Holy crap!!! What have I done??? Am I crazy??? Have I finally gone off the deep end??? Was I dropped on my head too often when I was a child??? Have the two brain cells I have left migrated too far apart???
I'm sure all of those questions could be answered with YES!!! But these are questions I have asked myself and others have asked me with the changes I have made for HWAO. There are many reasons why I have decided to institute these changes.
Let me start though with what the changes are. I am still making the short trip on June 2nd of this year. I will be crossing the state of Ohio starting on September 22nd of THIS year (2012) and will start the trip across the USA on June 1st of next year (2013).
Yes, I said a trip across the USA. I will start in Lubec, Maine and end in Santa Monica, California. It is a very ambitious goal. It will be a very difficult and demanding trip, but I know that with your support I can make it happen!
Now back to WHY. Many of you know that I hold tight to the independence I have (even in the wheelchair). There will come a time when some of that independence will be stripped away and I want to be able to make these trips on my terms! When will the stripping happen? I don't know! But I do not want miss out on the opportunities to make these trips!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Go big or go home!!!
"GO BIG OR GO HOME!!!"
The words are still ringing in my ears! They were spoken by someone I respect in regard to the HWAO project. It started me thinking and I came to the conclusion that I was not thinking BIG enough. SO here it what is happening...
We are still doing the short trip in June. I will make the trip to cross the state of Ohio in late September of this year. And I will start a trip to cross the USA next year!
I don't know how to go any bigger! This has caused a few folks to panic! There is a lot that has to fall in place to make HWAO happen.
I have increased the amount we need to raise. I have set a goal of $100,000.00. This will give us all that we need to get across the country. And part of our goals in crossing the country is to continue to raise funds that will be donated to Nationwide Children's Hospital's Orthopedic Center.
The words are still ringing in my ears! They were spoken by someone I respect in regard to the HWAO project. It started me thinking and I came to the conclusion that I was not thinking BIG enough. SO here it what is happening...
We are still doing the short trip in June. I will make the trip to cross the state of Ohio in late September of this year. And I will start a trip to cross the USA next year!
I don't know how to go any bigger! This has caused a few folks to panic! There is a lot that has to fall in place to make HWAO happen.
I have increased the amount we need to raise. I have set a goal of $100,000.00. This will give us all that we need to get across the country. And part of our goals in crossing the country is to continue to raise funds that will be donated to Nationwide Children's Hospital's Orthopedic Center.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
And the HWAO saga continues...
Sorry that it has been awhile...
Been breaking in the new chair. It is such a difference from the old chair! I have gotten pretty good at taking the back wheels off and getting them back on. It handles the rougher terrain much better and is actually a bit easier to push!!!
I have also spent too much time in the ER over the past week with what has now been diagnosed as gallstones. I have a follow up with a surgeon to schedule a day to get the gallbladder removed. I hit 50 and everything really started to fall apart!!! I need to see if my mom still has my warranty papers!!!
I will be taking a break from the training while recovering from the surgery for the gallstones. But the day that I can get back to it I would like to do another round at Antrim Park. Putting another 12 or so miles under the wheels will feel awfully good!!!
Been breaking in the new chair. It is such a difference from the old chair! I have gotten pretty good at taking the back wheels off and getting them back on. It handles the rougher terrain much better and is actually a bit easier to push!!!
I have also spent too much time in the ER over the past week with what has now been diagnosed as gallstones. I have a follow up with a surgeon to schedule a day to get the gallbladder removed. I hit 50 and everything really started to fall apart!!! I need to see if my mom still has my warranty papers!!!
I will be taking a break from the training while recovering from the surgery for the gallstones. But the day that I can get back to it I would like to do another round at Antrim Park. Putting another 12 or so miles under the wheels will feel awfully good!!!
Friday, March 2, 2012
And the HWAO saga continues...
This is the new wheelchair!!! It is an Invocare Topend T6a. It is perfect for geting the training started. It is actually an earlier model of the one we need to order to get across the state. The folks at Columbus Medical Supply have provided this chair (at a very reduced cost!!!) to help me get through everyday challenges. And all the major parts (wheels, seat pan, back rest) are interchangeable with the T7a that I would like to have to make the state crossing.
I picked this chair up because the old one had reached it's limitations in training. And it can work as a back up if something goes wrong with the T7a when I get out on the road.
I received the chair on Tuesday (Feb. 28) and on Wednesday put 12 miles on it out at Antrim Park here in Columbus. The bike trails are a very good simulation of the road surfaces I will face. The chair performed flawlessly!!! I wish I could say the same for my arms!!!
Training will now start to focus more on distance and endurance. The strength will come in time.
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