#headbandnation

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day 36 : the best matchy-matchy outfit for an important last day. . i'm getting ready to go back into surgery tomorrow. . unfortunately, my first surgery was done sloppy and dangerously. my rods extend far too low, and there are screws headed toward my spinal cord canal, left lung, and aorta. . fortunately though, everyone at craig is incredibly confident that this surgery will eliminate the majority of the sources of excruciating pain i've experienced the past month. . they are also going to upgrade my metal pieces so they can *hopefully* withstand a full recovery. . i'm excited, terrified, yet completely nonchalant about what's to come tomorrow (don't ask me how those emotions all fit together, they just do). . ✌🏽out til tomorrow fam. love you all to pieces. thanks for supporting me and following my story. . . . #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits #chucktaylors (at Craig Hospital)

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day 30 : locomotor gaming brought to you by the coolest hospital in the world. . yesterday we were surprised to see this on our daily schedule. walking already?? . this machine can be set up to do 100% of the work, but yesterday they had enough faith in me to do 20% and let the machine do 80%. . while the gaming part was fun (the little dude would go higher up on the screen the more effort my legs and hips put out), there was another screen that charted how much effort my right hip, left hip, right knee, and left knee put out individually. i'm ecstatic to report that all four locations put out effort on their own!! . baby steps to bring my body back to full #physicalwellness. . . . #locomotortraining #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Craig Hospital)

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day 18 : #thankfulthursday - poppin wheelies is (shockingly) the first skill you must learn when on a wheelchair, young padawan. . i am thankful for being put in a position where i can be a beginner and not feel the pressure to be perfect at something or the blah-ness of doing the same thing day in and day out. . i did not have a choice to be a beginner in this situation, but anyone's #intellectualwellness will improve by putting themselves in a position to learn something new. . who says you have to stay in something or stick to your routine everyday if you hate it or are not happy? . one of the incredible nurses on my team was telling me about her life-long career as a dental hygienist. one day, she decided she did not want to do that any more and enrolled in nursing school. she found her forever happy job and has not looked back in two years. . i still have a long way to go with wheelies, but all i keep remembering is that #lifeisajourneynotadestination. . . . #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Craig Hospital)

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day 39 : i failed you all and didn't post yesterday. i was also hopped up on drugs soooo much i don't even think i knew my own name. . in a lot of pain, but generally alright. this surgery was 100x more painful than the first, but neurosurgeon said we achieved 95% alignment in this back. . I don't even know how i'm doing right now, so don't ask, but I'm grateful, alive, and can still move my feel and legs slightly. so there ya go!🙃 . . . #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Swedish Medical Center)

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day 27 : feeling like a million bucks today. . we found out this week that i will be having surgery again within the week. a couple of misplaced screws and hardware that won't hold up if we do *optimistically speaking* have a full recovery. . yesterday we ventured solo to some stores with our newly-learned skills of using public transportation, and we bought some much-needed clothes (since we still hadn't bought much and we're functioning off of beach vacation clothing). . when you're feeling yourself, live it the hell up! it's difficult for a lot of people to love themselves, so do what you need to do to #loveyourself and #loveyourselffirst. . . . #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Corvus Coffee)

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day 26 : therapeutic recreation outing to the @denverzoo! . including a well-deserved craft beer for @crewsy2012 because she's been an absolute rock star beast throughout this whole process. . life is about #balance and if you can't enjoy the things that make you happy once in a while, what are you doing with your life! . zoo's aren't our most favorite places (#animalrightsactivists over here), but we loved the fresh air and #exercise, and the millions of children who loved to stare at me and touch my wheelchair 😑 . . . #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Denver Zoo)

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day 30 : it's been exactly one month since my accident. . i promised you all i would be vulnerable and share not only my powerful and strong side, but the side that is struggling and not ok as well. . even though i've been at craig for a little over two weeks now, i feel like i'm still dealing with preliminary issues and tests that i can't seem to get on top of. i'm struggling with my pain management program and have had a multitude of other issues that have cascaded down to some really serious stuff. . i'm struggling emotionally today as well. i've realized i have some anxiety and discovered that it's holding me back because i'm not addressing it. . mental health is extremely important, sometimes even more so than physical health. one thing that made me feel somewhat ok today was gardening. . i miss my #succulents at home very much, and always wish i had a greener thumb than i do. picking out the quirkiest mug and making a pretty home for a little plant was nice today. . it's ok to talk about #mentalhealth issues and even better if you can find positive ways to cope. . #environmentalwellness #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Craig Hospital)

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day 37 : surgery #2 only took 4.5 hours, and seems to have gone well enough... . i've never been in so much pain in my entire life. each blanket, pillow, IV, and swallow is excruciating. . but i think things were successful and that's what matters right? . this isn't easy for anyone involved, especially not hearing me go through several hour-long crying spells. . more good news : i can still move my feet and (TMI for some) can still pee . also news, i'm on a lot of drugs do don't mind if this post makes zero sense. . p.s. This cute gnome is getting me thru . . . #surgeytwo #headbandsandhightops #headbandnation #spinalcordinjury #extrarepsfortrish #trishstrong #nothingisofflimits (at Swedish Medical Center)