“Let me tell ya ‘bout my best friend” Seriously though, what would life be like without dogs? And to appease any of my followers who are cat lovers I’ll say cats too... really just pets in general. I am here to tell you about the benefits of pet therapy. Before my injury, I saw pets as something to cuddle and play with. Growing up, I always had cats (thanks mom). Then in the army, I stayed with my friend who had a beautiful yellow lab / husky mix named Dixie. I would crash on the couch all the time and she would always sleep with me the whole night while I rubbed her tummy. That is where my love for dogs flourished.  While Kass and I were doing long-distance, we would discuss different breeds of dogs and talk about getting one when we lived together. We both agreed that we loved Australian Shepherd‘s and we picked  the name Kona based off of my favorite beer. I wasn’t sure when it would happen, but planning for the future was fun while I prepare to get out of the military. The...

Do you want to know what is incredibly boring? Sitting in a hospital room for a year and a half, that’s what. The first thing that I got back into to kill time in the hospital was gaming on my iPad. It all started years ago. Before I left for the Army, this little mobile game called Clash of Clans came out. I enjoyed it for the fact that I was broke and on my own so I could game on my phone. iPad / iPhone (mobile gaming): My Army buddies gave me hell, and rightfully so. I was too impatient with the app and would actually spend money on it. No F2P here… My Ranger Platoon had a “clan” together. At first it was a cool little way to build some camaraderie and it broke up some of the monotony of the slow days. We would mess around with it during down time but it quickly died off like most apps. But I still play to this day. Supercell created the game and my interests in mobile gaming really caught wind through them. My iPad was a godsend when I was bored in the hospital. It took a lot of...

If there is one thing that I hope you take away from my journey, it is that there is always something to strive for. Complacency can seem easy to embrace, especially after such a life changing injury. It would be too easy for me to sit around and mope about how I’ll never be strong enough to push myself in a wheelchair or that I’ll never be able to drive my own vehicle, etc. Well guess what... Here I am pushing myself in a chair. In a few weeks, I start driving rehab to get my van setup so I can drive again. I’m looking into college courses that interest me, after telling myself that I would never pursue a life that wasn’t based around the automotive industry.  When I first realized that my injuries weren’t going away, I made a mental list of short term, intermediate term and long term goals. Exactly how I did with my Squad Leader in Ranger Battalion. I was proud of myself for finding that real-world application for an Army skill. Something that I never knew would be so pivotal in ...

SCI Awareness Month This month is represented by a green ribbon similar to the pink cancer ribbons and yellow “support our troops” ribbons. I remember making a similar post last year when it felt like I knew all that there was to know about spinal cord injuries. Making this one just goes to show how much there actually is to learn about this SCI life. I am certainly curious to see what my take on spinal cord injury will be next September. I am a naturally inquisitive person so I definitely cast no shade towards someone that may want to know more about my life and everything that being paralyzed comes with. Saying that there is a lot behind the scenes and past the lenses of what you see through me physically is certainly an understatement. This will be my attempt at educating on what spinal cord injuries can entail. First, I want to state that no two injuries are the same. The slightest differences in the injuries can change the outcomes and functions of the individual in crazy ways. Fo...

I know, I know... the title is pretty synonymous with my overused statement of “keep moving forward” but oh well, here we are.  So something happened while I was sitting next to my girlfriend and puppy on the front porch this last weekend. The weather felt like a cool and tranquil fall morning which oddly calmed me even though I’m dreading the end of summer. Kass and I spent a few hours away from any and all screens and slow drank our coffees and enjoyed a calm Saturday morning, me in my chair and her and the pup in the pallet bed that she made. I just sat there thinking about how much I’ve grown and changed and about how great my life is.  I also started thinking about how miserable I would be if I were dwelling on how my life used to be. I am so proud of myself for being able to keep old aspects of my life behind me and continue to build this new life with my little family. I was sitting there sipping on my coffee without a care in the world and it was pretty damn nice....

I don’t want to scare anyone but there are only two weekends left in the technical ‘Summer’. Oh, what a summer it has been.  Whether I like it or not, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat all throw “memories” at me every morning. It is very rewarding to see a visual contrast between last summer and this summer each morning so I actually don’t mind these new features of social media. I get to look back and see how uncertain and insecure that I was when I was out. Maybe I put on a brave face and played it cool because that’s what I’ve been conditioned to do... Rules of the Infantry: 1) Always look cool. 2) Never get lost. 3) If lost, refer to rule #1. It is so great to see my therapist’s words actually playing out. That I would get the most therapy by simply living life away from the hospital.  This last weekend I went to a huge country concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA and spent the next day rolling through Fenway Park for picnic in the park. I was blessed with the oppo...

The Mountain  In front of me a wall. Made of stone and snow. Behind me a life of calm. A world I used to know. I plant my feet and begin my climb. Each step a daunting task. The ground is lax and loose. How will I make it past? I stride and I stumble. I slip and I fall. Each setback, a lesson To continue my haul.  As I slide, I reach, For anything to grope. I extend my arm out. My hand finds a rope. A helping hand, From strangers before. To stop with my fall, And assist with this chore. I pull myself forward, Press hard with my feet, Looking behind me, I see no retreat. I have climbed too high, To consider a plummet. Just ahead of me, I find the summit. I press on. *** God Bless!

We’ve all been there. Stressed out and ready to pull out our hair while making plans to get away. Packing and loading up for a trip. I feel like that stress can quickly doubles when you have to also worry about medical supplies and physical limitations. Living with a spinal cord injury makes it very difficult to plan impromptu getaways and I often see that reflected in trip planning.  It was all so simple prior to my injury. I would grab a backpack, fill it up with random Harley T-shirts and a few pairs of jeans and toiletries and I would be on my way. I could easily throw whatever on the back of my motorcycle and ride off. Now, a weekend getaway seems to fill up my entire van. It’s starting to seem like spontaneous little vacations have lost their spark because they now required so much logistics. One suitcase for medical supplies, one for clothes, one for toiletries. Extra seat cushion in case the one on my wheelchair gets a hole. Did we pack the wheelchair charger? How am I tran...

Who doesn’t love a good tattoo? I’ve always had a creative mind and no problems inventing new ideas for drawings and tattoos. Better to not trust my drawings when it comes to permanently putting art on my skin though, especially now with my paralyzed hands. I’ve always seen my body as a blank canvas and loved the idea of expressing my thoughts and experiences through art. All of my ink has important self meaning and I am in no way close to being finished but I wanted to describe my experiences getting tattoos pre and post injury in case someone who is paralyzed and on the fence with getting one... or many.  First things first, if you like any of my ink, please don’t copy it. If you like any of the ideas or concepts then run with that and make them personal to you. I just really love the work and passion that has been put into my tattoos and would hate to know that someone is running around with the same custom ink without understanding the meaning. I want to start by giving shoutou...