Hello Everyone,
I have lots of wonderful things to report and a new video to share. First, an update on the Sparta house. Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers. Despite our initial concerns about our insurance coverage due to the house being vacant, we are going to be reimbursed for the repairs of the damage caused by the frozen and subsequently leaky pipes.  The house has had a lot of showings and interested buyers but no solid offers have surfaced yet.  We sometimes wonder if the house has not sold because it wants us back!  We miss you too Alpine Terrace…but if you love something let it go (LET US GO!).

Now let’s talk recovery.  Approximately 2 weeks ago, I started working with Ted Dardinski, creator and owner of Project Walk, twice a week for one hour sessions. His experience is obvious and his approach is creative. It’s been a pleasure to learn from him and to plant seed in his head about a northern Virginia Project Walk. Come on Ted, you can’t beat the weather in NOVA!
In addition, I have discovered with the help of my trainer, Eric that using a weighted walker gives me more stability.  This has led to me walking unassisted around the gym faster than I have ever been able to before.  The walker does get a little heavy on the arms, so God bless my BBJ’s (Biceps By Jerry, more on that next post). 

I retook my DAS exam. The DAS is an assessment exam you take at Project Walk which attemptsto quantify any physical return you might have achieved as a result of your exercise program.  When I got to Project Walk, I scored an 11 out of 40.  Last week, I retook the exam and scored a 27!  A gain of 16 points in 17 months- EUREKA!  To go from not being able to stand at all when I got here, to being able to do unassisted sit-to-stands during my exam felt really good.

Yesterday it was gorgeous here! In the morning, Mandy and I when to the Batiquitos Lagoon which is a nature reserve here in Carlsbad. We spent about 90 minutes exploring the backyard paradise with Marley in tow and the sun shining down. It was a hoot! Mandy has off on Wednesdays so we’d like to make it a regular trip. Most of the paths are flat and hard-packed so it was pretty accessible, and when it wasn’t, Mandy made it accessible.

I’m also posting a new video of my trip to Lake Tahoe. Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted a new one, let’s just say there were some “hardware issues”. You should be able to see the video below or in the videos section.

That’s all for now and thanks for checking in,
Rob

Well it’s been quite a while since my last update, much has transpired, good and bad.  I’ll do my best to get it all out in a somewhat coherent fashion. Let me begin with my recovery from this adventure that is a spinal cord injury.  I can do a sit-up now, usually only one but sometimes two or three in a row.  That is to say, laying on the bed/workout platform with legs hanging off the edge, I throw my hands forward to gain momentum and sit-up! Also, triceps are getting stronger.  I can now hold a 10 pound bar above my head while standing and keeping my arms straight.  Yesterday I was able to do 3 sets of 15 tricep dips.  It’s nice to be able to hold my hands above my head without hitting myself in the face. I also feel some return coming from my lower abs/hip flexors.  I see leg lifts in my future for sure!  Walking is about the same, I can do a loop or two around the gym depending on when in my 2 hour session I make the attempt. I’ve been using a walker more than arm crutches these days in an attempt to improve my gait. More support mean less twisting and arching to get that bum left leg to do its thing. My outside the gym workout has changed also since I last posted.  I still spend about an hour or two in my parallel bars but now I’m using a stair climber inside the bars and Therabands to continue working the upper body.  I also spend an hour on my bed stretching and Puppet Pumping (more on that next post, video coming soon).  I can now get my right foot behind my head and I’m about six inches shy with the left.  I’ve also started practicing Anusara Yoga with Michael Fukumura (http://www.loliyoga.com/).  I’m hoping Michael and I can work to improve my breathing and mind/body connection. Still plenty of spasms and still in plenty of pain, but I refuse to make either one the focus of my life or this post!

So what else? Let’s talk about the house in Sparta. Mandy and I got a call from our agent about two weeks ago with some urgent and exciting, um, info…..no, not an offer, don’t be absurd, that would be good news. No, the kitchen was flooded and there was about 2-3 inches of standing water in the basement! Woo-hoo! I asked her to change the ad to read “Beautiful 3 bedroom colonial lake house with built-in ice rink.”.  We don’t know how, but the heat was shut off and pipes throughout the house suffered as a result. Wait, it gets better. The extent of the damage to the plumbing/heating system is yet to be determined; however, we have been informed that because we do not “live” in the house, our insurance policy is restricted and will not cover ANY water damage. I’ll give you a minute to stop laughing, I needed 2 or 3………….

Don’t worry, we won’t concede that one without a fight. “It’s not that we don’t care, we just know that the fight ain’t fair!” –John Mayer, I Don’t think he was talking about the insurance industry, but it certainly does strike a chord with me.  In light of all the stress Mandy and I decided to head for the hills. We hopped on a puddle jumper out of Carlsbad airport and hit Lake Tahoe. It was time for some fresh air, beautiful scenery and adaptive skiing. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my wife? Mandy and I hit the slopes at South Lake declaring “Take your best shot World! We see your burst pipes in an unsellable house and raise you uncontrollable leg spasms and beautiful mountain vistas!” Anyway, adaptive skiing was a blast and I recommend to anyone willing to try.

My, it’s getting late and alas I must retire. I do promise to update more often and like I said, video of the home workout routine is coming soon.  I also have some great footage of my time in Tahoe I would like to post.  Thank you all for your cards and support.  We love you all, Rob and Mandy.