April

Written by Administrator | 24 May 2011

It is such a bizarre journey that one takes with a spinal injury when trying to relearn everything that was once natural completely from scratch. You are constantly being faced with challenges that now seem impossible, but with a lot of perseverance are very achievable. It is these achievements that have been some of the most satisfying and uplifting moments I think I will experience. During April these moments have been very evident. As I was probably a little flat and exhausted at the end of dads time here in March. We took a small step back and freshened up both physically and mentally. Being able to realise when this is required is one of the biggest challenges you face, as deep down you are inclined to just continually push and flog yourself in to the ground. Having Kate come over to stay with me for a few months has also been a lovely change. It is funny how one good friend’s presence can create the comfort of home when you are so far away.

This month was possibly my best and most consistent since coming to Atlanta oh so long ago. This was seen on all days were my walking sessions showed the consistency that the therapists have been wanting from me. Where over the space of the hour my steps are continually fluent and that all my muscles are firing appropriately. This not only makes easier for the therapist but also me as we aren’t fighting each other. Due to this consistency the boys are allowing me more freedom to work on taking steps independently. The bench mark is now ten independent steps by myself with just the AR-JO for support. Though there is a very clear goal to double this total by the time Kate leaves.

In tall kneeling i was able to show the most balance and composure of any session to date. This was seen by JZ being able to let go of his hands and remove one leg so that the only thing touching was his knee lightly on my right cheek. We would then go through a series of exercises such bending from side to side whilst keeping your torso in a straight line. We would follow this with pelvic tilts were you relax your hips then thrust them back into position. Though the biggest improvement was seen when walking on my knees as previously to take a step with my right leg I would exaggerate the weight so much that my torso would fold to the left. While now I can maintain a straight upright position and achieve an even stepping pattern.

Over the Easter weekend Kate and I took the opportunity to take in a few of the sites that Atlanta has on offer at this time of year. So with spring in full swing and everything blossoming we headed over to the botanical gardens. Located next to Piedmont Park in midtown Atlanta it really makes it easy for anyone to visit. They have a sky walk which takes you above some the gardens up in the trees while the rest you just stroll through. It was actually really quiet interesting to see all the different plants and you would quickly forget that you were in the middle of city.

On Easter Sunday Rob Bartrop called in for lunch and a catch up on his way home from Tennessee. It was fantastic to catch up with Barty as I hadn’t seen him since the ball more than a year ago. With the trip being so short we thought it was best to get Barty straight up to Houston’s for some of Atlantas best bbq ribs. I glad to say I think the big fella left pretty satisfied. It was also great to catch up on a bit news from home whilst he was here.