They Call Me Galvez

My last rehab session at the Challenge Center got me thinking… dangerous stuff, hee hee… I told them that I’m going on a surf trip to Santa Barbara in Sept with First Descents. We re-visted some of my original PT goals from when I first started going there… I wanted to jump, surf, and run.  I’m much closer to those goals then when I first started.  We practiced jumping off and on a box (with A LOT OF HELP), simulated surfing on a board with two balance disks underneath, and we tried running with two people (I can walk, but never tried “running” with two people.)

Jumping definitely got me thinking.  My fast twitch muscle fibers have not been stimulated in quite some time!  The first few jumps were awkward.  I def felt like I was favoring my right leg to “take off”.  Landing is exciting…

The Surfing Simulation on the disks made me realize that in a effort to maintain my balance my ankle righting strategy is completely turned off or extremely understimulated.  I consistently lose my balance posteriorly.  It seems like I completely turn off the gastroc/soleous complex (calf muscles) to control the ataxia.  This probably causes me to lean backwards.  I suspect the ataxia in the L LEand loss of proprioception in the L LE contribute to this impairment.

With running, I need to establish a “flight stage”.  This is complicated by the fact that I still have ataxia in my left leg and my ankle righting strategy is impaired.  To establish a flight stage, there should be no “heel strike” requiring me to be on my gastroc/soleous complex… see problem above.

Things are becoming more clear… rehab is becoming more defined…  I’m in MI right now for the annual TUMORS SUCK! Paintball Benefit.  This year, we are trying something new a benefit dinner before the event. Should be pretty fun.

THE 2011 TUMORS SUCK PAINTBALL BENEFIT is August 6, 2011.

check out this video from the 2009 benefit

Man Fighting Back after Brain Tumor: MyFoxDETROIT.com

That was one of my first videos.  Another birthday has come and gone.  It’s kinda funny, birthdays mean a little bit more to me now.  I celebrate two important “birthdays”, July 14 – the day the laidback and carefree “Galvez” was born, and October 25 – the day I was re-born as my alter-ego Dr. Galvez, the mAss Kicker. My view on birthdays has evolved.  As a kid it was all about getting toys/presents and having a big party.  In high school, it was all about trying to act like a “grown up.”  In my early young adulthood, it was all about partying and feeling horrible the next day! I’ve learned my lessons. Now, I’d rather just hangout with friends and enjoy their company.  I figured out that I don’t need alcohol to act stooopid and have a good time!  I’m pretty “goofy” by nature… hee hee.  Yesterday, I met some new friends and found a new type of music that I’m starting to like… Island Reggae.  I got to meet NFL pro-bowler, Junior Seau and the band played Three Little Birds for me!  There is definitely a sense of family in that community!

Anyways, it seems like things are getting much busier.  I’m learning to navigate in the nonprofit and business community here in San Diego!  It has been very interesting, but overwhelming at times.  I’m learning on the fly, which can be frustrating, but once I figure out how things work… look out!  I admire so many other tumor/cancer organizations.  mAss Kickers Foundation (MKF) is taking a different approach to survivorship.  I think that survivors can LEAD THE WAR on all tumors/cancer.  A more efficient strategy needs to be formed in this war.  We are dealing with very complicated diseases.   I think we can manage them.  Instead of searching for “an absolute cure”, we need to USE the K.U.R.E. MKF is not quite on the level of other nonprofits yet, but we will be making the jump from “JV” to “Varsity” soon!  MKF just launched a new group blog.  There will be some interesting perspectives on survivorship!  CHECK IT OUT! We have our paintball benefit coming up in August in Michigan.  Two cool new mAss Kickers Foundation events in San Diego are in the works.  They will be very unique!  It should be very interesting.  I can’t wait to share them!  STAY TUNED!

Things are really starting to pick up!  It has me a little worried though because I feel like I’m not focusing on my own personal rehabilitation as much as I should… I wish there were more hours in a day!