Monday, August 2d - As I’ve said before, what a difference a day or even an hour, can make. Yesterday, after Patty left, around 11:00, I went outside by the pond, as I’ve done 100 times before, and my chair got stuck in a collapsed muskrat’s tunnel/hole. Turned the power up, as I’ve done before, and the chair tipped over and dumped me in the pond in water about a foot or so deep. I was laying in the pond, screaming for help for about 5 minutes, and looked at my watch, it was 11:25. Amazingly, Krissy was playing in our bathroom, upstairs, and looked out and saw me. She told Karen, who knew I was out by the pond, insistently. Karen looked, saw me and came out running about 11:35. I was laying in water and holding on to the chair, which was still on the bank sideways, with my left hand to keep my head above water. Karen yelled to Carrie to call 911. She did and they were there in about 10 minutes. In the meantime , I had Karen and Carrie hold my left hand, which had become very sore. About 5 or 10 minutes after arriving, 911 got me out of the water and transferred me to the manual wheelchair. Then Karen took me inside, after saying thank you very much to 911, who also brought up my electric wheelchair, and gave me a sponge bath to wash off the pond water. She was finishing dressing me and putting on my socks when I looked at my watch again, it was 12:20. After lunch, we took Krissy to Toys’R’Us and bought her a new Barbie doll, among other things, to show our appreciation. Then it was time to go to Church and we did just that, very thankfully. Home around 9:30 after a quick bite out and computed until bedtime.

Friday, August 6th - It’s been a busy week, so far. Tuesday was my first PT at Edwin Shaw. My 2d was yesterday. My therapy is from 5:00 to 6:00. I was tired yesterday after spending all day at the County Fair so I didn’t walk as well with my walker. We are going to try and change the time to morning or early afternoon as a result. Had Vicki Tuesday and Wednesday and Jeannie yesterday and today. Other than that, I have just been computing and thanking God a lot for last Sunday. It’s now 1:30 and my mom just got here so Karen, who just got done mowing our lawn, can take a nap before my PT. Had an argument with my sister last Friday. She was visiting before she went back to Iowa and was giving me a hard time about my smoking because of my dad’s death from cancer and suggested I use my right hand. When I said I had tried and couldn’t, she said I was being “lazy”. I blew up, lazy is one thing I am not. She ended up apologizing and I guess, no harm, no foul but I am not “lazy”. I have to struggle just to sit upright in my wheelchair and not lean. That is every minute of every day, no breaks, and that is how I start every day, after bed exercises with my aids, of course.

Saturday, August 14th - Another busy week. Therapy has been going good. Yesterday I even transferred myself for the 1srt time from the wheelchair to a mat/bed. Never done that before. Wasn’t pretty and will take a week or 2 to perfect, but, I DID IT. Pretty soon I will be putting myself to bed and getting myself up. Went to Cedar Point on Monday. Was cool just watching Krissy. Didn’t ride much, unlike last year. Left Akron at 12 or 12:30 and got home around 12:30 or 1:00. Was there for around 9 hours. After about 4 or 5 hours my but was sore and I had Karen transfer me to a park bench. After 20 minutes, I got restless and wanted to go watch Karen and Krissy. So I did. First I had to transfer myself to the wheelchair by myself. Was cool and surprised Karen when I showed up at their ride. Took Carrie and her friend Katie too. We all closed the park @ 11:00. Recouped on Tuesday, went to therapy @ 5:00. Same on Thursday and Friday. Friday was when I transferred from the wheelchair. Each day the machines are getting a little more under my control. Had an argument with Karen yesterday. She was commenting on my smoking. I blew up/lost my temper. Had Jeanie on Monday, Thursday and Friday, Vicki on the weekend and Tuesday and Wednesday. Patty this morning and tomorrow. All were good. Going to Akron Zoo today with Krissy and Karen.

Sunday, August 15th - Going on 11:00. Still getting ready for the zoo. Went to the zoo, followed by the pig roast and followed by Bible study. Home around 9:00 or so. Zoo was great. There was so much I wanted to do, and couldn’t, LAST YEAR. Did more this year. Computed for a while, lost to Karen at cards, then computer and bed.

Monday, August 16th - Carrie is at work. Karen is upstairs, straightening up, and the cleaning ladies are here. Karen's mom is coming over this afternoon so Karen can nap. Tonight we are going to the library and to CompUSA. Planning on getting a book on porches at the library. Karen has agreed to my building a porch back behind the barn where the dog kennels used to be. It will be about 10 ft by 20 ft. total. We are keeping 1 kennel about 8 by 8.. Want to put an area for entrance off of that of about 3 ft. by 20 ft that makes it wheelchair accessible. Then, a path that’s wheelchair ready from the front drive back to the barn and going around the pond. This will make it great for visits by the Edwin Shaw recreation program. This is also something I am going to have to talk Karen into, the path. More ways to help TBI’ers, my new career. Maybe Edwin Shaw can help pay for that. CompUSA is so we can get the most recent version of MS Money so we can install it downstairs. Right now, it is upstairs like it has been for 5 or 10 years. Then I will be more ready to help Karen out with finances which always were, until my accident, my duty. 2:30 and Karen and Krissy are at Gymboree.

Tuesday, August 17th - 4:15 left for physical therapy. Was good as usual. I am more in control each time. Swensons for dinner after PT around 6:30. Then ice cream and home. Computed until bedtime.

Sunday, August 22d - As usual, it’s been a busy week. But, before I get to that, I want to talk about something that occurred to me on Thursday this week “Re-parenting” for TBI’ers. This is what we really need and often slip through the cracks without. The first 2 or 3 yrs after a TBI are really eerily similar to being a newborn. You and your brain and muscles have to re-learn so much. From walking with a very big body to very basic bathroom tasks. Yet every one expects more. After all, you look like a 40+ year old. Without Karen to help me there is no doubt in my mind at all, I would be institutionalized, probably for the rest of my abbreviated life. She has been not only my wife and the mother of my children, but also my “mom” when I needed one. Encouraging and motivating me, making sure I learn to look out for myself and where necessary, protecting me. Yet I wonder about all the TBI’ers without Karens?

Wednesday, August 25th - Donna this AM, good. Now 11:00. Doctor today to look at my left elbow. It has a bump on it, maybe water from leaning on my chair arm. Then I have PT. Looking back, I took a lot of stupid chances in the last 2 years, especially last summer and fall. At the time, for all I knew, I was going to be in this chair forever. Looking forward to walking and leading a “normal” life has changed my outlook a lot. I still take some chances, but nothing like the last 2 years. Doctor drained the water on my elbow, so far, so good.

Sunday, August 29th - I can see it’s been 4 days since my last entry but 3 days ago I started using a dictaphone that Karen’s mom got me for Christmas. I have been able to dictate and record things for my journal and will do a more thorough update in the future. Before that though, I wanted to bring everyone up to speed on Jim. Haven’t seen or talked to him or about him since around Memorial day. Friday morning, looking at my dog kennels/“weeds” with Jeanie, I got the idea to ask Jim to help me with my patio. That afternoon I got the urge to call his mom, especially since his phone was disconnected. She told me he had been over to visit Thursday and was still trying to quit drinking. That he looked OK and that she had asked the Lord to help him. I asked Karen that evening about the possibility of a visit. She was cool to the idea at first but I told her that it was important to me and I wanted to visit him this weekend. So last night, after dropping Carrie off at a party, we headed up to Cuyahoga Falls to Fazoli’s for dinner and to Circuit City, something I had requested earlier in the week, and then to Jim’s. A thunderstorm was heading East with us, breaking out just as we were leaving. We got ahead of it and, due to the impending rain, decided to stop at Jim’s first. We got there and Karen went up and I stayed at the van (no elevators). After about 15 minutes they all (Karen, Krissy and Jim) came down and told me Jim was coming with us to Fazoli's. I brought Jim up to speed on “me” during dinner and vice-versa. After dinner, Jim and I went outside for a smoke and Karen and Krissy went to the girls room. While smoking, I asked Jim how he was making ends meet without a job. He told me he was barely making it. Karen came out and asked Jim if we could take him shopping like we did several months ago. We went to Tops and gave Jim the $$$ and he went inside for about a half hour and came out with several bags of groceries. On the way out of the parking lot Karen asked Jim if he had gotten cigarettes. He hadn’t so we stopped on the way to his apartment and did so. When we got to Jim’s, Karen and Krissy went up to see Jim’s cat appreciate the canned food. I stayed back at the van, chair turned outside, so I could have a smoke. Jim came out after a few minutes and had a smoke with me. He was very thankful to us all and, upon an impulse, I said “Jim, with Christ all things are possible” He looked me straight in the eyes and said “you are right” and went on to tell me how he had prayed the last 2 days because he was down to his last bologna and out of milk and bread and otherwise out of both food and money, even 35 cents short for a pack of cigarettes. I invited him to the Chapel with us and he said he might. Then Karen and Krissy came out and while saying goodbyes, decided that, since Jim’s car was broken down, next Sunday would be better for church. Got home around 11:00, played backgammon and went to bed.

Tuesday, August 31st - Therapy was good on Friday.. They did an evaluation of me and concluded I was improving physically. It was good today too. Ray’s was this morning too. Right now, 6 PM, Karen is out mowing the lawn and I am computing. Spent most of the afternoon “weeding” the kennels. They are very overgrown and in the way of my, hopefully, new patio.