Yes I am the HemiMan! Hemi meaning half. I am
hemispherically paralyzed. But then there are a lot of people out there who are 'only half
there'. Halfwits .... half crazy.... half bald .... and sadly there are far too many who
only accomplish half of what they could have accomplished. My left side is paralyzed and I
was left-handed! USCF cycling is a great sport, just watch out for the parking meters and
light poles! It was in my second 24 mile race that fateful Sunday between the 3rd and 4th
corners of the last lap when something went dreadfully wrong. Taking the corner wider than
the other racers was NOT the thing to do. At approximately 35 mph I clipped a parking
meter, which I might add I bent, then struck and dented a light pole with my head. I do
not even remember registering to race that fateful Sunday in Peoria,IL. My left side is
paralyzed due to a closed head-injury. Yes I was wearing a helmet .... however my brain
rotated in my skull causing some bruising of the surface. But my main problem is that my
brainstem was twisted like a dishrag. It was torn partially loose from my brain. Now if
you think of your body as a computer your brain is the CPU then the brainstem is the
system that makes everthing work or not as the case may be. Comatose and on life support
for 3 months, the doctors did not expect me to live. IF and that was a big IF I
lived their prognosis for me was to be in a nursing home in a vegetative state. (Well at
least I'm not in a nursing home) Some 30 odd operations or so later I am back in the
mainstream of life working a fulltime job as a digital imaging artist at Hamilton Sundstrand, a supplier of electrical systems for almost anything that flies. We
even have a large number of products on the Space Shuttle. I have been employed there for
over 25 years. I have done all of my Web site and as you can see I am pretty good at what
I do. Professional speaking is my latest endevour and I got the only standing ovation in
the 8 year history of a recent speakers showcase I participated in; out of which I was
hired for a speaking engagement in Dec in La Crosse, WI. The attendees from Midwest Food
Marketing are going to number 400-600. My speech quality is poor. (but getting better) I
think I sound like a drunk. I ride a 3-wheeled bike, drive myself 25 miles to work, I can
walk short distances with a quad cane and a 'stand-by guard', I've ridden horseback in the
mountains of Colorado, and most impressive of all is that I can climb stairs! So if you
think things are bad just look around. There is always someone worse off than you.
If I can accomplish what I have accomplished in this condition ........... just THINK what
you could accomplish!
Flyer
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