Friday, February 27, 2015
The start of 2015
Greetings all! I know, I let January slip past without an update, and February almost slipped through as well. The year began with a trip for both a vacation and the honor of witnessing the marriage of my best friend and the forging of a strong family bond for his daughter, new wife, and himself. The vacation was restorative and exhausting all at the same time.
Irena and I absconded to beautiful rustic resort on the edge of a frozen lake. We were two of maybe 30 people staying at a full service resort meant for hundreds of people. The resort had an indoor pool which gave me the opportunity to continue swimming (by the way, my most recent blood sugar tests {A1C} revealed that I'm no longer in the diabetic range!), and when a massive day long snow storm hit we decided the best way to watch it was from the hot tub! At the end of the vacation we challenged ourselves to a long zip-lining course that took about four hours for us to complete due to my challenges and the time it took to adapt.
Four hours in 11 degree weather was quite enough for us, but thankfully there wasn't any wind, so spending the day in the sunny tops of the trees was quite fun! If you're connected to me on face book, or have been monitoring the updates from the on going fundraiser for my new prosthetic legs called Power Knees, you've already seen these videos, but I felt like they were worth posting here too for others to find. For the record, I never would have tried this without the Power Knees! They offered such stability that, along with the safety line that I was connected to constantly and the shorts that were tied down over the sockets to prevent them from falling off, not once did I feel any anxiety...just sore muscles!
In case you were wondering, the experience with the Power Knees has been very positive! They've helped me to be more confident in walking, standing, and have helped me to increase my endurance. On the down side, my left leg has continued to malfunction, but the company has been exceptionally supportive and involved in working with me to determine the issues and come up with a real solution. Currently I'm moving around with a loaner leg on the left side while the actual Power Knee for my left leg undergoes testing and repairs in Iceland. If I have to send it back a third time I'm demanding to go with it!...maybe :) The loaner knee and the Power Knee on my right leg both perform beautifully, and were instrumental in me being able to have the experience caught on video below! It feels like I've been on the go since descending from the canopy in the Southern Wisconsin Woods, which is partly why its been so long since I've written...from the looks of it, my fortieth year is going to be action packed...as it should be!
Irena and I absconded to beautiful rustic resort on the edge of a frozen lake. We were two of maybe 30 people staying at a full service resort meant for hundreds of people. The resort had an indoor pool which gave me the opportunity to continue swimming (by the way, my most recent blood sugar tests {A1C} revealed that I'm no longer in the diabetic range!), and when a massive day long snow storm hit we decided the best way to watch it was from the hot tub! At the end of the vacation we challenged ourselves to a long zip-lining course that took about four hours for us to complete due to my challenges and the time it took to adapt.
Four hours in 11 degree weather was quite enough for us, but thankfully there wasn't any wind, so spending the day in the sunny tops of the trees was quite fun! If you're connected to me on face book, or have been monitoring the updates from the on going fundraiser for my new prosthetic legs called Power Knees, you've already seen these videos, but I felt like they were worth posting here too for others to find. For the record, I never would have tried this without the Power Knees! They offered such stability that, along with the safety line that I was connected to constantly and the shorts that were tied down over the sockets to prevent them from falling off, not once did I feel any anxiety...just sore muscles!
In case you were wondering, the experience with the Power Knees has been very positive! They've helped me to be more confident in walking, standing, and have helped me to increase my endurance. On the down side, my left leg has continued to malfunction, but the company has been exceptionally supportive and involved in working with me to determine the issues and come up with a real solution. Currently I'm moving around with a loaner leg on the left side while the actual Power Knee for my left leg undergoes testing and repairs in Iceland. If I have to send it back a third time I'm demanding to go with it!...maybe :) The loaner knee and the Power Knee on my right leg both perform beautifully, and were instrumental in me being able to have the experience caught on video below! It feels like I've been on the go since descending from the canopy in the Southern Wisconsin Woods, which is partly why its been so long since I've written...from the looks of it, my fortieth year is going to be action packed...as it should be!
Special Thanks to:
Melissa & Thor Miller, Jim & Jennie & Anna Goodman, Emily Augustyniak, Jennifer Baker, Peter & Rebecca Noot, Frank Crowe, Carole Commons, Andy Carlson, Don Altemeyer, Shelia Hyatt, Kathy Lause, Laura Houlette, Amy Murray, Mark Fields, Stacey Craig, Dan & Donna Archibald, Brad & Jamie Dameron, Rae Wallis, David & Dot Owen, Jennifer Rozens, MaryBeth Ingram, Dennis Liberatore, Carl Braunlich, Debra Lein, Jack & Julia Wickes, Mary Crouse, Shulamite Wan, Lisa Delaney, Laurel Sorensen, Cindy Williams, Mark Nardo & Leslie Ashburn-Nardo, Randy Domeck, Katie Marlowe, Bryan Norrod, Sue Hirschman, Elizabeth Bowman, Wendy Kiefel, John & Suzy Roberts, Erin Longwell, Albert Guay, Sari Snyder, Cindee & Jim Fisher, James Michaels, Joseph (Mick) La Lopa, Rebecca Zirnheld, Harry & Lilla Kuper, Charity Rosandich, Diane Wilson, Derek Delp, Arlene Brooks, Ray Heilman, Ginny & William Patrick, Chad & Michelle Hayward, Michele Knoderer, Joanne Doroshow, Patty Gotway, Roberta & Bill Warriner, Jim & Della Hinds, Keith & Helen Olson, Lori Bradburn, Jenni Mansell, Ryan Stewart-Muery, Laura Bonko, Mauricio de Gortari, Andrew & Elizabeth Whittaker, Julie & Jeff Eggert, Emily Bedwell, Linda McClain, Kristen & Brandon Cook, Christina Nelson, Mary Sidener, Erin Peschel, Beau Reneer, Cathy & David Simpson, Al & Charlotte Galloway, George & Jean Waden, Linda Hempel, Marcia Lurie, Jonathon Day, Rob & Kelly Hatfield, Jennifer Harper, Michael Galligan, Angharad O'Brien on behalf of Mary & Gerry O'Brien, Jonel Thaller, Tina Ruth, Judy & Loren Zimmerman, Traci Ashcraft, Sylvia Gingrich, Jennifer & Scott Williams, Audelisa Dimos, Dan Waugh, Jessica Neff, Angharad O'Brien with her husband Jake and their children Harlan and Mallory, Carol Frohlich, Brad Polo, Kelly Clements, Jennifer (Elliott) Estes, Ray Smith, Jace Hodson, Mark Henry, Pamela Gilbert, travis Wilson, Benton Tempas, A Nonymous, Alice Hodge, Lillian Goodman, Cheryl Carlson, Sharon & Brad Kent, Amy Bird, Laura Pitts, Jim & Mary McDonald, Bonnie Benshoof, Mark Hatfield, Cindy Martin, Micahel Guerriero, Bruce Livingstone, Nancy Belser, Merna & John Ruby, Phillip & Millie Lewis, Lisa McClanahan, Tracy Wiseman, Rob & Suzanne Aaron, Jane Williams, Katie & Mike Sliter, Dennis Johnston, Barb & Bob Sczesniak, Keri Erickson, India Anderson, Bruce Harris, Kimberley Meyerholtz, Stuart Hyatt, James & Miki Hamstra, Christy Vopelak, Nathan Ferreira, Marlene Burle, Frankie Crowe, Joe Popolo, Nancy Dowling, Courtney Colles, Jim Stroh, the Tumminello family, Jessica White, Kate Shoup, Peter & Daphne Chen, Lydia Shaw, Thomas & Gladys Smith, Alice Shoemaker, Erik Smith, Sheri Caveda, Alli Fetter-Harrott, Jennifer Truex, Ted & Johanna Maple, Polly Points, Ashley & Mujtaba Al-Qudaihi, Leanne Lafuze, Janet Cloe, Elsa Massonneau, Lowell LaBaw, Linda Mansfield, Albert Frohlich, Judy Townsend, Denise Rogers, Steve & Lourdene & Molly Schutte, Mark Foglesong, Michael Perkins, Preeti Sugathan, Linda Hempl, Dawn Duquaine, Sylvia Gingrich, Anita Simmons, Kathryn E. Meredith, Suzanne & Jon Gray, Don & Sue Childers, Sheila Pluckebaum, Abigail Frantz, Troy Barker & Tim Rankin, Melissa Rainous and family in honor of Sylvia Gingrich, Pat Thorlton, Fran Kandrac, Molly Garau, Patrick Brady, Janice Swartz, Jack & Karen Kay Leonard, Mary Klee, Beth Bonham, Jeff Rose, Gayla Pitts, Wendy Walker, Elizabeth Bowman, Douglas Bates, David and Carole Wills, David Palmer, David Eli, Tammy Mertzman, Drew Carlson, Eddie Hall, Kelly Bentley, Joyce Bennett Parrish, Sarah Tempas, Leo LaGrotte, Seth Little, Robert Morse, Ann Kelly, Eva Baguma, Crystal Davis Black, Laurel Sorensen, Jennifer McCreadie, Donald & Susan Foley, Bill & Sarah Burke, the Hume family, Fritz, Mark Bisch, Joe Feinberg, Kathy Berg, Amy Aldridge, Bill & Phyllis Groth, Mary Niccolini, Rob Wile, Jane Stephenson, Brian & Laura Petraits, Carol Madison, Jo Ann & Nick Hatfield, James & Shirley Marshall, James & Mary McDonald, Daniel Wathen, Bob & Rita Schilling, Brandy Dickerson, Dan & Donna Archibald, Betty Danner, Carolyn & Bruce Armacost, Ann Mackey, the Fox family, Kim & Joe Starlin, Ron & Julie Berry, Jennifer Phelps, Sharon Speichert, Sharon Desautels Prisco, Pam Connerly, Amy Moeder, Cindy & Scott Shaw, Lori & Shelby Curtsinger, Duncan & Jacob, Patricia Hines, Troy Campbell, Rachel S., Joan McCormick, Virginia Hughes, Saundra Lange, Judy Flowers, George Van Horn, Bill Appenzeller, Kevin Fischer, Andy Leffler, Shannon Hendricks, Paul Cunningham, Kevin & Mary Beth Clarke, Kathleen Waggoner, Harold Crosskno, Mickey Huffman, Marilyn Strawbridge, Max & Jeannene Inglert, Judy Eggert, Barry & Jill Irons, Sandy Kurker, Lemberis, Anonymous, Elizabeth Bowman, Cathie Perolman, Rene Patton, Kellie Commons, Linda Hempel, Gabrielle Balkan, Mary Nicolini, The Armacost Family, Geoffrey Hennig, Dan Penfound, Barb & David Greenburg, Tami Marcus, Teri & Ivan, Anne Schollenberger, Aubaine Woods, Sarah James Slater, Christy Mattingly, The Perrin Family, Lisa Schubert Nowling, Tamara Leech, Lois Calkins, Tricia Robinson, Timothy Fischer & The Indiana Lions Eye Bank, Roosevelt & Tavetta Patterson, Doshia & John Stewart, Ellen & Scott Rogers, Rita Vinci, Sandy Colles-Forbes, Megen Gaylord, Chris Barr, John Lawlor, Andrea Vrobel, Angela Carbone, NUMC Amazing Grace Sunday School Class, Robert & Lisa Warriner, Monica Griffin, Virginia Melin, Jason Spicer, Linda Hempel, Ruth Shaw, David & Nancy Lamm, Sylvia Gingrich, Steve & Challen Powers, D.O.R.K.S (Doing for Others Random Kind Stuff group donation via Jeff & Julie Eggert), Sandy & Albert Payne, Linda Hempel, Maureen Cornelius, Kelly Nelson, Jim & Linda Miller, Patricia Gotway, Pamela Gilbert, Mom & Dad (Patty & Robb Warriner), Colin Fogarty, Elizabeth Bowman, Frederick Shorter, Laurel Keller, Cody Byrns, Mary Klee, Joseph Lalopa,
