A Theory On Walking Again

[KevinS]

Went,

I can identify with a lot of your situations. I just want to say thank you for making me laugh even though our situations are not funny your description brought a smile to my face.

[ScrapHeap]

Joel,

I COULD actually kick someone at this point of my recovery. Well, maybe on a good day I could. But chances are I'd miss, fall down and set myself back another 6 months. I am doing some boxing, kick boxing, and martial arts training... kinda sorta. Mostly drills on classic footwork to coincide w/punches and leverage. I'm passable on a good day - Horrible most of the time. So my fast ending to this long-winded response is, I'm not kicking people, physically. Though I sometimes tongue lash them brutally. Kicking and striking the pads isn't quite as fulfilling. They don't curl up in the fetal position and make lil girl noises when you drop them.

[kevins]

Went,
I can relate to a lot of your situations. Thanks for the humor provided in your brief history. Our situations are not funny but you made comments that made me laugh. Thanks again

[went]

joel said:

Hey, I happen to have real affection for "thingy". Leave it in.

Geeze, getting a little personal, aren't we? Tone it down, man.

joel said:

Also, get real, Went, that snake-charmer idea just can't work! I mean, who wants to levitate in place all day? Maybe this guy knows some magic-carpet makers--then we'd be talkin'! I could just hop on one of those thingys and get outa there!
Joel

Haha, that reminds me of an old friend of mine. His nickname was "Muslim", so of course his car was "The Magic Carpet."

I propose that we head to India in search of the fairy fabric. What say you?

[went]

cindylee said:

Ryan!!! I wondered how you were. It's great to see you posting again. And I think you are making a lot of progress. We live in a fast world so we expect everything else to be fast. But slow and steady sometimes is the better way. Keep posting, I have missed you! Cindy

Hey there, stranger. How are you doing lately? This winter has been terrible.

[went]

whiteangel said:

I wish I had an 1/8 of your courage.

I don't even know you and now I'm never going to be able to hear Yael Naim without thinking about you.

Hey went that's a sweet thing to say...it's a cool song...but I still think about the mac airbook commercial...I wish i had an 1/8 of your humor....so now we are even... [/quote]

Well, I also wish I had the cool accent that you probably have.

[went]

scrapheap said:

I lost my link to the old forum, password,etc. Admin was kind enough to email me a link to this new forum. Good to be back and good to see some of the previous forum members here.

1) Went: My story is so similar to yours it is uncanny. Main difference being my symptoms were over a long period of time - Years, maybe 4 or more. We share most of the same journey, stubbornness, commitment to improve, and obstacles of progress.

2) Went: You can not and did not embarrass yourself for stating your experiences and feelings about them. I've said and done far worse, in public and private places. One "thing" is for sure, most everyone had and/or has a "thingie." However, I'm with you. I'd never call it that. I have much more descriptive terms as a preference.

3) My theory on walking. Nike Baby! Just do it. However and whatever it takes. When devices are required, suck it up, swallow the pride, potential embarrassment, and JUST DO IT! I feel fortunate to be "walking" again. If that's what you want to call it. I walk with a cane. Badly I might add. I walk worse without it. I closely resemble a staggering drunk falling off the proverbial bar stool. I fall sometimes. Falls have caused me more setbacks than I care to endure. But I pick my sorry arse off the floor, take inventory of body parts remaining along with their damage status, and keep on gimping along.

4) Don't give up. EVER! Get mad. Get po'ed at whatever/whomever. Vent. But try to redirect that energy into a focused beam of rehab rituals.

Sorry if I come off as some steroid stuffed gym coach. I too have a lot of internal turmoil as a result of my situation. But I keep looking back at where I was just before and just after surgery. I have a LONG way to go before I consider myself a modern marvel (though the docs say I'm "not human"). But I've come a very long way from those places. That applies to both physical and mental aspects. And so what if Went, I, and others are more than a bit on the reclusive side. Look at the bright side. We don't have to subject ourselves to as much of the pettiness most others wallow in on a day to day basis. "I am going to be late for the show. I'm stuck in traffic. My Blackberry just glitched and I can't get my email until I get home." Yeah! Whatever. A week in our shoes and they'd be begging to be back in those "horrible" day-to-day situations again.

1) Maybe we're long-lost brothers. I've always had a feeling that I may be adopted.

2) Oh, trust me, I've done an embarrassing thing or two as well. I can't even bring myself to talk about most of it now, but one day it's going to make a funny story.

3) That's funny, because "Just do it" is my slogan concerning Meth. Wait, what?

You should get one of those canes that have the sword inside them. That's what I plan on doing. It will be sweet.

That's another thing that's funny. When I was "normal", and I was drunk and would fall over, I would just laugh. Now I'm scared to death of falling.

I am definitely grateful for the lessons that I've learned from going through all of this, but I'm also definitely ready for class to be over.

[went]

kevins said:

Went,
I can relate to a lot of your situations. Thanks for the humor provided in your brief history. Our situations are not funny but you made comments that made me laugh. Thanks again

Thank you for laughing at me when I'm in such a vulnerable state. What is wrong with you?

Just kidding. Thanks.

[msweeney]

Went:

You're the best. Just finished reading your post and loved it. Always the perfect combination of humor, insight, self deprecation and disrespectfulness. Thanks for sharing this story. It is an inspiration. Keep up the good work!

Matt

[WhiteAngel]

Hey went..you humour is a talent, why don't you have a blog or a personal site...so we can get more of it...you seam a shy kind of a person...am I right?..you hide behind your humour.....anyway just a thought.....no I don't have ancient, you do...