Some Great Rehab Options and my Atlanta trip!

Its another week and yet another blog post. There is a lot going on with me in the next few weeks as I prepare for my trip to Atlanta. We are currently still looking for an apartment or place to stay near the Shepherd Center. I would like to find an apartment or hotel that is right near the center where I could actually push myself there everyday. This limits my choices as there are only so many places near the center that would have the accommodations I would need for only a few months. Once we get the apartment or hotel figured out I will be focusing all my efforts on getting prepared for my move. I hope to be there for probably two months depending on money and my progress. How it was explained to me is that you pay for the rehab upfront,for the therapy. The therapists will continue working on you until they see a plateau in your progress. They will then send you home until you regain more movement. You will then go back into rehab for them to facilitate more return. This will be the first therapy where they will focus solely on my walking. On my previous trips to rehab they taught me life skills and worked a little on my legs using the locomat and various other equipment. I AM PUMPED AND READY TO GO!!!

I have some more EXCITING news! I have been looking for a rehab facility close to my house where they focus on spinal cord injuries. Several states have these centers that specialize in SCI injures but NONE were in Florida. A great center I have looked at in the past was called PROJECT WALK but it was in California. Project Walk worked on physical activity to rebuild neuro pathways which many doctors believe is the key to recovery. Today I found out that Project Walk has built a SISTER facility in SANFORD, FLORIDA! A lady who lives in Orlando had a daughter who suffered a spinal cord injury in April of 2007 about two years ago. She ran into the same problem we had which was finding a rehab facility close by that focuses on SCI injuries. Her daughter went to Shepherds in Atlanta and California for Project Walk for therapy but it put a huge burden on their family. Her mom decided to partner with Project Walk and build a recovery center in Sanford, Florida. The center is called STEP IT UP and follows the model of PROJECT WALK. The center has JUST opened this month and has started taking patients a few weeks ago. My mom and I are going there on Thursday to check out the new facility. I hope to workout there after I return from Shepherds. The Shepherd Center will be using state of the art therapies and equipment which is why the therapy is considered experimental. I am excited about both opportunities. PLEASE PRAY THAT BOTH WILL WORK OUT!!
I LOVE YOU ALL!!
SO MUCH IN HIM
BRENT