Tuesday – 11/09/2010

“Not being able to do everything is no excuse for not doing everything you can.”

Well the sunny weather I was anticipating arrived in full force yesterday and today. It’s amazing how different the day seems when it is filled with sunshine. Everything seems a bit more attainable when there’s a blue sky overhead. Today I was able to spend some time in the courtyard with, Dal, my favorite resident. Dal is 93 years old, sharp as a tack, and deeply concerned about my well-being. She is always asking the nurses and aides to make sure I’m okay and have everything I need. She is a bit hard of hearing, well, very hard of hearing, and legally blind. Needless to say, you can imagine how entertaining our conversations are when I appear to be yelling at her in full volume as we discuss the day’s events.

The other day, Dal tracked me down and gave me a Cleveland Indians/Grady Sizemore blanket. She wants to make sure I am warm whenever I am outside. Today, she and I spent some time together outside sunning ourselves and yelling back and forth about what we had for lunch. She kept confusing cheesecake with chicken when she asked me about dessert. She couldn’t understand why I had chicken for dessert. Very sweet woman.

Yesterday, Pat, my massage therapist gave me a book on tape to listen to. It is called, “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven.” It is a true story about a six-year-old boy who broke his neck in a horrific car accident. He spent two months in a coma, during which time he was in Heaven and met Jesus. It describes his incredible journey both in this world and the Hereafter. The book was written by the boy’s father, who lives with his son in Columbus, Ohio. I am looking forward to listening to it and hopefully contacting the father after I’ve finished reading it. I always find these stories fascinating of people who die, go to Heaven, only to return to Earth. Often times, these people are incredibly depressed after experiencing the beauty of Heaven and having to leave it behind.

I remember praying to God while laying face down, waiting to die in the water. After I drowned myself and blacked out, I don’t remember much. I often try to think back if I experienced any great white light, but I can’t recall any. I do recall however, having an out of body experience while at the hospital. It was very lucid, and the memory is still fresh with me to this day. I plan to describe it in detail one day if I ever write a book about my story of survival.

Besides the experience with meeting Jesus, the other thing that interests me about this book is the fact that the child is only six years old. A lot of the books I have listened to about other spinal cord survivors detail the lives of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. I think a story through the eyes of a six-year-old will offer a whole new perspective on what it is like to experience such a catastrophic accident such as breaking your neck.

Finally, I came across a picture the other day of me on the beach in Cancun during my honeymoon. When I look at this picture today, I can’t help but focus on how healthy and strong my back and spine look. If you look closely, you can even see a tan line running up my back along my spine. It’s weird to look at the picture and contrast that against what my back looks like today. It’s very tough to watch your own body atrophy and change against your will. I miss working out, running, breaking a sweat and feeling sore and tired. Once I finally get my FES bike, I hope it will help bring back some of the feelings I used to get after a great workout!

Tomorrow is my van evaluation which I am looking forward to. I eagerly await the day when I get a ride shotgun again. I am sure I will still be a backseat driver, but some things never do change.

Thank you for your prayers and support!  It is greatly appreciate!

Scott