5/17/26 – Neurological Training
What’s interesting to think about, is the different types of ‘bodily’ and movement type training out there. Strength training, cardio training, aerobic and anaerobic work, balance, and different types of control. But what I feel is missing its own specific ‘type’ of workout pattern, is neurological training? As in some type of training you do every day that help rebuild and retrain your neurological system?
Feeling so much of my lateral hips engaging! My abs last night were fired up all the way down low too! Outer quads, glute med, obliques, everything on the outside!
It’s been a busy weekend, lots going on at the house! We’re getting closer every day!!
Made it on the bike!!
5/18/26 – 3 Years — A Recovery
Well, here it is. Here’s the day. 3 years. Goodness. That hits and sits heavy with someone. I definitely thought and wanted to be walking on my own a lot more than I am at this point, if I’m being honest. But, I will say, I’m glad that I’m walking on my own at all, at this point! I know it’s not glamorous, fancy, or super functional yet, but it’s working! My legs are working better and slowly, one day at a time! It’s this consistency that’s been helping me, and I need to make sure I continue with that!
That’s something I’ve learned since this accident as well. Consistency beats short bursts of effort every time.
Laying on my back this morning. Letting thoughts, ideas, and life consolidate. This whole experience in my life has really made me reflect, think, wonder, and prioritize areas of my life. It’s showed me there’s too much happening to worry about every little detail in the world. To be kind, patient, and loving to our friends, families, and others around us, because you never know when you’re going to need some help. It’s shown me that being consistent and patient, and working hard on a project has compounding gains. Albeit slow, but nevertheless my body is coming back online! One day at a time!
It’s taught me too, about how writing, reading, reflection. My note taking, has been one of the most powerful tools in my recovery arsenal. Because without a way for me to reflect back, check my notes, see the daily progress and updates, it’s easy to get discouraged and think that things in life aren’t progressing.
My mental sanity seems to be tied so deeply with my ability to move, and feel useful. I’m very lucky, to have been able to constantly be working on my body. I’m not done yet! Each moment and day I feel new areas progressing in my recovery! But it’s slow. The pace that we all heal is different, and that can be some of the largest sources of frustration I have ever had. There is also a good amount of uncertainty, too. But that uncertainty is not a reason to give up. If anything, it helps give me hope. Because each day is a new day, my body and brain make new connections, and it’s given a new chance to help form and create better, stronger, and more complete connections to my body, legs, and spinal cord.
This isn’t an “injury”. This is a Recovery. My injury happened now a couple years ago, and I’m not looking back about ‘what if’ these days because my mental energy is focusing on my recovery. I appreciate the mental relief I give myself by acknowledging the injury and focusing on the recovery aspect. As opposed to the injury itself. Our nervous system heals. It forms new connections. We are constantly fueling it new inputs, from what we do in the external world with what we see, hear, smell and really all 5 of our senses. To what we touch, move around with, and grow. Then there’s also our thoughts. The way we form thoughts in our brain also makes changes up there, forms new synapses, new connections, and changes our brain, literally by ‘what we think’.
I don’t know where I’ll be in 3 more years, but from the accident till now, I got back to work, got a standing frame, got an exoskeleton, working on walking, in the Exo and my braces, with and without walkers, got a Handcycle, got married! Been doing PT and OT consistently for 3 years, been doing Pilates! Bought a house, and am continually progressing in all areas of my life. It’s astounding to stop and think about sometimes. It sure is wild.
Having a body that is so difficult to wrangle and manage these days, like a crappy car who needs constant service, like a child who can’t hold their bladder because they always have to pee, or a body with all the digestive issues you can think of, carbonation, dairy, heavy carbs like gluten, have made for some of the most awful days you can possibly think of as an adult. These days set ya back and make you think “why me?” Too often than not.
Having caring and loving people in our lives, can sometimes make or break us, in times like these. If I didn’t have Callie, I have no idea where I would be today, what my recovery would look like. Who knows if I would have gotten back to work so soon, found Marquette Neuro PT, bought a house, or anything else that’s been so big and monumental these past 3 years! My parents, who have done nothing but love, support, and help me like you wouldn’t believe. They took me in after the accident, brought me home, and helped me when I was most weak, needed the most help, and was in all sorts of pain and wrong ways. My siblings and brothers who helped me, brought me to the gym so I could shower, workout, start getting out of the house. It means alot to have family like all of them. It really does. They also are my lifeline for conversations throughout the week, because I call all of them constantly!
It’s all so new, crazy, and difficult each day, but sometimes it isn’t always like that. Our bodies learn, we get stronger if we work them, and we develop into better people if we consistently work them in new and different ways each day. I’m never saying never. There’s no reason to. It doesn’t help. It gets in the way. I’m going to continue to live my life with hope, opportunity, and a chance to get back and do whatever it is my body can do. I’m trying. And sometimes that’s all we can do each day.
Hebbian learning is the foundational principle: connections between neurons become stronger when they’re repeatedly activated together — “neurons that fire together, wire together.” My daily work, my consistent thought patterns, my writing — all of it is literally structural. [1]
Repeated activation of a neural pathway increases its myelin sheathing, grows new synaptic connections, and even promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The reverse is also true: pathways that go unused weaken through synaptic pruning. Every habitual thought pattern is either being reinforced or allowed to fade. [2]
On the injury/recovery reframe specifically — neuroplasticity includes synaptic plasticity, functional reorganization, and neuroplasticity includes distinct processes the brain uses in response to damage and restoration of function. Orienting toward recovery rather than injury isn’t just a mindset. It’s helping by directing neuroplastic resources. [3]
And each time you repeat a thought or a behavior, you strengthen the new pathway. The more you avoid and replace certain thoughts, the weaker those connections become. [4]
Learning all of these new and exciting ideas about how our brain works, really just reinforces old sayings, that people have had throughout history. It’s not being positive for the sake of being positive. It’s because it helps. It helps us form better, stronger, and new connections that will help us in our brains.
Lying on my back, legs are straightening out! It’s crazy how they really do need to re-learn what this position is, and what safe looks like. My low back is creaking, popping, my muscles are squeezing, relaxing. Knees are warm, feet are full, hips are contracting and relaxing, all while I attempt to focus on something else, to let my body know it’s safe. This extended position is really what I need my body to learn, so my posterior chain continues to wake up and progress to get me standing better and better on my own! It’s hard on the breath, hard on everything down low simultaneously. But he’s getting it!
It’s like all my back muscles have to learn how to re-fire in an extended position?! I can feel small little jolts in my low back, possibly indicating to me that areas are waking up and firing up in different ways!?
Okay, good hour long bike ride today! Longest to date!!! Let’s keep pushing this body! I’m excited to keep progressing him!
Standing frame spinal stim
Weirdest occurrence of GERD symptoms this night? This sucked! What a day though!
5/19/26 – Consolidation Day
Well I’m not sure what all the GERD was about this weekend!?!?! I’m not sure what happened? Was it the spinal stim? Was it something else waking up?! I don’t quite get it, because that was AWFUL!
My body isn’t quite feeling like that right now, but boy, that is interesting!! Things are a-changing down there!
This was interesting! I found a fella on Facebook last night who got back walking 19 years after his accident!?! That’s wild! Talk about not giving up on yourself! That’s what I need to do!
I really needed yesterday off work, I needed to give myself a break, some rest, and some time back for myself after this busy weekend. I had some rough moments, but I’m trying. Each day little by little. Sometimes that’s all we can do!
10:19pm
Dead. Body worn. Extremely woken up. Legs and lower legs are extremely full and exhausted. Completely tired. It’s crazy how tired my entire body is. Almost like I had some thoughts but they’re eluding me at the moment. Time for some rest.
My body laying supine is actually extended! I’ll wrap up for tonite.
5/20/26 – Extended Position + Cardio
These hips are really waking up!! Man oh man the fullness is real! The cardio I’ve been doing on the bike has really been making my whole body change! Even though it’s pedaling with my arms, I’m still in an extended position, and it’s helping my body relax and settle in to extension more and more I ride. My hamstrings are letting up, quads are perking up, hips are activating, and feet are pushing into the bars for more power and stabilization! It’s wild how my body feels after I get done with the ride! Immediately after, my body is calm. He doesn’t spasm or tingle, and it’s like my body is settling in! IT really makes me want to get up in the braces afterwards now too! I haven’t done this yet, and I know I’m tired, but I can just feel how much more active my legs are, and I want to continue this progression!
My lower abdomen and back is activating more, hips are stabilizing, and my lungs are having to work really hard! I think a strength session is in order, as I need to strengthen these back and arm muscles up too, to help keep this progression moving! I need to figure out a workout split between cardio Handcycle, and strength training.
The change in sensation in my legs during a ride has been so wild, I really am feeling so much waking up!
With the walk and bike ride today, my legs and body have been feeling absolutely amazing! I just had dinner, got in the standing frame, and goodness is everything awake right now! My quads today!! Today has been HUGE for them! Having them extended, almost fully extended, and resting has been an excellent position to work on excitatory and inhibitory signals at the same time!
Actively, I was working on pushing my feet against the metal bars, keeping quads going, as well as forgetting about the hamstrings and letting them relax!
Working on my lungs and this cardio is making some significant changes in my body! I can feel my lungs filling with fresh air. My lungs working thru some heavier/ crackly inhalations, where I feel my lungs working to expand, but limited by peripheral regions of tightness, followed by what feels like “junk” in the bellows of my lungs being worked out? I work to expel and clear my throat, but realize this is them healing, and working through something deep inside ‘em. Knowing that they’re healing, so working through it as best I can!
I’m getting wrapped and set for a training regimen, and getting myself race ready, while also giving my legs some extra boost of oxygen, with all this cardio I’m working on! Studies do show that cardio has benefits
5/21/26 – Longest Bike Ride Yet!
Warmth in the legs! Activation in the quads and glutes! Nothing feels too overpowering this morning! What an exciting combo! This left hip flexor is still a bit overactive, but maybe I finally found a good combo of workouts for my body to do!
Longest bike ride yet! Entire body responding well to the stimulus and extended position! My legs are feeling more stable, hips, core, shoulders, the entire chain! Left glute is waking up and working to hold his own!
5/22/26 – Big Walk + Big Ride!
Man oh man! These glutes and low back are waking up! This is impressive how much the bike is helping!!
TODAY WAS INSANE! I did so much! This was ALOT for my body, I’m genuinely shocked right now!
Visceral Manipulation – significant increase in localized touch and sensation! Lots of QL increase as well
Work
Walking session – great support for a longest walk to date! Did 3/4 of the basement hallway loop! First time for this distance! also worked on talking while walking , right leg forward stance work, and standing balance!
Bike Ride – Longest ride to date! Used E-assist for partial ride, and kept it easy! Increased foot support distances by 3/4”. Parking break broke, as did water bottle holder. Need sunglasses / riding glasses so I’m not picking up rocks, bugs, everything flying in the air just above ground level. This stinks! Body shot up when finished with the ride getting up, I need to readjust the seated position , and I should be able to get more power than ever!
Was smelling more today, and body was feeling so alive today as well! Lots of great progress for a day that I did my longest walk and bike ride yet to date! Hopefully I can keep pushing both distances, it feels like I’m just getting started!
My body really likes these full movement days. My quads right now laying supine in bed at 11:16om, are feeling more alive than usual! It’s amazing how the fullest days translate into some of the best output days for my legs! They truly like it. One day at a time! They’re getting it! My legs are feeling fuller than ever and I’m about to sleep! Time to consolidate all these gains!
5/23/26 – Ride The Hoan!
Momentum. I’m building it. I can feel it. My entire body is coming back online, one twitch at a time. My legs are working to stabilize me more and more when I’m on the bike, and I think that’s going to translate to more power down! Which is exciting! Taking the bike out yesterday to explore was honestly really freeing! I was so shocked at how freeing it felt, to be able to take my body somewhere I had never gone, on my own, taking in the sights, and letting my mind wander with my body. The two of them were finally just working together to move and see more as I was traveling around the new neighborhood. I had no agenda. Nowhere to go. Just to ride. It felt good.
My body is responding really well to this riding! I’ll have to keep it up! I just have to be mindful of the recovery time too, I might need to take a day off tomorrow or something, we will see!
Okay, longest ride yet! Just under 17miles, and under 2 hrs at 1hr 45min! This went so well! I mean this isn’t lightening fast, but I gotta build up some miles and endurance! I gotta talk to my racer colleague to get some tips! This is going really well! My quads are engaging more and more the longer I’m riding for! Almost like this cardio is really waking them up! Incredible!
Made it home, dinner, standing frame for 1hr, stretching, and bed. Time to rest. I’m cooked!
Works Cited
The Astronaut on Earth 
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