It's been several months since my last post - my apologies! But the fact that I haven't posted anything means I've been busy, and that's good, right? I'm not sure where to start, it's been so long. I'll start by warning my reader that this post will probably become quite lengthy as I attempt to catch everyone up with my comings and goings. In my last post, I talked about getting into a better wheelchair, driving, and doing some more rehab. I'm 3/3 on that list I guess, but with complications, of course.

This summer was relaxing and pretty enjoyable. I spent a lot of time with my friends, out and about in Richmond and sunning by (and in!) the pool. In early July, I went to Sheltering Arms in Richmond to do a seating evaluation for a new wheelchair. I ordered my chair based on my needs at the time and the recommendations I received from the therapist and wheelchair technician from Rehab Health Care. They promised me my chair within 90 days...and I was naive enough to believe them, I suppose. It's now January and I think the frame for my chair has arrived, but the back wasn't right so I'm waiting on that piece to come in so I can go in and have the chair adjusted for me and finally take it home! Luckily, I convinced the Rehab Health Care tech to give me a loaner chair that would be small and light enough for me to take it apart and put it in the car when the time came for that. It's a good thing, too, because I would be extremely miserable right now if I was still in that monstrosity of a chair I got from HealthSouth in Charlottesville. The loaner chair serves its purpose, though. It's nice and small, so I take up a lot less space than I did before. That means it's easier for me to push and get around, plus I can fit in smaller spaces that would have been closed off to me before. Plus, it's much easier for people to pick me up, chair and all, and carry me up steps - something that has definitely come in handy!

Late in July my life had a very exciting new development...a new car! I looked into getting a new car to get equipped with hand controls, and I decided (with gas at $4.00/gallon at the time) that a Prius was my number one choice. I asked a good family friend in the car business, Doug, if he could possibly find me one (since they were very hard to get!) and he came through for me in a big way. In two weeks, I had a car! The new car has made a HUGE difference for me, even before I could drive it myself. It's easy for me to get in and out of and has a ton of space, not to mention the fantastic gas mileage! I owe so much to him for finding the car for me and making it so easy!

August brought with it the reality that most of my friends don't live in the Richmond area. They all went off to school (undergrad and grad) or to start real jobs, leaving me with a little less of a social life. I still managed to have some fun, though. Crystal and I went to Annapolis in the beginning of September to visit with her brother Kurt and his wife Louise. I had never been there, so I enjoyed touring the Naval Academy and exploring the city a bit. I also went to Jack's father's wedding with my mom later in September, which consisted of a lovely dinner at the Commonwealth Club on Friday evening and the service followed by a lunch at CCV on Saturday.

At the end of September, I had my first driving lesson at HealthSouth in Richmond. I went in expecting to just complete a written/mental/physical evaluation in preparation for the actual driving, but the occupational therapist didn't think that was necessary and had me in the car the first day! Needless to say, I was very nervous. The car was equipped with a lever to the left of the steering wheel, a spinning knob on the wheel itself, and another smaller lever attached to the blinker. To accelerate, I had to push down on the main lever. To brake, I pushed forward. When I was in a small space (like a parking lot), I had to use the knob to turn the wheel around with my right hand, since my left was occupied by braking and accelerating. The other level exists so I could operate the blinker and headlight switch with my right hand as well.

This isn't the view from inside my car, but that should give you an idea of the gas/brake lever and the spinner knob. The lever attaches to the back of each pedal, so anyone else could get in my car and drive it without ever having to use the hand controls.

On my first day driving, we went to a big parking lot and I practiced just braking and accelerating and turning around the parking lot a few times. Once I felt comfortable enough not to accidentally run into anything, we ventured out into the adjoining neighborhood and I drove (verrrry slowly) around the neighborhood for about half an hour. By the end of our session, my left arm was sore from being so tense the whole time! I went back a few days later and felt much more comfortable. We started out in the neighborhood and then I actually drove on the real road, going through stoplights and turning and everything! At the end of this session, I felt pretty good about my ability and asked the therapist to give me a recommendation so I could get the controls put on my car. Once I had my car equipped, I was able to practice in Powhatan and driving around town as much as I wanted. About a week and a half later, I went back for my final session and drove for a couple minutes on the interstate, so the therapist could see that I was comfortable merging and dealing with high-speed traffic. After that, I was home free! Since then, I've become as comfortable with the hand controls as I was with the foot pedals before my accident. It's amazing to me how well the brain is able to adapt. Using my hand for the gas and brake feels as natural to me as using my foot did before. The brake in my car is pretty sensitive, so sometimes I think my passengers are a little concerned about my ability, but I like to blame it on the car ;)

Just after I started learning to drive, my friend Kyle and I took a road trip to Chicago. He grew up there and really wanted to go back and visit, and I hadn't been so I agreed to go along. We stayed for four days and had a great time. The weather was unseasonably warm, so we were able to spend lots of time exploring the city. We had dinner at a fabulous steakhouse one night, visited the Art Institute, Sears Tower, and the Shedd Aquarium. It was a long drive there and an even longer one back, but all in all we had a great time.

Later in October, my parents' friends organized a charity tennis tournament for me at ACAC in Richmond. They had a silent auction in addition to the tournament, along with lots of food and drinks. So many people showed up to play in the tournament and just to be there, and they were all incredibly generous! I was genuinely touched at how willing people were to donate their time and money. They ended up raising over $23,000. A portion of that momey went toward the renovation of the downstairs bathroom in my mom's house to allow me to spend some time there and spend the night, and the rest will be used for my rehabiliation and other medical and living costs. My parents and I are so lucky to have so many wonderful friends who are so willing to help us out, especially in the current economic climate. We are more grateful for their help than I think any of us are able to put into words.

Halloween weekend was also Homecoming weekend at UVA, so my friends and I trekked up to Charlottesville for a weekend filled with costumes, football, and catching up. I stayed in a hotel room on the Corner to make life easier when coming home at night and getting to and from the football game on Saturday. Unfortunately our football team lost, but I don't think anyone expected great things from us this year (good thing...). It was so great to see so many of my friends together in one place! Plus, so many people were in town that weekend that it almost felt like we were back in school. Going home Sunday to our new homes all over the country was a rude awakening!

my friend Chase and me at a bar on Halloween night (we opted out of the costumes)

I spent a day volunteering for the Obama campaign in Powhatan the day before the election. I drove pretty much all over the county while my volunteer buddy put flyers in mailboxes reminding people to vote. While Powhatan certainly did not go blue on Election Day, at least Virginia did!

December was an exhausting blur of Christmas parties and Christmas shopping! Christmas itself was a lot of fun. I spent Christmas Eve with my dad, Crystal, and our used-to-be stray outdoor cat Madge (and the possum that has been hanging out around our house, Paul). We opened presents Christmas morning, then I headed to my mom's to exchange gifts with her. Once we were done, we headed up to Bethesda for Christmas dinner at my aunt Michele's house. That evening I stayed in a hotel in downtown Bethesda. Michele had a bathroom remodeled on the first floor so I could get into it and use it while I was at the house, which was incredibly helpful, but there wasn't really a way for me to stay there overnight - no accessible bathroom with a shower and bed all on the same floor. We went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the next day and went to Iota in Clarendon to see my uncle Chuck play in his band that night. Sunday my mom and I headed home. It was really nice to spend a couple days with family just relaxing and having fun, and we all had a great time watching Chuck play.

Crystal's mom came to visit on December 29 and stayed for about a week and half, so the house was much more entertaining for a few days! For New Year's Eve, I went to Washington DC with a few of my friends and had dinner at Olives. The six of us crammed into a hotel room that night and groggily left the next morning. We had an excellent dinner and lots of drinks and of course, a champagne toast at midnight. We also sang our own version of Auld Lang Syne - the Good Old Song - twice. With applause, I'm proud to say. I was grateful to be able to ring in the new year with some close friends...even though it was freezing cold that night!

New Year's Eve dinner

Since New Year's Eve, my most exciting news has to do with my rehab plans. I've been doing a little bit of physical therapy at HealthSouth in Richmond, mostly to learn how to transfer in and out of my chair from the floor - which I've now mastered! That gives me the freedom to get out of my chair and be on the floor, which is really fun.

I met with Kristin Beale and her mom at their home in Richmond last week to talk to them about all the different places Kristin has been to do rehab. Kristin is 18 and a paraplegic at the same level as I am. Her injury was almost four years ago, and since then she has been to San Diego, Baltimore and Ohio, among others, for different types of therapy. Her family has invested in a variety of equipment for their home so she can continue her recovery at their house. She met her personal trainer, Sheila, at Project Walk in San Diego, and Sheila has been traveling with her ever since. They told me all about the places they've been, Awakenings being Kristin's favorite. Awakenings Health Institute is in La Jolla and focuses on mind and body recovery. They offer intense personal training, craniosacral massage, acupuncture, nutrition counseling, and other services. They believe that through all these avenues the body has its best hope of regenerating nerve connections from the brain. Kristin has also been to the Dominican Republic for stem cell therapy, and is going back soon for more. Since starting an intense workout regimen, along with these other therapies, she has seen improvement in her ability to control her hips and gluteals, as well as her feet.

Kristin's mom offered for me to use the equpiment in their house to work with Sheila for a few weeks, so I could get an understanding of the workouts Kristin does and what they've learned at all the different recovery centers. We had our first meeting yesterday, and met again today. She works with my legs to exercise many of the muscles that I no long am able to work, and encourages me to imagine that I am actually the one doing the movements. Even after two days I feel like my body is healthier and my legs are in better shape!

Now that I have some outside input, I'm seriously considering going to Awakenings or Project Walk (or both) to take part in their programs. I would probably go for a couple weeks, getting personal training several hours each day. Project Walk encourages you to bring your own trainer and offers a "Train Your Trainer" program, during which they teach your trainer all the exercises they do. This allows you to stay for just a few weeks, but to continue the same exercises at home after you leave. I think this sounds like the most feasible option for me, so I can get started with a job and looking for a place to live sooner, rather than spending 6 months to a year out in California doing rehab before really starting my life again. Unfortunately, this is definitely an expensive plan, with personal training sessions upwards of $60 per hour and full-week intensives costing several thousand dollars, but the results seem to outweigh the costs!

I'm hoping to find a job in Washington DC if possible, and I may have an in working in Mark Warner's senate office! I'm not sure yet, but that is a very exciting possiblity! I also am exploring the possibility of working for Racepoint Group, the PR firm that I interviewed with before my accident, in DC.

I'm hoping by spring to be working and living somewhere on my own (as nice as it is living in my parents' house...). I'm not sure of the timeline of any of these things yet, but that's what I'm aspiring to do! As you can probably tell from all of my adventures over the past few months, I'm feeling much more independent and mobile. Driving really has given me the freedom to feel like myself again, and I've gotten stronger every day. While I still am not in the best possible shape to be living independently in my chair, I am certainly on my way. At the same time, I'm really excited at the possibility of going somewhere to do some more experimental therapy and learning about all the alternatives to the traditional approach, which is basically just to be good at your life in your chair and have that be as far as it goes. There are people out there who believe that there is more to it than that, and I'm very interested in seeing what they have to say. It's all been a learning experience, to say the least, but I still don't believe that this wheelchair is something I'll be confined to for the rest of my life. Stem cell research and assitive technology research is moving quickly and it seems that it will only be a matter of time before there are options out there for me that don't exist now. We can hope, right? This seems to be the year for hope, and I'm certainly jumping on that bandwagon!

Thanks again to everyone who has encouraged me and supported me through all of this. I'm so grateful and I'm sorry to have waited so long to update you!