Kevin McDermott .org

 I remember the moment I came home to the newly renovated house done by Vinny Muldoon and his crew.  I was not thrilled that I was the reason the house had to be changed.  I was not happy I needed constant help.  I did not want my accident to be the center of all conversations.  There was a lot of “I don’t want this” going on, and as time went on I realized how much of a positive impact I was having on people and people having on me.  My home is beautiful, and the amount of work put in to it is incredible.  People are constantly showing my family and I so much support by sending letters or stopping by to hang out.  I have learned what it means to be generous and compassionate.  Donating your time to be with someone is the biggest deal to me.  People I have made relationships with while working at Cherry Valley CC have made a profound impact on me.  I can truly say I have become a better person because of this accident, and I am glad I have found that out earlier on in my life.  That being said, I’d like to be back to the way I was, physically.      

 I am closing in on one year after my unfortunate accident, and can truthfully say I am on my way to a bright recovery.  There was a lot of talk and personal doubt whether or not I would be able to continue with progress.  However, taking things literally one day at a time is the only way to go about it.  75% of the days leading up till now I have thought about what my future may look like, and for those few moments throughout the day I became worried and upset.  The only way to stop worrying about it was to get up out of my chair and workout.  There is absolutely no substitute for working hard at physical therapy.  My family and friends have helped me mentally and emotionally in order to get to where I am today. 

 I am still driving up to Burke Rehabilitation Outpatient on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  The days consist of pool therapy for an hour with my therapists Jill and Padema.  In the pool, I sit in a normal chair and put resistance paddles of my hands to start off, which helps break up the stiffness in my muscles.  This loosens my body up so I can get ready to walk in the pool.  Since the right side of my body has been progressing much slower than the left, the therapists will help advance my leg for me.  After the pool, I have about an hour and half of free time before my next appointment where I will get on the automatic bicycle and do as much standing as I can to get ready for physical therapy.  My physical therapist, Marie, may be the toughest therapist of all time.  I am glad she does not care if I am tired of standing up.  I am glad she points out all the things I do wrong.  I am glad she talks back to me when I get upset at her for pushing me too hard.  Without her, there is no chance I am where I am today, and where I will be in the near future.  We work hard on parallel bars, going up and down stairs, and walking with a heavy walker with wheels.  After physical therapy I have a break, where I am usually eating my lunch while on an FES bike for an hour.  This is a bike that sends electrical stimulation into my legs, back, and abs in order to keep the muscles toned.  After break is up,  I head over to occupational therapy to work with Karina and Janette for the final hour.  This tends to be the last thing I want to do.  I am pretty tired at this time, but the way I look at it is that it’s another hour of hard work that will get me to where I want to be.  It has to get done no matter what. 

 It is almost July 4^th weekend, and I am looking forward to celebrate that I am alive.  Without God looking over me while lying in that pool and having friends that knew exactly what to do, I wouldn’t be here and that was the first miracle.  I have talked to a few grades at St. Anne’s and one of the students asked me, “If miracles happen, why can’t you walk?”  We all need to realize that miracles sometimes do not happen right away.  God has given me the strength and support system to continue to work hard to get back to 100%.  That is the miracle; that I’ve been given the opportunity to get back to where I once was.  I will and have been taking full advantage of that.   I have a ramp that wraps around the back of my house, and is perfect for arm support while I am standing.  The other day, I asked my dad to watch me while I tried to take some steps.  One thing led to another, and I was able to walk down the ramp completely by myself.  That was a pretty big moment for me.  I usually only take steps with the help of a therapist, but I was able to do it alone.  My right side is starting to come along, and I really hope it gets to be as strong as the left.  In the meantime, I spend a lot of time outside of therapy with friends and trying to get outside of the house whenever I can.

 I am amazed at the amount of mental and financial support from close friends and people that I have never heard of. This accident has shown my family and I what it means to be a good person.  I thought I was a nice guy before, but I was far from it after experiencing the incredible generosity of the human spirit.  This has definitely made me a better person, more patient and understanding that everyone goes through something in life.  I understand I was only given a 2% chance to move anything below the level of my injury, but muscles have been coming back, and nerves are regenerating.  Family, friends, and my faith are the reasons why I have had a positive attitude throughout the process.