It's about time

These were my sister’s words when she learned I rode my trike or the first time since we moved to Houston months ago.   It’s not that easy.   To make this happen his morning Bob had to bring my trike over to the condo.  He pump up the tires. Walk it down the hallway, put in elevator and walk it outside the parking garage of the condo.  He also solicited help from a good friend to ride in front and guard against traffic while Bob was my wing man.  We rode through our neighborhood to Hermann Park and two loops around the 2 mile track. We encountered lots of joggers and walkers and up and down sidewalks.  In Austin I never dealt with any of this so the support needs are far greater. We rode about 6 miles total and at the end stopped at a neighborhood coffee shop.  While sitting there, I reflected that I r felt as normal as I did before my stroke at that moment.  It was a thrilling sensation.

Now I have completed my 5 self-imposed pillars to get to independence:

While Bob will have to ride next to me for the next few time, we are headed in the right direction.

not possible while in Austin

My steps towards independence include being able to take public transportation so I don’t have to rely on caregivers 100 percent to go somewhere. To that end, today we walked to the rail station using my new walker (it was about a 15-minute walk. We bought rail tickets for $1.25 and jumped on the train. The entry to the rail is a flat surface so the walker rolled right through the door, fortunately before the door closes. There is ample time to get through the door, but once on the train, there is an immediate jolt that almost knocked me down.  I have to either immediately sit down or hang onto something right away. A gentlemen already on the train gave me his seat both directions while riding. We rode the train for about ten minutes and 5 stops to downtown Houston. My goal was to find the closest pub or restaurant using public transportation for Bob and me. I met my goal; from out the front door of the condo and back the entire trip took less than an hour.  Breaking up the trip with draft beer in between seems like nirvana to me.

The next step is can I do this same thing without a caregiver walking next to me.  Always have to have a goal, right?

endings and beginnings

I have not written a blog in a while.  Frankly, I have not been motivated since my Mother died. However, just as life goes on after death and my life continued after my stroke, my blog will survive primarily to serve its original purpose – to help stroke survivors.  Since my last blog entry, I have surpassed eight years as a stroke survivor. Another milestone is three months as a Houstonian and Independent living.

Considering where I was 8 years ago I am proud of my accomplishments, yet I am frustrated about the progress that I still need to make. I’ve had so much support and good fortune that I don’t want to let anyone down.  My Mother continued to contribute everyday of her life and she remains an inspiration to keep fighting for recovery.  Moving to Houston provides the opportunity to look forward -- everything is new.

I now have the ability to walk to museums and use the public transportation system; I am making new friends and have new caregivers.  I’m able to participate in family events and make weekly visits to my father and sister. I have interesting and challenging volunteer work that is the closest thing to a real job. 

Now I need to focus on next steps with rehabilitation and volunteering.  Lots of walking is in order along with left arm movement. My goal is to parlay my volunteer work into a grant-funded paying position.   If you have any suggestions send them my way.