Who Inspires Me?

Recently there was an opportunity created by Rock/Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga for people to write something about someone that has inspired them about outdoor pursuits. The winning entry would get $2000 to be shared, $1000 each, between the hero and whoever nominated them. I took the challenge and wrote an entry for what R/C titled Marmot for Life contest. We did not win the $2K but it was fun writing the entry and giving Anthony some recognition. I feel like a winner every time I have friends and family include me in any outdoor experiences that permit me to sooth my gypsy blood and need to immerse myself in the heart of nature. Much of the content of what I share regarding activity I do could not happen unless willing hands are involved such as is captured in the few lines below. Thanks, Anthony, and everyone else for making life so much more meaningful for me!  

Perhaps the one individual that most inspires me because of his energy placed into pursuing the outdoors very much like I did when able-bodied is Anthony Groft. It was a spinal cord injury from a construction accident that paralyzed me. Even though my desire to get outside has not been paralyzed, getting there involves willing hands in creating ability for me. Therein my inspiration is fed from those who are just as eager to get outside as I am eager to get out there. Inspiration to an even greater extent comes from those who are eager to participate in helping me access the outdoors when paddling, camping, snow skiing, and cycling. Anthony is instantly eager to help me join any outdoor events that permit me to operate within safe boundaries. I can always count on him with knowing exactly how all the pieces go together for my kayak, camp, handcycle, and trail experiences. He often paddled with me in my tandem kayak and was there for my first kayak solo.

I have watched Anthony voluntarily hook a tow line from his kayak to that of another kayak being paddled by a gentleman whose disability challenged him in comprehending effective technique for maintaining forward momentum. Anthony never complained and in fact was happy to have made a difference in that gentleman's paddle and outdoor experience that day.

I would be happy to know that the gear Anthony would be receiving in the event of a win would also be helping to perpetuate inspiration gained from all outdoor experiences as he gives of himself in creating ability to those of us that are challenged to get there if it weren't for his unselfish and cheery can-do attitude!

Anthony in his Jackson Journey with one of his nephews.

I Pray to You O LORD!

Often times when I write my prayers it becomes easier for me to become personal with the Lord.  It also gives me opportunity to check back in to see how He answers.  I'm willing to be a bit vulnerable just now in sharing with you what I've been talking to the Lord about most recently.

It's me Lord, You know, your friend that would rather be outside permitting the snowflakes to blow in my face or the sun to shine on my shoulders into soul soothing favor of contentment and tranquility rather than sitting here dreaming about it.  You know well the practical and independent aspect of me is ever seeking for ways to burn energy.  You also know well that in my current condition it's a challenge to always find other friends that are willing and available to be my hands.  

So here I am revving an engine that has a damaged link between the transmission and the rest of the drive-train downstream.  It's kind of like only one third of this army can hear the general while the other two thirds stand on good-faith-alert trusting that the general will return some day with orders from headquarters. 

Since it is apparent that doing something other than that which requires hand and finger dexterity and activity from all the other muscle groups between there and the tips of my toes, why does the desire for muscular motion continue to remain vibrantly alive?  Is it possible to will an axon into eventual connection to the other side because the desire to reconnect is so great, kind of like Romeo and Juliet reconnecting in spite of so many challenges after so much time had lapsed?

My fleet of mobility methods continues to grow along with my dreams to go farther and for greater periods of time.  I just received a fabulous taste of motion on the ski slopes of Colorado which has served well in adding fuel to the fire of desire to stay in motion.  The freedom was such release for those three days!  But the freedom I seek doesn't come free.  In fact that freedom is far greater than me.  I'm home now where two thirds of the occupants of this establishment seem to be content with far less adventure than I am capable of accepting for myself.  This hillside has a fabulous view which works fine for sitting still after my restlessness has been tamed with physical activity but at this moment it feels more like a cage.

I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.  Rescue me from the confinement of this cage; do not let my talents waste; deliver me from physical limitations, from that which chokes my freedom.  Do not let my boundaries engulf me or the lack of resources swallow me or the cage crash in over me.  Answer O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.  Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.[1]

My dreams still include:

• ridding my handcycle coast-to-coast
• having access to an RV to simplify the lodging logistics of that trip
• being able to live on a flatter piece of property that permits easier access for this wheelchair I am depending on and easy access to roads for safe handcycle riding right from the house and close proximity to rivers and lakes for kayaking
• a house with covered porches and sufficient interior space I can call my own on this property
• a large enough garage on same property to shelter my recreation equipment and also have room enough for workspace for projects as willing hands come to my aid
• a wheelchair accessible tree house where I could come to the quiet alone or hang out on a limb with friends in the quiet

So Lord, if these dreams would not interfere with YOUR will for my life please place me where these dreams can begin to materialize.  If these dreams are subject to distract me away from your kingdom please dissolve them into something even better than I could ask or think.  Thank YOU for YOUR time LORD!

---

[1] modified from Psalm 69:13-17

Going Downhill Fast

It was 1980 while in college I tried downhill snow skiing at Winter Park, Colorado for the first time.  By the end of the first day I caught on well enough to be running black diamond slopes.  I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience of downhill snow skiing.  Are you surprised?  It was so refreshing to inhale mountain air again, view the majesty of big mountains and take advantage of gravity on a slippery slope.

While there at Winter Park for the first time I noticed instructors helping the disabled get involved with the snow ski experience and was impressed that there were volunteers willing to be there for the disabled and that the disabled were willing to experience the challenge.  Little did I know I would personally benefit from such unselfish volunteer instructors years later.

Fast forward to November 2012.  I received a call mid-November from Sharolyn Snyder from Paradise Ranch over in Springfield Tennessee.  Recognizing me to be active outdoors with camping, handcycling, kayaking, and wheelchair she called to see if I would be interested in joining the snow ski experience for disabled at Winter Park, Colorado in January 2013.  I told her that I would be interested in going but probably couldn't because the expense of going would be prohibitive for me.  Sharolyn called me back a couple days later saying that she had found a sponsor for me if I still wanted to go.  How long does it take an outdoor junkie to reply to an offer like that?  I WAS IN!

Airline tickets were soon purchased for the January 14-18 experience.  What would it be like skiing in my paralyzed condition?  I would soon find out.

The next few weeks after that offer to go was spent in checking to make sure I had all the gear I needed to stay warm on the snow-covered slopes.  Much of the gear I already had for handcycling in winter conditions.

• Ski pants
• Very Insulated Jacket
• Ski Goggles
• Helmet
• Long Underwear
• Gloves/Mitts
• Insanely Insulated Boots
• Balaclava (covering my head and face)
• Go Pro Camera to record the experience

My sister, Malinda, volunteered to drive me to Nashville airport on Monday afternoon, January 14.  I felt like somebody important as I was delivered to the departure curbside.  A quick transfer to my wheelchair placed me on a roll that eventually ended beside a king size bed in which I would be sleeping that night.  Of course there was a lot of amazing hands, wheels, and wings that helped me span the distance from Cookeville, Tennessee that morning to Winter Park, Colorado that evening.  I didn't even have to worry about getting my boarding pass at the kiosk, and check my luggage in (thank you Jillian and Andrew)!  Even getting through TSA, to the correct gate, on and off the plane, to baggage claim, into and out of the rental vehicle was made so simple for me.  All I had to do was sit there and watch the expert travelers and caregivers take care of everything!  Thanks to everyone involved!

Tuesday morning (about 0630 in my room) started the flurry of activity necessary to make it to National Sports Center for the Disabled NSCD by the 0900 appointed time.  I was very impressed with the teamwork required to assist with preparing breakfast, dressing for cold weather, help those of us that needed help with ADLs, get us fed and out the door to meet the appointment time on time.  Happened all three days of skiing.

The NSCD volunteer ski instructor staff were well-informed ahead of time what each of our specific needs were to make skiing a custom fit for us.  My instructors for the day would be Tim and Loren.  They were extremely sensitive to my needs and invited my communication for maximum success of my snow ski experience.  They worked well together and with me.  It felt SO good to be back in the crisp mountain air although I discovered that by the time I arrived back at the condo that evening 20 below zero proved a bit frisky to my ability to stay sufficiently warm.  It took most of the night for me to warm up.

Wednesday morning was a repeat of Tuesday morning with the exception of a few minutes later start, yet we still made it to the NSCD on time.  The majority of our Tennessee group chose to go snowmobiling today but I was there for snow skiing so snow skiing I went.  I am so glad because something clicked well with the instructors I had.  Emily and Beck had excellent team working skills.  Emily works full time with NSCD.  Beck is from Alabama where he does lawn maintenance by summer and ski instructor by winter.  Emily is exceptionally good at communicating directions from behind my sit chair as she tethered me down the slopes.  Today we were taking more risks than yesterday... and more crashes!  I felt that I performed better at a higher rate of speed.  Four o'clock quitting time came much too quickly.

 Me and Tim stopping long enough for a photo before heading over the hill behind us.

By Thursday morning we are beginning to develop a rhythm for getting out the door on time for our NSCD ski instruction appointment time.  Rather than making multiple runs with the rental SUV a local bus service with a wheelchair lift was used to get us to the base of the slopes.  Today Tim and Rich were assigned to work with me.  I had a positive experience with Tim on Tuesday and was glad to have some familiarity with his style.  Brent and Sharolyn Snyder made arrangements with Tim and Rich to be at the top of the chair lift so they could get pictures and videos of my ski experience to add to their slideshow at Paradise Ranch.  Brent and Sharolyn would ski ahead and video as we approached.  During the morning I learned that there are different instructor styles that work for better or for worse for me.  I crashed a lot more this morning but noticed those crashes happened at slower speeds.  A third instructor was added to the mix during the afternoon.  Patrick was younger than Tim and Rich and much more aggressive when it came to getting me in position for the next chairlift to the top.  By afternoon it was beginning to click with me how to carve turns for controlling speed and direction. 

A well fed fox at our condo.  Notice the size of his shadow.

Before we left the condo that morning it was discovered a well fed fox was curled up on a sunlit snow bank near the garage entrance at the base of the condo.  An attempt to draw him close was made with leftover breakfast being tossed at him.  He gobbled everything he could possibly fit into his stomach and then carried a muffin to a snow bank where he dug a hole and then buried it with his nose.  The leftover breakfast scraps also interested the raven's and magpies.  I counted at least 15 ravens and five magpies hopping around for their part of the leftovers.  The Fox finally gave up trying to defend the food.

The amazing teamwork continued for our Friday return trip from Denver to Nashville.  We left Denver at 61° and arrived in Nashville with 47°.  Doesn't seem quite right.  Malinda met me at the curb where I was quickly inserted into the front seat of her van and my luggage loaded.  I counted 54 transfers Andrew assisted me with from Monday through Friday.  It's a good thing I'm fairly lightweight and he had sufficient strength for picking me up out of my wheelchair to insert me other places such as vehicle seats, the bed, etc.  It was good to sleep in my own bed that evening.

The overall snow ski experience was so liberating to my mountain and motion starved gypsy blood.  I am told that in order to become competitive at snow skiing I will need to graduate to a mono ski sit chair.  I feel I have a lot of work ahead of me with the bi-ski sit chair before considering a mono ski which means I need to spend a lot of time in snow country.  So many details would have to be overcome in order to get there, details such as how to cover the cost of living, a snow worthy vehicle, caregivers, lift tickets, instructor fees, and much more!  Unless some pretty amazing financial gymnastics are discovered I will probably need to discover contentment in waiting for spring with more kayaking, handcycling, and wheelchair pushing.  The same January snow ski trip with Paradise Ranch in 2014 will be here before I know it.

Fundraising

Today I decided to pull this blog out of retirement and actually say something that may be of general interest to those of you that are curious to know a bit of what life is like from the seat of a wheelchair.

My most recent endeavor regarding activity is to make a move in favor of replacing my handcycle with another handcycle that is far more user-friendly for me. Click on the link below and it will take you to my GoFundMe blog and fundraiser website to follow what's happening there.

http://www.gofundme.com/upyko

Stay tuned!

Mmm Sweet!

This is a continuation to my September 19, 2007 post titled So Far So Good!
It has been two months since finishing my last round of antibiotics. I just finished a three day "Big Push" of D-Mannose because I noticed some pre-UTI symptoms. Today the urine runs clear and symptoms diminishing… all with the help of D-Mannose. Now that is a BIG Praise the LORD!

For what it's worth I notice a slightly sweet flavor in the water when D-Mannose is added to it.

I made observation of something very interesting in Exodus 15 where the Israelites were looking for water, found it but complained of it being bitter. The Lord showed Moses a tree to cast into the waters at which point it became sweet.

What follows the tree-in-the-water scenario is the Lord assuring them, “… If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” [Exodus 15:25 - 26 (NKJV)]

So could it be there were simple sugars in the tree the Lord showed Moses to throw in the water at Marah that created for an attack against bacteria thus preventing the diseases the Egyptians were experiencing? So could it be the same principle is taking place with D-Mannose?

Hah, Hah fooled you, I'm a Submarine!

The next paddle trip was at Edisto Beach in South Carolina on a tidal creek. My friend Rose took a quick what-am-I-supposed-to-do paddling class from me giving word descriptions from the forward position in the kayak. The aluminum "gripper" brackets on my paddle were bent just enough to allow my hands to slip out from under the pads as before.

The really cool part of that tidal creek experience was observing a dolphin surfacing about 150 yards away. It surfaced perhaps a dozen times at that distance and then disappeared. Approximately 10 minutes after the distance sightings that curious mammal having swum directly beneath my kayak reappeared at a 1 o'clock position five feet off the bow. It was swimming in the same direction we were paddling but far more efficient with its mobility than we were managing. That dolphin was every bit as big but probably bigger than the kayak. Thankfully dolphins are friendly. I was hoping one would surface with its nose by our side so we could reach out and greet each other. Not to be this time because he never surfaced again within our site after leaving us rather in a hurry.

The pressure on the grips apparently proved to be too much stress on the plastic shields because they ended up cracking and eventually breaking the entire width of my hand.

The next prototype is on the drawing board and being produced at the machine shop. I'm hoping to field test these new grips before the weather turns cold.

The theory behind these new grips is for hand placement to remain in place because of at least but not limited to 4 factors.

1. Forward slippage is supposed to be prevented by "grasping" a T-post with my fingers. The grip handle that my fingers wrap around is 15 degrees at an inward tilt from vertical, bringing my thumbs closer together at the top in an ergonomic position.
2. A lightweight padded plate made from 3/16 inch aluminum is the foundation of this grip to which everything is attached. This plate also provides a "wall" for the palms of my hands to press against for allowing "grip" to be maintained via adduction (inward towards the center) motion from the shoulders through the arms.
3. The forward power stroke of paddling is accomplished by keeping my wrists held in place at the bottom with a padded "wrist shelf" and at the top with an adjustable pin that is also padded.
4. The left and right grips are fastened to the paddle shaft with a pin that couples down to a clamp housing fastened to the paddle shaft. This pin will allow the grips to pivot on the paddle shaft such that I won't have to paddle in an arms held out starch in the deodorant stiffness.

One of these days you will hear the familiar tune "Row, row, row your boat gently down ..." echoing between the river banks once I have this gripper thing working for me. Hopefully the second line won't be "Hah, hah fooled you, I'm a submarine." Stay tuned for progress as it unfurls.

Gettin' Snug with an Octopus

Sitting around in a wheelchair is something I have pretty much grown to accept. But sitting still is not something I do well so while driving around town one day I found myself spending some time with my friend Sam Sallee.

When two outdoor Bloke's come together you can be assured the topic of conversation will sooner or later come around to activity in the outdoors or at least how to get there. This particular conversation turned outdoors sooner than later. Sam asked me if I had ever thought about getting back into paddling. I told him, "yes, but have shrugged it off for lack of a support group willing to help make it happen for me."

A couple months later a friend of mine from the Adirondacks of New York said I was going paddling if she had anything to do with it. That was all the nudge I needed so I headed to Outdoor Experience where canoes and kayaks are sold. Who owns the store? Sam and Heather Sallee. I started drooling all over myself considering the possibilities of a kayak that would get me back on scenic waters.

Sam ordered a Necky tandem without charging me before first trying it out in a swimming pool. He made arrangements to have a crowd of guys at the pool to help insert me into the kayak. I came having done my research for keeping my non-gripping hands attached to the paddle shaft. The method of choice and most affordable was to use strips of bicycle inner tube and zip ties.
Test day came and I was in the kayak. Slipping my hands between the inner tubes and paddle shaft proved to be an unsatisfactory challenge. I kept slipping out from under the inner tubes which significantly limited my ability to contribute to the paddling momentum. That experience turned on the inventive processes in my head in favor of a better grip system for the paddle so I bought the boat.

The first thing I tried was having the hook portion of Velcro stitched to the palm and grip side of the fingers on a pair of water ski gloves. I had long strips of the loop part of Velcro wound around the paddle shaft where I desired my hands to be placed. Getting my curled fingers into those gloves was a major battle for anyone willing to help me. The job description required whoever helped me to have a major element of patience. Once the gloves were on I found them to be extremely effective for scratching what itched... if I could come loose of the paddle. Not being able to open or close my hands challenged the proper placement on the paddle shaft. It was kind of like hugging an octopus when I came near the paddle shaft with my gloves.

Each pull of the paddle rendered me less stuck to the shaft and also feathered the blades ineffective for forward momentum. But I was on the water and it felt good. It was a good thing I was paddling tandem with Susan who had an effective grip on her paddle. The next prototype was coming together "upstairs" with each ripping sound of Velcro.

The grips I put together next were made out of aluminum. I designed them while I was involved with my CAD classes and had access to a program called Inventor.

After carefully measuring angles where I intended padding to press against the back of my hand and across the top of my fingers distal of the first knuckle I drew something I thought could work. Rather than painting a word picture I'll let the actual pictures contribute to the explanation how they worked.

The whole idea was to slip my hands between the paddle shaft and the padded brackets such that would hold my hand in a "grip" position onto the paddle shaft. I first tested my hands-on position in my bedroom with the paddle blades against my foot board of the bed. My hands seemed like they were going to stay. The true test came on a section of the Hiawassee River that included class I and II sections of white-water and a final class III that showed my brother Darron and me the kayak remains on the surface even with it completely submerged with me still seated in the kayak… sort of.

Before getting in the kayak at the put in, I requested sunscreen be slathered over vulnerable sections of skin as a sunburn preventive. The sunscreen on the backs of my hands proved to be a bad idea when the water splashed on my hands. Each time I pulled on the paddle my hands were slick as grease and they came out from under the padding like a fresh watermelon seed being squeezed between a finger and thumb. I spent most of the trip down the river reinserting my hands under the padding.

I decided that padding needed to be thicker so that it would create greater force against my hand. Larger pieces of padding were cut and glued into place after returning home from the Hiawassee trip. I tried using this arrangement twice. The challenge was getting my hands in that tight squeeze. It took somebody helping me to get my hands in place. Once they were in place the squeeze was so tight my hands started going numb. Fortunately the trial was no longer than 30 minutes at which point it required some serious tugging to get my hands free.