Wild Cat

This last weekend I went to Elko NV with my sister, she had to be there for work and my friend Lizzy lives there so I went to visit her. It was a great time we all went out to dinner and watched a small concert and even did a little gambling where I got my butt kicked but at least I tried! During the day my sister would be at work and Lizzy and I would take my wild cat out for a ride and we had a blast up until about 5 hours before we headed back home.

It was a beautiful afternoon Lizzy and I had been ridding all over the hills hitting jumps and flying through the river to get cooled down. We were back at her house and she said, "lets go for one last ride before you go  home," so we took off up the canyon hit a few jumps, climbed a few hills and then we started on our way back to her house...that's when the rear left tire came off.

The studs that hold the lugs nuts on broke off and that let the tire free. So there we sat,  neither of can us walk or really do much of anything to fix our situation although I did throw myself out of the wild cat onto the ground so I could see what the problem was. We called her step-dad Steve to come get us. He brought his truck out and took us back to their house. Steve and I then got into my truck with the trailer and head back up the canyon to pick up the machine. We had to drive the wild cat about 300 yards while dragging the axle on the ground to get close enough to load into the trailer. When we got the wild cat to the trailer Steve went to load it and that's when it decided to take off by itself into the trailer it ripped the door off broke some plastic. Luckily we were both out of the way and no one got hurt.

Apart from the damage to the trailer and wild cat it was a great weekend and a lot of fun!!

The Way I Am

I've been thinking about my life and the way I do things now and how I use to do them. Starting this blog was a good thing for me because sometimes I want to talk about something but I might be embarrassed to say it, but its a lot easier to write about it.

I get up everyday and I workout, practice with my stimulator throughout the day, work on my speeches and try and ride my hand cycle. Just that keeps me pretty busy I also have a lot more that I try and get done sometimes I find myself making up excuses on why not to do them.

Here's what I want to write about and its not that I'm complaining or looking for sympathy I just want to talk about it. I see some of my friends with there wives and kids or my buddies that work out at the mines and they are all just living their life in a way that I thought it should have been for me. My brother works with my dad in our family company doing all the things that I use to do and I know my dad and brother would love to have me back working with them...I just don't see it in my future anymore...as bad as I wish that it was.

An everyday issue for me is going places like to a friends house, concerts, camping, traveling, really anything and having to make sure I can get in there with my wheelchair is a pain. There are all kinds of things that I think about that make me wonder, why did this have to happen to me?

It's ok though because I like to use these feelings for fuel to keep me pushing on and trying to reach my goals. I know it's not going to be easy. I've also had an amazing opportunity to be part of a research program that is improving the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries. I know I have to keep working hard and doing the best I can, not only to benefit myself but to provide the best information to the research ultimately helping everyone with an SCI to reach their goal to walk again.

  
 

Working Out

I've only been blogging for a little while but hopefully my passion for staying in shape has come through? I was a fit guy before my accident but it was more of a result of my active lifestyle rather than a real dedication to fitness.

After the accident I think it is one of the most important things in my life.

I've been so fortunate to receive the epidural stimulation and know there are great things on the horizon for people living with paralysis but even with so much hope there is a constant nagging in the back of my mind about being physically fit for when these developments come about.

This is a constant battle for me...my muscle spasms are so bad I haven't slept through the night in years. My legs have a crazy mind of their own and will kick or shake uncontrollably every single day. I've been on baclofen (treats muscle spasms) and enjoyed the peace it brings. There are so many benefits to living a spasm free life! For me though, as much as I HATE the spasms, when my legs spasm I see the muscles tense. It's a small bit of comfort in an otherwise almost unbearable situation.

Not being able to voluntarily activate muscles below the chest anytime I want I love to see they're still alive.

I also love the feeling I get after a great workout. I know exercise releases endorphins but I think working out in a wheelchair increases the amount released...I've got no science here but when I'm at the gym I think about how hard it was for me to even get there, I think about all the machines I can't even use, the people staring at me thinking and the additional effort it takes me to get around a typical gym. The number of people in wheelchairs in your average gym is very little and those kind of odds make the workout that much more meaningful. If I can do it so can you. It isn't easy, it's beyond frustrating and sometimes you'll wonder why you even bother--everyone paralyzed or not does! But I can tell you one thing--when the cure comes you'll be ready! You'll be a better candidate, you'll recover faster, your heart will be stronger, your immune system will be stronger and you'll already have some muscle mass.

Those first workouts are the hardest (I'll get into my first workouts in a later post) but don't give up! The benefits from working out are unreal! I've never been so grateful I can workout - even if everyday is an arm day ;)

Here is a video of me trying to prove my brother wrong...he said I couldn't pull myself up a rope and do 10 pull-ups...

 

Back AT IT

It's been a busy week for me I'm finally moved in with my sister. I've got all of my stuff unpacked and now ready to see what happens next. It's funny...before I moved down here I had all of these plans that I would be doing and now that I'm finally here, I'm not sure on what I  should do. O well I will just have to get out there and get started and do my best. Also, last week was very exciting for me my best friend Jonny Lamb and his wife brought there son into the world Jacob Ryan Lamb cute kid I'm so happy for them.

Have a great day!!!!!

T. Wilson

When you go through a life changing event there will always be people around who help you--whether you know what they've done or not. My accident was in August and I don't remember anything until about October. I know there many people who helped me and literally saved my life. Many of them I will never know but many are still by my side nearly five years later.

I think it goes without saying my family and friends have been an endless support system for me. They've made sacrifices I can't even begin to repay and continually encouraged me.

One person who really has gone out of his way to help me with my motivational speaking has asked for no recognition so I'll call him Tom W. or is that too obvious? Maybe he'd prefer Mr. W.? Or T. Wilson? Either way, this man who shall remain unnamed ;) has taken his role as an educator to a whole new level.

In a twist of fate Mr. W. was with me the morning I went in for my first major surgery after the car accident. My family had been by my bedside since I was life flighted in and left around 1am. They were told I'd be going in around 6am but I was prepared for surgery at 5am as they were on their way to the hospital. Mr. W. happened to be there with his wife and was told by another teacher I had been in a car accident. He used his classic Mr. W. charm to track me down in the surgery wing and they told him I was getting ready to go back for surgery. Since my family wasn't there yet I guess they assumed he was family and asked if he wanted to go back with me while I waited. I was not conscious but I know his familiar voice was a comfort for me as I was wheeled away for the 10 hour surgery.

He checked back in on me throughout the recovery process and then our paths crossed again after my cousin asked me to come speak to her class about a year ago. I was at my dad's shop practicing for my first public appearance. Truth be told I was practicing to a wall and must have looked a little crazy when Mr. W.  came around the corner. I explained what I was preparing for and he asked if he could come along. Of course a familiar face in the audience was more than welcome.

After the first speech Mr. W. must have seen something because he has been my biggest supporter to grow my speaking abilities ever since. I would never be where I am today without him. To him and everyone else who have been behind me--thank you.

My first day at the University of Utah Hospital 

Life in Heber

I've been trying to find a place to live in Salt Lake and finally after talking with my brother in law I'm going to move in with him and my sister for awhile until I can figure out what I'm gonna do now. So Heber Utah is my new home for now but the good thing is they have a nice gym here for me to workout at and lots of trails I take my hand cycle on, plus I get to hang out with Ashley and Bryant!

Today I'm going to work with my stimulator and hit the gym!! work hard!!!

Ready for More...What Am I Gonna Do Now?

I think I've mentioned it before but in the last few months I've been working (alongside some very amazing people) to develop a motivational speech titled "What Are You Gonna Do Now?" I started out telling my story to small groups of friends and family and have continually developed the speech and grown the audiences to schools and companies. I've had the support of some really fantastic and generous people to get this far and I think I'm ready for more! My speech is about challenges we face and the possible next steps.  One of my favorite lines is "you can wipe the tears from your eyes or the sweat from your brow" and I think it is applicable to so many situations.

After my speeches I've had many people come up and tell me about the struggles they face. It's humbling to have someone share with you their deepest challenges and hear that my story was an inspiration in some way. Being in a wheelchair your challenges are always in the public eye and maybe that makes it easier to talk about? For whatever reason people confide in me the feeling of hope grows with every speech and I want to continue to develop my speaking skills and audience.

I'm looking at moving to Salt Lake to further my motivational speaking. It's a good place to live and I am ready for something new. The uncertainty is a little intimidating but I better take my own advice and do something about it!