First one must crawl before they walk

Hi all

My mum was here last weekend and it was great to see her, we just chatted and stayed in the sun a bit, I was able to show her around the gym area so she gets an idea of the process used over here. ill post a photo, it's not a great one as we kept on saying we can do it later and we had to do a quick snap in the end

Just a quick update on my recovery. It has taken about two weeks to recover from the spinal pump and another drug they were giving me, it was tough as it felt like I was going backward but this week I feel stronger

They have told me today that I am finishing up on the loco-matt next week, this is a good thing because it means I am progressing and going to the next stage. I have been going to the pool three times a week practicing standing and moving because you need your core and hips to walk, my back has gotten stronger and I can now lift my bum up when my feet are held my heals touching my bum with knees up, this is using quads I think lower back gluts and a bit of the stomach. I can hold this for 30 seconds or so

The good news is that they have had me standing on the parallel bars with one splint on my right knee as its very week i then lean on the right splint which holds the knee and locks the leg in place, then I get the left foot in position and stand putting weight on left and right equally the left leg gets tired fast as one would guess and it buckles, but if I rest it and keep the weight on the splinted right I try again. I'm up to 20 seconds. I have been doing this all week so far or 4 days as it was a bank holiday this week here.

Today I walked the length of the parallel bar and turned and walked back, so I took my first walk!

Don't get me wrong it's not pretty and took ages to get there but I managed to do it, the physiotherapist had to help me turn as its real hard and not pretty to look at and teach me how to shift my weight, I have to help my left leg using the parallel bar because of the weakness in it. it's learning to walk in a different way.

but I'm up and my goals seem achievable. I said in the matter hospital I would be happy if I was standing some way before my birthday and happier if I could take some steps which I have achieved with the help of everyone back home it's my birthday in three weeks or so so I was cutting it fine

Now is the start for me! I'm not out of the woods and a whole lot more hurdles have been opened up to me and its daunting. And I have no doubt that I'm going to get frustrated and annoyed and upset as my worse critic is myself.

The hospital has also asked me to do an interview on camera and they have been following me around and taking video of me in the pool loco-mat and others areas, this will be for there website to advertise to English speaking country's but they will give me a copy and I will upload it when I can

Once again I would not be able to do this without the support from home and I thank you all for your support and kind words

Once again sorry if grammar and spelling is bad

Kind regards to all
Johnny

thank you to all

Hi all

I can not thank friends and family and people from Greystones and further a field enough for there donations kind words and the support given to my family and me during this nightmare in our life's . and I hope one day I'm in a position to help other family's in need as all of you have done for us!

An update on my progress is that they put in a spinal catheter in the base of my spine that is connected to a pump that gives me a higher or lower dosage of a drug called Baclofen 24 hours a day, Beclofen reduces spasticity unfortunately it has given me bad side effects, I fell sick and get strong migraine type head aches dizziness with a ringing in my ears when I sit up, Seemingly this can happen. during the procedure you loose fluid from the brain, so I have to lie flat in the bed to stop the symptoms, I have been like this for a week so far.
It also looks like the test did not work, when they give me a higher dosage it gets ride of the spasticity but i loose movement as well and if they reduce the dosage I get more movement and increased spasticity. So catch 22. spasticity is helping but it also is inhibiting me as i can not move properly with it but I can't walk without it, spasticity is hard to explain but ill try ! it feels like from my nipples down and parts of my arms that I'm being squeezed or I'm wrapped in tite as you can get bandages I can not control the movement sometimes and it looks like I'm possessed .....it's shit believe me
I've been in bed for a week so far this also sets you back as well as your not working in the gym, they can not do a real test of the pump because of my side effects of the pump. So f**k me dead I'm having a bad week!
on Monday they are hoping my symptoms will improve so I can go to the gym and do a proper test on the loco-mat too see how the legs are reacting. I can only have this pump in the spine for 10 days due to the chances of infection. But it's not all bad I have been moving better in the fitness class which consists of moving around a plinth on your bum using your legs and arms, rolling on to your belly then back, balancing sitting up using your core and placing things higher or lower withe my hands right to left, but I have not been able to try this with the pump

On the bright side, which is bitter sweet! Maite and the girls came down too see me last weekend and of course we had a great day the day flew as they could only stay a day due too cost of flights from Bilbao to Barcelona and back. they are here this weekend also because Maite's brother drove them all the way here which is a 10 hour drive. They will be here Saturday and part of Sunday, I say bitter because you really miss them when there gone and the time just goes, but I need to be here!

They are such good girls, when my head goes to bad places as it dose allot of the time, there faces take me out of that hole that you some times dig for yourself and makes you a little stronger,
As Spike Milligan once said "when the child turns into an adult. were dose the child go? I miss the child"

Once again sorry for the spelling and grammar. And from the bottom of my heart thank you all!

PS John and Jane my heart is with you !