Ride the Divide

Justin here...  We took Christian out to a movie called "Ride the Divide" on Tuesday evening at Brewvies.  All went off without a hitch!  Ride the Divide is about a mountain bike race from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide.  Total length of the race is 2,700 miles +/-.  They started in June and finished in July/August.  Most of the group actually dropped out and didn't finish, but 6 (or 7, I forget exactly) of them went the full distance.  One guy, the winner, finished for his 5th time and has since finished this race a 6th time.  The guy's a true FREAK OF NATURE!  There is no race support, everyone is on their own, so if there's a problem, breakdown, loss of direction, etc. you're all by yourself to figure it out.  Some travel in groups, but others travel alone for the duration.  Since the racers carry all their own gear, they can only carry enough food and water for a couple of days.  At times they're without food and water until they can get to the next small town with a grocery or convenience store and re-supply.  100 people have tried this race/route and only 40 have completed it.  Cool movie, would recommend you all go see it (you can purchase it on Blu-Ray too I think). 

For those that know Christian well, can you imagine him doing this race?  I know I can :-)!

Mike Dion, Ride the Divide Racer, Red Meadow Pass, MT.

New Wheels

  

            Shoulders and core muscles are now strong enough so Chris can take advantage of a new wheel chair with a lower back.  Less chair means it's lighter and more maneuverable.  All good. 

            Monday afternoon after PT we loaded into the car and drove up to Buckner Company for a surprise visit.    Christian works with a fabulous group of professionals.  Our planned few minutes of visit turned into more than an hour but it was sure worth it and wonderful to see caring coworkers and friends.   We'll be back!

            Here is video recorded today (29-Sept-2010).  Pretty good progress with walking; smoother, farther, less huffing and puffing.  

      

            Thanks to those who have taken time to come by.  Christian is fortunate to have great friends supporting.  It means a lot.  We feel your faith and prayers for us.  Thank you. 

With the help of IMC physical therapists, Misty and Brad, Christian prepares to negotiate the stairs. (29-Sept-2010)

JAILBREAK!!!!

Justin, Christian's brother here.  Mom let the cat out of the bag that I've been the man behind the curtain on most of the posts.  Not that I was trying to remain anonymous, but didn't really figure it was that big a deal who was writing, only that you all were getting the details you wanted and needed :-).

Christian and I spent Friday evening together and we went on quite an adventure!  I arrived about 5:30pm to spend the evening and first night shift (8:30pm - 2:30am) with Chris so that Jessi could go to Park City for some R&R and to run a 10K race in the MUD on Saturday (I forget the name of the race at the moment).  Chris and I had talked earlier in the week about maybe trying to get out of the hospital for dinner or a movie, and when I arrived Chris was excited to go.  We transferred him from bed to wheelchair, grabbed a few essentials and headed for the car.  Spencer, Dad and I were able to practice car transfers (from wheelchair to car and back) with Christian earlier in the week, supervised by the PT staff.  It's actually quite easy getting in and out of the car.  Christian does most of the work and I just give a little help with balance.

Once in the car, we headed for Olive Garden at Fashion Place Mall as Chris was in the mood for pasta.  We didn't even get off the IMC campus onto 5300 South when Chris felt like he may have to go #1 :-).  I replied that this would be no problem, we could just pull into a parking lot on the way and take care of business.  We got onto 5300 South, then turned South on State Street when Chris stated that he thought we may need to turn around altogether.  It appeared that the urge to go #1, had quickly turned into the urge to go #2 and we didn't have the proper essentials to take care of that in a parking lot along State Street :-).  We flipped around, headed back to IMC, transferred to the chair, rode the elevator up to floor 12, rolled back to 1216, buzzed the nurse and took care of business!  That took about 30 minutes.  I thought Christian may have been a little deflated, not to mention tired, after that so suggested we could just do dinner in the cafeteria downstairs, but he was still game for a trip outside the hospital, so we headed for the car again.

We didn't get to Olive Garden until just before 7:00pm and it was a ZOO!  Quick change of plans and we headed to Macaroni Grille across the street.  Christian had the Pasta Milano and I had the Sausage Salentino, preceded by some bread dipped in oil, vinegar & pepper.  I have to say that I pretty quickly mastered the "two fork" way of eating dinner.  I used an alternating bite method, one for Chris and one for me which was actually a nice change from my normal method of shoveling in as much food as possible, as quickly as possible (this was also Christian's method of eating prior to the accident).  Chris agreed that this is a more enjoyable way to eat dinner, although not convenient if you're in a hurry, which we weren't. 

We got back to IMC about 9:00pm and Chris got into bed for the night.  Unfortunately with us being out a little late, he didn't get his meds until close to 10:00pm so he had some muscle spasm issues early in the night, but otherwise the trip out was a BIG success!

Saturday we figured we were on a roll so we headed to Sugarhouse BBQ (one of Christian's favorites) for lunch.  Misti and Kris, Physical Therapists from IMC, came along so we could practice navigating some real world obstacles.  After a lunch of beef brisket, pulled pork and baked beans we headed over to Sugarhouse Park.  Chris walked (with a little help from Misti and I, mostly just for balance and to keep him from falling and cracking any more vertebrae) through the parking area, up the curb, across the uneven grass to the volleyball court and back.  As you can imagine Christian was pretty tired after this and fell asleep in the car on the way back.

Overall, a nice weekend! 

A Mother's Love & Rocks

Christian’s mom (Sheila Deputy) here. I wish I could take the credit for writing this blog, but can't. It is Christian’s brother, Justin, that has written 90% of what has appeared on this inspiring blog. 

I apologize for taking so long to add my comments. First of all, it took some time to get my emotions together-imagine that. And, time to figure out how to put all the thoughts I’ve had into words. So, here goes!

Christian is our firstborn child. From day one he developed many of the typical “eldest child” traits. He’s been focused, driven, spiritually strong, a positive example, and a mentor to his three younger siblings. I’ve always felt that it is these traits that made him the man he is today. This may sound like bragging, and honestly, it is, but Christian (except for the 6 ear infections in the first year of his life-which caused very little sleep on his part and his parents), has been a joy to raise.

Lest you think that he never did anything wrong, think again! (Nope, I won’t tell on you, Christian.) It’s just that, as he grew, Christian continued to raise the bar, mostly of his own accord. For instance, one goal Christian set early on, was to earn his Eagle Scout award. With little to no pushing or prodding on our part, he reached that goal at 15.

School wasn’t easy for Christian. He had to study hard, and apply himself to get decent grades. At the beginning of Christian’s sophomore year in high school, he made the decision that he wanted to get GOOD grades. Christian wasn’t a straight “A” student, but with hard work and determination, and his desire to surround himself with like minded friends, he had many semesters on the honor roll.

His life has continued to be filled with “set a goal, work hard, and reach it” kind of moments. LDS mission, Christian left one month after he turned 19. College degree, got it done in 8 semesters, exactly. Dream job as a fly-fishing guide, no problem, got an interview via phone, and was hired at a fly-in lodge in Alaska. Outdoor activities, you name it, Christian does it, and he does it well. This work, serve and play ethic has continued to this day. Getting married took Christian a little longer (well, at least according to his mom), but Jessi was most certainly worth the wait.

Several years ago Christian joined the Salt Lake Rotary Club, where his Dad is also a member. He, at the time was probably one of the younger members of that large and historic Club. No worries there. Christian soon got to know everyone, served on committees, and found his niche working with Rotary Exchange students. The students all love him (can you imagine that). Christian’s also been active in the Big Brother Big Sister program.

On to ROCKS. You’ve heard the expression “like a rock”, or “rock solid” or “rock foundation”?  Mike and I live in a small community in the Sandy area called, Granite. So named because the area is full of huge granite rocks. I have several of those granite rocks in my yard that look at every single day. They are rough, varied and look indestructible and impenetrable. Inside my home I have several amazing pieces of cut, honed and polished granite. Each piece looks different than the other, and very different from the rugged rocks outside. What makes them all so different and beautiful? It all depends on what’s inside. It’s the chips, veins, swirls, variations, stresses, and colors inside that make those large, strong, rough rocks so incredibly gorgeous when they are cut, polished and honed. From the first day that Christian had his mountain biking accident, the journey that he’s been on, has reminded me of those granite rocks. On the outside, Christian is a big, strong, rugged granite rock. Just like the ones I have around my home. Right now he is gaining some new chips, veins, stresses, and colors. All will help him continue to be “rock solid”, and most importantly, more beautiful inside.  It’s that focus, drive, and determination that Christian developed early on in life, that will see him through this journey. And having Jessi at his side!

I love you so much, Christian. You make me proud to be your mother. May God bless you. This I know, you are solid as a rock, and each day, even more beautiful inside.

MOM

More Good Progress (Ho Hum)

(Christian's Dad here...)  We're really loving this idea of things going better each day.  We recognize there are no guarantees but improvement sure beats other possibilities; we are thankful.  Christian continues to amaze and inspire us with his dedication and determination. 

Physical Therapist, Adam, is a big fan of walking everywhere and under his care we see Christian walking farther each day.  Today they walked almost completely around the 12th floor.  In the video I recorded 3 days ago, Chris walked 30' until his first rest stop.  Today, his final segment walking back to his room, 265'!  This has us smiling.  It has Christian breathing heavy, sweating AND smiling. :-)

During therapy "stand-up-sit-downs" Chris needed a back rest - perfect job for me.

Occupational Therapist, Josh, had Christian working on arms today.  These are arms that 2 weeks ago couldn't move.  Amazing. 



We continue our thanks to the Lord above for His gracious love and we acknowledge again the faith and prayers of so many who are rooting for Chris on this journey.  We express our love to you.   

Stats

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A Walk On The Wild Side

The therapist suggested Christian walk to PT today.  I think it's now going to be an every day thing.  Dad was assigned to follow close behind; wheel chair at the ready.  So the video is short (but sweet).  It took 3 rest stops but he walked the whole way.  Yahoo!