My past few days!! featuring...ROBOBRENT!

Well my therapy this past week has been rough! Each and everyday I am put to the test physically coming home and passing out with exhaustion. I have seen some great things come out of my therapy sessions so far in my first week. I guess I have a lot to catch everyone up on from the past few days. So I will do my best to fill everyone in on my life in rehab. On Wednesday I was treated to an AFTER therapy outing. One of my hobby's is golf and my therapeutic recreation counselor signed me up to go to a golfing expo after my therapy sessions. She talked me into it because i knew I was going to be TOO tired, but I agreed and went anyways. Sleeping most of the way there when we arrived I was SHOCKED to find out I was at EAST LAKE GOLF COURSE!! I was at the PGA Tour Championship! Since it was Wednesday it was practice I was able to watch all the pros on the driving range before there first round on Thursday. I was able to meet Jim Fyurk and Ernie Els as well as many others. It was definitely exciting. We were also able to watch a para-golfer do trick shots which was MIND BLOWING!! Over all it was an AMAZING afternoon!
On Thursday I worked on walking with braces some more and did really well! It takes some getting use to but i was making great strides up and down the parallel bars. I know that one day soon I will be doing it unassisted. I am still praying each and everyday for complete healing and know that it will happen one day.
Friday was a very hard day. During my PT session I worked on my knees keeping my balance and doing push-ups from an elevated position. My left shoulder was hurting me so we had to stop and ice it. My left shoulder has made everything alot harder on me, but I am NOT going to complain because I do not want it to hinder my sessions. I will just grin and bear it so I can get the most out of every session. Its not a sharp pain but just an aching, from the muscles around my shoulder not having ANY strength from me favoring that arm for months. I can deal with pain....ive dealt with it for months, whats a few more weeks. I know my exercises are building my strength which I will need in my future sessions.
At 1:00PM on Friday I was scheduled for the Locomat again. This was my second session on the machine and I LOVE every minute of it. Well.....I dont enjoy them strapping me into the unit. The purposely SQUEEZE the life out of me for a few minutes until they get me strapped in the machine. Once in the unit they loosen the straps but for a good minute....I CANT BREATH, and all my insides get crunched! I tell them I have already broken all my ribs you dont have to break them again! To which they tell me to quit my crying and suck it up..."THEN THEY PULL TIGHTER, getting there leg on the mat for leverage as the pull!" I guess they know what they are doing?! Once they got me in the unit and make sure I wouldn't slip the loosen the straps so I can work comfortably AND BREATH! I was able to do GREAT things in this session! Whenever I was resting the graph would be flat but once I started to try to walk it would SPIKE pretty good! I was putting good pressure through the unit. I was excited at my progress and I look forward to my next session.

My mom took a video of me on the Locomat for everyone to see. She took the video with the camera on the side...haha....so the video is ON ITS SIDE!! I tried EVERYTHING to flip the video over but it is NOT a picture and wouldnt give me that option so you will have to watch me on the side. Just turn your head to the side OR you can just grab your computer monitor and flip it on its side! EASY SOLUTION GUYS!! Do I have to think of everything?? This will give you an idea of what I have to go through in therapy or at least on the Locomat!
(WARNING: THIS VIDEO MAY CAUSE A KINK IN YOUR NECK! PLEASE CONSULT A PHYSICIAN IF PROBLEMS PERSIST AFTER SEVERAL HOURS!)



One of my dear friends and FORMER teachers David Carter took the liberty using some of his photoshop skills of me in the Locomat. I mentioned in a previous post that I felt like ROBOCOP in the unit....Well....If I was ROBOCOP...I would look something like THIS!!

























Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!! PLEASE PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ME!!!! I NEED THEM BAD!! God Bless you ALL!!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!
SO MUCH IN HIM,
Brent