Mike’s Ataxia Blog

Day 26 11/10/08

November 11th, 2008

     Little late on this one.  Spinal today, had to stay in bed until 8:30.  That’s worse than the spinal itself.  That makes 6 out of 7, 3 spinals and 3 IVs.  My schedule was switched around, so Thursday is my last day off.  For the first time, I’m hiring someone to go with me, as I’m shopping for most of the gifts for the staff and my family.

     When I think back to how people wanted me to hire somebody for the whole month, I have to laugh.  I don’t think I would have lasted a month in one room with my wife, much less a stranger who doesn’t speak English.  My wife says my vacation is over soon, and back to reality.  I’d make that trade any day, but it is good to know that I still like myself enough to be alone for a month.  Although it’s much easier now than 20 years ago when I was touring bus and truck singing in Europe.  Then, a weekly 15 minute phone call was an expensive luxury, compared to daily video calls now.  Still, it was a lot more fun then. I was doing what I loved to do, and I didn’t have a wife and four little ones tugging at my heart strings.  Now, I miss them like crazy and I’m getting IVs and needles in my spine.

     It’s a good thing that I spent time in various training rooms when I was younger. Needles are no stranger, nor electrowave therapy, and all of the other fun things they think up to pass the time.  How difficult it must be for the children, not knowing why strangers are hurting them, and for the parents, who must watch someone doing these necessary, but unpleasant things to their children (their children!).  I know I keep coming back to this, but it has made quite an impression on me.  I have led a sheltered and very lucky life; until I came here, I had never met a child with Cerebral Palsy, or ONH, or anoxia, much less come to care for them, and their parents.  Of all the things I have seen and done here, I’ll remember that the most.

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