Tag: sensation
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Wrangling my GI & Moving Forward for SCI Recovery | Feb 8-14 2026
Busy Week wrangling my GI tract. Lots to manage, but moving forward and progressing!
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Waking Things Up – New Seat Day! For SCI Rehab | Feb 1 – 7 2026
Movement and activation increase with new base of support!
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More and More Extension Work! for SCI Recovery | Jan 25 – 31 2026
Busy week for the legs in extension & first attempt brace modifications
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Cross – Disciplinary Works // Getting Back In The Groove for SCI Rehab | Jan 18 – 24 2026
Another week for the books, with physics, movement specialists, and body changes.
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Feeling and Believing in Yourself for SCI Recovery | Dec 28 2025 – Jan 3 2026
12/28 – Flip The Script Reflexes… what’s it all about?! Because we originally get the term from Rene Descartes, and then a man (Physiologist) named Marshall Hall, in the 19th century, more specifically in 1833. It’s just curious to me, because I am not sure yet, and am not convinced, our understanding of reflexes, and…
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Writing Exercises, Pattern Making & Christmas Time! for SCI Recovery | Dec 20 – 27 2025
Pattern making and consolidation before Christmas celebration!
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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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“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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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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“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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“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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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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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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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…
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Thanksgiving Week Challenges In Spinal Cord Rehab: The Turkey Toilet Trot | Nov 24 – Nov 30 2024
11/24 I’m feeling so much engagement in my body. Right now though, i would really like them all to relax. I’m finally laying on my tum, and my hip flexors and hamstrings gotta chill out. They can relax now. Finally got in the standing frame, and my legs really needed that. They really needed to…
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Are My Feet Cold?! – Addressing Temp Sensitivity in SCI Recovery Nov 3- Nov 9 2024
11/3 So I am feeling a significant change happening in my legs, it’s wild. I think this past week was a great chance to try to give my body a bit of a break? But also, it wasn’t because I was so dang busy in it…. Oof. My legs right now are sensating so much.…
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Drink Your Electrolytes & Family Visits – Supporting SCI Recovery | Sept 29 – Oct 5 2024
9/29 Okay. This has been an interesting and wonderful week! My body is experiencing some drastic changes, and I’m feeling it. My low back right now is working through some extreme amounts of tightness, and it’s been amazing being able to actually feel that! My hips are unlocking, and my legs are really activating! My…
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Aug 18th – Aug 24th 2024: “Backwards Crawl”
8/18 Okay, so I’m waking up, and feeling my left shoulder doesn’t quite like being laid on so much. I think it’s partially because I haven’t been to the gym very much last week! Need to step it back up! My left leg is making some rather huge movements these days, while I’m laying on…
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Aug 11th – Aug 17th 2024: “Quantity Over Quality, Practice Makes Perfect”
8/11 Okay, so I’m not really sure why I was so tired today, but boy was I. Goodness I’m glad to have a nice recovery day!! I’m brushing my teeth standing up in the standing frame, and it’s interesting because I haven’t brushed my teeth and spit in a cup in what feels like forever.…
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Aug 4th – Aug 10th 2024: “Memories Like This”
8/5 So, I’m crying right now. I’m at work, and I’m tearing up. It’s hard. A song came on that reminded me of a video I made like a month before the accident. “Teal” – by Wunderhorse, was the name of the song, I’m pretty sure I made and sent a Snapchat to the brothers of…
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July 28th – Aug 3rd 2024: “Your Body Adapts to The Demands You Place Upon It”
7/28 Goodness! This was an amazing weekend at GermanFest with the family! I had an absolutely amazing time! I am feeling so much in my legs right now! My quads and inner thighs are feeling very full right now! Also, when I was getting ready for bed, I realized that my feet and lower legs…
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July 7th – July 13th 2024: “The More You Learn, The More You CAN Learn”
7/7 Okay, today has been a good day. I have felt like I haven’t been writing a lot, and it’s got me all stressed out. I think it’s been interesting, I’ve been saying a lot, “the more you learn, the more you can learn” and I feel as though I can apply this to so…
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June 30th – July 6th 2024: “4-A-Day’s”
6/30 Okay maybe I get to the gym and do some “pull ups” with a spotter on the smith machine? Like, get the legs on the ground, and just work on pulling up and letting my legs be on the ground? Doing some research into what infants do between the crawling and the walking stage.…
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June 23rd – June 29th 2024: “Apple Pie, salads, Knouldering, and Chess. What do they all have in common?”
6/23 I feel like the amount of nutrients, B vitamins, antioxidants and minerals is pretty okay for my diet. I think I need to try to incorporate some more essential fatty acids, as they are essential for maintaining and improving glial, myelin sheath, and neuronal health. At least that what’s my research is showing! It’s…
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June 16th – June 22nd 2024: “Linus The Lump is Gone!”
6/16 Okay so my legs are ready. They are ready to do some things today! I need to get moving so they don’t feel so restless today! It’s interesting how I can take a second and reflect and see all the changes happening in my body. See and feel the changes. It’s really been a…
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June 2nd – June 8th 2024: “Kneel Bouldering = Knouldering?”
6/2 Alright, so it happened!!! I made it over to Jake and Carley’s! It was so cool, I did so many firsts! It was also really emotional, driving over there from the freeway. I actually teared up on the way over there. While I got off the freeway, I noticed how much had changed off…
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May 12th – May 18th 2024: “Try and Fail, but Always Try!”
5/13 So, everytime I go to the gym after a longer break, I start to feel such different feelings from day to day. My lower back lately has been feeling so much! I can really feel him contracting! 5/14 It’s hard. Having to get up and try to do something, and then go at it…
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April 21st – April 27th 2024: Early Stages of Crawling
4/21 If I want to get outside and go for a walk with my dog Max, then I have to be doing what I’m doing. Try to enjoy this process is really tricky when it takes so much effort just to crawl across the bedroom floor. But it’s good though! I’m actually moving! I’m trying…
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April 7th – April 13th 2024: Look Ma, No Hands!
4/7 Welp, that was a morning for the books! I really haven’t felt that good in a very long time. I’m really fortunate. Also, the feeling of having to go to the bathroom is getting to be just the feeling of the movement, and isn’t a bunch of pain! We made it to Culver’s and…
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Mar 31st – Apr 6th 2024: I Got Some Walkin’ to Do!
3/31 Easter! Wow! Had to get up and get ready to go to church with mom and dad! We had a pretty alright time, really. It was an interesting time because I had to take a break and do my business in a public facility.. but public bathrooms are usually pretty good, and this was…
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Mar 24th – Mar 30th 2024: Gettin’ Ready to Rumble!
3/24 Wow, I had a wild day today!! Some exciting things happened today!! 3/25 Waking up is a tricky one sometimes. I usually wake up with this definite feeling of having “to go”. It isn’t like I have to try to get that feeling to go away, but it can be such a drag to…
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Mar 17th – Mar 23rd 2024: Hittin’ The Gym 5x a Week! Energy and Work
3/17 It’s so weird having to be “on my best behavior” when everything inside my body is ramping up and not feeling well. When I’m not feeling well, where my nose is clogged up and I’m super stiff, everything seems to bug me so much more than it usually would. I don’t think that’s abnormal,…
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Mar 10th – Mar 16th 2024: I’m On The Road Again!
Mar 10 I’m seriously feeling the most in my lower abdomen! Like, ever! This is insane! I can feel so much of the digestion process! My tummy is grumbling! Haha 😂 Mar 11 Wow! First Monday with the standing frame and I decided to stand in it for 2hrs right now!! And the sensations and…
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Mar 3rd – Mar 9th 2024: The Boys Are Back In Town!
Mar 3rd This was a bit of a rougher start to the day. I realized very quickly why I don’t drink…. turns out that I have some really hard things I have to do in the morning that require my body to not be in pain or hurtin’ in other ways. Just getting out of…
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Jan 7th – Jan 13th 2024: Unpleasant Feelings; Expectations vs Reality
Jan 10th Goodness it’s been a few days! I just sent a letter to a Doctor about getting his mental training routine! Also got a theragun and have been loving to use it not only on my arms and back, but also my legs for sensation! The amount of mental rehearsal i do has been…
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Dec 24th – Dec 30th 2023: Another Christmas, Another UTI…
Dec 24th What’s crazy is going to church and seeing my mother. Seeing her hands, and thinking about what they signify. Like, I teared up just now just thinking about them. People go on a huge rant about god and what that means to them, but don’t see the amazing things that the ones around…
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Dec 10th – Dec 16th: Asking For Help
Dec 11th What’s interesting, is the ability to ask for, and receive, help. This experience and this injury has given me the opportunity to truly understand what asking for help is like. By having to make yourself this vulnerable, it really forces us to acknowledge the fact that there are many things we can’t sometimes…
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Dec 3rd – Dec 9th: Pep Talk
Dec 5 What’s interesting is realizing that the doctors originally said you had 21 health conditions that you suffered. What’s also interesting is knowing that the internet doesn’t have hardly any information on the exact nature of your injuries. So what I’ve been given is one of the most difficult assignments ever to try and…
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Nov 5th – Nov 11th 2023: The Black Cauldron
Nov 7th Well, how do you describe pain? Because that’s where I’m at right now…. Anyone I talk to in this household seriously has no understanding of pain or what I’m going thru. It’s extremely frustrating. This bed isn’t just “uncomfortable” but I laid awake for maybe 3hrs last night tossing and turning all spasmed…
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Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Therapy for SCI Rehab | Aug 20 – 26 2023
BFR & Back To School!
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Standing Frame Tolerance for SCI Health & Wellness | Aug 13 – 19 2023
Getting up in the standing frame, trying my hand at the guitar with bruised ribs. Trying to actually sleep again.
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More Tossing & Turning – Therapy for SCI Recovery | Aug 6 – 12 2023
Getting in the swing of PT & trying to figure it all out
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Back In Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation | July 23 – 29 2023
First week back in Michigan and started at The Recovery Project! What a great name for what I’m working on!
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First Week Home | July 9 – 15 2023
Back in town, reunited with Max. Trying to figure it all out.
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Accident + ICU: Jessie’s Perspective
So I wanted to ask my siblings their perspective from this whole ordeal and accident. It’s been a lot to take in by myself, and what Jess has told me was definitely something to stir up quite the emotions. I love my family so much! I am glad to have gotten their accounts thru this…
The Astronaut on Earth 