“It doesn’t matter who you are; it doesn’t matter where you’ve been; it doesn’t matter where you start; it only matters where you end.”
This past week I’ve been battling my fair share of issues, mostly physical, that have worn me down and thrown a wrench into my daily routine. Unfortunately, I had to miss a physical therapy session and a few other appointments this week. The harsh realities of a spinal cord injury are always present. No matter how good you might be feeling one moment, it doesn’t take much for some small incident to rudely remind you how different your body now is.
At the end of the day, there’s only so much control you have over your physical body. Ironically, the discomfort and challenges that seem to constantly bombard you are often the result of the work you put in to rehab yourself. An unfortunate Catch-22 that I continue to battle on a daily basis. I’m hoping that as the warmer weather arrives over the next few weeks it will help to alleviate some of the persistent and nagging discomfort I have been experiencing.
Fortunately, I was still able to celebrate a wonderful Easter with my family. We had our traditional 25 minute mass with Fr. Damian followed by a lot of great food and way too much candy. I even snacked on some chocolate-covered Fritos (thank you, Katie!) which I must say are quite the treat!
I posted two videos about Janne Kouri in my previous journal entry that highlighted the remarkable advancements he has made along his road to recovery. One of the videos featured a woman, Dr. Susan Harkema, who is credited with developing the theory behind locomotor training. It turns out that she will be at Metro Hospital in two weeks. I have been asked to meet with her to discuss my experiences with some of the FES advancements being developed in Cleveland. My friend, Chris, owner of Buckeye Wellness Center, will also be at Metro that day, and I am hoping the three of us will have the chance to discuss locomotor training together.
On another note, I was able to get in touch with Janne after he purchased one of my awareness bracelets (He was made aware of my story through my friend, Nicole). I had some questions for him regarding NextStep Fitness and its affiliation with the Christopher Reeve Foundation. His facility is recognized as an NRN (Neural Recovery Network) center and I am hoping to learn how and if Buckeye Wellness Center might also benefit from this.
Finally, I am looking forward to the Bruce Springsteen concert next Tuesday. Just a friendly reminder, if anyone has any connections that would afford me the opportunity to meet “The Boss” don’t hesitate to contact me!
As always, thank you for your continued prayers and support…it keeps me going! Stand Strong!
Scott