Before I get started with my blog update just a quick REMINDER!
-The Indianapolis Marathon/Half-Marathon/5K fundraising event is
Saturday Oct. 17th! Join us for the race or afterwards at Scotty’s
Brewhouse in Downtown Indy!
-The Denver Halloween Fundraiser is also rapidly approaching!
OK people, think “Indian Summer”! I would definitely
enjoy a few more weeks of warm weather, trips to the beach, concerts in the
park, dinners on the patio, and other outdoor excursions. It seems
like an “about face” from my years in Colorado where we all yearned for the
snow to start falling in October in anticipation of the snowboarding
season. Times have changed.
Exactly, one year ago my life was turned upside
down. My accident was unfortunate and tragic. Now a year
later, when I reflect, the images in my mind of getting pulled out of the water
and ambulance rides to various hospitals have faded. I choose to
remember all the bright memories of the last time I was walking. In
typical McCauley fashion, it was a weekend mixed with R&R and running
amok. Spending time with good friends, playing in the surf, bonfires
on the beach, tailgate BBQ, toes in the cool sand, sneaking Tahoe into the
local pub for a late night game of billiards, cutting through the tree lined
Hampton back-roads in the back of a pickup under a beautiful sky filled with
stars, fresh ocean breeze, sharing it all with Rosaleen. That’s how
I remember the weekend of Sept 14th, 2008. It was the ideal weekend
getaway from a sweltering city in the summertime.
My entrepreneurial spirit has finally gotten the better of me and
I’ve decided to devote my time, skills, and energy to taking the David J
McCauley Foundation to the next level. I’ve been amazed at the
support YOU (ie. Family, friends, colleagues, people with big hearts) have
shown this past year through charitable donations to my
foundation. It has been truly life changing and
inspiring. Recently, my brother attended the Working2Walk Conference
in Chicago. He took copious notes :) and informed me of all the
progressive research being done to find a cure for SCI (Spinal Cord
Injury). Doctors and scientists think a cure is inevitable and
close, but nobody was willing to put a time frame on finding a cure due to a
lack of reliable funding for research. Hearing this broke my
heart. Doctors are close to a cure, but are limited by lack of
funds? Then the light bulb appeared and I realized where I fit
into this community to find a cure. I could raise funds. I
could teach others how to raise funds. I could be the “hype man” for SCI
and raise awareness. I view fundraising as a Sales Organization, of
which I’ve had plenty of experience and success over the past 10
years. Raising money for SCI will be different than selling
innovative networks to Silicon Valley or electronic trading solutions to Wall
St because true passion will be the underlying ambition to
succeed. Trust me, the opportunity to walk again, and help others
walk again, is greater motivation than a better title or bigger paycheck. And
with these ideas, I’m jumping into the non-profit world to help myself as well
as others in need with similar conditions.
Its still fresh and in an infancy stage, but I have a big dream to
grow the David J McCauley Foundation into a titan. The mission is to
raise funds and contribute to medical research, individuals in need of adaptive
equipment or alternative therapies, and the education and employment of people
with disabilities. The latter goal of presenting an employment
opportunity for people with disabilities, I hold dear to my
heart. Providing a chance for people, who are now incapable of
pursuing their former (pre-injury) career, to help themselves will be
empowering to all parties involved. So wish me luck on this journey,
keep me in your prayers, and please continue to support and raise awareness
about the David J McCauley Network for a Cure. None of this would be
possible without your contributions and for that I am incredibly thankful!
Now on to the summertime update! Aside from my leap
into the non-profit world, the summer has been quite
eventful. Rosaleen threw a surprise birthday party for me on our
apartment complex roof deck back in June. I was a little suspect
when she told me she was having dinner delivered to the roof. So
when we went upstairs, instead of finding a romantic candlelit dinner, there
were a bunch of my cronies carousing, ready to celebrate. Everybody had a
blast. Our rooftop is really quite amazing, jutting out into the
Hudson River, with a view of the entire Manhattan skyline, from the Verrazano
Bridge up to the George Washington Bridge.
My family came to visit for Father’s Day and did some NYC
sightseeing. The Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal is about a 5 minute walk
from my apartment. So we took a boat ride to South Street Seaport
one night for dinner. It’s a great little trip, only 10 minutes or so, but
you travel around the southern tip of Manhattan and see all of New York Harbor
including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Skyscrapers of Financial
District, Downtown Brooklyn, and the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg
Bridges. The ferry docks at Wall St, Pier 11, just south of the tall
ships anchored at the seaport.
Children from Rosaleen’s non-profit, Urban Art Beat (PLUG –
www.urbanartbeat.org), were selected to perform at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop
Festival, alongside major acts like DJ Premier and Pharoahe
Monch. My dad was officially the oldest person in
attendance :) On the way home from the festival, we walked
across the Brooklyn Bridge, and cruised down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
For the 4th of July we took a trip to a little hippy retreat
called Earthdance in the Berkshires (Western Massachusetts), where Rosaleen’s
sister was an instructor. It was refreshing to be out in the woods,
relax, and catch up on my leisure reading.
We have definitely been taking advantage of summer events in the
city. Central Park Summerstage has been in full effect and we caught
a Lee “Scratch” Perry concert one afternoon and a Q-Tip show the following
day. Lucky for us, the disabled seating section is the same as the
VIP section, so we were literally right next to the stage on an elevated
platform for the performance. The park buzzes with energy in the
summer and we had beautiful sunny days for the concerts, perfect for a reggae
show. Green trees in full bloom, mazes of pathways in every
direction, people playing pick-up soccer games, running, biking, skating around
the paved track, tourists in rickshaws or horse carriages, sunbathing in
Sheep’s Meadow, the old school roller skate disco area is always filled with
characters, and city peeps getting out to enjoy their little slice of nature.
Also in July we celebrated Bastille Day on Smith St in
Brooklyn. Several blocks were barricaded off and the entire street
was covered with sand for a petanque (like bocce ball)
tournament. All the boutiques, restaurants and bars had their doors
open as people wandered up and down the street drinking champagne mixed with
St. Germain.
In August, we went down to LBI (Long Beach Island) on the Jersey
Shore for Rosaleen’s family’s annual beach vacation. Rosaleen’s
grandmother typically rents two monstrous beach houses for her family which
consists of three sons, each of which have three daughters. Which I
think is a funny demographic. Everybody gets to relax for a week,
share massive meals, catch up with cousins, uncles, fathers, daughters,
grandkids, great grandkids, and partners to reminisce, and talk
about what the future holds. I must admit I dominated in Taboo one
evening :) We scored a beach accessible wheelchair from the
lifeguard station so I was able to bask in the sun with everybody else.
Also in August, we had another rooftop party for Rosaleen’s
birthday. No surprise party this time around, but we did have the
local deli put together a delicious spread of food for all our friends who came
out. It was another beautiful summer night.
Therapy has been going well and now that I can set my own schedule
I will be able to take full advantage of spending more time at Kessler Rehab
Institute. I was able to purchase a standing frame with the monies
donated to the foundation, which is great for me to be able to do often at
home. The standing frame is adaptive equipment that supports my body
so I may stand upright. This exercise is beneficial by putting
weight on my muscles and bones so they don’t atrophy or grow
frail. I am in the process of applying for a locomotor training
clinical trial which will also incorporate FES (Functional Electronic
Stimulation). I’ll be supported by a harness to stand upright over a
treadmill like piece of equipment. The FES electrodes will be
connected to my legs, as the electrodes activate and shoot electricity into my
body, my muscles will “fire” and with the help of therapists moving my legs, I
will walk. The trial is 60 sessions over the course of 4 months, so
approximately 4 sessions per week. Results from this therapy have
shown promise in many patients, helping to reestablish communication to parts
of the body below the level of injury. Needless to say, I’m pretty
excited about being a lab rat :)
So that’s about it. Life has been full of exciting
changes with many more on the horizon. Stay tuned for updates on
development of the David J McCauley Network for a Cure! Hope to see
you at one of the upcoming fundraising events in Indianapolis or
Denver! Remember the Indianapolis Marathon/Half-Marathon/5K event is
Saturday Oct. 17th! If you’re running, I hope your pledge sheets are
getting filled up! If you’re not running I hope to catch up with you
afterwards at Scotty’s Brewhouse Downtown! Thanks so much for all
the support!
Peace and Blessings.
David
5/16/09
Happy Spring Everybody! Sorry to have fallen off for a
few months. I've just been getting my life settled back in
NYC. Hmmmmmm, where do I start? Mid January, Rosaleen and
I moved to Jersey City, right on the Hudson River. The apartment is
great for my accessibility needs (ie. open layout, with large bathroom and
kitchen) and it even has a patio so I can venture outside, get fresh air, check
the views of NYC, and watch all the boat traffic in the bay. We are
a 4 minute subway ride to World Trade Center, so getting into Manhattan and to
my office is convenient. A few days after we arrived in NYC, my
company had a welcome home party for me at the office. It was
fantastic and I got to catch up with lots of family and
friends. That evening was when the "Miracle on the Hudson"
happened which was the US Airways plane that crash landed safely in the Hudson
River. Later that night when we returned from the welcome home party
we were surprised to see the plane in the river at the end of our apartment
complex!
I returned to work part time in February and eased into the work
schedule by going into the office once a week. Over the past 2 1/2 months
I've increased my work schedule to 3 times per week, which allows me to create
a good balance between work, therapy, and down time. I've also
started my therapy twice a week at Kessler Institute for
Rehabilitation. The facility is ok, but the commute there via Access
Link (public transportation for the disabled) is ridiculous (1 1/2 hours to
travel 16 miles). So eventually my goal is to purchase the adaptive
rehab equipment I need and start a home rehab routine.
Since being back we've ventured out in the city for various events
and tried to keep track of places that are accessible for
me. Fortunately, we found some great places to be accessible and
located near subway stops with an elevator. One night we went to BAM
(Brooklyn Academy of Music) for our friend Sol's movie premier (PLUG - The
Living Wake http://www.thelivingwake.com/). The people at BAM were
kind enough to remove a couple of theater seats to make way for me to see the
film. Another night we went to the Anjelika Theater for another one
of Sol's premiers (PLUG - Explicit Ills http://www.explicitillsthemovie.com/
:) They snuck me in on the service elevator, through the kitchen and
into the lobby :) We've also discovered several restaurants and
shops that aren't too cramped and are easy for me to be independently mobile,
which is great. We went to a Knicks game in March, and to our
pleasure, one of the disabled seating sections was on the floor of MSG about 12
seats down from Spike Lee! The Knicks actually won! Nate
Robinson was practically draining 3's on our lap. Now that the weather is
getting warmer we've been getting over to Liberty State Park to
exercise. It has great views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Ellis Island,
and the Statue of Liberty. Plus, with the warm weather, there are
more cafe's and patios open!
Rosaleen and I took a road trip to Maine to see her family and
they were kind enough to build me a ramp to get in/out of the
house. We also took a trip to Kansas City for work where they held a
surprise fund raiser for me! I was really astonished when my parents
showed up! Unbeknownst to me Randy (my boss) and Rose were scheming
for them to be the surprise guests at the fund raiser. Pretty cool
since I hadn't seen them since January.
I'm still getting stronger by the day and recently have been able
to venture solo to the supermarket, mall, Liberty Park, and along the Hudson
River Walkway. These may seem like small feats, but for someone who
once was fiercely independent, they are big steps. I also conquered
the long ramp at World Trade Center, which, when I first saw it a few months
ago thought would be nearly impossible. The next major challenge I
have is to get up and down Vesey Street in Manhattan, which is shoulder to
shoulder people during rush hour!
I haven't regained much more muscle mobility since I left Atlanta,
but I continue to strengthen the parts of me that do work. I've come
to terms that this recovery time frame could stretch into years, but still hold
faith that a cure will develop or something miraculous will happen to
me. In the meantime, my life is in cruise control and I'm enjoying
my days. Just the other day Rose and I went for a run/push along the
waterfront. It was a sunny evening with a cool spring
breeze. I stopped for a minute to rest and realized, my world that
had shrunk so much as a result of this injury was finally starting to open up
again. As I looked out across the Hudson to NYC I thought this new
life is not so bad. Definitely not how I dreamed of living, but
liveable, with plently of smiles. I've told myself "this isn't
so bad" on numerous occasions, but this was the first time I actually
believed it :) The stronger I get, the more independent I become and
as a result the world is less of a microcosm.
Thank you to everybody for the continuing support! All
the message postings have been uplifting! If I haven't gotten back
to you to say thanks it might be because I don't have contact info for
you. So feel free to drop me a note to my personal email
(djmccauley@gmail.com).
Thank you all again, I'm wishing everybody the best! Be
well!
David
1-4-09
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sorry for the delayed update. I don't have any excuse aside from
being busy and a little procrastination. I've actually started this update
several times but the words I wrote never seemed to come correct. Thank you to
everyone for their continued support, the letters, emails, phone calls and
visits, they really brighten my days. So here is a quick summary of the past
couple months...
In early November I had a muscle test to see what mobility I had
gained since my first days at Shepherd. One by one my occupational therapist
isolated the muscles in my upper back, shoulder, and arms and asked me to move
them. If the muscles respond the strength is measured on a scale of 1-5. If the
muscles do not respond they are graded zero. When my therapist got to my right
hand I told my fingers to move, but saw no results. I was prepared to have my
hands graded as a zero once again, same as they were when I first arrived to
rehab. However my therapist said she could feel the muscles firing. She held my
hand tight with an inquisitive look on her face, searching for something I
couldn't feel. I tried again and again. Finally I saw my middle finger and my
pinkie twitch ever so slightly. I was surprised but skeptical. The movement was
so minimal I didn't know if I were responsible or if my therapist was
accidentally initiating the movement through skin contact. I kept trying to
move the fingers, the more I did so the more i realized the movement was under my
command. My therapist shouted across the gym, "He's got extensis
digitorum! David's got extensis digitorum!" That's the technical term,
which essentially means I can extend those fingers. This is important because
once you know your spinal column is helping your brain communicate with a
certain region, you can work on strengthening it. The movement in my fingers
has improved and my index finger has recently started firing. The finger
muscles are still weak (i.e. I cannot fully extend) and fatigue quickly, but it
is still a cool new trick to show my friends.
Throughout November I continued to use the FES bike twice a week,
pedaling 11 miles each session. (This is the machine that moves my legs through
electronic stimulation) The bike measures how much effort I am contributing to
its movement by %. Usually the bike was doing about 97% to 100% of the work. By
Thanksgiving I was able to work the bike down to 79% which means my legs were
able to contribute almost 1/4 of the power to pedal the bike. Pretty amazing
for appendages I cannot feel or move under my own power. I've found pedaling
the bike is a mental game where I think about my legs moving the pedals. The
more focus I have, the greater I contribute.
Shepherd Center is very progressive concerning extra curricular
therapy to get patients acclimated to the real world. One class in which I
participated was Airline Travel. We went to Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport
(world's busiest airport) to learn the ins and outs of traveling while being
disabled. The class was extremely beneficial and eliminated many concerns I had
about traveling with a wheelchair. Since then I have flown to New York and
Indianapolis, travel plans went off without a hitch. Its small accomplishments
like this that encourage me that getting back to a normal life is not out of
reach.
Also in November I completed some therapy in the swimming pool.
This was a big step as I hadn't been immersed in water since getting pulled out
of the pool where I broke my neck. The feeling of being buoyant with out the
full use of my limbs is a bit scary. Especially in water, its nerve racking to
not be able to effectively control your body's movement. The notion of floating
face down without the ability roll over to breath is not a pleasant one. Just a
week before my accident I was surfing the Hurricane Hannah storm swell with
8-10 foot rollers at Rockaway Beach. Its a quick surf break with debris of an
old pier lurking underneath the waves. It's a bit nasty out there to say the
least and I was getting pounded by the storm surf. At the time that environment
didn't phase me but now I am intimidated by the back stroke in a heated indoor
pool. That's a tough transition, but you have to start somewhere and I feel
good about taking my first steps back in to having an aquatic life. Shepherd
Center also has scuba diving classes for disabled people which is encouraging
to know I can still dive while I recover from my injury.
I graduated from inpatient rehabilitation on December 6th. That
weekend Rosaleen and I flew to New York to test the waters and see if it were
feasible for me to return to the city to lead a normal life. There were many
accessibility questions to be answered. Unfortunately my old apartment in Fort
Greene, Brooklyn is in a turn of the century brownstone, with three sets of
stairs to reach my bedroom. We scoped out other options in the neighborhood,
but to our disappointment quaint historic neighborhoods are not the most
accessible. :) Everything from stairs, sidewalks to subway stations were going
to be a challenge in Fort Greene. So we expanded our apartment hunt to
Manhattan and Jersey City. We dropped into my office in the Financial District
during our dry run of my NYC commute. Surprisingly, for an old building it was
quite accessible for me. I was able to catch up with my boss and team over
lunch. I have to admit I was concerned how I would be perceived by everyone now
that I am in a chair. But there was no need for concern as the people in my
office didn't blink and we began to catch up where we left off in September.
That group is truly a bunch of champions; it felt great to be in the mix again.
I have been utterly amazed by my employer's support, caring and patience
throughout my ordeal. Seriously, thank you so much, everybody has been
incredible!
The rest of our week in New York was spent jumping trains and
buses, negotiating sidewalks, and braving some fierce winter weather. On one
particularly nasty day, with cold driving rain, Rosaleen and I were in lower
Manhattan scurrying down the sidewalk when a lady ran up, shaking her umbrella
at us, saying "Take it, take it! Take my umbrella!" We sat there for
a second on the corner and thought, "Wow, we must look pathetic," and
declined her offer for the Burberry print umbrella. I am glad we both find
humor in situations like that, because it was quite funny. Just goes to show
that New Yorkers do have hearts.
Towards the end of our week in New York we were able to catch up
with some family and a few friends before heading back to Atlanta to begin Day
Program at Shepherd Center.
The Day Program at Shepherd Center is structured around goals set
by the patient. Now that we had a dose of NY reality, we had several things we
wanted work on. Most importantly is urban landscape negotiation. So during my
first week back at Shepherd I learned to pop wheelies. Poppin' wheelies has led
to climbing two inch curbs independently and four to six inch curbs with
assistance. I have also learned to "bump down" curbs in reverse, a
trick that makes my mother very nervous.:)
I was able to show off my new skills when I flew home to Indiana
for Christmas. It was awesome to have a break from therapy, see family, show
Rosaleen my home town and catch up with friends. Speaking of catching up with
friends, some of my old cronies dedicated this year's Muncie Christmas Jam to
me. The Jam has been going on for several years where some of the coolest kids
in town put together an evening of local music for a good cause. This year I
was the good cause and my heart goes out to everybody involved in organizing as
well as everyone who came out to support. I love the fact that old friends in
Muncie are still holding it down, supporting local music and continuing to grow
as artists. BIG UP!!!!!
Happy New Year Everybody! I complete rehab at Shepherd Center
January 14th and then Rosaleen and I will be on our way back to NYC. Thank you
so much for your continued love and support, we couldn't make it with out you.
Hopefully it won't be as long until the next update!
I wish everybody the best in 2009!!
Love David
11-1-08
3%. One in every 33. After probing my doctors this
week about a complete C6 vertebrae injury, these are the statistics that I was
given for probability of a full recovery (i.e. walking upright).
11%. One in every nine. This is the statistic for
patients with complete C6 vertebrae injuries regaining sensation in parts of
the body below the level of injury.
Needless to say, not the best news I could have anticipated.
But before people get sappy and start to feel sorry for me, let me tell you a
story about odds.
In May of 2006, my former employer, flew me out to New York City
for a week so I could apartment hunt and get acclimated for my relocation to
New York. On the Saturday prior to my departure I still had not decided
that a move to the East Coast was in the cards for me. I was shocked with
how ridiculously expensive New York City was and I was reluctant to leave all
the wonderful different circles of friends I had established in Colorado.
But the idea of a fresh, exciting, challenge usually gets the better of
me. I was just not ready to commit 100% yet.
So on that last Saturday of my apartment hunting trip I was
invited by some new friends I had met earlier in the week , to a loft party
down in the South Street Seaport. It turned out to be a party for the
Preakness horse racing event. When I got to the party I was shown around
the beautiful artist loft and introduced to friends of friends. Then a
few minutes prior to the start of the race everybody ran downstairs to the OTB
(Off Track Betting) facility to place last minute bets. I had never bet
on horses before but I figured, ‘why not?’ I attempted to place three
separate bets on three different horses. The lady at the betting booth
informed me that was stupid and I should put together a Trifecta. She
explained a Trifecta to me, but I didn't like those odds so then she told me
about a Box Trifecta where the horses could come in any order, you just had to
have the top three correct. I felt these odds were much better so I
placed the bet. Everybody went back to the loft to watch the race.
The race was fast, maybe just a couple of minutes. Afterwards people were
checking their tickets to see if they had won. I showed mine to the host,
he said “Dude, I think you won pretty big”. All the potential winners
marched back downstairs to the OTB to claim their winnings. I flashed my
ticket and immediately a lady in a dark suit appeared to speak to me about tax
deductions from my winnings. I was a little concerned but the booth
officer informed me it was a good thing as they only pretax winnings of $5000
or more. It turns out that I won approximately $8700 from a $17
bet. After the tax deduction, the booth officer counted out 61 $100
bills. I folded the wad of bills and stuffed them into my front
pocket. I smiled at the bulge. The odds for my Box Trifecta were
511 to 1. The odds were high that year because Barbaro was expected to
win and at the very least, place in the top three. He went down during
the race with a broken leg. Unbelievably, I had the Trifecta in the
correct one, two, three, order but I placed my bet as a Box Trifecta. So
if I would have taken the booth officer’s original advice and placed the bet as
a Trifecta I would have walked away with approximately $26,000 from a $17 bet
placed on 1500 to 1 odds. No big deal, I was completely happy with my
$8700 in winnings.
Everybody returned to the loft to celebrate their winnings.
People were in awe that the kid who didn't even live in New York, just won
almost nine grand. Later in the evening I treated the host, several of
his friends, and my new friends who invited me to the party to an Italian
dinner at a legendary establishment down in the Seaport. Good times were
had by all and I took this entire day as a sign/omen that I was making the
right decision to relocate to New York City.
So how do you like those odds? 511 to one? 1500 to
one? It makes my recovery seem very doable. It might just take a
little longer than I had anticipated. When I was in ICU on my back in New
York, I was thinking that after three months in Atlanta at Shepherd
Center and I would be back on my feet. I'm coming to realize my injury is
much more severe than I previously thought and its possible recovery could
stretch into years, rather than months. Regardless, I'm remaining hopeful
and positive that my hard work will pay off. I'm also optimistic that
alternative treatments, such as stem cell injections and bonding, will become
readily available in the near future. THANK YOU to my friends, family,
and colleagues who have assisted in fundraisers or have contributed directly to
my foundation. Without this support, the notion of seeking alternative
treatments would not even be possible!
Let's get back on track with an update on my progress. A
week ago Friday my therapists put me in a manual wheelchair, definitely a
step in the right direction. Unfortunately my arms look like a second
grader’s which makes getting around quite slow and difficult. But
everyday that I'm in that chair pushing myself around, I'm getting
stronger. The first day the therapists wanted me in the manual chair for
two hours, I was in it for six. I was excited to push myself around and
essentially have a constant work out. Yesterday I was able to remain in
the manual chair the entire day, a total of 12 hours.
Also this past week, three important functions of my body have
slowly been returning. My appetite, blood pressure and core body
temperature regulation. People with spinal cord injuries have
difficulties with low blood pressure and a decreased body temperature.
For the past several weeks I've found food, especially warm food,
repulsive. The low blood pressure makes me feel faint almost every time I
sit up straight. And my core body temperature is typically at least 2°
lower than normal and as a result I'm rolling around the mild southern
autumn with long sleeves, a hoodie, and a stocking cap. Yes, I do get
some weird looks :-) but all three of these functions are slowly returning to
normal. Over the past few days my appetite has returned and I have gorged
myself on Thai food and Mexican. Getting an appropriate amount of
nutrition is very important during my recovery so I can regain strength.
My blood pressure has stabilized to the point where I can be upright in my
manual or power chair for 12 hours plus. And my core body temperature is
also stabilizing to the point where I don't have to look like a ski bum when it
is 70° outside.
Rosaleen and my mom have both been trained enough to get a “push
pass” which means they can wheel me off hospital property as long as a vehicle
is not needed to get to the destination. Essentially, we now have the
freedom to travel a five block radius in any direction to check out shops,
restaurants, and other stores. This is really good for all of us to
acclimate to society in a slightly altered state. Simple tasks that
previously did not require much thought, like stepping on to a curb or
negotiating the width of a convenience store aisle, have become more difficult
in a wheelchair. Regardless it feels great to be able to go out to dinner
or take a walk/spin around the block.
I've been riding an FES bike twice a week for 11 miles each
session. Electronic transmitters are hooked up to my legs to fire my
muscles which in turn pedal the bike. The goal of this therapy is to keep
my muscles strong so when my spinal cord does start communicating with the rest
of my body I will be able to respond accordingly (i.e. stand up). Also by
firing these muscles it is hoped that the spinal cord will notice activity
below the injury and start communicating, kind of like dangling a carrot
in front of a donkey.
Thanks again to everybody who turned out for the fundraisers,
sounds like everybody had a good time. I really appreciate the support.
Thank you to all the people who sent me cards, letters, e-mails, and guestbook
responses. Reading these messages is incredibly refreshing and has become
a highlight of my downtime here at rehab. And thank you to all my
parents’ wonderful friends from the community and First Presbyterian Church who
are helping back in Muncie to get my parents new home ready to move into.
It's really taken a lot off of their mind and in turn allows them to stay here
in Atlanta with me and help with my recovery. Thank you all so much.
Getting better by the day,
David
10-19-08
WOW!
I am amazed by the overwhelming
amount of support that has poured in from people from so many different parts
of my life. These include my immediate family, friends, colleagues,
former colleagues, classmates from all levels of my education, travel buddies,
and soulmates. All the kind words, thoughts, prayers, and positive energy
have been truly encouraging. I apologize for not providing an update
sooner, but the past four weeks since my injury have been a whirlwind. To
summarize, your support has been so strong that I feel I owe everyone an
update. So here we go:
During my 2 ½ weeks in ICU at
Stony Brook Medical Center in New York, my neurosurgeon performed 3
operations. First he came in through my neck to repair my shattered C6
vertebrae. He replaced my C6 with a titanium cage and packed it
with bone to protect my spinal cord, and a few days later they inserted a
filter so blood clots could not reach my lungs – a preventative measure.
The final surgery was done on September 23rd and my neurosurgeon entered from
the back of the neck and fused with a titanium plate my 4th, 5th, and 7th
vertebrae which slightly limits my neck mobility, but permits immediate
aggressive rehabilitation. After the final surgery I spent a few more days at
Stony Brook in ICU to remove fluid from my lungs and alleviate fever, both
common complications with my injury. These were some of the most
difficult days. I had a breathing tube down my throat and therefore
couldn't speak. To describe as uncomfortable doesn't do it justice.
I had to communicate by pointing to letters on a laminated card to spell
words. This was tedious and even dangerous in case of an emergency, as I
could not describe to my doctor what was ailing me. But I persevered
until the day the tube was yanked from my throat. I gasped for air and
couldn't speak, but by the next day, I could hold small conversations in a
whisper. I was cleared for discharge on October 1. The EMT’s put me
on a gurney and wheeled me outside to an ambulance. The fresh air and the
sunshine on my face, felt amazing on the way to the ambulance. I had been
on my back, immobile for two and a half weeks. They loaded me into the
ambulance and drove me about 20 minutes to a regional airport. I was
loaded onto a medical air ambulance (Lear jet), with my Mom and Rosaleen for
our flight to Atlanta. I said goodbye to Mike and Chad at the airport,
then the plane took off. The flight was quick and the onboard crew was
amazing. One of the inflight EMT’s told me I was going to the best place
possible, as they had transported people from all over the world to the
Shepherd Center.
Upon arrival in Atlanta I was 30
minutes from Shepherd, and was transported by an awaiting ambulance and zoomed
to mid-town Atlanta. My first day at Shepherd Center was a little
shocking with a line of doctors, nurses, and technicians lined up to determine
my current state of health. This went on for two days, my weight had
dropped to 143 pounds.
Late my first evening here, I was paid a
visit by the hospital’s chaplain. He asked if I would like to have a
prayer, and I said, sure. He placed my head in his hands and off the top of his
head, he said many beautiful words about the strength of people’s souls and
ability to heal the body. It was very uplifting and I’ve been attending
his Sunday worship sessions since. He has been a great inspiration.
On my second day here they measured me
for a battery-powered wheelchair, which was customized for my height and
weight. It was delivered to my room and they lifted me into it. I
“drove” over to the mirror, and was slightly embarrassed at the person looking
back at me, some kid in a wheelchair. But the freedom of mobility felt incredible.
I immediately zoomed around the facility and checked out the secret garden, the
family lounge, the gym, swimming pool, arts and crafts area, and many other
nooks around the building.
Since the initial days my schedule
has gotten completely busy with physical therapy, occupational therapy, and
recreational therapy. The team that has been assigned to me is fantastic,
although they push me to the limit. My goal, along with the staff's, is
to get me back on my feet in the shortest amount of time possible, but they
also educate you how to be independent in a wheelchair, in case your injury
does not heal as expected. Logical progression is from power chair to
manual chair, to getting upright on your feet with support, to walking
independently. This doesn’t happen for everybody, but this is my
goal. Spinal cord swelling can take anywhere from two months to two years
to subside, which means I hope to regain some movement in the coming weeks, but
I need to be patient, because it could take much longer, as everyone’s recovery
is different. Monday through Friday have become pretty grueling days with
an 8 to 5 schedule, with an hour and a half for lunch. The therapy covers
everything from improving fine motor skills, strength training, stretching, and
improving mobility. The therapy sessions are intense and challenging, but
I leave satisfied knowing I'm making progress.
So here I am waiting to start my
third week at the Shepherd Center. I’ve gone from a completely dependent
patient to being able to bathe myself, put a shirt on, feed myself, brush my
teeth, shave, work on the computer, and use my Blackberry (making phone calls
and texting). These may seem like small accomplishments, but
compared to where I was even a week and a half ago, I view them as very large
steps of progression.
Thanks again for your continued
support. I will try to update more often than on a monthly basis.
Providing timely updates is the least I can do in regards to all the support
everyone has sent me. So keep your eyes peeled for another update in the
coming weeks. Thank you all so much.
Much love,
David
10/01/08
David will be flown via air ambulance to Atlanta, Georgia today to
begin physical therapy at the Shepherd Center. His mother Jean and his girlfriend
Rose will fly with him. David is getting better, thanks for the well
wishes, please keep the positive blessings coming.
