“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
This past week was bittersweet for me and filled with mixed emotions. Late Tuesday evening I received word that a former work colleague and dear friend of mine, Paulie, had passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. It had been a while since we last spoke, exchanging a few e-mails here and there. However, we had remained close friends since I first met him 11 years ago. Paul was at my wedding, surprise 30th birthday party, and a lot of other random events in my life. He had a “larger-than-life” persona, incredible charisma and very caring attitude about him. It was impossible not to like the guy, regardless of his crazy traits and peculiar quirks. He was also a gifted artist, although some of his subject matter could be quite polarizing. I still have a collection of four “devilish” prints he gave me which I’m sure will always serve as a reminder to me of his wild and passionate zest for life! R.I.P. Paul.
Earlier that Tuesday I was at the hospital for a procedure to remove my diaphragmatic pacer system. In a way, the procedure itself was also a bittersweet moment, being that the pacing system was what I had used to wean myself off the vent and learn how to breathe on my own again. At the time when I had the pacer implanted in September 2009, I was the 250th recipient to receive the device. There have since been about another 250 more individuals who have benefited from it as well. Of the 500 individuals who have been implanted with the pacer, whether living with an SCI or ALS, only six people have had the device removed. I feel very fortunate and grateful to be counted among the few who have been able to recover enough to no longer require the apparatus. Interestingly enough, as the doctor was removing part of the wires which were subcutaneously planted below my midsection, I was able to feel them pulling on the muscle and tissue. I have yet to regain any sensation in my abdominal region so was quite surprised and excited to feel some discomfort during the removal process.
On a much lighter note, last Friday I had the privilege of speaking to the entire freshman class at St. Ignatius high school, as well as group of seniors, faculty members and some family and friends. In all, a little over 500 people were in attendance to listen to my story and hear me recant the details surrounding my accident, recovery and renewed faith in the Lord. To my surprise, two of my cousins showed up with their children to hear me speak. Besides feeling a little warm from sitting directly under some of the spotlights, I felt very comfortable among the student body and fortunate to be able to deliver my message to them.
Immediately following my talk, I headed over to Buckeye Wellness Center, the spinal cord fitness facility, to get a workout in on the FES bike. I had volunteered to be a guinea pig so that the fitness therapists working at the gym could learn how to properly hook someone up to the electrodes that allow an individual to operate the bike. There were learning proper placement of the electrodes on the arms so that my muscles could contract and operate the hand cycle after receiving a jolt of electricity. As electrodes were being attached to my biceps and shoulders I began dozing off, coming down from the adrenaline high the morning’s events that created. My eyes would begin to grow heavy and close, followed by a slight bobbing of the head as I tried to fight off the exhaustion. Suddenly, I would perk up as electrical impulse was delivered to my muscles. To an outsider it would have looked like some barbaric form of torture – a poor, helpless paralyzed individual being repeatedly shocked with high-voltage electricity every time he tried to close his eyes and rest! The reality is, though, that the electrical stimulus generated from the FES device actually felt good on my muscles.
The weekend provided a little bit of rest, although it was filled with visits from some friends all day Saturday and Sunday, and a lot of football. Sunday night was also spent putting together a presentation for another speaking engagement on Monday. Today I spoke to about 40 occupational therapy masters students at Cleveland State University. I had the opportunity to share my story with them while also discussing how important therapy is to someone living with an SCI, and touching on a few of the constant insurance battles that generally ensue when trying to get the desired therapy one needs. I will admit that this was the best looking audience I have spoken to so far, comprised mostly of 20-something females.
I have another appointment with the neurosurgeon this week to discuss the various options available to treat the broken titanium rod in my neck. Unfortunately, the discomfort has increased, whether a result of things moving around in my neck or the busy schedule I’ve been keeping, and it has gotten to a point where it is even becoming painful to simply yawn. Hopefully, relief is not too far off in the future.
Thursday I will be traveling to the Toledo area to meet with the people regarding my assistance dog. I am very excited to have been approved to receive a helping canine companion. Pretty soon I’ll be living under the same roof with a dog and a monkey that I will rely on to help me with simple tasks such as brushing my teeth, turning on a light, changing a TV channel and even folding laundry. Yes, my daily activities would probably be worthy of some type of reality show, as I find myself relying on animals to complete them. I’m definitely looking forward to my new housemates! Speaking of animals, I am hoping to visit the zoo sometime this week if the weather cooperates.
That’s about it for now. Keeping busy and working hard. Please don’t forget that it is still National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness month and any type of support, word-of-mouth, etc. can go a long way towards improving the lives of those individuals living with an SCI.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Stand strong!
Scott