0131 workouts

I managed to get in three workouts on the treadmill today. It sounds like a lot, but it’s mostly exercising my right leg, while my left leg remains stationary on the side. But every now and then, I get both feet on the tread and actually walk for about 30 seconds. Right now, I support myself with the handrails, but look forward to the day when I’ll be walking with my arms at my side. Cool.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: My OT, Ed, shows up around 7am to watch me sit up and get dressed. I look forward to the day he calls in sick as that means an extra hour of sleep for me. But it never happens. He has me sitting in my wheelchair, waiting for the other therapists, after he leaves. Sometimes, I can convince the nurse to help me back to bed. Sometimes, I can’t. Oh well.

0130 hump day

I spent much of the day working on the Powerpoint presentations for the Faith Lessons that will meet for five weeks, starting on Saturday, February 16th. And yes, we know that is Pastor Ken’s birthday, but we’re going ahead with the Plan. The class will meet at 7pm, right after the evening services let out. If you haven’t signed up, do it now. You don’t want to miss this class!

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I didn’t sleep well as they moved my roommate in the middle of the night. Otherwise, it was a day with OT, PT, and Speech. I moved to the window bed in the afternoon.

0129 the 5 questions most feared by men

I knew that I shouldn’t have posted that e-mail on Monday. I received the following list on Tuesday, and so I’m sharing it with you.
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The 5 Questions Most Feared By Men

1. What are you thinking about?
2. Do you love me?
3. Do I look fat in this?
4. Do you think she is prettier than me?
5. What would you do if I died?

What makes these questions so difficult is that each one is guaranteed to explode into a major argument if the man answers incorrectly (i.e. tells the truth). Therefore, as a public service, each question is analyzed below, along with possible responses.

Question #1: What are you thinking about? The proper answer to this, of course, is: "I'm sorry if I've been pensive, dear. I was just reflecting on what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, intelligent woman you are, and how lucky I am to have met you."

This response obviously bears no resemblance to the true answer, which most likely is one of the following: a. "Football." b. "Golf." c. "How fat you are." d. "How I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Perhaps the best response to this question was offered by Al Bundy, who once told Peg, "If I wanted you to know what I was thinking, I would be talking to you!"

Question #2: Do you love me? The proper response is: "Yes!" or, if you feel a more detailed answer is in order, "Yes, dear."

Inappropriate responses include: a. "Oh yeah, sh*tloads." b. "Would it make you feel better if I said yes?" c. "That depends on what you mean by love." d. "Does it matter?" e. "Who, me?"

Question #3: Do I look fat? The correct answer is an emphatic: "Of course not!"

Incorrect answers are: a. "Compared to what?" b. "I wouldn't call you fat, but you're not exactly thin." c. "A little extra weight looks good on you." d. "I've seen fatter." e. "Sorry, what did you say? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Question #4: Do you think she's prettier than me? Once again, the proper response is an emphatic: "Of course not!"

Incorrect responses include: a. "Yes, but you have a better personality." b. "Not prettier, but definitely thinner." c. "Not as pretty as you when you were her age." d. "Define pretty." e. "Sorry what did you say? I was just thinking about how I would spend the insurance money if you died."

Question #5: What would you do if I died? A definite no-win question. (The real answer, of course, is "Buy a Ferrari and a boat.") No matter how you answer this, be prepared for at least an hour of follow-up questions, usually along these lines:

Woman: Would you get married again?
Man: Definitely not!
Woman: Why not -- don't you like being married?
Man: Of course I do.
Woman: Then why wouldn't you remarry?
Man: Okay, I'd get married again.
Woman: You would? (With a hurtful look on her face)
Man: (audible groan)
Woman: Would you sleep with her in our bed?
Man: Where else would we sleep?
Woman: Would you put away my pictures, and replace them with pictures of her?
Man: That would seem like the proper thing to do.
Woman: And would you let her use my golf clubs?
Man: She can't use them -- she's left-handed.
Woman: (silence)
Man: Sh*t.
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My response to #3 is usually “d”, which probably explains why I’m still a bachelor.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: Moved to sub-acute rehab, where therapy is not as long. Doctors will focus on my sleep issues as I am not getting enough rest at night. Stitches removed from left eye, as eye seems okay but still a little dry. Will use artificial tears regularly.

0128 nine words women use

Below is a list that a female friend e-mailed to me. It’s actually quite timely, considering Pastor Gary’s sermon on Sunday, with regards to #8 in the list.

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(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says "Thanks a lot" - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say "you're welcome" ... that will bring on a "whatever").

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying ____ YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?" For the woman's response refer to # 3.

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A YEAR AGO TODAY: I slept in the morning, but spent part of the afternoon on the patio, with my sister and brother-in-law. It was a Sunday, so no therapies were scheduled. No other visitors were recorded.

0127 the weekend in review

Saturday morning was sunny and clear, but news reports said that we would have rain by nightfall. Jim Y came by after 10am to pick me up for some walking exercise. Steve K was going to join us, but something came up at the last-minute, so Jim and I headed out to Liberty Park in Cerritos. We walked along the pavement between the all-weather track and the tennis courts, up and back, for almost an hour.

After the walk, we went for lunch at The Loft. Jim had mentioned that he was longing for some Hawaiian fried chicken, so he ordered that from the menu. I had a platter, which consisted of some of the Hawaiian fried chicken, teriyaki chicken, and kalbi ribs, with bacon fried rice, ramen cabbage salad and macaroni salad. There was so much food that neither of us finished our lunches. We filled our to-go boxes and left. Jim dropped me off at home around 1:30pm.

That evening, Restaurant Hoppers was meeting at Hokkaido, a new Japanese-Chinese buffet in Long Beach, in the same location that used to house Charley Brown’s, on Cherry Avenue. I had declined the invitation, as I am not good with buffets yet; I can’t hold a plate steady enough without something rolling off into my lap. I learned this the hard way, with a bowl of piping hot soup. My decision was good as it downpoured that evening, which meant that I would have been transferring between my wheelchair and a car several times in the rain, getting soaked in the process.

So I just stayed at home, comfortably dry, and finished off the leftovers from lunch.

Sunday morning was also sunny and clear, but dark clouds could be seen in the distance. My father dropped me off at SBCC just before the 11am service. Sam met me in the parking lot, so we wheeled into the sanctuary to find a good seat near the front. Liz was the emcee for both services and we had planned to cheer her on en masse, but our cheering section shrunk one-by-one in the last few days.

Originally, it was to be Sheri, Wendi, Sam, Chris and myself, but Sheri came down with the flu, Wendi was taking her niece to the local mountains for the snow, and Chris had texted me that morning that he wouldn’t make it in time. Stephanie was at a seminar, Eric had attended the Saturday eve service, and Jen was at home sleeping after working the night shift at Kaiser. So it was just Sam and I, and we decided to just cheer since there wasn’t enough hands to hold up the letters (what letters? keep reading).

Unfortunately, when the time came and Liz stepped on stage, I was distracted by a well-wisher who came over to see me. I was caught off-guard by Sam cheering (by himself) at the top of his lungs, and everyone in the church (including me) was just looking at him. As he sat down, he gave me a “where-were-you” look. I apologized for missing the cue, but we had a second chance later (keep reading).

Pastor Gary was scheduled to be “off” until February 2/3, but he came back a week early as Pastor Ken was out sick and resting at home. He came up with a special sermon called “Gary’s Blog”. He explained what a blog was and that he didn’t really have one, but if he did, he would write what was on his heart, and he wanted to share that with us.

He talked about the word “whatever”, providing a dictionary definition of it, and how its meaning has changed as the word has become common in the vernacular of today’s youth. It used to just mean “anything or everything” or “no matter what”, but now it’s accepted as meaning “indifference to or scorn for something”. It reflects a culture of apathy, indecisiveness, confusion and non-discerning tolerance. Pastor Gary is concerned as our future lies with the youth of today, which has been dubbed the “whatever generation”.

He spoke about the apostle Paul, who foresaw this in 2nd Timothy 3, verses 1-4, which read: “You must understand that in the last days there will come times of much trouble. People will love themselves and money. They will have pride and tell of all the things they have done. They will speak against God. Children and young people will not obey their parents. People will not be thankful and they will not be holy. They will not love each other. No one can get along with them. They will tell lies about others. They will not be able to keep from doing things they know they should not do. They will be wild and want to beat and hurt those who are good. They will not stay true to their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think too much of themselves. They will love fun instead of loving God.” [New Life Version]

Pastor Gary is also concerned that time is moving forward, so we cannot wait. Psalm 39:5 says, “You have given me only a short life; my lifetime is like nothing to you. Everyone’s life is only a breath.” We have only a short time on this earth to square our lives with God, because He will be the first one we see after our hearts beat for the last time. According to Romans 14:12 “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

He also shared a birthday card that he recently received. Yes, his birthday was last week. No, you didn’t miss it in the SBCC Baywatch. You’ll never see it in print. And yes, I know how many candles there would have been but don’t ask me about it; it’s not my information to share. Let’s just say that he’s older than Cheryl, and Cheryl is younger than I am. Whatever.

He finished up the sermon with a talk about leaving a godly legacy. He spoke about John Baker, a promising young athlete, who died prematurely (in his 20s) due to cancer. He was expected to compete in the 1972 Olympics, but never made it. He worked as a coach at an elementary school in New Mexico and concentrated his efforts on the handicapped. He touched the lives and hearts of all the children and parents he met. He made a difference. He left a lasting legacy.

I find myself thinking about this as well. I see the stroke as a sort of “wake-up call”, that God is giving me another chance. I could have died a year ago. I am trying to find a way to make a difference in the lives of the people around me, but it’s a difficult task. If I die tomorrow, I don’t know if I’ve done enough. I guess I’ll never know.

After the service, I met with Eric and Sam (for our Koinonia lifegroup meeting) in the Dugout, which has a window that looks into the Sanctuary. Liz had to attend an Emcee Ministry meeting in the Sanctuary, and we knew that Sheri, Wendi, Jen and Steph would not be joining us, so the three of us just shared thoughts and reflections on today’s sermon, and we shared prayer requests.

As we were talking, we became aware that the emcees were each taking the stage for some training and peer review. We realized that Liz would be on stage, so we got the letters ready. When she stepped on the stage, we pressed the letters against the glass to spell “GO LIZ!”. We heard laughter coming from the gathering in the Sanctuary. We later heard that someone commented, “Liz, you’re the only emcee who has stalkers!”

We returned to our discussion and left the emcees alone. As we finished up, Liz joined us and commented that the Koinonia men should never be left alone in a room again.

We left SBCC around 2:30pm and went over to the Mitsuwa food court, as none of us had eaten. Chris was able to join us so we dined on rice and noodle dishes, and the discussion rambled as the subject changed every few minutes. At one point, the four of them were involved in spelling their names in Chinese characters.

When the food arrived, I wasn’t paying attention and I missed the hand signals, so I had to say grace for the group. I started off normally, then began to soften my voice intentionally. I could sense the other four lean a little closer, as they tried to listen. By the time I finished, I was whispering, and I knew they were watching the movement of my lips. I’m sure I’ll hear from them as they read this post.

While we were eating, I received a text message from Wendi. I had sent her a message to be careful in the mountains after last night’s storm. She replied for me not to worry as there was a change of plans and she was shopping in Carlsbad instead.

Sam gave me a ride and had me home by 4pm.

0123 sleep?

I had an appointment to see Dr Asciuto regarding the results of the sleep study (see 1/03 blog) and to check the settings on my BiPAP machine. He reviewed the results and showed me that the apnea was still affecting my sleep. Some adjustments were made to the BiPAP machine before I left for home. I’ll see him again in a few months.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: Ultrasound found a blood clot in my right leg, so therapies were cancelled to keep it from moving. Had a cold sweat in the afternoon and secretions were bloody, so medication was administered and I rested for most of the day. No visitors were recorded.

0121 am i sleeping?

When I last saw Doc H, I told him that the medication that I was taking to help me sleep at night would no longer be covered by my medical insurance, as of January 1st, so he wrote out a new prescription for me, for one of the approved replacements. I’m only taking it on an “as-needed” basis, so I’m not likely to develop a dependence on it any time soon.

My mother filled the new prescription as the last of my previous supply ran out. When she returned from the pharmacy, she gave me the one-page prescription information sheet that came with the new drug. Since I really didn’t have anything else to do, I read it.

Have you ever read the information that comes with your medication? You really should. It’s full of information that is important to your health and overall well-being. It’s usually divided into sections for “Side Effects”, “Precautions”, “How To Use”, “Drug Interactions”, “Uses”, and “Overdose Instructions”.

In the section for “Side Effects” is this warning: “Rarely, after taking this drug, people have gotten out of bed and driven vehicles while not fully awake. People have also sleepwalked, prepared/eaten food, made phone calls, or had sex while not fully awake. Often, these people do not remember these events.”

Wow. So I’m asking for YOUR help. If you see me participating in any of the above-listed activities, check to see if I am awake. If I am not, please take a picture as I am not likely to recall it later. Thanks. I haven’t had any prior experience with the first four activities “while not fully awake”. As for the fifth .... let me just say, “no comment”.

In an unrelated story, the dog gave me a funny look this morning. I wonder what he saw ....

A YEAR AGO TODAY: It was the weekend, so no therapies were scheduled. I slept most of the day.

0120 Sunday

My father dropped me off at SBCC in time for the 11am service. On the way in, I ran into my friend, Linda K (see pic), who was checking out churches in the area. We sat together in the back.

Pastor Ken continued his “Keeping It Simple” series with this weekend’s part of “To Me, To Live Is ...”, and talked about how we all have a “box” that we use to keep what’s important to us inside. The contents of our box drives our desires and directs our lives in ways that we aren’t even aware of. He spoke of the writings of the apostle Paul, who wrote a letter to the church of Philippi, while a prisoner of the Romans. The letter became the source for the book of Philippians.

He referred to Philippians 1:19-26, to explain how Paul had Christ in his “box”, as Paul put his future in God’s hands, indicating that although he would prefer dying, to be with Christ in heaven, it was to the Lord’s advantage to keep him on earth to continue to work with the church. Verses 22-24 say, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

We all need to make sure that Christ is in our own box, and that whatever else is in the does not push out or obscure the effect that Christ has on our lives.

After the service ended, I chatted briefly with Linda, before joining Koinonia in the Dugout for our weekly meeting. Jennifer had to work, and Sam called to say that he wouldn’t be able to make it. So the six of us went through Lesson Thirteen of our Genesis study, led by Sheri, which dealt with Abraham and Isaac, and how their relationship mirrored that of God and Jesus.

We finished up around 3pm, so some of us went for an early dinner at Red Robin in the South Bay Galleria. Wendi, Stephanie, Eric and I all stuffed in Liz’s car, and found a handicapped space in front of Nordstrom. We met Sunny there, but Chris was nowhere to be seen.

As we sat at a table, Eric asked Liz if Chris would be joining us. Liz replied that he was on his phone so she just left him a voice message. Eric suggested that maybe he’s talking to a woman. Sunny immediately responded, “Impossible. Liz and I are here.” Hmmm.

There was also some speculation involving Chris’ sister Tina. Someone suggested passing the info to me, so that I would blog it. So here it is: According to Eric Yi, Tina and Ed are an “item”. If you have any questions about this, you should contact Eric.

The music at Red Robin was from the 80’s. Eric displayed his expertise of the era by naming all the songs AND the artists as each one came up. Lucky for me they were not playing songs from the 70’s.

After dinner, Liz dropped the others off at SBCC and then gave me a ride home. It was a nice day.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: Therapy workouts had me sitting unsupported for brief moments at a time. Speech had me working on stimulating my throat muscles. Blood pressure was 130/88. No visitors other than my mother and sister.

0119 saturday in the park

Steve K came by this morning to pick me up for some walking exercise. We headed over to Liberty Park in Cerritos and walked along the pavement next to the playground and the tennis courts. My pace is picking up, along with my stride. We walked for about 45 minutes.

After a brief stop at Target, we went for lunch at BJ’s Brewery, for some pizza and raspberry lemonade. Steve dropped me off at home by 1pm. It was a very nice day.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I met with Venus, who performed my physical therapy evaluation. She indicated that I did well enough to handle the 3 hours of therapy a day, which will be a combination of PT, OT, speech therapy and recreational therapy. Hilda, the OT, would be building a splint for my right hand.

0118 Spiderman 3

I just rented Spiderman 3 from Netflix, and I found it to be entertaining but a bit slow in the storyline. It takes off a short time after the events in Spiderman 2, although Tobey Maguire (second pic) gets more annoying each time. The plot was predictable and the villains were under-utilized. I think that they could have done more with the Sandman character (third pic), even though the special effects were great. Thomas Hayden-Church played the part well, but the character should have been developed more or excluded altogether.

Venom, on the other hand, was developed quite well, starting off as a alien entity which bonds first to Peter Parker, to gain the spider abilities, and then takes over Eddie Brock (played by Topher Grace, fourth pic) to feed off the deep well of hatred in Eddie’s heart. The ending is really a fight between good and evil, with two friends overcoming their differences to combine together towards a common goal.

The best part was watching out for Stan Lee’s cameo appearance (he’s in ALL the Marvel films). Do you remember him as a wedding crasher in Fantastic Four 2?

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I started the day in the neuro ward on the fourth floor and ended up in acute rehab. The hiccups came back, off and on, even with the thorazine. My blood pressure was elevated at 146/89. Liz came by for a visit in the evening.

0116 wed

I’ve found it quite easy to get on and off the treadmill on my own. But once I’m on it, I need some music or distraction to keep the workout interesting. I’ve been loading CDs onto my iPod, so that will help for awhile.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: Things went well today. I didn’t have any problems with blood pressure, temperature or oxygen, but I did have an echocardiogram (I think that’s misspelled) on the third floor in the afternoon, followed by a chest x-ray and a breathing treatment. My sister came by in the morning, my mother came by in the afternoon, and Sheri came by in the evening to catch me up on church and Koinonia happenings.

0115 tuesday

Mike came over in the morning to put together the treadmill (see pics). I gave it a test and it’s just right for my walking exercise. Right now, I have it at the slowest speed of 0.5 mph and I’m using it to gain strength and flexibility in my right leg.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I was still in the neuro ward on the fourth floor. I was sleeping off and on throughout the day. A cardiologist came by to check on me, then scheduled me for an echocardiogram tomorrow. I received occupational and physical therapy, but was not able to sit up well. My visitors were Allan & Nancy, and Peter & Claudia.

0114 monday

Today, a treadmill was delivered (see pic) but it didn’t look like other treadmills I’ve used in the past. My father and I just stared at it for awhile until my brother-in-law, Mike, called to say that he would be by on Tuesday morning, to put it together. That’s when it dawned on us that it needed assembly. Oh yeah, that’s right.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I slept for most of the day. It was a Sunday, so no therapies were scheduled. I didn’t have any problems with blood pressure, temperature or hiccups. No visitors, other than Judi & Mike, were recorded.

0113 what's the plan?

My father dropped me off at SBCC in time for the 11am service. I wheeled in and found a space in the back, and was soon joined by Liz and Sheri. When opening worship started and the congregation rose to their feet, Liz made a joke about blocking my view of the screen with her body and moved sideways briefly. For a moment, I thought that all I would look at was her backside (I wouldn’t have minded), but then she moved away and I refocused on the screen (darn it).

The service opened with a dramatic sketch titled “Distractions” featuring a one-man act by Cary M, about a man who is distracted by many things on Sunday at home and is not able to find time for God. It was done very well and spoke to each one of us about how our attention is on the world around us and how easy it is for us to overlook our relationship with God.

Pastor Ken continued his series of “Keeping It Simple” with today’s installment of “What’s The Plan?” He talked about how God gets his attention when he is not focusing properly, especially when he has a disagreement with his wife. He brought up Romans 12:2 which reads, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

We need to recognize that God’s plan is His will, which is good, pleasing and perfect. But in order for to understand and appreciate it, we must renew our minds and let go of the temptations of this world which is holding us back. Many of us are still holding on too tightly to the selfishness that the world pushes on us.

He spoke about Matthew 26, where Jesus took three disciples with him to Gethsemane. Pastor Ken speaks softly and his voice is kinda hypnotic. I must have dozed off because he suddenly shouted out with emotion, as he covered verse 40, where Jesus returns and finds the three disciples asleep. He admonished them to keep watch and pray. I think I dozed off again because suddenly Pastor Ken was agitated, but now he was on verse 43, where Jesus returns again and finds them sleeping a second time. I tried my best to stay awake, in case he got to verse 45.

Fortunately, he was making a point of verse 41, which reads “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” God knows that we are easily caught off-guard and don’t recognize the danger around us. The temptations are subtle.

The service ended and after grabbing a quick snack, I met Koinonia in the Dugout for our lifegroup meeting. Sam came in and announced that he was not quite himself today, so he was going to be out of it. Little did we realize how great his recuperative powers really are, because he was true to form just about fifteen minutes later.

I also found out that when I laugh, I come close to hyperventilating. Apparently, I turn deep red to purple, and I scare my lifegroup because of it. Unfortunately, close proximity to Sam often leads to multiple laughing incidents. Plus, sitting next to Eric didn’t help.

Stephanie led us in the review and discussion of Lesson Twelve, which focused on Genesis chapters 20 and 21, which dealt with Abraham’s involvement with Abimelech, the birth of Isaac, the sending away of Hagar and Ishmael, and the treaty at Beersheba. I wasn’t feeling well last week and I apparently missed a great discussion about Genesis 19:30-38. Oh well.

We finished up with a discussion of outings that our lifegroup would be interested in doing, such as a tour of Huntington Gardens, a trip to the Grand Canyon, the upcoming Chinese New Year, and loads of other stuff. We also talked about stuff going on in our lives. Like Eric getting ready for fatherhood. And Liz’s upcoming trip to Puerto ..... Rico.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I had a bad case of hiccups. After several hours, was finally medicated with thorazine, which gave some relief. No visitors were recorded.

0112 saturday

Usually I go walking on Saturdays, but Steve K had a family emergency and was unable to assist me with my walking exercise. So I stayed at home and concentrated on my therapy exercises.

In the evening, I went to my sister’s place to celebrate my youngest nephew’s fifth birthday. The meal was from CPK (pizza, pasta and salads) and the birthday cake was from Baskin-Robbins. There was a moment when we debated the type of ice cream to serve with the cake, until we realized that the cake was half ice cream already!

I was gang-quizzed by my niece, Katherine, and oldest nephew, Matthew. They both wanted to know if their mother and I got along well while we were growing up together, or if we fought all the time. I responded that we treated each other well, but I don’t think that they believed it. My sister was behind me at the time, so I don’t know if I answered correctly or not. Usually I get advance notice of minefields like these, but not this time. Hmmm.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: The word on the floor is that I will be moved to Rehab very soon. The corneal ulcer is shrinking, and I’ll have the stitches out next week. Physical therapy came by but I was feeling a bit dizzy so my exercises and movements were restricted. BP was 117/79 and temp was normal. Respiratory treatments reduced to “as needed”. No visitors were recorded.

0111 friday

Friday was an uneventful day. After breakfast, my father helped me with my walking exercises. We cleaned up the den in anticipation of receiving a treadmill, which is a Christmas present from my sister and brother-in-law. It will allow me get my walking exercise regardless of the weather or temperature outside.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: An ophthalmologist came in to check my left eye; diagnosed an ulcerated cornea. Stitched the left eye shut to help heal. Liz came by in the evening to sit with me for a few hours. After she left, Eric & Jennifer came by and debated waking me, which they eventually did.

0110 balls of fury

I recently watched Balls of Fury (2007), which was released on DVD just one week before Christmas. It was entertaining and silly ... which was good because you didn’t need to think much to watch it. If you liked the short “A Fistful Of Yen”, which was a featurette inside of “Kentucky Fried Movie”. then you’ll really enjoy this one!

Dan Fogler (second pic, center) plays Randy Daytona, a former ping pong child prodigy, who lost his father, his self-confidence, and his title in disgrace during a match with German star, Karl (played by Thomas Lennon; fifth pic – it took me most of the movie to recognize him from the “Reno 911” series). At first, Fogler looks like Jack Black, but the resemblance fades away quickly.

Daytona is now an adult, making ends meet by showcasing his ping pong talents in small-time Reno dinner shows. He is recruited by FBI agent Rodriguez (played by George Lopez; second pic, right) to infiltrate a central American stronghold, which is commanded by arms dealer Feng (Christopher Walken; fourth pic), who is also a ping pong aficionado and hosts a tournament featuring the best ping pong players from around the world.

To get Daytona in shape, Rodriguez enlists the aid of ping pong master Wong (James Hong; second pic, left) and his scantily-clad niece (Maggie Q aka Margaret Quigley; fourth pic). I still think of her in the red dress in “Mission: Impossible III”.

The movie is best described as “Enter The Dragon”, but substituting ping pong for martial arts. Add in Jason Scott Lee and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as typical Asian bad guys, and Aisha Tyler (remember her from hosting “Fifth Wheel”?) as a blowgun-toting sidekick, and you’ve got a great little comedy to watch. Listen as Fogler pronounces “Feng” as “fang” throughout the movie. And pay attention to the scenes involving Daytona’s match with “The Dragon”, the Chinese riddle, and the concubines.

I gave the DVD as a Christmas present to Jim Y (sixth pic), who recently had surgery on his shoulder due to an injury sustained during a table tennis match. Now before you think of me as insensitive and mean, please realize that Jim used to compete in table tennis on the national level, so he would be the one person to appreciate the humor involved in the movie. And when we spoke recently, he indicated that he found the movie quite funny (and fortunately, his last match wasn’t sudden death). So there.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: My fever broke in the morning and I slept for most of the day. Occupational therapy came in the afternoon to teach me how to get dressed with one hand. Physical therapy had me standing with support. No visitors other than family.

0109 dream

I had a funny dream last night. I dreamt that I drove up to SBCC in a silver Camaro, parked the car, and then walked into the church. Okay, first of all, I haven’t driven a silver Camaro since the 80’s. Secondly, SBCC opened in its current location in 1998. And third, I’m not driving or walking at all right now. I’ll also add that what I was wearing was from the 70’s, but I won’t bore you with the details (besides, I’m sure that I got rid of the platform shoes a long time ago).

So my subconscious is playing around with bits and pieces of my memory and putting them together ... for what purpose? To let me know that I’ll be driving and walking again soon? To give me hope that my destiny lies beyond the confines of my wheelchair? Or to let me know that I’ll forever have bad judgment in fashion and cars?

I can’t wait to hear what the peanut gallery has to say about this one (and you know who you are).

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I had a fever for most of the day. My blood pressure was still elevated, around 130/80. I was out of ICU, but still on the fourth floor. In mid-afternoon, I was taken out for x-rays. Sheri came by in the evening to sit with me for a few hours.

0107 rainy day is monday ...

It rained again last night but this morning the sun is coming out. Started the day slowly as parents had doctors appointments to go to, so I just puttered around the house. My father came back just before noon (my mother went to visit John).

After lunch, my father helped me with my walking exercises. We looped around puddles in the driveway.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: It was a Sunday, and I was still in ICU. I didn’t sleep much the previous night, so I drifted in and out of consciousness all day. My blood pressure was a bit elevated, but nothing to worry about. In the afternoon, a group from church came by – Sheri, Liz, Stephanie, Eric, Jennifer, Chris and Sunny. Sheri and Liz indicated that they would visit me during the week, so that my mother could leave early on those days.

0106 sunday

I was feeling under the weather (pun intended) today, with a bit of congestion, so I decided not to go to church. I called Sheri and told her that I would be missing the Koinonia meeting this afternoon.

It was a good decision, as the rain came down so much that any transfers that I would have attempted would have made me soaking wet.

Judi came by with her family for a visit. I didn’t see much of them until they were leaving, as they did not expect to see me at home.

The skies cleared up in the late afternoon.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: My blood pressure got up to 156/108 before slowly creeping downward. My mother was there for most of the day. I had a patch over my left eye. Cousin Robert came by for a visit.

0105 saturday

Steve K had contacted me yesterday to see if I wanted to go walking today. I told him that I’d rather stay in today, so he didn’t come by. I slept in and rose leisurely to a late breakfast and a late lunch.

I exercised a bit then took a nap in the late afternoon. I didn’t go to SBCC for Saturday evening service but stayed at home, had dinner, then went to sleep early.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I was still in ICU, as my blood pressure was jumping between 128/88 to 153/99. I slept for most of the day and no visitors were recorded.

0104 tgi

I woke up around 9am on Friday morning. I remember waking up a few times during the night, as the techs came in to make adjustments to the equipment. We packed up and I was back home around 10am.

The day was overcast and rain threatened to break at any time. Fortunately, it didn’t start coming down until late afternoon. I spent the remainder of the day catching up on emails and cleaning up around the house.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I was moved back to ICU on the seventh floor, as my oxygen level was fluctuating considerably during the night. I was checked by a pulmonologist and an ophthalmologist. My visitors included Kevin, Susan, and Pastor Gary.

0103 zzzzz

Thursday started off like any other day, but ended quite differently. I had breakfast and lunch, along with my exercises, but I had an overnight sleep study to participate in.

After dinner, my father drove us to the LB Memorial Sleep Study Lab’s Elm Street facility. We checked in around 8pm, and my father was given a rollaway bed to sleep on. He was there in case I needed assistance during the night.

The lab tech, Joshua, took me to a prep room about 10pm and connected me to an assortment of electrodes and sensors. I felt like I was wearing enough wires to set up a small house with a phone system. Joshua then took me back to my room. After I settled into the bed, he connected the wires to the sensor system that would monitor and record my sleep during the night.

I dozed off about 30 minutes later. My father was already snoring in his bed.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I was in the Neuro ward on the 4th floor. My blood pressure varied from 140/71 to 158/92. I was treated by a neurologist, a speech therapist, and an occupational therapist. My visitors included Brian, Tania, Devon, Lillian Y, Willie, Joyce, and Roger.

0102 new year

I didn’t post on New Year’s Day as nothing really happened. Same thing for today, but I need to make an entry as part of my recovery realization. I lost part of 2007 but the journal kept by my sister and mother is giving me insights into what I was going through day-by-day.

A YEAR AGO TODAY: I started off the day in ICU but ended up in the Neuro ward on the fourth floor. I was seen by a neurologist, a rehab doctor, and a speech therapist. My visitors included Pastor Ken, Trisha, Mark, Cheryl and Shonn.