It's a long way to ten years for me but I'm on my way now. My hopes are get stronger in my mind, my weak leg, arm and hand too, so I can use them more often in my daily tasks. My brain probably won't ever control my body muscles or nerves anymore on my left side so I pray often to not loose my eye sight. That way I still have a bit of control in seeing where to put my weak foot and continue to walk without falling down. I'm very thankful I haven't fallen much in my nine years of recovery and none in the last 3 or 4 years that I can recall. So I'm OK in that area of recovery.

I think now comes the time for me to try getting down on one knee (using my bed of course) to see how much struggle I will have trying to stand up again. If that works out I will switch knees until I'm able to stand up again with very little help from my bed. It can be done with lots of practice and plenty riding my exercise bike every day. Right now I do three days each week but I can do the other two days on my own knowing that will help me get down on my knees and up again soon. When my wife grabs my legs and stretch them while I'm lying in bed on my back it really does help me feel better the next morning when she does the same routine again one leg at a time.

I will surprise those members sitting close to me in church if I can stand up with no help from any of them. Our pews are the wooden bench type which seats about 12 adults across to the next isle then 12 again. I very seldom walk up to the alter for prayer. First I walk slow with my cane and the isle is full of folks going up there. Usually doing prayer someone will get a little happy, shout and drop to the floor. It seems to be near me every time and I'm afraid I may fall trying to avoid them in their glory moment. They do get happy at the alter so I usually stay in my seat for alter call. If I can learn to get up from one knee that will be better if I'm bumped and fall down I can get up.

I'm already doing things I have learned to do in the first 9 years like driving again, using my scooter from the parking lot to the buildings I have to go inside. That was my turning point in my recovery process that brought so much joy to me as a survivor. I just know every survivor would be happy to be driving again. Just getting out the WC and on the scooter made my life so much more enjoyable to live unassisted. My wife was able to return to work and that was a relief for me since she quit to care for me. I needed that at that time. The story is we do get better and can do more as time goes by but it seems awful slow to me.

I'm very thankful for all my accomplishments over time as a survivor that couldn't even walk after 5 months in the hospital. The day I got out I said to myself, I got to learn how to walk and get out this wheelchair my wife is pushing. loading/unloading everywhere I had to go. I prayed and prayed to God and before too long I was a better survivor and very happy I survived to have more time with my wife and other family members I have all over Texas and beyond.

If my next few years go like the first nine did I'll be smiling from ear to ear daily. I pray nothing else will go astray and being careful is always my first thoughts every day and night. Of course I'm normally home at night I feel in my condition that is the safest place for me to be. There are so many car accidents, murders and robberies in my town so I pick my times to go from home that I feel are the safest times for me.

The kids are out for spring break and they are all on my street it seems shooting hoops using the street for a basketball court. You would think their dads would suggest placing the goal at one side of the driveway and that be the court instead of the street. Better still a place in the back yard. All the lots have extra big back yards on that side of the street. Most of them are military kids with a parent overseas so I guess it's not like it was when I was on active duty where the parent had control of the children. Not the other way around. My how times has changed and they are dying by the car loads I see on TV lately.

I hope this tenth year of recovery goes by really fast and I learn to do more and get a few more sessions of therapy done to help me along the way. I could really smile then!!