I do not regret this life for one second, but I am thankful for the blessings and opportunities this injury has provided me! I have always known that God has a plan and a purpose for me. I am so glad that he has given me the ability to reach people in a way I never had before. Sometimes the hardest times and the most difficult circumstances are God's blessings in disguise. When we stop depending on ourselves and start trusting God 100% with our lives is when we will start seeing his blessings. I know that throughout these past few years my faith has grown tremendously and I have learned to trust in God and let him guide my paths. God has brought so many people into my life who have taught me a great deal about myself. I am thankful for everything and everyone in my life. I am thankful for the good times and the bad because it is in the bad times in life that we lean on God and make ourselves stronger Christians!
These past few months have been awesome for me! I have made unbelievable strides in my recovery and it seems God just opens one door after another! I have been blessed with job opportunities and significant progress in my rehab. I can feel a difference and change in my legs and I know God is not done with me yet! The other day in therapy I walked with canes instead of my walker and did WONDERFUL at it! I think over time I am going to start using canes instead of my walker and hopefully become much more efficient at my walking. It was only my 3rd time ever walking with canes and this 3rd time was by far the best! I am going to keep at it and in time, ill be walking everywhere. My therapist mentioned that she wanted to go on a community outing for therapy one day. She mentioned going to a restaurant "Moes" and I would have to leave my chair at home! I immediately said YES!! I am excited to start walking outside of therapy and my apartment and start walking out in public. Sometimes you just have to fly the nest! I think I am ready to spread my wings! The more I walk in my braces the better it is for me. Walking is some of the best therapy I can do, because I am using all the muscles and retraining my brain how to take steps again! I still have a ways to go, but with incomplete injuries such as myself there is no telling how much I can recover!
However, I know that therapy alone will not give me the results I have been seeking. I have known from the beginning that I would need God's help and a miracle if I was to beat this terrible injury! I still believe in miracles and have not lost faith for ONE SECOND that I will receive that miracle in time. I am starting to see a lot of improvements and I know recovery from an SCI is painfully slow but I have no doubt that miracles can come at any time. God has a plan for me and I am NEVER giving up. I will see this thing through to the end, no matter how long it takes I will never give up! My recovery has provided me with a wonderful testimony to share with people my many blessings. I want people to see God working in my life and know that he can do the same for them!
Several weeks ago, I was able to reach a huge milestone. It was a very special day for me and a bit emotional. After my time in the I.C.U. at UAMS Hospital I was transferred to Baptist Rehab Hospital. I stayed there for only a few weeks because of my shoulder complications. The therapist were not able to work on my rehab effectively because the surgeon did not want me to bare weight through my shoulder. My parents got an apartment in Maumelle while we waited for my surgeon to clear my shoulder for weight baring so I could return to BRI and continue my therapy. The apartments were located right next to a lake with a park and walking trail around it. I would go on many strolls around the lake with friends in my power wheelchair. Those were some of the toughest times for me!! I kept my emotions hidden and put on a strong face but having to deal with everything just left me broken inside. My good friend Alyssa would visit me often in the hospital and even spent her Christmas by my side even though I was still in a coma. She would go on walks with me around the lake while I rode in my power chair. One day we stopped around the lake and everything kind of hit me at once the reality of where I was and the journey ahead of me. Despite my emotions, I promised Alyssa, ONE DAY, I was going to get up out of this chair and walk around this lake with her! A few weeks ago I got the call from her telling me that I needed to keep that promise! So we met at the lake where the promise was made, I grabbed my walker and my braces, stood up out of my chair and started walking the path with her!! It was funny, but people were jogging past me the entire time encouraging me as I walked. One guy came by and said, "Wow man, did you blow your knee out?" I just laughed and was like, ummm Something like that! That day was very special to me because, while I was walking I heard a familiar voice. It was my friend Lana who I went to college with at Harding. Lana sells prosthetic implants to surgeons and was actually in on my shoulder surgery. Lana was able to see me come full circle. She remembers me from the operating room to walking around a lake, I was happy she was there to see it. I do not think it was a coincidence that she was jogging the lake that day, it was a GOD THING!
God has blessed me SO MUCH!! I have been given a second chance and I am going to take advantage of every opportunity to share with others how God has blessed my life! I should not have survived that accident. Doctors were not very optimistic that I was going to pull through. But God was bombarded with prayers from all over the world on my behalf and he answered those prayers by giving me a second chance. God spared my life but I was left was a daunting task ahead of me! My road to recovery was going to be a long, hard road but with the support of my family and friends one that I KNOW I will accomplish! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ME! Pray for complete and total healing! I have NO DOUBT, NONE WHAT SO EVER that miracles do happen and I know God is not done with me yet!
God Bless you all!
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT
