Sioux Falls, South Dakota

When my husband and I set out to find and take pictures of wheelchair accessible waterfalls in every U.S. state, we were excited about the challenge.  We gave ourselves no time limit to accomplish our feat; however, we had one mutually agreed upon rule that dictated how long we would stay in any given area.  That rule was to never shiver again.  Needless to say, adhering to this rule presented a new challenge.  The new challenge was to find a waterfall that was actually flowing.  Visiting mid-west and eastern states during months that prevented us from shivering are the same months that are hot enough to dry up streams; hence, little or no water flow for waterfalls.  The natural scenery and picturesque landscapes warrant a second visit in the early spring right after the snow melts.

Sioux Falls in South Dakota had enough water flow in August to "wow" my interest to continue searching for waterfalls dry or trickling. The paved walkways allowed easy access to many different views of the falls. Food and snacks were available for purchasing, and a tower equipped with an elevator took visitors to the top which overlooked the falls and nearby city.

Minnehaha Falls-Minneapolis, Minnesota

Our journey started in the southern part of Oregon, where we lived.  My husband and I loved taking a picnic lunch to waterfalls found in the  "What To Do in Oregon" brochures.  Waterfalls, to me, are such a beautiful act of nature created by our higher power.  However, over the years, my multiple sclerosis landed me in a wheelchair and my husband had brain surgery because of a ruptured brain aneurysm.  Needless to say, our physical abilities, rather, lack of abilities, have hindered our waterfall ventures.

Even though we are hindered, we won't be stopped.  Our new focus is to travel to each US state to discover waterfalls accessible by wheels; be it, wheelchair, bike, or stroller.

We found an amazing waterfall on the edge of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  A right exit off a six lane highway immediately turns into a wooded park.  From the parking lot, large concrete sidewalks lead through gorgeous landscaped pathways.  As you pass by the restaurant and bike/stroller/wheelchair rental building, you can hear the roar of the waterfall. Excitement creates "butterflies" in your stomach the closer you get to the stone wall that prevents spectators from falling off a cliff.

Minnehaha Falls is a well-manicured park.  It offers food, rental services, wheelchair accessible restrooms, and different vantage points of the Falls.

Bob 4 years past brain surgery

Wow, it has been 2 years since my last post; I guess all is going well.  It has been 4 1/2 years since Bob's ruptured brain aneurysm and brain surgery.  And, to think many many medical professionals thought he'd never get out of bed. The only thing that gave anyone an inkling that something wasn't right was Bob's short-term memory.  However, that all changed over night when he started wearing a CPAP machine at night.  Before the use of the machine, Bob would wake up 60 times during the night (15 times diagnoses sleep apnea).  Bob was denying his brain of oxygen and rest time.

After 1-2 days using the CPAP machine, Bob's short-term memory is back to normal; his energy surpasses his normal; and, his nap times have gone from sleeping every time he sits down to six hours of sleep a night is sufficient. 

CCSVI update

I know it has been a few weeks since my last update about my progress after my surgery to increase the blood flow through my jugular veins.

I wish I had good news, but it's not bad news. I only have standstill news. My MS symptoms aren't better, but they aren't any worse either.

One positive note that I can post is that I don't have to tie my feet onto the pedals of the stationary bike in order for me to get some kind of exercise. Yeah, before, I'd have to tie my feet onto the pedals so they'd stay fixed in place while I pedaled. If I didn't tie them to the pedals with rope, shoestrings, or string, my feet slipped off before the first rotation was complete.

I suppose that's a step in the right direction. :-)

What do I do while standing?

Week 5: I'm not sure if I'm at a stand-still or if I'm not going to progress any further. I'm a positive person. I vote for the former...stand-still. I was a little slow this week, and my legs are aching a lot.

One thought I do have frequently is, "When I can walk/stand for long periods of time, what the hell do you do?" I've sat for so long, I forget what to do when I stand. For six years, I've sat at my computer; that's all I remember what to do. I do a lot of thinking stuff; designing stuff; teaching online stuff. Now, how do I do that standing?

Week Four

Today is the end of week four after my surgery to improve my blood flow in my jugular veins. Before my surgery, the doctor told me that the increased blood flow will alleviate my cold hands and feet. Also, my MS is affected by heat and cold. I completely melt (I'm unable to lift my body parts) in extreme heat, and shiver uncontrollably in the cold. The doctor said that my body is unable to sweat, which is the human's form of air conditioning. He said this will change after the surgery.

Boy was he right. I sweat like crazy, which is a good thing, because Oregon's dry desert heat used to incapacitate me to the point that I haven't been outside much during the summer months in years. My skin is so white, it glares on the eyes brightly. The glare makes it hard to see :-)

Muscle building still is not progressing as fast as I want. I'll hang in there though.

Today is week three...

Looking at my week from the outside in as a therapist, I can say things are fine; however, most of you know me as an athlete, and I still have that athlete mentality. Gaining strength should be easy and improvement should be quick. But, it's not going quite that quickly.

Walking is tiring! :-/ I not only have been in a wheelchair for the majority of six years, I've also had an ankle brace on my leg that supported my foot from dragging on the ground, which would make me trip and fall. I took the brace off on Saturday and haven't put it back on, even though, I really really wanted to, I didn't. I figured the only way to strengthen my ankle and calf muscle is to give them no support.

I started doing laps in my house. :-) I can do three full laps in 15 minutes with the walker. Bob did ten full laps in five. I'll get there.