7/12/26 – Busy Day & On The Bike!
My lower body is feeling so prominent and online, I’m just so shocked how much sensation has increased from the weekend?! They really are feeling so much more!
Got on the bike today to do a good 15miles! Which is good for the cardio and body in extension, my body really needs it!
Hard getting in the standing frame, still trying to ease back into it.
Tired, full day. Had a busy morning that whooped me out, and tried to keep it up with a decent bike ride on a scorcher of a day.
7/13/26 – All the Observations
My quads and lungs made a huge change this past night?? I could hear and then feel my right lung do a sort of higher pitch “wheezing” where it sounded like something new was going on in there?? And my quads!! Boy do they feel fatigued and tired from all the extension work they are doing! Which is great! I feel like I woke up at one point during the night, and noticed two areas in my quads lighting up with sensation from new activation, and I thought that was the coolest thing! Plus, my low back, glutes, and hips are all firing a ton more! Also my low abdomen and obliques as well! My nightly and morning routine of using the CBD balm I think is really helping!
Just one day at a time. I ended the day yesterday on a sadder note. I was probably exhausted. I woke up this morning wanting to snooze my alarm, so it wouldn’t have been a surprise I might have gone for a bit longer bike ride than I was ready for? Especially in the heat! But my body just wanted to keep going! So that’s just what I did!
All the thoughts running around in my head. Let’s just slow down and focus on a few for the moment. Too many I think just stresses you out. Slow down, but keep that focus!
Trying to do side lying raises – hard
Loosened up pretty well before a walking session! The quad canes are not the solution for the jump between the walker and the crutches. Hmmmm back to square one on this one!
Now, today I felt an immense amount of back, neck, and leg fatigue from today. Taking those few weeks off really threw me off, and I need to work myself back up to some decent rides! This is not how I’m gonna get back on my feet!
Had a good conversation with Ashley about the research opportunity! Going to see what I can muster together!
It’s interesting. To notice how affected my mood is, by the physical state of my body. I’m completely wiped out right now, everything is tired. And somehow I’m just despondent? Weird to think I’m even able to have thought of that word?! I’m just cooked.
Gonna have to call this one for the day. Let’s keep up the work!
7/14/26 – Short Note
No notes today. Busy and hot day. Actually got in the standing frame, and was working on micro movements while in the chair!
7/15/26 – Look Ma’ No Brakes!
Woke up with a headache. Don’t want to get out of bed. Not feeling very great. Fun.
Honestly I’m not really excited for the days events.
Crazy how much meaning us Americans all put into work.
I’m kinda shook right now?! How is that just taking off the brakes, sitting with my feet on the floor, and just trying to let them move around and respond to passive input, would have such interesting effects to my body?!
PT was short but good, getting go consecutive sets in while having only rest sets! Which is great! I’m gaining distance again quickly! Just need to keep it up! Consistency is the key for this beast of a body.
I’m really just still wondering what it is about pain and sensation? One of the PT students Maddie and I were discussing how pain and temperature use some of the same “pathways” as she described it? Which is interesting!
This is quite the jump! In quad sensation and activation! Also joint sensation as well!?! is this a new form of activity and movement? Allowing my body to stabilize himself with brakes off? And also, is that the next step? Joint sensation, joint movement, and then joint voluntary movement?! The amount of sensation throughout my legs and feet is seriously on quite the rise! And yesterday was a walk, and then micromovements all day!? Huh?!
But with the joint sensation, my knees, ankles, and feet and toes are feeling a tremendous jump! It’s quite unreal! This CBD balm has really been helping to say the least! But goodness, this left side sure is crazy tight?!
What to talk to PM&R today about?
- the uneven sitting?
- Brakes unlocked feet shifted to left?
- QL / descending colon
- GI changes
- Activation and sensation increases
- KAFO walking
- Gait + EEG study
- CBD balm usage
- No brakes usage
- Passive movement and inputs like plane and train
- Not using hands to stabilize
- Different backrest without lateral stabilizers
- Biofeedback for bowel bladder & how it was working!
- Europe trip!
- Buying house!
- Handcycling changes! Cardio + extended + reciprocal motion
- Handcycling races!
- Writing & recovery?
7/16/26 – Botox for the Legs
Botox, got that done. I wasn’t too stoked about that, but let’s see how that goes?
Made it to Pilates in the first time in months!!! Wow!! What a session! I am seriously WHOOPED. This was great! Also great to see Therese after such a long break!
Clavicle down and back! Now that’s a new cue!
7/17/26 – Walking + Standing Breaks
Yeah these quads and legs sure are waking up this morning! I had a giant urge and sensation to pee, but boy are these legs really waking up and continuing to get the urge and sensation to move!
Walking with standing breaks! This has been a new pattern I am working on! This has been great! My distance is slowly increasing more and more, instead of pushing myself to fatigue and letting my posture get sloppy, I was focusing on controlled steps, and getting myself more and more upright! This was awesome!
Leg circles while feet on ground! Hmmm, I will have to play around with this!
7/18/26 – Consolidation Day
For some people with incomplete SCI, I am curious if the optimal unit of training may not be the longest possible walking bout? But may it be the longest sustainable period of organized upright loading? Constructed from short stepping bouts and active standing resets? This has been the pattern I have been playing around with, and I think I am on to something??
This has been one of the most prominent morning changes to date for my lower body! My left side isn’t spasming like crazy, low abs are online, and then my hips! My glutes! My IT band/ outer thighs! My knees! Outer lower legs! Ankles! Feet! Everything is waking up and staying online! More voluntary contraction and activation!
The walk I did yesterday has got to have been one of the most significant to date! It really ties into my stabilizer cascade theory, and my outer legs and hips are fired up more than you can believe! Trying to continue and increase my standing and walking duration, without sitting down, as opposed to trying to walk for the most amount of steps in a row, was the craziest change! That, and the timing of my breath!
I was really trying to figure out what would be more effective of a walking attempt. Trying to get the most amount of steps, or trying to get the most amount of time up in extension? I thought, “what if I decrease the amount of steps in each set, and try to string together more standing breaks? All while keeping together more standing time? So instead of sitting down right after 10 – 20 steps, maybe try to do 4-8 steps, and then take a standing break?”
So I did this, and MAN! This was HUGE! My body felt like it was responding in real time to all the changes and inputs! My legs were filling in, my breath and heart rate was finally increasing for the highest on a walk to date, and I was up in extension longer than just trying to get as many steps in! It was crazy because I think my quality of steps too was getting better! By not rushing, trying to get the most steps, getting sloppy and plopping back into the chair, this forced me to focus on extension, timing, my breath, keeping my head up, all at once! This was great!!
I could feel how the sets were getting easier too! My right leg especially was filling in and becoming that much more stable as the walk progressed! Which was so cool as well! I could feel both my legs outer walls and glutes getting more active and more engaged as the walk progressed! It felt like I was filling up balloons with air on each step and each inhale, my legs being the balloons, and them filling in more and more with each step!!! The inhale with each step was great!
So then I would take my 4-8 steps, and I would look up, take a breath, get my hips in extension more, and breathe! Slow my breath down, and really focus on taking weight out of my hands and forearms, and trying to get my body more used to being upright and in extension! This was amazing!
I couldn’t believe how tired I was, and how much my legs had responded!! And this morning, the insane amount of overflow and continuous activation has me just in awe! I gotta keep this up!! All the micromovents in the chair, and then this! This is amazing! So maybe I got the right amount of Botox this round? Maybe I can increase and string together more standing + walking time, and increase my strength and endurance simultaneously!?!
Just unlocking the brakes, moving my legs, and letting them feel while in motion has helped them relax tremendously. This has made them so much more able to get in extension! They are ready! Now the quads and glutes are able to join the party more often! It’s this continuous input, and movement, I think* that is really helping!!
What a finding! My body is waking up!! Just gotta keep finding creative ways to load and activate them! I’m really glad I got the suggestion from Ashley on this type of micro movement on Monday!
I’m wondering if I step it up a bit and try to use the spinal stim as well while I’m walking or i. Extension?!
So to reiterate, It feels like for some people with incomplete SCI, the optimal unit/ set or session of training may not be the longest possible walking bout? It may be the longest sustainable period of organized upright loading, built from short stepping bouts and active standing resets to create an environment of more time upright while loaded?!
Big bike day for Callie! She got a bike! Also we made it to the beer garden and rode 10miles!! That may have been a bit too long of a ride for the first ride, but I think it was well worth it!
Brakes off with dinner!
The Astronaut on Earth 
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