A Visit to my Old Rehab and The Mountains

Sorry for the gap in my story, I was so busy yesterday and by time I got home I just knocked out! Let me explain my day here...

First I had to go to Riverside for a doctor's appointment. Getting there took a while since those two officers were shot (one of which unfortunately died) on the street in front of my clinic so that road was closed down. There were police officers everywhere and news vans from every station there is and more crammed at the corner trying to do their story. It was weird seeing all that commotion and then walking inside to see that very scene on the TV. My doctor was running late so I waited an extra 40 minutes and then just canceled my visit, I see him next week before my infusion anyways, and don't have much to talk about so yeah, that was a waste of time.

Next we ran back to Moreno Valley to pick up a picture for my therapists and then we drove over to Loma Linda to visit East Campus, my old rehab. It has been one year and man did it feel weird... We walked around to the back, past my old rooms, past the gym, down the halls I had learned to take small steps in, and we talked to one of my old nurses at the desk. Everyone remembered me because “I was such a good patient” as they said. They showed me to the back room where my three main therapists were. It was nice to see them as a non-patient and while standing on my own two feet without a cane even! We talked a little, took a group photo, and then I let them go out for their lunch. It was nice, except hearing the chirp of their pagers, that ringtone gives me Vietnam-Style flashbacks haha!

When I got home I ate and then met up with an old friend/co-worker to go to Forest Falls! I didn't know what to expect as I never thought I would even go on a trail again let alone a small hike but obviously I made it up Mt. Rubidoux so who knew how this would go! There was a bit of unmelted snow along the sides of the road and the mountain peeks were still white so it was cold but not too cold. We had to buy a parking pass so I ran into the little market up there and as I was standing in line I was watching the small TV in the corner of the shop. Something about “Breaking News”, it was about the manhunt going on (for the guy who is picking off police officers), and I was watching a helicopter fly around, I thought “hmmm, that area looks familiar...” oh yeah, it should, it's where I was. Just my luck! The hunt had moved to Big Bear where they found his burning car. Well, I was already there, so we headed for our walk/hike. First we went up to see the waterfall, I felt a tad unsteady, but I was ok. Then we walked around the stream and I practiced taking pictures. Then I though “you know what? I am going to go for it”. I wanted to stand in a particular spot where I had taken a photo a couple years ago. I have it up on my wall as a motivational dream poster and I honestly thought I would never stand there again. I did. I stepped knee deep into a hole in the water but hey, I still did it and it felt pretty good.

After a few more pictures it started getting really cold as the sun was going down (plus that helicopter was circling us) so we decided it was time to leave. I grabbed a few rocks for my fish tank and we left! As I said I got home, ate a snack, and fell asleep without even eating dinner, what a busy day! I feel kind of tired today but I think that is more from oversleeping and the weather, it's a rainy cloudy day, it even snowed a little! That has not happened for years! Crazy desert weather! Watch, tomorrow will be hot, that's how it goes here... Overall it was a good day, I was told I wouldn't do that again, but I did, major prediction fail by “MS Specialist” Dr. Sagert. If I had listened to her I would not be on Tysabri and I would still be in and out of a wheelchair.