Sunday, November 28, 2010
Playin' ketchup
Have you heard the saying "slow and steady wins the race?" Well I am not sure that SuperPat will win the bet, but he has been going pretty slow and steady. He has absolutely loved having Darth Tator move in but Darth's diabolical plan to keep him from really performing at his maximum pace is working. (Sorry Darth, I know it really isn't you, but you are a convenient excuse for SuperPat.) Only a few weeks left until the day of the bet, SuperPat it is time to keep the steady but change the speed from slow to super sonic! Darth, we hope that there is not blood but ketchup on the floor at the end of this challenge, prepare to be dipped!
Giving Thanks
We have the very best family and friends, and friends who are better than family. We are so blessed that so many people who invited us over for food, good times, shopping and games. We have a new favorite game thanks to the Cloustans called "Word on the street". And we have lots of fun bargains from midnight shopping with Alanna, although my feet were so tired by the time we finally got out of the line. Next time, I am going to pick out a folding chair to sit on and then I will just tell the clerk I don't want to buy it when we finally get to the end of the marathon shopping line. I still think we got gypped on the Cricut cartridges. But the very best part of Thanksgiving weekend was getting to spend time with some of our favorite people, at least the ones who haven't been throwing up in the recent past. Mom, Dad, and kids, we love you so much but we are really glad that we weren't in Idaho to share the Christmas bug. See you all soon and Happy Holidays!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mental wheelchairs
Tonight Pat and I had a discussion about why certain people mean so much to him. At the time we were discussing Pat's good friend Patricio. As we talked, we decided that what we love so much about Patricio is that when he looks at Pat, he doesn't see Pat as Wheelchair Pat, or even Pat Wheelchair, but as Pat, who just happens to be in a wheelchair for right now. So many people see the wheelchair first and then Pat as an after thought, but Patricio and also my family have the unique talent of allowing Pat to feel as if they don't really see the wheelchair at all. In fact, I suspect that my ability to make him feel that way is why he fell so head over heels in love with me when we first met.
To illistrate what I mean by this, the first week Pat decided to take his walker to church, we told Patricio about it and he said that he wanted to come with us. When we told him, we must have said something like "Pat is going to walk to church" and we meant of course that we would just be using the walker to walk from the car into the chapel. Patricio showed up at our house before church started, threw his scripture bag over his shoulder and said that he was ready to start our walk. We were so touched to realize that not only did he think that we were walking from our house to the church (several miles) but that he had complete faith that Pat could do it.
We started the whole discussion about Patricio because he left a couple of tennis balls in our mailbox after Pat said that he wanted to use his trusty brown walker to walk at the wedding but it needed new tennis balls. It was so sweet of Patricio to find and bring the tennis balls by based on an innocent side comment from Pat.
We also did a lot of talking about mental wheelchairs and how to tell the difference between someone who just has a physical wheelchair versus someone who has a mental wheelchair. Pat and I decided that a mental wheelchair is what makes the difference between someone accepting their disabilities and letting their progression and growth be stopped and someone who runs and wins a marathon with only one leg.
In watching Pat, I think everyone would agree that if he could just get rid of the mental wheelchair, he would be able to ditch his physical wheelchair in no time. In fact, this afternoon, we had a great demonstration of this when having a picnic at the park. After waiting and waiting for him to walk the few steps to the blanket, I decided that since the ground was grassy and pretty soft, that there was no reason why he couldn't make the rest of the journey on his own so I sat down. He immediately tried to beg, plead etc to get me to stand back up and walk behind him. I continued to refuse and started to make lunch. After a few minutes of standing there waiting for me to change my mind, he gave a couple of loud yelling growls and then gave up and fell on top of his walker. He did not hurt himself and while it was so difficult for me to let him do it, it is the only way for him to start to get rid of the mental wheelchair.
If he would just start talking to himself like a prize showdog that says to himself "Look at me and what I can do. There is nothing I can't do" instead of the whipped puppy with his tail between his legs and his head down that says "Feel sorry for me, I am in a wheelchair, I can't do anything" he would be rid of his wheelchair in no time. But don't we all have mental wheelchairs that we have to escape?
Just know how much we both appreciate all of the love and support, especially those who don't see Pat as wheelchair Pat but as Pat, who just happens to be in a wheelchair for now.
To illistrate what I mean by this, the first week Pat decided to take his walker to church, we told Patricio about it and he said that he wanted to come with us. When we told him, we must have said something like "Pat is going to walk to church" and we meant of course that we would just be using the walker to walk from the car into the chapel. Patricio showed up at our house before church started, threw his scripture bag over his shoulder and said that he was ready to start our walk. We were so touched to realize that not only did he think that we were walking from our house to the church (several miles) but that he had complete faith that Pat could do it.
We started the whole discussion about Patricio because he left a couple of tennis balls in our mailbox after Pat said that he wanted to use his trusty brown walker to walk at the wedding but it needed new tennis balls. It was so sweet of Patricio to find and bring the tennis balls by based on an innocent side comment from Pat.
We also did a lot of talking about mental wheelchairs and how to tell the difference between someone who just has a physical wheelchair versus someone who has a mental wheelchair. Pat and I decided that a mental wheelchair is what makes the difference between someone accepting their disabilities and letting their progression and growth be stopped and someone who runs and wins a marathon with only one leg.
In watching Pat, I think everyone would agree that if he could just get rid of the mental wheelchair, he would be able to ditch his physical wheelchair in no time. In fact, this afternoon, we had a great demonstration of this when having a picnic at the park. After waiting and waiting for him to walk the few steps to the blanket, I decided that since the ground was grassy and pretty soft, that there was no reason why he couldn't make the rest of the journey on his own so I sat down. He immediately tried to beg, plead etc to get me to stand back up and walk behind him. I continued to refuse and started to make lunch. After a few minutes of standing there waiting for me to change my mind, he gave a couple of loud yelling growls and then gave up and fell on top of his walker. He did not hurt himself and while it was so difficult for me to let him do it, it is the only way for him to start to get rid of the mental wheelchair.
If he would just start talking to himself like a prize showdog that says to himself "Look at me and what I can do. There is nothing I can't do" instead of the whipped puppy with his tail between his legs and his head down that says "Feel sorry for me, I am in a wheelchair, I can't do anything" he would be rid of his wheelchair in no time. But don't we all have mental wheelchairs that we have to escape?
Just know how much we both appreciate all of the love and support, especially those who don't see Pat as wheelchair Pat but as Pat, who just happens to be in a wheelchair for now.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
3 years, can you believe it?
Wednesday was our third anniversary. I came home at 1 pm from work and we celebrated by having Belgium waffles with our brand new waffle iron. Silly, I know but they tasted SOOO good. Pat got a Superman Snuggie which he loved from me and from him I got a two hour nap where he interupted me less than 5 times to wake me up. We had been up so late the night before, I sat on the bed to send an e-mail and the next thing I knew, I was fast asleep. I don't think Pat minded too much because he got to play Madden while I napped. After I woke up, we went out to dinner at Biaggi's in Loveland. The food was excellent. We shared a Spicy chicken pizza that had bacon, basil, and goat cheese and then some pasta which I loved but Pat really didn't like so much. It was butternut squash and walnut ravioli with a brown butter and sage sauce. I think Pat's pallette is quite refined enough to enjoy it but he was a good sport about it. We had planned on dessert but we just didn't have room in our tummies. We finished off the night by watching "Life as we know it" at the movie theater which was very cute, and then shakes at Sonic. It was the best anniverary yet and we are looking forward to many, many more.
Camping out in the living room
Well we thought it would be fun to have a sleepover with our honorary nephews, Ethan (5) and Kaleb (4). And what could be more fun than sleeping in the tent! The boys were so excited about the weekend that they could hardly stand it. We started the evening off by going to McDonald's for dinner. The boys had a great time running back and forth between the tables for bites of food and the play equipment that is designed to look like outer space. After that the boys each got a dollar to spend at the dollar store and Pat helped them pick out a few snacks as well. Ethan picked out a stuffed dinosaur which he named Sweetie and Kaleb picked out a SpongeBob Squarepants squirt gun. On the way home, we went to Jupiter Burger and got an ice-cream cone. I don't know what the boys enjoyed most about it, the ice cream, the changing colored spot lights on the outside of the building, or the idea that we were going to Jupiter for ice cream. (The next time we saw them, they asked if we could go to that Planet again for ice cream, but they couldn't remember the name). When we got home, we had fun chasing the dogs with balloons, which the dogs disliked but the boys loved before crawling into the pup tent to watch movies. Ethan watched about an hour of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles before passing out at about 11, Kaleb made it through the first movie and also The Fox and the Hound before conking out at about 12:30. (I fell asleep before the winter hit).
The boys slept great until about 5:30 when Kaleb woke up in a panic because one of his flip flops had fallen off in the middle of the night. He is OBSESSED with his flip flops, even takes a bath with them. Which is good because it keeps them clean. After comforting him, he crawled into our bed and snuggled right up to Pat. It was so sweet to see, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Ethan woke up at about 7 ready to go home, but I convinced him to stay and go to Safeway to get donuts, milk and juice for breakfast. We had a good chat and it was fun for him to shop, especially when the clerk gave him a Halloween coupon for a free MacDonald's hamburger. When we got back, Kaleb and Pat were up and ready for cereal and donuts.
After breakfast the boys helped me make cupcakes decorated like movie snacks. Their favorite cupcakes had gummy worms on them and my favorite were either the popcorn ones (made with white and yellow mini marshmellows) or the ones covered in pop rocks. At one point Kaleb wanted to go to the bathroom and I sent Pat to help him. After about 10 seconds, Pat started yelling that Kaleb needed my help not his, but I made him tough it out because part of the experience was see how Pat could handle parenting.
Ethan confessed that he was less scared of Pat after the exprience. I realized that a lot of the movie villans have dark facial hair so that might be part of it. Pat did a great job with the boys and it was so touching to see him with the boys. He might not be able bodied yet, but he sure has a great big heart full of love for kids.
The boys slept great until about 5:30 when Kaleb woke up in a panic because one of his flip flops had fallen off in the middle of the night. He is OBSESSED with his flip flops, even takes a bath with them. Which is good because it keeps them clean. After comforting him, he crawled into our bed and snuggled right up to Pat. It was so sweet to see, but I couldn't get back to sleep. Ethan woke up at about 7 ready to go home, but I convinced him to stay and go to Safeway to get donuts, milk and juice for breakfast. We had a good chat and it was fun for him to shop, especially when the clerk gave him a Halloween coupon for a free MacDonald's hamburger. When we got back, Kaleb and Pat were up and ready for cereal and donuts.
After breakfast the boys helped me make cupcakes decorated like movie snacks. Their favorite cupcakes had gummy worms on them and my favorite were either the popcorn ones (made with white and yellow mini marshmellows) or the ones covered in pop rocks. At one point Kaleb wanted to go to the bathroom and I sent Pat to help him. After about 10 seconds, Pat started yelling that Kaleb needed my help not his, but I made him tough it out because part of the experience was see how Pat could handle parenting.
Ethan confessed that he was less scared of Pat after the exprience. I realized that a lot of the movie villans have dark facial hair so that might be part of it. Pat did a great job with the boys and it was so touching to see him with the boys. He might not be able bodied yet, but he sure has a great big heart full of love for kids.
More Family Fun
Saturday - We had pancakes for breakfast, thanks for the help eating up all the odds and ends of syrup, somehow we always end up with 5 or 6 bottles, with just a little left in them. Then we went to the Farmer's market where the girls did some leisurely shopping, and the boys raced through as fast as they could. Then we headed to the Greeley Train Museum. We couldn't believe how much fun was packed into that little building. And of course we just couldn't leave until we found the UNC bear and all of the dinosaurs. Thank heavens for Dad's sharp eyes or we would still be there. Pat loved the first two hours even though he was very displeased that I made him climb the stairs and look over the edge to look down and see the trains (he is VERY scared of heights). By the time we finally left, we were all starving. We had a good lunch at the $1.50 a scoop chinese place. We all got very full and really enjoyed it. From there, we went to the new Habitat for Humanity Store to look around, Pat and I were very surprised to see our donations already on the floor. (Pat saw a few that I donated and decided he wanted to buy them back but I wouldn't let him. LOL) After that the girls went to Hobby Lobby and the boys napped in the car. Then it was time to go get ready to go to the FunPlex for swimming. We had a great time while swimming, Pat especially. Both Mom and Dad decided to stay on the sidelines and watch. At hour number two, I started to ask if anyone was ready to get out, but no one wanted to, even Pat. We finally got out when they closed for the evening. :) Pat did fantastic, he kept himself up and floated by himself most of the time without any assistance. At one point I asked Daniel to take Pat to the deep end because he never got the chance. Daniel agreed and took him over. After a minute I noticed that Daniel wasn't holding on to Pat and I started to worry that Pat would panick when he realized that he was in 10 feet water without anyone holding him. After we got out, Daniel explained that he wasn't a good enough swimmer to be able to swim and hang on to Pat, it was all he could do to stay afloat. Good thing Pat was oblivious and just floated along on his own. It was amazing to realize how far Pat has come in conquering his fear of water. He didn't seem bothered at all that he was floating contentedly along by himself. A really funny moment came when a couple of little boys saw Pat's unoccupied wheelchair and decided to take it for a little spin. Who knew I could shout that far, that loud. :) When we finished swimming, we were all starving so we went to CiCi's for dinner. When I saw how much food the boys and Becky ate, I was very glad that it was so cheap for all you can eat. I am not sure but I think Joel topped out at over 20 slices. Pat just laughed and laughed and laughed.
Sunday - Sunday morning was nice and leisurely. Becky and I started making yummy chocolate cupcakes with milk and white chocolate butterflies and everyone came along to church. It was fun to be with the family at church, and really funny to compare my Herculean brothers next to the Young Men of our ward. In fact, we went to visit Pat's Grandma C before church and I think she was amazed at how much the boys and Becky had grown since their last visit. It was so nice to spend a few minutes with her and to let her talk with my mom. I think that she was really touched when Daniel offered to help, it is so unusual in the Hispanic culture for young men to help out. I think she was able to see our testimonies and hopefully she could see the pure goodness and joy in my family. I know we made a good impression on her. After church, we came home and Daniel and I started dinner while Mom and Becky finished up the cupcakes so we could have a birthday celebration. We must have chopped for hours, but the chicken and snow peas, rice, corn on the cob, and watermelon sure tasted great. After dinner, Mom and I left the boys to clean up and took a cupcake and suckers to my good friend Liz. We tried really hard all weekend to connect with her and it only happened because we surprised her for a few minutes during Sunday movie night. Sorry for the intrusion Liz, but it was so good to see you for a few minutes. When we got home, we sat in the car for a long time talking like we used to when I was growing up. The kids only peeked out a few times... I think they were anxious to eat their cupcakes before Emily had to go. I think they enjoyed them, by the time we came in they were begging for thirds. :) I think my favorite part of the whole trip was getting to talk to my mom for hours face to face. Talking on the phone is okay, but it just isn't the same. The bonus was that Dad and Pat had the kitchen spotless, no small feat considering how many dishes we used on dinner.
Sadly on Monday morning, the family had to leave. We miss them so much! Pat didn't get out of bed to say goodbye because he was afraid he would cry. Oops, I don't think I was supposed to say that part.
Daniel - Pat was so touched by what you told him about how everytime he chooses the wheelchair he takes a step backward. He really feels touched that you are his cheering section and that you think of him.
To Dad, Mom, Daniel, Joel, and Becky - your visit meant the world to us, especially Pat. He feels like he got a huge hug from his family and knows that his cheering section is fully behind him. We can never express how much you mean to us.
Sunday - Sunday morning was nice and leisurely. Becky and I started making yummy chocolate cupcakes with milk and white chocolate butterflies and everyone came along to church. It was fun to be with the family at church, and really funny to compare my Herculean brothers next to the Young Men of our ward. In fact, we went to visit Pat's Grandma C before church and I think she was amazed at how much the boys and Becky had grown since their last visit. It was so nice to spend a few minutes with her and to let her talk with my mom. I think that she was really touched when Daniel offered to help, it is so unusual in the Hispanic culture for young men to help out. I think she was able to see our testimonies and hopefully she could see the pure goodness and joy in my family. I know we made a good impression on her. After church, we came home and Daniel and I started dinner while Mom and Becky finished up the cupcakes so we could have a birthday celebration. We must have chopped for hours, but the chicken and snow peas, rice, corn on the cob, and watermelon sure tasted great. After dinner, Mom and I left the boys to clean up and took a cupcake and suckers to my good friend Liz. We tried really hard all weekend to connect with her and it only happened because we surprised her for a few minutes during Sunday movie night. Sorry for the intrusion Liz, but it was so good to see you for a few minutes. When we got home, we sat in the car for a long time talking like we used to when I was growing up. The kids only peeked out a few times... I think they were anxious to eat their cupcakes before Emily had to go. I think they enjoyed them, by the time we came in they were begging for thirds. :) I think my favorite part of the whole trip was getting to talk to my mom for hours face to face. Talking on the phone is okay, but it just isn't the same. The bonus was that Dad and Pat had the kitchen spotless, no small feat considering how many dishes we used on dinner.
Sadly on Monday morning, the family had to leave. We miss them so much! Pat didn't get out of bed to say goodbye because he was afraid he would cry. Oops, I don't think I was supposed to say that part.
Daniel - Pat was so touched by what you told him about how everytime he chooses the wheelchair he takes a step backward. He really feels touched that you are his cheering section and that you think of him.
To Dad, Mom, Daniel, Joel, and Becky - your visit meant the world to us, especially Pat. He feels like he got a huge hug from his family and knows that his cheering section is fully behind him. We can never express how much you mean to us.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Family Fun
We have been having a fabulous time with the family, it seems crazy that our time together is almost over. So here is a quick recap:
Wednesday - picked up Mom at the aiport, went to a YUMMY celebration lunch at Lone Star Steak House and after some fun shopping at Cato's etc, we decided to head to the gym to work out. By the time we came home we were famished so we polished off our leftovers and had some great chicken mole that Pat had made.
Thursday - we donated some of our excess clutter to charity, and it took up most of the truck. :) Then we went shopping in Loveland but the most exciting things we found were for baby Susan. Since we were starving, we had to hit up Chikilet and share a snack. We headed home to wait for Dad and the kids and it seemed like forever until they got here. We took a nice walk to Saunteramo's where we had a very filling and very good dinner including an appetizer and shared desserts. We were so full that it was hard to walk home. But then we had some fun playing Wii.
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Friday - we went to the flea market and the candy store. We all felt like we walked our legs off, especially Pat who did quite a bit of walking at the flea market and then used just his walker to go to and through the candy factory. We are very proud of him, he is doing great. When we got back we made a quick stop at Sprouts so that we could make dinner. For dinner we made whole wheat spagetti with tomato sauce, pesto sauce, summer squash, tomato asiago cheese foccocia bread, and spinach feta cheese foccocia bread. The only thing left at the end was the pesto sauce. Then the boys watched Man of the Year and the girls watched Leap Year and less than half of us made it all the way through without sleeping.
By the time the weekend is all over we are all going to be pooped!
Wednesday - picked up Mom at the aiport, went to a YUMMY celebration lunch at Lone Star Steak House and after some fun shopping at Cato's etc, we decided to head to the gym to work out. By the time we came home we were famished so we polished off our leftovers and had some great chicken mole that Pat had made.
Thursday - we donated some of our excess clutter to charity, and it took up most of the truck. :) Then we went shopping in Loveland but the most exciting things we found were for baby Susan. Since we were starving, we had to hit up Chikilet and share a snack. We headed home to wait for Dad and the kids and it seemed like forever until they got here. We took a nice walk to Saunteramo's where we had a very filling and very good dinner including an appetizer and shared desserts. We were so full that it was hard to walk home. But then we had some fun playing Wii.
sp
Friday - we went to the flea market and the candy store. We all felt like we walked our legs off, especially Pat who did quite a bit of walking at the flea market and then used just his walker to go to and through the candy factory. We are very proud of him, he is doing great. When we got back we made a quick stop at Sprouts so that we could make dinner. For dinner we made whole wheat spagetti with tomato sauce, pesto sauce, summer squash, tomato asiago cheese foccocia bread, and spinach feta cheese foccocia bread. The only thing left at the end was the pesto sauce. Then the boys watched Man of the Year and the girls watched Leap Year and less than half of us made it all the way through without sleeping.
By the time the weekend is all over we are all going to be pooped!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Spoiler alert: Pat's amazing accomplishments
Darth Tator, I just have to say that the spoiler alert is for you. SuperPat is catching up to you and he is going so fast that all you will see is a blur of muscles as he passes. Hope you are working hard also so we can have an awesome celebration!
We have been just so busy, in a good way though that we haven't had time to write about our progress. Amazingly I am the only one awake in our house, has been this way for a couple of hours actually so now seemed like the perfect time. In case you don't know, Mama Spud landed yesterday afternoon and the rest of the tator patch is rolling in this evening.
Mama Spud definantly wins the sweet potato award this week. We are so glad to have her here and you can definately see it in SuperPat's progress. Yesterday evening we convinced Mama Spud that she needed to go work out with us at the gym. I was very impressed at her interest in trying several things and it was great to have someone to pace me on the bike and make me feel so much better that the Elliptical machine kicks my butt. On a side note, I was able to get up to 15 minutes on the Elliptical at a pretty intense level with some sweat, but not as much muscle fatigue. And it feels so good when you are finally able to get off. :)
Anyway, about Pat's progress. He was able to get to 6 minutes on the treadmill and while he was sweating, it wasn't the usual buckets and buckets of sweat. In fact, I honestly believe that he could have done several more minutes with not too much effort but he really didn't want to overdo it. His ability to go longer stretches without taking a break is getting so much better. He did several one minute stretches in a row with only a short repositioning break in between. In fact, he even thought about trying a different hand position. You can see that his body is really relearning it's pace and stance.
And then just when we thought we had really hit our quota of progress for the day, we got into the pool. He had 3 10 minute walking sessions, a large part of which was completely without holding onto the sides or my hands. He still turns in circles but it is getting less and less pronounced and he is catching himself so much better. If I can figure out a way to edit myself out of the video, I really want to get a video or some pictures of him walking the water to post here. You would all be so amazed and touched by his progress.
In fact, after a particuarly long stretch of him walking towards me in a pretty straight line without falling or faltering, I was struck by a really strong memory of a pool session about a year ago. We had been working a little with his physical therapist in the water to learn some exercises that we could do on our own together and I decided just to have him try to take a few steps toward me. If I remember right, he was able to take about five and it was mostly momentum carrying him forward at high speed because he was so scared that he was going to nosedive into the water. It felt like the greatest anniversary present anyone could ever give me at the time and I remember feeling for the first time that maybe he really would be able to walk without any assistance or a cane or crutch sometime in the future.
Now almost a year later to the date, you wouldn't recognize the same person that I had seen then. I have to try really hard to remember sometimes that he really can't walk all by himself when we are in pool. It is so easy just to see him as anyone else just playing and walking around in the pool. He was even able to splash Mama Spud and then continue walking toward me without falling over. Sorry about that Mom, but that is so huge because it shows how much his balance is improving. Pardon me fora short pause while I wipe my tears of joy and gratitude for our blessings off my computer.
The best part of all this is that I know that when the rest of the Spuds get here this evening he is going to re-double his efforts because their praise and attention mean so very much to him. I finally got him to do the languages of love profile and his top two languages are words of affirmation and time together. So many heartfelt thanks to my wonderful family that loves him enough to meet those needs especially after one of the hardest weeks he has every year (both his parent's birthdays were last week and we are on the home stretch to the accident anniversary).
We have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful therapists (physical and otherwise) to come into our lives. We would never have been able to accomplish much of anything without them and I know that Heavenly Father and Pat's family are trying to do all they can to provide these gifts to us.
Well, enough of my ramblings. I just have two closing thoughts. Mama Spud - I think I know what the epression saddle sore means, maybe next time we should try a shorter bike route? :) Spud Family - since you get to come watch Pat walk, does this make you "Spec-tators"?
We have been just so busy, in a good way though that we haven't had time to write about our progress. Amazingly I am the only one awake in our house, has been this way for a couple of hours actually so now seemed like the perfect time. In case you don't know, Mama Spud landed yesterday afternoon and the rest of the tator patch is rolling in this evening.
Mama Spud definantly wins the sweet potato award this week. We are so glad to have her here and you can definately see it in SuperPat's progress. Yesterday evening we convinced Mama Spud that she needed to go work out with us at the gym. I was very impressed at her interest in trying several things and it was great to have someone to pace me on the bike and make me feel so much better that the Elliptical machine kicks my butt. On a side note, I was able to get up to 15 minutes on the Elliptical at a pretty intense level with some sweat, but not as much muscle fatigue. And it feels so good when you are finally able to get off. :)
Anyway, about Pat's progress. He was able to get to 6 minutes on the treadmill and while he was sweating, it wasn't the usual buckets and buckets of sweat. In fact, I honestly believe that he could have done several more minutes with not too much effort but he really didn't want to overdo it. His ability to go longer stretches without taking a break is getting so much better. He did several one minute stretches in a row with only a short repositioning break in between. In fact, he even thought about trying a different hand position. You can see that his body is really relearning it's pace and stance.
And then just when we thought we had really hit our quota of progress for the day, we got into the pool. He had 3 10 minute walking sessions, a large part of which was completely without holding onto the sides or my hands. He still turns in circles but it is getting less and less pronounced and he is catching himself so much better. If I can figure out a way to edit myself out of the video, I really want to get a video or some pictures of him walking the water to post here. You would all be so amazed and touched by his progress.
In fact, after a particuarly long stretch of him walking towards me in a pretty straight line without falling or faltering, I was struck by a really strong memory of a pool session about a year ago. We had been working a little with his physical therapist in the water to learn some exercises that we could do on our own together and I decided just to have him try to take a few steps toward me. If I remember right, he was able to take about five and it was mostly momentum carrying him forward at high speed because he was so scared that he was going to nosedive into the water. It felt like the greatest anniversary present anyone could ever give me at the time and I remember feeling for the first time that maybe he really would be able to walk without any assistance or a cane or crutch sometime in the future.
Now almost a year later to the date, you wouldn't recognize the same person that I had seen then. I have to try really hard to remember sometimes that he really can't walk all by himself when we are in pool. It is so easy just to see him as anyone else just playing and walking around in the pool. He was even able to splash Mama Spud and then continue walking toward me without falling over. Sorry about that Mom, but that is so huge because it shows how much his balance is improving. Pardon me fora short pause while I wipe my tears of joy and gratitude for our blessings off my computer.
The best part of all this is that I know that when the rest of the Spuds get here this evening he is going to re-double his efforts because their praise and attention mean so very much to him. I finally got him to do the languages of love profile and his top two languages are words of affirmation and time together. So many heartfelt thanks to my wonderful family that loves him enough to meet those needs especially after one of the hardest weeks he has every year (both his parent's birthdays were last week and we are on the home stretch to the accident anniversary).
We have been so fortunate to have so many wonderful therapists (physical and otherwise) to come into our lives. We would never have been able to accomplish much of anything without them and I know that Heavenly Father and Pat's family are trying to do all they can to provide these gifts to us.
Well, enough of my ramblings. I just have two closing thoughts. Mama Spud - I think I know what the epression saddle sore means, maybe next time we should try a shorter bike route? :) Spud Family - since you get to come watch Pat walk, does this make you "Spec-tators"?
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sweetening the bet
Darth Tator called up SuperPat and offered him a deal that he just couldn't resist. He thought to entice SuperPat further by adding some incentives to the already sweet deal. Darth has offered to up the ante by going on 50 dates if SuperPat is the winner. He also heard what SuperPat wants to do with his reward money so he agreed to have dinner with SuperPat at Rodizios in SLC when Tim and Kat get married, The catch, SuperPat must be completely independant with the walker by Tim's wedding on December 17th. SuperPat says he already feels the money sliding out of Darth Tator's pocket and into SuperPat's hand. The money is as good as his!
For Tuesday, we are pleased to report that SuperPat was able to walk 5 minutes on the treadmill. He stopped walking at exactly 2 minutes but SuperGirl pulled out her secret weapon and SuperPat went the distance to earn a lemon berry slushie from Sonic. SuperGirl was too tired to go to 7-11. So the next challenge, figuring out how to make SuperPat's feet stay on the pedals of the exercise bike. Neither the rope or the bubble gum worked (the gum was an accident. How someone who rarely walks always manages to step in gum is a mystery to me).
That's all from SuperPat. SuperPat, powered by Slurpee.
For Tuesday, we are pleased to report that SuperPat was able to walk 5 minutes on the treadmill. He stopped walking at exactly 2 minutes but SuperGirl pulled out her secret weapon and SuperPat went the distance to earn a lemon berry slushie from Sonic. SuperGirl was too tired to go to 7-11. So the next challenge, figuring out how to make SuperPat's feet stay on the pedals of the exercise bike. Neither the rope or the bubble gum worked (the gum was an accident. How someone who rarely walks always manages to step in gum is a mystery to me).
That's all from SuperPat. SuperPat, powered by Slurpee.
Monday, September 20, 2010
What Faith can Do
Well, SuperGirl has a new favorite song. More about this later, but first the skinny. (or maybe the chunky in our case). Afterwork SuperPat and SuperGirl headed off for some superhero training a.k.a the gym. We will both be very sore tomorrow.
SuperGirl's workout -
a 30 minute walk with Bonnie at lunch. Tomorrow, socks so that I can wear sneakers. :)
a 10 minute cycling session
5 minutes on the elliptical - and that was only because SuperPat was threatening me if I got off.
1 hour of swimming
various lifting and pulling SuperPat around on and off equipment and in the pool (for the record, we almost fell back in today because SuperPat misunderstood that he was supposed to keep a hand on the rail).
10 minutes in the hot tub
SuperPat's workout
10 minutes on the upperbody cardio machine - looks like bike pedals but you use your arms
5 minutes on a machine with lots of elastic bands to pull different ways with your arms.
about 30 minutes of walking in the pool, more on this below.
1 minute on the treadmill!!!
Yes, SuperPat got on the treadmill and managed to walk for a minute. We had it on the lowest level, actual a half a level and we only had to stop it twice because it got away from him. The hardest part was getting him back off again. This is the first time that I am aware of that he has been on one since his accident. If it isn't the first time, for sure it is the first time with only a spotter on the side. He wanted to try the elliptical (and couldn't understand why I was laughing so hard about it) but I think we will need another person to help get him on for that one. Once he finally is able to get on and tries to use it, he will know why I was laughing. Much harder than it looks isn't it. :)
So in the pool, Pat walked in a pretty straight line from the 3 foot line to the 4 foot line. I am terrible at judging distances like that, but I think it was about 200 yards or so? Then we practised floating more and also the grapevine back and forth. I finally hit on the trick of having him put his feet on top of mine while I did it so that he could feel what it feels like and what muscles would need to be used. Then I made him do it a few times with my feet on top of his so that I tell if he was doing it right. Amazingly, he did really well with going left which has almost always been his problem and not as well with the right, but much, much better than he has ever done before. All in all, it was a pretty amazing workout. I think that the treadmill is going to really help him get an idea of what stride is like.
So now, about the song. My boss has been telling me about this really amazing song from a Christian group called Kutlass that have a song called "What Faith Can Do'. She even lent me a copy of her CD with the song on it, but I kept forgetting to take it home and listen to it. Once I did, I understood why she wanted Pat to listen to it so much. Since Mom's computer can't do music very well, I will post the words here and let you look up the song yourself to hear what it sounds like. I just think it epitomizes so well the struggles that SuperPat is going through.
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you're stronger
Stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason
For someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
SuperGirl's workout -
a 30 minute walk with Bonnie at lunch. Tomorrow, socks so that I can wear sneakers. :)
a 10 minute cycling session
5 minutes on the elliptical - and that was only because SuperPat was threatening me if I got off.
1 hour of swimming
various lifting and pulling SuperPat around on and off equipment and in the pool (for the record, we almost fell back in today because SuperPat misunderstood that he was supposed to keep a hand on the rail).
10 minutes in the hot tub
SuperPat's workout
10 minutes on the upperbody cardio machine - looks like bike pedals but you use your arms
5 minutes on a machine with lots of elastic bands to pull different ways with your arms.
about 30 minutes of walking in the pool, more on this below.
1 minute on the treadmill!!!
Yes, SuperPat got on the treadmill and managed to walk for a minute. We had it on the lowest level, actual a half a level and we only had to stop it twice because it got away from him. The hardest part was getting him back off again. This is the first time that I am aware of that he has been on one since his accident. If it isn't the first time, for sure it is the first time with only a spotter on the side. He wanted to try the elliptical (and couldn't understand why I was laughing so hard about it) but I think we will need another person to help get him on for that one. Once he finally is able to get on and tries to use it, he will know why I was laughing. Much harder than it looks isn't it. :)
So in the pool, Pat walked in a pretty straight line from the 3 foot line to the 4 foot line. I am terrible at judging distances like that, but I think it was about 200 yards or so? Then we practised floating more and also the grapevine back and forth. I finally hit on the trick of having him put his feet on top of mine while I did it so that he could feel what it feels like and what muscles would need to be used. Then I made him do it a few times with my feet on top of his so that I tell if he was doing it right. Amazingly, he did really well with going left which has almost always been his problem and not as well with the right, but much, much better than he has ever done before. All in all, it was a pretty amazing workout. I think that the treadmill is going to really help him get an idea of what stride is like.
So now, about the song. My boss has been telling me about this really amazing song from a Christian group called Kutlass that have a song called "What Faith Can Do'. She even lent me a copy of her CD with the song on it, but I kept forgetting to take it home and listen to it. Once I did, I understood why she wanted Pat to listen to it so much. Since Mom's computer can't do music very well, I will post the words here and let you look up the song yourself to hear what it sounds like. I just think it epitomizes so well the struggles that SuperPat is going through.
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes
And make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it's more than you can take
But you're stronger
Stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason
For someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Since our potential fire fiasco this morning, it turns out to be a good thing that Pat didn't walk into stake conference, but he did get his walking in on the way out. We stopped for several breaks along the way and entered into a bargain at our last break. Poor Pat didn't quite know what he was getting into because I had a revelation that the only way he is going to walk more is if walking becomes easier than being in the wheelchair since he always chooses what seems to be the easier way.
So the bargain was that if I pulled the van up the remaining few feet to where he was waiting, he would get himself into the car. The part that I didn't tell him was that he had to get himself and also his walker and wheelchair into the car. Keep in mind that he had already been walking for about a half an hour if you include the break times, so he was probably pretty tired. He got the everything in the car and didn't scuff the seat of his pants too much doing it. He first placed the walker into the car. Then got into the car but got back out into the sidewalk on his rear end. Then he took the wheelchair apart piece by piece and tossed it into the car. When that was done, he pulled himself back into the car. Sounds pretty easy when you type it, but he forbade me from telling how long it took. I will say that there were a few burns from the heat of the car door and he smashed his thumb between the chair and the cement. I know from personal experience just how much that hurts.
As we drove home I explained that we were going to have two choices about walking from then on. He is welcome to make the decision to use the wheelchair while we are out and about, but every time that he does, he will be required to get his own wheelchair in and out of the car. If he chooses to use the walker, he can walk into the store and use one of their chairs or I will follow behind him with his wheelchair so that he can have a few breaks along the way but no more easy road with the wheelchair. Needless to say, when we got home, he opted to use the walker to get into the house instead of the chair.
SuperPat's comments - "I am used to walking in the house every day. I am not used to walking from the chapel to the van, putting my walker in the van, dissassembling the wheelchair piece by piece and putting myself into the van but it wasn't over then. When I got home, my tennis ball from my outside walker rolled under the van so my wife went inside and got my other walker and brought it out to me. And then I started walking. I walked up the ramp into the house, walked past my therapy pole into the kitchen because I was so thirsty. I noticed that I was tired so instead of getting a drink, I turned a few times around in the kitechen and then went back to the dining room and collapsed on my chair, utterly exhausted. It was a lot of hard work and there is more to come. I know that I can't get out of the choices that my wife has offered me but I have to do it, and do it good. The choice of putting the wheelchair will take so much energy that it will be so much easier to use Plan B which is to just grab the walker and do it. To quote LL Cool Jay, Doin' it, Doin' it, Doin' it right."
SuperGirl's comments - Pat thought that I started the new choices because I was angry at him. I was able to explain that I am not angry, but just trying to help him progress. We have been talking a lot about choice and accountability and how what seems like is the easiest choice at first is not always the easiest as you go along so it is better to make a the right choice instead of the easy choice. That way when it gets tough, you don't want to give up just because it is hard because you know that you have right behind you.
Another goal that I have for Pat is that he start to tell people of his sucesses and failures instead of relying on me to always be his messenger. Deep down he feels like he is and should be punished for his past sins and the sins of his father and he sees the wheelchair as his atonement for those sins. So to admit that he is ready to lay all of it aside and move forward is a really big step. So far he has managed to avoid the consenquences of moving forward by not setting goals for himself. I think that mentally he figures that letting others set goals for him and acknowledge his accomplishments it is a way to cheat the system and to not have to feel guilty when he is trying to get out of the chair. That way he can always say that he wasn't trying to get out, everyone else just made him do it.
I am hoping that he is starting to realize with the help of his therapist that this is not punishment and that being baptized and doing the temple work for himself and his family has allowed the past to be changed. I know that he knows that all of his sins were forgiven but I am not sure he is ready to let some of these go, specifically the guilt and pain he feels for not being able to save his family when feels that he should have. How wonderful it is to know that what a great gift of forgivness he has also opened up for his father, if his father chooses to accept it and repent like Pat has. The only way that we can change is through Christ and also the only way that we can truly be healed. I am so grateful that his life was spared to bring that forgiveness not only to himself but to his family as well. Pat we all support you and love you, please don't give up.
SuperPat again - I would like to make a call to Darth Tator and The Spudmeister (sorry Spudmeister, SuperGirl was having a really hard time remembering your name, all she could think was Spudilicious, but we knew that wasn't it). Darth, TSM, and MamaSpud - I'M BRINGING IT so watch out because SuperPat is on the prowl. He is kicking tatoes and take names so unless you want to be deep fried and smothered with cheese, get off that couch.
So the bargain was that if I pulled the van up the remaining few feet to where he was waiting, he would get himself into the car. The part that I didn't tell him was that he had to get himself and also his walker and wheelchair into the car. Keep in mind that he had already been walking for about a half an hour if you include the break times, so he was probably pretty tired. He got the everything in the car and didn't scuff the seat of his pants too much doing it. He first placed the walker into the car. Then got into the car but got back out into the sidewalk on his rear end. Then he took the wheelchair apart piece by piece and tossed it into the car. When that was done, he pulled himself back into the car. Sounds pretty easy when you type it, but he forbade me from telling how long it took. I will say that there were a few burns from the heat of the car door and he smashed his thumb between the chair and the cement. I know from personal experience just how much that hurts.
As we drove home I explained that we were going to have two choices about walking from then on. He is welcome to make the decision to use the wheelchair while we are out and about, but every time that he does, he will be required to get his own wheelchair in and out of the car. If he chooses to use the walker, he can walk into the store and use one of their chairs or I will follow behind him with his wheelchair so that he can have a few breaks along the way but no more easy road with the wheelchair. Needless to say, when we got home, he opted to use the walker to get into the house instead of the chair.
SuperPat's comments - "I am used to walking in the house every day. I am not used to walking from the chapel to the van, putting my walker in the van, dissassembling the wheelchair piece by piece and putting myself into the van but it wasn't over then. When I got home, my tennis ball from my outside walker rolled under the van so my wife went inside and got my other walker and brought it out to me. And then I started walking. I walked up the ramp into the house, walked past my therapy pole into the kitchen because I was so thirsty. I noticed that I was tired so instead of getting a drink, I turned a few times around in the kitechen and then went back to the dining room and collapsed on my chair, utterly exhausted. It was a lot of hard work and there is more to come. I know that I can't get out of the choices that my wife has offered me but I have to do it, and do it good. The choice of putting the wheelchair will take so much energy that it will be so much easier to use Plan B which is to just grab the walker and do it. To quote LL Cool Jay, Doin' it, Doin' it, Doin' it right."
SuperGirl's comments - Pat thought that I started the new choices because I was angry at him. I was able to explain that I am not angry, but just trying to help him progress. We have been talking a lot about choice and accountability and how what seems like is the easiest choice at first is not always the easiest as you go along so it is better to make a the right choice instead of the easy choice. That way when it gets tough, you don't want to give up just because it is hard because you know that you have right behind you.
Another goal that I have for Pat is that he start to tell people of his sucesses and failures instead of relying on me to always be his messenger. Deep down he feels like he is and should be punished for his past sins and the sins of his father and he sees the wheelchair as his atonement for those sins. So to admit that he is ready to lay all of it aside and move forward is a really big step. So far he has managed to avoid the consenquences of moving forward by not setting goals for himself. I think that mentally he figures that letting others set goals for him and acknowledge his accomplishments it is a way to cheat the system and to not have to feel guilty when he is trying to get out of the chair. That way he can always say that he wasn't trying to get out, everyone else just made him do it.
I am hoping that he is starting to realize with the help of his therapist that this is not punishment and that being baptized and doing the temple work for himself and his family has allowed the past to be changed. I know that he knows that all of his sins were forgiven but I am not sure he is ready to let some of these go, specifically the guilt and pain he feels for not being able to save his family when feels that he should have. How wonderful it is to know that what a great gift of forgivness he has also opened up for his father, if his father chooses to accept it and repent like Pat has. The only way that we can change is through Christ and also the only way that we can truly be healed. I am so grateful that his life was spared to bring that forgiveness not only to himself but to his family as well. Pat we all support you and love you, please don't give up.
SuperPat again - I would like to make a call to Darth Tator and The Spudmeister (sorry Spudmeister, SuperGirl was having a really hard time remembering your name, all she could think was Spudilicious, but we knew that wasn't it). Darth, TSM, and MamaSpud - I'M BRINGING IT so watch out because SuperPat is on the prowl. He is kicking tatoes and take names so unless you want to be deep fried and smothered with cheese, get off that couch.
Fire anyone?
Well, SuperGirl is ashamed to admit that she had a very close call this morning. I had started a pot of water boiling so that I could get my heating pad ready to use later and then gotten into the shower. The next time I remembered the water and heating pad was a few moments before Stake Conference started. After quickly whispering to Pat to ask him if he had remembered and turned the stove off, I had to race home to rescue my kitchen. I know it was the spirit prompting me to remember because it was a very urgent and random thought. All the way home I was trying to sniff the air to see if I could smell smoke, scanning the sky for flames, and praying that our house would not burn down. All I could think about was how we had left the dogs in our bedroom and they wouldn't be able to get out. As I opened the front door, I heard a loud popping and saw some plasticky smelling smoke. When I went into the kitched, I saw that my heating pad had exploded and was burned to the bottom of the pan, but no actual flames yet. I think we were seconds away from that though. Thank heavens we had left most of the house windows open so that a lot of the toxic plastic melting smoke had drifted outside. I spent a few minutes fanning the door to clean the rest out and then went back to church. I missed the first 30 minutes of stake conference, but our house was safe!
Now for the second kitchen related fun of the day. For lunch, I made chicken enchilladas with fresh corn salsa, asparagus spears and banana bread. I had the enchilladas almost assembled and was pre-heating the oven. I started to smell an unusual smell and kept thinking that I had smelled it before but couldn't for the life of me remember where. The warmer the kitchen got, the stronger the smell. For a moment I thought that it was my escapade from the morning that was causing the smell, but it seemed different than the smell that I had smelled earlier. Then all of the sudden, I realized what it was. I remembered two distinct moments in my life. The first was an eventful Thanksgiving at a cousin's house when they decided to clean their oven prior to cooking the turkey and the smell forced us to evacuate the house for much longer than normally necessary. The second memory was a time I was trying to make bread early in our marriage and reached for the cooking spray to oil my pan. Unsuspectingly, I had reached for the oven cleaner instead of the cooking spray and was just about to drop the first spoonful into the pan when I realized the switch that Pat had made on me. For those of you who are rolling on the floor laughing at the mental image this picture makes, oven cleaner does not come out of pans easily, it is similar to spraying it with WD40.
Yup, you guessed it. As part of the weekly cleaning, Pat and his auntie had sprayed the oven with cooking spray and then Pat had "forgotten" to go back and wipe it out. So before I could cook anything, I had to wait for the oven to cool off again, and then Pat had to wipe out the cleaning solution. The second time I preheated the oven, it smelled much better. Our enchillada lunch turned into an enchillada supper by the time we were done. But very delicious, especially the salsa and the asparagus that I grilled on the side. Pat was enjoying his first helping so much that he forgot to hold onto his plate and the dogs got to have a nice taste as well. And he wonders why they always sit at his feet while he is eating instead of mine. :)
Now for the second kitchen related fun of the day. For lunch, I made chicken enchilladas with fresh corn salsa, asparagus spears and banana bread. I had the enchilladas almost assembled and was pre-heating the oven. I started to smell an unusual smell and kept thinking that I had smelled it before but couldn't for the life of me remember where. The warmer the kitchen got, the stronger the smell. For a moment I thought that it was my escapade from the morning that was causing the smell, but it seemed different than the smell that I had smelled earlier. Then all of the sudden, I realized what it was. I remembered two distinct moments in my life. The first was an eventful Thanksgiving at a cousin's house when they decided to clean their oven prior to cooking the turkey and the smell forced us to evacuate the house for much longer than normally necessary. The second memory was a time I was trying to make bread early in our marriage and reached for the cooking spray to oil my pan. Unsuspectingly, I had reached for the oven cleaner instead of the cooking spray and was just about to drop the first spoonful into the pan when I realized the switch that Pat had made on me. For those of you who are rolling on the floor laughing at the mental image this picture makes, oven cleaner does not come out of pans easily, it is similar to spraying it with WD40.
Yup, you guessed it. As part of the weekly cleaning, Pat and his auntie had sprayed the oven with cooking spray and then Pat had "forgotten" to go back and wipe it out. So before I could cook anything, I had to wait for the oven to cool off again, and then Pat had to wipe out the cleaning solution. The second time I preheated the oven, it smelled much better. Our enchillada lunch turned into an enchillada supper by the time we were done. But very delicious, especially the salsa and the asparagus that I grilled on the side. Pat was enjoying his first helping so much that he forgot to hold onto his plate and the dogs got to have a nice taste as well. And he wonders why they always sit at his feet while he is eating instead of mine. :)
Saturday swimming
We finally made it to the pool and it felt SOOOO good. We were both so relaxed and happy when we got out. The downside, we weren't aware that the pool closes at 6 on Saturdays so when we got there at 5:30, we didn't get much water time.
So how did our handsome hero do? Awesome!!! When we got into the water, we really concentrated on having Pat try not to panic and learn to do the back float so that if he starts to go under, he knows how to save himself and can feel a lot more control about the situation. He did swallow a lot of water, but he did so great. He still gets a little panicked, but nothing like he did before and when he does get scared, he just takes a deep breath and starts to float. Btw, I think he is learning to love floating, I may have a hard time getting to do much else. Good thing the pool is open until 11 the other nights. :) I think he just feels so empowered and so much more confident now.
Also, we purchased some necessities, like some great workout wear, a gym bag, and water bottle. I am hoping that it will do the same thing that my purple lunch bag does for me. Since I got the lunch bag, I haven't skipped lunch once. Yeah for me!
I think that I also figured out why he likes swimming so much now that he is less scared about it. It is the one sport that he has tried that doesn't have any unpleasant memories of his father trying to push him so hard. There is no fear of verbal and emotional abuse if he doesn't do as well as he should, and since there is no winning or losing; he doesn't have to think about how he used to get beaten when he lost. I feel so much sorrow at the loss of innocence he suffered but so grateful that he has a chance to change his family's history going forward. I am so proud of Pat and all that he has been able to accomplish and all that he will accomplish going forward.
Pat's comment on the swimming "I enjoyed it. It was a new start, a fresh start, and the beginning of a new dawn. I tackled it and I did well. So onward and upward!
(SuperGirl is very proud of Pat for admitting he did well, also a very large step forward. He doesn't like to admit or acknowledge his progress, he prefers that I report it).
So how did our handsome hero do? Awesome!!! When we got into the water, we really concentrated on having Pat try not to panic and learn to do the back float so that if he starts to go under, he knows how to save himself and can feel a lot more control about the situation. He did swallow a lot of water, but he did so great. He still gets a little panicked, but nothing like he did before and when he does get scared, he just takes a deep breath and starts to float. Btw, I think he is learning to love floating, I may have a hard time getting to do much else. Good thing the pool is open until 11 the other nights. :) I think he just feels so empowered and so much more confident now.
Also, we purchased some necessities, like some great workout wear, a gym bag, and water bottle. I am hoping that it will do the same thing that my purple lunch bag does for me. Since I got the lunch bag, I haven't skipped lunch once. Yeah for me!
I think that I also figured out why he likes swimming so much now that he is less scared about it. It is the one sport that he has tried that doesn't have any unpleasant memories of his father trying to push him so hard. There is no fear of verbal and emotional abuse if he doesn't do as well as he should, and since there is no winning or losing; he doesn't have to think about how he used to get beaten when he lost. I feel so much sorrow at the loss of innocence he suffered but so grateful that he has a chance to change his family's history going forward. I am so proud of Pat and all that he has been able to accomplish and all that he will accomplish going forward.
Pat's comment on the swimming "I enjoyed it. It was a new start, a fresh start, and the beginning of a new dawn. I tackled it and I did well. So onward and upward!
(SuperGirl is very proud of Pat for admitting he did well, also a very large step forward. He doesn't like to admit or acknowledge his progress, he prefers that I report it).
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A grand gesture
SuperPat wants to report that he did his situps and push ups and about half of the walks today, although he did not try to walk with water. He had to go to the Social Security office and order a duplicate card as his has gone missing somehow... Anyone who has ever had to go to the SSA office knows that it is usually a patience testing, full day ordeal. But he survived.
SuperPat and SuperGirl have had a very busy evening. After SuperGirl got into a heated debate over the benefits of eating organic and chemical free (yes SuperGirl has come over to the granola side, must be all the time spent in Boulder as a missionary), it was time to hit Sprouts for some delicious deals. Can't wait for chicken enchilladas & rock asparagus tomorrow night. SuperPat was won over by some chocolate covered cinnamon bears.
Then it was time for the grand gesture. SuperGirl has been pushing SuperPat to commit to swimming several times a week in the evening but this is rather difficult as the FunPlex pool is only open from 7:45 - 8:45 in the evening. We considered outdoor pools, but it is getting rather chilly. SuperGirl had visited all of the indoor pools in town (or so she thought) and discovered that they were either not open in the evening, substandard in their cleaning and features, or both. It has been very disappointing to say the least. But thanks to a very hot tip from Pat's therapist, we decided to take a tour at the conditioning spa. This is where Pat used to take Tae Kwon Do as a child so he knew about it but he was keeping mum on the subject. 20 minutes later, we had signed up for our first ever couples gym membership. The minimum committment is 1 year at $65 a month, but after viewing everything including the pool, saunas, hot tubs, etc. we felt like it was a good way to show our commitment to better health. SuperGirl really loves that SuperPat will be able to go whenever he chooses and the on staff trainers will help him on and off of the equipment so if he chooses, he could go during the day also. Plus it opens at 5 am so SuperGirl may take an early morning yoga or spinning class, we will see. And it if is too much to get up early, it is open until 11 pm most evenings. I wanted Pat to see how important this is to us and to see the committment we were making, so I paid for a year in advance, plus they threw in an extra month for free, so that was nice.
So the commitment is...
- a 30 minute family walk every evening, dogs included.
- a trip to the gym at least 3 times a week
- two of those times must include some swimming
I think we can make 100%, but even if we don't we are not giving up. Each day is a new chance for 100%.
SuperPat and SuperGirl have had a very busy evening. After SuperGirl got into a heated debate over the benefits of eating organic and chemical free (yes SuperGirl has come over to the granola side, must be all the time spent in Boulder as a missionary), it was time to hit Sprouts for some delicious deals. Can't wait for chicken enchilladas & rock asparagus tomorrow night. SuperPat was won over by some chocolate covered cinnamon bears.
Then it was time for the grand gesture. SuperGirl has been pushing SuperPat to commit to swimming several times a week in the evening but this is rather difficult as the FunPlex pool is only open from 7:45 - 8:45 in the evening. We considered outdoor pools, but it is getting rather chilly. SuperGirl had visited all of the indoor pools in town (or so she thought) and discovered that they were either not open in the evening, substandard in their cleaning and features, or both. It has been very disappointing to say the least. But thanks to a very hot tip from Pat's therapist, we decided to take a tour at the conditioning spa. This is where Pat used to take Tae Kwon Do as a child so he knew about it but he was keeping mum on the subject. 20 minutes later, we had signed up for our first ever couples gym membership. The minimum committment is 1 year at $65 a month, but after viewing everything including the pool, saunas, hot tubs, etc. we felt like it was a good way to show our commitment to better health. SuperGirl really loves that SuperPat will be able to go whenever he chooses and the on staff trainers will help him on and off of the equipment so if he chooses, he could go during the day also. Plus it opens at 5 am so SuperGirl may take an early morning yoga or spinning class, we will see. And it if is too much to get up early, it is open until 11 pm most evenings. I wanted Pat to see how important this is to us and to see the committment we were making, so I paid for a year in advance, plus they threw in an extra month for free, so that was nice.
So the commitment is...
- a 30 minute family walk every evening, dogs included.
- a trip to the gym at least 3 times a week
- two of those times must include some swimming
I think we can make 100%, but even if we don't we are not giving up. Each day is a new chance for 100%.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hump Day
Well, we have been doing pretty good on our goals. Hershey and SuperGirl took a nice long walk today, Hershey only tried to run off with one jogger. The jogger didn't look like he would enjoy the experience so I quickly reined Hershey in. SuperPat and Buster were supposed to be joining us on the walk, but they did not. We walked about 2 miles, SuperPat and Buster walked a different direction, so I am not sure how far they went.
I do have to report that SuperPat made it three fourths of the way to the pole with the water!!! yeah, that is a big improvement.
We also had some really great breakthroughs in therapy tonight. Pat was talking about his fear of water/drowning and his therapist explained that it is probably a panic attack brought on by the thought/fear of suffocation and most likely is related to the feeling of not being able to breath with the carbon monoxide poisioning. Pat also admitted that he has been viewing his walking and exercising with the all or nothing approach. That is, if you mess up once, or miss a day, you might as well throw the whole program out the window because you have failed. Sounds like a pretty common approach to dieting...
Anyway, SuperGirl's main goal for this week is to show her love for SuperPat by emulating Ray Charles's mother. SuperPat is very against this approach. The best way to describe it is to say that she taught him how to fish instead of catching fish for him. Sadly, SuperGirl often gets roped into Pat's get help quick (very similar to get rich quick but with better rewards) schemes and finds herself doing a lot of things that SuperPat could/should be doing for himself. Hmm, I bet I could work this into one of the YW value projects, guess I better do some research.
SuperPat says "To all my peeps, this is only the beginning, I still have a long way to go to even come close to vanquishing the krytonite forever. I am here waiting for my daily contact. I like phone calls, drive bys, or e-mails. I love all of you guys with all my heart, I will not let you down."
SuperGirl's final word: When SuperPat is able to carry the cup of water to the pole and demonstrate in front of an audience, homemade rootbeer floats at our house for anyone who wants to celebrate.
I do have to report that SuperPat made it three fourths of the way to the pole with the water!!! yeah, that is a big improvement.
We also had some really great breakthroughs in therapy tonight. Pat was talking about his fear of water/drowning and his therapist explained that it is probably a panic attack brought on by the thought/fear of suffocation and most likely is related to the feeling of not being able to breath with the carbon monoxide poisioning. Pat also admitted that he has been viewing his walking and exercising with the all or nothing approach. That is, if you mess up once, or miss a day, you might as well throw the whole program out the window because you have failed. Sounds like a pretty common approach to dieting...
Anyway, SuperGirl's main goal for this week is to show her love for SuperPat by emulating Ray Charles's mother. SuperPat is very against this approach. The best way to describe it is to say that she taught him how to fish instead of catching fish for him. Sadly, SuperGirl often gets roped into Pat's get help quick (very similar to get rich quick but with better rewards) schemes and finds herself doing a lot of things that SuperPat could/should be doing for himself. Hmm, I bet I could work this into one of the YW value projects, guess I better do some research.
SuperPat says "To all my peeps, this is only the beginning, I still have a long way to go to even come close to vanquishing the krytonite forever. I am here waiting for my daily contact. I like phone calls, drive bys, or e-mails. I love all of you guys with all my heart, I will not let you down."
SuperGirl's final word: When SuperPat is able to carry the cup of water to the pole and demonstrate in front of an audience, homemade rootbeer floats at our house for anyone who wants to celebrate.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
How did we do?
Well, for Monday SuperPat is the winner!
Here's a quick recap Superman stretches 6 1/2 times Well SuperPat couldn't figure out how to do a half a stretch so he did 7. Carry a half cup of water from the kitchen to the pole in the dining room - he got the cup halfway and then he dropped it. For those that are wondering, yes, he left the cup laying on the floor for the cleanup ghost to pick up. 30 push ups - SuperPat says he did 35. I did not ask about his form, 30 sit ups - just 30, he did the situps first so he couldn't do any extra. He says that he was too sore to get out of bed on Tuesday... 15 walks - he says he did them all in an hour and a half. He says that his stamina needs some work. DarthTator, care to comment on the fact that he claims to have done 15 walks in the short time he did?
SuperPat is the victor but he claims to have been in too much pain to do anything today. He says that his abs felt like Darth Tator is playing tug of war with Captain Chaos. (Joel - you are Captain Chaos). Daniel - Pat wants to call you Dirty Dan, so I suggest you pick a better name quick!
Now for SuperGirl's progress. No walk on Monday evening, but I got a great run in the morning when I had to chase the dogs back into the fenced area. Thank heaven for neighbors who are understanding and help me run them down. Since they have learned to work as a team when hooked up with the double leash, it is only forward and faster. They seem to think it is a race and don't realize that there will never be a winner when they are hooked together. I packed lunch both days - apparently a lunch bag was exactly what I needed. Who knew. Maybe SuperPat needs a spiffy backpack... Hmm will have to think about that one. I was in bed and the lights were off by 11, but SuperPat did not have the T.V. off. Earplugs only do so much for that. Melatonin anyone? I did not work out with WiiFit on Monday night, but Tuesday is not over yet and I will, after Young Women's.
Goals for tomorrow:
Samething as Monday just a little bit faster and a little bit better.
Here's a quick recap Superman stretches 6 1/2 times Well SuperPat couldn't figure out how to do a half a stretch so he did 7. Carry a half cup of water from the kitchen to the pole in the dining room - he got the cup halfway and then he dropped it. For those that are wondering, yes, he left the cup laying on the floor for the cleanup ghost to pick up. 30 push ups - SuperPat says he did 35. I did not ask about his form, 30 sit ups - just 30, he did the situps first so he couldn't do any extra. He says that he was too sore to get out of bed on Tuesday... 15 walks - he says he did them all in an hour and a half. He says that his stamina needs some work. DarthTator, care to comment on the fact that he claims to have done 15 walks in the short time he did?
SuperPat is the victor but he claims to have been in too much pain to do anything today. He says that his abs felt like Darth Tator is playing tug of war with Captain Chaos. (Joel - you are Captain Chaos). Daniel - Pat wants to call you Dirty Dan, so I suggest you pick a better name quick!
Now for SuperGirl's progress. No walk on Monday evening, but I got a great run in the morning when I had to chase the dogs back into the fenced area. Thank heaven for neighbors who are understanding and help me run them down. Since they have learned to work as a team when hooked up with the double leash, it is only forward and faster. They seem to think it is a race and don't realize that there will never be a winner when they are hooked together. I packed lunch both days - apparently a lunch bag was exactly what I needed. Who knew. Maybe SuperPat needs a spiffy backpack... Hmm will have to think about that one. I was in bed and the lights were off by 11, but SuperPat did not have the T.V. off. Earplugs only do so much for that. Melatonin anyone? I did not work out with WiiFit on Monday night, but Tuesday is not over yet and I will, after Young Women's.
Goals for tomorrow:
Samething as Monday just a little bit faster and a little bit better.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
A new beginning
Well in honor of the new start, we have gone with a new design. Hope you like it. SuperGirl and SuperPat were so touched at all the love and concern that everyone shows. You guys are just the greatest. I just want to go on the record saying that the last three nights have been Pat's turn to chase Buster. I have gone to bed with him shouting "Buster come home buddy" every night. While it is nice that I am not the chaser, it is time for a change.
So SuperGirl has challenged SuperPat to take her on a daily 30 minute walk and she is going with or without him. SuperPat thinks it is hillarious that I keep a pair of running shoes in the car, but you never know when the mood is going to strike you. And mom, for the record, running/walking is a great stress reliever when you are angry about something. I'm just saying... wait I don't think you ever get angry about anything, so I guess it is left for us hot-headed types.
SuperPat's goals for tomorrow:
Superman stretches 6 1/2 times (SuperGirl wants to know how you do half of a stretch)
Carry a half cup of water from the kitchen to the pole in the dining room
30 push ups
30 sit ups
15 walks
My he is ambitious!!!
SuperGirl's goals:
Run at least 10 minutes during the 30 minute walk
Eat lunch, spiffy new purple lunch bag should help that
Get to bed with the lights out and tv off by 11
Work out on with Wii Fit - SuperPat is not allowed to laugh when Wii Fit chews me out for missing a few days. Or when it makes that funny sighing noise when I hop on like it is disappointed in me for not being in better shape.
Lofty goals for both of us, Let the best man (or woman) win.
So SuperGirl has challenged SuperPat to take her on a daily 30 minute walk and she is going with or without him. SuperPat thinks it is hillarious that I keep a pair of running shoes in the car, but you never know when the mood is going to strike you. And mom, for the record, running/walking is a great stress reliever when you are angry about something. I'm just saying... wait I don't think you ever get angry about anything, so I guess it is left for us hot-headed types.
SuperPat's goals for tomorrow:
Superman stretches 6 1/2 times (SuperGirl wants to know how you do half of a stretch)
Carry a half cup of water from the kitchen to the pole in the dining room
30 push ups
30 sit ups
15 walks
My he is ambitious!!!
SuperGirl's goals:
Run at least 10 minutes during the 30 minute walk
Eat lunch, spiffy new purple lunch bag should help that
Get to bed with the lights out and tv off by 11
Work out on with Wii Fit - SuperPat is not allowed to laugh when Wii Fit chews me out for missing a few days. Or when it makes that funny sighing noise when I hop on like it is disappointed in me for not being in better shape.
Lofty goals for both of us, Let the best man (or woman) win.
Digging myself out
I've been in quite a funk lately. life has been throwing me some kryptonite in a odd form. My kryptonite is being stuck in the past. As a superhero it's the hardest thing to let go of. The things of my past that is. There are several good things that I have lived through. Everyone knows where there is good, the bad can still creep up on you. Even us superheros are not perfect. We need help too!
So what you can do to help me is Think of me and then go out and something for some one thgat needs help in one way or another. But to help me just call me let me know you are there, then come and see me. I would love to take a walk with you but you might have to be the one to ask me.
So what you can do to help me is Think of me and then go out and something for some one thgat needs help in one way or another. But to help me just call me let me know you are there, then come and see me. I would love to take a walk with you but you might have to be the one to ask me.
Monday, September 6, 2010
The "Pat" Signal
Some of you may be wondering why SuperPat has been so quiet in the last few days. When it has been pretty dark and dismal in our superhero's world. I am very sad to report that our hero has been sucumbing to his own personal kryptonite of inactivity and self doubt. You see, SuperPat's sidekick SuperGirl has issued an ultimatum to SuperPat. She told him that she was tired of always being the one to spur SuperPat to action and felt like she couldn't carry on any further without at least a small sign that SuperPat wanted to leave his wheelchair prison behind. It seems that SuperPat's true desires have been exposed as in the last two weeks, there has not been even a small spark to indicate that SuperPat is ready to act on the world instead of being acted upon. And in fact, when SuperGirl looks back, she is unable to find a single sign ever that SuperPat wants to walk more than she wants him to.
As the world looks on in sadness and dispair, it seems that all hope may be lost for our handsome hero. Without any desire of his own to spur him on, it seems pointless for SuperGirl to continue her lonely crusade to show SuperPat a better life. So SuperGirl has decided to throw out one last signal into the night, and no, it is not in the shape of a bat. :) If anyone, anywhere is interested in seeing Pat walk; please let him know it. He needs people to help him by checking in with him every day, people who are willing to come and take him for walks, and words of encouragement and support from everyone who loves him.
Let's help SuperPat see that there is a more excellent way to live...
As the world looks on in sadness and dispair, it seems that all hope may be lost for our handsome hero. Without any desire of his own to spur him on, it seems pointless for SuperGirl to continue her lonely crusade to show SuperPat a better life. So SuperGirl has decided to throw out one last signal into the night, and no, it is not in the shape of a bat. :) If anyone, anywhere is interested in seeing Pat walk; please let him know it. He needs people to help him by checking in with him every day, people who are willing to come and take him for walks, and words of encouragement and support from everyone who loves him.
Let's help SuperPat see that there is a more excellent way to live...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Wanted dead or alive, two runaways rascals
Well, clearly the dogs have not made the new dog area their home. Note to self, install a lock on the inside of the fence as well as the outside. I guess it is my fault for thinking for a second that I liked dogs and that I should be a responsible pet owner and try to play with them. As it was getting dark, I went out back to try to play with them. They played with me for half a second, then Hershey being the pig head that he is, he thought, Hmmm, I wonder what happens when I headbutt the gate. Yup, you guessed it, they smelled freedom and ran for their lives. After running a couple of blocks, I decided to go back and get some shoes. Hershey remembered the A/C and raced me home. Yup, he beat me. Since I didn't have a clue where Buster had gone I thought that maybe Hershey could help me track him down. So I clipped Hershey to the two dog leash and off we went. After we had run about a half a mile (in the wrong direction), I glanced behind me and saw Buster.... behind me. So we turned around and ran the half a mile back plus a bunch extra. Everytime I got close enough to grab Buster, Hershey would start to snarl and try to wrestle with him. Buster didn't like it so much, so he ran off again. As tempting as it was to just turn around and leave him, I was afraid he would do something dumb like try to find his previous family who are now in Hawaii or run into the street and get ran over. I finally got mad enough that Hershey and I stormed home. I am fairly certain that I ran about 2 miles tonight, boy am I tired now.
I bet you can guess what happened next. I left the door open for a few minutes to see if Buster would find his way home (I don't think he really likes us much though, so I wasn't really sure if he would come back on his own). After deciding that too many bugs were getting in, I shut the door. A few seconds later I went back to open the door and check one last time and Buster streaked in like everything was just fine and he didn't have a care in the world.
No sooner than I sat down to blog, and Pat and the EQ president came in and I had to grab the dogs quickly before they ran again. Oh the life of a pet owner. Pat, I am going on record now, when they die, that's it. NO MORE. :)
While I am ranting about dogs, here are some things that my dogs have taught each other. Why oh why can't they teach each other good habits instead of bad? I guess that is just asking to much. Anyway:
1 - Buster has taught Hershey to drink from the toilet. As soon as I stop gagging, I am going to make a sign to glue to the toilet seat to remind Pat that it must be closed every time.
2 - Hershey has taught Buster to grab any food that even looks like it might hit the floor, and with Pat, that can be a lot. Pat has lost his food to the dogs many times because he has left it on his lap.
3 - Buster has taught Hershey that it is okay not to have a bladder of steele and you can always use the excuse that you just couldn't wait. I don't think I need to elaborate more
4 - Hershey has taught Buster to bolt for the door, any door, the second it is opened.
5 - Hershey has taught Buster to wrestle, this might not sound like a bad thing, but see above when you are trying to catch them both at the same time.
We have also learned that Hershey is insanely jealous. I already suspected that because when I try to pay attention to Pat, he always tries to get in the middle. Why he likes me so much more than Pat, I'll never know. The feeling definately is not mutual. On the plus side, Hershey is learning to shake paws because Buster always gets praised for doing this. He won't do it on his own, but if Buster is doing it, Hershey will.
But as much as I like or dislike them, at the end of the day, they can bring a smile to Pat's face like nothing else, so I guess I will keep them.
I bet you can guess what happened next. I left the door open for a few minutes to see if Buster would find his way home (I don't think he really likes us much though, so I wasn't really sure if he would come back on his own). After deciding that too many bugs were getting in, I shut the door. A few seconds later I went back to open the door and check one last time and Buster streaked in like everything was just fine and he didn't have a care in the world.
No sooner than I sat down to blog, and Pat and the EQ president came in and I had to grab the dogs quickly before they ran again. Oh the life of a pet owner. Pat, I am going on record now, when they die, that's it. NO MORE. :)
While I am ranting about dogs, here are some things that my dogs have taught each other. Why oh why can't they teach each other good habits instead of bad? I guess that is just asking to much. Anyway:
1 - Buster has taught Hershey to drink from the toilet. As soon as I stop gagging, I am going to make a sign to glue to the toilet seat to remind Pat that it must be closed every time.
2 - Hershey has taught Buster to grab any food that even looks like it might hit the floor, and with Pat, that can be a lot. Pat has lost his food to the dogs many times because he has left it on his lap.
3 - Buster has taught Hershey that it is okay not to have a bladder of steele and you can always use the excuse that you just couldn't wait. I don't think I need to elaborate more
4 - Hershey has taught Buster to bolt for the door, any door, the second it is opened.
5 - Hershey has taught Buster to wrestle, this might not sound like a bad thing, but see above when you are trying to catch them both at the same time.
We have also learned that Hershey is insanely jealous. I already suspected that because when I try to pay attention to Pat, he always tries to get in the middle. Why he likes me so much more than Pat, I'll never know. The feeling definately is not mutual. On the plus side, Hershey is learning to shake paws because Buster always gets praised for doing this. He won't do it on his own, but if Buster is doing it, Hershey will.
But as much as I like or dislike them, at the end of the day, they can bring a smile to Pat's face like nothing else, so I guess I will keep them.
Always running, never catching up
Wow a lot has happened in the past few days. We are the proud owners of a newly fenced in dog area, the dogs have mixed feelings about it (more on this in a moment). Pat has come to grips with some feelings and events from the past in a way that neither of us thought possible. I am not at liberty to disclose anything, but I know that he needs the support of strong friends and family more than ever now. He is currently at an Elders Quorom swim party, he made homemade root beer, let's see if he comes home with a tummy ache. He says he plans on drinking at least one of the gallons in the 5 gallon cooler. Hope all that rootbeer doesn't make him sink... He made me send his walker and his wheelchair with him, I would take bets on which one he is using, but anyone who knows him knows that he is most likely either using the wheelchair or having the members of the Elders Quorum carry him over their shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
I am enjoying some much needed quiet time to myself. It is so rare that I get an hour completely to myself. I have spent it attempting to find a couple of things that we need online and watching an old black and white movie. Pat hates them, so I try not to watch them too much when he is around. Pretty soon I am going to go out and run a few errands like grocery shopping. Sigh, my least favorite chore.
The dogs are out in the back getting accustomed to their new home. Last night was the first time that we took them out there, and they seemed to love it. Of course it was about 75 and the sun was down, so it made a big difference. When we put them back there, Hershey just ran around and around as fast as he could. Buster also ran around, but he kept getting scared when Hershey jumped over him like a horse jumping over a stile. They started to wrestle and play and thoroughly enjoy themselves. When I tried to put their leashes on to take them back inside, Hershey was willing and I was able to get his leash on. When I turned around to get Buster, who has been an outside dog most of his life, he was lying on his back in the grass with all four paws up in the air. He looked like a king lying on a large comfortable bed and it took several tries to get him up. He kept trying to crawl on his belly to avoid going inside.
Today is a slightly different story... I put them back there around noon as we are trying to work them into things. I must say that it is about 95 degrees outside. They have shade and water, but not quite the comfort they are used to. Pat and I left to run a few errands and when Hershey heard the car pull up, he started to frantically bark to let us know that he was still back there. I decided to go run the hose on them to see if I could get him to stop barking. The second the gate was open, they both bolted past me and I was the one who got soaked with the hose, trying to stop them. By the time I had gotten back around to the front of the house, they had bolted insde and were both laying in front of the air conditioning in the living room. While I appreciated the point they were trying to make, I love the peace and quiet too much to let them stay. It took several attempts to get their leashes on and the entire trip to the backyard they were both doing their best to drag me back inside. I might not be very strong, but I am a lot more stubborn than two teenage dogs, even if they are stronger. They made several escape attempts as I shut them back inside the gate, but since I knew their plan, their attempts were foiled.
When the EQ president came to pick up Pat, they started barking again, so I went after them with the hose once more. This time I started the water raining in before I opened the gate, so we had a few quick moments that closely resembled a childhood family game called "running through the sprinklers since we can't afford a pool", but with more amusement on my part than theirs. I figured that the water would help them cool down a bit, so I sprayed them a lot more than I normally would. Since then, it has been blissfully silent from the back. I hope that doesn't mean that they are trying to dig their way out or like they did with the chain link dog run, chew their way out.
Why again did I get a dog? Oh yeah, because I love Pat and Pat loves dogs. I guess there is nothing more to say. :)
I am enjoying some much needed quiet time to myself. It is so rare that I get an hour completely to myself. I have spent it attempting to find a couple of things that we need online and watching an old black and white movie. Pat hates them, so I try not to watch them too much when he is around. Pretty soon I am going to go out and run a few errands like grocery shopping. Sigh, my least favorite chore.
The dogs are out in the back getting accustomed to their new home. Last night was the first time that we took them out there, and they seemed to love it. Of course it was about 75 and the sun was down, so it made a big difference. When we put them back there, Hershey just ran around and around as fast as he could. Buster also ran around, but he kept getting scared when Hershey jumped over him like a horse jumping over a stile. They started to wrestle and play and thoroughly enjoy themselves. When I tried to put their leashes on to take them back inside, Hershey was willing and I was able to get his leash on. When I turned around to get Buster, who has been an outside dog most of his life, he was lying on his back in the grass with all four paws up in the air. He looked like a king lying on a large comfortable bed and it took several tries to get him up. He kept trying to crawl on his belly to avoid going inside.
Today is a slightly different story... I put them back there around noon as we are trying to work them into things. I must say that it is about 95 degrees outside. They have shade and water, but not quite the comfort they are used to. Pat and I left to run a few errands and when Hershey heard the car pull up, he started to frantically bark to let us know that he was still back there. I decided to go run the hose on them to see if I could get him to stop barking. The second the gate was open, they both bolted past me and I was the one who got soaked with the hose, trying to stop them. By the time I had gotten back around to the front of the house, they had bolted insde and were both laying in front of the air conditioning in the living room. While I appreciated the point they were trying to make, I love the peace and quiet too much to let them stay. It took several attempts to get their leashes on and the entire trip to the backyard they were both doing their best to drag me back inside. I might not be very strong, but I am a lot more stubborn than two teenage dogs, even if they are stronger. They made several escape attempts as I shut them back inside the gate, but since I knew their plan, their attempts were foiled.
When the EQ president came to pick up Pat, they started barking again, so I went after them with the hose once more. This time I started the water raining in before I opened the gate, so we had a few quick moments that closely resembled a childhood family game called "running through the sprinklers since we can't afford a pool", but with more amusement on my part than theirs. I figured that the water would help them cool down a bit, so I sprayed them a lot more than I normally would. Since then, it has been blissfully silent from the back. I hope that doesn't mean that they are trying to dig their way out or like they did with the chain link dog run, chew their way out.
Why again did I get a dog? Oh yeah, because I love Pat and Pat loves dogs. I guess there is nothing more to say. :)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Rainy days and Mondays
When I came home today, I got ths shock of my life. For a moment, I thought I had walked into the wrong house. Not only did Buster have a spa day, but my husband had managed to get the living room, bathroom, and part of the kitchen cleaned. I really didn't recognize the living room for a moment. His aunt and uncle came over to give Buster a bath and haircut and decided to help Pat surprise me. Not only did they clean up, but they did some rearranging of the furniture and it looks great. The best part of the day was hearing Pat talk about how tired he is now and how different it feels to be in a clean house. Now if we can only build on this momentum... I guess we will see how he does while I am at YW tomorrow night. I am still pretty speechless about the whole thing. I offered to take some pictures so that Pat could "remember" what it is supposed to look like all the time, but Pat declined. Pat wants the world to know that he finally met his housecleaning goal. If Pat didn't get upset by the bald comparison, I would start calling him Mr. Clean.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20ish walks
*walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 10 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he begs for mercy
* working on sitting without plopping, throwing himself on the chair, or missing the chair
* making the home look like a castle (or at least the rooms he missed today)
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20ish walks
*walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 10 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he begs for mercy
* working on sitting without plopping, throwing himself on the chair, or missing the chair
* making the home look like a castle (or at least the rooms he missed today)
Two altos, a tenor, and a bass
This morning I woke up to the very interesting sound of our dogs singing a song. I don't know why, but I think SuperPat was doing something. I can't say that I have ever woken up that way before, or that I really want to ever again. We would not make a very good choir, because we only have two altos, a tenor, and a bass. Guess we will have to get working on that. :)
Pat did a great job with his walking at church today, I felt kind of bad because he had to do an extra lap around the church. I was sustained in my new calling but I won't be set apart until next week. I bet Pat wishes we had figured that out before he walked all the way up to the Bishop's office. Oh well, good practice for the 2K that we hope to walk at the end of the month.
Pat also got a chance to walk quite a bit at the family picnic this afternoon. It was actually quite comical to watch him walking on the grass. He would walk like normal for a few steps, then because the grass was a little lumpy, he would end up taking a few steps with the walker just hanging in the air because it was scarier to set it down on uneven ground than to walk without it. (Mind you, I was not holding on to him, but I don't think he knows that). I always knew that he could walk without his walker, it works kind of like Dumbo's magic feather. Maybe I will paint it baby blue so he will have a stronger desire to get rid of it. But that might send a different message than I intended, so maybe not.
He did actually experience one fall on the grass. I was (for the first time) true to my word to not catch him because I knew the ground was soft enough that he probably wouldn't be very damaged by expriencing the natural consquences of not using the proper walking form. He was pretty disgusted about it, but most of his family didn't seem to notice, so that was alright.
On the way back to the car, he started to fall a few times but when I reminded him that I would not be catching him, he must have believed me because he corrected the problem without any assistance. One truly spectacular save involved him standing straight back up from a half crouch similar to what you do when you are sitting down on a chair. My goal for this week is to take him back to the park and get some video of him walking from the side so that he can see what he truly looks like and maybe get rid of the old man slouch that is usually responsible for his falls.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20 some walks
* walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 6 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he can't move his abs anymore
* Help Aunt Christie give the dogs a bath and a haircut (yep, still waiting for this one)
Oh and one more thing, SuperPat wishes to give a very special shout-out to Darth Tator. "Darth, prepare to be hash browns".
Pat did a great job with his walking at church today, I felt kind of bad because he had to do an extra lap around the church. I was sustained in my new calling but I won't be set apart until next week. I bet Pat wishes we had figured that out before he walked all the way up to the Bishop's office. Oh well, good practice for the 2K that we hope to walk at the end of the month.
Pat also got a chance to walk quite a bit at the family picnic this afternoon. It was actually quite comical to watch him walking on the grass. He would walk like normal for a few steps, then because the grass was a little lumpy, he would end up taking a few steps with the walker just hanging in the air because it was scarier to set it down on uneven ground than to walk without it. (Mind you, I was not holding on to him, but I don't think he knows that). I always knew that he could walk without his walker, it works kind of like Dumbo's magic feather. Maybe I will paint it baby blue so he will have a stronger desire to get rid of it. But that might send a different message than I intended, so maybe not.
He did actually experience one fall on the grass. I was (for the first time) true to my word to not catch him because I knew the ground was soft enough that he probably wouldn't be very damaged by expriencing the natural consquences of not using the proper walking form. He was pretty disgusted about it, but most of his family didn't seem to notice, so that was alright.
On the way back to the car, he started to fall a few times but when I reminded him that I would not be catching him, he must have believed me because he corrected the problem without any assistance. One truly spectacular save involved him standing straight back up from a half crouch similar to what you do when you are sitting down on a chair. My goal for this week is to take him back to the park and get some video of him walking from the side so that he can see what he truly looks like and maybe get rid of the old man slouch that is usually responsible for his falls.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* 20 some walks
* walking with the cup, without the water
* walking with the cup, with some water in the bottom
* superman stretches 6 times, plus a bunch of other stretches
* working on sit to stand until he can't move his abs anymore
* Help Aunt Christie give the dogs a bath and a haircut (yep, still waiting for this one)
Oh and one more thing, SuperPat wishes to give a very special shout-out to Darth Tator. "Darth, prepare to be hash browns".
All Fenced In
Today Melissa got to drive a truck. It was very different than the van or the Geo, but fun all the same. A family friend(s) has agreed to build a fence in the backyard so that our dogs can go from being inside dogs to outside dogs. This may be a bit of a wakeup call for them as they both think that they are people and like to sit on the couch to watch TV. I wonder if Darth Tator has been trying to teach them in hopes of luring SuperPat to do the same. Sadly this is much more effective than we would like.
After some reflection, I wonder if it would be possible to build a grab bar on the inside of the fence, that would allow SuperPat to walk around the perimter of the yard to practice his walking. Hmm, will have to consult the expert(s) on this one. Anything to get him moving more is greatly worth it.
After returning the truck to Lowes, we had a chance to visit my favorite scrapbook store which is sadly closing its doors forever. The best deal of the day, scrapbooking brads that are shaped like Gis (pronounced Gee and means a karate uniform for the uniformed like myself. SuperPat, please note that I understand now, no need to tell me another 15 times :). I have never seem them before and Pat thought I was having a heart attack because I got so excited about them when I saw them. Let's just say that the scrapbooking world does not have enough supplies to handle the 3000+ Tae Kwon Do pictures that Pat's family has saved for him.
Can't wait for tomorrow, we are planning to spend a little time with Pat's father's side of the family after church.
After some reflection, I wonder if it would be possible to build a grab bar on the inside of the fence, that would allow SuperPat to walk around the perimter of the yard to practice his walking. Hmm, will have to consult the expert(s) on this one. Anything to get him moving more is greatly worth it.
After returning the truck to Lowes, we had a chance to visit my favorite scrapbook store which is sadly closing its doors forever. The best deal of the day, scrapbooking brads that are shaped like Gis (pronounced Gee and means a karate uniform for the uniformed like myself. SuperPat, please note that I understand now, no need to tell me another 15 times :). I have never seem them before and Pat thought I was having a heart attack because I got so excited about them when I saw them. Let's just say that the scrapbooking world does not have enough supplies to handle the 3000+ Tae Kwon Do pictures that Pat's family has saved for him.
Can't wait for tomorrow, we are planning to spend a little time with Pat's father's side of the family after church.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Striving for success
Today thinking of Darth Tator got SuperPat's blood boiling. He got up and contemplated the world while doing his laundry. He was so fueled by thinking of Darth that he quickly knocked out all 20 walks. Speaking of walks, it was pretty easy for SuperPat. He says the walks yesterday and today were a piece of cake, chocolate to be exact. He was a mountain of strength as he stood for 7 minute stretchs 3 times today. He prepared for the standing by doing 4 superman stretches in bed. I think he was afraid that we would demote him from SuperPat to Patman if he didn't start earning his keep. Aparently he did not get thirsty as he did not attempt to get water himself today.
Goals for tomorrow:
25 walks
stand for 10 minutes 4 times today
oodles and oodles of stretches
Until tomorrow, this is Patman signing off.
Goals for tomorrow:
25 walks
stand for 10 minutes 4 times today
oodles and oodles of stretches
Until tomorrow, this is Patman signing off.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Gifts from Ed and Linda
Yesterday I got the chance to learn more about Pat's parents from his grandmother and uncle. It was a great opportunity for me and I am so glad that I had a chance to get closer to them as well as his parents. I know that Pat has a hard time thinking about his family without wishing that he could go back. His family always talks about how much he is like his Dad, and I think that he takes it as a negative sometimes and other times just thinks that they mean that he physically resembles his dad. But yesterday, I found out a little more of what they mean by this.
Two of the things that I love the very most about Pat are traits passed down from his parents. From his mother, Pat inherited a great heart, a desire to help anyone anywhere at anytime, and a deep love for all people. From his father, Pat inherited a desire to protect and preserve the things that are very precious to him. Because of these unique gifts from his parents, Pat doesn't try to keep tight control on those he loves, but instead is willing to share with everyone that he meets. I love hearing him talk about his beliefs with everyone that he knows, it often surprises me when he starts bearing his testimony in unexpected places but he almost always gets a positive reaction from it and it is great to see him getting a little stronger each time.
I feel so blessed that his parents are willing to share him with me. I can feel them rooting for him from the other side and I know that he is showing them his forgiveness and love as he is getting on with his life in positive ways.
Two of the things that I love the very most about Pat are traits passed down from his parents. From his mother, Pat inherited a great heart, a desire to help anyone anywhere at anytime, and a deep love for all people. From his father, Pat inherited a desire to protect and preserve the things that are very precious to him. Because of these unique gifts from his parents, Pat doesn't try to keep tight control on those he loves, but instead is willing to share with everyone that he meets. I love hearing him talk about his beliefs with everyone that he knows, it often surprises me when he starts bearing his testimony in unexpected places but he almost always gets a positive reaction from it and it is great to see him getting a little stronger each time.
I feel so blessed that his parents are willing to share him with me. I can feel them rooting for him from the other side and I know that he is showing them his forgiveness and love as he is getting on with his life in positive ways.
Monday fever
This morning Pat says that he started out the day kind of slow, but gained momentum throughout the day. He had to face some hard facts about his former life that kind of shook up up his whole perspective of himself and his family. But onward and upward with courage and strength.
So how did he do on his goals?
- 5 Superman stretches, plus a bunch of other stretches given by his PT. (boy is he going to be sore tomorrow)
- 15 walks
- 1st time with the water, it went on the floor right away so he put it off til tomorrow.
- Almost got the kitchen done in time to scrapbook, but not quite
So goals for tomorrow
- 18 walks
- build endurance: stand for 10 minutes without the walker without falling
- lots of stretches
- walking with the cup without any water, to get used to it. :)
- scrapbook
Next up: Infinity and beyond...
So how did he do on his goals?
- 5 Superman stretches, plus a bunch of other stretches given by his PT. (boy is he going to be sore tomorrow)
- 15 walks
- 1st time with the water, it went on the floor right away so he put it off til tomorrow.
- Almost got the kitchen done in time to scrapbook, but not quite
So goals for tomorrow
- 18 walks
- build endurance: stand for 10 minutes without the walker without falling
- lots of stretches
- walking with the cup without any water, to get used to it. :)
- scrapbook
Next up: Infinity and beyond...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Playing catch up
Now that my migraine is finally gone (knock on wood) I thought it would be good to catch up. Pat says the last few days of walking were excellent, he only fell once. He says that he fell when he was trying to work on carrying a glass of water. Now the suspicous part of me wonders if the water got spilled and he slipped on it or if he fell and then the water spilled. :) I guess that we will never know.
Walking at church today was pretty good but he is still trying to get used to his new shoes. He managed to get extremely tangled on the rug both going into and out of the church today. He would have gone down but I caught him... I know, I know, if I keep catching him, he will never do it on his own. But it seems so cruel to catch him out of instinct and then let go. But I guess I should learn to participate in the catch and release program.
Goals for tomorrow:
15 walks
Carry a cup of water to the living room to get a drink
Get the kitchen completely clean, so my wife will give Breaking Dawn back
Work on my scrapbook some more
Melissa - remember to post on the blog.
Hershey and Buster are supposed to be getting haircuts tomorrow, can't wait to see what they look like with much less hair. :)
Walking at church today was pretty good but he is still trying to get used to his new shoes. He managed to get extremely tangled on the rug both going into and out of the church today. He would have gone down but I caught him... I know, I know, if I keep catching him, he will never do it on his own. But it seems so cruel to catch him out of instinct and then let go. But I guess I should learn to participate in the catch and release program.
Goals for tomorrow:
15 walks
Carry a cup of water to the living room to get a drink
Get the kitchen completely clean, so my wife will give Breaking Dawn back
Work on my scrapbook some more
Melissa - remember to post on the blog.
Hershey and Buster are supposed to be getting haircuts tomorrow, can't wait to see what they look like with much less hair. :)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Hump Day
Well, hump day has gone pretty well for our Superhero. He managed to get in 9 walks, plus two bonus walks up and down the stairs going to see his therapist. I finally convinced him that Velcro is not really a bad word when it comes to shoes so he got a new pair of walking shoes. Believe it or not, he actually wore the sole off one of his previous walking shoes because he had done so much walking. The new shoes fit his orthotics so much better.
He has already landed on his bum in them though. We were taking a test walk in the store and I was just holding his hands pretending to be his walker while he took a few steps. He decided that he wanted to walk on my feet more than he wanted to walk on his own and when I asked him to get off, he decided to stand on one foot (the one still firmly planted on my foot) while he appologized. I let go with one hand to try to push him off my foot (boy is he heavy, the non-slip feature of the shoe is not so appealing when it is your foot you are trying to slip it off of) and that made him laugh so much that he started to get really off balanced. After trying to get him right side up for a few minutes, I decided it might be easier just to let him go to the floor and then pick him up so I eased him down to the ground. I decided he might need a few moments to regain his composure anyway since he still hadn't stopped laughing from how my face looked while he was stepping on my foot. I tried a few times to pick him back up, but since he wasn't trying to help, he just kept spinning around on his back like a turtle that has been flipped on its shell. Needless to say, not only did we leave with the shoes, but also a healthy helping of dirt ground into Pat's clothes. I don't think the people at Big 5 really knew what to think about us.
So goals for tomorrow:
12 walks
try again with the water - maybe just a half a cup today
10 perfect sit to stand and then stand to sit
6 superman exercises (got to prepare to make some french fries out of Darth)
He has already landed on his bum in them though. We were taking a test walk in the store and I was just holding his hands pretending to be his walker while he took a few steps. He decided that he wanted to walk on my feet more than he wanted to walk on his own and when I asked him to get off, he decided to stand on one foot (the one still firmly planted on my foot) while he appologized. I let go with one hand to try to push him off my foot (boy is he heavy, the non-slip feature of the shoe is not so appealing when it is your foot you are trying to slip it off of) and that made him laugh so much that he started to get really off balanced. After trying to get him right side up for a few minutes, I decided it might be easier just to let him go to the floor and then pick him up so I eased him down to the ground. I decided he might need a few moments to regain his composure anyway since he still hadn't stopped laughing from how my face looked while he was stepping on my foot. I tried a few times to pick him back up, but since he wasn't trying to help, he just kept spinning around on his back like a turtle that has been flipped on its shell. Needless to say, not only did we leave with the shoes, but also a healthy helping of dirt ground into Pat's clothes. I don't think the people at Big 5 really knew what to think about us.
So goals for tomorrow:
12 walks
try again with the water - maybe just a half a cup today
10 perfect sit to stand and then stand to sit
6 superman exercises (got to prepare to make some french fries out of Darth)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Today I...
Goals for today were:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time): Walked twice, once to get inside Texas Roadhouse, once to get out.
Work on getting a drink of water: Well he got some water, but it was delivered by the waitress. :)
Pat is still pretty focused on what he ate for dinner so he is having a hard time giving an update on his progress today. :) Let's just say I think he ate more than his weight... It was amazing that either of us could walk out to the car. Good thing walking is his goal, not loosing weight. He did say however, that he noticed a lot of people passing him today while he was walking, and it seemed to bother him quite a bit to be the granny driver. While he didn't get many walks in, he mananged to untangle himself from the rug quite nicely, carry on a conversation with the wait staff while walking, and boost himself up into the booth. What he wouldn't give to be an inch or two taller. While he is not making the progress strength wise that I would like, his ability to manuever himself in and out of tight situations is getting so much better. A situation like the rug trying to give him the smack down would have knocked him down for the count a few months ago, now it is hardly an obstacle.
We just want to say that our friends who stopped by to wish Pat Happy Birthday today are so amazing. We are so blessed to have been born into such wonderful families and to be able to adopt those of our own choosing as well. We certainly couldn't do much of anything without your support and concern.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
To walk 11 times (20 feet)
To try to get a glass of water with the walker without spilling any on the dogs
Read the first 100 pages of Breaking Dawn
Scrapbook some more pictures (I mean work on family history. Scrappin is just too girlie).
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time): Walked twice, once to get inside Texas Roadhouse, once to get out.
Work on getting a drink of water: Well he got some water, but it was delivered by the waitress. :)
Pat is still pretty focused on what he ate for dinner so he is having a hard time giving an update on his progress today. :) Let's just say I think he ate more than his weight... It was amazing that either of us could walk out to the car. Good thing walking is his goal, not loosing weight. He did say however, that he noticed a lot of people passing him today while he was walking, and it seemed to bother him quite a bit to be the granny driver. While he didn't get many walks in, he mananged to untangle himself from the rug quite nicely, carry on a conversation with the wait staff while walking, and boost himself up into the booth. What he wouldn't give to be an inch or two taller. While he is not making the progress strength wise that I would like, his ability to manuever himself in and out of tight situations is getting so much better. A situation like the rug trying to give him the smack down would have knocked him down for the count a few months ago, now it is hardly an obstacle.
We just want to say that our friends who stopped by to wish Pat Happy Birthday today are so amazing. We are so blessed to have been born into such wonderful families and to be able to adopt those of our own choosing as well. We certainly couldn't do much of anything without your support and concern.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
To walk 11 times (20 feet)
To try to get a glass of water with the walker without spilling any on the dogs
Read the first 100 pages of Breaking Dawn
Scrapbook some more pictures (I mean work on family history. Scrappin is just too girlie).
29 years young
A long time ago on a planet very close to our hearts a superhero emerged. He was a man of unparalleled strength, wisdom, and handsomeness. By day to the outside world, he appears to be a shy, humble man whose body is caged in a wheelchair. But to the inside world and those who really know him, SuperPat is revealed. His strong biceps and even stronger mind are a match for any problem that comes his way. His secret weapon is his walker of doom which strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies as they hear him clunking down the hall. Fortified by his daily dose of chocolate, he vows never to stop until he has taken down the dreaded Darth Tator. When he is able to run, he knows that he will be able to smash Darth into tator tots. Darth enjoy life as a couch potato while you can because when you hear a clunk, clunk, clunk; you know SuperPat is on his way.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nobody likes a Monday
Well the week didn't start off as well as we would have liked. But I guess you have to start small and work your way up.
Goal recap:
Make no mistakes - Pat fell on his behind. He says he was leaning back too far. After he fell, he gave up for the day.
10 walks - walked about 20 feet 7 times. If only the dogs could talk to confirm this. :)
No falls - see above
Getting a drink of water - did not work on it. Maybe tomorrow.
Goal for tomorrow:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time)
Work on getting a drink of water
Pat says he was not impressed with himself, especially when he landed on his rear end. Melissa declines to comment.
Goal recap:
Make no mistakes - Pat fell on his behind. He says he was leaning back too far. After he fell, he gave up for the day.
10 walks - walked about 20 feet 7 times. If only the dogs could talk to confirm this. :)
No falls - see above
Getting a drink of water - did not work on it. Maybe tomorrow.
Goal for tomorrow:
Walk 9 times (20 feet each time)
Work on getting a drink of water
Pat says he was not impressed with himself, especially when he landed on his rear end. Melissa declines to comment.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Daily Progress
Today was Sunday and Pat had the chance to walk at church. He also got to walk again when we went back to see the Bishop that evening for an interview. Unfortunately, we discovered that the church was locked after we walked up to the doors, so Pat had the chance to hold onto the doors while Melissa ran around the church to see if any were open. It was a great leg strengthening exercise, even if Pat didn't enjoy it very much!
Melissa's thoughts on the day:
Pat did a fantastic job walking today. We started out the day a little later than we would have liked, so we needed to hurry when we got church. When Pat was walking down the hall, his strides were straight and even and he didn't hit his ankles together like he normally does. After discussing it, we decided that he was walking so much better because he wasn't thinking about it. I think sometimes his brain gets in the way of his feet and he tries to think things through way too much. When we got to the chapel, I had a heart stopping moment when Pat started to tip forward a lot and it looked as if he was going to do a face plant. At the same time I quickly stretched my hands forward in a desparate attempt to catch him, one of our friends jumped up off the bench in an attempt to stop him also. Thankfully Pat was unaware that we were trying to catch him so he righted himself and kept walking. Proof that Pat doesn't need as much help as he needs to walk, he just wants it. Kind of like Dumbo's feather. :) When we sat down and I asked him if he thought he was going to fall, he didn't even know what I was talking about, even though he had been at a 45 degree angle with the floor. What an improvement from the Black Friday incident, Daniel I think it is safe to take Pat out again. :)
His thoughts on the day:
I didn't fall or get tired, it was a good day. I need to walk faster though, it takes a long time to get places that I need to go. I think that my walking has improved, my wife pointed out that I was able to catch myself without even knowing that I was in danger of falling. I feel more confident and cool when I walk. I can't wait to show you all what I am capable of.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* Make no mistakes
* 10 walks
* No falls
* Work on getting a drink of water for myself without spilling any while using my walker
Melissa's thoughts on the day:
Pat did a fantastic job walking today. We started out the day a little later than we would have liked, so we needed to hurry when we got church. When Pat was walking down the hall, his strides were straight and even and he didn't hit his ankles together like he normally does. After discussing it, we decided that he was walking so much better because he wasn't thinking about it. I think sometimes his brain gets in the way of his feet and he tries to think things through way too much. When we got to the chapel, I had a heart stopping moment when Pat started to tip forward a lot and it looked as if he was going to do a face plant. At the same time I quickly stretched my hands forward in a desparate attempt to catch him, one of our friends jumped up off the bench in an attempt to stop him also. Thankfully Pat was unaware that we were trying to catch him so he righted himself and kept walking. Proof that Pat doesn't need as much help as he needs to walk, he just wants it. Kind of like Dumbo's feather. :) When we sat down and I asked him if he thought he was going to fall, he didn't even know what I was talking about, even though he had been at a 45 degree angle with the floor. What an improvement from the Black Friday incident, Daniel I think it is safe to take Pat out again. :)
His thoughts on the day:
I didn't fall or get tired, it was a good day. I need to walk faster though, it takes a long time to get places that I need to go. I think that my walking has improved, my wife pointed out that I was able to catch myself without even knowing that I was in danger of falling. I feel more confident and cool when I walk. I can't wait to show you all what I am capable of.
Pat's goals for tomorrow:
* Make no mistakes
* 10 walks
* No falls
* Work on getting a drink of water for myself without spilling any while using my walker
How it all began
It all began from Pat's desire to walk again and his family's desire to help him. Being the great brothers-in-law that they are, Daniel and Reed wanted to do more than just talk to help out. The talk started as all good talks do, with food. Daniel proposed a wager concerning a meal at he and Pat's favorie eating establishment and Pat was in. Then Reed hit on Pat's other soft spot by suggesting that some money come into the bargain. So how does this all work for Pat? If he makes the finish line at the end of the year, he gets some pretty awesome rewards.
The Dream:
* To be able to walk using only the support of his own two legs and his trusty walker (or cane if he desires)
The Rewards:
* Dinner for two (Daniel and Pat) at RoeAnn's
* $100 in Pat's pocket
* A slimer, lighter Reed (15 lbs lighter to be exact)
* Bragging rights for life
* The party of a lifetime at which Pat will donate all of his wheelchairs and medical equipment to a wonderful cause, some one else's dream to walk.
The Payoff:
* Pat must purchase dinner for Daniel at RoeAnn's
* Pat must complete 200 push-ups
* A new challenge and goal, because we will never give up
The Deadline:
* The end of the year
He knows his goal is lofty, but with such a fabulous support system as Pat has, there is no way that he can possibly fail. So do you believe that he can complete the challenge? Feel free to weigh in and tell him what you think.
The Dream:
* To be able to walk using only the support of his own two legs and his trusty walker (or cane if he desires)
The Rewards:
* Dinner for two (Daniel and Pat) at RoeAnn's
* $100 in Pat's pocket
* A slimer, lighter Reed (15 lbs lighter to be exact)
* Bragging rights for life
* The party of a lifetime at which Pat will donate all of his wheelchairs and medical equipment to a wonderful cause, some one else's dream to walk.
The Payoff:
* Pat must purchase dinner for Daniel at RoeAnn's
* Pat must complete 200 push-ups
* A new challenge and goal, because we will never give up
The Deadline:
* The end of the year
He knows his goal is lofty, but with such a fabulous support system as Pat has, there is no way that he can possibly fail. So do you believe that he can complete the challenge? Feel free to weigh in and tell him what you think.
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