Two Whole Months

Well, yesterday marked two months since the accident. In some ways I can't believe it has been that long. In others, it feels like it has been forever. I guess this post is just a summary of my current situation.

I am still wearing my turtle shell, although I have been given permission to take it off when I am sitting up, most noticeably when I am in the shower. I have discovered that my abs and back muscles are basically nonexistent. I can make it through a normal length shower now without my torso hurting too much. I had my back x-rayed today so that I will have films ready for my check-up with neurosurgery on Monday. They preferred the x-ray in a standing position and with the shell off so I stood without my shell for the first time today. I was aching by the time they were done taking two pictures. I guess when the shell finally comes off (in about a month) I will have to do a lot of sit-ups to get my six pack back (ha!).

I am getting around really well. In fact, it is hard to find something I can't successfully navigate. I can handle steps and sloped ground. I have been on grass and gravel. I even made it up some steps that didn't have a rail (but only a few steps and I had some spotters helping). I can go pretty far before I get tired. The best indicator of my progress is that I get restless sitting in my chair all day. I am up doing stuff most of the day and I didn't even lay down in my cot at school today.

I finally checked myself yesterday to see how my sensation is. My legs are pretty much the same: I have full sensation on the left leg but no sensation on the front and most of the sides of my right leg. I have discovered that I have dead spots all over my torso. It isn't just near my incision, I have them on my back and sides and lower stomach. It is hard to describe because I have patches and stripes and all sorts of weird shapes of places where I have little to no sensation.

I think my right quad is finally starting to come back. From visual appearances it looks like more of the muscle is starting to activate and I was able to lift it off the exercise table about an inch when I was at therapy yesterday. No real progress from my shin muscles though.

Lots of people at school have been commenting about my weight. It is probably the most noticeable change in all of this. Earlier this year (when I finally decided it was time to lose weight) I weighed in at a hefty 261. I started trying to diet and got into the mid 240's by the beginning of summer. By the time of the accident I was 235. I weighed in this morning and I was 209 including the weight of my turtle shell, which is probably about five pounds. Even though I am eating just fine, I haven't had the insatiable appetite and killer sweet tooth that I had before the accident so I am still losing weight without really trying. In fact, I had quite a few cookies the other day :)

I am happy to be back to school. Classes are going fine and I am hoping to get the changes made to my research paper and get it resubmitted for publication. Tomorrow is my driving evaluation and after that I should be able to start driving myself to school. I am excited to drive again, but mostly because it is one more thing that I can start doing for myself.