After spending this past weekend with Roger and the family, I once again realized how amazing Roger is and how he keeps on everyday with his head held high.
I picked Roger up Friday afternoon and Roger, Clint and I made the trip to Oroville to help celebrate Mom's birthday. Courtney, Joe and Roman also came up. It was a fun weekend! We decided to go out for dinner Saturday night and then go bowling afterward. I could tell Roger was hesitant as he has no yet bowled since his accident. Once he finally decided to join us, he did SO great! It was so awesome seeing him bowl and adapt. The first couple times were a little rough, then he insisted on bumpers, and by the end he was bowling strikes and not touching the bumpers with his ball. I think I was most impressed with the simple fact that he tries. Seeing the smile on his face and the fun that he was having made my night. It was fantastic:)
As far as movement goes, his hips are getting stronger. He can transfer from his chair to the couch, then bring his leg onto the couch without using his hands to help. It is pretty cool! He continues to go to physical therapy and walk with his braces and go to the pool.
As you all know I am sure, November 1st marks his year anniversary since his accident. He really has improved 110%! He may not jump up and walk to the bathroom when he first wakes up in the morning but he gets out of bed everyday and continues to adapt to his new life. He amazes me everyday. Now he just needs to win the lottery to be able to pay off his medical bills and move on! We can continue to hope and pray!
Much love to you all!! Smile everyday and don't take things for granted. Life is too short. Everything happens for a reason:)
Ashley

Hello!
So I just got off the phone with my dad and he reminded me that I had not written on here... well for quite awhile!
Nothing to big to report. Roger has been spending all free time working on his Toyota rock crawler. He is very proud of that thing! He also spent a lot of time helping Roman build his very own rock crawler. Roger and Roman went to a trail in Truckee the weekend of August 22nd and Roger said Roman did extremely well. Too cool! He continues to go to therapy and walk with braces. He called me one day and said he was getting movement in his quads. Every new movement is so hopeful!
Courtney started a new job at Allstate Insurance in Redding. So far she is enjoying it. It is a little slow which she is used to time flying by as things are so busy at her old job.
I am just working away. I continue to enjoy working with my spinal cord patients. I have a 90 year old paraplegic lady. She is so darn cute but just doesn't quite understand why she can't move her legs. She fell at home unfortunately. I enjoy taking care of her everyday at work! Clint and I got pre-approved to buy a house a few weeks ago and have put in an offer. So now we wait to see if the short sale gets approved. The hurry up and wait game... gotta love it!
I think that is all for now. Sorry for the long break! Much love to you all!
Ashley

Happy Sunday all!

So just wanted to update you all. Roger is doing well! Still walking in his braces a few times a week. He also started a medication that is given to people with MS (multiple sclerosis) but is being experimented in people with spinal cord injuries. He got the pill Tuesday and started it that night. He is determined! As I am sure we all would be!

Grandma Jan and Papa Dave visited Roger 2 weeks ago and were able to go down to Minden and watch him walk. Roger said from the moment they walked into the PT gym until they left, they never put down the video camera. It is such an awesome sight to see, so I don't blame them!

Well I think that is all for now. I will continue to update as much as possible:) Much love to you all!

Happy Saturday morning all!
So I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed recording it! I went down to Gardnerville last Friday and watched Roger walk with braces. As they sat on the floor, the whole set up looks like a space suit. After it was all set up and applied, Roger stood up and walked 6 laps around the gym area. It was absolutely amazing! As you can see, Roger has hip movement. As far as the legs go, they are there to bear weight really. No feeling has returned yet. There are rods that are keeping his legs straight as he uses his hips and the walker to walk. It was really really cool. I am sure one lap around the gym is like 30 minutes of cardio for you and me. He really has to use a lot of upper body strength.
I think that is all to update for now. The video says it all!
Take care:)

My apologies!

Hi all!
I am so sorry it has been such a long time since I last posted a blog. And I apologize again since so much has happened.

Roger is doing great first of all! He is getting movement in his hips, which is amazing! He continues to have some feeling in the right upper leg. He also continues to get really bad spasm like feelings in his right knee which stops him from what he is doing until the pain is gone.

Back in March we went to Redding for Courtney's birthday. It was supposed to be in the 80's and we were staying in a motel with a pool, so I told him to bring his swim trunks. He hadn't been in a pool at all since his accident. Well he "jumped" in the pool and absolutely loved it! He continues to do about 2 hours most days of the week of pool therapy at a pool in Minden. I think he feels like he has some control over his lower body and he is also able to do exercises with his legs in the pool. Trying to build up some of the muscle mass he has lost. He also continues to work out at the gym at his physical therapist's place 3 days a week. He definetly does not catch a break with his physical therapist. The physical therapist and his first hand lady are such a blessing to Roger! They have gone above and beyond for him hoping for the day he walks again!

Roger saw Dr. Alexander (the doc who took care of him in rehab) a few weeks ago. He showed her the improvements he is making and she prescribed leg braces for him. Since he is able to move his hips and essentially throw his hips to move one leg in front of the other, she feels like he can learn how to walk in braces! What a glorious day! He was thrilled! As I tell my patients in rehab, everyday is a new day! Roger has the determination to walk one day and he is well on his way! What a journey.

Speaking of my patients at rehab, that is what has kept me so busy and unable to update the blog. So I apologize again and plan to do a better job! I know there are many people who have thought and prayed for him and still want to continue getting updates, so I am here to do that!

Well this weekend is going to be a cool time for Roger and everybody else showing up to the event (lots of family and lots of friends). Roger is competing in a rock crawling deal in his big Toyota with hand controls (obviously). It is going to be really neat seeing him compete in something he loves to do! Anything is possible! So lots of luck to be sent his way this weekend! He really has amazing friends who put in a lot of time to get his Toyota ready too. He spent all of last week in Mariposa and before he went he blew up his transmission. Figures, or course, when he had this competition planned. Well his buddies got together, found him a new transmission, and worked on his Toyota so it would be ready for the competition this weekend. He is lucky to have friends like that!

This past weekend our cousin, Megan, got married. The picture above was from there. We had a good time:) Congrats Megan and Brandon!!

Had to share this picture of Roger and his girlfriend, Rachel ;) This was on Valentine's Day!

It's been a couple weeks... my apologies!

Roger is doing well! I have seen him a few times over the past couple weeks. He came to Reno for my boyfriend's birthday so we hung out downtown and enjoyed a couple drinks together and celebrated. He then came up on Valentine's day and we all went to the Atlantis buffet for dinner. In between he has had physical therapies, doctor's appointments and work. He saw a Urologist for his recurrent urinary tract infections and that is something that they are still working on. He went to the hospital in Carson City for a procedure and he hasn't gotten the results yet. They were testing the capacity of his bladder... I am still a little confused about this and kind of wish I didn't have to work so I could go to the doctor's appointment with him to see what in the heck they are doing with him. If this urologist isn't familiar with spinal cord injuries, they could be treating him like every other patient and we know that is not the case with Roger. So this is just something I have to keep an eye on.
Spoke with Roger today (he called me from a friend's phone since he lost his Valentine's day) and said the blister on his heel is about gone and the sore that was on his tailbone is completely healed! So that is very very good news. Now it is just preventing those kind of things from happening again!
Other than that, he is doing great! I am very proud of him! He said they got the transmission in his truck last night and he got hand controls last week so once his truck is running he will be out and about rock crawling. Something he absolutely loves to do so that will be awesome! I just love seeing that smile on his face! To this very day, it still hasn't sunk in he is in a wheelchair. I feel like when I talk to him on the phone or think about him, that thought doesn't cross my mind. But when I see him I am reminded of it. But as great as he is doing, I guess it is easy to forget. He is still the same ol' Roger that is for sure!
Love you all! Take care and be safe!