Dear Family and Friends,
We are happy to report a very successful beginning of the week. My appetite has been increasing and both physical and occupational therapy are going very well. I have been doing exceptionally well in transfers from my wheelchair to the mat and back.
Ryan is pretty exhausted tonight and keeps dosing off, so I'll start writing where he finished. He has had an amazing week so far and the doctor just came in to let him know that his protein count is high enough for him to come off his IV feeding tomorrow night. There is an outing on Friday to The Wild Life Experience that Ryan will be able to go on since he won't have an IV. Ryan has been on two other outings, one to Church and one to Chili's Restaurant.
Yesterday, Heather and Amanda worked on adjusting Ryan's manual chair with a new back and some other minor adjustments. He seems to have worked through some of his blood pressure issues and is able to be sitting up in his chair for longer periods of time. He was in his manual chair for about seven hours today. It takes a lot of work, coordination and endurance to push a manual chair and I think that's why he is so tired tonight.
Ryan has been having lunch with his friend, John, and Amanda and Heather the last couple of days. They all have fun together! Thank you Amanda and Heather for going above and beyond the call of duty!
(Ryan telling the following story) Candace and I also have an ongoing fun relationship. I woke up one morning to find women's sparkly gold slippers which were about six sizes too small. It might be because I put one of my black dress shoes on Candace which was about the same length as it was from her knee to her ankle. She looked kind of like a clown with one tiny fuzzy slipper and one enormous black shoe. I looked just about as goofy with a corresponding shoe and slipper. Candace continued the fun and games on Wednesday by asking Amanda, our occupational therapist, to place a "fart machine" under my wheelchair and a remote control for the "fart machine" on Candace's chair. As soon as I got into the chair I suddenly had explosive gas! After a minute or two of hysterical laughter, I realized no one in the world could have that much gas. I then started making jokes about the Taco Bell I had last night that perhaps didn't sit well with me. Amanda showed me the machine which I disassembled using the screwdriver and removed the battery. I told Candace it was a funny joke and we laughed about it the whole day.
Now on a more serious note, Tyler sent our quote for today.
Tyler writes: This is probably my favorite quote. I think I've shared it with you but if not here it is.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910
Love, Ryan, Bridgette, Barry and Kate
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