It has been several months since my last blog and I have a good explanation. I have been busy. I have gone from crutches at the first part of the year to leg braces to confined to a wheelchair.
As the year started, I was using my cuff crutches which allowed me more freedoms than using my walker. Still many limitations with my leg weakness, I was vertical and maneuvering freely wherever I needed to go. My spirits were good and that is a huge part of staying active with a progressive disease that can hit at any time and when the decline stops, nobody knows.
In April, I got my long awaited leg braces. What a rejoice that was. I started with using my crutches with them and was able to ditch the crutches within a few days of wearing them. I still had some balance problems, but I getting around without many problems at all. I started a garden with sunflowers, pumpkins, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, watermelons and cantaloupes. It was great. I trimmed some trees, cleaned the house and kept the laundry up daily. I was going for walks, playing catch with the boys, and I even mowed the backyard one time, but not without getting a tongue lashing from my wife for over doing it. Over doing it??? I am on top of the world! I did not know how what I missed until I lost it. and then I got it back!!! Nothing is stopping me! Oops, I forgot I had a progressive disease, I was intolerant to heat, I did still have a lot of muscle pain, but I was on drugs to control most of the pain. AND THEN..............It hit. My son was mowing the neighbors lawn and I was trimming up one of his trees. I took a small branch to the back yard and as I was coming back, my right leg just stopped working. I kept working, but my right leg was dragging. I couldn't pick it up to take a step. It wasn't working so I thought I would take a break and rest up. As I rested for a couple of hours I went to the kitchen and my left leg stopped working. Just like the right one, I could not lift it to take a step. My thought at that time was, that was the best six weeks of my life and I wouldn't change a thing.
So, the first part of June, I was in a wheelchair with limited mobility. I could shuffle with the aid of anything I could grab to hold myself up a few steps. Until September 5th. I was riding my electric wheelchair on the Pittsburg State University Campus to pick something up for my wife. As I was heading down the paved hike and bike trail, I hit an area that the asphalt was taken out and AB-3 was put in as temporary surfacing. When my wheelchair hit that spot, my wheelchair hit the edge of the pavement and threw me from my chair. I was about 10 feet from my chair and dazed so I crawled back to it and got my senses and went about my business. As the day went on my body and head were feeling the impact of the accident. My wife took me to the emergency room to get checked out because of the pain I was experiencing. They ran CT scans to make sure I wasn't bleeding internally and diagnosed me with a concussion. Through the next week I lost most of my strength in my body and excruciating muscular and head pain that was blinding. I had a follow up with my neurologist that week and he just said time will tell the outcome. He did increase some meds for my pain and I am still awaiting the relief. I told Tammi that I do not think my head could withstand another concussion given the way I feel now. Not to mention the parts that are broken on my wheelchair.
This has been a catch up of the last several months of my life and hopefully I can keep up a little more often. I by no means am whining about my condition, but simply describing my condition. Since this accident, my vision is double in the worst way. I am typing this with one eye closed and my tremors have substancially gotten worse. Despite the ills of this last concussion, I am going to see a pain management doctor that will help with the pain and I am still keeping a positive outlook. I have a wonderful family and Tammi's family that have been very supportive. My children, Connie, Christy, Joe, Spencer, and Luke are always there willing and offering to help in any way they can. Tammi has been an angel, making my life easier to function. Last week she built me a ramp that is as well built as any professional could have constructed. My mother worries more about me than she does herself as she is struggling through her own health issues. Thank you Mom for your continued prayers and thoughts.
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