Peter David's Blog, page 72

Went bowling yesterday

God, what a fiasco that was.

Every so often, patients here are selected to go on an outing. As it so happens, an outing was arranged yesterday to go to a bowling alley. I really was not sure what to expect. As it turned out, I rolled a princely 87. That’s right. An 87. My problem, of course, was that my approach was for crap. There was a young man named Robert whose job it was to follow directly behind me and hold on to the back of my shirt to make sure that I didn’t fall. He certainly had his work cut out for him. It was one hell of an adventure on every throw. They had the bumpers up, and all too often my ball skittered to the left, ricocheted off the bumper and skidded across the alley. Not one of my better outings, to put it mildly.

PAD

Going home early

I am happy to report that the folks here at Brooks are so satisfied with my progress that they’re sending me home early. I was originally scheduled to leave on February 15, but I’ve been blowing through the program so quickly that they feel comfortable with sending me home a week early. The downside of this is that Kathleen suddenly has barely a week to prepare everything for my return. And since she’s in the midst of having major neck pains, it’s not going to be an easy endeavor for her. I have every confidence in her, however, that she’ll be able to do it.

PAD

It looks like we’re back

Whoever it was that decided to attack my website with malware, very stylish and ill-timed. If I ever have the opportunity to return the favor, rest assured that I will not hesitate. Thank you again to Glenn for working several days straight to repair the damage to the site.

And while I’m thanking people, I should also toss out thanks to my father-in-law, Donald O Shea. He was the one who suggested the Dragon dictation program and sent me a copy to install to my computer. It’s been tremendously helpful.

Today is my quietest day. No classes on walking or grasping with my right hand. Sunday is usually a very peaceful day, and the high point should be watching bowling at noon. Looking forward to it.

Oh, and if you have not checked it out yet, swing by the Barnes and Noble website where my favorite book of mine, Tigerheart, is currently ranked number four on the e-book bestseller list.

PAD

What my day is like

My days have settled into a daily routine. In the morning I typically undergo some manner of psychological evaluation or speech therapy. At 10 o’clock I enter operational therapy, which mostly has to do with bringing my right arm back to its previously more useful state. Next is a lecture about some aspect of what I have had to endure. That brings us to noon, when lunch is served. 1 o’clock kicks off physical therapy in which the team of therapists works on reviving my right leg. After that is either a detailed endeavor working on my right hand, or else swim therapy. Then I have off for the rest of the day.

So that’s my life, and will continue so until, at this point, February 15 when I finally get to go home.

Oh! I should also mention that I am not typing this with my fingers. I have been making extensive use of the Dragon dictation program. It has been extremely useful and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

PAD

The Weekly Peter Update: Update #2

On Tuesday I get an update on Peter from the rehabilitation center. So on Wednesday I plan to give a general update on Peter’s site so people can have an idea on how he is doing. Some of this is going to be taking information already given and putting it in one place for people who want to read it. I did a version of this last week so I am calling this the second update.

He is improving his ability to walk each day. He has walked both forwards and the much more difficult backwards. He is going a little further every day. Doesn’t mean he will be running marathons anytime soon but he can get from one point to another within say the house safely. He is working to get his right leg to cooperate with the signals that are coming from his brain. They are working with him and his gait so he is walking correctly and not listing to one side or the other nor throwing a leg out so that he will not injure either hips or his knee. I have seen video and it is a lot of work for him to be able to walk correctly but he can walk for short distances and I am cheering for every step.

They tested him on steps and say that he can navigate a few steps with some assistance for safety. That is a big step towards getting him home since all the entrances to our home have steps. He will continue to work on steps to make it safer for him when he gets home.

The arm is taking a little long to catch up with the leg. There were some complications that made it harder for him to work with the right arm. Nothing life threatening, just doggone inconvenient. He can move the fingers on his right hand and open and close the hand. The elbow seems to be bouncing back as well. He is working with Dragon Dictate to write and it is working rather well for him since typing is very difficult at this point in his rehab. He is writing and getting work done in a timely fashion, which is a big thing in my book.

The right eye still has the double vision. It is improving but it is a very slow process. They have come up with ways for him to deal with it. We will be addressing it when he gets home if they haven’t solved it there.

He has been cleared for aqua therapy, which he is very happy about. Gives him a chance to work out in the pool which he has always enjoyed doing. Each step is a step towards home.

He has been back online and has been reading your good wishes and thoughts. I have sent him the first batch of cards, which will be getting to him probably today since Monday was a no post day here in the US. He will be showing up from time to time both on twitter and here. But his focus is on his rehab and getting himself back home in a timely fashion.

Thank you again for getting the word out on the Internet. Every little bit helps believe me on that fact.

Short version is that he is getting better each day but he still has quite a long way to go.

Thank you everyone.

Kath

Hi. It’s me

First of all, I want to thank my lovely wife for filling in so far. She’s done a terrific job.

Second, I think it is amazing to see the outpouring of support and good wishes for my recovery. I never expected anything like this to happen to me. Who would? Nevertheless, I’m down here in Jacksonville at a hospital that specializes in putting people like me back together again. Every day is filled with all types of physical therapy dedicated to enabling the right side of my body to converse with the left side once more. I have no idea what to expect of my physical abilities the day I walk out of here (or get wheeled out of here) in mid-February. But I am certainly hoping for the best.

Saturday and Sunday are generally very quiet days. Gives me time to work and to reflect upon everything I’m dealing with. This is unlike anything I have ever had to handle in my life. There are days that I really don’t want to think about what I have to face. But I feel like it’s my job to keep as positive an attitude going as is humanly possible. I owe that to my family and friends.

Thank you for all your support.

PAD

Three Weeks Ago

Our lives were turned upside down. We rushed Peter to the hospital because he had lost the use of his right hand and his right leg wasn’t doing what he wanted it to do. The first couple of days were concentrated on stabilizing Peter and preventing some thing worse to happen. By New Years Eve, he was pretty much stabilized and the damage was done. On almost the stroke of midnight, he was able to close his fingers around Ariel’s hand and the road to recovery had started.

He spent the first week in a hospital as they tried to get his body to do what it needed to do so he could live. There were ups and downs, triumphs and tragedy, laughter and tears. The tears ran the gambit of sadness, rage, loss, joy, happiness, and love. It was a rather emotional week for the Davids.

These past two weeks he has been in a rehab facility working on getting back what he had lost in a very short period of time. He has gone from not being able to walk at all to walking for short times with minimal assistance. His hand has gone from only being able to close to having the ability to both close and open. His face looks like his face. His speech is pretty much where it always had been unless he gets very tired.

We have gotten him tools so he can work again. He is using Dragon Dictate to get things down and I have been editing and formatting things that DD doesn’t do. He is writing and working on a number of projects that he was working on before the stroke. He is getting himself back up to speed on things. And I think it has helped him to be able to work and get stuff from his brain to the page.

We now have a tentative release date that we are all working towards. There is a lot to be done on my end as well as his to make sure we can continue the forward progress that Peter has made. Some of this is still up in the air because Peter’s body is still sorting out what it can do. The more he can do, the less I will have to do to adapt the house for his comfort and safety.

So I am home and dependent on others to tell me how my husband is doing. I get all my questions answered and the relevant health details on how he is doing in a timely fashion. Caroline talks to Peter by Facetime at least once a day. I talk, e-mail, and text with him through out the day about various things so he can feel connected to what is going on here. Shana has been a rock through out all this and a good daughter for taking care of her father. I don’t think I would have returned here if I didn’t have Shana there to help him.

This week has been a little harder for me than last week was. Settling back into the swing of things here has been a bit bumpy but nothing I can’t handle. I am use to just having Peter around. If something comes to mind, I use to just go to the office and talk to him. Now it is a series of steps to get information to him and from him. But I am coping and Caroline is coping with her daddy so far away.

This weekend I plan to sit down and write out what I know I need to do before Peter comes home and next week I will start on the list of things that must be done. As I learn what Peter is going to need, I will add or subtract from that list as needed.

Three weeks ago I was terrified that I was going to lose my husband. Three weeks later I am making plans for him to come home. It is a much better feeling believe me.

I am grateful to the team that is helping Peter get back home to us

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Sometimes It is the Little Things in Life

PETER UPDATE:

They have him working on a treadmill with some assistance. They are working on strengthening the right leg so he can walk on his own again. They are working on strengthening the grip of his right hand.

Yesterday he was able to go on a short outing to a bookstore, which was a big move forward and really good for him. Peter and I go to either a bookstore or comic books store pretty much once a week. He hasn’t been in either for almost a month, which is highly unusual. He said he enjoyed it and was glad to get out of the rehab even for just an hour or so.

We talk to him several times a day and communicate through text and e-mail. It is hard because I want to be with him but I know that he is in the best place for him to get himself back together and come home to us. He is up on Caroline’s day to day life. Peter and I are working together on several projects. I am being his editor and proofreader.

In other Peter news, X-Factor 250 hit the shelves yesterday. This is the beginning of his “H–l on Earth” story line and a great jumping in point. So I encourage you to pick up a copy, read it, and next Monday I will be posting a post for a discussion of the issue.

THE REST OF THE ENTRY:

Today we get our Christmas presents and other things I had to leave at my folks because I couldn’t bring it all back with me. We were in a car so I didn’t pack like I was going to be taking an airplane home. This weekend will be about unpacking and putting things away.

I was rather productive yesterday. I went and did my volunteer job at Caroline’s school. I help out in the library with whatever they need me to do. Since some of my first jobs were at a college library in both the reference section and collection management, my skills are well suited for library work. Then I did a short stint at the gym. I came home and dealt with paperwork, e-mail, and editing until Caroline came home. I am hoping that today is just as productive.

Peter threw me a curve with something I need to figure out for Headcases. It is not impossible but it is a challenge. (Hey Chip, if you are reading this, can you get in touch with me? I have a special effect that I need your input on. E-mail is the same as before.)

We found out that Gordon Lee who owned Legends Comics in Rome Georgia passed away. Gordon was one of those people who Peter and I called mutual friend. We both knew him before we started dating each other. My sympathies to his friends and family. Gordon was someone who wouldn’t back down from a fight when he knew he was in the right. The CBLDF helped him with various 1st amendment issues over the years. He and his passion about the first amendment will be missed by many.

Well I am off to deal with whatever I need to deal with next. I have a little list that is getting longer by the day. But I am dealing with it and that is a good thing. Over all I am doing OK. Not perfect but I am still able to function and get done what needs to be done in a timely fashion.

I am grateful that Peter got to get out of the hospital even for a little while.

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Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

But it was a baby step so not too bad.

UPDATE ON PETER:

We had mostly good news from his recovery team with only one what I am hoping is small set back. He has made vast improvements in a week and the team is feeling very positive about the next couple of weeks. We also have a tentative date when he might be coming home. This is only tentative and may change depending on so many different things but at least there is a date in sight and we have an idea of what is next for him.

Now I need some recommendations of places for outpatient therapy for stroke victims out in Suffolk Country Long Island. So if anyone has any recommendations or someone that might be able to help, you can write to me at puppetmaker (at) gmail (dot) com or comment here. I want to get those ducks in a row before he comes home since a lot of paper work needs to be done.

There is a new “how to help Peter” entry at Peter’s web site (www.peterdavid.net) which includes a donate button that we are working with Hero Initiative to donate to the cause. The Hero Initiative has been so helpful through all this. We can’t thank them enough for all they have done and are doing.

THE REST OF THE ENTRY (which may or may not have to do with Peter but probably will):

Today I am going to my Kung-fu class for the first time in a while. I am looking forward to it because I have missed it but am concerned that if I unwind, I am going to just lose it. I figure either way, it will be good for me to do and I have a great Sifu.

Caroline’s busy calendar keeps going. She is happy to be back in the mix of the familiar. She has friends to talk to in school. And she made it into band this term which she really wanted to do.

It is the little things I am starting to notice. Now that we have had the big wave of coming home and sorting things out (I spent a good long time on the phone about various things yesterday), I start to notice things like that the ice cube trays are staying full. Milk and other food staples are sticking around longer. One less person eating in a house does reduce the amount of food that needs to be bought. Laundry is just the two of us and Caroline’s clothes just don’t take up that much space in the washer. There is a Peter sized hole in the house and we need him back to fill it.

I know when he does get back, things are going to be very different. Right now we are sorting out how different and what is going to have to change here so he can safely live here. It is the beginning of a journey at the conclusion of another.

I am grateful for any information I can find that can help Peter.

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How You Can Help Peter David Recover

Peter David, writer of stuff and host of this site, suffered a stroke on December 29. Here’s how you can help.

To recap: Peter had a stroke while vacationing with his family in Florida. He’s currently recuperating in a facility in Jacksonville until he’s well enough to travel home. Even though Peter has health insurance, there are co-pays and the like, and since this stroke fell at the end of the year, there are all new co-pays to deal with, and there are things that the insurance company just won’t cover. So we are at the beginning of what is going to be a very expensive year.

Many people have asked how you can help. First: THANK YOU. Here’s how.

The most direct way is to buy his e-books from Crazy 8 Press (via ComicMix) or from Amazon or Barnes and Noble websites. These are books that he gets the money from directly and the most per book. The quickest and most money is buying the EPub versions from ComicMix, by the way. The more we sell of these books, the easier it will be for us to pay the bills as they start to pour in. All the books are in the sidebar.

Buying his other books does help– especially the Marvel graphic novels he has written. The Crazy 8 books are the most immediate help but all his writings do help the family and the family’s ability to pay bills. If you buy via Amazon, please use this link, which will bring in even more funds.

Buy X-Factor. Put it on your pull list at your local comic book store. Encourage others to do the same. Peter is still writing it and will continue to write it. Issue 250 ships on Jan 15th, 2012 (today) and is a great jumping on point for both X-factor and something Peter has been working on in the Marvel Universe since his Hulk days.

If you’d like to donate directly, we’re working with the Hero Initiative to accept donations. All your donations made through this button will be earmarked to help Peter out, and are tax-deductible.

And of course, you can still help us a lot by getting word out all over the Internet about how they can help Peter. We are asking every blogger and people who have access to an audience to spread the word. Feel free to use the sharing buttons at the bottom of this post.

We’ll continue to post on Peter’s progress on the weblog, so come back often or subscribe. We’re also working with Crazy 8 Press on speeding up the process of making Peter’s backlist available for sale, check back as we add more items that have been long out of print.

There will also be some auction announcements which will be added to this post closer to the time that they are ready to go.

Peter and I really appreciate the support and help that you all have been. We have talked a number of times about how this outpouring of admiration and appreciation has given us solace in some pretty dark times.

I am asking again to help us get the word out so I can help Peter get home and back to his new normal life whatever that might be.

Thank you all,

Kath