Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Little Darlin, PT day 61, by David

Day 25 at Shepherd.  As you all saw by last nights post done by Jan she is doing very well.  I can see small daily improvements in her balance and gait while walking.  She does have some difficulty with short term memory but I think this will all improve over time.  I keep telling her over and over that before she was injured that she loved to cook, clean house and was overall very domestic.  She is not buying it.  Her long term memory was not affected.  Oh well it was worth a try.  We now have definite plans for the next phase of this adventure.  We are coming home.  On tuesday she is being discharged from Shepherd.  While Shepherd has a great outpatient program that I discussed previously there is also a similar program offered by Mississippi Methodist Rehab Center in Jackson called Quest.  She has appointments scheduled for August 2nd and 4th.  They will work with her so that she will someday be able to return to work in our bicycle shop Boardtown Bikes in Starkville.  We are very excited about going there.  Not only will Jan get excellent outpatient therapy but we have family near the outpatient center in Flowood and we can be home in Starkville on the weekends.  This will allow me to get back to work and at least give my partners weekend relief and hopefully soon full relief so they can have some well earned time off. TIGT.  While things are not going to be back to normal yet we are headed that way and are very excited about heading home after this two month plus ordeal,  especially with Jan doing as well as she is particularly when you consider where she was at the start of this.

Our roller coaster ride is starting to smooth out but there are still people out there trying to be healthy or just trying to get from one place to another that are in peril because someone is distracted, a driver is unaware the danger their automobile poses to someone not in an automobile, a driver does not see a cyclist or pedestrian as a life or even worse the driver has poorly explained anger.  The cyclist or pedestrian could also be placing themselves at increased risk due to not abiding by their own rules or not making themselves adequately visible.  We must stay vigilant.  What happened to Jan has and will happen to others.  We have to keep pushing and making as many as we can aware.  Seeing someone biking, running or walking on the road should become an accepted norm to all.  I will say again it should not be about the law (although that is the only way some will listen), it should be about that being a life.  It is someones wife, husband, son, daughter, friend or parent.  To think the person you are closest to is not going to survive or is going to be severely impaired because of a senseless act is something no one should have to experience.  Unfortunately I am speaking from experience.  Do not forget this and do not let anyone you know forget this so that you do not have to have this experience.  We must push to get the 3 foot law amended.  We must push for laws against distracted drivers.   If you are a cyclist you should also make sure you do the right thing, know your rules and be visible.

An added note.  Texas Governor Rick Perry who is also a presidential candidate recently vetoed Texas house bill 242 relating to texting while driving.  The reason given is that it was a government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults.  I hate big government as much as anybody.  I would be perfectly happy if I could be given the liberty to deal with what was done to me or my family without government interference.  I do not have that liberty so I expect this very expensive and inefficient government to take care of that (it did fail my wife).  Cell phone use while driving is killing people and is like drunk driving.  He may as well allow drunk driving.   He will not get my vote for president.

Thank you all.  Drivers watch for bikers and pedestrians.   Bikers and pedestrians watch for drivers.  All should know the rules and abide by them.  Be patient with each other.  No matter who is at fault if someone is severely injured or killed it drastically affects many and in a very bad way.   Everyone please do whatever you can to not let something like this happen.  Life is for doing stuff but not this.

SHARE THE ROAD, IT'S A LIFE
PUT THE !%@$# CELL PHONE DOWN BEFORE YOU KILL SOMEBODY
GET OFF THE COUCH,  LIFE IS FOR DOING STUFF
SUPPORT BIKE WALK MISSISSIPPI,  THEY WILL HELP MAKE CHANGES HAPPEN
BE BRIGHT AND BE SEEN

I Love My Little Darlin, home is where the heart is.
David

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