Extended walk extended.

Today I extended the morning walk by about 10 percent. If I assume a shuffling speed of 2 miles per hour., this mornings 40 minute walk was 1 and a third miles long. When my distance gets me to an hours walk, I'll change to timing again.
It's not going to be as hot today as it was yesterday. Wheww...
Remember: We're all on this flight together.

Dick

Wow! It's hot today

I did my extended walk backwards (the route, not me). It was about 7:30 in the morning so the sun wasn't quite up yet. The world looks different in reverse.
Then I go to thinking. Theoretical physics tells us that there are an infinite number of parallel universes. A new infinity of parallel universes are formed each time an event happens. Carried to its logical conclusion there's a 'me' who is dead in one universe and paralyzed in a second and so forth ad infinitum. How lucky I am to have ended up in the one universe in which I am undamaged! But then by the same reasoning, I could have ended up in the universe in which there was no incident!
Just a thought.
Remember: We're all on this flight together.

Random musings

Since it is Sunday, I used my collection of gospel music to set the pace of my walk. But I couldn't find a pace that matched the music. It was either too fast or too slow so I let my mind wander with the music in the back ground. Today's extended walk took 29 minutes and should have been less than 25 if the overall pace had been more vigorous. Even so I was out of gas (don't miss the irony here) at the end of the walk.
Yesterday I drove out to Flabob airport to look up and thank Scott Liefeld, who you may recall put us in touch with the firemen who helped get me up to the top floor of Deb's house for my first home type rehabilitation. Scott flies a Pietenpol airplane that he built himself. Google Pietenpol for more info on this fascinating plane. Yesterday was a Pietenpol fly-in at Flabob. Right out of the Thirties!
Being at Flabob again was like being wrapped in a warm blanket , Good people and good airplanes. What more could a guy want?
Remember: We're all on this flight together.

Dick

A visit from some old friends

Old friends Gayle and David Clayton drove down from Berkeley for a visit this week. We had a nice walk and dinner and a chat about old times and old friends. Thanks for the visit guys!
Today is a fly-in of Pietennpol airplanes at Flabob Arpt. The P is an old design and is quite unique. But the real reason for driving out there is to meet Scott Leefield who introduced Deb and I to the firemen who lifted me from ground floor to the top of Deb's house in February so I could rehab there for a few weeks.
I'm off to Flabob but will stop at Cable Airport to visit with Russ C for a few minutes to inspect his project the on the way home.
Right now I'm off for my morning constitutional.
Remember: We're all on this flight together.

Dick

Another extended walk

For the second day I have completed the extended distance on my daily walk. But today seems to be a 'one step backward' day so it was tough. Then realized that when the going gets tough, etc.... instead of 'If at first you don't succeed, accept that its 's wrong for you and try something else'. But I was really dragging the last block or so.
Don't forget: We're all on this flight together

Dick

Another defect!

I was at a meeting last week and had to say something out loud. I later realized that although the words formed perfectly from my brain to my tongue, something happened between the tongue and everyone else's hearing. It apparently was coming out garbled and everyone had been too polite to mention it. So I considered that speech is controlled by the right side of the brain. My physical injuries affected mostly the right side of my body. So if I assume that I had a concussion affecting principally the right side of my brain the slurred speech could be explained. So I'll take the advice I used to give my novice users of the teleprompter: practice by reading the daily newspaper OUT LOUD for 15-20 minutes a day. Besides, reading that pap will get your blood flowing.
Now I know the speech therapy I need but haven't considered it before. Living by myself there has been an infrequent need to even speak out loud. What a shock to realize there was no volume to the words.
I extended my walk by about 20% this morning, I finished but was walking weakly and slowly at the finish line. But I made it.
Old friends Gayle and David are coming down for a visit this week. I first met Gayle in a sailing course we took together (but separately) in the early 70's.
New friends, Homeland Security Agents Laura and Jonnie drop by a few times a week to make sure I'm still here. Thanks Laura and Jon.

Dick

Another slow day.

Well, it's another slow day. The rate of rehab is slow at this point so I haven't had much to report lately. I was up late last night (11pm) watching a movie with William Holden fighting WW II. The Devil's Brigade. Das Teufel Brigada. And the Sunday funnies haven't been delivered yet. And my a&%$ is sore from sitting so much.
My routine includes a daily walk around the 'big block.' Each day I try to go a little bit faster. In the last week the rhythm has increased as my stride gets quicker. The iPod helps keep things on track.
I released the carcass of the plane to the scrap dealer. A sad day at Flabob. It turns out that another pilot at Flabob tried to take off without a thorough preflight. He tried 3 times and was able to safely abort the first 2. Then he took off the third time, got about 100 feet in the air and the engine quit again. He walked away but the beautiful Ercoupe was totalled. Another lucky stupido piloto!
Remember: We're all on this flight together.

Dick

Strange moods

It's now one week shy of 4 months since the grand upset. Except for some ongoing physical therapy still required I feel completely healed. But today for the first time since the incident I am totally motivated to do NOTHING! Not to twist my body parts, not to walk, not to cook, not to do anything beyond that needed to exist. Sad but true, so I'll just ride it out. There's always tomorrow.
I found the sunglasses and camera that were lost in the big tumble. If you think I was bad, wait til you see the camera.. DEMOLISHED!! I'll post pics in the next few days as soon as I get the replacement camera.
So remember folks, we're all on this flight together.

Dick

Meditation and the Malady

I try to meditate twice a day. The motivation on my part is to slow down the progression of the Parkinson's. It has never been severe enough to interfere with anything I want to do so I don't get too concerned about it. I've always been able to calm down both my right foot and my right hand by focusing on the particular limb. Lately it seems I am unable to calm my right hand for more than a minute or so and then I have to repeat the process.
So that got me to thinking: If it all ended tomorrow what regrets would I have? Two bright, caring children, marriages to two beautiful women. I've built, flown, jumped out of and survived airplanes. I learned to fingerpick a guitar and took some pretty good photographs as I passed through life. A professional career that included two patents and several technical articles (domestic and international) is nothing at which to sneeze. And just surviving three quarters of a century should show the strength of my genes. Most of all, the friends I've met along the way.
The worst I've got to show for it all are three screws in my neck!!
I finished my walk for the day to the peppy strains of "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" (it is Sunday). I'm still trying to figure out the best place to carry the pedometer. Now it's off to the shower and thence to the EAA Chapter One meeting at Flabob.
It's a beautiful day for flying.

Dick

Another exciting day!

Yesterday was the day. I had been planning on visiting All Saints Rehab Center for some time but since it is 50 miles from home requiring driving the most congested freeway in the country I was concerned about the time it would take and how I could stand up (sit down?) to the rigors of driving that far. All went well. The traffic was terrible but I just relaxed and drove carefully and arrived a little over an hour after I left Fullerton.
I didn't expect it to be very emotional just a short visit with those who had saved my life. But I ran into one of the nurses in the parking lot who had cared for me and broke down crying. Right there in the parking lot. Then I was signing in at the reception desk when Jean-Paul's secretary came walking by. I broke down crying again (BDCA). Then David from PT came up behind me and I BDCA. Next down the hallway came Liza from Activities and I BDCA. And the Lisa who was responsible for smoothing the way for all the paperwork and permissions walked up and I BDCA. While we were gathered there, Jean-Paul (a very Popish name), the director, came walking up in all his sartorial splendor and I BDCA. Coincidentally, he told me he had been unable to get me out of his mind all day the day before! And Guy from Pediatrics and Doctor S., the doctor who oversaw my rehabilitation, stopped by. I apologize to all the others whose name I forgot but whose appearance caused me to BDCA. It seemed like I was shuffling from one box of Kleenex to the next.
Then a short stroll to the Pediatrics ward. My world view tells me that everyone I meet is in my life to teach me something. My job is to determine what the lesson is. But I feel terribly guilty when I consider that all those awfully debilitated children are there so I can learn a lesson. Self centered for sure but there must be an easier way for both of us. So I BDCA. But if there is such a thing a karma, I must have done something awfully good in a previous life to deserve the kind attention of all these great people, not only at All Saints but those who responded to my involvement in the incident. Thanks Rick & Deb, Kathy & Tom & Tom, brother Bob and the Flabobians. Thanks one and all. I BDCA as I wrote this.
David wanted me to meet one of his PT patients who was suffering from bouts of depression so I walked into his room where he had tubes stuck in him everywhere and suggested (facetiously) that we go for a walk. He calmly relied that he had no legs. My faux pas. But he didn't seem offended so we had a nice visit. Then I BDCA after I left.
Before I left, two Philipina PT persons came flying down the hallway, arms flapping and making airplane noises so I BDCA.
It is beyond my ability to use words to describe what a day it had been. All I had ever done was be myself and do what comes naturally. And each of those Angels of Mercy did what had to be done and remembered me in the process. So I BDCA.

Dick

PT is officlally over.

Buck the physical therapist who has been watching over me lately has officially relinquished his grip over my future. No more weekly visits although he did leave a few exercises to do. We walked around the block together in a record 15 minutes. We were really moving along.
Old friends Gayle and David presented me with a pedometer to inspire me to greater distances. It seemed to work at first but was erratic. Then I realized it depends on the normal bouncing when you walk. It's erratic because I don't step, I shuffle and that's not enough to consistently trigger the insides. Oh well, good try. Tomorrow I'll try to skip or jog
Brother Bob will be by after his weekly lunch with the Hughes crowd.
I swear my mind is running about two beats behind. I think of something and seconds later.... gone!
Tomorrow I'm off to All Saints Rehab for a short visit. Thanks in advance guys!
It's a beautiful day for flying.

Dick

An emotional morning

This morning for the first time since the incident, I took the time to go back to the beginnings of this blog and read each entry and the associated comments. I'm struck by two things. First is the out pouring of concern by those near and far (physically and family wise). My eyes teared up as I read.. and digested each entry.
The second thing is how my condition was misunderstood by so many. I did see a cat in the ICU before I knew what Sundowners is, I was never that concerned about fresh air or the outdoors. At times Deb and others were concerned about my mental state and whether or not I was in pain. Let me assure everyone that at NO TIME was I in any pain or even discomfort. The neck brace was a pain but only metaphorically. But the concern everyone exhibited brought tears to my eyes so often that I had to replace my Kleenex box... and I'm only up to the ICU part of the blog where I was coherent but barely. By that time I knew what Sundowners was and knew when it was over. I'll say again that the happiest day of my life was when Deb came around the corner while I was in restraints. That's when I knew something odd was happening and that everything now would be all right.
But the bottom line is that I was never traumatised by the incident and the entire episode was harder on others (particularly Deb) than it was on me. I was in my glory with my every need being taken care of without a word from me. No pain or discomfort and being awakened each morning by a pair of beautiful Philpina eyes. Then 3 square meals a day. And student nurses to test as well as the regulars to play with all day what more could a guy ask for?
Anyway, reading the blog as far as I have has motivated me to reach greater heights. If others could care that passionately then I could do what I can to expedite recovery. On this mornings walk I cut 1 1/2 minutes off my normal daily walk of 20 minutes. But I was really shufflling along! I use a cane for long distances but can negotiate quite well for short distances without it.
It's too overcast to fly today

Dick

Not much to report

Well, since I last wrote, there have been some good news and some not so good.
The good is that on Wednesday I had a cat scan of my neck. I haven't heard any feed back so I guess no news is good news. It was a 5 minute adventure and I didn't have to undress. I have also kept up with my daily walks around the block. It's amazing how unkept the sidewalks are. And the people who park their cars across the side walk!
Rick once suggested that I stand there and beat on the hood of the car with my cane until the owner moves it. It brings a chuckle every time I picture that. But if that's all I have to complain about things are pretty good. The neck brace is off for good.
The sad news is that I went out to Flabob airport Saturday to start to remove the reusable parts. I never got emotional about the plane but it was truly sad to see this once fine machine reduced to scrap. We still don't know the status of the engine. The crankshaft may have been bent in the upset and the engine mount is bent. But replacing both parts will result in a new engine for someone. The radio, transponder, glass panel and autopilot are in the back of my car. I'm going out again today to finish up then off to the scrap heap. But on the artistic side, I now have a propeller to hang on my wall for all to see.
It's too overcast to fly this morning but it should clear up this afternoon.

Dick

Another Goal Reached!

When I first started to walk, the physical therapist set the goal to walk around the block surrounded by Wilshire, Jefferson, Amerige and Woods ( check it on google). A pretty big block. Well, I reached the diagonal corners of the block in my daily walk when I realized that I could achieve the goal by continuing around the block instead of retracing my steps each day. So yesterday I circled the block, but it was the limit of my endurance so I'll stick to that walk for a few days.
Another day, another co-pay. There was an anomaly in my heartbeat when I was in the hospital so I was given digoxin to take. My primary physician wanted to determine whether the anomaly was due to the trauma of the incident or an ongoing part of my heart beat. So today I was fitted with a 24 hour heart monitor to check it out. Nothing has ever shown up on a regular EKG so I'm guessing there is no problem.
It's a great day for flying.

Dick