December 27

I realize it's been over a week since I've posted an update. The holidays weren't necessarily too crazy, but we were on the go and I did try to stay off my computer and phone as much as possible. 

I guess the first update is that the speech at White House Apples went so well! There were definitely a lot of people and I was so nervous, but everyone was so nice...there was a stage with a ramp attached that I was supposed to speak on..I couldn't quite push myself up the steep ramp, so I had Dusty help a little bit. I started my talk by cracking a few jokes about how "that's why I keep him around" and that "I hope everyone could see me because I'm a little shorter these days." I think starting that way (and actually having people laugh) made me feel more comfortable. I definitely read from my papers, but I think I was also good at looking up and adding a personal touch to different points I was making. I'll post my speech in the next post separately so everyone can read it. But, I'm still so flattered that I was asked to be a part of this holiday banquet and that I was given the chance to share my story.

 The icing on the cake was the generous gift the company gave me...I was moved to tears because it was almost a third of the (huge) amount getting my license is going to cost. 

Speaking of my license, I need to start studying for the test because I should be getting a letter from the DMV any day now about coming in to take my permit test. I can't miss any road sign questions and I know it's something I need to brush up on!

Anyways, Christmas was such a great time. I still remember that this time last year, I was worried I might not make it out of the hospital before Christmas. People changed around their holiday parties to accommodate my homecoming and I totally missed out on so many of the holiday traditions. I didn't get to do much shopping or see many lights, but I did get to cherish in the actual meaning of the holiday and what Jesus's birth meant and how important time with family was. 

We had different celebrations at mine and Dusty's house (including his graduation from his masters program on the 21st!!!) and then spend Christmas morning at his brother's house, watching his three year old niece opening all her presents. There's just something about being around children on Christmas that brings back all those childhood memories and that true "Christmas spirit."

Dusty got me an Apple Watch for Christmas, which is one of the only things I wanted. It has wheelchair settings for the fitness tracking and I love being able to keep track of my workouts or push strokes per day. James got me a coffee cup that keeps my hands warm and my parents promised me a trip to someplace warm in the upcoming months- maybe Florida?? I'm so thankful to have been able to actually be home and enjoy this time with everyone instead of having to deal with the question of when I'd get to come home and then having to adjust to life outside of a hospital after so many months. 

December 16

The past week has been pretty hectic. My Aunt, Uncle and cousin visited from Australia. I haven't seen my cousin in I don't even know how many years, so it was fun to catch up and actually get to know each other now that we're older and not just kids playing games around the holidays anymore. The two of us went to the gym with my uncle and lifted together, which was a little funny, but I was able to hang in there with the guys! (If you didn't know, pushing yourself in a wheelchair 24/7 really helps to make your arms extremely strong, haha). I was bummed to have to leave before their stay was over, because I would have enjoyed a few more days together, but Dusty and I had plans over the weekend.

Dusty's friends had their fourth annual Christmas party last weekend. Their circle of friends has gotten bigger and bigger as the high school friends collected college friends and everyone has gotten married, engaged, or added a girlfriend to the group. Since everyone is kind of spread out, they change who hosts the party each year. This year it was in Charlotte, NC. It was a long drive, but we had such an amazing weekend. The guys always love catching up and doing their own things, and surprisingly, all the girls have become really good friends. We even ordered our OWN shirts this year, without the guys (with the back of each shirt saying we were "married" "engaged" or "dating" the ____ alcoholic nomad). Alcoholic nomad was a name one of the dad's gave the group of guys during his father of the bride speech a couple months ago. It was hilarious and we had so much fun planning our shirts and starting a group chat, making sure we were doing things "without the guys." (and the end the weekend, the Redskins pulled off an amazing win against the Eagles, which is always a great way to start the upcoming week).

On Monday, I got some blood work done--and everything is fine. I have to get my thyroid levels checked every couple months to make sure I'm not taking to much or not enough thyroid replacement medication. After all, I wouldn't want what happened in the hospital to happen again. (The doctors at Magee changed my thyroid medication dosage, making everything off balance--weight gain, hair loss, brittle nails, change in energy level and sleep patterns. You name it, your thyroid controls an incredible number of things).

On Wednesday, I had an appointment in Chantilly with people from the Drivers Rehabilitation office that I met at the expo. I'm amazed at how fast things have moved along with that so far. It was just an evaluation--they checked my vision, reaction time, and watched me transfer in and out of the car. They also showed me a couple different kinds of hand controls. You can actually mount it on the left or right and they have different grips, etc. I was also impressed that there's a cover that can go over the pedals to prevent me from accidentally pressing on the brake or gas if I got a leg spasm. I'm glad they have such a thing, but I hadn't even thought of it before! Tammy, the woman in charge, said that I was going to be a pretty simple case since I didn't have any upper body deficits and the next step is to wait for something from the DMV (hopefully within the next week), telling me to come take the permit test. I seriously can't believe I have to take that again! Although, it's probably good, the more I think about it. I've realized how many road signs I don't know and having to study them again is only going to benefit me, haha. The really unfortunately thing is how much all of this is going to cost, though. Once I get my permit, I can only drive with the instructor and I'll have to complete so many hours on the road (I'm not sure the specifics yet). Then, there's a lot of paperwork and then I'll have to pay for the adaptive equipment and the cost to install it in mom's car. I really need a new car because I don't have one any more, but I think the most cost effective thing to do right now is just to modify what we have. I think once it's all over with, it's going to cost close to $5,000. It's mind blowing that getting your license back would be that expensive. I'm looking into different organizations that may help cover the cost of the driving lessons or the cost of the equipment, so hopefully something works out.

I'm giving my speech tomorrow and I found out there are going to be 350 people!!! I'm sure it'll be fine, because the easiest topic to talk about is myself and my own experiences, but I'm still a little nervous! I finally finished writing it and I'm pretty happy with it...I'll post it in my next blog after I give it. I think the words I wrote are good, I just pray I'll be able to deliver it well.

December 7

It has been such an eventful day and I haven't even left the house! haha. On Monday, I started to go through all the business cards and informational brochures I had accumulated over the weekend. I sent several emails and have began to get responses back already. So far, I have the appointment with the Driver Rehabilitation Services next week and have been talking to the woman in charge about possible grants to pay for the hand controls I will need. Once I get some of the paperwork in, I'm going to have to go to the DMV to take a test in order to get my permit (UGH, it's like I'm back tracking 10 years and back in high school!)

Today, the chiropractor got back to me after sending a brief description of my case to the online chiropractic group he belongs to. Within minutes, he had a response from a doctor in Front Royal (only about 25 minutes away). While he hasn't met this doctor personally, his credentials were impressive. The doctor has worked a lot in the field of sports medicine and has personal experience with paralympic athletes... he just got back from RIO! I'm crossing my fingers that he's in network with our insurance! But I'm going to wait and see what responses appear and then compare them with the insurance allowance...hopefully I'll know something by next week sometime.

I've also been in touch with a company called "ReWalk." They have personal exoskeletons that people can use at home. The rep even told me they have some insurances cover it because it has shown to help patients so dramatically, just being able to be up on your feet, weight baring and getting your brain and body used to the motion of walking again. I filled out a questionnaire and they think I'm a good candidate based on my injury level, height, weight, etc. I just have to get a doctor's recommendation and I can attend one of their screenings...more than likely at VCU or the University of Maryland.

One of the other connections I made this weekend was a girl my age named Alex. She is sponsored by the company that makes the chairs I fell in love with at the expo. She's also an ambassador for Project Walk, which is a program across the US that I really want to look into at some point (I'll talk more about that a different time). But anyways, she's from Lancaster and not too far away from me. It can be really hard not having girlfriends in wheelchairs that face the same difficulties as you on a daily basis, so I think we both really enjoyed being connected and have been talking ever since. Today, she messaged me and asked if I'd be interested in a wheelchair dance team. There's one on the west coast, started by a girl named Chelsie Hill (I actually got to meet her this weekend, by the way!) She was on the SunDance tv show "Push Girls" and is also a rep for Smart Drive and has created a line of jeans for people in wheelchairs called "ability jeans." Their dance team is called the "rollettes" and they perform at various places, including several expos (unfortunately not this past one, though). So, Alex wants to start a team on the east coast and said I was the first person she thought of! My family laughs because I have awful rhythm, but I really did used to dance (12 years to be exact with my sweet grandfather driving me to every practice) and I was actually pretty good. I did tap, jazz, ballet and even a year of point (with those crazy ballet shoes where you stand on your toes). They had a dance workshop this weekend and asked people to come up front for some freestyle. Embarrassingly enough, the instructor (who was also on the show Push Girls) called on me and I couldn't just say no. (there's a video, but I'm hoping that doesn't make an appearance anywhere online). Afterwards is when Alex and I started talking and this guy even came up and jokingly asked for our autographs after the dancing. It's been a running joke with my family the past few days, but getting that message from Alex today was really exciting!

As far as school goes, I got in touch with the professor in charge of the other course I'm taking. She's been on maternity leave and it's made communication a lot harder. I still have to take both the midterm and final and there's a TON of information. Luckily, I've stayed on top of the material and can hopefully take the midterm early next week, then the final not long after. I keep reminding myself that I just need to make it through. The perfectionist in me is having a really hard time with this!

December 6

To say I got a lot out of this weekend would be a huge understatement. I think most people go to these things and see most of what they want in one day, but because all of this is so new to us, we went to literally every booth and attended all three days. Here's just an overview of who I met and what I talked about:

• DRIVING!! This gets to be number one because it's what I'm most excited about. I've talked about it before and how much I miss it. You don't really realize it, but it's a major source of independence and freedom and I long to have that again... not even so I can go anywhere in particular, but just so I can go...whenever and wherever I want. This connection went so well that I had Dr. Kozlowski sign my referral form yesterday when I went in for blood work and they called me today to schedule my evaluation appointment!! I can get this whole process started with my eval appointment next Wednesday! I think the process still takes awhile, but they will be able to tell me what to do, what equipment would work best for me, what car to look at, etc. (because remember, James so nicely totaled my car for me this summer, so add that to the expenses we're dealing with).
• Therapy dogs!! I didn't know how much they can do for someone. It's a lengthy process (as in a couple years), but the more I talk to people, they think I'd benefit even more from this once I'm on my feet. Needing to bend over when using a cane or walker will be difficult and I may just feel unsteady in general. But what I really didn't know was that there are organizations that pay for the dog (otherwise, I think it can be around $50,000!!!). It's an intensive application process, but they advised me to go ahead and get started. I figured I could give it a shot and if it works out, then how great?!
• Adaptive sports...I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm anything but an athlete! Seriously. It's torture when a therapist brings out any kind of ball and wants to play catch, but after my amazing experience surfing, I'm willing to try anything once. One guy had some adaptive equipment set up and I was able to look at the skis (I agreed to do that in a couple months with no idea what I'd actually said yes to, haha) they were awesome!! There are double skis and mono skis and the seat has to ability to raise and lower, allowing you to slide onto the lift...which by the way, never crossed my mind before. I'm sure I wouldn't have thought about it until I got there and then would have started freaking out about how I was getting on and off the ski lift.
• I talked to a lot of people about advocacy. I want to get involved in as much as I can now, so that I can really put that MPH to good use when I get it. 
• There was an awesome stim unit that could hook up to a large number of muscle groups. They put it on my shoulders and showed me the numerous settings and I was amazed that it actually felt like a massage chair, not the typical uncomfortable feeling you get from stimming a muscle. It's actually called "EMS" therapy and because it helps so much with soreness, like in your shoulders from pushing all day, insurances usually cover it. 
• There's something called a "smartdrive" that I kept trying out and hooking to my chair. Insurances usually cover this as well and it's like a little battery pack that gives you extra power. It makes going over carpet and up hills a million times easier and really saves your shoulders from over doing it. I also liked that you could have something in your hands or on your lap and not need both arms to push yourself, just one to help steer a little bit. And you could push a shopping cart in front of you at the grocery store. I'm already in contact with the rep and going to have Erin at KKI help me with that process. 
• A chiropractor. He works with different SCI patients and is located about an hour from my home, but I talked with him about whether I'd benefit from that kind of therapy or not. He did a short assessment and could tell I had activation all the way to my toes. He asked me a few questions and told me that because I have some impaired sensation, a chiropractor may be able to tell if I'm tender or tight in certain areas better than I'd be able to tell. By working out those areas, you may get a better response from the nerves in different areas. He said "I'm not saying that seeing a chiropractor is going to make you walk tomorrow or anything, but I really do think it might help speed up this process for you." The main thing is that I'd have to see something with experience and the willingness to work with a case like mine. Someone that is going to do their research and not take any unnecessary actions. He's already looking into helping me find a doctor closer to home so that I can give it a try...if he doesn't have any luck, I wouldn't mind driving to him because he was so knowledgeable. 

I'm still overwhelmed with the vast amount of information I was given and I'm sure I'm leaving some things out, but one thing that really stuck out all weekend was how many people stopped me to ask about my chair. Vendors, patients, etc. all told me how awful it was. It doesn't fit me like it should and I'm over working myself, putting in way more effort to get around than necessary. I even went to a wheelchair skills workshop because I wanted some help with wheelies and curbs, which are even harder since I got my new backrest and seat cushion. I thought it was just me, but the people working the clinic even stopped after about thirty minutes and said it really wasn't my lack of being able to do the different skills, it had more to do with my chair and how "off" it was. The axels for the tires aren't in the right spot to make pushing easier and because of that position, it's heavier in the front, which explains why I can't hold a wheelie or why I have to tip so far back to find the balancing point of being up on two wheels. Even James got in one of the vendor chairs and was doing wheelies like it was no problem and said he can't even do one in my chair. The people at the driving booth told me how much trouble I'm going to have with driving, not because of the hand controls, but because my chair is going to be so hard for me to get into the car by myself. (how ridiculous?!!) So, I met with Permobile, who makes chairs called "TiLite." They have both aluminum and titanium frames (both which are lighter than mine), but the titanium was unbelievably light. I could lift the entire chair over my head! haha, and that is with some impaired core strength, so that tells you how incredible they are. The rep from the company took the time to really educate me about what I should look for in a chair and how it should fit me. I mean, even little things, like that my foot plate doesn't need to be 14 inches wide and that any time you have a movable piece (like a footplate that flips up instead of a stationary one), it adds weight. He went ahead and priced out a whole new chair, like what I'd do if we were to start completely over, so that it was in their database and so that anyone would be able to pull it up. I sent an email to Erin at KKI, who does a lot of things in their wheelchair clinic, so hopefully she can help me figure out what to do next. Everyone seems to think I need to get in touch with the company that oversees all the other companies that made the parts to my chair. The seat cushion, back, tires, frame, etc. are all made by different brands, so if we get in contact with the one that oversees them all, explains that this chair has never once been right, maybe they'll be able to shed some guidance on how to handle things.

It's incredible to think about how much time would be saved and how much happier everyone would be if we lived in a world where people just did their job right the first time. 

December 1

I know it's been awhile since that last update, but that just means there's more news! It's nicer for me to reflect after a couple weeks or even week to week instead of day to day. You don't really notice many differences each day, but you actually appreciate changes after a little bit of time has passed.

Thanksgiving was definitely a day to be thankful for...well, more like a week to be thankful for. We always have Dusty's family over each holiday to have just appetizers. Mine and mom's specialty is all the appetizers and it's always a big hit, so we started a tradition of  "snackmas" a couple years ago, then continued it for Easter, as well as "snacks giving." So, that's what we did on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, James was hunting and everyone was kind of off in different directions (and I knew Dusty would want to watch the Redskins game), so Mom, Dad, Grandma and I went to my friend Katie's house. We've been friends since high school and it was just her and her parents since her sister was at her in-laws with their baby. So, it was just the 7 of us, but it was so great! They were so inviting and really made us feel at home. The only thing that sucked was when I got home that evening (after staying off social media and my phone all day) to watch the recorded Redskins game and saw the Cowboys take the win. (Darn!!)

Oh, but the real highlight of the day was that Mom woke up that morning after having a dream that I could stand with the walker. So, before we went to Katie's, I stood with the walker! I needed a little help getting up, but then I put my hands on the walker and stood completely on my own...not for long, but I still did it! And that's better than the last time I stood with Dennis. He had to block my knees and have a harness around my hips to support me.

On Saturday, Katie and I spent some time catching up and watching the VT game (and I got to teach her how to help me take apart and put together my chair after getting in her car). Life skills, right? ha

Other than all that, I've just been slowing making it through my school work. I took my final (with a 91%!!) and finished one of my classes. Granted, it was just a short course and I still have a lot left, but getting one completely done really made me feel good.

This Monday was my last PT session with the SU students, which I was so upset about because I've really been getting a lot out of it. Luckily, I was talking to one of the girls about adaptive skiing and she told me that her next clinic rotation was at Wintergreen (only about 2 hours away). They were so excited that I showed interest in it that they called the instructor, who came right down to talk to me about it. They do a program called "PT and ski"each Thursday in the months of February and March. They do PT inside, then hit the slopes. I told them to sign me up! I'll be back at KKI by that time, but we'll just have to schedule it so I'll have Thursdays free. I know it'll be a busy few months, but I'm really excited to see all the changes since when I left in August. And we all know I don't do well with down time, so being on the go like that and having PT almost every day will be great.

Lastly, I went to the pool at the gym today for the first time in a few weeks. My arms are already sore from swimming! And I took the walker in the water. I usually stand with it, but have never tried walking, so Mom and I decided to attempt it today. It took a lot of coordination, but I'm glad we tried! Mom had to stand in front of me and push whichever leg I was standing with straight while I stepped forward with the other one. I can't keep my knees straight for very long at a time, so I needed her to push it straight while I weight shifted. I think that'll get better as my legs get stronger. Even with my toe dragging a little bit and her assisting me, I still took four steps! and I didn't have any hip support, so I'm really excited about how aqua therapy will go in a couple months on the treadmill.

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday is the abilities expo in DC. Registration is free, so I signed everyone up several months ago. It's a huge event with tons of vendors, workshops, seminars, etc. There's adaptive dancing, wheelchair basketball, art therapy, acupressure, etc. I've been looking forward to it for a long time and think the whole family is going to get a lot out of it. I feel like we are constantly learning new things and having a bunch of actual vendors and other wheelchair users all in one place is going to be so beneficial. And I'm really excited about all the workshops, like yoga, dancing and wheelchair skills. I can't wait to update everyone on what we learn this weekend! Mom and I are going tomorrow, then Dusty and Dad are joining us Saturday...and James might even come on Sunday.

November 16

It's been a little while since I've written a post, so I obviously have a lot to catch everyone up on!

We had the holiday bazaar last weekend and it was a big success. There were a lot of vendors and I made a lot of contacts/met a lot of people. The raffles and bake sale were both successful additions. I really appreciated all the effort my friend Brittany and her family put into it. I think one of the highlights of the day was actually talking to Brittany's mom. Their family owns White House Apples, a business based in Winchester (and a few other local businesses) and they want me to be the speaker at their Christmas company banquet in December! I was so flattered. I've spoken at a few different things like at church or YoungLife banquets in the past, so it's not completely new to me, but I'm still already nervous! I think it'll be easier than I think though, because I'll just be talking about the past year and what I've overcome, etc. and I know it's much easier to talk about yourself and experiences than to try to write a speak and memorize it. But I'm already starting to think about what I want to say and wanting to start writing it!

As far as school goes, it's still stressful! Last week, I created a proctorware account, so that I can take exams from home. It's basically a website that connects me with someone online that can watch me from my webcam and close out of any open documents, etc on my computer in order for me to take the exam from the comfort of my own living room. Creating the account was no big deal, but my professors had to coordinate getting the exam online, which required the professor sending it to someone in charge of the whole course, who then sent it to IT, who were the only ones able to get it uploaded to the website I needed to use. Well, I thought everything was in order and got connected with a proctor online, let them close out of everything on my computer, take a picture of me and my ID, but as soon as I read the first question, I knew something was wrong. It was the final exam instead of the midterm! I had to get the proctor to close out of the exam before I saw anything else and then wait the whole weekend before finally taking it on Monday. I was so over studying for it, so I was happy with the 86 I received. Not too bad to get a B on my first exam in over a year, especially considering the circumstances and that for the first time in my life, I'm not just "doing school." I'm doing therapy and working out and running here or there, with each day seeming somehow more chaotic than the last. Anyways, now that I know the final is already uploaded, I'm going to start studying that material so I can take it this week. Then I'd be done with that class! I think it'll feel good to just focus on one course and start crossing them off my "to do" list.

Speaking of school, I had to go to Philly this week because the parts we ordered for my wheelchair finally arrived. This included a new backrest and seat cushion. My old backrest was really tall and had "laterals" that held me in place because when I first ordered my chair, I needed all the help I could get since my core was so weak. I no longer need that much support and the height of it was really getting in my way when I was pushing myself. My old seat cushion was at least 4 inches thick, which really prevented me from being able to pull up to many surfaces, like tables in public. A thinner seat cushion would make transferring and pulling up to different surfaces way easier, not to mention how much lighter it would be! I swear the cushion I had was about ten pounds! We picked both of the new pieces up today and it is already making a world of difference. The cushion is so much more comfortable and lighter, and the back rest puts me in a much better position--what my therapists call an "anterior pelvic tilt." It makes me sit much straighter up and just pushes my hips forward instead of slouching back (which is unfortunately way more comfortable even though it's so much worse for my body!)

I got to visit with everyone at the Riverfront, including my friend Josh, who I had met when I was in inpatient, then got to continue therapy with at outpatient. We've been in contact on and off over the past year, because he's actually the one that convinced me to do the surf event back in August. He had participated when Life Rolls On was in New Jersey and told me I needed to go to Virginia Beach because it was such an amazing experience. (Josh is in his early 30s and has a cervical injury from jumping off a cliff into water at a bachelor party last July, leaving him quadriplegic). He's doing so great though! He looks so much stronger and healthier than the last time I saw him and I really enjoyed catching up with him. I'm also really trying to convince him to look at KKI and at least do the two week boot camp because I think he'd benefit so much from it. I also went to the inpatient site so I could see Steph, Natalie and Tracy (all my therapists from when I was in the hospital). I feel like I just couldn't make a trip all the way to Philly and not see them! I had to catch them up on my progress and share some videos, which they love to see and be kept in the loop on, especially considering how far I've come since I first started working with them. We joked today with Natalie about how I'm going to have to include some experiences I had with her in my speech next month, like how I remember her making me go to the group dinning room for breakfast so that I could feed myself...I was the first one there and the last one to leave (and I was still starving after the two hours we spent there). That was back when feeding myself was the "hardest thing I've ever done." If that's not motivating, then I don't know what is.

I also went by the eye clinic yesterday because I had to see Molly. She was in Georgia for her first rotation, then Florida for her second, and I think it's been six months (or more) since I've seen my best friend! It was a short visit because clinic was really busy, but I got to say a quick hi to her, some of my other classmates, and a few of my professors. It's so bittersweet being back in places like that. I know if I were there every day, working long hours and dealing with cranky patients, I'd have things to complain about like all my friends are doing now, but it puts things into perspective...You can complain about anything, but what you're complaining about might be what someone else would give anything to have. Mom and I left clinic and got to meet Rachel for dinner, which was also such a good reunion. I loved being able to hear about her different rotations and wedding planning (her wedding is over my birthday weekend next year!) I'm planning to stop by campus to meet with the professor in charge of the Office of Academic Success tomorrow morning (it's like the disabilities office at school). Nothing is really wrong, but I just want to touch base with him and kind of keep that contact...You know, just keep remind everyone I'm still here so they don't forget me just because I'm all the way in Virginia.

Lastly, for the past four weeks, I've been going to Shenandoah every Monday to be a patient for their PT lab. It's only an hour long, but we get so much accomplished. I work with three students (who are seriously the sweetest girls ever, when I was telling Molly about the labs, I told her that "they're the type of girls we would've been friends with." haha) Each girl was supposed to pick a specific goal for me and we spend the hour doing different treatments and exercises to try to eventually reach that goal by our last week. The different goals are: being able to do a bridge (which requires a lot of core and glue strength), scooting (so that I can eventually bump up and down stairs on my butt), and transferring uneven surfaces (which ties in with the last goal, but would also help with things like going from the ground to getting back up in my chair). I realize none of these things are going to actually be completed 100% during the time we're together, but things are getting better weekly! They even told me this week that they get so excited to work with me each Monday because they're eager to see what has changed since the last time they saw me. It's crazy to think about someone noticing improvement on a weekly basis. The professor actually told my mom that she's happy the students are working with a patient like me, because you don't get to see many neuro patients like that..not many make improvements that quickly and as a therapist, it's so exciting, so she's really thankful the students get to experience it while in school. I think it's one of those things that just makes you love your job more...like if I were working with a patient and doing vision therapy and then they no longer had double vision, or the simple gratitude a patient expresses after getting their first pair of glasses. Anything that shows you that you were successful and made a difference in your patient's daily routine.

I have gradually improved from the ground onto a two inch mat, then four, then five, and this week, I went from the ground up onto a mat SIX inches high! As if that wasn't enough improvement, I also got onto my stomach and into quadraped (on all fours, like what Natalie and Steph used to make me to..and I HATED) ALL BY MYSELF. That's right, I was laying on my stomach and pushed myself up onto my hands and knees without anyone helping me. That's the video I had to show everyone at Magee today...and they were so impressed! I think I needed to see the video myself, to be assured that no one was actually touching me.

So...it's been a crazy couple weeks, but lot of good updates and improvements!

November 2

I got a crazy phone call a few weeks ago. A friend from freshman year of college at Bridgewater called me out of the blue. I'm ashamed to say that although we were extremely close freshman year, we completely lost touch after she transferred. I hate when that happens. Saying that you'll keep up with people is so much easier than actually doing it and I'm afraid I've experienced more and more of that in this past year as I've worked on my recovery and my friends have moved on with their schooling, work, families, and life in general. But anyways, Kat called me because she's been following my story and progress since I first got sick. She told me about how in 2013, she fell off her horse and suffered a spinal cord injury. She has since made a full recovery, but started a business with horse and human products called "Benefab" products by SoreNoMore. The technology in their products helped her a lot in her own recovery and who would have thought that almost seven years later, we would be reunited because we have both been introduced to the spinal cord injury community? You can learn more about her story and her products here:

http://www.benefabproducts.com/the-benefab-story/

She had read in my blog about the equipment I needed for therapy in order to stay at home and continue with my courses for school. She knew that I was working on several fundraisers and thought that she could be of some help. Since her personal experience, she has donated a portion of her profits to SCI rehabilitation, but decided that she wanted to try something a little bit different. She wanted to get more personal and share an individual's SCI story for a period of time, starting with me. So, I'm lucky enough to announce that this Holiday Season, she is donating 10% of online sales at both websites completely to me: www.benefabproducts.com and www.stoptheache.com 

There's a really nice write up about me on their blog and I'm just so thankful that she reached out to me, both because we've been able to reconnect and because she's already been such a big help. So, if you get a chance, look at the websites and products. I have one of the blankets and I absolutely love it.

http://www.benefabproducts.com/kellys-journey-our-small-business-her-outcome/

October 31

I have to admit that not all days are great days. It's easy to get caught up in social media and a specific "image" we want people to see. People only post the happy pictures and the fun adventures they're having on Facebook; you don't see their struggles or problems because who would want to make those public? I guess I'm a little guilty of this too, even in my blog. I try to be honest and vulnerable. I've admitted my own struggles throughout this journey, but I don't think I've opened up about some of that in a little while. I try to focus on the high points, the laughter, and the perfect pictures, but that's only a small portion of my life these days. I still have those moments when I ask God "why me?" or try to figure out what the "bigger plan" might be. I mean, there's got to be something bigger than this...this has to be preparing me for something larger than what I'm capable of imagining. I frequently get frustrated about little things...or at least things I think are little and should be simple, like washing the dishes. And when I can't reach the soap or the dial to turn off the water, I can't fight back the tears. Stupid, right? Some days I just get so frustrated with tasks that should take a few minutes get dragged out to triple that amount of time. At the end of the day, I'm even more frustrated that so much of my time gets wasted, especially these days when every minute is valuable and needs to be put towards therapy, working out or my mounds of homework.

I feel bad that it's usually Dusty that is present for all these minor "break downs." I mean, we only get so much time together due to his work and both of us dealing with school, so it's a shame. It's just easier to be vulnerable in front of him because he handles it the best. He always knows what to say--the perfect balance between being sympathetic and telling me to "get a grip." And he never makes it about himself, which is the best part. I don't know why we all have a tendency to bring up or own problems when someone opens up about their troubles. I've done it. It's almost like "you think you've got it bad? Well guess what I've been dealing with."

I'm trying to learn from all of this and become a better person from it. I'm taking how I feel and what I like or don't like about how people treat me and taking a note of it so that I can be that way with others. I read a quote today that said "if it's an experience that you learned something from, then it was worth it." I'm trying to pay attention to everything I'm learning so that I can say this was all worth it.

October 28

Dusty and I went to Blacksburg for a wedding last weekend. The groom was one of his friends growing up and all of his other friends were coming with their girlfriends. We found out about it a long time ago (like when I was still in the hospital), but heard that it was going to be on a farm and nothing about that sounded "accessible." (And I definitely didn't want to ask and put another thing on the bride's plate). I told Dusty to just go and have a good time and I made plans to go to my college's homecoming. Well, when my plans started to fall through, the other girlfriends looked into the wedding details a little closer. As the weekend approached, I found myself wanting to go more and more...why would I say no to something I wouldn't have even thought twice about missing before I got sick? Turns out, the bride and groom had even looked into accessible venues with me in mind, so I'm even more thankful it worked out for me to go. 

I feel like so often, people don't understand that before I go anywhere, I have to plan ahead...I have to make sure there's parking, no stairs to get into whatever building I'm going to, that there actually is a wheelchair accessible bathroom, etc. So when someone actually takes that into consideration, it means so much to me. Hell, even our airbnb was accessible! I mean, yeah, I got bumped up a flight of stairs, but only because Dusty's friends were kind enough to give us the master bedroom on the upstairs level. The whole weekend just seemed so...normal. And that doesn't happen too often anymore. 

I got to get ready with the girls while the guys did...who even knows what. And of course, we got to twist our boyfriends arms into taking tons of pictures. Our house was only a couple miles away from the venue, so like usual, we were cutting it close on time. We got there and pretty much everyone was already sitting outside and ready for the ceremony to begin. Dusty and I had to park and navigate through a gravel parking lot (which is REALLY DIFFICULT) before taking our spots. We were having even more trouble than usual, getting those wheels to move in the rocks. Finally, we get all the way to the other side of the lot before Dusty (in his not so quite voice) says "are you serious?! You had one tire locked this whole time!" And that is how everyone knew we had arrived. 

It was a beautiful wedding and it was incredibly fun...lots of catching up with different people and plenty of dancing. Dusty and I are always on the dance floor at weddings. I can't even tell you how many perfect wedding pictures we have of us dancing. And although we still made it out for a good number of songs, I was still fighting back a little emotion, knowing that it just wasn't the same.  How do you slow dance in a wheelchair? The second to last song was a slow one and Dusty and I found ourselves on the corner of the dance floor. Everyone was saying their goodbyes or trying to catch the last couple songs before heading home. Dusty and I were just talking because we hadn't really been able to do much when the DJ played a slower song. When he asked me if I wanted to dance, I just kind of laughed. But he didn't. He said "come on, let's try it." And within a few seconds he had helped me stand up so we could dance. My back was to everyone, so I didn't really know what everyone was up to, but I also really wasn't concerned. For a few minutes, it was just us...dancing like we always have. When the song ended, I sat back down and was swept away by friends to catch the last fast song. At the end of the night, Dusty said he had so many people come up to him saying how sweet our dance was and everyone had teared up or taken pictures. I thought he was being dramatic because he hates having much attention on himself, but then I had some friends send me pictures. I was so happy someone was able to capture that moment for us. One second I'm bummed I can't dance like I used to and the next, Dusty shows me that I can and that there's no such thing as "can't." 

October 19

It just occurred to me that I never made a post about my call from Dr. Pardo at Hopkins a few weeks ago. I don't know how this escaped me, because it was probably the best news I've ever received. Let me back up a little bit...I saw Dr. Pardo at the end of July and he confirmed by diagnosis of ADEM. He also ran a few tests and sent them to the Mayo Clinic to be sure that nothing else was going on, like another auto immune disease since ADEM is auto immune in nature and my mom's side of the family has a large history of those disorders. Everything came back negative (thankfully), but he wanted me to get several MRI scans to check the status of everything and the extent of the damage done. I had to go two separate days for my MRIs. They had to be with and without contrast of my brain and entire spinal cord. Basically a full body scan...and they took forever. I had mixed feelings about it too. While I was excited to see how things look, I found myself really anxious. I thought I was fine with all of it and ready to get some more answers, but as the days and weeks passed following the scans, I was starting to think that maybe not knowing anything might be better. What if there was bad news? Maybe no news was good news? I'd rather be oblivious than get a poor prognosis.

Dr. Pardo had been in Columbia, working with physicians and researchers on the Zika virus, so it took what seemed like months before he got back to me. But almost four weeks later, I got a phone call at almost 8 at night. He apologized for taking so long, but said he reviewed my scans. Then did it again...and then repeated it again. The last MRI I had was at the beginning of October, before I went to Magee. And at that point, each MRI I got was shockingly worse than the one before it. At one point, the doctor even reported that I had a total infarct at T2, basically meaning that I had a complete and irrecoverable injury. Now, we know this isn't true because Dr. Recio determined that I had an incomplete injury and that the injury level was below T2, at T5. Since then, I've also received good news in that my ASIA level changed from B to C while at KKI as I started to get some movement in my lower extremities.

He continued by admitting that he fully expected to see brain damage in the images of my brain. Judging by the previous pictures and the extent of both the meningitis and ADEM flare, it would not have been a surprise at all. HOWEVER, there was absolutely nothing wrong with those pictures. There were some "patchy" areas, like in the area of my hypothalamus, which is the area that controls temperature. This makes sense because I'm still having some temperature problems, like sweating at the wrong times or feeling cold ALL THE TIME. He said those little areas are fully recoverable and that he didn't foresee any problems in the future.  Also, continuing with the scans, the rest of the spinal cord was FINE. Let me repeat that...IT WAS FINE! More than fine, actually. He said I only had some atrophy, which he would describe as "weakness," but we pretty much knew that already based on the current circumstances. Apparently, all I need is to continue therapy to get stronger and keep my vitamin P--aka, positive attitude.

I was overwhelmed with this news. Absolutely flooded with emotion. I've continued to be positive throughout this whole journey, but mostly because that's all I could do. What would being upset or worrying do for me? But to get the news that things really will be okay just reignited that spark of determination. So often, Dusty and I talk about the future and all our plans and things we want to accomplish and just hearing this news gave me such peace. It's not just talk. We really will be able to do anything. I mean, even if I didn't get back to 100%, I know he's still by my side and nothing is really holding us back, but to know that this really is just an obstacle that is only making us stronger truly leaves me speechless.

I'm currently reading Laura Story's book called "When God Doesn't Fix It." Mrs. Stile sent it to me and it has been such a blessing. (Which is kind of funny because Laura Story has a hit song called "blessings," but anyways..) She tells her own story about how she dealt with her husband having a brain tumor- what happened and how she handled it, both personally and spiritually. While my story is very different, there are so many things that I can relate to. She ends each chapter with a "myth" and a "truth." Basically, what she thought was true or what she previously believed, and then what she has learned or what God was teaching her. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far, the "myths" and "truths" she has talked about so far include:

Myth: Trials are a curse.
Truth: Trials are an opportunity.
She prayed "though we are on a scary new adventure and I have no idea where it will take us, I am willing to go." I believe I am your masterpiece, not because I feel it but because you say it. Though I can obsess about my deficiencies and insecurities, I know you designed me perfectly for the good works you set before me. Help me in this time of trial to follow in your footsteps, so that I may complete those works for your glory."

Myth: God's primary desire is to fix broken things.
Truth: God's primary desire is to fix my broken relationship with him.
More than healing us physically, God wants my relationship with him to be healthy. Jesus came to heal, but he doesn't always fix the broken things I want fixed. But if I allow him to, God will always heal my broken relationship with him. Understanding that doesn't lessen our desires to be healthy, but it does change everything else.

Myth: Salvation is gained by the things I do.
Truth: Salvation is gained by what Jesus did for me.
I think that's pretty self explanatory.

Myth: When things look dark, God is gone.
Truth: When things look dark, God's light shines the brightest.
My favorite thing from this chapter was when Laura was talking about James 1:2-4 ("Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.") How do you count the trials of your life as joy? She said "We all want to persevere in our faith. We want our faith to be 'perfect and complete.' But who wants to go through trials to make it happen? The problem is, perseverance doesn't come from listening to a sermon. There is no inspirational bestseller we can read that will help us plumb the depths of our faith. We don't become perfect and complete by sitting in church. We learn who he really is during the most desperate part of our trials. It's about meeting God where and when we need him most. Sure, our faith grows through reading Scripture and praying, but just as we don't know the strength of our body until we test it in a physical challenge, our faith isn't perfected until it's been tested in a spiritual challenge." She then made a comment about how all this doesn't necessarily mean that we should do cartwheels when bad things happen, but to simply hold onto God when these trials happen. It's an opportunity for us to look in the dark for those less obvious blessings and mercies of God that we might overlook in the light. When we do, God show us things that we otherwise might miss because his light is the brightest in the dark.

October 17

I could not have asked for a better turn out Saturday. We got together on Thursday of last week in order to organize everything and assemble the bags for each runner, but people were still signing up on Friday night and some people even showed up on Saturday morning to sign up in person. It was so great seeing everyone and I was overwhelmed by all the support everyone showed me. Dusty is always telling me "everyone loves you, Kel," but I really felt it that morning.

First of all, my friends, Caitlin and Christin, came in for the weekend. They drove all the way from Philly and even switched clinic shifts in order to make it. Not only was it great to be able to catch up with them, but they helped so much with the race and getting things in order for the event and our get together at the house afterwards. We were up making posters until almost midnight!

It was such a beautiful morning with the sun shining and a cool fall breeze. I spent the whole first hour at the park just greeting people and giving out like a hundred hugs, haha. All of my biggest supporters, some people I hadn't seen in a long time, and then some people I've never even met all came out. At the end of the event, people were already asking if we were planning to do it again next year. I hadn't really thought about it, but that's a great idea! I feel like even if it isn't to raise money for me or anything that I need, it would be really great to still have a "kel's fun run" to support spinal cord injuries or something like that. Wouldn't it be awesome to do it every year, making it a more well known event, and make a difference for someone else?

Dusty gave a nice opening speech (while standing on the back of a pick up truck). And I got to blow the blow horn to start both the 5K and the fun run races. Dusty pushed me and we started off the fun run, then Christin took over and pushed me the rest of the way. She was even running while pushing me so that we could be at the end of the race to greet the majority of people finishing.

John at the Butcher Station made amazing power bars and muffins. Mackintosh donated apples. And Costco gave us waters to distribute. We had a table that said "Just like the quote says, this journey is full of ups and downs. Please write a note of encouragement for Kelly to read during those 'down' times." I really hope I don't have that many bad days, but I'm glad I now have all these cards to read to turn those days around and put a smile on my face.

People were still coming up to me at the end of the race. People came out for their first 5K, a friend hadn't ran since her double knee replacement, a friend was there on his birthday, a bunch of people from my high school and college came, and a couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary by running their first 5K together. A girl I knew from Bridgewater even came and brought her parents. She came up to me afterwards to tell me that she didn't want to get emotional, but felt she had to tell me about how she always looked up to me in college since I was a year ahead of her and also a biology major, but that she admired me even more now. Let me tell you, that almost made me emotional! It was so kind.

Afterwards, we had people over to our house just so we were able to talk to everyone a little more and relax. And later that afternoon, the girls and I went down to Bridgewater for the football game. It wasn't a very good game, but it was nice to take a little road trip together, show them my school, and continue to tailgate.

It was such a great and successful weekend (the even ended with a Redskins win against the Eagles!!!) And I'm so excited to say that we raised enough money for the stim bike and hopefully it'll be here by the end of the month!!!

October 13

I've had a lot of people tell me they've had dreams about me walking over the past year. I've kept a list in my phone just to keep track of it all. The messages I get from people about their dreams have been hilarious. I wrote about it a few months ago, but my favorite is the dream Molly and I had. When I was in the ICU, I woke up and Mom told me that I had to get into that stupid chair they made me get out of bed and sit in. It was back when I had absolutely no core strength or movement, so doing anything but laying in bed took a lot of my energy.  It was back when anything I did besides laying in bed was "the hardest thing I've ever done." Breathing, sitting up,  and feeding myself were all dreaded tasks. I know, something that sounds so simple and common was something I struggled with every single day. Anyways, I told Mom (more like "mouthed" it since I still hadn't regained my voice) that I wasn't getting in that chair because I was exhausted. I said I had walked around the nurses station all night with Molly and I didn't want to do anything but sleep more. She laughed and asked me what in the world I was talking about and I explained "Molly and I walked around, laughing and talking all night about how we should go back to school for physical therapy instead of optometry because they barely have to do anything." I know now that this isn't at all the case. I was only feeling that was because my PT in the ICU only visited twice a week and mostly just stopped in and left, without doing anything with me. Looking back, I realize that his job was more to teach my family how to do different exercises and to help me stretch to keep range of motion, but in my almost comatose state, I didn't realize that at the time.

Everyone just kind of laughed it off and ignored my nonsense dream until Molly called that evening. She said "you'll never believe what I dreamed about last night! We were walking around outside your hospital room and laughing about how we should have gone to PT school." Seriously. And if that wasn't crazy enough, when Molly told her mom about the dream, her mom said she had the same dream a week prior to that. Every since then, I take these dreams pretty seriously. I know some are laughable, but some really might mean something. Anyways, I've listened to everyone else's dreams but hadn't really had any of my own until recently. Last week, I dreamt that I was at the gym getting ready, and while I was in the locker room, mom went to get the car but took my wheelchair with her! I was so mad...what was I supposed to do? How was I going to get outside? I took at that frustration and WALKED out to the car, just so I could tell her how mad I was, haha. I had a gait deficit and remember thinking about how hard it was to walk out there, but I did it. Mom joked that if that's all she takes, then she's going to take away the chair next time we're at the gym and see what happens, haha.

Then, last night, I had another dream. This time, it was Dad that I was mad at (I see a trending theme here..) This one was actually the most realistic dream, too. Like I can totally see this happening. I was downstairs in my room and Dad had packed so many random things in my room that I couldn't get around in the wheelchair. He has this habit of kind of hoarding things we don't need and whenever he doesn't know where something goes, it somehow ends up in my room. It's always been like this. So, I was in my room, surrounded by all the random stuff Dad put in there, I couldn't move around, so I decided to just get up and walk around the room. It's so believable too, haha! I told Dusty he's next.

October 12

Throughout this illness, I would wake up and feel like all of this must be a dream. This past week, that has still been happening, but for a different reason. Instead of always waking up and thinking about my situation with sadness and disbelief, it has changed to a more thankful view. I'm getting daily emails, phone calls, and having people stop me everywhere I go. I've had people stop me in the locker room at the gym to ask for my address in order to send me a check or sit down at my table at lunch to talk and write out a check. To hear so many people tell me they're rooting for me or sharing their own personal stories has meant so much to me. I love meeting all of these new people that I otherwise wouldn't have met. It's the ultimate "networking."

The other day, I went to the park to do some planning for the run this Saturday. Afterwards, I met Gary Auerbach, who has a following and does live videos on Facebook. He talks to different people, goes to different places or events, and shares stories. He reached out and wanted to share my story after reading the article in the paper. I originally told Dusty he had to join me because I'm not good at those types of things! It was live and I was convinced I was either going to freeze, fumble over my own words, or worse-- be too wordy and say too much (which it totally something I'd do).

Here's a link to the video, I'm hoping it works, even for those that don't use Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/frisbeechamp/videos/10154659855212235/

In other news, the run is really coming together...almost 150 people signed up with donations still coming in! I just feel bad that we can't include everyone on the shirt since they had to be sent to the printer in order to be ready on time. Not that everyone really cares about having their name on the shirt, I just like being able to thank everyone that way. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the total number of people is that show up Saturday. I'm also really excited to see everyone- people I haven't seen since high school, people I haven't had a chance to catch up with since I got sick, and then just some of my favorite people that I love spending time with.

Since the run is only from 9-11am, we are inviting people to come to our house after for a little cookout. We figure since there are so many people coming from out of town and since we may not have time to talk to everyone, it'll be a nice opportunity to catch up. People can just bring a dish and a chair and spend the afternoon with us! It should be a really great day.

October 8

Woman Loses Mobility But Never Her Smile

Posted: October 8, 2016

By BY JACKIE PUGLISI

The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Kelly Morse has a beaming smile that welcomes everyone she meets. She is friendly, positive and upbeat. It’s an attitude she has carried for most of her life.

When an unknown illness suddenly left her almost completely paralyzed late last year, the 25 year old didn’t lose her spirit.

Everything happened in September of 2015, shortly after Morse started her last semester of optometry school at Salus University’s Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Elkins Park, Penn. She had just returned to her home in Philadelphia from a trip to the beach with her friends and was preparing for a Saturday clinic at school.

"[The next morning] I woke up with the worst headache that didn’t go away," Morse said. "I couldn’t break a fever."

Morse’s boyfriend, Dustin Canterbury, drove her to Winchester to be near her family and see a doctor.

During her doctor’s visit, she was sent to the emergency room at Winchester Medical Center. Within five days of her symptoms, her brain and spinal cord suffered severe swelling that left her paralyzed from the nose down. Her vocal cords were alsoparalyzed, and she couldn’t speak. She was placed on a ventilator and after five days at WMC was transferred to University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. While there, she spent five days in the intensive care unit. She was on a ventilator for a total of 33 days and at UVA Hospital for 35.

"I don’t remember most of the month," she said.

From UVA, she moved to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia. Two weeks after arriving there, she started to gain back function of her vocal cords and was able to speak after two months of silence. On March 1, she moved to The International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.

To keep herself motivated, Morse created small goals for herself. She wanted to feed herself again. As her arm function returned, she was able to accomplish more, like putting in her contacts and brushing her hair. With each goal she accomplished, her confidence grew.

Doctors first thought she might have bacterial meningitis, but that was ruled out. Through process of elimination, doctors are calling her condition Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis — an inflammation in the brain and spinal cord that damages the protective covering of nerve fibers. However, they still aren’t 100 percent sure that this is the right diagnosis.

Now home in Frederick County with her family, Morse has full sensation and movement abilities above her waist. Because her leg muscles are larger than those in the rest of her body, they will take the longest to recover.

The hardest part for Morse is not knowing when she will be able to walk again. Her doctor — Frederick Kozlowski at Winchester Internal Medicine — has told her she gains a millimeter of nerve growth a day.

"He said there are three things I need for a full recovery," she said. "Aggressive rehabilitation, patience and Vitamin P — a positive attitude."

Her mother, Nancy Morse, added that Kozlowski has been very supportive of Morse and is available if she simply is having a bad day and wants to talk.

Morse visits the Valley Health Wellness and Fitness Center on a regular basis to help build her strength. Alhough she is wheelchair-bound and unable to walk, she is strong enough to swim laps in the pool.

"When I started, it was like learning to swim all over again," she said.

She also does some weight lifting at the center.

Morse’s handicap hasn’t stopped her sense of adventure. In August, she visited Virginia Beach, where she had the opportunity to surf through Life Rolls On. The organization — founded by world champion quadriplegic surfer Jesse Billauer — gives paralyzed individuals the chance to experience the ocean through adaptive surfing. Participants lie on a surfboard and are assisted by an experienced surfer to ride the waves.

"It was the best thing ever," Morse said.

One of her goals is also to drive again. She would have to retake classes at the Department of Motor Vehicles and learn to drive with hand controls. However, she is unable to do that until she is approved for disability status, which she applied for back in early April.

Nancy said every week they see progress in Morse’s recovery.

"That’s an important part that helps keep our Vitamin P," she said.

Although Nancy wouldn’t have willingly chosen to become part of the spinal cord injury community, she said those she has met are the most positive group of people she knows.

"The patients have great, vibrant energy," she said.

Morse is a Millbrook High School graduate and attended Bridgewater College —where she met Canterbury and majored in biology. After putting her education on hold for about a year, she is back to taking classes through Pennsylvania College of Optometry. While the school does not typically offer online classes, they are working with her so she can finish her degree.

"I’m slowly easing back into it," she said. "I’m taking two classes right now. I’m impressed with how accommodating they’ve been."

"I wanted to be an optometrist since third grade," Morse said. "When I got my first pair of glasses, I left the office and I could see the leaves on the trees. I said, if I can do that for people every day, then I want to be an optometrist."

Nancy and Morse are overwhelmed by the amount of support shown by friends, family and strangers. Nancy and Morse’s father, Scott, and brother, James, stayed in a hotel room while Morse was at UVA Hospital.

"We never saw a hotel bill," Nancy said. "I’m not sure where the payment came from. People did unbelievable things for us. It was an unbelievable outpouring of love."

Food was delivered to the Morse’s home by family and friends. Someone also paid the family’s electric bill for one month. Morse received more than 600 cards, letters and electronic cards from professors, classmates, family and people who had never met her before but knew her story. She also received many visits while in the hospital and in rehabilitation.

Morse still talks to the patients and doctors she has met through her journey. She keeps a blog detailing her progress at www.kellymorsesjourney1.blogspot.com. It is also a coping mechanism. People she has never met have reached out to her through the blog to share stories similar to her own.

Canterbury was also very supportive. Morse went on a ventilator on the couple’s three-year anniversary. He slept in the ICU when Morse was at UVA Hospital.

Now, her boyfriend takes her out as much as he can to events like concerts and the fair to help keep her life as normal as possible.

"Kelly has always been pretty positive," Nancy said. "[When this started], she couldn’t talk, but she didn’t lose her smile."

To continue her rehabilitation efforts at home, Morse needs equipment not covered by her insurance company. An electrical stimulation bike uses electrodes that are placed on different muscle groups for stimulation. The bike can be used to fire muscles in the right order to simulate walking. The machine will help Morse to strengthen her legs and prepare them for walking. It usually costs around $24,000.

A standing frame, with a cost of $6,000, is meant to prevent bone loss. Morse will be able to use it to stand in and re-train her muscles to be in an upright position. It also helps with weight bearing.

To help pay for the equipment, Canterbury and his family are planning a fun run for Morse. A 5K fundraiser named Kel’s Fun Run will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Oct. 15 at the Clarke County Parks and Recreation trail. Registration is $30 per person and includes a T-shirt. To register, visit www.runsignup.com/Race/VA/Berryville/KelsFunRun. Prizes for the 5K include $75 for first place, a $50 gift card for second and a $25 gift card for third place.

A Christmas Bizarre is also slated for 9 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 at White House Event Center at 550 Fairmont Ave. One hundred percent of the proceeds from both events will go toward Morse’s equipment.

— Contact Jackie Puglisi at jpuglisi@winchesterstar.com

Follow on Twitter @LifeWinStar

And here are the pictures that were included in the article:

I thought I had support before, but after the article in the Winchester Star this morning, I'm even more amazed. People have messaged me, commented on my blog, and stopped my family and me in public. They're sharing similar stories, offering support, and giving advices or possible resources that I can look into to get the help I need. I laughed about being worried about the photos that might appear in the article and even had a Facebook post that day saying that I better put something on other than my workout clothes that I practically live in these days. Well, I'm glad I changed because there were three photos in the paper and they were great!

Jackie Puglisi wrote a great article and I'm still so honored she reached out to me in order to do it. Even I have a hard time keeping the order of everything happened straight or the number of days different things happened, but it was a perfect recount of the events of the past year. I'm praying that because of this story, more people will be aware of different things that go along with paralysis and when reading my blog, the public will take more notice in things that wheelchair users encounter and the fact that just because something is "ADA compliant" doesn't mean it's necessarily accessible. ADA also encompasses the blind and deaf, so it doesn't always meet wheelchair standards.

I say all the time how I've studied science and been around the medical field my whole life. I studied it in school, worked in various offices, and even saw my own patients, but I never recall hearing the term "spinal cord injury." I knew what paralysis was, obviously knew people in wheelchairs, but I was still so clueless and didn't even know. I know God is using my story for something. I know there's a purpose and while I may not know the extent of it, I feel like at least part of it is to spread awareness.