Jenny's New Wheels, Eating Gymnastics, and A Plea for Air Miles

Jenny is just making amazing strides -- although still classified as a quadriplegic, she is able to do so many things that her medical team was uncertain she would be able to do at this stage. She is, as those of us who know her are already aware, phenomenal and sensational and kickass! Share your thoughts with Jenny directly; it can be easy, when one is so far from home and so deep in the middle of something so very difficult, to feel every inch of the distance between yourself and the ones you love: your friends, and your community. Jenny's contact information can be found on her Craig CarePage.

Definately take note of the call out for air miles: with Jenny and Ed facing an imminent 2,344 mile separation when Jenny leaves Craig to spend Winter in Gainesville, Florida and after an already stressful, painful and incredibly difficult several months, as much time as they can spend together will do wonders both for Jenny's healing and for each of their morale and faith in her recovery. More information on how to trasfer miles to Ed will be available soon on the Bozeman Yoga Center website.

September 07, 2007 at 07:50 PM MDT

WHAT'S NEW IN PHYSICAL THERAPY

This week, I finally got my manual chair. This means I can pedal around the third floor of the hospital using my legs. It is very slow going, but I truly believe getting to exercise my legs will help me walk again. It also lifts my spirits alot.

The one downside of the manual chair is that it doesn't really fit me. My feet barely touch the ground so I end up having to be scooched forward. I also have to do sort of an abdominal crunch to make it work, so I'm generally staring at the ground as I do my laps around the third floor. The good news is that I can do this and I'm hoping that eventually they will find a seat pad that will lower me enough so that I can use the chair more effectively.

LET JENNY EAT LASAGNA!

I definitely had some adventures in eating this week. The hospital has fashioned a cuff that allows my stronger left hand to grasp a fork at an angle where I can pierce food and feed myself. I had to do quite an acrobatic act to make it work, but it's really satisfying to be able to do it myself. Even if someone had to cut up the food for me...So far I've survived and no food has ended up on the ground or on me.

AIR MILES WANTED

Ed is back in Bozeman and I miss him a lot. We're trying to figure out a way for him to able to come down to Craig on the weekends. It's really too far to drive. In addition, it's looking more and more likely that I will winter in Florida where I can find better physical therapy and not have to deal with getting snow tires for my wheelchair. So I just wanted to put out an appeal to anyone with extra free flight miles, give them to Ed so he can come and visit. Please contact Ed at namaste@imt.net or by phone at 406-580-1922.