This was put on my nightstand in the hospital. Now, it rests in my home office. 

You are only as tough as you think you are. Believe in yourself! That may be the missing step in your ladder to success.

V3 Team

A part of the V3 Team at the Cycle for Sight.

Try!

TableTopics

This is something that I picked up in my college speech class. TableTopics. This game is a great therapy tool. A person would select a card from the stack. The card might say "Why do you like the color red?". The person then has several minutes to think about his or her response. The person would then verbally deliver their response in an organized format.

What it does is it makes a person logically answer random questions in a clear, concise way. A person may need to recall pieces of information that they might have not fully recognized. The person must also retain their thoughts and sufficiently communicate them. Now a person is using part's of the brain that may not be used in an everyday activity.

Wining Combination!

Quitting is the easy way to do things!

More Progress

Well, today I did over 900ft on the walker w/o any falls or assistance. I also gave my Informative Speech at college earlier in the day.

I am just glad that I kept the fire burning! And I will only continue to feed the flames!

Credit Where Credit's Due

My effort would probably be squandered if I was to face my challenges alone.

The Sentinels of Freedom have been instrumental in my recovery. I live less than

2 miles from my gym, college, physical therapy, and the main Sentinel of Freedom office. I can either take public mass transit or my electric wheelchair to my appointments. Many of the volunteers also drive me. That brings me to my next point. Why don't you volunteer? There is probably an existing Sentinel of Freedom Team near you. If there isn't one, create one!

The Works Never Done!

I did 90 minutes on the treadmill today and a over 100 yards (no assistance) on the walker yesterday.

Last week, I held my heart rate at 190bpm for 5 minutes on the stationary bike.

I guess physical therapy 4x a week and the gym 3x a week is helping that. Going to college 2x a week and working 3x a week also helps keep my mind sharp and alert.

I also do 2hrs of Posit Science (brain fitness) at work. That significantly adds to the equation.

A Little test

It wasn't pretty, but I was able to put in 5 steps before I became one with the trampoline. A big thanks to the staff at Rockin' Jump, as well as Alex Alcaraz.

AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill

The AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill provides unique progressive weight-bearing military physical therapy and is rapidly becoming the standard of care in the Department of Defense and VA systems to get service men and women back in theatre and rehabilitate veterans.

Click HERE for a link to the webpage.

Getting there...

Today's workout: Thirty minutes on the treadmill = COMPLETE.

I actualy did sixty minutes.

"Shoot for the moon and land somewhere in the stars."

I am going all the way! It will take time, but I am in it to win it.

Diablo Valley College_Update

I am into almost one month of Speech classes at Diablo Valley College. English was good. Spanish was great. Speech is excellent. I really don’t think that one class was had better material or was taught better than the other.
I believe that my Speech class expounds on the lessons that I have previously learned from those classes. That is the whole basis behind school, right? A person continuously seeks higher eduction and thus he or she keeps climbing up the ladder?
My first few steps up the ladder have been well placed. This feels right. I want to keep climbing!

Last week, I gave my first speech. It was an “Introduction” speech that I chose to give at the podium (standing) in the front of the classroom. I am starting to get an outline together for my next speech, which is due in February.

That first speech did something very positive to my neurons upstairs. I was able to easily remember a few key things that I did not remember previously and I had not even tried to remember them.

A brain may need to re-establish connections and regain key elements of a person's personality that had been lost. To give a speech there are many different parts. An outline or some type of framework is best to start out with, so that you have a clear path of where your going.

Once the frame has been established, now you have to fill in the white space. Now that your speech is basically constructed, you will have to memorize and rehearse it.

After this has repeatedly been done in front of friends or a mirror, one may now be ready to present his or her speech. This is just covering the actual speech part of Speech.

Communication skills and confidence drills are also integrated into the lesson plan. These will help your communication, comprehension, and your interpersonal skills. Once those areas are secure, you free up a lot more energy in your brain.

That energy can be used to further develop the content of your speech or it could be used to improve your social or personnel life.

*Note* I know that the above text is all messed up. I tried fixing it, but blogger.com seems to have a mind of it's own.

Don't give up...

A Reminder

I asked to have this whiteboard put on the wall in my hospital room in '08. At the time, it was very hard to remember anything. Now, its hanging up in my apartment as my reminder of where I came from and what it took/takes to move forward. You gotta give some to get some. If you have the right positive attitude, your situation will improve. Doors will open and the sun will shine. Make the best of what you have!

iHomework

My new find:

iHomework is a student's best friend during the busy times of the school year. Keep up-to-date with your school work, grades, to-do's, teacher's information, and almost everything else you need during the school year. iHomework is the only school organizer that can be with you anywhere you go, whether that be on your iPhone/iPod touch, iPad, or Mac!

This application can then be synced from one device to the other if they both have the application installed.

Never Give Up!

Pros and Cons of Taking a Nap

Click HERE for a short clip from Fox News.

I took a sleep study several months ago. Unbenonced to me, I had borderline severe sleep apnea. I stopped breathing more than 15 times in the night. I just got used to it, so I never knew how much it may have actually been effecting me! Now that it's being treated, I can already see improvements in both my mental and physical state.

Bop It

This is a great way to work on reaction time as well as hand eye coordination.

Click HERE for a link to Bop It on Wiki.

More Quotes

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. - Lance Armstrong

It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly. - Isaac Asimov

When we put a limit on what we will do, we put a limit on what we can do. - Charles Schwab

Every artist was first an amateur. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. - Unknown

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind. - Henry Ford

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Starting to see the payoff!

About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I bumped up my number of Physical Therapy appointments to 4x a week. Yesterday, I walked (with my walker) for quite some distance without therapist interaction. This was prior to muscling through forty five intense minutes on the stationary bike and guzzling several energy drinks. Today...I will meet with East Bay Miracles/Canine Companions for Independence and I will repeat yesterday's performance in PT.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

Speech

Well, last week I registered for my next college class. Speech. This course will help to give me even more confidence to talk in front of people, and it will give me a great opportunity to finely modify my existing motivational speech. My first day of Speech starts late next month.

Salute to the Troops

Last weekend, I presented a check on behalf of The Sentinels of Freedom Scholorship Foundation to Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation in Las Vegas for his continued work to assisst America's wounded Veterans.

Happy Veterans Day

Brain Games

In a highly anticipated, three-part series airing on the National Geographic Channel in fall 2011, National Geographic's Brain Games makes YOU the test subject in an array of astonishing challenges and experiments. Your brain will be stimulated, fooled, and ultimately amazed, as scientists and other experts show you how this three-pound blob of gray matter effectively makes you, you.

Apps the help!

AppReviews Web site specifically designed to help those with brain injury and other cognitive challenges find helpful smart device apps

Click HERE

Stop and smell the roses

In the long run, it's not about how hard you fell. It's about how you pick yourself up, and if you keep going. You are fighting for a lot, enjoy it. Don't forget to stop and smell the roses or before you know it, you'll be at the end of the road.

‎9-11. Where was I? Where were you?

I was stationed in Southern Florida at the United States Southern Command. I awoke and flipped on my TV. To my disbelieve, a plane was just flown into a building in New York City. Is this real, or is it some clever Hollywood movie? I went up and down all of the TV channels. They all were showing the same horrific event. I called my parents. I told them to turn on their TV. "To which channel?", they asked. "Any", I replied. I still have the newspaper I bought as I sped into work that day. My life changed that day. I know that I did and I am doing my part to protect the citizens of not just these great United States, but of this world. Where were you?

Happy Labor Day

Neuroscience of Brain Injury Conference

Where: Silverado Resort - Napa, California
Starts: 11/04/2011

Click HERE for more information.

Light at the end of the tunnel

I can see it. I have worked hard to get towards it, and now I can see glimpses of it. Thank You, to all that have helped me! Thank You, to all of those that are helping me now. Thank You, to the Sentinels of Freedom for believing in me!


Ryan Sykes
Research Analyst
Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation
P.O. Box 1316
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 353-7100
(925) 353-3900 FAX

Español

This week I started my First Term Spanish class at Diablo Valley Collage. Not only does this Spanish class forces me to work on my oral communication, but it also challenges my memory and my comprehension. I highly suggest relearning a previous launguage in order to strength your brain. Your brain is a muscle. It is more important than your tricepts or your calfs. It needs to be exercised in order for it to grow.

2011 9/11 Heroes Run

Come join the Travis Manion Foundation as the run honors our nation's heroes. The 2011 9/11 Heroes Run is bringing communities together throughout the country this September 11th. The goal is to never forget the sacrifices of all of the Heroes of September 11th - veteran, first responder, and civilian. The run honors the fallen by challenging the living. This is a run for charity with proceeds going to support the communities who keep us safe. Volunteer, Run, or just come out and watch - it promises to be a great time.

Diablo Veterans Cycling Challenge

A Benefit for Severely Wounded Vets

Saturday September 3rd

Your Life

Don't be afraid to change directions.

Half Full or Half Empty?

Your glass is still half full even when you feel that it may be half empty. It may be time for you to quench your thirst. Good thing you have something left.

Keep your eyes open and your spirits up. There is a silver lining to every cloud if you work to reach it.

The Veterans Health Research Institute

NCIRE – The Veterans Health Research Institute is the leading nonprofit research institute in the United States devoted to advancing Veterans health research.

Click HERE for a link to NCIRE webpage.

Posit Science

Posit Science Brain Fitness News.

To read the update, click HERE.

A glimpse of my future?

Today, I was playing catch at the gym. It sounds like a simple task. To throw the ball, I had to send the message for my hand to release the ball at the correct time. I had to calculate exactly how much force to put into my throw so that the ball accuratly reached it's target. My double vision and nystagmus didn't make things easier. Now that the trainer had it, it was my turn to catch it. Once the ball was thrown, I knew I must be totally ready to adjust my hand position if necessary, and catch the ball immediately when I felt the pressure on my hand. Towards the end of the exersize, I was catching and throwing the ball without even thinking about it. This all was not after a couple days of practice. It has taken nearly 4 years to get this far.

Next, I did 31 minutes on the treadmill. My road to Recovery is long, but I know what I am capable of. The reward will be worth all of the hard days.

Posit Science Newsletter

Recent findings presented at the annual “Brain at War” conference showed that living with untreated PTSD can have long-term effects on the brain and the body—including a higher risk of heart disease, a smaller hippocampus, and a two-fold increase in dementia risk. PTSD wasn’t recognized by the American Psychiatric Association until 1980—meaning that veterans who served in conflicts prior to that time face vastly different challenges than soldiers serving today. Besides PTSD, brain injuries, exposure to toxic chemicals, and other mental health issues pose unique challenges for multiple generations of veterans. Of course, the spouses and family members of veterans are affected as well.

Click HERE for the full artical.

Endless Pool

I used one of these pools during my four months of therapy in Utah. The pool/treadmill enabled me to do a great deal more physical therapy in a much shorter time frame.

Click HERE for a link to the website.

Posit Science

This is a GREAT brain fitness program! It is computer based, and it is very easy to use. Click HERE for a hyperlink to the website. I have been training with this program for a week, and I have already noticed improvements. The program also stores all of your training results.

Happy Fathers Day

Pool Therapy

Today I did about 1.5 hrs of aqua therapy at Club Sport's pool. I walked around with the water noodle and did a bunch of exercises with the kick board. It was time well spent!

Cycle for Sight

Here is a picture of myself and Mike Conklin (yellow shirt), the CEO and President of Sentinels of Freedom Foundation. We are riding the 25 mile route of the Cycle for Sight, which winds through some of California's gorgeous wine country.

Foundation Fighting Blindness

The urgent mission of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc. is to drive the research that will provide preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

TSA's Military Severely Injured Program

Click HERE for the link to the website.

Homes for Our Troops

Build a Home for PO1 Ryan Sykes. Please give it a 'Like' on Facebook.

Homes for Our Troops - Ryan Sykes

PTSD?

The PTSD Coach application for your iPhone can help you learn about and manage symptoms that commonly occur after trauma.

Click HERE for the link to the website.

Click HERE for the app in iTunes.

Happy Memorial Day!

Sit to Stand

I can do about five solid repetitions of standing from my wheelchair without any assistance. I had previously used my transfer pole to pull myself up from my wheelchair. This achievement is largely due from the support of the Sentinels of Freedom, the DVSR Rotary, and Club Sport. I would also like to thank people in California, Nebraska, Washington DC, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Utah, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Although the road is long, I can see the end of it. I will continue to work hard because I know that I am not alone.

VA Caregiver Program

Click HERE for a link to the VA Caregiver's website.

Braun 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE PM Ramp Van XT

Yesterday, I was handed the keys to a new ramp van. The van will greatly increase my area of movement. Now I can easily transport my electric wheelchair, and venture to locations I have been avoiding in my manual wheelchair.

I had never envisioned myself ever owning a minivan, but this van is very nice! Gone are the days of when I transfer to the passenger seat in the pouring rain. Now I can roll up the ramp, and then transfer once I am inside the vehicle.

News Article

YouTube Video of Braun Toyota Sienna Ramp Van

Cycle for Sight

Great weather and a great route. A good way to spend a Saturday. The two charities that benefited from support at this year's event are Enchanted Hills Camp For The Blind & Visually Impaired and The California Veterans "Pathway Home Project."

Click HERE for a short video clip.

Click HERE for a link to the Cycle for Sight

Iron Horse

Today was the first of surly many bike rides on The Iron Horse Trail. Great weather and good company made it an enjoyable time. Staying active is very important. Biking is a great way to improve your cardio range, stretch and strengthen your muscles, exercise your vision, and improve your mental fortitude. We hope to see you out there!

My Life

Well, things have kind of settled down now. I go to a gym and work with a personal trainer three times a week. I focus on strength exercises, core building exercises, and mobility movements (treadmill). I go to collage, and physical therapy twice a week. At physical therapy, I work on walking with assistive technology. I also stretches and do various cardio exercises. I train on my walker three times a week, as well. That usually entail 30-45 minutes of practice per evolution.

I WILL walk again. No Doctor has ever said that walking will never be in my future. It is all a case of how hard I am willing to push myself. Good thing I ate my Wheaties today. :) I have my electric wheelchair, which I use for quick trips to the store. I also use it for areas that may have a steep incline.

My double vision and nystagmus still remain, but it continues to improve. Glasses with prisims (a little thicker) help to correct the vision. I am still unable to drive, but life is quite manageable without doing so. The nerves are slowly but steadily connecting back up. One of the major reasons for this is that I welcome and accept every challenge. From my experience, a brain injury turns back your clock. It needs to be reset. One of the ways to reset it is to just go face life and accept what it has to offer. Experiences may be mundane, but they are new to a part of you and they will become like second nature.

Homes For Our Troops Video Clip

Click HERE for the link.

Daughters of the American Revolution

Last week I attened thier annual conference.

Clich HERE for more details on the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Standing Practice

Last night, I stood for a little over two hours while watching Good Will Hunting.

Big Brain Academy

Practice your visual, analysis, computing, quick thinking, and your memory skills on your Wii.

Click HERE for the Big Brain Academy website.

Smoked

...but it feels so good. 30 minutes on the treadmill, bicep curls, tricep kick-backs, and Roman Chairs.

Solo Voyage

Today, I took the bus to college and back...all by myself. Yeah.

Next on the agenda, maybe grocery shopping and my homework. I had physical therapy this morning, too. That's probably enough excitement for one day.

LINGO

This game may be a great rehab game. It inspires quick thinking and problem solving. Click HERE for an example.

Week One: Complete

My first week at Diablo Valley College is complete. What a great therapy tool. Not only does college further your education, but it helps expand your mind. Aside from the curriculum, one has to organize their studies, participate and interact in the classroom, and retain each detail of the lectures.

One Step Closer

A workout at Club Sport.

Recovery

A great full body massage following a hard workout at the gym.

Massage was courtesy of Patricia Driggs - Massage Therapist

Lightweight Exoskeleton Gives Paraplegics New Legs

Click HERE

Day One: Complete

Aside from being late and getting semi lost, my first day went ok.

Kidding! My first day went good and I am all set for my second day.

Tuesday is the Day!

Tuesday, I start classes at Diablo Valley College. I downloaded and installed an application for my iPad that will record the lectures and aid in my academics. Early next week I also do my second trial run taking public transportation to the college. I also went to my class room and made sure the room was configured for my power chair. I am storing my recumbent trike at a Rotarian's house and once I purchase a trailer I can transport my wheelchair. I will have a certain freedom of movement and self-transportation now.

Shopping

My weekend

4th Annual CA Statewide Walk For Thought

Click HERE

Electric W/C

Its maiden voyage to the grocery store

CEMM Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Web Site

Click HERE

G Tube

I kept mine as a souvenir.

Overview of a "G Tube"

Eye Can Learn

Click HERE for a link to eye exercises.

Happy New Year

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

ABLE FLIGHT

ABLE FLIGHT PILOTS GIVE BACK WITH FREEDOM FLIGHT 2011

When Able Flight makes it possible for people with disabilities to become pilots, it asks one thing of them in return: Find a way to help others.

Another chapter

I am all registered and signed up for several of my college classes. This friday I take my math placement test. I know, get lots of sleep and have a good breakfast. :) I also received a new pair-o-glasses today. They are an updated prescription with prisms that will help align my double vision and my eyes SHOULD accept the change. Only time will tell. Its a good thing I have a lot of it.

Driver Trainig_Update

Yup. more training. That ok. I wasn't ready for Daytona anyways!

All Clear

Today I went to the local VA and saw an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. He gave me the go-ahead to start speech therapy. Any damage is most likely neurological and will improve over time with a lot of practice. Tomorrow I have driver training at the VA, wish me luck. I also went out on the walker the other day and walked over 400 feet. Between all of that plus my regular therapy (Rehab Without Walls), I stay busy. The only way is up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Veterans Day

Slow and Steady wins the race.

I ordered an electric w/c today. A power chair will help me get to the nearby college campus as well as make independent trips to the grocery store (ect) a possibility. This will not replace my manual w/c or walker. It will simply be added to my arsenal of weapons. I also got an updated set of glasses. My daily appointments at the gym, medical center, or VA are showing a high benefit! Others, including family members, have noticed major gains in my road to recovery.

Yup, Its Official!

I am writing this from my "command station" within San Ramon, CA. Today, my internet and cable was hooked up! This is starting to feel like home.

On a more important note, on Monday I saw my first set of appointments at the VA. I met my Primary Care Physician and established several appointments, including Ophthalmology and Driver Rehabilitation.

I also went to a local gym, Club Sport, and worked out for an hour and a half with a personal trainer. We focused on quality, verses quantity. That is a very BIG indicator that we are going down the right road.

Tonight, I also attended the Dougherty Valley/San Ramon Rotary Club Weekly Meeting. What a great group of people that truly want to help!

The California Freedom Tour - 2010

Click HERE

Safeway Grocery Delivery

Safeway delivers groceries. Click HERE.

Air Compassion for Veterans

Air Compassion for Veterans provides wounded troops and their families with free air transportation to hospitals and treatment centers.

'To Infinity and Beyond!'

Status Report: Everything is going great! I have an appointment with the VA to assign me a Dr., as well as conduct a driver evaluation. I will be meeting with a financial planner and recieving some legal advice on various matters. I am getting a membership to a gym, investigatinng the possibilty of an adaptive vehicle (pending driver training results), and getting measurements for a motorized wheelchair that will make quick trips to the store a lot less cumbersome.

Calm Before the Storm

Last night I met some of my Sentinels of Freedom team members at dinner. This morning I went to a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony as well as had a lunch meeting with several of my SoF Team members. I also toured my new apartment...I will move in around the 20th of this month.

Arrived CA

I have arrived in California and I met Mike Conklin, Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation President and CEO, as well as Carla Goulart, San Ramon Team Leader and the Development Director of the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation. Later this evening I will meet my team.

Bags are packed

Tomorrow the movers come and Friday morning I bored a plane for CA.

Sentinels of Freedom

You CAN go that extra mile. Now you know that someone will catch you if you fall.

Setting up your "On Screen Keyboard"

Click HERE

California Freedom Tour

I am going to do it. Click HERE for details.

I did four hours on the stationary bike today as part of my ramp up. Although, training began 28 years ago.

TSA's Injured Military Program

CLICK HERE

Some Ideas

Something I wrote a little over a year ago. Bits of information I picked up along the way. Please disregard the grammatical or punctuation errors.

I hope it helps!

Some of these tips you may not need but they are included just in case you should need them. Yes, life may be a bit different or “tougher” than what you were used to but there is always a way to make it work. “We have to stumble and crawl before we can walk.”

General

• Get a Theraband put on your bed frame or an area that you frequent
• Tap lights for quick and easy illumination in low lit areas (on night stand, in closet, ect)
• Must change your diet to the more “healthier” option. You may be less active now and thus burn less calories
• Give yourself more time for most things (30 min is now 45-60 min)
• More than fifty percent of your brain is made up of water, so stay hydrated
• Nutrition shakes are handy to have available, grab and go
• Protein supplement shakes help rebuild and replace vital chemicals used during physical activity
• Physical activity not only increases the amount of oxygen to the brain, it helps release a larger amount of endorphins and helps keep joints and muscles in working order
• Physical activity is like adding oil to a rusty hinge.

Medication

• Put morning medication and a bottle of liquid by your bed or in a visible location for those mornings you just need more sleep
• Carry your noon or p.m. meds with you, you never know where you’ll be
• Set alarm for your meds so you never miss them
• Know how to read and order med refills

Morning/Evening Routine

• Use an electric toothbrush and floss (floss sticks), keep that smile pearly white. Just because your appearance may be different then it was or you move around in a certain way now doesn't mean you should let yourself go. Don’t forget the mouthwash!
• Brush your teeth in the shower when possible, may save you some time
• Use aerosol deodorant. The store may not have the most popular brands, but it is better then the alternative
• For the men, buy and use an electric razor, may save a few minutes needed elsewhere
• Have a fog-less mirror in the shower (attach via suction cups)
• Utilize a shower bench for stability
• Also use a shower wand and have a shower wand holder easily accessible
• Use a “puff ball” and an extender (for your back) when in the shower to ensure every square inch and nook and cranny is cleaned
• A shower caddy is a great product to use to keep your essentials (shampoo, a tooth brush, puff ball, ect) all in one easy to find location
• Try to find a shampoo with conditioner in it. This will save the space of the caddy and help shave off a couple seconds
• Move some of your morning routine to the night if time allows, this may save you valuable minutes in the morning
• Put your clothes (shoes, socks, pants, poss. jacket and/or sweatshirt included) out the night before, best to check the weather forecast too
• Out of sight may = out of mind, Put something needed or required for tomorrow (forms, paperwork,ect) out on the coffee table or in plain sight

Electronic

• Have a way to move and store/share documents from a computer to a media device. This will stop you from having to carry around a hard copy (printout, ect) all day.
• A multi media/mini storage device is a great thing to carry around. It can save all your important data while being used as a compensatory device.Apple’s iPhone comes “out of the box” w/ several very useful features such as:
• Camera-pics of things or people you need/want to remember (parking spot)
• ipod-hours of entertainment
• Weather Forecast-lets you know what to expect each week
• Calender-can save meetings, appointments, birthdays, ect and set reminders
• Maps w/ GPS-always know where at and where your going
• Clock-set certain alarms (meds, meetings)
• Notes-self explanatory
• Contacts-Save all of the contact information you need (can save each contact “cards” with a person’s picture to easily identify them, you can also construct categories that you can use to group people)
• Internet-what can’t you use this for?, Wait...don’t answer that.
• Commonly found phone features (text, email, bluetooth, ect)
• Applications can also be downloaded from the internet/iTunes;
• Darkroom-Help you take a more steady picture
• Weatherbug-Know the most current weather conditions
• WiFinder-Fnd-All the hotspots that area within your range
• MobileNews-Get the latest stories and you can send or save them too
• Countdown-Helps you remember the important dates and how much time you have remaining or how much time has passed since one has occurred
• iTalk-Voice recorder that lets you take verbal notes on the go
• iProcrstinate-A task manager, set categories and your “To Do” list
• Games such as “IQ Boost” and “Brain Tuner” to enhance your mental strength or simply improve your already existing capabilities, don’t forget Uno or Monopoly...just for fun.
• Air Sharing-Xfer electronic documents from your computer to you iphone (eg: exercises, menus, manuals, ect)
• Around Me/Where-Find business you need
• Grocery IQ-Keep your list up to date and with you
• Faces Lite-Can’t remember a person’s name but remember their pic you took to help you remember? Easily link their photo to their contact info to make your info easier to sift through.
• Save all emails (important ones) in a digital folder for easy retrieval, place a shortcut on your computer's desktop so the folder is just one click away and easy to find.
• On your computer, make “bookmarks” for your most commonly visited websites
• Bluetooth communication device-gives you an extra hand while your on the phone

Closing note: You learned things once before, you can re-learn them.

**My Ryan disclaimer - I have no official medical background and the above information was either noted to work in certain cases or it was passed to me by a medical professional**

Go West, Young Man.....

After much thought and an in depth Pros/Cons list, I came to the following conclusion: I need to move to CA. Within the next 60 +/- days I am moving, yet again. Although the Sentinels of Freedom team and the community was great in League City, I weighed my priorities and family came out on top. Plan for your future, not just for tomorrow. I do also know that I can make it on my own and maintain a positive attitude.

Fresh Air!

A key on your Road to Recovery: Bike Riding

Freedom!
You are free to make your own decisions and rules.

Don't have a leg or both legs? Try a Hand Crank Bike or Trike.

- Ride through your neighborhood, a local park, or a high-school track (my favorite) (4x laps = 1 mile)
- A home based stationary bike planted in front of the window or the TV
- A stationary bike at a local gym
*Don't have a stationary bike or a gym near you? Stalk the yard sales, search the classifieds, or hunt online.

Improves the following:

Physical Fitness through a physical activity
- Your body is now a rusty gate. Keeping your body flexing and bending is like putting oil on that creaky hinge.

- Now that you may be less active, riding may be a good way to burn calories.
Mental Alertness
- Free thinking. Plan your route. Check and prepare for the weather conditions. sun screen, rain jacket, or a thermal shirt? Are you prepared with a snack, water (protein drink), cell phone w/ important numbers pre loaded, small medical supplies, hmmm...what else.
Oxygen Intake
- Red Blood cells are responsible for healing. They feed on oxygen. Huffing and Puffing may help build their numbers.

Three wheel bike retail stores and manufactures can be easily found online. A local bike shop may also carry a desired model. My advice: Look online to gather ideas, prices, ect. Purchase your Trike at a local bike shop.

*I am obviously not a Dr. But I should be, any takers?* :)

Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital

Click here

These images are from back in early 2008. This was my first stop in my US tour.

HFOT

I have been accepted into the Homes For Our Troops program and construction should begin in early 2011.

TASP - June '10

TASP=Telluride Adaptive Sports Program

www.tellurideadaptivesports.org

TELLURIDE, COLORADO

Pool Therapy

Pool Therapy