2022: Thirteenth “Wreckiversary”

August 20. This morning I read a note from my daughter, recalling correctly that today was an anniversary of my bicycle’s demise. My being astride that two-wheeled rolling steed, when the physics of negative acceleration suddenly took over, only served to further complicate things. Her note remembered and marveled at God’s faithfulness throughout these thirteenContinue reading “2022: Thirteenth “Wreckiversary””

Bicyclists’ “Blackbox”

Wow! Great article with an amazing outcome (apart from the cowardly driver who left the scene). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/23/biking-cameras-_n_6029950.html I was struck 08-20-2009 by a motorist. A Blackbox camera would’ve been a great forensic resource. As it turned out, the guy who hit me stuck around but had embarrassingly meager automobile insurance, so it was my ownContinue reading “Bicyclists’ “Blackbox””

Five Years On

A year ago, on my 4th “Accidentiversary,” and just three days after my daughter’s wedding, I wrote a quick ditty because ditty’s should be quickly written on significant annual occasions. On that day (the written-ditty day), I regretted not having done anything that involved precision event planning, caterered sterno-heated foods, lots of people, happy jocularContinue reading “Five Years On”

Nellie and Me After PT

Thirty-five minutes in the “Stander” (imagine being seated, then unfolded, slowly raised to a standing position, and clamped into a Nordic Track ski machine). Now resting with Nellie supervising my warm-down. A picture of me standing not likely, as my britches tend to head south in a hurry. More like a Nordic De-Pantser. Modesty prevails.Continue reading “Nellie and Me After PT”

Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken

On August 20, 2009, four years and five months ago, I enjoyed my last two-wheeled bike ride and experienced a real life-changer. Now a C7 tetraplegic, paralyzed from the mid-chest down, I have grown in my appreciation for God’s grace and mercy (after all, I could’ve been killed or much more profoundly injured). I haveContinue reading “Fearfully and Wonderfully Broken”

Father of the Bride Toast — Heidel-McFadden Rehearsal Dinner

Heidel-McFadden Rehearsal Dinner Maggiano’s, Tysons Galleria August 16, 2013 I was asked by Allie a few weeks ago to offer up the Father of the Bride Toast at tomorrow’s wedding reception, and had already been thinking of what I might say on this rehearsal dinner occasion. In order to avoid being branded and ill-prepared andContinue reading “Father of the Bride Toast — Heidel-McFadden Rehearsal Dinner”

Dominoes, Pigs, Vacuums, and Providence Unfolded

An adaptation of some early December correspondences, and a follow up to our January 7th post of a similar name. In August 2013, I learned that a long-present (since the Spring of 2012) sacral-coccyx (think rear end) pressure sore, to which we wheelchair-rangers are especially susceptible, had deepened to a critical point. I had beenContinue reading “Dominoes, Pigs, Vacuums, and Providence Unfolded”

Dominoes, Pigs, Vacuums & Providence — Musings, Mutterings & Meditations on Wound Care

I recently watched the televised tipping of a single domino whose toppling triggered one of those mesmerizing extended clickity-clickity chain reactions. I thought to myself, “It took some extremely patient guy with extremely steady hands eighteen hours to set his dominoes in place, only to see them reduced to rubble in under three minutes.” ManyContinue reading “Dominoes, Pigs, Vacuums & Providence — Musings, Mutterings & Meditations on Wound Care”

Scalp Treatment

Have been spending a few weeks off the clock. First class accommodations at County General and a nearby skilled step down facility where a strategically placed skin graft takes hold and I become acquainted with my surgical bonus colostomy. Yay! Aaaany-hooo . . . It’d been a while — a long while, actually — sinceContinue reading “Scalp Treatment”

Stink Eye

Most days, after undergoing a very involved morning routine that begins at 7:30 AM and ends at about 9 AM, whose details will remain undescribed, I roll into my executive handicapped bathroom to brush my hair, shave with my Norelco electric razor, and brush my teeth. Having acclimated to the calibrated use of Coumadin toContinue reading “Stink Eye”