Adaptations: The Central California Adaptive Sports Center Newsletter Issue 5 - 2017-18 | Page 9

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I also vividly remember coughing. That may seem like
an odd memory, but when you have a hole in your
throat coughing becomes interesting. I caught
pneumonia while in the hospital, so this happened
often. Every time I felt a cough about to begin I would
cover my mouth, but it must travel through your throat
first. The cough never once made it to my mouth, it
stopped short at my tracheotomy hole. I definitely left
my mark on the room. There were stains on the ceiling
and the far wall from my projectile phlegm!
I have had to be patient with my speech. I understand
why people couldn’t understand me. My voice was
muddled and my speech distorted. They just nod their
head and smile. I would go on and on, but it took a
while to realize they couldn’t understand. I got better
at knowing when people were clueless as to what I was
saying, watching for a long pause or if they said
something completely off topic.
(Continued from the previous page.)
I didn’t like the skilled nursing facility I was in one bit. The term “skilled” is
used loosely. I was just waking up from the coma when I arrived there.
Some of my first memories were there. I remember pressing the call light
often. It got to the point where the nurses would ignore it for a half hour or
so. After a few days of this, I was agitated. In return for their insolence, I
would press the call light. I would do it repeatedly, for no particular reason.
When they finally would come in my room, I would tap my chin as if
thinking. I would say something along the lines of, “Um…I need
chapstick…yeah.” I thought it was amusing, despite receiving the speech
about “pressing the button only when I absolutely need to” countless times.
I made these little games up out of sheer boredom.
I have a new set of challenges now. My greatest
hardships at the moment are my vision and walking.
My walking is related to my vision, because I see
double. It’s like walking around in a constant drunken
state. I go down to UCLA for my various eye
surgeries. Who knew if you hit your head hard enough
your vision would be affected? With every step I have
to consciously think of my foot placement, weight
shifting and balance. I never knew there was so much
to walking. I figure if babies can figure it out, so can I.
Getting back into the groove of normal life has been
hard. Everything moves at an expedited pace. I’m
attempting to get accustomed to it, but it’s difficult to
do. In the hospital, time crawled. I’m still alive to
experience the good things in life as well as the bad, so
I know it’s a blessing. Perhaps it’s because I am
surrounded by wonderful people that I have a positive
attitude.
Veterans Program Update
CCASC is proud to provide outdoor mountain adventures
for our wounded Veterans free of charge, thanks to a grant
from the Veterans Administration. This past year, Veterans
attended programs at the Adaptive Center in record
numbers, making up over 50% of our participants.
We’d like to recognize our partner organizations that help
make this happen: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Fresno;
A Combat Veteran’s Hope, Visalia; and Our Heroes Dreams,
Hanford. These organizations play a huge role by, among
other things, providing transportation to the Adaptive Sports
Centers in Shaver Lake and China Peak.
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