Nov 19th – Nov 25th 2023: If You Woke Up Paralyzed Tomorrow, What Would You Wish You’d Have Accomplished?

Nov 19th

If you woke up tomorrow paralyzed from the neck down, what would you wish you’d have accomplished with your life?

What’s wild is this question is kind of relevant, in the sense I’ve already thought about this….. but not the neck down, but the chest…. Does that change my answers? Let’s see…. It’s an interesting thought….

Accomplishments I wanna do: (wish I’d have done)

⁃ Run a marathon

⁃ Pull an endo on the DRZ

⁃ Build a frame and full bike

⁃ Build the Dirt Board

⁃ Start my own company

⁃ Build the truck topper

⁃ Write a book

⁃ Write another book

⁃ Travel to every continent with the love of my life

⁃ Discuss/ create awareness to the over consumption in Metro Detroit and the change in economic impact in this area

⁃ Do an unassisted marathon with Max

⁃ Build/ update an awesome home

⁃ Build a fun haunted spooky house in the garage

⁃ Get a patent (outside of corporate)

⁃ Have enough space so Callie and I could have a few animals

⁃ Get a boat to take Callie for rides

⁃ Road trip with the gal to many places out West, and the glacier road trip

⁃ Road trip To Sedona

⁃ Climb again…. I want to climb a multi-pitched route outside!!

⁃ Projector Setup in the yard outside (with real film!!!)

⁃ See all the lighthouses on Lake Michigan!

⁃ Help Callie be able to fulfill her dream of being able to make movie trailers. I’m not sure how I can, but I want her so flipping happy

⁃ Ride my bike across Wisconsin

⁃ Build the modular camping storage items

⁃ Get learnded on the movies that Callie knows and loves.

⁃ After I ran a marathon, I’d kinda want to be able to do a 50miler…..

⁃ Do a flat track race/ dirt oval

⁃ Ride an ice oval

⁃ Do a MTB race/course

What lingering regrets would you harbor?

Not being able to move, and do. And run. And pick Callie up on the beach down by south shore….

If by some miracle, you were able to recover, how would you live your life differently than you had before?

⁃ I’m starting that already…. I’m being more gracious, and more open.

“You don’t really know what you believe until your beliefs are all you have left. You don’t know what your convictions are until they are all you have to hold onto as you’ve been truly tested.“

Mom said I’m good at:

⁃ talking

⁃ Explaining things

⁃ Building

⁃ Riding my bike

Laura said:

⁃ problem solving

⁃ Analyzing

⁃ expressive

⁃ Outgoing

⁃ Introspective

⁃ Determined

⁃ Getting shit done

⁃ Moves quick

⁃ Hustle mentality

⁃ Cant stop wont stop

⁃ DEEDAH DEEDAH

Callie said:

⁃ Building things

⁃ Communicating

⁃ Maintaining relationships

⁃ Math

⁃ Bikes

⁃ Cooking

⁃ Teaching stuffs

⁃ Planning

⁃ Making lists

⁃ Listening

Schmüle said:

⁃ Finishing something

⁃ Starting something new

⁃ Problem solving

⁃ People gathering

⁃ Getting the party started

⁃ Climbing trees

Jake said:

⁃ solving detailed, complex problems

⁃ Challenging yourself mentally and physically

⁃ Good at math, be it Algebra, Geometry, or Calculus

⁃ I’m with Paul on getting the party started

Fear, yeah. That’s something that’s happening, being afraid I can’t do these things. Like, it feels fucking awful to feel that way, and I know how it is having such a long stretch away from it

Nov 22nd

So this song is kinda a great one to wake ya up in the morning, there were quite a few mornings back in Milwaukee when I would be gearing up for a run, grab my headphones, and pair it up with my watch.

I only have 3 playlists on it, and this was the first one on the first playlist, so I’ve listened to this song so many times as I’ve woken up in the morning, get on the porch, max is ready to go, and I start my watch for the run.

I have quite a vivid image of the sidewalk on Cramer, running south with Max on some really cold winter mornings, with this song playing in the background.

The lyrics were simple and the beat was nice to get me going in the morning. This was probably the first time I’ve heard that at wake up time since then.

Nov 23rd

So, today was Thanksgiving! It was a nice day, to hang out with the family, and eat some tasty foods! It is kinda wild, how the holiday is always a time for families to get together, it gives you a time to actually be with the ones you love.

I really was glad to be there with my family and my lady!

Pretty cool day at Laura’s! she did a great job!

Nov 24

Feeling so many things in my legs!! AND I GOT STANDING WITH MY BROTHERS!!!

It was a pretty awesome thing to have been able to get over to John’s house! Jake, John, Paul and I got to actually hang out! it was pretty cool, just being able to be there with them! I really have such a great family, the things they have all been willing to do for me this whole time has been so incredibly amazing. I really am grateful for them every day. Every day I want to be able to talk to them, and let them know how much they mean.

So back to getting standing, I had explained to the fellas what we would need to do to get the KAFO’s on. they had helped me take my shoes off, slip the polypropylene molds over my upper thighs and then strapped the two straps. the lower part of the leg also has a mold, for which they have to slip that over my calves, and then strap them in as well. There are two very satisfying ratchet locks, which allow the joint to move only in one direction, and when locked out, can ratchet into position, and lock into place.

So after they got my shoes back on me, I explained to them where we were gonna put the chairs, two on each side of me. John was on my right, and Jake on my left. Paul stood out front of me, to help me make sure I could hoist myself up, as well as making sure my legs wouldn’t kick out, and my feet stayed in place.

Jake and John made sure that the chairs were gonna be rigid enough to hold me, and they had securely held them in place, so that when I am going to push the weight of my body thru them, they are able to support me.

While Jake and John are holding my “hand holds” if you will, Paul helps me with my knees, and helps lock my joints out. we are able to get me up standing tall! Paul to my front, John to my right, and Jake to my left! It was a pretty surreal feeling, having my brothers all right around me, helping support me, and make sure I am okay. It’s really interesting how the parallel’s with life seem to unravel when I stop to think about it. Like, all three of my brothers are right there by my side, helping me with one of the most “trivial” and intrinsic skills for life. they weren’t there actually holding my legs up, my legs with the braces on were doing that! But, instead, what was happening is they were able to help me with all the supporting activities that I needed to be able to stand. Kind of like how we all in our daily lives don’t always realize the people and things we all might need to support our daily lives. Without having so many people in our lives, there is really no way, or it’s hard to say, where we would all be. If it’s a significant other, our parents, our family or friends, they are all doing things in a meaningful way that help us through our lives.

I was able to get up and stand for a while! And I did a couple of reps with it all too! Without the help of my brothers, I wouldn’t have been able to do this! To have such caring people, who would literally help you up when you’re down, is truly a remarkable thing, and I can never thank them enough for that.

I just hope that if anything happens to them, that I can be there for them like they have all been there for me. It’s really a hard moment for me, to have to leave them like this, but I know that it isn’t like that. It’s alot more than just that, and it’s okay! We will always be seeing each other soon!

I don’t know if many people can relate to having this many siblings sometimes. I know that when or if they do, they know how extremely rewarding, and extremely reassuring having a team that size always in your back corner. means alot to me.

So this night had to end, I was getting sleepy. I had to say by to Max, which was really hard as well, but I know it’s not forever.

Callie and I were out till like 10:30, it was wild!

Nov 25th

The chilliness from eating afterwards is always annoying. Need to control that breathing!

It definitely is all affected by our breath.

Also, it’s interesting to think about our health in terms of our family and siblings 🤔

I have definitely been burping more! I wonder what other things babies don’t do that I’m getting return in function?!

The drive back to Milwaukee went really well! Gas station toilets work pretty well lol 😂

What’s weird is tramadol basically feels like Tylenol to me, there isn’t much difference.

So, just did some parasympathetic breathing exercises, and I actually tooted…

Nov 26th

Definitely had some Mexican food!! Making chicken and dumplings tomorrow!!