MY TRIP TO LITTLE ROCK AND TV INTERVIEW

I apologize for the delay in posting, I was waiting on my TV segment to air so that I could include it this weeks blog.

My trip last weekend to Little Rock was amazing. Because of the weather, we were not able to fly into Little Rock. Instead, we flew just outside Atlanta to my dad's office and drove to Little Rock from there. We were not able to get to Little Rock early enough on Thursday so my television interview was postponed until Friday. When I arrived at UAMS, I was anxious and excited to meet Dr. Pait, the surgeon who saved my life. I arrived early for my interview with THV 11 news. When I came into the new lobby of the hospital, I was met by Andrea Peel who worked in P.R. for the hospital and arranged the TV interview. Well, when I came to the hospital, I had a BIG SURPRISE waiting on me! Andrea, informed me that Dr. Greenwauld, my shoulder surgeon and ALL of the nurses who worked on me in ICU were also going to be coming down to meet me. I couldn't believe it, I was so excited to meet the entire staff who worked on me during the most crucial moments when my life was literally in the balance.

Soon, after my interview began I looked up to see Dr. Pait standing there! I shook his hand and gave him a hug, I couldn't stop thanking him for all the work he did on me. Shortly thereafter Dr. Greenwauld came down and I was able to thank him for the complex shoulder reconstruction he performed on me.

One of the greatest moments however, was to meet the ICU nurses who were there for me EVERYDAY! One of the nurses even brought my chart down to go over all of my injuries. I was amazed by all of the details of my injury while reading through my charts. The nurse explained to me that when someone is injured they are given a grade based on the severity of their injury. Anyone with a grade of 15 or higher needs the most urgent of care and requires a LEVEL 1 Trauma unit. The nurse said when I came in I was given the grade of 38!! I enjoyed thanking all of the nurses who took care of me. There were lots of hugs and tears and was a WONDERFUL experience.

It was also wonderful to see all of my friends and the people at Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. I spoke to the SEEKERS and SINGLES in the gym on Sunday morning. It was so great to speak to everyone and share my story. My lesson was called "DEALING WITH STRUGGLES IN YOUR LIFE." I always look forward to seeing my friends and speaking to PV!

BELOW IS THE VIDEO OF MY TV SEGMENT ON THE NEWS! You can see my doctors and all of my nurses who saved my life!!

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ME AND MY RECOVERY!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM
BRENT

Im Going to Little Rock This Week!!

This is going to be a wonderful week for me and I am very excited! On Thursday, I will be traveling up to Little Rock to go to Harding's homecoming and visit with old friends. I will also be attending Pleasant Valley Church and will be speaking there as well. This will be the first time I have spoken to the Church since last December. I always look forward to speaking to P.V. and seeing the people who have made a lasting impact on my life!

This is going to be an extra special trip for me. For the FIRST time since my accident I am going to meet the people who saved my life at UAMS hospital. I was in ICU from Dec 8th until January 17th. While I was there, I had three surgeries and spent the entire time in ICU. I was induced into a coma for most of that time, and the times where I was awake, I was so heavily drugged I was not coherent! I never got to meet any of my surgeons and doctors who took care of me, especially in the initial trauma unit.

Last week I tried to make a phone call to Dr. Pait, my neurosurgeon. I was put through to his nurse and left a message. A few days ago she returned my phone call. I told her my name and that I would be visiting Little Rock next week. I told her I would like to meet Dr. Pait and thank him for saving my life. I was SHOCKED, when the nurse remembered me! She remembered every last detail of my accident and my family as well. The people of Pleasant Valley also made an IMPACT on the people of that hospital. There were close to 100 people in the waiting room and the over flow was sitting in the hallways the night of my accident. Every nurse and doctor working on that wing remembers such an AWESOME outpouring of love that was shown to me following the first few days after my accident! The love that was shown to me by all of my friends and church family made an impression on them and they were able to see God's love through it!

The nurse told me that she would look through my files and would try to gather up all of the nurses and doctors who worked on me throughout the most crucial times while I was in ICU. She told me that I was in rough shape and said, "It was touch and go with you for a long time." The people at UAMS worked for weeks to save my life. Through all of the complications and all of the surgeries God was with them and my life was spared. My surgeon's nurse told me that she is going to keep my visit a surprise and will not tell ANYONE I am coming. I am going to shake the hands and hug all the people who saved my life (I JUST HOPE I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH IT!) I am forever grateful for all the prayers and support that was shown to me! The love shown to me from Pleasant Valley has made a lasting impression on everyone who witnessed it. God's love was shown to all the workers and I am so humbled and blessed to have been apart of such an awesome congregation! I look forward showing my thanks to everyone and express to them my gratitude.

THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING ME!! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR MIRACLES AND MY TOTAL AND COMPLETE HEALING!
I LOVE YOU ALL
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT

Some Amazing New Progress! Praise God!

In this post I wanted to share with everyone my progress and blessings in my life!! God has blessed me so much as of lately and I am excited about my new progress. Let me leave everyone in suspense and start off by talking about my week.

1)Last weekend, I had a lot of fun as my brother took me out on the lake and I was able to go skiing! Don't jump to conclusions, I was not up on regular skis but I went with the Disabled Water Sports of Florida as they were putting on an event near my house. They had specialized skis that you would sit in and could go out on the lake. The Cypress Gardens ski girls helped out and volunteered to be side skiers. These are professional skiers that you would see do the pyramids and stunts during their shows! (side note: I told me brother that I would rather the GIRLS ski with me!) haha he TOTALLY understood and side skied with others who were boating. It was great to meet others with SCI injuries and also to go skiing! I have not been on the water since my accident so it was wonderful to get some sun and fun!

2)I had my driving evaluation last week and I am currently in the process of looking for a vehicle. I went last Friday to go shopping and I am narrowing my search, trying to find the right vehicle. I am excited to start driving again and can not wait to get out on the road. We will get a vehicle within the next few weeks.

3)Now for the moment you have been waiting for, NEW PROGRESS! I am considered a LOWER MOTOR NEURON INJURY! which means that my legs should NOT respond to electrical stimulation and contract the muscles. I have been using E-stim on my legs everyday since my accident and a few nights ago, I noticed that my calf muscles are FLEXING NOW!! Once I put the E-stim on my legs my calf muscles twitch and fired, something my legs are NOT SUPPOSE TO DO!! For almost 2 years I have NOT seen this happen before. I spoke with one of the top SCI doctors who explained to me that I was regaining motor neurons. He said that in order for the leg to twitch I have to excite the motor neurons, which as a LOWER MOTOR NEURON LESION I am not suppose have them! I took the E-stim, off my legs and whenever i tried to flex my calf muscles I WAS DOING IT! PRAISE GOD!! I am regaining more movement in my legs! Not only am I flexing my calf muscles but I am also wiggling my toes on my right foot at will. I have noticed my toe movements have become more voluntary and I can move them every time. PRAISE GOD!!

This injury has taught me many things, one is patience and also to rely on God. I know I WILL BE HEALED ONE DAY!! I have known this from the beginning! He has a plan for my life that I am just now starting to figure out! He is using my body and my recovery to bring Glory and Honor to him! I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life! I ask for everyone to continue to pray for me as I work towards walking again! THANK YOU ALL AND GOD BLESS!
So much in him,
BRENT

START OF MY HOME WORKOUT PROGRAM!

Well, its another week at home in Florida and I am starting my home exercise program that was given to me from the Shepherd Center. My family and I have just joined the YMCA by my house where I will continue my rehab daily. My therapist still comes to my house every week and we build on the things that Shepherd taught me.

My days will consist of the following: 1)Passive Bike for an hour 2) Standing frame for an hour 3) Working out on the Nustep leg bike at the YMCA for an hour 4) Upper body workout at the gym 5) Walking with my braces in my driveway and we hope to walk in the gym at the YMCA soon. 6) I also do a therastim treatment on my quads and calves to keep my muscles strong. Once a week my PT comes to my house and we do various exercises at my house. My legs always feel so great when my PT comes to my house and really works on my core and increasing my strength in the muscles I have regained in my legs.

That is a days work for me! I am excited to start working out at the YMCA and also continuing my walking. My goal is to ween myself from my wheelchair and ONLY use my braces for an entire day. I want to start using my braces everyday, so that I will become more comfortable walking. Its like, if you want to teach someone how to swim, you just throw them into the water! haha Its either SINK or SWIM! I guess I just have to throw myself into "WALKING" so that I will get better at it! I will try to keep posting videos of my workouts at the YMCA and from my therapy at home.

Some GREAT news! Today I took my driving evaluation and passed with flying colors. Vocational Rehab had a driver come from Tampa to my house and we drove around my town. The teacher said I did GREAT and I have NO PROBLEM driving! Now, we are going to look for a vehicle. Once we decide what vehicle to get, Vocational Rehab well pay for the modifications. The gentleman today said, I will NOT need many modifications after he saw what I was able to do! I hope to be driving SOON!! I CANT WAIT!! I am so ready to start driving!
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYERS!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT

HOME SWEET HOME!!!

Well, im sorry again for the delay in my blog posts but I hope to get back on track of writing every Sunday night.

I AM HOME FINALLY!!!! With mixed emotions I have returned home to Florida for a break from rehab. I hope to return to Beyond Therapy in the future but until then I will be at home working on a home exercise program that was given to me from Shepherds. I was very pleased with the Shepherd center and the progress that I have made throughout my time there. I have increased my stamina and strength and I am still seeing great progress in my legs.

I have been extremely blessed by everything God has done in my life! I would NOT be where I am today had it not been for all of your prayers and support. From the beginning of this injury, I have made up my mind, THAT I WILL WALK AGAIN!! Despite what any doctor or the statistics says, I will OVERCOME this to walk again. I will not lie, it has been a struggle but my goals are in sight. I have been working hard during my rehab, and I am still in need of more return to my legs, but I know it will come. I have prayed for complete healing and complete healing I know I will receive! I have not lost my focus and never thought for one second what my life would be like in a chair. I know that this will be temporary and I will continue to work and pray until my goal are accomplished. God does not know medical statistics, nothing is impossible to God! I ask for everyone to PLEASE keep me in their prayers and continue to ask for complete healing. Pray that my legs will return to me fully, I know it will happen! I have already defied the odds due to your prayers and I know my progress will continue!

Below is a video of my LAST walking session at Shepherds. I was able to walk two full laps around the basketball court without stopping. My progress has been amazing but the BEST IS YET TO COME!! One day, I will walk again and I will be completely restored. BELIEVE IT!! Because I do!! Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I have not been doing this alone and I am forever grateful!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT

WALKING FASTER!!

I know these videos are looking redundant and I apologize for that. However, my walking is becoming faster and faster during each of my walking sessions. I am able to cover more ground and increase my distance during each session. Not ALL of my Beyond Therapy regiment has consisted of walking. I work out for 3 hours a day, (3x1 hour sessions) and during each hours session I am doing something different. I have only really posted videos of my walking, because that is what I am most proud of and my therapist always has an aide "helping/watching" during my walking sessions so he is always free to shoot the videos. During my other hours sessions the aides are usually not available so I do not have anyone to shoot the videos.

I am making SO MUCH progress, each week I am constantly encouraged by my gains. God is truly blessing me along this path to recovery. I realize this is going to be a VERY LONG and arduous task but I know I will over come this injury. I have always kept the thought, that I AM GOING TO BEAT THIS THING, IM NOT GOING TO LET IT BEAT ME! My therapy each day is very hard and I am pushed to my limit in each session. At the end of this walking session, I had to have the chair put under me with 5 min to go in the hour, not because I was done, but because I ALMOST PASSED OUT! I am trying to walk further and faster with each and every day. It drains me both mentally and physically, but my strength does not come from myself, but from God who sustains me! If I keep my focus and allow him to work through me, I know that I will walk again one day! He has already showed me so much progress, I will continue to trust in him and we will see this miracle through!

On another note: While online the other day, I was contacted by that girls mother who I had met at shepherds from the random stranger at the concert. All of her family and friends were coming up on Sunday to meet with her and she wanted me to share my story with all of her friends and family. I met them up in the lounge on the 6th floor Sunday afternoon and we talked for a few hours. It was wonderful, to share with all of her friends and family the blessings I had received throughout my recovery and to encourage them and give them HOPE. I remember what it was like to be in her shoes, to hear the grim outlook from the doctors, to hear you will never walk again. I remember how NO ONE had answers for me. All I ever heard was, "NO ONE KNOWS how you will heal, BUT STATISTICALLY SPEAKING BLA BLA BLA"...(that was usually the part where I tuned out my doctors)haha! I want so badly to meet with newly injured patients and tell them, THAT THERE IS HOPE!!! WE CAN WALK AGAIN!! Through a lot of faith, prayers, and hard work we CAN MAKE IT! I hope to make that my mission once I recover from this injury!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! I COULDN'T have made it this far without all of your help and encouragement! PLEASE KEEP ME IN YOUR PRAYER FOR COMPLETE HEALING, as I KNOW it will come!
GOD BLESS,
I LOVE YOU ALL
Brent

Another record breaking week!

Well....AS USUAL, I am a few days late in posting on my blog! haha, Please forgive me, I get pretty busy here in Atlanta, and I try to only post when I have a good video or story to share.

Let me start off my telling you about an AMAZING story that happened to me just this past weekend! God has blessed me so much throughout this journey and part of what I feel is my obligation to share with others my blessings and give hope to those who do not have any. It is AMAZING how God works in our lives.

My brother in law Kyle came down to Atlanta so that we could go to the concert of our favorite band. O.A.R. While at the concert,we sat in the ADA seating for wheelchairs. A young girl saw me in my chair and climbed the railing to come talk to me. She asked if I was going to Shepherds? I said, YES I am there for rehab right now in Beyond Therapy and I am working on walking again. She told me that she was JUST at Shepherds that day visiting her friend! She told me that her best friend was in a bad car accident and is currently an INPATIENT at shepherds, she was injured just under a month ago. After sharing with the girl about my accident and my success she desperately wanted me to talk to her friend. She gave me her name and asked me if I could encourage her cause she is going through a rough time. All the doctors were giving her a very slim chance of walking again, based on the severity of her injury. So yesterday I made my way to the hospital and went into her room. I said, "YOU DON'T KNOW ME, BUT YOUR FRIEND AT THE O.A.R. concert said I had to meet you!?" We talked for about an hour! She was so glad that I came to talk to her and said that, it has changed her outlook on her recovery! She said I gave her HOPE when no one else would. I told the girl, that the secret to recovery is through FAITH and PRAYERS and NO DOCTOR, will EVER write you a script for that! I was so glad that God used me the way he did that day. A stranger at a concert, sitting RIGHT in front of me and had a friend who needed comforting at the Shepherd Center.......YOU TELL ME THAT WASN'T GOD WORKING!!??

Now onto my recent progress in BEYOND THERAPY:

Usually, my therapist is always trying to push me further during EACH new walking session. If I walked 276 feet on day, he wants to to shoot for 300 the next. Constantly upping my distance and endurance. Well, on this walk, I not only beat my previous mark, but I destroyed it! I went an extra half a lap around the basketball court! That may not sound like much, but during my first session several weeks ago, I had to sit down once I reached 20 feet. Now I am taking laps around the basketball court without stopping. I am getting less fatigued and I am pushing myself harder during each session!

Also, I have been working on a machine called "the power tower"! This is kind of like the total gym that you see Chuck Norris promoting on the late night infomercials. You lay on a sled and it has pulleys and cables for you to squat your body weight! My therapist has been feeling my muscles in my quads and hams twitch and quiver as I push through my legs! This is good news, it is showing that I am getting some signals to my muscles, they are weak and can no completely contract the muscle, but they are TRYING TO!! They are twitching and quivering TRYING to turn on!

The video below, may look like the ones that I have posted in the past. WELL...PROBABLY, EXACTLY like them, BUT...what you don't see is that I CRUSHED my old distance record in this walk.

PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ME!!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT

SURPRISE FUND RAISER! GOD IS GOOD!

I would probably count this past Saturday as one of the best days I've had in a very long time! God is SO GOOD and he always provides for me! When I set off to come to Atlanta, I knew that insurance was not going to cover my bills and I would have to pay for it out of pocket. My therapy in Atlanta is very expensive and this past weekend God answered my prayers and provided for me as he always does.

Robin Lashley, one of my best friends but the event together. Robin, who I consider one of the biggest spiritual GIANTS in my life, with the help of a few people, put together one of the greatest fund raisers I could have ever imagined. I arrived at the Wekiva River State Park Saturday morning to a mob of people standing in front of a big banner which read: FIRST ANNUAL BRENT ADAMS CHARITY CORN HOLE TOURNAMENT 2009! I was in shock at how many people were there at the gates to welcome me as I drove in! Once I picked my jaw off the floor, my mom reached around and dropped the newspaper in my lap! The headline read, POPULAR OHIO SPORT PLAYED TO HELP FRIEND! As I read the story in the paper, my heart was overwhelmed by the love and support that I have had since my injury!

Robin had gathered many sponsors from around the Orlando area to help donate to my charity. The event consisted of large tents, bbq grills, professional corn hole tournament reps, banners, t-shirts, canoeing, raffle tickets and door prizes. This was a professional charity event, with marketing, advertisement in the paper and other media. There was a LARGE turn out with many people I had never met before, but came just to support me! I doubt very few people has had the opportunity to feel the love that was shown to me that day! It will go down as one of the best memories of my life!

The monies raised on Saturday will go a LONG ways in helping me with my therapy bills in Atlanta. It is very expensive but God always provides a way! Since the beginning of this journey I have been on, I have been amazed at how the doors have opened for me! Every need that I have had has been met and my expectations have been exceeded. God always blesses with abundance and he did for me on Saturday.

I would like to give a SPECIAL THANK YOU: to ROBIN LASHLEY, who organized the charity, and the many company sponsors who gave so generously to help fund the event. I am FOREVER GRATEFUL for everything! God has been blessing me with this amazing miracle of a recovery and is opening the doors to make it EASIER ON ME AND MY FAMILY!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT!

Week 7 In Beyond Therapy!

I would like to start off by apologizing again for the delay in posting. I will try my best to post every Sunday night/ Monday morning, but every once in awhile I cant get caught up on everything and I am a few days behind. But I will try hard to post every week. I have been trying to take new videos of some therapy, but they are walking me ALL THE TIME NOW! I am sorry for the redundant videos, of pretty much the same thing. I walk in almost every therapy session I have now!

You may look at the video in this post and think, I've seen this before, but I am progressing so much more than what you can see. It may be hard for you to tell the difference in my videos, but I am walking further and further in each session. The first time I tried walking, I got about....20 feet, and I WAS DONE! completely exhausted and drenched in sweat. My hands where killing me and my triceps were on fire from squeezing the life out of the walker because i was afraid of falling. Now, I am walking several laps up and down the basketball court, baseline to baseline, with fewer rests and stops. I am getting less fatigued and I am able to push myself further in each session.

My therapists who was assigned to walk with me two days ago for our session had never walked with me before. He told me that he had a preconceived notion with how he would have to walk with me based on my level of injury. He figured he would have to pull my legs forward and manually guide my steps. He also figured he would have to put his shoulder into my backside to keep my hips forward so that I would not FLOP and keep my posture. He told me he was shocked when he saw that I could do all of those things on my own! He said walking with me is easy, because all he has to do is keep contact guard on my knees so that i don't fall down. He told me he was very impressed with what I was able to do on my own!

I have no doubt I will walk again on my own one day! I am getting stronger, but I am still in need of more return in my legs to be completely independent. My quads, and hams are still lagging behind, which is why my therapist are needing to help me on my knees.

I know that this path has been put before me for a reason! But I know I am NOT doing this alone! I have more support than ANYONE I have ever known with an SCI injury! Everyday I am humbled by the love that is shown towards me and my family as I am fighting to recover! It has been my goal from the beginning to show the world, and ALL THE DOUBTERS what is possible through the power of prayer, and the miracles that are possible to those who believe in God! My recovery has not been through anything that I have done, but by God blessing me and granting me this recovery. I take ZERO credit for all my progress! The doctor told me in Arkansas that in order for me to walk again, it would take a miracle! Well....THAT CAN BE DONE! Please continue praying for my total and complete healing! AND HAVE THE FAITH, that it will happen!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PRAYERS!
So much in him,
Brent

Sorry for the delay! WEEK 6 Beyond Therapy! WOW!

Hey everyone! Im back! I apologize for not posting last week. I left Atlanta to come home to Florida for the week for my brothers wedding. I had a great time back home and was so happy to see my brother marry such an awesome girl in Brooke! I was allowed a week off of beyond therapy to come home for the wedding. As soon as the wedding was over I traveled back up to Atlanta to start therapy the next day!

My first day back from "vacation" I came into the gym and the very first thing my therapist said was, "Brent, meet me outside in the gym, we are walking!" I spent my very first hour back in therapy walking (video below). This is only my second time ever walking without braces (the first time was the day I left for Florida which u saw in the previous post). Last week I walked every day for one of my sessions in Beyond Therapy! I am slowly getting better at my walking! The secret is getting my technique down and not trying to rush everything. My very first time back my triceps and hands were KILLING me from putting so much weight through my arms. By the end of the week, I was putting less and less pressure through my arms and walking became MUCH easier!

I am still lacking crucial muscles return in parts of my legs to allow me to walk completely unassisted. My progress is more than ANYONE could have ever imagined, but im still not out of the woods yet! My therapy is going to be long and tedious for years to come! But one thing I can promise you..I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!! No matter how long it takes or what I have to go through, I will not STOP until I walk again! I will never settle for a wheelchair, I will overcome this! I must lean on my faith and on the prayers of everyone for God to give me the healing as only he can do! Doctors have done all they can do for me! My recovery is now in God's hands! He is the only one who can give more return to my legs and I have FAITH WITHOUT DOUBT that it will be done! Please continue to pray for more healing. My requests stay the same and will remain constant until i walk again! DONT GIVE UP ON ME! KEEP THE FAITH!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM!
BRENT

Week 5 complete! KEEP PRAYING FOR COMPLETE HEALING!

What another amazing week at the Shepherd Center! I am making great progress and the therapists continue to encourage me! I am still lacking some return which is making it difficult to walk completely unassisted. I am still praying for more strength in my knees and quads. I need to be able to stand without grabbing anything and using all of my quads and gluts! BUT ITS COMING!!!

I am so encouraged by my recent progress that I have made at the Shepherd Center and I am SO BLESSED by the recovery that the Lord has given me! Everyday I look around the Beyond Therapy gym and I see so many people who are less fortunate than I am. I thank God everyday that my injury was not as bad as it could have been! Its a miracle that my neck was not broken and I am not breathing from a machine and driving a wheelchair with a straw. I could have broken my neck so easily but I was spared and I am forever grateful for that.

This week in rehab, I worked with one of my favorite therapist: GUSTAVO or "GUS"! He is from Costa Rica and has been such an encouragement to me! Every time I work with him he praises my progress and makes me feel great about myself. Just the other day, he told me: "Brent, don't get down on yourself and your progress, I have been doing this for a long time and what you are able to do with your hips and your core strength to extend your legs is AMAZING!" He went onto tell me how he believes that God is in total control of my life. He told me that if it is God's will than I WILL WALK AGAIN...NO QUESTION.

I always get so much encouragement from my therapists who are always rooting me on and cheering for me during rehab. I am so blessed to be at such an awesome rehab center.

BELOW IS THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR: DRUM ROLL PLEASE!! haha This was something that I have never done until coming to Shepherds. I am walking without braces, only an A.F.O. which is an ankle support and some assistance from my therapist. Gustavo is working with me on the video below on my walking...yes...ON MY WALKING!! He is using his hands to help support my knees a little so that they do not buckle but is allowing me to bend it and pull my leg through and then straighten it in a natural walking pattern! I am actually taking steps on my own! I pulling my leg through an straightening it, but my knees are not strong enough for my therapist to walk away completely. So enjoy this video that was shot last Thursday. I actually walked 2 laps of a basketball court, on my trip back up the court my walking was MUCH better but we didn;t film it.. haha SORRY GUYS!
You are watching FAITH and PRAYERS in ACTION!! Below is just an testament to the AWESOME POWER OF GOD!! If we believe in our hearts WITHOUT DOUBT....ANYTHING is possible!! Mark 11:22-24 and James 1:6 (two of my favorite verses)
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT
PLEASE, PLEASE NEVER STOP PRAYING!

Week 4 in the Books!! IM LOVING IT!

Well, week 4 has been completed and I am currently into my 5th week in Beyond Therapy. As the weeks move along it appears that they are increasing the intensity of my workout sessions. They are pushing me further and further trying to get the most out of the return in my legs. So far my therapy has consisted of a lot of core stability and strengthening which I will need first and foremost. Im still needing return to come back so that they can really focus on certain muscle groups.

I have seen a lot of recovery in my body. Its hard to explain to people the differences I am feeling. People need to see certain movements to understand that I am making improvements. My legs however are continually changing on me! It feels almost like every week I am regaining new sensations in my legs. My legs have become more sensitive and I am getting new feelings running throughout my body. I know that changes are coming I CAN FEEL THEM! Most of my gains in therapy so far has come in my strength. The movements that I could do in the past are much stronger and the therapists remain encouraged.

It was explained to me by one of my therapists that no one understands my body like I do. He told me that the therapists still have not fulling come to understand my body and my capabilities. I am still rather new to the program and they need time to evaluate me. They are not ruling out any possibilities to my recovery. Everyone is different they explained to me! Some people regain function quicker than other and some never regain function at all. However, I KNOW SOMETHING THEY DONT! I know without doubt or question that my body will be restored through the power of prayer. I do not believe I was brought this far without a master plan. I have seen so many miracles in my recovery thus far and I am sure there are still more to come!

My recovery is not going to be measured in weeks or months but YEARS! It is a long and slow process. I am not in a sprint but a marathon. I must keep actively working my legs and rebuilding my neuro connections. I have seen so many amazing stories of success here at Shepherds. I have heard of people regaining function many YEARS out from their injury! I have seen people walking the gym, people who had NO RETURN 1.5 yrs out from injury as I am now. They are 5-10 years out and are able to walk unassisted and with great ease...JUST LIKE BEFORE their injury! I know that will be ME ONE DAY!!

Below is another video I took during my therapy last week. This video was shot on the same day as the previous post. I am working in the Smith Machine, which is just a fancy name for the Squat Rack. I am doing tall kneeling and working on movement in my hip flexors. As you can tell I am able to pull my leg through on the mat. This is using my hips and pelvis, MOVEMENT I SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO FOR MY LEVEL OF INJURY....BUT I AM!!! I hope you enjoy these videos, I will try to keep posting more. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ME DAILY!! I want to recover from this injury SO BADLY!!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT!!

Week 3 Beyond Therapy.....its coming guys!!

Well I have successfully finished my 3rd week of Beyond Therapy and I am now into my 4th week here and I am continually seeing improvements. I am sorry for the delay in getting this posted but I wanted to wait until I had a good video to post!

What an AMAZING week I had. On Tuesday, I did probably one of the hardest session I had ever had since coming to Beyond Therapy. I was doing the TRX therapy which consisted of me doing a variety of core and leg strengthening. (I will post a video of this in the coming weeks). I hit the proverbial wall and could NOT go any further. I was laying on my stomach exhausted, covered in sweat and completely worn out when I heard a voice say..."GOOD JOB, you are making great progress!" I looked up to see JAMES SHEPHERD cheering me on. James is the founder of the Shepherd Center. He was injured in the mid 1970's with a spinal cord injury. Being how there were NO rehab facility with specialized treatment in spinal cord injuries in the southeast his parents Alana and Harold founded the Shepherd Center. They built the center so that their son could get the treatment he needed. Today it has grown to be the biggest specialized rehabilitation center in the country. James is currently the chairman of the board of directors at the Center.

He and I talked for quit some time as I laid on the mat exhausted and out of breath.
I thanked him for a particular article he wrote in the Shepherd Center quarterly magazine they publish. The day before meeting James, I had picked up the magazine and read the forward he had written. The article was about having FAITH during one's rehab. James who is a great man of faith and a true man of God. Wrote how he has seen that a personal relationship with God and having a deep faith in him has significantly helped those who are recovering from such a traumatic injury. (I will have to do a special post with his exact words from his forward in the magazine)!

I thanked James for those inspiring words and told him how I TOO believe the same thing. I told him it is my FAITH that has carried me through this difficult time. He said, "Brent sometimes its hard for people to talk about their faith, but we need to do it...that's why I wrote that article." What an amazing start to a wonderful week!

Below I posted a video on one of my new favorite machines. THE WAVE!! This machine is amazing and it makes my legs feel so good. How it works is it sends very high frequency vibrations through your feet and into your muscles. As I am on the machine I feel like my teeth are constantly chattering as my entire body begins to vibrate. The machine sends very high intensity vibrations throughout the body which helps recruit the muscles to turn on. I have spent a couple of hours on this machine and only filmed 1 of probably 10 different exercises I did on this unit. Below we are working on my knee extension and straightening the knees out and locking them. It was a GREAT SESSION! I will post more videos in the weeks to come so everyone can see my progress!!....PLEASE PLEASE NEVER STOP PRAYING FOR ME! Pray for TOTAL and COMPLETE HEALING!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT

Week 2 Beyond Therapy!

Well,I have successfully finished my second week of Beyond Therapy and BOY AM I SORE!! I have never been this sore in my life! I am working harder than ever before and I am seeing some pay offs for all of my hard work. God has truly blessed me in providing the opportunity to come to a place like Shepherds and work to regain my ability to walk! The therapists here at Shepherds are WONDERFUL and I have made so many great new friends and caught up with old friends throughout first two weeks!

This week, we worked a lot on my core strength and helping my balance when I am standing. I did repetitive exercises in the standing position of: straightening my legs, extending my leg forward, straightening the knee, breaking the knee and pulling it back under my body. I did this exercise almost everyday while also working on my standing balance. We did hip exercises where I would move them in order to do weigh shifts to help in my walking motion.

On Wednesday, I was very fortunate to have my Aunt and Uncle from Alabama drive down for the day to visit me. It was SO GREAT to see both of them and I especially enjoyed showing off for them in therapy. They got to the center just as I was fixing to start my pool therapy session. This was my very first session in the pool and I must say, IT WAS MY FAVORITE! The therapist couldn't stop talking about how much progress I had made since my stay there in October. I walked several laps in the pool and did various underwater movements with resistance and did INCREDIBLY WELL! I was so glad my aunt and uncle where there to see it and LOVED seeing them. We laughed the entire afternoon!

On Friday we worked on my standing as well. The video below was taken this past Friday. This was just one of several exercises we did in this standing position. I stood there for AN HOUR doing various exercises working on my hips and leg movements. The video below was not even the most impressive exercises but it was the only one my therapist shot. I needed to focus and not worry about being a movie star apparently!

God has blessed me SO VERY MUCH during this past year on my recovery! I HOPE AND PRAY that the Lord will use me and this injury to bring others closer to him! He is doing an AMAZING thing in my body and performing miracles DAILY! Please keep me in front of God and pray that I will recover SOON!
I LOVE YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT!

What an AMAZING First Week!!

Well, I have officially finished my 1st week of Beyond Therapy! Let me just say, that it is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! I am use to conditioning for sports or working out in a gym from time to time, but NOTHING compares to the physical exhaustion I feel after one session! Well let me just start off by telling you about my week.

Tuesday: This was my first day in therapy and it was pretty much just an evaluation and testing. I met with a Physical Therapist for an hour as we discussed my goals and also my injury. We talked about what to expect out of the program and what they would be doing to me in therapy. Next she did some tests on me, just testing my movements. Again, she thought I was a TRICKY SUBJECT! All my therapists say the same thing. It is so hard to get a read on your muscles, I am able to move my body and legs great, but she has a hard time feeling the muscle palpitate? Its like Im moving my legs but she doesn't know exactly how Im able to do it? Next, I did something I had NEVER done before, she got help from another therapist and i stood up in my walker and with the therapist behind me on a rolling stool to help assist my knees I STARTED TAKING STEPS!! WITHOUT BRACES!! the therapist was there to help assist my knees as I was walking so it wasn't totally unassisted but I was taking the steps! We went out to the gym and the therapist grabbed a video camera and filmed me. I WALKED TO THE HALF COURT LINE! with just a therapist following behind me on a rolling stool assisting just my knees.

On Wednesday: I worked with a therapist named Josh, who was HARD! He worked me harder than ever before on this day! He had me on the floor doing pushups (which i got 29) he had me on my stomach doing all kinds of intense floor exercises. My abs and arms were on FIRE!!
Next he put me in a walker called an ARJO! I put my forarms on a stand and he pumps me up to where i am standing. (see figure below)


The figure above is exactly what I was in! Once in the ARJO walker I worked on supporting my weight on my own legs. I would bend my knees and work on straightening them back out again. I then started taking STEPS in the walker! I was walking around the gym, (my forearms where supporting my weight so not all the weight was going through my legs) but I started taking steps and walking around the gym a little.

On Friday:
I got on a spin bike! The same type of bikes the gyms have spin classes on for intense cardio exercise. (see figure below)

Once they got me on the bike which is not powered by anything! I was able to pedal the bike by myself! The therapists got me started a little but once they did, I would pedal for 5-10 min at a time. They would then speed up the bike real quick with there hands on the pedals and then I had to maintain that speed for an entire minute WHICH I DID!! I could speed the bike up at will! After an hour on the bike I did lots of core strengthening which WORE me out again!

I will post videos next week of all of my progress! I meant to do it this week, but didnt know if I would be allowed to shoot videos. I asked my therapists and they said I could if only it was done in a certain way and no other patients were filmed HIPPA REGULATIONS. I also needed to tell them ahead of time, cause they want me totally focused on my therapy! But next week I will shoot some videos!

I have found a video on youtube on Beyond Therapy. This will give everyone an idea of what I am going through and what the program is about. Every therapist on the film are my actual therapist today! Josh who you will see in the video works me harder and pushes me more than ever before! I LIKE HIM ALREADY! Candy is my Physical Therapist and I have various other therapists and trainers throughout the day who help me and push me to my limits! Watch the video and you can get a better understanding of what I go through everyday, and how this therapy is suppose to help rebuild my neuro pathways!

(copy and paste the URL below to your browser)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzifRIvWnCI

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY TOTAL AND COMPLETE HEALING!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT