Today marks a huge milestone for me. To many, this is just a simple birthday but it is so much more to me. Considering that I almost died not too long ago, today, this 34 year old is going to celebrate it like it is my 1st birthday because this is the first one since I was reborn into the new person that I am today.

An update on my progress is that I have finished all of the surgeries that I needed for the traumas that are known, and I am healing phenomenally. The surgeons that I had did exceptional work on me considering how serious my injuries were and they continually check on me to make sure I am doing fine. My bones are mending together really well and I can openly and happily say that I am out of a wheelchair and walking.

Physical therapy was tough. If it wasn’t for my therapist and her knowledge of what I could incorporate on a daily basis , I would not be able to do half of the activities that I am able to do now. She was very detailed and dissected every movement and gave strict directions for my growth. I still feel a lot of discomfort but I am capable of doing the tasks needed for everyday living without needing too much assistance.

Since day one, I knew that I was going to strive to get out of that wheelchair and walk. Early on, I reached out to Vibram.com and let them know of my accident. I told them how I fell in love with their shoes when I was stationed in Hawaii and saw the remarkable transformation of my posture and form when it came to walking and running. I informed them that I specifically wanted their shoes to help me be able to walk. They knew of my financial crisis and helped me a ton. Since the day I received my first 2 pair of shoes, I have not looked twice at any other brand.

Side note. Vibram nor any other brands that I write in this post did not ask me to do this and I am not getting paid and was not influenced by anybody to write this.

The shoes allowed me to safely walk as if I was barefoot but protected me, which allowed me to slowly walk longer distances. I started walking assisted with a walker and a cane but eventually was able to average 2 miles in less than 45 min. These shoes do wonders because they help you find the natural form that your body needs and it sped up my healing process in a very short amount of time.

Knowing that I was going to eventually get on a bike again and compete, I became rebellious and made an executive decision and bought a BalanceFrom bike trainer that I found on Amazon.com. Way better than I would have ever experienced. It was simple to set up and was extremely sturdy. It was hard for me to get on it initially but once I was moving, I WAS MOVING. Started off slow at first because my knees were not use to the motion but within a week, I was able to last more than an hour a session and I have been doing Using it regularly ever since.

This post is to say thank you to everybody who has helped me when I was at my weakest. This is to everybody who prayed for me and wished me the best. This post is to the ones that motivated me, inspired me and helped fuel my engines to keep me going forward. To the ones that took time out of their day to take me to my appointments. To the ones that donated money and gave me tools for my healing, you truly don’t know how much you helped me. To the ones that listened when I just needed somebody to talk to. You are the reason why I was able to make it to see my 34TH birthday and I love you all for it. Thank you!