Bagless
Update Page
Greg is presently at HOME. His
home number 770-432-9338 and his cell
phone 678-296-3201…he is answering
the phone at home if he is out of bed…it
is a speaker phone. He can also call
people back – there is an answering
machine. He is also checking messages
to his cell phone and doing the best
to get back to those folks as well.
Any items for Bagless, like books on tapes,
cards, etc need to be sent to:
Greg Brakel
3576 Dyer Parke Lane
Marietta, GA 30060
May 8, 2005
What better way to commemorate a skydiving accident than to jump out of a plane! Yes, it is done! I jumped as a tandem yesterday afternoon. I missed it sooooooooo much. That’s not to say there weren’t any warning signs. I was scheduled to jump on load #13. there were 13 people on the plane with me. The air was a little turbulent at 13,000’. You get the picture. Once again my “goal-oriented” (translated stubborn) personality won out at 15,000’ and we moved to the open door of the plane. Surprisingly, I wasn’t very nervous about exiting the plane. I did, as expected, get nervous as we were landing. My greatest fear did not come to pass. I have remembered all but the last 100’ of the jump on which I was injured. My fear was that the “missing” memories would flood back in as we were landing. Fortunately, it did not happen. I know for certain that I will jump again, but I may never be able to go solo. My upper body is not strong enough to fight the wind in freefall and my right hand could not grip well enough to deploy the parachute. I may be able to overcome those deficiencies, but common sense does occasionally visit my mind to keep my adventurous spirit in check. All-in-all, jump #233 was a wonderful and necessary experience. For now, I’ll stick to rugby. but next year...
April, 2005 - From Bagless
At long last, an update! Here I sit in front of my pc with no bills, no taxes, no insurance claims, no work and not a ton of emails to answer. After a long day behind a pc at work I typically avoid turning my own on but the activities of the past 6 months require me to do some typing. I know, y’all have no sympathy for a computer geek, so I’ll just cut to the chase…
Last week saw my 2nd horror-versary/anniversary/analversary, or whatever you want to call it. The day started out like most other weekdays, to darn early. I awoke at 5:20am to the cat (she adopted us shortly before Xmas) gnawing on my toes because she wanted food. It wouldn’t have killed her to wait 10 minutes until the alarm went off! I guess she figured that she was safe knowing that most days I wouldn’t have the dexterity or strength to throw anything at her much less get the object within 2 feet of her. I keep working on it though and expect to surprise her sometime in the next 10 years. After getting up, I wheeled over to begin my morning ablutions thinking to myself what can I do to top last year? 1yr post – walk out of hospital. 2yr post - ???. needless to say I went to work, muttering under my breath, cursing the gods of paycheck and bills. As you might expect with such an auspicious beginning, the day just sucked. But the day after saw the latest major achievement.
On the 28th of April, Alexis and I went out to dinner to support a local charity event. We drove in her car and were forced to park on the road. For the past 2 years, curbs have been a nightmare especially those of the 5inch tall variety that had no curb cuts nearby. “No problem!” said he who never overestimates his abilities (yeah right). This time would be different and it was. First I stood up out of a Civic, which some of you may know is fairly low to the ground. Then, not to be daunted by a mere curb, I stepped up and was able to lift myself onto the sidewalk and then sit in my wheelchair without falling. Mind you, the car door and I were pretty close friends. After a mediocre meal and a nice glass of wine, we made our way back to the car to once again visit ‘The Curb’. Surprisingly, I was able to stand out of my chair, step down off the curb and sit in the car without killing myself! This time, the car door and I weren’t friendly, we were entwined like lovers, but hey, I still did it.
Over the past 6 months, that is the highlight of my achievements. That is not to say there were no others:
- I can finally touch the top of my head with my right hand.
- I can stand and balance unassisted for 2-3 minutes.
- I have begun walking around the house in a walker up to about 200ft.
- I bought a used rugby chair and was knocked out of it for the 1st time.
- I received a disbursement from the GA Brain & Spinal Injury Trust that allowed us to add a ramp and deck to Alexis’ house so I can visit without having neighbors muscle me up stairs.
- My left hand is getting better at typing.
- I was able to put my brace and shoes on by myself.
The obvious gains are becoming more infrequent. My body’s recovery is slowing and in some cases in reverse. I have lost some function that I had regained in previous months. Frustration has been a monkey on my back for quite some time. I may have learned patience since the accident, but I’m still me and I get really ticked off at the negatives. As has been said all along, there is no telling where my recovery will end. I just wish it could be controlled by my mind and determination instead of the ability of my nerves to ‘regenerate’. Add burnout to the mix. I still go to physical therapy twice per week and it is wearing me down. OK, out of the dark place…
I’m sure that some of you out there are thinking “Wasn’t he planning to skydive on his 2-year mark?” The answer is yes, but the weather said no. Be aware, though, there are 32 of y’all that promised to jump when I did again. Easy to say when I was strapped in a power wheelchair and barely able to move. :-) I won’t, however, hold you to it. I have never encouraged anybody to do it if they didn’t want to, but if you’re willing, find a DZ near you or email me and I’ll try to hook you up.
As to my everyday life, it is much like before the accident. A 5-day work week that occasionally goes 6 or 7. I often don’t sleep enough. I’m back to reading, although only 1-2 books per month instead of per week. This spring and summer look to bring back my traveling although much more limited. I just keep moving forward.
On-On to Blue Skies!
October 10th, 2004 - Update from Bagless
Warning! This is an alert to all Atlanta
area drivers. Greg has passed his driving
evaluation. In the near future, he will be
back on the road behind the wheel of a van.
Warning!
Yes, folks, the State of Georgia has finally
agreed to let me begin driving again. I took
an evaluation this past Wednesday to determine
if I would be able to successfully control
a vehicle. With some minor adaptations (a
left-sided gas pedal and steering wheel knob)
I was able to drive a test vehicle around
Atlanta successfully. With a great deal of
caution, mind you, but successfully. Due
to the paralysis in my right side, I'll work
the gas and brake with my left foot and steer
with my left arm. Before anyone gets nervous,
I have an additional five hours of training
prior to receiving the "prescription" for
the van modifications. After the van is modified,
I have additional training required. Needless
to say, it will be at least a month. Both
Alexis and I are eagerly awaiting the day
that I return to driving because both our
freedoms are going to be increased. I will
no longer require a "chauffeur".
Other news: I have recently been able to
stand and balance on my own for over a minute
for the first time. This certainly makes
pulling my pants up much easier. :-) of course,
such a success must be balanced with a major
failure. Well maybe not a failure but definitely
not a positive. I spent almost three hours
on the floor yesterday. I was in my loaner
wheelchair upstairs at my home when I leaned
forward to place a book on the back of the
couch when some little gremlin tipped it
over. The gremlin happily clapped his hands
and green and grinned as I began to fall
forward but ended up frowning and tapping
his foot as it took so long to hit the floor.
During the next 50 minutes, I managed to
crawl across my living room only to realize
that I could not reach the phone. I then
crawled back over to the couch and attempted
to climb onto it three times. Close but no
cigar! Conveniently, Alexis left for laptop
on the floor and due to the wonders of modern
technology, I was able to e-mail a friend
in New York State to have her call Alexis
at school here in Atlanta to come home and
pick me up. The good news is that I've discovered
I can get onto all fours. The bad news is
that my leg spasms still prevent me from
climbing onto furniture. Lesson to Greg:
hurry up and walk so you don't need the crappy
loaner wheelchair anymore.
Signing off for now because it's time for
football!
September 20th - Update from Bagless
I know that it's been a few weeks since
my last update (OK, six plus), but this update
won't be terribly long:
Since the end of July, not too much has
changed. The majority of my time has been
dominated by work. Unfortunately, my time
with Poseidon has come to an end. At least
it was by my own choice because I start my
job tomorrow. Wait too early in the morning,
but tomorrow. Yes, that is the big news.
I am celebrating a return to a consistent
paycheck and more importantly benefits. As
much as I enjoyed the money received as a
consultant, health insurance has become far
more important than dollars. So it's back
into the realm of automotive where I'll be
working in IT support.
On the fun side, wheelchair rugby season
has begun. I term this as "fun" very loosely
because my arms are killing me. I pushed
my first timed mile two weeks ago. Just under
17 minutes I crossed the finish line and
my arms stopped working. That maybe not stopped
working but more "I'm on strike".
I very quickly understood that I am very
out of shape. I used to say round is a shape
but I no longer have a keg-ish figure to
maintain, so I've lost that excuse. Basically,
I am just a wimp and am whining about training.
I thought physical therapy was tough. At
least practices only two hours a day twice
a week.
Other fun stuff included an out-of-town
campout in Ohio. I finally got away from
Alexis for a weekend. To tell the truth,
she went to a conference in San Francisco
and got rid of me for a weekend, but who
is telling the story? Either way, it was
a fun weekend and I got to see a lot of people
that I haven't seen since before the accident.
It was great!
Gotta go for now. The alarm clock will buzz
far too soon!
July 25th - Update from Bagless
Once again, it is time to visit the past
few weeks. Day by day I continue to reintegrate
myself into the "real-world" with
employment, social gatherings and athletics.
Work has been going well and my five-week
contract was extended through the end of
August. Needless to say, I'm very happy about
this because I finally feel like I have cleaned
of the cobwebs out of my mind. It seems to
function normally or at least as normally
as can be applied to me. :-) I think it has
been a decade since the word "normal" has
been used in the same sentence as my name!
Normal is boring so I'm OK with it.
As for athletics, I still play wheelchair
rugby every week. I've been trying out different
chairs recently to find which is best for
me. I found different aspects that work very
well but they don't yet exist in a single
chair. As a result, I'm looking into having
one built for me. We'll see what happens.
The new season starts the end of August and
I'm looking forward to it.
The update now moves into the social gatherings
category. I expect that the following text
will not be as dry and boring as the previous.
:-) For those of you who are not familiar
with Atlanta activities, on July 4 of each
year Atlanta hosts one of the largest 10k
running events in the US, the Peachtree Road
Race. The first group to start the Peachtree
is the wheelchair racers. Being an occasionally
competitive person, I did consider joining
this part of the event. My consideration
lasted all of about two sips of Guinness
when I remembered "cardiac hill",
the section of Peachtree Road that runs in
front of the Shepherd Center. My arms hurt
just thinking about it. Although I have run
the race in the past, in the three years
prior to my accident I've always enjoyed
the company of my fellow pub crawler's version
of the event. Since there is a wheelchair
division to the Road Race, Alexis and I decided
that we should have a wheelchair division
to the pub crawl. To inaugurate the establishment
of this new division Alexis jumped in my
power wheelchair to join me on the course.
We met up with the hashers at Three Dollar
Cafe to begin the day with screwdrivers and
Bloody Marys as we cheered on the Kenyans
and everybody else that ate their dust. Once
the first 30,000 or so runners went past,
the pub crawl began. Luckily, it was downhill
to the first two beer stops. My arms weren't
tired but I was already developing blisters
from hitting the brakes. (My hands are the
brakes) Needless to say, when we got to the
start of the 3+ miles of uphill I grabbed
onto a strap on the back of the power wheelchair
as if I was waterskiing. It was a very pleasant
ride to the third beer stop but after passing
the Shepherd Center Alexis warned me that
she was about to speed up and I didn't let
go. More specifically, my "goal oriented" personality
wouldn't allow me back down from the challenge
of holding on. As they were helping me back
into my wheelchair I was pleased to note
that my bloody elbow and knee actually hurt.
I figure that things are going well if I
can feel pain after spinal cord injury and
quite a few beers. My physical terrorists
always warned me that I would fallout of
chair but I doubt she had that in mind! After
that I decided to ask for someone to push
me. Turned out that that was better because
I didn't spill my beer anymore. Two more
beer stops and we approach the end of the
course. As we reached the end I led a number
of my fellow pub crawlers into the first
aid tent with a hearty yell of "Help!
I can't feel my legs!". My friends were
mortified, the paramedics were stunned and
the injured runners got a chuckle. We left
very quickly after that. :-)
The next weekend, we went to a low country
boil at a friend's house. We had a nice time
next to the lake filling our bellies. When
it was time to go, I had some help getting
over the rough terrain until he got near
the van. As Alexis opened the door, I decided
that I could push myself of the ramp forgetting
that it was slightly uphill and my anti-tip
bars were removed. One good push and back
I went proving once again that my head is
tougher than dirt. I'm not sure if that's
a good thing but it does seem true. All in
all, not one of the best weeks of wheelchair
stability for Greg.
I think that sums up the key points of the
past couple weeks. As I said, things are
returning to the way they were.
June 14th - Update from Bagless
Followers forgive me for I have sinned.
It has been five weeks since my last update.
OK, OK, no more of that. I make no excuses
for my delay this time because I have been
frighteningly busy. (In a good way) I have
returned to work as of May 25! Instead of
40 hours a week of rehab now I do 40 hours
a week in the office. I accepted a five-week
consulting contract through the month of
June. I am working as an operations manager
supervising installation and maintenance
of computer vision systems. Initially, it
was a bit of a challenge to work from the
wheelchair but it has gotten much easier
over the past two weeks. My handwriting is
improving. It is now partially legible like
a med student's instead of its previous doctor
status. My ability to type with my left hand
is improving and occasionally my right hand
joins in. I had hoped that Ray Charles's
spirit would bless my hands but I think he
just laughed and kept going. As such, data
entry is not in my immediate future but I'm
pretty sure that I'm OK with it. :-) Opening
doors is becoming easier so I am thinking
that I should try cracking safes next. At
the rate I'm improving, I could become a
burglar in about a hundred years. To top
it off, my right hand has shown itself to
be moderately competent with a computer mouse
so I won't have to get rid of it.
As far as the surgery went, all is well.
I find it curious how well the body can function
with so many bones missing. If you ever decide
that you tired of having a bone to blame
for what ails you, just remove it. The doctor
removed a portion of the fourth metatarsal
of my right foot in about an hour and I was
healed and cleared for weight-bearing in
two weeks. All I need now is enough time
to walk around. OK, that and a new orthotic
for the right ankle which conveniently is
scheduled to be molded next Tuesday. Hopefully,
that we all I need. :-) In the meantime I
will enjoy knocking people out of their wheelchairs
during rugby practice. You have to love the
game that allows you to do that.
On the fun side, Memorial Day weekend was
very enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed Camp
Hedon down in Newnan, Georgia. Seeing everybody
at the campsite was a blast, however, I think
that Hedon is going to hell! Warm showers?
Chess instead of beer pong? Most people asleep
before 1 a.m.? At least they had every kind
of deep-fried food imaginable; corn dogs,
french fries, burritos, Oreos, Twinkies.
(The fried Oreos were much better than the
fried Twinkies by the way) oh yeah, I certainly
won't complain about my use of the "Hedon
Hilton" because the air-conditioning
was wonderful Sunday afternoon when everyone
else was roasting in the sun. :-)
Finally, the contract for the renovations
of my house has been signed. They are supposed
to begin this Thursday. It should take about
three weeks. I am seriously ready to go back
upstairs. I cannot wait to sleep in my own
bed, eat meals at my kitchen table and get
out of my basement for the first time since
August! As much as I love my DVDs, I will
not come into this room for a longtime. In
preparation, we had a small work party on
Saturday. We emptied two closets, half of
my garage and then stained my back deck.
Well I say "we", I just sat back
to watch and provide moral support for those
kind souls who worked on my home. At least
that provided pizza and beer…
I think that will be it for now. I have
a bowl of ice cream waiting for me and I'm
feeling somewhat selfish.
May 3rd - Update from Bagless
It is Monday, my first weekday out of therapy.
I finally have the time to finish all of
the projects that I started. However, I find
myself thinking back on the past week. Last
weekend, a couple of my friends from Dayton,
Ohio came down to visit. I, of course, immediately
put them to work Saturday morning planting
shrubs in my yard and staining my deck. :-)
As a reward, I took them to another local
hasher’s house for her "Empty
the Bar" party. I figured, knowing how
hashers drink, that I would let them consume
someone else's beverages. :-)
On Tuesday,
April 27, we "celebrated" the one-year
anniversary of that horrible day. Contrary
to my expectations, the day was actually
enjoyable. My girlfriend arranged a surprise
for me with the help of my mom and my therapists.
I walked (yes, walked) out the front door
of the Shepherd Center to be greeted by 30+
hashers, skydivers and other friends cheering
me on! We then adjourned to the garden for
lunch and relaxation. It was awesome and
caught me totally by surprise. Wednesday
night was another enjoyable rugby practice.
Thursday started out rather bland but ended
on a good note when another potential employer
gave me a call. And then there was Friday.
Friday was a day of mixed emotions. I finally
am in a position to not rehab full-time,
but that means I must leave my "home
away from home", the Shepherd Center.
They've become family so it's not so easy.
Aside from that, I also found out that I
must undergo another surgery shortly. We
all know that my left foot is anatomically
scrambled, but the doctors in Birmingham
were so intent on keeping me alive that they
forgot to mention the damage to my right
foot.
I have to have the fourth metatarsal
removed from my right foot because it was
damaged in such away that it attempt to
poke out the bottom of my foot when I walk.
It's
not a pretty picture, but the good news
is that I can't feel it. When even an untrained
eye such as mine can see how bad it is
in
an x-ray, you know something has to be
done. Hopefully, the surgery will not interfere
with my job search. I'll no more in a week
or so when it gets scheduled. The updates
may slow down for a while but they won't
stop. I'm looking into setting up my own
web site and transferring all of the existing
information to it. The links will be set
up properly once it's done.
April 27 - One Year Anniversary of the Accident
- By Fag Hag
Well, a year has passed and I have to say
that I feel so fortunate to be a part of
such a wonderful family. I was not sure where
my place was in the hash world until I was
fully embraced by the love of you all. I
am reminded of this time and time again,
but I feel it resonating once again. Seeing
the kind words about Studda and the support
that we all share in times of need and hope
just reminds me how fortunate I am to be
a part of this world. It is nice to know
that we may say crude things and sing raunchy
songs and run through swamps together, but
our glue is what we hold in our hearts as
true, honest, caring people.
I want to sincerely thank you all for everything
you have done over the past year - every
word and sentiment has meant more than I
can ever write in one posting.
So, here's to another year of happy challenges
for me and bagless - and I am glad we have
you there every step of the way - yup, step
:-)
On On
Fag Hag
April 12 (ish) - Update From Bagless
Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
Does anyone have a saw? I don't care if you
remove my arm in the process, but get this
damn cast off! On top of the cast, I have
been in my power chair all weekend! OK, no
more whining.
For those of you who actually read the updates
prior to the server crash, I know that these
do not encompass all of the items but my
memory doesn't work. So deal with it! :-)
April 7 (ish)- Update From Bagless
I have graduated to a rolling walker that
provides no weight assistance.
I was able to walk just over 10 ft. before
I was too tired to continue. The bad news
is that my right arm will require stronger
steps to make it right. Sometime in the next
week or two a cast will be placed on my arm
in such a position as to stretch the bicep
and rotate the forearm. Hopefully, after
number of weeks I will be able to move my
right arm up more normally. The cast will
be on for four days and will then be turned
into a splint to be worn at night.
April 1 - Update From Bagless (No Fooling!)
In addition to my recent increase in attendance
at local area hashes, I've actually had a
few achievements and setbacks during therapy.
Last week saw three successes: I was able
to put on and tie both of my sneakers, I
was able to walk 65 ft. in a weight assist
walker, and I helped wash a car while standing
in a frame. I was extremely pleased by my
ability to tie knots because it was evidence
of the increase of my fine motor control,
something that most cervical level spinal
cord injury patients don't get back. As for
the walking, it was a surprising achievement
that I did not cross my feet and trip because
my abductors are not working properly. Washing
the car was fun because of gorgeous weather
and just being outside, but trying to stand
and maintain balance was extremely difficult.
Some new goals to work on for certain.
On the not-so-happy side, I picked up a
bug sometime in the past week and have been
unable to kick a moderate grade fever for
this entire week. It has greatly limited
my ability to do physical activity during
rehab. In addition to being sick, my therapists
have decided that I need an AFO (ankle-foot
orthotic) and a cast to assist with removing
the bad muscle tone in my right leg and right
arm, respectively. A mold was made yesterday
to create the orthotic which will hold my
ankle in the correct alignment and help alleviate
tension in my ligaments of the foot and ankle
to help prevent the spasms that I continue
to get in a leg. Sometime of the next week,
my right hand and arm will be placed in a
cast for three days to straighten it out.
Once the cast is removed it will be turned
into a splint that I wear at night. Hopefully,
all of these things will turn into positives
in the near future but they are at the moment
setbacks.
Until then, I keep just chugging along.
:-)
March 11 - Update from Bagless
I returned to rehab on March 1. My adjustment
has been somewhat difficult because I come
home completely exhausted every day. Of course,
that's supposed to happen so I guess it's
not too bad. :-) My therapist, Christy, had
me up and walking my first week back. Yesterday,
she moved me from a frame that provides weight
assists to a frame in which I walk completely
under my own strength. I was able to take
10 steps before my knees buckled. We roll
the dice and came out winners. Totally awesome!
Between the difficult physical therapy and
wheelchair rugby, I'm in bed by 9 p.m. every
night. (10 p.m. on rugby nights) One of my
goals for this therapy session is to depart
being able to walk for 100 ft. in a walker.
Another goal is to be able to pass the driver's
exam with the appropriate modifications to
my van. For the time being, I'll drive using
hand controls because my legs are not strong
enough for fast reactions.
Additionally, I've registered for the Georgia
Tech Alumni Career Fair on April 13. I'm
actually excited to begin the interview process.
I know the job market isn't ideal but I'm
sick and tired of living in the hospital
or my bedroom.
Things are definitely going well. I still
can't believe that it has only been 11 months
but then I realize it has only been 11 months.
My rate of recovery still has my doctor's
and therapist's jaws dropping. Personally,
I don't have a problem being almost miraculous.
It is, however, really wearing me down both
physically and mentally. There exists only
a finite amount of energy that I can tap.
February 18 - Update From Bagless
As I am sure that everyone has realized,
the time for slacking is over. (Of course
nobody told me when the time to slack started)
:-) As of Friday last week, I have started
practicing with the Shepherd Smash twice
a week. The Smash is a wheelchair
rugby team for quads. Wheelchair rugby is a combination
of basketball, hockey and bumper cars. I
have a lot of learning to do as to the rules
and strategies. I also have a whole bunch
of training to do to be able to keep up with
these guys in wheelchairs. I'll let you know
is more practices occur.
Additionally, my return to rehab has moved
up a couple weeks. My new start date is March
8.
Well, I'm going to cut this update short,
but I will update again soon. (Meaning not
my typical 2 to 4 weeks)
January
30 - Update from Bagless
For the past few weeks I have not posted
any updates because I wasn't sure what to
say. However now I am able to post a few
key things.
Some good news
The effects of the Baclofen pump which weakened
my leg and abdomen muscles are being overcome.
I have been going to the weight room three
days a week and I'm seeing significant
increases in most strength. Last week,
we began to do squats. I would hold onto
a bar on the wall, put my feet on the floor
and stand up out of my chair and to sit
back down. I can now do two sets of 10.
Although I have to hold onto the wall because
of my instability, I don't think it will
be long before I can stand unassisted.
Additionally, I can finally reach my left
hand over my head. As soon as I can get
my right hand to do the same, putting a
shirt on and taking it off will be very
simple.
Some not so good:
Unfortunately, I was hoping to return to
therapy on February 2. That return has
been postponed because a lot of the present
inpatients are doing very well in their
therapy so there are no slots available.
There is a chance that I can return to
therapy on February 9, but is more likely
that I won't return until March. Until
then, I'll just have to keep practicing
what I've been taught and strengthening
the muscles that I have functioning. I
have my fingers crossed. :-)
I hope the new year is treating you well.
On on,
Bagless
December 27 - Update From Bagless
Hello all, I hope the holidays are treating
you well!
My delay in updating was intended to keep
worry at bay, as I was about to have surgery.
All went well with the surgery and am back
at home recuperating nicely. The surgery
was to place a medicine pump in my abdomen
to supply a constant flow of anti-spasm drugs
to my spine. So far there have been some
great results - my spasms in my legs and
belly are greatly reduced and now I can move
muscles that I couldn't before because the
spasms were in the way. And one of the best
outcomes is the reduction of meds by 16 pills
a day (I think that means I can drink more
than one beer after I adjust) - but they
took away the valium, sorry guys. I can almost
think straight now!
Another positive thing is that I am taking
a break from therapy - I am getting some
much needed down time and rest. I hadnt realized
how burnt-out I was. I should go back feb
2nd.
Everything Steamer wrote in her update was
true..see, I am not the only one bragging
:-)
I hope to see many of you at Cheddarhead
T minus five days and counting. I may not
be bowling this year - but I can still eat
my weight in curds and brats.
Wishing y'all a safe and wonderful new year!
On-On to Cheese Curds
Bagless
December 14 - Message From Greg's Mom
As this year draws to a close I wanted to
thank all of you for the overwhelming support
you have given Greg. There have been so many
wonderful things done for us both apparent
and done behind the scenes by so many people
it is hard know where to begin to express
our appreication. Just know that every gesture
and effort on your behalf has aided in the
wonderful progress Greg has made. The thoughts
and wishes he has received from his friends
around the world has kept us all going. We
shall be erternally grateful to all of you.
A special thank you is extended to Greg’s
fraternity brothers, his Hash friends, and
to the NFL for their help in raising money
for a trust fund for Greg. Their efforts
has been invaluable under the circumstances.
We do have so much to be thankful for, however,
you can be sure we will be very happy to
close the book on this year. While Greg has
a few more mountains and mole hills to climb,
we look forward to a new beginning in 2004.
Your continued support and contacts will
keep Greg’s spirits high and keep him
on the road to reach his greatest potential.
May you and your families be blessed in
the new year with good health and happiness.
Thank you all for being there for Greg.
Fran Strubeck (Greg’s mom)
November 14 - More Progess - By Bagless
In case I haven't mentioned this before,
one of my personal goals is to make my physical
terrorists jaw drop at least once every other
week. On Tuesday the 4th, my PT decided that
I was being particularly lazy since I was
slow to return from the weight room for her
session (OK it was really because I played
hooky to pick up my van that day) but either
way, she contrived quite a challenge...after
she grew bored with stripping my wheelchair
of parts, she stood in front of me and barked
her order "stand up". Normally
I would have questioned her sanity (and mine
as well) but since my mom, Alexis, and two
other friends were there with camera in hand,
I couldn't very well say no. So, she blocked
my knees, grabbed my butt (too bad she's
married), and I'll be damned if I actually
did it - 7 times in fact. The video shows
my beet red face and shaking arms, but I
caught the words "you f----ing rock" from
my PT. I guess that qualifies as a jaw drop.
The following Tuesday, we went one step
further, well actually 8. In a moving safety
harness, my PT challenged me to outdo myself
again. I managed to not only stand, but walk
8 steps - with weight bearing (and two assistants)
- before utter exhaustion returned me to
my wheelchair. I think I bought myself a
few weeks of jaw drop time since neither
of these was expected.
Further progress in other areas (arms, hands)
has been fairly limited these past few weeks.
And I caught a bug that has kept me home
for a few days, but the time off might be
a really good thing. On a good note, I am
glad so many of you were able to come out
for happy hour! It was a nice diversion from
the typical Friday night in Smyrna! I hope
to have you all out here again soon, but
until then I am sure I will see some of you
at the Orphan thanksgiving at Sani & Bunny’s.
On-On to blue skies
Bagless
October 31 - Clarification - By Bagless
To clear up any misunderstanding..my previous
definition of dressing includes: being able
to pull a pair of shorts from my ankles to
my thighs. I couldn't get them over my feet
or butt without assistance. As for the shirt,
I needed help getting it over my head but
otherwise I could do it. So, for now it will
be go go gadget therapist or me continuing
to build arm strength.
Now that we have the clarification out of
the way - here is the new stuff. Somebody
got the idea in their head that I would be
safe in the kitchen, safe enough to bake
blueberry muffins. Well, I suprised myself
by actually getting pans and ingredients
from the shelves. Opening packages and cracking
eggs was a significant mess :-) They did
not enjoy cleaning up after me :-) The muffins
did taste good when they were done though.
It was a very pleasing sign that my hands
and arms are beginning to work! Beyond that,
therapy consisted of mostly twisting me into
pretzel shapes (stretching) and learning
how to roll over and sit up in bed - all
in all a painful and relatively uneventful
week. But continuing to show promise for
the future.
On on to next week's pain and hopfully more
advancement!
October 26th - By Bagless
To my chagrin, I have found that typing
on the computer has become far more difficult
recently. Hence this update was delayed until
I had someone available to type for me...
We'll start with the bad news for a change..a
surgery that was scheduled for this week
has been postponed until December. The surgery
would most likely have reduced the spasms
in my legs. I think that might actually be
all of the bad news...
And now the good news. I have made some
significant acheivements. In the past two
weeks, I have been able to transfer in and
out of a car with minimal assistance. I have
also re-learned how to brush my teeth, shave,
and dress with less assistance (of course
Fag Hag is just hearing this and has now
denied me all help from here on out :-) She
doesn't realize that it took me an hour to
shave and brush my teeth and another hour
to dress - OK now she says she'll help me
for a little while longer. I can even feed
myself if I have adapted silverware - and
my left hand - odd since I used to be a righty.
I guess what they say is true about lefties...interpret
as you wish...
Things to look forward to - being able to
push my manual chair on a surface other than
tile and a slope other than flat, being able
to use a knife, open a door, and that is
probably enough for the next few weeks.
I had a wonderful time seeing everyone at
nc/sc and the Atlanta Home Crawl. I am looking
forward to get out again and seeing you all
soon.
October 12th - Back to Shepherd's - By Bagless
October 6th was my celebrated return to
rehab at the Shepherd Center. My terrorists
were waiting with oppen arms and evil grins.
Since the foot surgery was so successful,
they have placed me in the standing frame
everyday. Additional methods of stretching
and strengthening have kept me going to bed
ealier than ever before.
:-)
I have also been forbidden the use of my
powerchair in order to capitalize on the
retruning muscle function of the arms. All
in all, I am one sore puppy, but happy they
are pushing me so hard. I definately needed
the time off at home for physical relief
and mental reset. I hadn't realized how burnt
out I had become.
Looking forward to posting more good news
in the near furture.
September 23rd - More Good News - By Bagless
We have good news for the latest update.
Contrary to my deep concerns about my foot
surgery, it went very well. I am scheduled
to get the stitches removed on Oct 1st and
have been approved for complete weight-bearing
exercise as of that date.
That was the good news - here's the greatest
news. I have been accepted back into the
rehab program beginning Oct 6 for hopefully
another 3 to 4 weeks. The primary goal
is to have me standing by the end of
that time.
We haven't determined how much assistance
will be needed for that standing -- but
I DON'T CARE as long as I can get out
of this
chair. Even for a moment.
There is still an 80% probability that I
will walk again - but it will likely take
several more months.
Another section of good news is that my
manual wheelchair has been ordered. I have
now used the manual chair a total of 5 times
with slowly improving success. I hope that
within the next 2 to 3 months, I'll be strong
enough to use a manual chair as my primary
means of mobility - except when standing.
We've also ordered a device called a mobile-arm
support which will assist me in raising my
hand to my face. I can re-learn how to eat,
shave, brush my teeth, etc. with this device.
My shoulder strength is still the limiting
factor on arm mobility but I'm regaining
strength continuously. I hope to retrieve
70% to 80% mobility in my arms within the
next 4 to 6 months.
I am meeting with the state vocational rehab
people this week to discuss home renovations
so I can start working again. In the mean
time, I am beginning to develop a business
plan for a consulting & design agency
for accessible home and apartment design.
The concept is to target our aging population
and handicapped population. Any suggestions
or advice will be more than welcome - please
email me at gbrakel@hotmail.com with tips,
contacts, advice, etc.
That's all for now - I'll send new posts
as I continue to progress.
Greg
September 18th - Bagless GOES HOME - By
Fag Hag/Alexis
I am writing a message on behalf of Bagless
since he has not been able to make an update
lately...we will make sure we write a much
longer one over the weekend.
He had surgery on his left foot on Tuesday
to fix that bone and make it possible for
future weight bearing...but a result - he
had to leave therapy. So, he is at his house
living in the basement for at least two weeks
and hopefully insurance will come through
and he will be able to go back full-time.
He is pretty happy to have his big tv back
and watch some movies on DVD and not have
to wake up at 5:30 every morning - but he
is missing the environment of Shepherd.
With that said, now would be a good time
to send an e-mail if you have been meaning
too - his spirits could drop a lot since
he will be more isolated. Also, he will be
able to take phone calls at home (770) 432-9338...I
gave him a speakerphone and he can answer
it (if he is sitting in the chair as opposed
to bed). Also, because the therapy is not
intense, visitors are welcome. Just call
the house to see when a good time is for
him. We will probably continue on with the
potluck dinners - maybe a different day of
the week though...
Well, I think that is enough rambling for
now. Hope to see some of you soon. Look for
a more personal update this weekend.
September 6th - Short Update - By Bagless
We have very few updates this week in terms
of major progress. We do, however, have more
information on the recently noted foot issue.
Evidently I should listen to my secretary/girlfriend
more often. All of the rods were removed
from my foot by the time I came out o' my
blissful narcotic fog. It turns out the cause
of the problem, according to x-rays, is a
piece of the shattered bone in my foot has
healed downward. That piece of bone is what
is causing the pressure sore on the bottom
of my foot. So now I am sporting a modified
shoe with orthotic - but it is a temporary
solution. I will be meeting with the docs
yet again next week to determine a possible
date for surgery. They still haven't figured
out exactly how they are going to torture
me - but I am sure they have a few options.
I am looking forward to finding out more.
Well, at least they finally aknowledge I
will be walking again.
Hopefully next week's update will have more
good news.
Since the Atlanta Hash e-mail is not getting
through to me (for reasons unknown) if you
would like to otherwise harass me, please
write to me at gbrakel@hotmail.com. At this
address I will at least get a return e-mail
address and can respond to you.
That's all for now.
August 29th - The Beat Goes On... By Bagless
For those of you that have reminded me that
I have been slack in my updates to the website,
Thank You and I apologize...
Here we go...
We will begin with the latest and positive
notes. This week I finally succeeded in getting
into the pool, and due to the wonderful flotation
devices, I actually didn’t drown. It
was however a somewhat sobering experience
(something I have had to suffer through for
four months). As a formerly better than average
swimmer, being barely able to flap my arms
while being towed through the water on my
back was a little disturbing. But the lack
of gravity made my muscles feel really good.
Secondly, I have finally been given the OK
weight training on most of my upper body,
so the weight room has become fun again.
And last, and the most exciting and rewarding
experience occurred today. I actually walked.
They used a contraption called a lite gait,
which is a wonderful combination of hydraulics
and suspension harnesses. A combination weight
belt/rock climbing harness was attached and
four suspension straps were clipped on around
my waist, I was then lifted into a standing
position such that minimal weight was borne
by my legs. While I made the walking motions,
the therapists checked my muscles to see
if things were working. And I was able to
do everything I need to in order to move
forward and backwards. My therapists enjoyed
poking fun at me for staring at my legs as
I watched them move (instead of looking ahead
like I am supposed to) while we walked around
the gym for 40 minutes. Net result – My
terrorist Christy said that although there
are no guarantees I will walk the trails
through the mountains any time soon – I
will walk again.
For those of you who know my fondness of
travel, I was able to go on a training outing
to the Atlanta Airport, where Delta provided
a training session for airport and plane
accessibility and transfers. And since I
have so many skymiles to burn – who
knows where I will be going next :-)
With such advances, occasionally come setbacks.
During one of the nursing inspections, a
significant concern was noted on one of the
metal rods stabilizing my left foot. We are
meeting with the docs next week to see what
we need to do about this. The short-term
result is no weight bearing on that foot,
so we will just have to stick to working
on mastering the manual chair.
I will attempt to be more diligent in my
updates, providing my secretary doesn’t
get on me for u
August 12th - The Therapist From Hell Gets
Results - By Bagless
Todays rehab brought some new surprises...
My new physical terrorist, known as Christy,
again pushed me past the limits I had perceived.
In the morning, I spent an hour turning the
pages of a Sports Illustrated while standing
up in the "EZ Stand" machine -
nice name for a torture device, right? Although
everybody, including myself expected me to
either pass out or projectile vomit in the
first few minutes, I managed to last the
entire time wisecracking to my terrorist
hehehehe. In response to my "kind and
tender" words (LOL) Christy decided
to put me in a manual wheel chair later in
the afternoon because she thought my weight
shift (you know the reclining barcalounger)
was idle time. With a pair of borrowed leather
gloves on hand, I managed to not only move
the 10 feet Christy wanted me to, I made
a 300+ ft trip, including an elevator ride
downstairs, to show off to my old therapist.
I know now that the physical terrorists bribed
the construction crew to intentionally build
subtle hills in the floor of this hospital.
It is now many hours since this achievement
and the muscles in my arms still laugh at
me when I ask them to do something HAHA!
If this is one week in day program rehab,
I can only wonder what will happen in the
next five!
Remember, there are 29 of you that have
promised to make your first jump when I return
to skydiving - that day might be sooner than
you thought hehehehehe
On-On to Blue Skies
Bagless
August 12th - Thanks to all from Bagless
Although I wish I was as eloquent as Dribbles
(on the AH4 Forum), let me try to put my
feelings to words...
It was so incredibly wonderful to see so
many of my friends come together on Saturday
night. As my first venture out into the world
in three and a half months, I was deeply
touched by the support that surrounds me.
The cards, e-mails, and visits kept me going
through the beginning of my recovery, but
the welcome and love I felt from you all
on Saturday night truly reminded me why I
keep fighting. Although I joke about my stubborness
and insistence to prove the doctors wrong,
it is my desire to return to my friends and
family that gives me strength.
There are not enough words to express that
amount of gratitude that I have.
On-On to Blue Skies
Bagless
August 7th - Update From Bagless
Himself! - (Transcribed of course....)
To give a brief update from my newly-overly-exhausted
state, I are a graduate!
I have recently moved from the inpatient
care of the Shepherd Center to their "Day
Program", which is an accelerated rehab
program. I discharged from Shepherd on Monday,
August 4th and moved into the Shepherd Place
Apartments just a few blocks down the street.
Whereas the inpatient program was three hours
of therapy a day with education on the side,
Day Program is Therapy from 9-4 with one
hour for lunch. At this time, I do not know
how long I will be in the program, but the
typical stay is 2-6 weeks. I think I will
find out my duration on Friday. As for the
apartments, we were led to believe this place
was a dump, yet it is actually quite homey,
except for the bright blue wall and the crappy
hospital bed (and I used to complain about
the ones in the hospital).
To sum up my latest milestones - I am now
able to lift my arms 6" off the armrests
of my wheelchair, I can lightly grasp items
with my left hand, I am regaining function
in two more ab muscles (gotta get a 6-pack
somehow), I am learning to feed and groom
myself with the use of an arm support, I
am starting to flex my left foot (shocking
given the damage to it). I have been reintroduced
to a weight room - just when I thought I
had given up weights for curling beers instead!
And my weight trainer has delusions of granduer
and thinks I will be doing standing and seated
squats in a week in a half.
They thought they were doing a good thing
by giving me my own sip-n-puff powered wheelchair,
but I think they will be revoking my license
very soon since I have had at least 8 significant
accidents and a few fender benders while
learning to drive (And it hasn't even been
a week). I know how the frog in frogger feels
as I try to cross peachtree! And rumor has
it they are going to let me drown myself
in the pool next week.
Ok - so its not so short but it is an update.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday
as I drive drunk around the brewery after
one beer - look out!
On-On to Blue Skies
Bagless
July 30 - Happy Birthday Bagless - Now We
Have Some Bad News...
Just found out that Greg's employer has
decided that they can no longer afford to
keep Greg on payroll, and so, as of August
1st, he will be unemployed. There will be
no severance either, as they feel that his
"time off" serves as severance.
So, no severance, no income, and no insurance
from his employer
as of August 1st. Oh,and due to the nature
of the situation, he doesn't qualify of unemployment
either. Ugh...
This, of course, is why we've been planning
this fundraiser for Greg. As you can imagine,
now, more than ever, Greg needs your help.
PLEASE invite everyone you can think of to
the fundraiser - tell them about the situation,
and be sure to mention the silent auction.
He REALLY needs our support now.
Oh, and today is Greg's birthday. Lovely
timing on the news, huh?
July 17 - Bagless' stay at Shepherds
to be extended
Your webmaster went to visit with Greg last
night, and was really impressed by the amount
of arm movement Bagless has in his left
hand. While a bit shakey, he was able to
hit two buttons on his wheelchair timer thingy
which reminds him to blow into his tube to
rotate the chair back and forth. When asked
about this, Bagless said that this progress
is going to keep him at Shepherds' until
August 4th, assuming his insurance company
agrees to the extension.
As tired of the hospital as he is, he made
it very clear that he wants to stay as he
is convinced his recovery is enhanced greatly
at Shepherds. He will soon start "pool therapy"
which he is really looking forward to.
Other than that, once he is out of Shepherds,
he will move to an apartment owned by Shepherds
located about three blocks from the hospital.
He will stay there for about
2-4 weeks,
and then will be looking for a wheelchair
friendly apartment for a five or six month
stay.
He also said that he plans to be at the
fundraiser on August 9th, and hopes to make
an appearance at the SkyDive
hash on August
16th.
July 15 - Greg Moved to New Room
Greg has been moved to room 216 today.
July 14 - Silent Auction Items Posted
Click here to see
the current list of items which will be autioned off at the Fund Raiser
on August 9th. If you have any items that
you'd like to donate, please contact
David "SWAB the Dick" Arnoff to coordinate.
July 11 - Update from Bagless - yep, BAGLESS!!
Yes - you read correctly - this is Bagless
(with some assistance for typing). We have
some new, very positive updates from rehab!
With some very significant assistance from
the therapists - I stood for the very first
time since the accident. With one holding
my knees locked, another holding my hips,
and another holding my shoulders - I stood
for over one minute before dizziness knocked
me back down. And if that wasn't enough,
I was able to maintain a sitting position,
unsupported, for almost one minute. As a
result, my newly rediscovered abs are screaming
in pain - but I am feeling pretty good about
myself. I could go on for some time with
the goals I am reaching - but this gives
you an idea. That said - I am once again
looking forward to what the next week of
terrorism brings.
It was wonderful seeing everyone on the
4th! It has been wonderful receiving the
e-mails of support, but was even more encouraging
to see many of you in person. Thank you all
for the support you have provided - it is
certainly helping me through the difficult
days of this rehabilitation.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you
on August 9th, some of you on August 16th
for the skydive hash (I think I will miss
the plane rides this year - but will be on
the ground to see you all in), and hopefully
more often thereafter as I continue my rehab
process.
I am going to try and get my three hours
of sleep - before they wake me up to start
my Saturday rehab - can't a guy get a vacation
around here?
I hope to give you more updates in the not
too distant future.
On-On & Blue Skies
Bagless
July 11 - Update from Alexis/Fag Hag
Greg received a visit from one of the marketing people at Shepherd who was on his
way to
|
Greg and Alexis
- 7/10/03
|
Birmingham - UAB to be exact. He wanted
to bring a
picture of Greg to give some of the nurses
a better
idea of who he is without tubes and a halo
and all
that morphine :-) This was the picture
he took.
He stopped in last night to fill us in on
the visit
and he said they are all still keeping up
with his
progress on the AH4 website and look forward
to
meeting him soon.
On another note...Greg stood up yesterday
:-) with
help of course - but he thought it was pretty
cool!!!
July 4 - Greg meets Pub Crawlers at a Beer
Stop!
Easily the highlight of the day for many
of us had to be seeing Greg outside the confines
of a hospital room, and in the daylight.
As the pub crawl team arrived at the Rocky's
Brick Oven stop, we were pleased to see Greg
waiting for us with a HUGE smile on his face.
Many photos were taken, and Public Enema
serenaded Bagless with a rousing rendition
of "The Guy From Decatur".
July 3 - Greg is tentatively to be at one
of the Pub Crawl Stops!
If all goes well, we can expect to see Greg
at the Rocky's Pizza stop on this year's
Peachtree Pub Crawl!
June 26 - Greg moved to a new room - 210
Greg has been moved to a new room - room
number 210. Also, it should be noted that
he has a bladder infection, and everyone
is advised to wash up after visiting him.
The infection seems to be resistant to anti-biotics.
June 25 - Greg goes to a Braves Game
A group of six patients and some staff from
Shepherds went to the Braves Game on Wednesday
Night, and Bagless was one of the group!
Alas, the Shepherds staff pretty much made
it clear that he wasn't allowed to have any
beer, but your webmaster put a cup of Bud
on his head so he could feel some of the
frosty goodness.
June 17 - Comprehensive Update from Fag
Hag/Alexis
I finally have a few minutes to myself to
sit down and write to you all about the things
taking shape at the Shepherd Center. Bagless
has been there exactly four weeks – and
have they been busy!!! He is currently in
class or therapy for about six hours a day
and is working really hard to regain as much
strength and motion as possible before going
home on the 18th of July. Yup, you read right,
he will be going home in four weeks and
three days (this also means that he will be at
his own party after all on the 9th of August).
After that he will be going to the Shepherd
day program for as long as his insurance
will allow. But the healing will be far from
over then. Those spinal cords are funny things
and they can take their sweet time when it
comes to reduced swelling, but we knew that
already.
Besides the check-out date, we have reached
a few other milestones as well. As I let
Asshole know last Tuesday, the pins and screws
came out of the left leg. Although the leg
no longer looks like an 18th century torture
device, he has a great deal of discomfort
and they are reexamining the foot to determine
if he needs more casting or the like to heal
it some more. After the leg surgery, he was
blessed with having the feeding tube and
the trach tube removed from his neck, as
well as receiving clearance to have the collar
removed from his neck. All this by Thursday
of last week – very busy!! He has taken
to calling his physical and occupational
therapists, his terrorists – I think
they might actually be making him work – HARD!
Last week he did 30 leg kicks with his right
leg without assistance and was reading a
magazine and even playing the card game
Uno with the assistance of zero-gravity
slings.
Even with all of these great milestones,
we were once again reminded that he is indeed
in the hospital and is still dealing with
some set backs. He was hit with a yucky infection
overnight on Saturday, which he seems to
be healing from nicely after all of the antibiotics
made their way into his system. So we just
once again ask that you call either Fran
or me to arrange a visit. Anyone is welcome
to come, BUT YOU NEED TO CALL FIRST. This
isn’t to weed the weird ones out, because
then none of us could go see him, but to
make sure he is up to it. You would hate
to drive 20 minutes to be turned away, right?
I just want to say again how much your support
and friendship means to Bagless and the rest
of us. It is going to be a very long road
ahead and knowing that you are all there
for us means so much. Keep the e-mails and
good thoughts coming his way! And by the
way, he does not have his cell phone with
him – it is a work cell phone and I
have it, so if you are calling to talk to
him you will most likely end up with me!
<g>
June 15 - Greg has high Fever
After a full day of visiting with friends
near and far, Greg wound up with a high fever
that required him to be iced down - trust
us, you DON'T want to know where one of the
ice packs went! Talk about shrinkage!
June 10 - Message from Alexis/Fag Hag
Just a quick message to let everyone know
that Greg is back in Surgery today to remove
parts they installed in his left leg.
June 6 - Note from Fran, Greg's mother.
Greg is loving the emails
that are being sent to him. They are delivered just late
afternoon and we have a chance for him to
read them before dinner. Just about everyone
brings a smile to his face. Keep them coming!
It's great.
This was the week of therapy and more evals
of muscles working. Greg is up, dressed,
and in his wheelchair (eight hours a day)
everyday now. He is learning to negotiate
the chair with mouth controls right now.
We expect that he will be zooming around
the halls pretty soon.
May 31 - Visit by Asshole, the Web
Master
Sorry for the subterfuge over the past few
days - Greg actually got out of ICU on Tuesday,
but wanted me to hold off posting that info,
as he wasn't ready for a flood of visitors.
That being said, he's still not looking for
a large group, but is able to see limited
numbers, as long as they call Fran first
to make sure that he's going to be free.
Now, on with the new news.
Greg is in room 214 - and he is talking.
Clearly. He is able to carry on real conversations,
and
is totally
aware of everything that happened, and what
his prognosis is. He is in very good spirits,
and was able to curl the fingers on his left
hand for me. Uncurling, well, he's not there
yet, but this is a very positive development.
Truth be told, until the swelling goes down
on the spinal column, the Doctors will not
know for sure what the extent of any paralysis
will be, and that could take 4-6 months.
Greg also ate some solid food while I was
there - chicken breast, corn and potato salad.
This is a serious step up from the mush he
was eating, but he says that his stomach
is still not used to food, so he gets a bit
queasy. I offered to sneak in some pizza
or something like that, and he said he's
not ready for that, but will be soon.
All in all, he is making remarkable progress
- a night and day difference from Birmingham,
that's for sure.
If you plan to visit him, it is best to
try for the weekend, as he has a ton of physical
therapy during the week, and may be too weak
to handle visitors - again, PLEASE call Fran,
520-490-3709, before
just popping by to make sure he'll be able
to handle visitors, and do not come
in large groups, as he is sharing his room.
May 26 - Request from Greg via Fran, his
mother.
Greg is having good days and bad days right
now. He has requested no visitors until he
is out of ICU and off the critical list.
We will let you know when he gets to the
step down unit. Please call before you go
to the hospital. We will schedule visits
for 15 minutes at a time once Greg is ready.
May 24 - Update from Fran, Greg's
Mom
Today was a big day. Greg was breathing
on his own for six and half hours and was
sitting straight up in the wheelchair for
two and half hours. He is starting to drink
water also. Shephard's Center supplied him
with a CD player with "virtual" glasses
for viewing. After watching golf his plan
was to watch(CD)Ghostbuster. His spirits
are good.
May 23 - Update from Fran, Greg's Mom
Greg was introduced to his wheelchair today
for a two hour try. He was breathing on his
own for two, two hour stints, one in the
morning and one this evening. It was hard
work. It appears that the pneumonia maybe
under control; still running a slight temperature.
Perhaps tomorrow that will be behind him
too. He is able to watch TV now and has mouth
controls for channel selection and volume
control. We are very glad to be in Atlanta
now.
It is important for you all to know
that we could not have gotten through our
Birmingham stay without all of your messages,
visits, and the wonderful care and support
the Trama Team gave to Greg and to us.
It has all been tremendous and got us through
our bleakest hours. With that behind us,
everyday we are seeing positive gains in
Greg's progress. He enjoys and smiles with
every communication that has come his way.
Thank you all for being there!
May 21 - Greg asks for LIMITED visitors
while in ICU - Phone Call From
Fag Hag/Alexis
Alexis had a brief visit with Greg last
night, and she said that while he is in ICU,
and space is VERY limited, please hold off
on visits for now. Greg is off the Morphine,
so he's not the most comfortable person in
the whole world, but this request is mostly
due to the lack of space in ICU, the noise,
and little privacy.
Once we have other reports, we ask that
you respect his wishes. Alexis is now off
to her vacation, but reports will continue...
May 20 - Email Greg Brakel!
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