From Michelle:
Well, the time has come in which I have to ask for help from y’all. I am currently living with my Mom & Dad (and siblings) in Scotts Valley. My Dad recently got a new job in Walnut Creek. They are moving 2hrs up north, trying to convince me to join them, and I don’t wanna go! I tried asking my Pops if I could stay with him for a few months…bringing my care-givers to help me out during the daytime and offering to pay him & Camille to let me stay…but the answer was no. So, I guess the thing to do is try living on my own…separately from my parents. For me, it seems as though it’s about time, but God had different plans for my life…allowing my dreams to be put on hold and taking me on this wild ride with nothin’ but a seatbelt! I constantly need to remind myself that only God knows why, and maybe this move will be a blessing, but I am scared of leaving the Santa Cruz area. I’m scared of leaving all of my friends, family, and people who know me... not the ‘pretty girl in the wheelchair.” I’m mostly scared of losing my therapies/training. The hard work I’m putting in with Nicole…and others…would all be for nothing if I move away. And I don’t want it to be for nothing…I wanna walk again!
So, I’m looking to rent a room from someone in Santa Cruz county. I posted an add on craigslist, offering $500/month rent and of course, telling that I’m an incomplete quad…not since birth! It has gotten a couple responses, but I’m fearful that people are afraid of taking me on cuz of the wheelchair. Like I said to one of the craigslist responders and hopefully y’all can tell, I’m normal…I swear! If anyone can help me out, it would be much appreciated!
Email me @ michellemarie1985@yahoo.com
After all this work Michelle and I have put in, I think it's detrimental that we stick with our program. Losing her and knowing that her progress could regress would absolutely break my heart. I want to do anything in my power to keep Michelle going and give her the independence she both desires and deserves. If we can all work together to help Michelle find a home and to finance her training program for the next few months, we'd be so much closer to our end goal -- getting Michelle to walk again. Please let us know if you can help.
Notes on Our Session, From Michelle:
I did not express my best self today. I've got a lot of crap running through my mind, and I deffinitely brought that with me to the work-out. Nicole could tell something was bothering me, so asked, "Are you ok?" I told her that I'd rather not talk about it, and she gave me a sympathetic acknowledgement. I really didn't feel like talking about my problems and opening up the floodgates of emotions. One thing I've learned about myself since my brain injury, is that I tend to get overly emotional about ridiculous things and I was there to work-out, not get overly emotional! At least I've acknoweledged the issue, and am working on controlling my emotions.
Anyhoo, we started with the regular arm warm-ups. That was followed by bicep curls and raising the weights out and up with straight arms. After that, I leaned my chair all that way back, and we did some leg presses. Then we worked on stretching my hips out. Nicole stretched out each leg/hip individually. She was surprised that my physical therapists haven't been working on my hip flexability...and I'm kind of disappointed with that as well. So, we're going to have to work on that, and I'll try to get my physical therapists to step-up thier game as well. Next we used the TRX, with myself pulling my upper body off the wheelchair...my chair was leaned all the way back. We took a short "break" from the TRX and Nicole had me do a round of leg presses. We finished up with a final go with the TRX. I did one-armed pull-ups...which are probably my least favorite, not only cuz they hurt like hell ;), but also because I can really see and feel the weakness in my arms, more-so my right arm...and lastly, I did the normal, two-arm pull-ups.
I think that working-out, feeling the burn, and pushing my muscles ridiculously hard, helped my distracted mood a bit. BUT, I know when I'm just not the best me, and today, let's just say I was distracted.
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