Nick making fresh fruit kabobs for our friends at P Dub.
I want to express the gravity of what going back to therapy at Project Walk means. This won’t be easy because it means everything.
Nick’s therapy at Project Walk from January through June this year gave him his glute muscles back, his hamstrings, his core. Working with Bri and Eric three days a week for over five months infused Nick with hope and had him flirting with freedom. His time at Project Walk cultivated the strength to push forward and the tools to do it safely. He swiftly graduated from parallel bars to a walker, from a walker to forearm crutches, from forearm crutches to hiking poles, from hiking poles to taking wobbly unassisted steps. He summited the Mt Everest of recovery, but only because they’re bad ass sherpas! The extensive knowledge and experience they have working with people who have spinal cord injuries made the critical difference in Nick’s stunning progression.
Not being at Project Walk, not moving forward, not seeing his friends make progress, not being around the community of amazing people, was all really hard on Nick. But even though he spent nine weeks away, having surgery and starting from scratch, nine weeks away filled with emotional turmoil and physical agony, nine weeks away with no formal therapy and very little energy to do his own exercising, even with all of that, he returned to Project Walk today just as strong if not stronger in certain areas than when he left nine weeks ago. I’m not saying he didn’t get his ass kicked. He did. Bri took him to the brink, but no further. It was a tough workout and he’ll be GRATEFUL when he is sore tomorrow. He GOT to workout hard today, he didn’t HAVE to.
I guess what I’m saying is it was lip-smacking, gooey gourmet chocolate cake, scrumptiously delicious to be back.
The hugs, the smiles, the stories from friends. Pure awesomeness!
This is our friend Russ. He’s funny and warm and determined as all hell. Today he asked Nick if he planned to return to skydiving. When Nick said he’d love to be an instructor again, Russ shot back, “I ain’t gettin’ no jump instruction from your ass!”
I just LOVE me some good ol’ Louisiana TRUTH!
Nick Fener 