We had the family back together again and I was looking forward to the summer. Then I did something stupid !!

I am blaming my crash on temporary loss of judgement brought on by exuberance. I was having a great day. I was with Pablo and the boys in the backyard. Pablo and I were talking about the house. I mentioned that I had Spencer’s original pencil drawings and he wanted to see them. We watched as Clara was rocked by Molly. It was idyllic. In my exuberance, caused by having my entire family here, a beautiful day and meeting my granddaughter Clara, I was reckless again.

In my rush to get up to the porch, I totally forgot about the danger lurking ahead and didn’t prepare myself for the descent down the path. I have always respected that spot. About halfway down the slope I realized I was going too fast and was screwed. I was launched from the wheelchair, flew through the air and landed on my head on the driveway macadam. I’m bleeding like a stuck pig. I do a quick triage and my head is the only thing that appears injured. Palpate my facial bones and nothing is broken. Had a stinger down my right arm but move my neck around and it feels okay. I have this incredible wave of gratitude pass over me. Nothing is going to ruin this day. Being truly grateful is a very good buzz. Then I start yelling for help. Pablo was the first to arrive on the scene. After a trip through the E.R., 27 stitches, my refusal of a CT scan and admission for observation, I signed myself out AMA and went home. We continued our family celebration and I was a cheerful, albeit bloody, participant.

​

05/23/2018

Dear Family. I am so sorry you had to witness my bloody mess. I promise that I am trying to be careful. I know you all are worried about me. I am conscious of how my actions affect the family. It’s been a challenge to balance the risk-benefit relationship of daily life. Owning my disability involves respecting the risks, while not letting the risks restrict my ability to live. In my defense, I have been doing pretty well. I have not fallen in a long time. My body feels great. I fell victim to the exuberance of the moment. I’m now 11 days out. Haven’t missed a day of yoga. I’m still grateful. Grateful that I’m not hurt and grateful to have a loving family that cares about me.
You know that I always look for the silver lining. It has always been my M.O. There were many in this event. Here’s one: I should have been way more injured. Other than stitches, I have no other injuries. Pretty incredible. I think my yoga toned body absorbed the blow amazingly well. It is another tribute to my practice. My core is super strong. I am inspired. I promise to be careful. I am looking into restraint options for my chair. Please don’t worry about me. I intend to live the remainder of my life to the fullest (with caution:).

​

Love, dad