Category: 2025
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Independence First – Tool Donation / Balancing It All for SCI Recovery | Dec 14 – 20 2025
“Easy, Easy” – Independence First – Consolidating what I’m learning & working on balancing it all.
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Exo Stair Training, Visceral Manipulation & The Optimist for SCI Rehab | Dec 7 – 13 2025
Exo stair training, cognitive distortions, working on consolidating all this new info, plus visceral manipulation!
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Legs Working and Trying! Positive Self-Talk! | Nov 30 – Dec 6 2025
Positive Self Talk – Learning from the Water – Up in the Exoskeleton – Full days
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Thanksgiving! // Items for Daily Leg & Core Work for SCI Recovery | Nov 23 – 29 2025
Thanksgiving – Busy Days – And Time for Reflection!
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“One Construction Zone At a Time” // Who Knows What’s Next? for SCI Recovery | Nov 16 – 22 2025
Working On Left Hip – One Construction Zone At a Time
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Getting Back To Work for SCI Rehab | Nov 9 – 15 2025
GI Pain & The Astronaut – Letting Out Body Do What It’s Best At – Hydration Rules SCI-Style – To Plant A Seed – Looking Up!
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“Don’t Die Today” – Ocean & Desert Exploration for SCI Recovery | Nov 2 – 8 2025
“Don’t Die Today” – getting back in the groove of daily work/ life routine after SCI and vacation
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Stabilizer Cascade Theory Refinement / Boats, Pukes, & Planes for SCI Recovery | Oct 26 – Nov 1 2025
Trip to San Diego! Stabilizer Cascade theory refining, and figuring out my GI tract.
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Black Hooded Figure //Learning From Others, Social Engagement for SCI Rehab | Oct 19 – 25 2025
Externalization of our minds. Working through the black hooded figures inside ourselves. Learning about the natural frequencies in our bodies. Always something new to be learning.
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New Meaning of The Word ‘Understanding’ – We Only Have What We Remember / Pairing Excitation With Inhibition for SCI Recovery | Oct 12 – 18 2025
And fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach. Come on and see us together, we’re just some tattered rags stained forever, we only have what we remember. – Listener
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Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, Stabilizer Cascade Theory, & ‘Keeping Perspective’ for SCI Recovery | Oct 5 – 11 2025
What do the Uncertainty Principle & The Stabilizer Cascade Theory have in common? Let’s explore these thoughts in this week’s entry!
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Neural Rewiring and GI Triggers for SCI Recovery | Sep 28 – Oct 4 2025
All the work being put in, day in and day out. Feeling some new “rumblings”..
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“Building Off One Another” | Having Hope & Faith in SCI Recovery | Sept 21 – 27 2025
9/21 Wow, I’ve been pooped. I guess there’s not much to add there? Okay my low back and glutes are fired up like crazy after getting in the standing frame for the first time in the past two days!! Goodness yesterday I got TIGHT! All the shenanigans all day in the chair has really lent…
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Wedding Week & Time on My Feet! For SCI Recovery | Sept 14 – 20 2025
Wedding week, and all the amazing events leading up to the big day.
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Wedding Day! | Sept 19 2025
“On Sept 19 2025 I walked down the aisle after spinal cord injury recovery — here’s how the day went.”
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Operant Conditioning, All the Preparation, & The Man In Black for SCI rehab | Sept 7 – 13 2025
How does Operant Conditioning, the Man in Black, and existential thoughts all have to do with SCI recovery? Read on to find out more.
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“Re-Entry Week” // Another Step in the Right Direction for SCI Rehab | Aug 31 – Sept 6 2025
8/31 This is another morning of some really full sensations in my lower extremities and joints!! Honestly my ankles have never felt so full! My left leg was even trying to help pull himself up and around onto the footplate too, this morning! Sometimes, I feel like my mind is still here, but my body…
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Making Something From Nothing // Visceral Manipulation for SCI Rehab | Aug 24 – 30 2025
8/24 Okay, I can feel more and more surging into my lower legs! It’s definitely that “creaky” and slow signal, that has reminiscent points of tingle, but it’s slower, like the TV static on basic TV from the 90’s tuning back into focus, with the antenna you have sitting on top! It’s crazy, everything has…
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“The Gravel Walks” // Movement Patterns for SCI Recovery | Aug 17 – 23 2025
8/17 This was a rough night. Okay, so I need to reframe how the cyclobenzaprine can help me right now, as opposed to thinking of it like a crutch, because it’s really helping with my lower abdomen spasms, and helping more clean signals go to my legs! My abdomen, upper things, glutes, and feet are…
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“Recognize What You’re Feeling, Don’t Tell Yourself What You Are Feeling.” for SCI Recovery | Aug 10 – 16 2025
8/10 when I went to the bathroom for the third time today, I got rather emotional because of the flood of thoughts running through my head. Max, Family, Julia, Callie, Mom, John, Jill, Schmüle, Jake, you name them. It’s always hard in these moments being seemingly removed from the family, but also right there with them.…
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“Crashing Waves in My Mind” // On The Move for SCI Rehab | Aug 3 – 9 2025
“Crashing Waves in My Mind” and explorations of managing sleep after a spinal cord injury
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Neurological Thresholds for SCI Rehab | July 27 – Aug 2 2025
Neurological Thresholds for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Facilitated by new movements in Pilates.
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The Astronaut On Earth
The reasons why I call myself an Astronaut On Earth, it turns out, have been growing as I have been learning more about astronauts, space, neuroscience, kinesiology, and continuing my rehabilitation from my Spinal Cord Injury. I want to take some time to help others understand why I’ve called myself this, and hopefully this will…
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“Can You Kick It?” // Making Connections for SCI Recovery | July 20 – 26 2025
Making new connections while healing from the spinal cord injury makes for a rather interesting experience!
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Lake Michigan // Party Time and Up For 23hrs – SCI Rehab Marathon | July 13 – 19 2025
7/13 My legs are really extending out while I’m laying in supine more and more while I’m waking up in bed! So much to think about when I get down on the floor. Which exercises to do, what to try, what did the PTs tell me to try? What did Therese tell me to try?…
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T-Shirts, Fundraising, and Reciprocal Motion for SCI Rehab | July 6 – 12 2025
7/6 So I always liked mornings, but these days they’re really hard because I gotta wake up and I have such a giant urge to use the restroom. But I did something different this morning, and that was to grab the IdealKnee and start doing my 100’s! What’s interesting is how the sensation has all…
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We Need Both – Upright Weight-Bearing & Reciprocal Motion for SCI Recovery | June 29 – July 5 2025
6/29 So I’m still thinking about the pull up bar/ gymnast rings combo. I think I can try to do some exercises here where I can try to keep my legs extended. Like an L-sit, where my legs are contracted isometrically, and held out? I’m curious, because that’s the big motion/ movement area I need…
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Sadness vs Unhappiness – Contracting the Ab’s full time for SCI Rehab | June 22 – 28 2025
6/22 Wow was that one of the saddest and most heartfelt moments I’ve had in such a long time. The image of Max, sitting and watching, patiently for me, as I was pulling out of the driveway. I miss that old boy. He knows, he knows all too well, how much I miss him. It’s…
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Legs in Extension & Family Visits for SCI Recovery | June 15 – 21 2025
6/15 I guess, days like this are bittersweet and very hard. There is so much my body needs, and it’s so hard. It’s so hard, mentally and physically. And I really need to keep moving. Today was a slower day for movement. I really don’t know what to say about that, except I know my…
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Small Repetitive Movements for SCI Rehab | June 8 – 14 2025
6/8 I’m doing this to be kinder for my future self. I’m working these abs to help control what extends out from underneath them. It’s a slow process, but each morning, I’m feeling my legs leveling up in terms of their power and activation. It may not be much, and it may not always be…
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“I’m Safe” – Mental Cues for SCI Recovery | June 1 – 7 2025
6/1 Had a good morning with Callie! Got in the pool today too!! I’m really excited to see where the pool work is headed!!! This was really cool, because Callie was helping me work on advancing my legs, one at a time! I was doing some sort of “walking” but was not fully getting my…
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Independent Leg Initiated Movements – SCI Rehab Movements| May 25 – 31 2025
5/25 Preloading my legs first before movements… it’s almost like I need to be loading my legs and attempting the movement, prior to getting assistance from my hands. And slowly by slowly, I can keep delaying the use of my hands until I eventually no longer need them? Made it out and about, and talking…
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Doing Hard Things & Family Visits! Subconscious Processes for SCI Recovery | May 18 – 24 2025
5/18 Hard things. Doing hard things. Seems to be a theme going on here. Today’s the day. Today is the day of the accident. I…. am at a loss of words right now. It’s really surreal. I am not sure how to describe my emotions or feelings right now. I’m like, really struggling to put…
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Lake Michigan Lighthouse Project – Take 1 | May 11 – 17 2025
5/11 Wow, another day and another increase in sensation! My legs really needed yesterday! That was a great day of rest! I still incorporated activation into the day, but I really got caught up on some rest!! I realized too, how my hopefulness waxes and wanes as the day moves on. It’s a hard reality,…
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“Maintaining Perspective” to support SCI Rehab | May 4 – 10 2025
5/4 What is it, about reading books? What is it about writing? I feel as though everything that I am learning, I am also able to consolidate in my brain so much better these days with the tool that writing is. Without it, I feel like I would be floundering with all the information floating…
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Family Bonds & Calisthenics For SCI Recovery | Apr 27 – May 3 2025
4/27 Wow, it’s my mom’s birthday today! Holy smokes, I miss her. She’s seriously the sweetest person ever, it’s pretty amazing. When you stop and think about the influential people in your life, it’s pretty easy to see how she has made such a monumental impact on me. Not just me, but all 6 of…
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Keeping My Body and Mind Useful to Fuel SCI Recovery | April 20 – 26 2025
4/20 Whoa. This morning I woke up with such substantial sensations in my calves, feet, knees! I had a dream last night I was walking around with Anthony and Brandon Rice, planning on playing in a Kicker’s reunion game. Actually this dream started with John and I, navigating this almost church like place, and starting…
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Quad Sets + Sinus Surgery for fueling SCI Recovery | Apr 13 – 19 2025
4/13 My legs are really showing up more and more each day! I’m really impressed with how they’re doing sit to stands off the hand press, that I have been doing after I’m done going to the bathroom! Holy smokes it’s less and less weight thru my hands! Sometimes it feels like I might sometimes…
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Neural Oscillation Pairing + “Spiritual Experiences” for SCI Rehab | Apr 6 – 12 2025
4/6 Will hinging at my hips/ lower spine/ sacral region, will that be bad for that area if I’m fused from T3- L5? How can I functionally get my spine/ pelvis/ hips in extension or flexion with this limitation? What do I need to work? What needs to be bolstered for support and movement? I…
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Neurological Thresholds & Brother’s Birthday Party for SCI Rehab & Recovery | Mar 30 – Apr 5 2025
3/30 You know, I’m thinking about dancing and how your entire body moves during it? To me, this was something I was feeling very different with last night?! I feel like there’s something there, I just don’t know what yet. Like holy crap, I wore the compression top yesterday, after being completely exhausted, and today,…
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Sit-To-Stands On The Go! Perception From Action to help SCI Recovery | Mar 23 – 29 2025
3/23 Wow! My legs are so engaged today!!! Callie and I were able to have a great start to the morning! I’m pretty glad to have her to work through all the things I have to improve in my body. It’s been a lot to try to tackle on my own, so I’m glad I…
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“Ichi-Go Ichi-E” Create / Control for SCI Recovery | Mar 16 – 22 2025
3/16 Adaptive e-sports equipment for folks working to regain function, mirror neurons, and more?! To help regain stability and motor control?! Seems like something I might have to investigate and add to the list!?? So, I woke up here this morning, with a flood of new sensory input in my legs, core, chest, back, glutes,…
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Dreaming of the Sledge – Diaphragmatic Breathing & Pelvic Floor Strengthening for SCI Recovery | Mar 9 – 15 2025
3/9 If I can do kegels while holding in a number 2, will this help me eventually be able to learn to voluntarily relax the external a. Sphincter muscles? Seems weird and a funny area, but if I can feel myself doing that, and I slowly build up the ability to contract them, that should…
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Getting Stronger Everyday! – Intermediate Goals and Progression for SCI Rehab | Mar 2 – 8 2025
3/2 Dang. Paul just left this morning. He had something really nice to say, and that was, “Hey, you know where you’re going. You know what you’re doing. You’re getting these legs working, but be happy with the process. Let yourself be happy, Joe.” And I say, “where did you learn that?” And he goes,…
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Schmüle’s Supply & Delivery & Morning Routine’s for SCI Recovery | Feb 23 – Mar 1 2025
2/23 When I get on the floor in the morning, I need a plan. I need structure to this routine, because I have a feeling this is something I am going to need to do daily. I think this needs a bit of both cardio and strength. Maybe some 100’s, forward and backwards crawls to…
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Active Motor Learning and The Observer Effect for SCI Rehab – “Murder in the City”| Feb 16 – 22 2025
2/16 My legs have filled out so much in the past 24hrs, I say my legs, but that leaves out my abs, low back, and pelvic region as well! It’s truly remarkable what constantly putting new stimulus on your body does. Whether it be new textures and materials, new exercises, or even just new mental…
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Glute Stimulation & Dump Angle Change for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery | Feb 9 – 15 2025
2/9 Wait, do I need to contract my muscles the whole time I’m eccentrically and concentrically loading them? Because it really feels very different these past couple days with me consciously engaging my muscles during the eccentric load phase! Control, I need to make sure I’m not letting my muscles lengthen passively. “The depth and…
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Core Strength & Quad Engagement For Improving Your SCI | Feb 2 – 8 2025
2/2 Wow! These hundreds on the floor are feeling wild, I can feel some sort of reciprocal contractions going on in my abdomen that are timed with my exhale/ push down of the air?! This is really wild, I’ve never felt them firing like this before?? Let me do another set to confirm the contraction…
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Small Movements Matter – How We Help Train Our Spinal Cord | Jan 26 – Feb 1 2025
1/26 Wow, my legs are moving so well to get out of bed partially on my own! I am able to kick them out so good these days, my left leg likes to initiate the movement, and it seems being in certain positions too, really helps! All these small, subtle movements and attempts are important,…
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Overcoming Spinal Cord Rehab Challenges in 0-Degree Winter Temps | Jan 19 – 26 2025
1/19 So! Putting furniture together from IKEA has turned into quite the therapy and physical exercise for me! I would have never thought that this would require such different bodily positions, movements, or strength, or balance! But it did! It got me in so many different positions on the floor, and even in the chair…
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Enhancing Spinal Cord Injury Rehab with Low Backrest & Pilates | Jan 12 – 18 2025
1/12 Had an accident last night. This is probably why I shouldn’t have any alcohol. It’s just an opportunity for a let down. I guess it’s nice to “fit in” but that ships already sailed. Plus, you’ve managed just fine without it so far. I think it’s probably only right to hold off on it…
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Improving Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Through Tall Sitting Techniques | Jan 5- Jan 11 2025
1/5 Okay, these quads have really stepped it up today, with a huge amount of stability added to my chest workouts I’ve noticed just now here at the gym! I’m really glad the time in the gym is complementing my SCI rehab journey with therapy as well. I really do think I get to make…
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Starting 2025: New Goals in SCI Recovery! | Jan 1- Jan 4 2025
1/1/2025 So it feels weird, but normal at the same time writing 1/1/25. Wow. We are now closer to 2050 than we are to the year 2000. This must be what it felt like before the stock market crashed I bet? Either way, this is pretty interesting! I feel like I’m living in some sort of…
The Astronaut on Earth 