Sorry,No Cool Title

This week was ok. I feel like my balance has gotten a little better...So that is great! What holds me back is my 'ataxia' or lack of coordination/control and I have it extemely bad,where I shake, but that has gotten much better. When you are trying to keep you balance and your body is moving slighltly and uncontrollably in ways you do not want that does not help. I talked about my eyes last time. The 'orthoptist' I saw tested my sensory movements of my eyes.Like where my eyes are,what I see and when I see it and how I may see things different than people with 'normal' vision...by the way...Only about 200 or so 'orthoptists' are in the nation...crazy huh! Well, no surgery date is set to straighten it but it will be early this summer! Get it over with already!

Adequate Friday

Today is Good Friday, but I got to thinking, what if youre not Christian and do not observe this day? I am Catholic so I do, but I am just saying! What if your Friday was just adequate or even sucked? Think about that...lol. Well, my Friday was decent and pretty uneventful. IU lost in the first round and that is really upsetting. I think I will get over it though.This week overall was just OK and I want to be more independent. I am sick of needing someone to follow me when I am on the walker! What the Hell! Sorry, I regress, I see some Doctor with a strange title soon. An 'orthoptist'.They measure the distance between your eyes and all that crap.Lol. I am having that done in order to know how much to move my eye. I am having surgery to straighten it this summer. I cannot freakin wait. I know you are probably thinking excited about surgery?If you saw double for a year you would be excited also! So, I hope next week is great and I cannot wait!

Cabin Fever!

This week of therapy has been great so far...still making improvments! Today, my Bro and I went to a park so I could practice walking on uneven surfaces with the walker...It went well and it was about 58 and sunny...sad thats nice for March in beautfiul Northwest, Indiana. But, it still gave me cabin fever.
Lately, I have been thinkin about the old road bike.For a while I considered not riding because fear of falling,hitting my head and perhaps brain surgery again. That is crazy...when I can ride again, however long that may be...I will. Racing, NO, but just in order to stay in shape yes. This time of the year is very special for cylists at IU. Hard work, big chances and a ton of time and work, just to name a few is at a point now where all the things I just listed are culminating.Alot of teams are away in warm climates training for Sping Break and some are in good ole B - town training like they are possesed for 1 day. May sound crazy.You would not understand unless you have done it but I want it so bad I can taste it...lol. For those of you who do not know what the Little 500 is, here ya go...My friend Mike used this and I like it ( Thanks Mike)...haha...It is from Sports Illustrated...“…the Little 500 (is a) bicycle relay, held every April. The event was launched in 1951 by university fund-raiser and racing buff Howdy Wilcox, whose father, Howard, won the 1919 Indianapolis 500. The Little 500, in which 33 teams of four riders (33 teams in the women's race) ride 200 laps around a quarter-mile cinder track, has been the focus of a movie (Breaking Away, winner of the 1979 Oscar for best screenplay), has been aired on national TV and has generated more than $1,000,000 in scholarship money (from ticket sales and sponsors). ‘I tell people who don't go here about the race--10,000 students watching people they've never heard of ride a bike around a track--and they think it's ridiculous,’ says senior rider Mike Krueger. ‘They can't understand the passion people here have for this event.’” I always found it ironic that this week or weekend is considered the biggest party weekend all year. While the riders spend all year training and holding back for close to 20,000 drunk asses. Well all you people can party, because the riders know the REAL party is that night and the weeks to come.To get a picture of how amazing being in little 5 is, take your Birthday and Christmas and multiply that by 5. Then you will still be a little off .Goodluck to all of you riders!!!

Wild Weekend!!!

Actually, if you are looking for some cool stories, you will not find it in this entry.Lol. I know that is not an attention grabber...but honesty is still the best policy(at least I think so!). This weekend I was tottaly pumped to see the new movie 'Semi pro' with Will Ferrell (the funniest person alive!) My friend said they were sick and I sure as heck cannot drive...So I instead played a rousing game of 'Balderdash' at my Grandmas. WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Bet you are jealous!? No offense to those of you over the age of fifty, but I am sick of hangin out with you. My friends need to come home. Today, I talked to my old highschool track coach on the phone...Great guy. He thinks I should talk with the team...Great idea! I miss H.S. track!
But I really am not fond of that chair. I might use the walker...I hate that chair with a fire that burns hotter than 1000 suns! ( Will Ferrell joke) I am considering melting the chair in a bonfire and telling insurance...Opps! I lost it...Haha.That God forsaken chair ( can you tell I do not like the chair?) I am embarrased whenever I am in it and sick of people treating me like a baby! Alright, I am done venting Next weekend has to be better!.

Whoa! Dude

Almot a month ago I started 'Hippotherapy' in Greek that is for horse. The horse's name which I ride is named 'Dude' ...get the title now? Anyways you are most likely saying to yourself 'riding a horse for therapy'?The horse's gait is excellent to simulate human walking because the horse's pelvis also simulates a human pelvis. It also does great core strenthging and for your back as well it helps with balance issues and knowing where your body is in space. Among other things...Here is a link. http://www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org/ My friend Kevin's parents, or Mom and step - Dad are letting me do it free of charge( that is HUGE) so that way insurance does not interfere and I can continue with my other 'traditional' therapy. When I am at that place I also take part in this computer program called " Interactive Metronome" . It has a sensor on the hand and a pad for your feet. And you wear headphones that send out a sound, so you have to react and it judges you in a read out that tells you whether you are on or off by milliseconds. It also tracks your progress as you go . It really helps to get your mind and body working together. It helps your coordination, timing and seqencing of info and it helps a ton of other stuff...Read about it here. http://www.interactivemetronome.com/im/cli_add.asp?mn=1. At my "traditional" that involves walking, use of parellel bars and so on. I use this crazy contraption called the 'Biodex' or 'Lite Gait' gait trainer system. You are strapped in to this harness and and a crank is turned and it suspeds you from air...or takes weight off you so you can just focus on walking on the treadmill under you. It makes your strides longer, makes your walking faster and the repetitive motion of wwalking is put back in yor brain. It does way more stuff but that would take me forever and this entry is already long enough, I am almost positive the website can explain it betterLol.. http://www.biodex.com/rehab/gait_trainer/gait_trainer_385system.htm
So yeah...
Last night I was thinking about my surgery...I am really starting to think my my neurosurgeon damaged my cerebellum. The part of the brain that controls coordination and balance. I feel this way because it has been a DAMN! year and I still use the wheelchair because my balance is so poor. On the walker I always need people to stand by with minimai assistance but lets get real here! I not by myself and that is Jack dookie! I know that my surgery was very seriuous...but c'mon! Whatever... I cannot go back...All I can do is work with what the Big Man left me with!

One Year Stronger

Today is one year since surgery...Crazy...huh? I thought the same thing.The average person celebrates a New Year on Jan 1st. Not me , my New Year kinda changed dates for the rest of my life. So, here is to the New Year!I am getting a second shot at life, 'so what the hell!' So much in my life is different now. Emotionally, psychologically and physically,I have changed.My outlook on life among other things has changed. To set the record straight, I used to think this blog stuff was a little strange and here I am making one. Like I said, alot in my life has changed...lol.First of all I am writing so I do not go crazy. I want the family and friends that I love and care for to know what is going on with my life. Thank you all!I really do not think I could do it without you guys! I am also TRYING (my eyes are messed up) to read this wonderful book called 'Reversal' It is about this guy who is a physical therapist and had a brain tumor removed in October of 2005 and to make a long story short ,he is ok now. From what I can see. I have only read 20 pages. We have'had' a lot of the same limitations. The book just inspires me to kick the tumors ASS and what the surgery has left me with even harder.As Lance Armstrong would say "This _has messed with the wrong guy."It truly did.
So I had a real nice weekend. Friday my friend Liza came over and we played Nintendo Wii. I can see a Nintendo Wii in my future...ha.I read that it is an excellent tool for people with spinal or head injuries for the coordination. That I need , my coordination is garbage! So ,that was fun! Saturday, I hung with my friend Kevin and also an ooooooolllllllldddd girlfriend of mine,Amy, who is a real cool girl. Kevin and I ate dinner, talked and watched a movie and some other stuff,but I wont bore you.Seeing my friends when home from school is fantastic! I really think being around them would make me heal quicker! What sucks though is the Cubs lost a crap load this weekend! I think all 3 and IU got rocked.Bad weekend for my teams! It is early in the pre season. I am just getting excited! Till next time!