Get up, stand up. Don't give up the fight!

What a wonderful day. Amy and Jance headed back on Sunday night - Amy to start the final push to prepare the Opportunity Dress Shop at the Harvest Festival for the Berkshire Botanical Garden, and Jancy for schooling purposes. So, I got a taste of a quiet morning at 9 Willow and headed down to Spaulding to talk with Tim a bit before his day got started. That didn't really happen because Tim slept late, which I approve of. When he did wake up, we discovered that he was scheduled for a outpatient session at New England Baptist and we hadn't been informed. Not a big deal, but off we went in a "Cabulance" for a delightful tour of Boston through Back Bay, the Fenway and beyond towards JP. It was a nice time to "just talk."


The session was routine and when we got back to Spaulding, Tim went off to therapy and I went to the lunch room and did some work on my laptop. I needed to leave around 3:00 in order to catch my bus, so I went down to the gym to say goodbye a few minutes before then.


Tim: Hi Dad. I stood.
Kaye: He stood.


So, there I was, needing to leave almost immediately, and also needing to stay in order to absorb this incredible news. So, I tried to get as much information as I could and headed out. I did call Tim when I returned this evening, and this is the full story:


Tim's right leg was put in a full length plastic brace while he was sitting in his chair, which locked his knee and gave that leg rigidity. Then, using a harness, Tim was lifted out of his chair and onto his feet, with legs bent. Gradually he was lifted into a near standing position - just a few inches shy. Then the harness was loosened, and he straightened out his left leg on his own and was standing under his own power and balance! He was positioned between two parallel railings and placed his hands on them for support. The therapist (Kaye) picked up his right foot and moved it forward, leaving weight on the left. Tim then took a step (not that pretty, but still a step) with his left leg. They did that a couple of times. Wow. I came in a little after that. How frustrating is that? I was checking emails about 100 feet away! Just before I left, Tim pointed to his right thigh and showed me a slight flexing movement that he was creating and controlling.


So, how could a day like this get any better? Red Sox Rally Monday, that's how. Tim asked his friend Emily to come down to Spaulding and escort him to tonight's rally at Government Center, a quick ten minute roll away. His status as a chair rider earned him front row spots and he heard speeches and performances by the Dropkick Murphys and The Standells - including Sweet Caroline and Dirty Water. Owner John Henry even sat in on guitar.


http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071001&content_id=2244399&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos



So, it looks like Tim's week is off to a good start! Meanwhile, back in the Berkshires, some cows got loose in Richmond.

Season Finale

Tim slept late today. Good. When he awoke, he was focused on one thing. He and Jancy were going to the last Sox game of the year. He had called the box office and yes, there was one seat accessible seat left with one companion. So they bought the tickets and away they went. Amy and I accompanied them on the Green Line and the experience was very good (on the way home, too). We feel better and better about using the T now. After we dropped them off at Gate A, Tim needed an Ellsbury tee and then they disappeared.

Amy and I had a nice walk back to the Hill along the esplanade and enjoyed a much-needed nap before walking back to pick them up via Back Bay. It was a beautiful day to be in Boston and we both enjoyed stretching our legs.

When we returned to Gate A, we waited for the entire park to empty out - no Tim, no Jancy. We found them via cell phone - hanging around the players parking lot and watching the team drive away one by one. I think that Tim was savoring every bit of free time outside of the hospital, because tomorrow, it's back to work. On our way back, we learned that the day was great, they loved being together (alone) and that even though the Sox lost it was a good game.

Hi Tim, family and friends,
Lincoln and I have been cruising around Europe for the past few weeks, spreading good Tim karma, to the best of our ability, in places both sacred and maybe, ever so slightly, profane. This picture we like because the trail to the top of this mountain is completely accessible. There are a couple of nice restaurants once you get there, and the views are amazing. Lincoln really enjoyed shooting the bracelet on cool sculptures we found everywhere. I'll post a few more snapshots in the next couple of days, as long as no one thinks that, perhaps, we had too much fun with the blue bracelets!
ciao for now,
Nancy Fitzpatrick

Braceless in Boston

Tim has been dying to get that neck brace off, and last night was a step in that direction. He has been cleared to sleep without it, and I'll find out soon how that went and see what the long term prognosis is.

Amy, Jance and I arrived yesterday as we usually do and spent another leisurely evening on the patio, enjoying the warm weather while we had it. We went through some local news and sports stories from the Eagle and Record. Tim let us know that Marge & Bob, Chris and Liam had stopped by for a visit during the day. He received a nice card from Pat & Bob as well as a tin of "Fat Witch" brownies from Brendan's (his old roommate) sister and her husband. They had spent a lot of time together during the month or so that Brendan was here. That was nice and the blondies were very good.

Tim is popping and holding wheelies now with abandon. Very nice to see. And you will. Now that we've charged the battery for the camera I'll get a shot today and post it. I took a look at the Fluidotherapy unit - pretty much just like the one in the link I provided. We talked some more about vehicles, and will get some images out there as soon as plans are a little more firm. He got a call from Amanda, who is visiting Bonnie in Boston. She was coming down for a short visit with Priscilla and Mika. It was time for us to leave, so we didn't have an opportunity to meet them and thank them for including Tim in their plans. We all continue to be incredibly appreciative of all those who visit, blog, email and send cards and notes his way. Thank you!

Another therapy heard from

By the time I caught up with Tim this evening he was pretty tired. He did have a nice visit from Brigitte and Meredith today, and they walked over to Mass General to pick up some papers. Aside from a session on the Locomat, Tim had a Fluidotherapy session for his hand. Today wasn't the first day, but it was the first I had heard.

Tim inserts his hand into a chamber and finely ground corn husks (Cellex Medium) are heated and swirl rapidly around his hand. The purpose of this therapy is to improve flexibility in the hands.

http://www.cmki.org/LMHS/Chapters/35-Fluidotherapy.htm

http://www.promedproducts.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1866/.f

It looks like the Sox magic number is one, at which point Tim will probably also start rooting for the Indians. I'll find out more tomorrow.

A bicycle built for two ......

Tim did something new yesterday - he rode a bike down the Esplanade, as far as the softball fields. One of the Recreation Therapists introduced him to Spaulding's tandem bike. Tim sat in front and made use of a hand crank and pedals to help propel the bike while the therapist sat in back and steered. Tim says it was fun and a nice change of pace. However, he won't ride with me in the back seat at this time.

He also started looking at vans yesterday. The dealer brought by a Toyota Sienna and they talked about some other options. Tim obviously enjoyed that, but it caused him to miss the annual Spaulding Cup - an annual kayak race for staffers and patients alike. One of Tim's nurses - Matt - was the eventual winner.

Today was some standard PT and OT including some time with the Bioness for his right arm and wheelchair class, where Tim reports that his wheelie skills are improving. He also handled getting up and down the ramps pretty well using both his left leg and his arms. During lunch he attended a presentation about a summer camp program for follow up therapy that would take place next year, and would offer a return to intensive therapy if necessary.

And that's it. The Sox are on, and he's watching.

Audi Inspiration - #7 and more!

Winning is not the sole objective. Rather a welcome result of careful planning.

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

*

I didn't learn too much about Jancy's night last night, except that she learned a lot about Tim's day-to-day by staying with him and spending time with him today.

*

Amy escorted Tim over to Mass General again for a CT Scan of his neck. Tim's been pushing for this so he can take his brace off - the scan will go out to Dr. Kantrowitz who will decide.

*

The Sox are up 3-1 tonight, and Tim is going to try to buy playoff tickets. I am not allowed to accompany him, due to my allegiance to a different team. We'll see what happens.

*

Here's a parting shot from Carey's & Brian's wedding:

Dentistry, Neurosurgery, Advocacy, Consultative Sales, Sister

Tim started his day off with a visit to a dentist based at Mass General. He and Amy were transported "all the way over there" in an ambulance, which too all of 5 minutes at 8AM today. They decided to walk back. Tim was having some work done on a front tooth that suffered a small chip back on July 12 when his resperator was inserted. His teeth were graded A2, which we're all pretty proud of!



We had lunch out on the patio, savoring these last few days of summer. One of the things we talked about was yesterday's Eagle article about Drs. Kantrowitz & Lasner (Tim's neurosurgeons) and the groundbreaking work they're doing with herniated disks back at BMC. If you missed it, read it here
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/search/ci_6983814?IADID=Search-www.berkshireeagle.com-www.berkshireeagle.com

After his therapy sessions, we all sat down with his new Case Worker, Tara. She's wonderful - with experience in disability and medical insurance claims, voc rehad counseling and getting through an actual cervical injury (with time spent on the 9th floor), she knows the issues and how to get things done. She and Tim are getting along great, and we're glad to have her on the team as Tim's advocate.

A bit later, Tim returned a call from Roland, the modified accessible van dealer. He and Tim talked about some models and designs, and it looks like Tim might get a look at a demo or two later this week.

Finally, the day wrapped up with a first for Tim - a slumber party. Jancy asked, Tim's roommate said OK, the staff approved, and soon some sort of portable bed was set up in 902. That's all I've got, but you'll learn more tomorrow.

Pats-Bills Game Preempted

It doesn't happen too often, but a Monument Mountain Spartans football game was scheduled for a Sunday afternoon this year. This scheduling quirk occurred in observance of Yom Kippur, which fell on Saturday the 22nd. We're grateful for that, as it allowed us to plan a day trip for Tim to watch his ex-team mates play the game he enjoyed so much. More about that in a couple of paragraphs.

Day trips to the Berkshires require early starts to make the most of them, so we were down with Tim by 7:30 to get him ready to go, which included choosing the best Spartan-friendly clothes we could put together. Next was getting Tim into the car, which proved to be a "watershed" moment for me. When we last brought him home, back in August, this necessary task was a lot of work, and had given me what I thought was an insight into our future. Now, like all of you, I have seen the YouTube video, and of course, have seen Tim work his leg "live." However, the practical aspects of this improvement in Tim's condition really hit home when we got to the car. The manuever into the passenger seat (and all transfers today) were a piece of cake. Tim has developed enough strength in his arms and left leg to do most of the work himself, with just a little guidance and a push or a pull here and there. That was good news!

We had a great ride out to the Berkshires, with no traffic, and arrived in West Stockbridge, where Tim asked me to take a spin around town. We drove slowly, allowing him to soak in the sites that are so familiar to him, and something new - our rapidly progressing transformation of Village School into our new town hall. After catching up with Jancy and some time spent with Sambone the aging wonder dog, we headed over to East Stockbridge for a pre-planned lunch with friends at the Elm Street Market. Tim craves their cheeseburgers, and sharing a meal with Jancy, Russ, Luke and Stefan was just great. I'm happy to say that the Market, and the downtown area around it, were pretty accessible.

Then, it was off to the game. Many thanks to Pam Race and Coach Huggins for setting up what turned out to be a great day. I'm not sure if they had anything to do with the weather, but it was a perfect day - clear blue skies, 70's temps and the backdrop of the early autum Berkshire Hills made for a perfect setting. We arrived as planned, around 1:00. The team was waiting for Tim and sent out one of the players to greet and take him back to the pre-warm up meeting. After Hoosac Valley arrived, the Spartans emerged in double file with Tim leading the team down to the field. From the sidelines, he watched the team get ready, and then was escorted back for the pre-game meeting. On their way back to the field, they formed a gauntlet, and Tim wheeled himself through it and led the Spartans on to the field. If that wasn't enough, Coach named Tim the Honorary Captain and he participated in the coin toss. It was a great game to watch and well played. Unfortunately, MM lost by a point after leading most of the game. Tim was in a great mood however, and was able to catch up with a lot of folks during half time and after the game.

Before heading back, we stopped Tyler's house where he was working with Matt on a truck. They had a good time catching up. We went back to the house to say goodbye to Sam and pick up a few loose ends. Tim asked to go up to the Thornes and take a look at the meadow behind their house that goes up Lenox Mountain. He had noticed that the sun was hitting it very nicely. We did, it was, and just sat there quietly for a bit before getting on the Pike towards Boston.

Traffic Cop Needed

By the time we rolled in to Boston, Tim had already had a pretty fun packed day. After his morning sessions, he had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa, and friends Emily, Ayannah, and Erin had stopped by as well. We met Regina and Stefan coming in the door, squeezing in a visit after an open house at Berklee and an acupuncture session in Quincy (that's an interesting day). Just after they left, Don and Deb from WS stopped by on the way to run in a triathlon tomorrow. Never a dull moment!

In between all that, Tim was really flexing his left leg, kicking it all over the place. He's feeling good and looking forward to seeing the Spartans kick some Hoosac butt.

Back upstairs, we looked through the mailbag and found a book and nice note from Eileen & Dylan, a card from Cousin Roberta, and another from his first boss, Ann. later we played another game of Scrabble (I don't know why I subject myself to this game) and went through some news from the Berkshires - soccer scores, Josh results, football preview and an article about our neighbor & friend Dick Ziter being named Grand Marshall of the Foliage Parade. We also showed Tim the Construct, Inc. newsletter that dedicated this years Walk to Prevent Homelessness to him. We were all pleased about that, as we have walked together as family for many years, and hope to do so again this year. We'll see.

Alright, it's off to bed for all of us - need a good night sleep for tomorrow's trip to the Berkshires and back.

About our Annual Walk...

Hi Tim, All of us at Construct have been following your progress at Spaulding and continue to wish you well, with high hopes you will get sprung from there soon, if not already, AND in time for our Walk. We are looking forward to your being with us, with your family or your church family again this year if that is something you would like to do. And we would love to honor you and the terrific fundraising you have done for us in the past, as well as the good work and very hard your are doing now at Spaulding. We announced that we are dedicating this year's walk in your honor. I think it is so very important to lift up our young people who have worked or walked or raised money and celebrate them...and you stand out as one of our young stars. Cara Davis

It's autumn in New England

Tim headed up to Peabody today with a few mates and some staff for a good old fashioned day of apple picking, which he really enjoyed. It was a beautiful day and good to get outside.

Other than that, nothing new to report on the rehab front. He's getting ready to head home for the Spartans game and a few other odds and ends on Sunday - Berkshire friends Matt and Tyler are prepping the Audi for Amy and me to bring him back and forth. Thanks guys. Because of the trip, Grandma and Grandpa are postponing their weekly visit until Saturday, when Tim will apparently be getting a few other visitors from the Berkshires. We know he appreciates that, and so do we.

The mailbag this week included a nice card from the O'Malley's and a CD of tunes that are currently popular in Europe, courtesy of his British cousin Gabby, via Portugal. He played that right away and enjoyed what he heard - that was a nice surprise.

So, that's the name of that tune. Over and out until tomorrow.

Wow - VERY cool!

Hi Tim! We had hoped that we'd have an opportunity to meet you in person by now, but alas our schedules haven't afforded us that chance yet. So sorry we missed you while you were in W.S.

Just wanted to let you know that we saw the YouTube video and it's the COOLEST thing! Your progress is just mind-blowing and so inspiring! Don't know if your folks have told you, but about 8 years ago I had a cerebral hemorrhage and was paralyzed on my left side (arm & leg). A matter of months later, as the blood in my brain resorbed, the movement started to come back and it was like the skies opened up and angels began to sing. I didn't have YouTube back then to share the progress with others. What a world we live in. So cool.

We hope that you'll manage another trip to W.S. sometime soon and that we'll finally have a chance to see you face to face. Until then, keep up the awe-inspiring progress!

Best,

Lisa (and Chris) Paul

Takin' it to The Hill

Today was Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day, and there was an event at the Statehouse to recognize it. Tim and two other Spaulding patients headed up to Beacon Hill with some staff and one mother (guess which one) to observe and listen to the speakers. Tim said it was interesting. Two of the speakers were Dr. O'Connnor and a man named Travis Roy, who was paralyzed in his first game as a BU hockey player back in 1995. Tim was able to spend some time with him and enjoyed that. It was an interesting day.

http://www.travisroyfoundation.org/

Other than that, a little Easton bike here and a locomat there. Plans are coming together for his trip home to watch the Monument game on Sunday

.

Sister Act

People often ask me "How's Jancy doing?" It's a great question, and I always try to give a truthful answer, best I can tell. Because, as the father of a 16 year old girl, I'll never know exactly "how she's doing!"

Here's what I think about my other amazing kid. This was the summer when she turned 16, when she was going to learn to drive, when she was going to work hard to save money for a trip to Africa in 2008, when she was going to prepare for a junior year with no big brother hanging over her and many other things. Tim's accident could have changed all that, but it didn't.

She continued to work hard at the Inn as a breakfast, lunch and room service server and banked a nice chunk towards Ghana. She got in the car every Saturday with Amy and me and drove to Boston to be with Tim. Then she came home and went back to work - sometimes with me and sometimes on the train. Sometimes she was home alone, sometimes a friend would stay over. When Amy and I were home with her, we were swamped trying to keep up with work and home life, so couldn't always be there for her. She found her own rides, prepared a lot of meals and even did some laundry and ironing. She wrestled with the plan to go to Africa, wondering how Tim would feel about it (he told her to go). When vacation week came, Amy & I decided we just couldn't break away, and Jancy lost out on that family tradition and went with friends instead. Through it all, she has managed to become a pretty good driver, including a long stint on the Pike to Natick, although we haven't ventured into Boston yet.

*

Now she's in school, playing soccer, still working Saturdays, still driving out with us and coming back on Sundays, still planning for Africa. Jancy gave up a lot of what a young woman looks forward to, and she hasn't complained a bit, except when her time with Tim is cut short for one reason or another. She could have said "what about me?" but she hasn't. She's been there for Tim from the start and we're very grateful for that. I'm sure Tim is too. We think she's pretty amazing, indeed. But that's only her parents' opinion, and what do we know?!?

OH MY GOD!

Tim, just checked the youtube video and it's absolutely incredible, i'm so proud of you!

ps. my friend Candice thinks you're cute. haha.

keep up the awesome work! Hopefully I'll see you soon!
--Alex

Audi Inspiration - #6 and other stuff

Frost warnings in West Stockbridge tonight. "Dad, can we please turn on the heat?" Sigh. I love this weather, but it's another reminder that time is marching along. A long day today before returning home. Tim is still feeling a little under the weather, so he took it a little easy today, not much new to report. He's losing three floor mates this week as they head home. Jim and Joe are "older" guys (somewhere between Tim and me) and they're off to live in new homes in Syracuse and Salem. Shauna is going back to a renovated home with her family in New Hampshire. All had an influence on Tim in one way or another, and were a pleasure for all of us to know. They'll exchange contact information and stay in touch. And on it goes.

The USPS brought by a couple of nice cards from cousin Andrew P. Williams of Belmont, CA and West Stockbridge native Joanne Campbell of Lexington, both of which brought smiles to his face.

A couple of interesting things on the horizon. Wednesday the 19th is SCI Awareness Day at the State House and a bunch of Spaulding residents are heading up to Beacon Hill, where Dr. O'Connor will be among the speakers.

http://www.spinalcord.org/news.php?dep=1&page=33&list=1218

Apparently Tim has been approached by Spaulding staff to meet with some of the folks from the Locomat company to talk about his experience and perhaps be photographed. We'll have to see what that's all about.

And now, a word from our good friends at Audi:

It takes time to consider each and every detail. Even the ones you’ll never see or touch. But when the final result is nothing less than perfection, time and effort melt away.

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

British Invasion

We got a little bit of a slow start today, after dancing Saturday night away under a tent in a Columbia County corn field. Congratulations Carey & Brian - what a great wedding and reception in a beautiful part of the world I'm sorry I don't have a better picture than this one from the day before). We arrived at Spaulding to find Cousin Allott pushing a large rubber ball (bigger than him) around the therapy gym. He had just arrived from Cape Cod on the second leg of a visit to the US from England, with his mother and father Carolann (Brian's sister) and Tony Patterson. From the looks of it, Allott thinks hospitals are fun! Aunt Carolann and Uncle Tony scored big by bringing Tim some Audi insignia stuff including a hat, tee and very cool watch. Uncle John came down, too and we had an altogether too short visit before the Pattersons headed off to the Berkshires with Jancy hitching a ride.











Earlier in the day, Spaulding hosted their 9th annual "Set Sail 2007" fundraising street fair with music, art and food among other things. We missed that, but everybody else - including Brigitte and Meredith from Emmanuel - enjoyed the day. Body and face painting seemed to be particularly popular. Appearances by some players from The Revolution added to the excitement.











After bidding farewell to the other visitors, we settled down for dinner out on the patio and spent some time getting caught up. We shared some Eagle articles including news from home - former track teammate Corrinne Hillman winning a race and the boys team doing the same, and news from the world of sports. The spinal cord injury suffered by NFL player Kevin Everett is raising awareness of the injury and is discussed on the 9th floor of Spaulding. Tim has talked to Dr. O'Connor about the injury and treatment, including the "hypothermia treatment" that Everett received. Apparently there is some debate around that procedure, but experts have credited the quick response of doctors to a good prognosis in this case. We know how effective that can be. After flipping through the Josh Billings insert (Spaulding student nurse Krystin Meade is running), the Construct, Inc. newsletter (Tim is think about coming home to roll it) and reading a nice card from Paul & Louise Faggioni of Hotel Street, we gathered in the 9th floor dining area to watch the Sox/Yankees and Pats/Chargers games and eat some Stonyfield Farm ice cream that Uncle John supplied. It's organic, so we polishied off what was left. Unfortunately, we'll all have to read the game scores in the morning!

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!

Chauffer Driven Comfort

I just discovered a way for me to arrive in Boston a little more rested than usual - have someone else drive. Today, Jancy drove from West Stockbridge to Natick, her first long term driving assignment. She did very nicely, and I was able to read the Eagle and the Record en route.

We went straight to the hospital to drop off Jancy for some exclusive time with Tim, along with a Chicken Parm dinner for all of us to enjoy later (Amy made a tofu version for Jance). While there, we ran into Aunt Phoebe and Cousin Molly, who had stopped by on their way home from Hermit Island. Tim enjoyed his time with them, as well as the plant and healthy snacks they brought him. Earlier in the day, Emily and Erin stopped by. He showed us a nice letter from Judy, who he works with at Butternut (a gracious Yankee fan).

Before we headed back to the apartment, we asked Tim to show us his leg activity and it was pretty exciting. There's muscle definition in his calf and thigh, too.

Amy and I re-joined the children for dinner followed by Amy's chocolate chip cookies, an episode of Rescue Me and then a game of scrabble which we didn't finish. A quiet evening, looking forward to Sunday and a shower & shave, some visitors from Virginia and Colorado, and hopefully a walk along the Esplanade.

awesome vid

Tim,

I just wanted to add to the long line that was thrilled to see your video-it was well, WOW!

keep it going

Jonathan ( a friend of your folks)

p.s I too support your dad's choice in baseball teams

Friday Research

Seems as though Tim is making good progress in researching his needs for coming home. I had to wait a bit to get my info for the day, as he had a nice long dinner visit from Brigitte and Cassandra, and I had to wait my turn.

Anyway, there was a power wheel chair consultant in today to finalize Tim's choices. Because Tim wants to be able to get around in the New England Winter, and would like to be able to go fishing, which requires stability at the river's edge, Tim has chosen this model. Man, I think I'm going to have him drive me to work on snow days!

Other than that, it was a pretty normal day at 125 Nashua Street. We can't wait to get back ourselves to see these new things!

A SMILE SAYS IT ALL !!!

Helloooo Tim
I just subscribed to UTUBE because of you!! HowWow - a little scary to join the techno masses, but too exciting to pass it by. You definitely possess HUGE video direction talent, but that's sooooo secondary to your ability to overcome and tackle such HUGE obstacles!!! You moved your leg UP and DOWN!!! and Your smiling mug was the icing on the cake!!! I soooo needed to see your face after witnessing your leg go crazy!!! Weehee!!! You are doing such great things!! Keep it up, AND down!!! All love, Aunt Carolann

hooray!

dearest tim-
i just got a call from your mother asking if i had seen the youtube video yet. i hadn't and immediately watched it while on the phone with her. i then asked if it was okay to swear on your blog cause holy shit! i am so happy for you! what joy to see you moving and smiling.
much love, hannah

smooth move!

Hi Tim,

I just watched your groundbreaking “youtube” video about 6 times in a row. That is just so crazy exciting I can’t believe it. I know that all the other signs of recovery - no matter how small - have been uplifting milestones; but this is something altogether mind-boggling. I suppose something that seems to me to have happened so magically all-of-a-sudden did not, in fact. No, Tim, you have been busting your butt and it is something to see how far you’ve come. I know I now sound like everybody else but I am so stinkin’ proud of you. The best part of the video is seeing your sparkling, smiling mug at the end of it. Your expression says it all. Love, Aunt Katy

Another quiet evening at home.

7:09 PM, post dinner. Amy working on place cards for an upcoming soire, Brian absorbing the Eagle. The silence is shattered by a ringing phone. Caller ID says it's Tim! "Hey Tim." "Hey dad, check your email and call me back!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TH9wOZhhs0

And now, the rest of the story.

So after we got over our excitement with the YouTube video, we called Tim back as instructed to get the update on this newest development and the day in general. Seems as if Tim started off the morning a little down, scared even. He wasn't able to repeat yesterday's kick action with his left leg. He had lost it completely. It turns out though (obviously), that he was just tired. The involuntary muscle spasms that he experiences each night had tired out that leg. They only happen when he is lying down, so after a few hours of "rest" in his chair, the strength came back. It was at the end of the day when he did his little demo for the camera - showing off his quad (the kick), his hip flexor (picking up his foot from the floor and back on to the footrest), his adductors (bad notes by dad, not sure what that is - Patty?), pronation and supination (ankles). He is so pumped - it feels like everything in the left leg is getting stronger. I owe the new strength to a few treats he had for lunch from Grandma and Grandpa during their visit.

Other daily connections included an email from Monument Ski Coach Dre offering Tim a role with the team this year, some IM's from Brooke and Jordan, and a visit from Brigitte who brought along a new friend from Emmanuel.

His routines included FES bike, stretching group, more handwriting in OT and the Bioness on his right hand. Keep it up, it all seems to be working!

Amy and I can't stop grinning. Jancy came home from her soccer game (she started, they won), watched the video, shouted out, gave Tim a call and they talked for a long time. She declared today to be "pretty great." We agree.

Since this posting, our PT friend Patty O has added a comment to this post. It's worth reading.

TIM!!

hey man, i'm at school right now and it's pretty close to boston so i may be able to take the T up sometime to see you! you are doing such an incredible job! that picture of you kicking your leg made me so proud of you. keep up the great work, i miss you!

-alex

Kickin' some butt

A few new goings on at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where the name has SPA in it, but it is not one (that's one of Dr. O'Connor's favorite lines). But, that's OK with us, because we are grateful for what it IS.

Today, Tim had another Fine Motor Group session, and they worked on handwriting - Tim re-learning how to write, using his left hand this time around. "That's good," he quipped, "because I'll have a lot of papers to sign (in conjunction with planning for coming home)." Later in the day, he had his first go at Wheel Chair Group, where he learned how to do wheelies. That move is used to get over curbs. He said he did pretty well for his first time out. He also worked on wrist strength, a need he identified himself.

Communications from the outside world included a card from the O'Malley's and a visit from Uncle John, who had just returned from Virginia. They spent some nice time catching up. Jancy started her Junior year at Monument, and thought to call Tim during lunch. Amy said that his face lit up - and she thought to capture the moment on camera. What a great smile Tim has - he has always been able to light up a room with that grin.


So, you think those are good examples of "kickin' butt?" You haven't seen anything. Check out this picture:










Tim was sitting by himself and just figured he'd see if he could kick. Better yet, he could hold that position for well over 10 seconds. And, in the middle of discovering this new super power he had the presence of mind to take a picture using the camera on his laptop and email to me. My, my, my.

Audi Inspiration - #4

Tim had a poor night sleep Monday, and wasn't too talkative today. He was able to lift his left foot again, this time just a wee bit higher than yesterday. Four hours of therapy had him pretty beat by the time I called. He did have a couple of visitors today - his former room mate Brendan came back for outpatient therapy and stopped up to see Tim, but he was conked. Later in the evening, Emily came down again, but it looked like an early to bed night.

Tonight's post will end with another Audi Inspiration.

Individual inspiration doesn’t bide it’s sweet time, it bolts. It’s the click of an old camera, the stitching on a well-worn baseball glove. Alas, though, individual inspiration without the collective passion of a team never becomes more than a drawing on a sketchpad.

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

... 3, 2, 1 Lift off

The staff was reduced today, a result of the Labor Day Holiday, so Tim had one short OT session in the morning and a PT session in the afternoon. Amy spent some time with him early while I got some things together for work, the family and planning for Tim's future. Mostly, he was catching up on his sleep. Turns out that Emily has visited last night after we went home. She's a freshman at UMASS Boston. WhenI got down to Spaulding, Tim had visitors - Jason and Elyse, classmates from Monument who are on a different schedule from most - waiting for their post-secondary plans to begin - Jason is heading to Dartmouth and Elyse to South America, both in a couple of weeks. The three of them spent several hours together. While Tim was in afternoon therapy, they explored the Orange line all the way to ............... Downtown Crossing!! Then they came back and hung out until after Amy and I left. Thanks!

Just a wee bit o' excitement today (at a time that I was not with him), as Tim managed to LIFT his foot OFF the ground. It was just a fraction of an inch, and only for a couple seconds, but it was airborne. By the time we had a few minutes together, he tried to show me. But alas, he was too tired to pull off that move again today.

Tim, Amy and I had the first of what I hope will be regular meetings to plan for Tim's eventual release (which is not yet set, but as we've seen can be determined at the drop of a hat). They will be "Tim's meetings" as he is responsible for what will be done on his behalf, and we hope that they'll get us all on the same page and well prepared for homecoming. I know I'm looking forward to more meetings, because I don't have enough in my life yet, but I'm not sure about Amy. :-) Anyway, homecoming is a complicated thing to plan for - equipment, services, treatments, modifications, day-to-day living, etc.

Fund Raising Clarification

In the August 31 – September 6 weekly issue of the Berkshire Record, a small item appeared concerning fundraising efforts for Tim and another young Berkshire man. We would like all readers of this blog to know that we had nothing to do with the placement of this information (it can’t really be called an “article”) and that the Record did not contact us for clarification or permission.

Several phrases were used that troubled us a bit – “South County men seeking help,” “Tim Butterworth (is) seeking assistance after (an) accident left (him) paralyzed,” and “the victim’s family (is) attempting to raise money for (Tim’s) future.”

We’re sure that you are all aware that any fundraising efforts have been initiated by our friends in this community, and that we struggled a bit with the idea when it first came up. Since that time, the generosity of family, friends and the community, along with our insurance, financial resources and thoughtful planning have allowed us to manage the situation. The growth of The Butters Fund has been a tremendously humbling and inspiring experience to witness.

We enjoy the Berkshire Record, and we are sure that they felt that they were doing a community service, so we don’t want to make a big deal about this. For our friends though, we do want to make a clarification. To read our original position on fund raising for Tim, we have attached it as a “comment” to this posting. You can read it by clicking on the word “comment!”

As stated often over the last 7+ weeks, our thanks go out to the many, many people and organizations who have taken on enough of our load to help us get through this. Our family is grateful and we feel supported and loved.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Peanuts yes, Crackerjack no. But we did enjoy Fenway Franks and Ice Cold Beer (Amy & I, of course) and a beautiful day on Yawkey Way. We’ll get to those details later.

The day started off as a normal Sunday in Boston, with Tim getting a little extra sleep and slowly preparing for the Recreational Therapy that we were about to undertake. As planned, the Redels came in late morning, on their way to Emmanuel College, where Brigitte will be starting this week. After everyone got caught up, Amy and I took Cassandra and Gunther for a tour of the property and left Tim to spend time with Brigitte and Nadia. We are very pleased that Tim’s good friend will be just 15 minutes away via the Green Line.

As part of our planning for this day, we investigated transportation options. Given the chaos that is Kenmore Square and environs on a game day, we decided to use one of the city’s handicap accessible van/cabs to get to Fenway. Armed with a list of providers, Amy called a few days in advance, a day in advance, at 9AM, 10:30AM and at noon. “Yes, we can have a van at Spaulding at 12:30.” Between 12:30 and 1:00, we made about 10 additional calls to multiple companies before deciding that they were not going to come through. At that time, we decided to have a real life educational experience by taking the T, something that had been described to us as inconsistent and unreliable for chair riders.

So, off we went to North Station, dad pushing. Our experience there started out poorly with a woman who was somewhat indifferent to our situation, and gave us some mixed information. But, it turned around quickly as two other information booth staffers got involved and found an MBTA Inspector who explained the Green Line limitations and access points to us, got us on a C train, explained where we should go (Kenmore is under renovation) and let the driver know what’s up. The trains have small ramps that extend to the platform (operated by the drivers) and clearly marked spots on the train. We got off at St. Mary’s and walked up Beacon Street to Fenway.

Our Fenway experience, from an accessibility angle, was nothing short of great. I’ll sidestep here a minute to thank my tourism friend Betsy for making this day happen by putting me in touch with Larry and Beth of the Red Sox. We were their guests today. We were allowed through ticketing areas near Gate A with a simple explanation, and security escorted us down Yawkey Way to Gate D, where we were late to meet Beth who was to take us to our seats. Conor was also supposed to meet us there, but that wasn’t the smoothest transaction, either. A Red Sox employee named Tim was very helpful as we tried to get Conor to the same gate as us and attempted to find Beth. Long story short, we made it to our great seats by the bottom of the first inning and had a perfect day. These first images are views "from the seats" and "of the seats"

It was a good game, with solid pitching by both teams, some good hits and some stellar fielding. My favorite was the top of the fourth when some heads up play got the Sox out of a bases loaded, no out jam - the third out coming with a throw from left field to home plate.

Little did we know that today was actually Western Mass day at the park, and we were led in singing God Bless America and Take Me Out to the Ballgame, by a couple of folks from Amherst. Later we all joined in the singing of Sweet Caroline. We did it all.

Leaving the park was easy, and we headed over to one of the souvenir stores across the street to get Tim a hat. Apparently, the D’Angelo’s are doing well! That trip was serendipitous, as we ran into three Monument seniors – Matt, Nate and Danny – and Tim and Conor had a nice time catching up. Our green line ride home was easy – there really is a system in place, and the drivers were pleasant. We’re comfortable enough to try it again. We’ll see where we end up! A pizza for Tim back at Spaulding (yeah I had a slice) and then an early night for all of us. Back at the apartment, Amy and I enjoyed a nice dinner that we got from Cathy and fresh salad veggies from the Thorne’s garden.