Live Webcast Link for the 24-hour Run

The last pre-race email from the Pacific Coast Trail Runners! This includes the link to the live webcast of the race; I am, as a Bozeman sponsor who explored the PCTR info on the race site informed me today, runner #24 (what are the odds...?!) in the 24 hour list:

EVENT: SF One Day
DATE: Saturday & Sunday, 10/20-10/21/07
TIME: 9 a.m.
LOCATION: Crissy Field, San Francisco

We wanted to be sure that you knew that we'll have a live webcast from Crissy Field. We'll be posting runners' progress every hour starting at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. You're welcome to send e-mail messages during the event, too, and we'll hand them to the runners during the event. Just click on:

Live Webcast

Cheers,

Wendell & Sarah
Pacific Coast Trail Runs

Progress

Jenny continues to stride ahead of what the doctors expected, and into finding and building new ways to be with her body as she heals. In this post from her CarePage, there is so much to celebrate: her progress and her knowledge of it being tops on that list.

October 13, 2007 at 07:46 PM MDT

STANDING AND STEPPING

Today I went out on an excursion with John & Jackie. Jackie is the sister of Bozemanite Robbie Gammack. John, her husband, is a physical therapist. They live about three miles away from Craig and have kindly adopted me while I'm away from home doing rehab.

The last time they took me out was about three weeks ago. Today they took me to REI and to a local restaurant near where they live. It was really heartening to see how much progress I'd made between the two trips. Today I did standing transfers in stead of the board transfers that my Craig PT prefers. A slide board transfer involves parking a wheel chair as close as possible to the carseat or seat that you are going to transfer to. You use the board as a bridge from one chair to the next and slide across. This can be relatively easy if the two seats are of equal height or you are moving from a higher chair to a lower chair which makes for a "downhill" transfer.

By contrast, standing transfers involve--guess what?--standing. It means scooting my butt to the end of the chair and then rising to standing with a spotter who blocks my knees in case they should buckle and gives support and cuing as needed. Since I don't have a lot of sensation, I need people to tell me if I need to step forward or backward, whether if I think I am stepping, whether I actually am, etc.

What was great about today was how much my standing transfers had improved. I was taking much firmer steps and needed less cuing from John. I was also able to have more of a sense of feeling about where my feet were and where they were going. I don't know if it's that I'm getting more sensation back or that I'm just using what sensation I have more efficiently. Still not one hundred percent, but I've really improved a lot. In addition, I just seemed a lot stronger: I was able to pick up my legs and swivel them into the car, as well as to position myself on the car seat.

At REI, I managed to get recognized by two people. One was Ken, who is one of the wheelchair maintenance guys at the hospital. The other was Jason Armstrong, a former Bozemanite. Jason used to work with John Zombro as a physical therapist and bikefitter. Jason has since relocated to McCall, Idaho and has a brother who lives in Greely, CO.

Jackie and John were impressed that I got recognized twice at the store. It kind of made me feel like I was back at home in Bozeman, where I have so many friends.

In addition to the improved performance of my legs, my hands are also getting better. I am still tremendously weak, but I am definitely improving. My eating has become much better and neater. I can also now lock the lock drawer in my hospital room, can zip and unzip my purse, as well as retrieve money from my wallet. I can also brush my teeth using an electric toothbrush that Mary, my sister bought me. Yes, someone does have to turn the brush on and off for me, as well as put toothpaste on it, but it's an endless joy to be able to move the toothbrush around in my mouth instead of having someone do it for me. It's just a pleasure to pick which teeth I want to get brushed and in what order.

In addition to the above feats of physical dexterity, I can also brush the front part of my hair. The back is beyond me, but I know it is only a matter of time.

I guess what's really cool is a lot of this stuff I couldn't do a week ago, so it's really nice to see so many improvements in so little time. I now appreciate what may seem like small improvements because I realize how much effort I'm putting into them.

I also got a sense today that I'm going to get through this and that this is truly only the beginning.

Love, Jenny

A Post from Sister Mary

In Jenny's recovery, there is a long road ahead and much need for love and support. But it is, of course, Jenny and her interminable spirit that is making the progress, doing the work, withstanding the challenges, and pursuing all the aspects of her rehabilitation with tenacity and determination day after day. Jenny's sister, Mary, is visiting her once again from New York, and posted to her CarePage about all of the changes she is witnessing in Jenny in this most recent trip:

October 01, 2007 at 04:13 PM MDT

Hi! This is Jenny's sister Mary writing...I'm visiting Jenny for a week to help celebrate her birthday and she asked me to guest blog for her to let people know all the progress she's making...

I think one of the biggest challenges for Jenny is to recognize all the advances she has made. She makes steady improvement in small ways on almost a daily basis. But because the increments are so small, it is hard for her to remember how much she has accomplished. She takes prior accomplishments for granted and forgets how much she has progressed from her injury date.

Since I haven't seen her since she first checked into Craig in July, I was in awe of how much independence she has recovered in these two months...When I last saw her, she was still a prisoner of her neckbrace, couldn't move on her own at all, and was completely dependent on others for all her needs. Her only way of controlling her environment was through asking others to help her. She had some movement in her upper and lower body, but none of it was functional.

When I arrived at Craig from the hospital, she was not in her room. She had left a message for me that she had gone to the laundry room. I headed out and met her part way. I was so moved when she was able to give me a hug! Although she still needs assistance getting in and out of the wheelchair, she is able to direct and participate in that process, using her recovered strength to help shift her body into position for transfer.

She can put her glasses on and off, feed herself using an adaptive apparatus, respond to e-mail using her voice activated software, and get herself around the hospital and beyond. You can't go anywhere with her in the hospital without a staff member or fellow member stopping to greet her. I don't think she realizes how much everyone here cares for her. The restoration of some of her prior independence seems to give more confidence to her movements. She still has many challenges and can become discouraged, but overall, she continues to show great strength of spirit. Her sense of humor continues unabated...

Today I saw her standing for the first time since the accident, practicing getting up and sitting down with the help of some equipment. Later, in physical therapy, she was able to kneel and balance herself with minimal assistance, do the equivalent of a baby cobra (yoga folks will know what I mean), and roll herself from her side onto her stomach. During her occupational therapy, she worked on getting dressed, and although she could not get a shirt on completely by herself, she was able to start the process. Even in the few days I've been her, I've seen her improve so much, that I am amazed. It is hard to believe that her accident happened only three months ago.
Well, Jenny just got back, and we're due to go out and run some errands! I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support they have shown to Jenny and her family during this difficult time...

Mary

24 Hours for the Jenny McCune Benefit Fund

On October 20th-through-21st I will be running the San Francisco One Day 24-hour Race to support Jenny in her rehabilitation and healing. As she comes to the end of her stay at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado and prepares to relocate to Florida for a time to pursue intensive physical therapy and recovery in a more hospitable climate than Montana-in-Winter, the Benefit Fund will become a key factor in what resources she will have available to her; for one full day I will be pursuing as many miles as possible towards strengthening her Fund for that purpose.

The racecourse is a 1.017 lap around Chrissy Field in the City, with great views (even at 1 in the morning!) of the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Presidio, the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts... you find much to look at going round and round in circles for 24 hours! There will be a live Webcast of the race so that those far away (or those who wish to remain in the comfort of hearth and home, wise buggers you) can watch the crazies running round in circles looking for their tails in the dark...! It was great fun last year, and this year it will be even better if it will help make a difference for Jenny and Ed. I will be accepting sponsorship per mile: whether it be 5 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar or 10 or more -- whatever you feel you are able to pledge will go so incredibly far, farther than you might be able to fathom, toward facilitating Jenny's therapies, meeting her needs, and helping her achieve her goals in building her life from this point forward.

Three ways to help, any or all!:

#1 - Sponsor my 24-hour run with a donation per mile. To do this, please email me at gypsyvegan@gmail.com, Subject: SF 24-Hour Sponsor (<---just cut and paste this into the subject line). Please list your name, postal address, email address, donation amount per mile, and any messages of support you would like posted on the list of sponsors (please indicate if you include a message if you would like it to be recognized by name or as "anonymous").

#2 - If you have been directly touched by Jenny's light or simply inspired by her, run or walk the race yourself -- there is a 12-hour as well as the 24-hour length, or come join me for a few laps, I would LOVE the company!! -- and obtain sponsorship from friends and family for your own miles.

#3 - Purchase a Jenny's Tour de Cure bracelet for yourself and for those who you know who would be inspired by Jenny's story to show her she is loved and supported both near and far, help bolster the Fund, and raise awareness about spinal cord injury and the need for better access to research.

A big thank you out to all who have been a part of this ongoing effort to come together as a community for Jenny and Ed at this time of great and difficult change, and thanks too for the great energy and spirit as we continue to compete along the path toward Jenny's Twenty 2008!!

Racing for Jenny?

Will you be competing in any events any time soon and feel moved either to raise donations towards Jenny's Benefit Fund or race as a show of support to Jenny or in the name of awareness of SCI (spinal cord injury)? I know there have been several people who have raced in Jenny's honor or to raise money for the Fund, and have been asked by many about whether or not there would be "anything" between now and Jenny's Twenty 2008. While there is nothing organized through the Jenny's Twenty crew, if you or your team or group would like to race on your own behalf for Jenny in any of the above capacities, please let me know so that I can post something about your efforts here on the blog.

The "Jenny's Tour de Cure" Bracelet Project

The annual occurrence of the Jenny's Twenty will help to give a much-needed boost to the Benefit Fund, making it possible for Jenny to have access to the care she needs and the security to devote her whole mind and self to her healing process... but the Jenny's Twenty will only happen once a year. In answer to that dilemma, a few of us honored friends-of-Jenny (thanks Sandy and Kelly for the awesome post-yoga brainchild session!) cooked up this idea for a project that would provide for a steady income for Jenny's Fund: these silicone cause bracelets, baby blue to promote awareness of spinal cord injury (and reminiscent of a certain women's cycling team's flying colors, anyone...?!?), and emblazoned with both the official appeal to "cure sci" on one aspect, and the name of Jenny's recovery effort, "jenny's tour de cure", on the other. Bracelets are $5 each, and are available for sale at a growing number of businesses around Bozeman (see the sidebar at right for an updated list), or beginning October 10th may be purchased through the Jennys20 blog for $5 per bracelet plus shipping & handling (waived if you opt to pick up your order from a set list of locations provided when you check out). 100% of the profits go directly to Jenny's Benefit Fund... and as long as bracelets continue to be sold, those profits will keep adding to her ability to build her recovery.

Blog-in-Progress

Dear friends of the Jenny's 20 Blog--
The webmaster is in and out of the world of Wi-Fi, but the posts from Race-Day, the Raffle (along with a list of the winners, there are still a few of you who have not gotten your prizes!!), and more are on the way; subscribe to this blog or add it to your GoogleReader to be alerted of any updates. In the meantime, catch up with Jenny's news here or on her Craig CarePage.