#he just got out of rehab from a leg injury and had a walker

[glorified-red]

oooo a 5k? Are you a student athlete?is that how you got a full ride?

Yes, but no, but yes, but no.

I've been an althete for my entire school career up until my senior year of highschool, so I guess? Student Athlete?

For a year or so I was a gymnast. (My sister and I did it together, she stayed her entire life, I did not, obviously)

Then for a few years I played T-Ball (recently found out via my mom that I made the front page of the city newspaper because I hit the ball and then felt really bad so I went to go pick it up instead of like....playing the game).

Then I played soccer for, so many years, I couldn't tell you how many, I lost count. (I was offense most of the time, rip my ankles)

I almost did volleyball but chickened out last minute (wouldve been a setter or libero).

Then, being the band kid I was, I joined marching band my freshman year. (ah seven years of playing an instrument leads to this)

Got bored of that so I switched to colorguard for two years which was soooo much more athletically demanding my GAWD. (two years of ✨trauma✨ but I might buy a sabre soon, idk, feeling kinda silly)

And Senior year I did nothing and got a job to fill the void of having way too much freetime for me to know what to do with. How do you guys not do sports? What do you do with all the free time???

So yes, I was a "student athlete," kinda sorta, not really, but sure. If I kept playing I probably could've gotten a music scholarship but I haven't touched that instrument in almost 3 years. Same with maybe a marching band scholarship? Idk if my college does that tbh.

But how I actually got my scholarships? Tests and Parents pfft.

5.2 + 3.98 GPA (dont ask why its not a 4.0, I will literally start crying, went my ENTIRE LIFE with a 4.0 only for the lAsT sEmEsTer of SENIOR YEAR---full disrespect: fuck college Spanish), straight A's MINUS ONE CLASS (if I could fist fight college spanish I so would).

I was a dual enrollment kid so I was half a highschool student and half a college student, shot my GPA through the roof and got me to graduate with my AA the same year I graduated highschool. I was the Jason Todd, loved school, was great at school, never struggled, never studied, etc etc.

SAT scores and ACT scores got me a 75% scholarship to any college I wanted to go to in the area (I was only a few points away from 100% but I was too lazy to try again lmao). Then I got another scholarship for being a military brat. Then I got another one for having parents with post-military issues where I basically get paid to go to school. All of that just combines to a full ride, plus any extra money from the scholarships goes to me which is more than I need so it's in my savings acct.

First two years of college were completely free because I was in the dual enrollment program (free college woo), next three years are free because of multiple scholarships, I just say full ride cuz it's quicker to say and gets the point across.

As for the 5ks: My mom and I like to do them together and do at least one a month. This month we're doing an obstacle 5k where you physically cannot complete it without a buddy or a group. Army crawling under electricity, balancing on things by countering each others weight, ninja warrior wall where your team is at the top to catch you, etc etc.

My family (found moreso than blood) is going as Justice League members because there were too many of us to be the Power Rangers. We're doing another one of these in Dec. and then the 10k version of it next year and then hopefully the 15k version. I know my mom and I want to eventually do a marathon.

My main goal is to complete a triathalon. I've ALWAYS wanted to do one so we're gonna try to do it sometime late next year. Starting with the shorter triathalons and slowly working our way up to the more average/long ones.

Now don't get it twisted, I'm not like, a runner or workout junky. Quite literally the opposite. My mom is a runner and its her therapy. Mine? Meeting new people, getting some sun, getting the body moving, and maybe getting some nice scenary. I do run parts of the races, but for the most part I like a nice brisk walk since its healthier for my body than running (yay chronic pain and stupid ovaries!)

I hate the stereotype that you have to run the whole thing or be super fit to do marathons and races. No?? Anyone who wants to can. The point for me isn't to win or to place, its just to finish and have fun. Do I enjoy having a good time? Hell yea, I beat my time by 10 minutes last solo 5k I did. But I'm also the first person who will happily sacrifice a good time so I can enjoy meeting other racers and walking with them.

The last 5k I did was a forest one (it fucking sucked) where the terrain was sand and there were soooo many branches and hills. I watched a racer sprain their ankle right in front of me so we ended up walking the rest together and I carried them for some bits. So my time was terrible, but hey, I got to meet someone I never would've if I didn't stop---and that's more valuable to me.

[beccarefford]

pelvic fracture: a healing timeline for antsy people

After getting run over by a truck and shattering my pelvis, all I wanted to know was when I’d be back on my feet. Googling endless combinations of phrases like, ‘how long to heal pelvic fracture’ was turning up medical results, but I wanted to hear from real people. So I thought I’d share my own healing timeline in the hopes that it’ll help others with the same question.

me, my accident, and my injuries

First off, I’m an extremely active 24 year old lady, a pretty healthy specimen, and try to have a big, positive attitude which doctors often credit my quick recovery to. 

Two weeks before Christmas of 2017, I was riding my bike through Philly to a doctor’s appointment. Though I was using the bike lane correctly and had the green light, as I approached the intersection, a delivery truck that had ridden up from behind me jabbed a sharp right without signaling - directly in front of my path. I swore at it, and with almost no time to react, attempted to propel my body and my bike faaaar away from it by pushing off its side. But it was too late - I hadn’t pushed myself far enough. My body was swept under the carriage, and I could feel his double tires beginning to crunch over my lower body. I yelled and yelled and yelled. 

People are so good. Strangers who had heard my cries and watched the accident happen from the sidewalk rushed to my side. One older gentleman held my hand until I was lifted away and didn’t say much else. I was fully lucid, fully in shock. I started wishing I hadn’t scheduled a doctor’s appointment for that morning, wishing I hadn’t taken the day off of work, wishing I hadn’t taken that route. I tried to wiggle my toes. They were working! I wasn’t paralyzed. I had an overwhelmingly calm feeling about the whole thing - it’s as if my body knew, something knew, in no uncertain terms - I wasn’t going to die right now. 

Luckily my accident happened about five minutes from one of the best hospitals in the city for busted bones, Jefferson Hospital. I was rushed to the trauma unit, poked, prodded, put through MRIs, loaded up with pain medicine, and even drilled through (orthopedic traction is a wild thing.) And while I didn’t know this until much later, I was in very, very unstable condition. My body wouldn’t stop bleeding, and no one could figure out why. 

A very kind E.R. doctor (who I will never forget) told me that he couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t die, but laid out what they had found so far in terms of my injuries:

Compound pelvic fracture

Sacrum fracture

Broken foot (lisfranc injury)

Multiple broken ribs

After a few scary nights, lots of transfusions, and multiple tests to find the source of the bleeding, my body decided to heal itself. From this point there was no doubt I’d be OK, it would just take time to get back to normal again. This is where my healing process started. 

first month: bed rest

Bed rest means bed-ridden. Pelvic fractures are in such an annoying place - it’s not like you can throw a cast around your waist. So this means you’re 110% stuck in bed, unable to do anything until your pelvis heals. I was told that this would take anywhere from 4-7 weeks, and in my experience, that estimate was pretty dead on - my accident happened on December 15, 2017, and by January 15, 2017 (almost exactly four weeks later), I was taking my first feeble steps. 

During this first month, you’re not going to be able to do much for yourself. 

You can’t roll over in bed without pain.

You can’t use the toilet. In its place I had to use a bed pan. This was probably the worst part of this whole process - not only did it hurt like hell to roll over to get the thing under you, the gross factor of having your family handle your business was pretty weird. 

You can’t bathe yourself in a bath or a shower. I was getting sponge baths daily (or “bird baths” as a nurse so adorably called them!) As someone who showers nearly twice a day, this was a rough adjustment! Sponge baths never got you as clean, were freezing cold, and again, that gross factor of having to ask someone to clean waaaay in your butt was a little bizarre. But at this point you’ve lost all shame so it’s whatever. 

You can’t get food, water, or objects easily. Dropped your phone off your bed onto the floor? Need to call someone. Blanket slide down, leaving your chilly toes in the wide open air? Need to call someone. 

You can’t stand up, at all. I spent an entire month laying down. They say that you lose 10-20% of muscle strength per week of bed rest, so after four weeks, my muscles were nearly 50% gone. Insane. 

month two: arm strength and wheels 

At this point, your pelvis should be healed enough to shift around, but not enough to support your full body weight. This is when your arms come into play. I had an occupational therapist who, during our first visit, told me I should start lifting weights to strengthen my arms - and that I’d thank her later. She was so. right. 

Leaving bed for the first time is scary (and exhausting - I surprised myself with how weak I had gotten.) Obviously, you can’t put any weight on your legs to wiggle out of bed, so here comes that arm strength! You’ll essentially be monkey-knuckle-dragging your entire body to the side of your bed. From there, you’ll transfer from your bed to a wheelchair, using what’s called a wheelchair transfer. Wheelchair transfers are techniques used to move in and out of a wheelchair without the use of the legs, whether onto a bed, a toilet, whatever. They are so incredibly useful, and there are so many of them - it was just a matter of working with my nurses and therapists to figure out which one was right for me. But man, do they require some upper body strength! I swear my arms are buffer than they’ve ever been in my life. 

It’s going to be a difficult process getting in and out of your bed for a while, but getting yourself into the wheelchair is so worth it. The ability to wheel around offers a totally new kind of independence. And at this point, you might even start being able to transfer into a commode in the same way you do your wheelchair, which gets rid of those awful bed pans. I couldn’t wait to throw those things away. 

(I should mention: at this point, two months in, I had attempted to stand and walk with a walker. It didn’t last long, but I can’t even TELL you how excited I was to stand for the first time, I laughed so hard and so long I think my therapist thought I was losing it. I hope your first time is just as exciting.)

month three: walking! and all the therapies!

This is where this whole process starts to speed up exponentially. 

I was lucky enough to jump start my walking at an inpatient rehab, where I made the transition from wheelchair to walker. It took about two weeks of daily, intensive physical and occupational therapy, but by the time I left the rehab center (late February, two and a half months from my accident), I was walking with a walker. 

Keep in mind that walking will not happen fast. You will expect to be weak, but you will be even weaker than that. I started with small goals - 10 feet, 20 feet, then 50 feet, all with a walker. Much past that would completely wind me - I’d be out of breath, heart rate flying, and definitely aching the next day. After I left the rehab I still spent a good amount of time in my chair, using my walker only to hobble to the bathroom or the kitchen to grab snacks. 

From here, I started seeing an in-home physical therapist who focused on muscle strengthening. Muscle strengthening is key at this point - your body can’t walk properly because you’re weak! Remember, you’ve lost half or more of your muscle strength, so it’s going to take time to get it back. Don’t rush it, but DO. YOUR. EXERCISES. Push yourself. This is where you’ll start to fly. I’ve progressed from chair, to walker, to cane, to free walking in a month using only about 30 different exercises. Insane. Physical therapy is actual magic.

Occupational therapy is huge here, too. Every task that you couldn’t do before? It’s going to feel awesome to get it back. I’m still thrilled I can put on my stupid socks. Challenge yourself with everyday tasks - making coffee, standing at the sink to wash your face, cooking an egg - and see how quickly you pick it all up again. 

and beyond: maintenance, maintenance, maintenance

At the time of writing this - almost four months after my accident - I’m walking without assistance. 

My walk still isn’t the prettiest, stairs are still a challenge, and getting on a bike still seems really far away, but I’m confident I’ll get there. My pain has almost completely leveled off, and I can do more and more reps of my exercises every day. My body still looks a little weird - it completely pancaked from being in bed for a month! - but it’s starting to get its shape back the more I exercise and awaken those muscles. I have a (sort of) butt again! I still get winded after walking more than a few city blocks at a time (my stamina took a hit, too.) The pimp limp also persists. 

It’s probably going to take another year until I’m back to 190% again. But.... time. Time’s gonna heal you and me. I’ll get better, and I hope you will too. I also hope you found this helpful! Love you.

[sinrau]

Ravi Sharma, an emergency medical technician serving Brooklyn and Queens, before he fell ill.Credit…via Bina Yamin

Doctors have reported a flurry of cases in Covid-19 patients — including a healthy 27-year-old emergency medical technician in Queens. After a month in the hospital, he is learning to walk again.

By Roni Caryn Rabin

Ravi Sharma was doubled over on his bed when his father found him. He’d had a bad cough for a week and had self-quarantined in his bedroom. As an emergency medical technician, he knew he was probably infected with the coronavirus.

Now, Mr. Sharma, 27, could not move the right side of his body, and could only grunt in his father’s direction. His sister, Bina Yamin, on the phone from her home in Fort Wayne, Ind., could hear the sounds.

“Call 911,” she told her father. “I think Ravi’s having a stroke.” She was right.

Over the next few hours, doctors at a Queens hospital worked frantically to break up a blood clot blocking an artery to Mr. Sharma’s brain. But the doctors were puzzled.

Mr. Sharma was far too young for a stroke. He worked out every day and didn’t have diabetes, high blood pressure or the kinds of medical conditions that can set the stage for strokes in young adults, which are rare.

Neurologists in New York City, Detroit, New Jersey and other parts of the country have reported a flurry of such cases. Many are now convinced that unexplained strokes represent yet another insidious manifestation of Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

The cases add to evidence that the coronavirus attacks not just the lungs, but also the kidneys, brain, heart and liver. In rare cases, it seems to trigger a life-threatening inflammatory syndrome in children.

“We’re seeing a startling number of young people who had a minor cough, or no recollection of viral symptoms at all, and they’re self-isolating at home like they’re supposed to — and they have a sudden stroke,” said Dr. Adam Dmytriw, a University of Toronto radiologist who is a co-author of a paper describing patients who suffered strokes related to Covid-19. The paper has not yet been peer reviewed.

Though many of those patients had diabetes and hypertension, none had heart risks known to increase the odds of a stroke. Many were under age 65. For some, stroke was the first symptom of coronavirus infection, and they postponed going to the emergency room, fearing exposure.

Of 10 patients described in Dr. Dmytriw’s paper, two died because the coronavirus attacked their lungs, and two men — a 46-year-old and a 55-year-old — were killed by strokes.

Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, where Mr. Sharma was treated.Credit…Sarah Blesener for The New York Times

Doctors at Mount Sinai Health System in New York have also seen an unusual number of young stroke patients, saying they treated five such patients with Covid-19 during a recent two-week period. The medical center typically sees only one stroke patient under the age of 50 every three weeks, Dr. Johanna Fifi, a neurologist, and her colleagues noted in a letter in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Four of the five patients were relatively healthy; two patients in their 30s had no known risk factors for stroke. “We came to the conclusion it had to be related to Covid-19,” Dr. Fifi said in an interview.

Though strokes seem to affect a very small number of Covid-19 patients, they appear to be related to a broader phenomenon that has emerged in critically ill patients: excessive blood clotting.

Patients with severe Covid-19 may develop clots in the legs and lungs that can be life-threatening, doctors said. Their blood can be so thick and viscous that it blocks intravenous lines and catheters. Tiny clots in other organs, like the kidneys and liver, have been found in autopsies of coronavirus patients.

Dr. Michael Yaffe, an intensive care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, called clotting a “hallmark” of the disease, although “not in everyone.”

German scientists reported last week that autopsies of 12 Covid-19 patients turned up a type of blood clot called deep vein thrombosis in seven of them. The cause of death in four patients was another type of blood clot in the lungs, called a pulmonary embolism.

Clotting is a risk in all critically ill patients if they are immobile for long periods. But patients with the coronavirus have elevated levels of clotting proteins in the blood, and the condition seems to be less responsive to blood-thinning drugs, said Dr. Adam Cuker, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Some evidence suggests that the coronavirus may directly infect the endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels, causing injury and swelling that draws proteins that promote clotting, Dr. Cuker said.

People who have been exposed to the coronavirus, or are managing the infection at home, should call their doctors if they notice chest pain and shortness of breath, which may signal a blood clot in the lung, or leg pain, swelling, redness and discoloration that may indicate a clot.

Healthy, Until He Wasn’t

Bina Yamin, at her home in Fort Wayne, Ind., recognized over the phone that Mr. Sharma’s symptoms were those of a stroke.

Until he arrived at Jamaica Hospital on April 1, Mr. Sharma had never been tested for infection with the coronavirus. But he knew he was at risk. He had spent weeks making back-to-back ambulance runs, ferrying sick, elderly patients from nursing homes to hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens in February and March.

By mid-March, Mr. Sharma had developed a dry cough. He went to an urgent care clinic, where he was told that it was out of tests, but that he should stay home because he was probably infected.

At the hospital, emergency room doctors took aggressive steps to restore the blood supply to the left side of his brain. They also diagnosed acute respiratory distress syndrome, finding that Mr. Sharma’s infected lungs were filling with fluid and his blood oxygen levels were low. A test revealed infection with the coronavirus, and he was placed on a ventilator.

The doctors were kind but honest with the family, Ms. Yamin said: “They told us that it was 50-50. They didn’t know if he would live or die.”

Over the next few days, while Mr. Sharma remained sedated, Ms. Yamin spoke frequently with the doctors and nurses at the hospital, taking meticulous notes that she shared with relatives and with The New York Times.

Mr. Sharma’s body was flooded with blood thinners to prevent additional clots from forming. His fever spiked as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit some days, raising his heart rate and further incapacitating his lungs.

Then, on April 8, Mr. Sharma started having seizures. He was sedated more deeply and put on additional medications. Doctors cranked up the ventilator.

By mid-April he had been intubated for two weeks, a period considered a critical make-or-break point for Covid-19 patients, and Ms. Yamin was concerned. No one knew the toll of the stroke itself, or whether Mr. Sharma would be able to walk or talk when he woke up.

The left side of the brain controls movement on the right side of the body, as well as speech and language, reading and writing, organizational ability, reasoning and analysis.

“I began to lose faith,” Ms. Yamin recalled in an interview.

Then, on April 15, there was some movement on the left side of Ravi’s body, the side not affected by the stroke. His fever ebbed. The staff lowered the ventilator setting, and he tolerated it.

“Looks like he’s slowly beating this,” Ms. Yamin wrote in a note to the family. “We just need to be patient.”

By April 18, Ravi was breathing more on his own. His fever had disappeared, and his blood pressure and heart rate had stabilized. The next day, he woke up, was taken off the ventilator and started breathing on his own.

He still could not speak and didn’t know what had happened to him, but a nurse held up his phone so the family could see him on FaceTime. “We couldn’t stop crying,” Ms. Yamin said. “We just said: ‘Oh my gosh, Ravi, we love you. These are happy tears.’”

Mr. Sharma whispered into the phone for the first time the next day, his throat still sore and hoarse from the ventilator tube.

Progress continued in baby steps. He ate some applesauce one day, a whole container the next. He started walking using a walker for support.

After a few weeks of inpatient physical therapy at Nassau University Medical Center, he graduated from a walker to a cane. He walked up stairs, sat in a chair and practiced getting up from the bed on his own..

A full recovery from a stroke can take months or even years, and Mr. Sharma is also recovering from the lingering effects of Covid-19, which has left him fatigued, and 50 pounds lighter than before his illness, he said in a video interview with The Times.

But he has made great strides in a short time, and those closest to him say he is still the old Ravi: a social butterfly.

Mr. Sharma boasted that he is everyone’s “favorite patient” at the rehab facility and that he is recovering quickly because staff members have been sneaking him chocolate milk and sweets.

“I got the doctors to order me ice cream as part of my diet,” he said.

He wants to go home, see his family in person, continue to build strength and start building a future with his girlfriend, Leana Soman. They both cried when they were able to video chat for the first time.

“He couldn’t speak, his throat was so bad, so I was lip reading,” Ms. Soman recalled. “He said, ‘I love you,’ and I said, ‘I got that — I love you too.’”

Too many people are still cavalier about the coronavirus, Mr. Sharma said, and young people think they are immune. The disease “was like being hit by a bus,” Mr. Sharma said.

“I’m 27, and if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone,” he said. “This is real and it’s scary. I want people to go out there and be cautious.”

The Coronavirus Outbreak

[wordsandshawn]

Walk To Me

Requested: can you do an imagine where you can't walk but start getting rehab while shawn is on tour and you surprise him at a show in toronto and walk on stage and he freaks out and is super happy and surprised?

Masterlist

~~~

About a year ago, your life changed. You used to be active, always running, doing gymnastics, and adventuring everywhere. But you got a spinal injury from an accident while you were doing gymnastics, and the injury left you unable to walk. Although you have been undergoing intense physical therapy to try and regain control of your legs and learn to walk again, the progress is slow and so difficult. The biggest bright spot of this past year has been Shawn for sure.

You started dating Shawn six months ago, so he wasn’t around during the beginning, but ever since he entered your life, he’s been nothing but supportive and encouraging. He’s the one you call crying when you’ve had a really tough day of physical therapy and feel especially discouraged. He’s the one you text when you’re sitting in the waiting room of yet another doctors office. And he’s the one who surprises you and visits when your mom tells him that you’ve been having a rough week, even if it means he has to fly across the country to do it.

You wouldn’t ever guess that he’s a world famous singer selling out arenas, well except for the fact that he’s always traveling and is always in a different place. That kind of gives away the fact that he isn’t a normal eighteen-year-old kid. After your accident a year ago, you couldn’t be one either. Although your versions of not normal are very different lifestyles, you’ve both been each other’s rocks these last six months, and you don’t know how you would have survived them without him.  

Every time you call him crying, he’s nothing but sweet and encouraging. He never makes you feel like you’re making a big deal of something that shouldn’t be even though you think that of yourself sometimes although you can’t help it. He’s your number one supporter, aside from your parents, always cheering you on and celebrating with you when you accomplish something in physical therapy. Just like how you cheer for him when you’re able to make it to a concert and how you watch all of his performances online when he makes appearances on tv.

You haven’t seen Shawn in a month, and you’ve been working extra hard this last month in physical therapy because you want to be able to surprise him. You’ve been planning to attend his show in Toronto because it is a huge deal for him. The day finally comes and your dad takes you to Toronto. You purposely get there after the show starts because you don’t want Shawn to know you’re there or for fans to leak pictures or tweet about you being there.

When he’s nearly finished singing stitches, you take your walker and make your way to the stage, with the help of your dad. When you reach the side, your dad stops and lets you go on your own. You haven’t learned to walk more than three or four steps, so you take your walker out until you’re almost at Shawn. The crowd is screaming even louder and he turns to see why. When he sees you, he almost rushes towards you, but you stop, with your walker, and shout at him to stay where he is. He listens, even though you can tell it’s taking all of his self-control not to rush to you right in that moment. He waits patiently, as you move your walker out of the way and take three shaky steps towards him.

He has tears in his eyes seeing you walk to him for the first time. He’s never actually seen you walk because he didn’t meet you until after the accident. When you’re trying to take that last step to him, you wobble a little bit and almost fall, but he’s right there. He catches you and pulls you into his arms. He kisses you, not even caring that the entire crowd is watching you. He doesn’t let go of you, holding you up with one arm. He grabs the mic and says, “Give it up for my amazing and beautiful girlfriend.” He’s trying hard not to cry as the crowd erupts for you. “Thank you Toronto, you are all amazing. I’ll be back.” He then picks you up bridal style, like he has so many times before, and carries you offstage where he’s still in disbelief over the fact that you showed up at his concert, but even more so over how you walked those three steps to him. It doesn’t sound like much, but for you it felt like the world, and for Shawn it was everything.

[investmart007]

NEW YORK | Gregorius homers twice, Harper hit twice, Yanks top Nats 3-0

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/tSAF64

NEW YORK | Gregorius homers twice, Harper hit twice, Yanks top Nats 3-0

NEW YORK — Didi Gregorius was pleased after ending a long power outage with a pair of home runs. Bryce Harper felt relieved after escaping serious injury when twice hit by a pitch.

CC Sabathia was just surprised, not realizing why the crowd gave him a prolonged ovation in the fourth inning of a superb outing.

Playing a team with a winning record for the first time this month, the New York Yankees beat the Washington Nationals 3-0 Tuesday night for their 10th win in 12 games.

In a matchup of division leaders, Harper gave the Nationals a scare when he fell to the ground in pain after getting hit on the right elbow by a 90 mph pitch from Sabathia in the fifth inning. The 2015 NL MVP remained in the game but then came out after he was hit on the left foot by Dellin Betances’ 89 mph slider leading off the eighth.

“I feel fine. Elbow feels OK, and the big toe just hurts a little bit,” Harper said. “I already got an X-ray on the toe. I’m fine.”

Gregorius has had a “That’s Life” season, following the song’s lyrics of “You’re riding high in April, shot down in May.”

He hit .327 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs through the season’s first full month, slumped to a .151 average with one homer and five RBIs in May and began the night with no homers and one RBI in June.

“It’s just getting to know myself through that slump,” he said. “I’m still not out of it.”

He drove a hanging curveball from Tanner Roark (3-7) into the Yankees bullpen in right-center during a two-run second that also included Austin Romine’s sacrifice fly. It was just the second home run for Gregorius since April 27.

He sent a fastball into the right-field second deck leading off the sixth for his fourth multihomer game, third this season. Gregorius has hit 11 of his 13 long balls in homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. New York leads the major leagues with 105.

“When Didi’s at his best,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained, “he’s into the ground — his feet really drive into the ground.”

A big league-best 43-19, New York was coming off a 7-2 trip. Sabathia (4-1) allowed four hits over 5 2/3 innings in his first outing against Washington since 2009 and lowered his ERA to 3.27. He is 11-0 in 17 regular-season starts following a Yankees loss since the start of the 2017 season.

Fans applauded at length in the fourth when the video board informed fans the strikeout of Michael A. Taylor was Sabathia’s 1,500th since joining the Yankees for the 2009 season. The 37-year-old left-hander’s three strikeouts raised his career total to 2,893.

“I didn’t know what was going on, and Ro told me turn around,” Sabathia said, referring to Romine.

Only then did Sabathia toss the ball to the dugout as a keepsake. Boone wasn’t surprised by Sabathia’s obliviousness to his own exploits.

“For being a superstar and everything, he’s so not into himself,” Boone said.

Chad Green, Betances and Aroldis Chapman finished up, with Chapman completing the five-hitter for his 18th save in 19 chances.

Harper, who leads the NL with 19 homers but is hitting .215 since May 1, had been hit by a pitch just once previously this season and had not been dinged twice in a game since Aug. 16, 2013, at Atlanta.

“Kind of worried me when he started walking off the field,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said.

A free-agent-to-be, Harper had walked in his first two plate appearances.

“It just hurt, so trying to walk down the first base line, there was no point,” he said. “No ill feelings at all.”

MURPH’S BACK

Nationals All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy made his season debut after recovering from right knee surgery on Oct. 20. He was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts as the designated hitter and did not hit the ball out of the infield.

“His timing could have been a little bit off,” Martinez said. “He’s going to be fine.”

FAMILY FEUD

Bob Boone, father of the Yankees manager, is a Nationals executive and rooted against his son.

“They pay him,” Aaron Boone said. “My boys are actually with my mom and dad in San Diego right now. They flew in today, so it’ll be a split household. I know my mom will be pulling for me. And my boys will be pulling for me, that’s for sure. So that’s fine. Somebody in the house can cheer for the other team.”

GREAT GRAB

Taylor made a terrific catch on the warning track to snag Neil Walker’s drive with a runner on in the fourth, sliding into the wall with both legs. Taylor stole second two innings later, then was called out on a replay review.

RESTING

Washington gave 19-year-old outfielder Juan Soto his first game off since his major league debut on May 20. He is hitting .328 with three homers and eight RBIs.

MOVING AROUND

Brandon Drury shifted to 1B from 3B in the second game of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s doubleheader.

“Adding some versatility to his game certainly, yeah, puts him in a better position to be able to help our club again at some point,” Boone said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Luis Cessa will get a few more rehab starts. The 26-year-old right-hander, sidelined since mid-April by a left oblique strain, allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings for Class A Tampa on Monday night.

UP NEXT

RHP Sonny Gray (4-4, 4.81 ERA) starts Wednesday night for the Yankees after allowing two runs and three hits over seven innings to win at Toronto last week. RHP Erick Fedde will be brought up to start for Washington to take the slot that opened when RHP Stephen Strasburg went on the disabled list. Fedde lost against San Diego on May 23 in his only big league appearance this season.

__

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer, By Associated Press

___

[footyplusau]

Injury update: All the latest ahead of round two

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Kyle Cheney Hamstring 2-4 weeks Brad Crouch Hamstring 1 week Ben Davis Foot Indefinite Tom Doedee Knee 2 weeks Cam Ellis-Yolmen * Knee Season Alex Keath Hamstring 2-4 weeks Mitch McGovern Ankle Test Paul Seedsman Groin TBC Taylor Walker Hamstring Test Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

The Crows held a closed training session at Football Park on Thursday. Skipper Taylor Walker and forward Mitch McGovern both trained, but that star goal-sneak Eddie Betts was ill and sat out the session. However, the club says Betts will be alright to face Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday. – Lee Gaskin

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Allen Christensen Collarbone 3-4 weeks Cian Hanley Family matter Indefinite Rhys Mathieson Ankle 4-5 weeks Hugh McCluggage Ankle 2-3 weeks Marco Paparone Hamstring Available Josh Schache Knee 1-2 weeks Sam Skinner* Knee 8 weeks Alex Witherden Leg 2-3 weeks Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

The Lions will take a couple off their injury list this week with Jono Freeman (cheekbone) and Marco Paparone (hamstring) both available to play in the NEAFL. Hugh McCluggage is back into full training but is still a couple of weeks away, while Josh Schache’s knee injury has lingered a little longer than initially expected. Both should come back through the reserves in coming weeks. – Michael Whiting

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Ciaran Byrne Knee TBC Jordan Gallucci Shoulder 2 weeks Daniel Gorringe Achilles TBC Jed Lamb Knee TBC Kym Lebois Ankle 2 weeks Andrew Phillips  Foot Indefinite Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

The Blues remain unsure about the severity of Jed Lamb’s knee injury. Lamb, a late withdrawal from the season-opener against Richmond, had had scans and is being assessed. Jacob Weitering (hip) and Patrick Cripps (arm) have trained well and will play against Melbourne on Sunday. Andrew Phillips is running as he recovers from a foot injury and the Blues hope he will be available in two weeks. – Howard Kotton

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Jordan De Goey Broken hand/ suspension 5-6 weeks Jamie Elliott Ankle TBC Levi Greenwood Hip 3-4 weeks Tom Langdon Knee and ankle 2-3 weeks Ben Sinclair * Hamstring 7-9 weeks  Travis Varcoe Suspended Round three Daniel Wells Calf 1-3 weeks Updated: Tuesday, March 28

Track watch

Elliott has been ruled out of round two and will need at least one VFL game first before the Pies consider selecting him. De Goey will be sidelined for an extended period, set to miss another two or three games with a broken knuckle in his right hand followed by a club-imposed three-match suspension for initially lying about how he sustained the injury. The date for ex-Roo Wells’ long-awaited debut for the Pies continues to drift. Wills has recovered from a quad problem and could be available to play in the VFL side in the next week or two. – Ben Collins

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Josh Green Hamstring 2-3 weeks Jayden Laverde Ankle 12 weeks Matthew Leuenberger Hamstring 1-2 weeks David Myers* Finger 4-6 weeks Jordan Ridley* Back 12 weeks Updated: Tuesday, March 28

Track watch

The Bombers are in a healthy position heading into round two apart from losing Green to a hamstring injury. After two VFL practice games, Tom Bellchambers is close to being ready for senior selection after a pre-season impacted by knee surgery. David Myers is edging closer to having the splint removed from his finger and returning to ball use at training. – Callum Twomey

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Michael Apeness   Knee 4-6 weeks Hayden Ballantyne   Hamstring  7-9 weeks Harley Bennell  Calf  TBA Zac Clarke  Knee  TBA Josh Deluca Groin 3-5 weeks Taylin Duman Ankle 2 weeks Ryan Nyhuis Shin 3-4 weeks Alex Pearce   Leg TBA Luke Ryan Ankle Test Matthew Uebergang Hamstring TBA Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

Harley Bennell wasn’t sighted at Wednesday training after receiving treatment on his sore calves, but the ex-Gold Coast star is expected to hit the track with the main group next week as he builds towards a playing return. Former skipper David Mundy and defender Michael Johnson both left the warm up and ran laps during the 30 minutes open to media. Mundy left the track early, although neither veteran seemed in any obvious discomfort ahead of Sunday’s clash against Port Adelaide. – Travis King

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Ryan Abbott Back 2-4 weeks Nakia Cockatoo Hand 4 weeks Corey Gregson* Foot 8-10 weeks Cameron Guthrie Calf 1-2 week Timm House Shoulder Test Jake Kolodjashnij Groin Test Scott Selwood Toe Test Zac Smith Soreness Test Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

Smith was a surprise withdrawal after the club declared him fit to play last week despite copping a knock before the final JLT Community Series game. Cam Guthrie is out for round two and could be in doubt for round three. Kolodjashnij and Selwood are likely to build up through the VFL. – Peter Ryan

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Sam Day Hip Season Pearce Hanley Family matter Indefinite Michael Rischitelli Knee Indefinite David Swallow Ankle Available Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

David Swallow got through a fitness test on Thursday and will play the Giants on Saturday – his first senior game since July 2015. Michael Rischitelli has continued to progress his running and is still on course for a return in May, while Sam Day is expected to begin rehab on his horror hip injury in the next week or so. – Michael Whiting

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Stephen Coniglio Ankle 6 weeks Aidan Corr Hand Test Matt de Boer Hamstring 1-2 weeks Brett Deledio Calf TBC Tom Downie* Illness Indefinite Tendai Mzungu Hamstring 10-12 weeks Jonathon Patton Hip Test Lachie Whitfield Suspended Round eight Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

Coniglio is a massive worry with him being listed as six weeks away, the same as his initial diagnosis a fortnight ago, while Brett Deledio’s return still has no set date. Corr will train on Wednesday and Friday in a bid to prove his fitness, while Patton is likely to be given until Friday to show he’s OK to face Gold Coast. – Adam Curley

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Jonathon Ceglar* Knee 12 weeks Jonathan O’Rourke Hamstring 3 weeks Updated: Tuesday, March 28

Track watch

Ceglar is back running and O’Rourke is well into his rehab. Rioli was hampered for much of the season opener against the Bombers but given he played the game, out he appears a certain starter this week against Adelaide in what shapes as a really difficult encounter. Otherwise the Hawks are in fine fettle. – Ashley Browne

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Sam Frost Toe Test Colin Garland Knee Season Max Gawn Back/ Wrist Test Michael Hibberd Achilles 2-3 weeks Jesse Hogan Ankle Test Liam Hulett Hip 2-3 weeks Jay Kennedy-Harris Arm 2 weeks Mitch King* Knee 4 weeks Joel Smith Shoulder 16 weeks Aaron vandenBerg Heel 4-6 weeks Bernie Vince Suspended Round three Josh Wagner Fibula Test Mitch White Ankle 2-3 weeks Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track report

All eyes will be on Max Gawn after the big man injured his wrist at training. The Demons insist Jesse Hogan will be fit to face the Blues on Sunday. Hogan was on crutches on Monday after rolling his ankle against St Kilda. The spearhead did not train with teammates on Tuesday, instead completing an ‘off legs’ session in the gym. Gawn was on light duties and walked laps on Tuesday but then fell and hurt his wrist during Thursday’s session. Michael Hibberd worked hard in rehab on Tuesday and the Demons are hopeful they will have him available to play soon. The Demons have upgraded Mitch King back to the senior list in place of Joel Smith who is set to miss four months after shoulder surgery on Tuesday. – Ben Guthrie

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Paul Ahern* Knee Season Ben Jacobs Foot 2-4 weeks Oscar Junker Broken tibia 10-12 weeks Jarrad Waite Shoulder  4-6 weeks Mason Wood Hamstring 1-2 weeks Updated: Tuesday, March 28

Track watch

Waite was the only addition to North’s list after round one. However, defender Sam Wright missed Werribee’s VFL practice match last Saturday after being left out of North’s round one team largely because of his interrupted pre-season following ankle surgery. Wright will likely need more game time in the VFL before being considered for senior selection. – Nick Bowen

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Dougal Howard Knee 2-4 weeks Jasper Pittard Hamstring 1-2 weeks Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

It was business as usual for the Power at Alberton Oval on Thursday morning. Coach Ken Hinkley has just about a full squad to choose from for Sunday’s clash with Fremantle at Adelaide Oval. Small forward Jarman Impey is set to come into the side after serving a club-imposed one-game suspension for an off-field incident. Impey stood out during a SANFL trial last Thursday night, with either Sam Gray or Karl Amon likely to make way. Nathan Krakouer and Aidyn Johnson are also both available for the match with the Dockers, but it’s hard for the Power to make too many changes after their great win over Sydney in round one. – Lee Gaskin

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Shai Bolton  Suspended Round five Jack Graham* Ankle Indefinite Shaun Hampson* Back Indefinite Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

Midfielder Dion Prestia was managed late this week and did not run at all in Wednesday’s captain’s run at Punt Road Oval. The Tigers have also lost Shai Bolton after the club accepted a ruling for him to serve his VFL suspension in that competition’s opening round in three weeks. Steve Morris is set to play his first VFL game this week after recovering from a knee reconstruction, so he comes off the injury list. Graham is on the long-term injury list after falling on his ankle during a training drill last Tuesday. He has a small fracture in his tibia bone and ligament damage. Hampson has undergone multiple surgeries on his back injury but is able to train lightly after the Tigers identified the specific area of the ruckman’s back that is troubling him. – Nathan Schmook

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

David Armitage Groin 1-2 weeks Nick Coughlan Foot 4 weeks Hugh Goddard Achilles 1 week Sean Dempster TBC TBC Ben Long Suspension Available round three Paddy McCartin Hamstring Test Nick Riewoldt Knee 2-4 weeks Koby Stevens Ill 1 week Updated: Wednesday, March 29

Track watch

The Saints will see how Riewoldt responds to his right knee hyperextension before determining when he returns. McCartin and Montagna should both be right to make the trip to Perth after playing three quarters in the VFL last Sunday. Sean Dempster is seeking medical advice and considering retirement from the game. – Dinny Navaratnam

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Darcy Cameron Finger Test Isaac Heeney Glandular fever 2 weeks Alex Johnson* Knee Indefinite Jarrad McVeigh Calf 3 weeks Tom Papley* Knee/shin 2-3 weeks Dane Rampe Arm 5 weeks Dan Robinson Collarbone 5-8 weeks Gary Rohan* Back/hamstring 3 weeks Updated: Tuesday, March 28

Track watch

Heeney is listed as two weeks, which is a promising sign, while McVeigh is back running and could be fit to play in the next three weeks. Robinson has had surgery on his collarbone and will be assessed further next week. Papley and Rohan could be back on the senior list in the near future but will likely need time in the NEAFL after missing most of the pre-season, while Cameron should play in the NEAFL this week after missing round one with an infected finger. – Adam Curley

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Matthew Allen Hamstring 2 weeks Tom Cole Quad 1 weeks Lewis Jetta Glute TBA Scott Lycett* Shoulder 10-12 weeks Eric Mackenzie General soreness TBA Nic Naitanui* Knee Late 2017 season Drew Petrie Hand 10 weeks Willie Rioli Hamstring 5 weeks Simon Tunbridge Knee Mid-late 2017 season Jake Waterman Foot 8 weeks Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

Jonathan Giles was on lighter duties during West Coast’s training session on Tuesday despite being pulled from East Perth’s game on Sunday after Drew Petrie broke his hand. The ruckman was joined in stationary handball drills by Dom Sheed, who played for the Royals in his comeback from a corked calf, plus key defenders Eric Mackenzie and Jeremy McGovern. McGovern left the track early but appeared fine. Josh Hill trained after being a late withdrawal from a media conference on Monday due to illness. – Travis King

Player

Injury

Estimated Return

Tim English Shin soreness 1 week Tory Dickson Abdominal 3-4 weeks Dale Morris Leg 6-8 weeks Josh Prudden Knee Available Jack Redpath Knee TBC Jordan Roughead Hamstring 3-4 weeks Roarke Smith Knee Season Mitch Wallis Broken leg 3-4 weeks Updated: Thursday, March 30

Track watch

The loss of Dale Morris for the next two months is a massive blow, but the veteran has avoided surgery. Tory Dickson can’t take a trick, with the goalsneak succumbing to an abdominal strain just weeks after returning from off-season groin surgery. Tim English should be right for a VFL practice match this weekend after overcoming a shin complaint. – Ryan Davidson

*Placed on the club’s long-term injury list

• Who’s hanging up the boots? 2017’s retirements and delistings

The post Injury update: All the latest ahead of round two appeared first on Footy Plus.

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[michellelinkous]

Taking the next step

Ralph Dale Logerwell served two tours in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

Now 78, he can still clearly remember the planes overhead, the motors buzzing, as he stood below on the aircraft carrier.

From the war onward, the lack of sensation in his feet became a lifelong problem.

He went to many different hospitals and doctors over the years, always hunting for answers. He underwent numerous back surgeries.

“No one had a clear answer,” he said. “They called it idiopathic neuropathy, which I guess means they don’t know the cause.”

Then, in August 2019, he had a diagnostic lumbar puncture done to measure the pressure in his spinal fluid.

“I was numbed out during the procedure, but I did feel a sharp pain in my leg during the puncture,” Logerwell said. “I was able to walk out of the hospital shortly after the procedure, so I didn’t pay much attention to the pain.”

A few hours later, his symptoms worsened.

“An agonizing pain in both of my legs,” Logerwell recalled. “We had OnStar in our car, the communications system that you can call in an emergency, and my wife called an ambulance.”

When paramedics arrived, Logerwell asked them not to go to the hospital where he had the lumbar procedure.

He wanted to go to Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital.

Troubling prospects

Doctors quickly admitted the Mecosta, Michigan, resident to Blodgett Hospital and ordered several MRIs and CTs.

The imaging results indicated an intrathecal hematoma, or blood in his spinal fluid. Emergency surgery was needed, even as his condition continued to deteriorate.

As Logerwell recovered from his six-hour surgery, his legs remained weak.

“I was told rehab for my legs would be a good idea,” he said.

He went to a facility for rehabilitation on Sept. 1, but when he developed a urinary tract infection and became fatigued, Logerwell was sent back to Blodgett Hospital on Sept. 19.

“I was totally out of it,” Logerwell said. “Scared the heck out of my family. I was in the intensive care unit and the people at Blodgett did a fantastic job. They had all these bags of antibiotics hooked up to me and they got rid of the infections.”

When Logerwell was infection-free, Blodgett Hospital nurses moved him out of the ICU on Sept. 21 and into a regular room on the third floor, where they could keep a close eye on him.

Even then, his legs refused to wake up.

So nurses moved him to a new location: the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center at Blodgett Hospital.

“Up one floor, to the fourth floor,” Logerwell said.

“That’s when Ralph Logerwell came into our care,” said Shastin Shull, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician with Spectrum Health.

“He wasn’t able to walk, had no strength in his lower extremities,” Dr. Shull said. “He’d had a lumbar puncture done elsewhere, a diagnostic procedure to remove cervical fluid. And there had been a complication around the spine.”

Before he went to Blodgett Hospital, Logerwell and his wife, Barbara, had been told by doctors that he may never walk again.

He wasn’t having it.

He grew determined to beat the odds.

Dr. Shull assembled a team to help—nurses and a specialized group of physical, occupational and recreational therapists.

Linda Rusiecki, a Spectrum Health physical therapist and certified brain injury specialist, remembers meeting Logerwell for that first evaluation.

“He was a paraplegic at that point and devastated to think he might not walk again,” Rusiecki said. “This was a man who used to bring other elders to their medical appointments.”

Rusiecki developed an intensive care plan for Logerwell’s rehabilitation.

Part of it involved use of the Bioness L300 Go, high-tech electrical stimulation cuffs that are placed around the patient’s legs, sending electrical signals to the muscles to stimulate movement.

“The Bioness L300 Go is a high-tech functional electrical stimulation device designed to improve strength during gait in those with neurological disorders,” Rusiecki said. “One cuff goes around the thigh to stimulate the quadriceps or the hamstrings, while another goes around the lower leg to stimulate the muscles that lift the forefoot off the ground.”

While the device had been used previously on stroke patients, Logerwell became the first Spectrum Health patient to use the device in this way.

“Everyone in rehab was so encouraging,” Logerwell said. “They told me, sure, I would walk again.”

He spent two months in rehab, walking with the assistance of various walkers and equipment.

“I was making tremendous progress,” Logerwell said.

Defying the odds

Indeed, he was. Logerwell’s winning attitude soon returned. There was no stopping him.

“We also used a Rifton E-Pacer, an unweighted gait harness that fit between his legs and up around his chest,” Rusiecki said. “Dr. Shull told us to try these two pieces of equipment for a couple of weeks to see how well Ralph would respond and then go from there.

“And Ralph had incredible results,” she said. “After the first week, we stopped using Bioness on his right leg because it had recovered all of its strength. By week two, he was moving his left leg enough on his own that we discontinued it all together. By week three, we discontinued the Rifton E-Pacer. By the fourth week, he was walking independently with a walker.”

Back on his feet, Logerwell felt ready for more.

And recreational therapist Abby Neunke had plenty to offer.

“My part is to consider his leisure activities,” Neunke said. “I start by gauging Ralph’s interests and then help him to find adaptive ways to do what he loves. Our goal is to not only get our patients home, but out into the community again.”

When Neunke and Rusiecki learned Logerwell lives by a lake and loves swimming, they made arrangements to get him into the pool once a week at a nearby YMCA.

“The first time I was at the pool, they lowered my chair into the water,” Logerwell said. “The next time, I used my walker to walk into the water. The time after that, I walked in on my own, holding onto the side of the pool.”

He learned to exercise in the water—walk and march from one side of the pool to the other, the water buoying up his body.

He practiced going up and down a set of stairs underwater. He brought his pickle ball equipment into the pool, too, which allowed him to once again play a sport he loved.

On Oct. 25, he headed home.

If he could have walked all the way to Mecosta, he would have.

“I’m not a sit-around guy who plays bridge,” he said, chuckling. “I love to move around, I love to travel. Right now, I’m working toward walking with just a cane. That’s the next step.”

Taking the next step published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.tumblr.com/

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Taking the next step

Ralph Dale Logerwell served two tours in the Navy during the Vietnam War.

Now 78, he can still clearly remember the planes overhead, the motors buzzing, as he stood below on the aircraft carrier.

From the war onward, the lack of sensation in his feet became a lifelong problem.

He went to many different hospitals and doctors over the years, always hunting for answers. He underwent numerous back surgeries.

“No one had a clear answer,” he said. “They called it idiopathic neuropathy, which I guess means they don’t know the cause.”

Then, in August 2019, he had a diagnostic lumbar puncture done to measure the pressure in his spinal fluid.

“I was numbed out during the procedure, but I did feel a sharp pain in my leg during the puncture,” Logerwell said. “I was able to walk out of the hospital shortly after the procedure, so I didn’t pay much attention to the pain.”

A few hours later, his symptoms worsened.

“An agonizing pain in both of my legs,” Logerwell recalled. “We had OnStar in our car, the communications system that you can call in an emergency, and my wife called an ambulance.”

When paramedics arrived, Logerwell asked them not to go to the hospital where he had the lumbar procedure.

He wanted to go to Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital.

Troubling prospects

Doctors quickly admitted the Mecosta, Michigan, resident to Blodgett Hospital and ordered several MRIs and CTs.

The imaging results indicated an intrathecal hematoma, or blood in his spinal fluid. Emergency surgery was needed, even as his condition continued to deteriorate.

As Logerwell recovered from his six-hour surgery, his legs remained weak.

“I was told rehab for my legs would be a good idea,” he said.

He went to a facility for rehabilitation on Sept. 1, but when he developed a urinary tract infection and became fatigued, Logerwell was sent back to Blodgett Hospital on Sept. 19.

“I was totally out of it,” Logerwell said. “Scared the heck out of my family. I was in the intensive care unit and the people at Blodgett did a fantastic job. They had all these bags of antibiotics hooked up to me and they got rid of the infections.”

When Logerwell was infection-free, Blodgett Hospital nurses moved him out of the ICU on Sept. 21 and into a regular room on the third floor, where they could keep a close eye on him.

Even then, his legs refused to wake up.

So nurses moved him to a new location: the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center at Blodgett Hospital.

“Up one floor, to the fourth floor,” Logerwell said.

“That’s when Ralph Logerwell came into our care,” said Shastin Shull, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician with Spectrum Health.

“He wasn’t able to walk, had no strength in his lower extremities,” Dr. Shull said. “He’d had a lumbar puncture done elsewhere, a diagnostic procedure to remove cervical fluid. And there had been a complication around the spine.”

Before he went to Blodgett Hospital, Logerwell and his wife, Barbara, had been told by doctors that he may never walk again.

He wasn’t having it.

He grew determined to beat the odds.

Dr. Shull assembled a team to help—nurses and a specialized group of physical, occupational and recreational therapists.

Linda Rusiecki, a Spectrum Health physical therapist and certified brain injury specialist, remembers meeting Logerwell for that first evaluation.

“He was a paraplegic at that point and devastated to think he might not walk again,” Rusiecki said. “This was a man who used to bring other elders to their medical appointments.”

Rusiecki developed an intensive care plan for Logerwell’s rehabilitation.

Part of it involved use of the Bioness L300 Go, high-tech electrical stimulation cuffs that are placed around the patient’s legs, sending electrical signals to the muscles to stimulate movement.

“The Bioness L300 Go is a high-tech functional electrical stimulation device designed to improve strength during gait in those with neurological disorders,” Rusiecki said. “One cuff goes around the thigh to stimulate the quadriceps or the hamstrings, while another goes around the lower leg to stimulate the muscles that lift the forefoot off the ground.”

While the device had been used previously on stroke patients, Logerwell became the first Spectrum Health patient to use the device in this way.

“Everyone in rehab was so encouraging,” Logerwell said. “They told me, sure, I would walk again.”

He spent two months in rehab, walking with the assistance of various walkers and equipment.

“I was making tremendous progress,” Logerwell said.

Defying the odds

Indeed, he was. Logerwell’s winning attitude soon returned. There was no stopping him.

“We also used a Rifton E-Pacer, an unweighted gait harness that fit between his legs and up around his chest,” Rusiecki said. “Dr. Shull told us to try these two pieces of equipment for a couple of weeks to see how well Ralph would respond and then go from there.

“And Ralph had incredible results,” she said. “After the first week, we stopped using Bioness on his right leg because it had recovered all of its strength. By week two, he was moving his left leg enough on his own that we discontinued it all together. By week three, we discontinued the Rifton E-Pacer. By the fourth week, he was walking independently with a walker.”

Back on his feet, Logerwell felt ready for more.

And recreational therapist Abby Neunke had plenty to offer.

“My part is to consider his leisure activities,” Neunke said. “I start by gauging Ralph’s interests and then help him to find adaptive ways to do what he loves. Our goal is to not only get our patients home, but out into the community again.”

When Neunke and Rusiecki learned Logerwell lives by a lake and loves swimming, they made arrangements to get him into the pool once a week at a nearby YMCA.

“The first time I was at the pool, they lowered my chair into the water,” Logerwell said. “The next time, I used my walker to walk into the water. The time after that, I walked in on my own, holding onto the side of the pool.”

He learned to exercise in the water—walk and march from one side of the pool to the other, the water buoying up his body.

He practiced going up and down a set of stairs underwater. He brought his pickle ball equipment into the pool, too, which allowed him to once again play a sport he loved.

On Oct. 25, he headed home.

If he could have walked all the way to Mecosta, he would have.

“I’m not a sit-around guy who plays bridge,” he said, chuckling. “I love to move around, I love to travel. Right now, I’m working toward walking with just a cane. That’s the next step.”

Taking the next step published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/