mashed potatoes, Paul made the red cabbage, I pounded out the schnitzels, and Callie and prepped them all to be fried up! It was really cool, John, Paul, and I working together to try and figure out how mom makes em as best we can! We probably only called mom 3 times…… I can’t be sure though. Paul ended up frying them in the pan, and we ended up with 15 pieces of schnitzel, and over 3lbs of meat prepped for frying! this was also for just 4 people, but it really reminded me of a dinner at momma’s house!
I think we did a really good job, and the leftover plate of schnitzel I think was a testament to how well we did! I think all 3 of us are alot more confident in our schnitzel making abilities now!
Mar 9th
Well, we had a cool start to the day! We made some eggs, toast, bagels, muffins, who the heck else knows what else for breakfast! I was really trying to make sure that we weren’t left we 3 hangry Reiter Boys in the same room. That is not a good combination.
We ended up having a nice slow start to the day, and got over to Bill’s house around noonish, and boy did my brothers have a great experience and time talking and meeting Bill. He really is an inspiration. Neither him and I really had a chance to have a conversation much while we were both at therapy, and this gave us a chance to really get to know one another so much more!
His story was really hard to hear. Hearing what Bill had to go through, and what he lost was extremely hard. I understand that what happened to me was really hard, but to lose someone so close to you is an experience like none other. I have so much respect for this man and how far he has come, I am really grateful for him to have wanted to part ways with the standing frame this way!
What’s really cool was hearing about his recovery too! how he had a cervical level spinal cord injury, and how he is literally getting himself back walking as well! They told him that he was going to be paralyzed from his armpits down, and the moment that I saw Bill pull himself up out of the chair, he had has hands down on the counter for support, and he himself was standing, no braces, no nothing! It was amazing! He was so tall! he is 6′ 6″ and is a giant of a man! and I could really see it at that point! It was really a sight to bear witness to! his recovery has been so amazing, and he has really put in alot of work to get to where he is today.
I am really fortunate to be starting a new leg of my journey! this standing frame is really going to help me! This is going to help with so many things, I can’t wait to talk to the therapists and let them know that I am already getting myself in the frame over 2hrs a day! I want to get myself as strong and stretched out as possible!!!
We had a really nice day, and I am really fortunate that my brothers were able to help me get the frame over at Bill’s. It meant alot to me to have them there for me. I am a pretty grateful guy to have those fellas as my brothers. Who the heck knows what other crazy stories are in store for us.
Well, we rounded off the day by having some Vanguard and some Supercross. Also, don’t ever have Malort…..
The Astronaut on Earth 
Leave a comment