As most of us know, humility is only so much fun. The areas that humble me most aren’t what most people might think. I enjoy being me. I say this because I am blessed with many amazing people in my life. So the wheelchair thing, though uncomfortable and very inconvenient for a dude with ADD, I’m cool with it. It’s temporary, I have faith that I will walk again. Lets say I don’t, God will take care of me. That being said, I’m somewhat immune to what others think in regard to my life in this wheelchair.
I was at a concert once with a bladder infection. Long story short I didn’t make it to the bathroom in time and I peed all over the place. My options were: 1. Go home all upset and miss Muse, Modest Mouse and The Killers -or- 2. Put my hat on my lap and take life as it comes. Be happy, watch the show and enjoy the bands that I came to see. Good company, good music and pee everywhere. That’s life and I made it a good time. There is no control, the plan is just 2 Big!
So I’m learning to take life as it comes, but opportunities like the concert offer invaluable lessons in how to live life to it’s fullest. I’ve used these lessons to make me a better person, but that’s not why I chose this topic for an update. My current opportunity to learn has come in a package that I find to be much more uncomfortable.
I love people. Better yet, I am blessed to have many incredible people in my life that offer me courage, strength and most importantly hope. When I was first hurt I received a lot of very hopeless, faithless medical jargon. It was tough to sift through all the statistics and predictions because due to our current lack of accessible, reliable information, we don’t know too much about how the nervous system heals. Most of the stuff I heard was crap and all I needed was a glimmer of hope when I woke up from a 10-day coma.
There was all kinda drama and hearsay from doctor to doctor in the hospital. Then, my prayers were answered in a very peculiar fashion. ANOTHER white coat walks into my room, clipboard in hand and closes the door behind her. Right away I think I’m goin loony because I look at her name tag and it reads ‘Dr. Ann Vasile.’ Vasile is my mom’s maiden name and Beverly Vasile (my grandmother), is the fanciest lady I’ve ever met and I miss her dearly. The comfort Doctor Vasile graced my life with in a time when I needed it the most, brought my heart the same type of warmth that I received from my late grandma.
She told me that nobody knows what the future will bring and that the sky is the limit. She told me to keep the faith and to never give up hope. All the other doc’s in numerous hospitals told me I was totally screwed. Here’s your chair and some pills. See ya later buddy, good luck. When I was airlifted to Craig hospital in Colorado I tried my best to forget everything about the horror flick I had been living for the last month in intensive care. After spending another 3 months in an extended care facility I got on a plane back to California 4 months after breaking my neck, still wet noodle status.
Scared and depressed I scrambled to find a doc that I not only trusted, but also one that knew what they were talking about. Frantic and desperate I picked up the phone and tracked down Dr. Vasile’s rehab practice. When I arrived at my appointment I learned just how fancy this lady really was when I met Eileen the magnificent, the personal secretary of “Dr. Ann Vasile.” Turns out this modest doctor travels the globe lecturing and treating people in need. So appointments can be tough to come by. Eileen the magnificent can work stone cold gangster magic if you play your cards right. Just be real and act grown and she might be able to get you in.
Anyhoo, long story less boring, these incredible people have been quietly by my side for this entire roller coaster. When people ask me about my experience with western doctors I always have something crappy to barf up. That is just not fair. If it weren’t the random few Doc’s and nurses that gave me hope, I don’t know where I would be. Things need to change. The majority needs to be filled with hope and strength, not the minority. In order for this to happen it’s time we own up to the image we see in the mirror.
We spend so much time covering things up that we forget to give way to what’s right in front of us. It’s time we take responsibility for our actions. I’ve been so caught up in working this so called purpose that I got caught in the chase. So this entry is to thank people like Eileen the magnificent and fancy doctors like Dr. Ann Vasile. There are many more very important ‘little’ big people that also get a quite shout out in this section. You people know who you are. I love ya, and we’re rallying here people. Were gaining some serious momentum. Things are happening and there is Good everywhere I turn. How exciting. Thank you.
