Weddings and Flat Tires

I knew it was going to be a tough couple of days to post. I am serving as a groomsman in Carey and Brian's Columbia County wedding this weekend, which has been wonderful so far. Last night we got a flat tire and this morning we had to get it fixed today so we could head to Boston tomorrow. That left us a one car family with a daughter who needs transportation to work and all the other hectic Saturday morning things that are part of life. So, I am taking a few minutes before heading up to Pittsfield and then down to Hillsdale to let you know that Tim has been a little tired the past couple of days, but pushing on with his rehab. We don't have too many details as he hasn't been in the mood to talk. Jancy is heading out to Boston this evening to be with Tim and we'll join her tomorrow. More news for you on Sunday night.

Lights Out

Well, I can't rustle Tim up this evening. Maybe he's exhausted and has conked out. Or maybe he's resting up for the big three game set this weekend. Maybe he's out carousing at Fanueil Hall. Who knows?

I did speak with Grandma and Grandpa, who had their weekly lunch with Tim today. The weather is cooling, but it was still nice enough to eat outside. They reported an upbeat attitude and remarkable dexterity with a fork. That's all good.

Maybe Tim's just saying I should take a night off.

Two Months

A lot has changed in two months, which is not a lot of time in the world of spinal cord injuries. We have good reason to be hopeful. The biggest reason for that hope is Tim himself. On Sunday, he told me and his Uncle Bob that pain was not going to get in the way of achieving his goal of walking again. He insists on using the manual chair every day, which makes lots of things more difficult, but which also forces him to get stronger. There are a few on the 9th floor who don't have that attitude, and Tim has seen where that gets them - nowhere fast. I wonder what I'll be writing about on October 12?

There was no observation of this milestone out at Spaulding, it was a pretty routine day. In addition to time on the Locomat, which did show increased strength in the left leg as expected, Tim and Amy meet with Rachel (his OT) and Jackie, who is handling the home modifications. They discussed ways to make our kitchen somewhat accessible to Tim, but it will be tricky to get perfect.

He had another visit from Emily this evening. We received a funny email tonight from Melanie:

"So Cameron included a picture of himself with Tim in his presentation about what he did this summer, and since then his class has been very interested in Tim's progress. Apparently to third graders the "monster chair" is the coolest thing going!!!!! "

Forwarding address

Today was sort of a going-nowhere day. Tim didn't sleep well last night, so opted to sleep in a bit this morning, since Kevin his PT was out. He ended up "starting" his day around noon. A round on the Bioness and more work strengthening his left leg were the activities of the day. He had a nice visit from Brigitte and Sam, and enjoyed receiving a card from Aunt Merilyn and the Races of West Stockbridge with some more info about the September 23 game.

Tim has moved to another room. His roommate Kevin, who he liked, developed an infection and had to be quarantined. So, Tim is next door now in 902. No report on the new roomie, but he is much older.

Back home, I was pleased to find a vegetarian lasagna in the fridge from Bobby & Laurie of East Stockbridge. I cut myself a nice chunk for dinner and then portioned out the rest for future meals. Delicious! Thanks guys.

Audi Inspiration - #5

Today was a long day, but I'm not sure why. Hmmm. Anyway, I'm back in West Stockbridge, thinking about the day. Before leaving, I said goodbye to two residents - Jim and Trevor and wished them the best. Both are leaving in chairs and are in good spirits. Meeting them and getting to know them has been a pleasant experience, and they've been a positive part of Tim's time there. But, again, it's weird to be in such close contact with some people for a relatively long period of time, and then they're gone.

The three of us sat down for our second weekly meeting, a fact which I consider a major accomplishment, to talk about Tim's state of affairs, and it seems that we are on a good track.

Dr. O'Connor spent a little time with us at the end of the day, talking about several things. Here is the wisdom he shared with us : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpDLWJBZdxU

Laughter is the best medicine, I suppose.

So, I close this day with another quote for you, and one which I think is very relevant.

We never underestimate the importance of a human’s touch. Neither must you.

** This is a direct quote taken from Tim's new book on the history and philosophy of Audi.

Football Season Opens

I headed down for the early shift today and sat with Tim for breakfast. I brought a few things from the local periodicals including an article and pictures of a ceremony honoring Ray Murray for the work he has done for BSA Troop 23, among other things, where Tim had many memorable experiences. We also took a look at the pre-season Berkshire County Football previews. Tim seemed impressed by what he read about the Spartans, and we began to kick around the idea of another day trip home for the Sunday September 23 afternoon home game. After breakfast and a shower, I gave him a shave. He flirted briefly with the idea of a goatee, but that faded quickly. We did trim the sideburns a bit.

The weather was cool and overcast, and there was no real reason to hustle off anywhere, so we eased into the day. Uncle Bob showed up relatively early. He had just flown in from Charlottesville, VA to spend a couple of days in the Hub with his nephew, and will be staying with Uncle John. We spent some time getting caught up, and introduced Bob to Tim's friend Trevor (another diving accident resident). Soon a bunch of Geisheckers stopped in - Great Aunt Ann & Uncle Ed from Natick, cousin Paul from Medfield and cousin Joanne from Denver, CO. Quite a sizeable gathering, we decided to head over to Half Time Pizza, where Bob treated us to lunch and we enjoyed the Pats opening day win over the Jets.

The rest of the day was a bunch of nothing, which is always nice. Tim got a call from cousin Sam, a UTI student at the Sacramento campus. They had a nice long chat. Meanwhile, I had a chance to meet the family of Tim's new room mate Kevin, from Hopedale, MA.

Post update: A couple of days ago, I posted what I thought was a phony item about a special off-road wheelchair that Tim was considering. The image had been supplied by reliable jokester Nutley. Well, it seems that the "Tank Chair" is real! Check it out here at http://www.tankchair.com/ Make sure you take a look at the videos!