Amazing – Mike completed the 25 hours at  Project Walk last week and he is still alive to tell the story. It was great for me to get to spend the week and see what he had been working on …. it was really very impressive and there was a lot more fine movement and “muscle turning on” (there will be some weird technical term for that) type work than I had thought there would be. Mike finished the week absolutely exhausted but with Pat and myself reasonably confident that we can keep this up at home. I think Mike is definitely looking forward to some rest time but it was sad leaving so many people who we had gotten to know quite well over the last 7 weeks. There was some more TV footage shot of Mike on Friday afternoon so he worked right up until the end ….. this was not good news for me as I didn’t get very long at the memorial day sales over here which seem fantastic!! Oh well, maybe another trip. Really it is truly unbelievable that he can do that much exercise in a 5 day block and still be able to do other stuff outside his time there. They do not go easy and the time is very much full-on.

As Mike had been finding that a couple of glasses of red were helping him sleep, we decided to try taking the boys to a brewery we had heard of … Stone Brothers. We had heard of them because they make a beer called the Arrogant Bastard and another called the Double Bastard. We had hoped to be able to get some Double Bastard gear for Mike’s primary trainer and get something put on it about the hack squat machine but alas there was none, we will have to think of something else! Anyway, the brewery was an amazing place and we had the most relaxing 2 hours of the trip there!

In our usual fashion we let Mike rest for a grand total of about 5 hours before we packed up the condo and headed to Anaheim for a few days in Disneyland. Thus far, it has not gone completely according to plan but we are having fun!! We couldn’t fit all our luggage and all the people in the car so I drove up and the others caught the train … a great idea in theory but it took them nearly 3 hours compared to my 50 min drive …. at least they got to use the train we had been listening to for 6 weeks!! A bit of a disaster but they got here eventually and we had an hour or so with Ash in the pool here …. she is a tenacious little thing – they told her she couldn’t go on the water slide unless she could swim across the pool by herself — needless to say about 20 mins later across the pool she went and the guards said she was good to go. She trotted off up the stairs with a whole pack of 6-10 year olds (looking even more tiny than usual!) only to be stopped at the top and told she couldn’t go on it. Eagle eye Mike spotted this and got the guard to yell up on the loud-hailer thingy that she was fine ….. by this time nearly the whole pool is watching as she launches herself down the slide …. too cute, she was so mini but she did it and loved it!

Cannot believe we have come to Disneyland on Memorial Day long weekend — I am an idiot! Was so crowded in there today it was completely maddening but was great with Pat and mum here as we had lots of help with Mike and mum could watch Ash. Mike decided it was time to “feel alive” which apparently requires you to go on lots and lots of rides which have big warning signs about neck and back conditions. i was horrified but he loved the Indiana Jones ride and Pirates of the Carribean boat trip and it appears that the titanium in his neck is holding together beautifully! Sadly, the line at Splash Mountain was too long so we didn’t make it in there — probably a good thing but maybe he will try it tomorrow! Anyway, saw a shirt that made me laugh out loud in the shop — it had a picture of Doc (ie, 7 Dwarfs) and it said “I’m with Dopey” … love it!

Click here to see some photos taken by Pat

And here’s the video version



Not a huge fan of Anaheim (kind of nothing to do except go to Disneyland or be very “in” to Disney characters) and Ash seems to be more interested in the pool at the hotel than Disneyland but hopefully will have another fun day tomorrow before the crowds disappear for our last couple of days. Not entirely sure how on earth we will drop off all the equipment and get ourselves home but it is bound to happen somehow!

Looking forward to seeing you all when we get back. Will be a very busy few days coming up as it is family holiday with no carers but i think worth it to have some time together. Have a safe few days and see you on the weekend!

We are now a couple of days in to Mike’s last week at Project Walk. Pat and I are “learning” to be his trainers and for me it is very interesting to finally get some time up at Project Walk to really see what they are doing and how much Mike has improved. Also good to have a fresh face here in Pat, who has not seen Mike since we left. I think we are both in awe of what they have managed to do for Mike’s shoulders! There is still not reaching for the stars but he can scratch his head (although, I am not sure if that is extra shoulder rotation or extra neck stretch!) and has a bit of muscle back on his upper arms.

On our last weekend here in San Diego we took mum up to Sea World for Ash to see Shamu one last time. We got Mike and mum in the water with the dolphins which was fantastic. I had it all booked and locked in only to find out that the water is about 16 degrees — only a little below the 36 degrees Mike needs for hydro! Oh well, we decided to give it a try and in good news for his continuing triathlon career we managed to get him in to the wetsuit in only about 10 mins. Unfortunately, the same streamlined approach cannot be said to have worked for getting him out ….. about 45 mins later he was ready!! and then it took him about 4 hours to warm up again. That said, I think he loved it, even though he couldn’t feel the dolphin it would still have been amazing to be in the water with it. He said he hated being on the sling and they were originally warning us that the dolphins don’t really like the sling and may not come near him (information that would have been nice PRIOR to paying for it!!). Anyway, the dolphin loved him and kept coming over to bop his toes with its nose. Great to do something very different.

That was it for the weekend as Mike spent Sunday recovering and getting ready for the week ahead. The usual protocol for train the trainer is that Mike has his normal 3 hrs of training each morning which Pat and I watch, ask questions, assist with a bit and then in the afternoon there are 2 hours allocated to teaching us what to do, why and how. Mike coped really well on Monday with this and used a couple of glasses of red to help him have  a good sleep but I think yesterday nearly killed him. He had a huge three hours in the morning, then we had a “wheel guy” come out and show us some power-assisted wheels, which are now Mike’s new love; and then a TV crew turned up so the 2 hours that Mike should have just been moving around a bit and getting some extra stretching turned in to a massive smash-fest for the cameras. I think they worked out he couldn’t swear much in front of the camera so they put him on all the machines he hates!

It was amazing to see him walk on the sticks – not very practicle in that he has to be strapped in to the sticks by someone, helped up on to them and then needs someone walking directly behind to catch when he loses balances but still, very proud of the hard work that has gone in to it. I think I was most surprised but how much concentration it takes him. We were joking yesterday that his goal of walking Ash to school for her first day will require a VERY early start, a couple of helpers and possibly to hold her back a year!! just jokes!

Lots  to do to get ready for the long  days up at Project Walk so better sign off. We look forward to seeing everyone when we get home. The shopping has not been great and i found out that the M&M’s shop that I wanted to go to is about a half day drive away so that is a bit tragic! Look after yourselves and see you in a week or so. I will try to add some photos with Mike – a bit tricky as we are trying to do a bit of sight-seeing with mum and Pat as well as the long days at Project Walk so not a lot of computer time.

A great week again at Project Walk particularly with my brother and dad here to help and encourage.  I have been able to add a lot of other therapy and movement at home, and when we are out and about with two strong sets of hands around.  The highlights for the week have nothing to do with project walk but outings we’ve made.  On Saturday we went and watched the redbull air race which happened to be on in San Diego, where Pete and Dad helped me to walk onto the beach. And even though I couldn’t feel the sand with my feet, it was invigorating.

The other highlight was this morning when again with their help I had a shower without involving commode and stood up for a shower.  It felt pretty good after having sat down for a shower for the last 10 months.  There is a rail out the front of our condo, that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, here is a picture of me standing up holding the rail (sort of) and looking back towards Oz.

At project walk we started to get more focussed on what is weak, with plenty of work on my shoulders and arms, and also on my right hip flexor.  If my body is feeling good, you can definitely feel and see the improvement in the way my body parts are working together.  It has been very frustrating at times as I cannot imagine why my body won’t work the way I want it.  It is a game of patience however, and it is not going to happen overnight or without a lot of effort.  I am putting up with enormous amounts of pain as my bodies nervous system reconnects itself, and I literally have to convince that it wants to.  My time off from project walk over here for the past two weeks has had to involve resting to make sure that I am ready for the next session.  I have one week to go, and I am determined to get to the end of my time without missing an hour.

I am interested to what we will work on this week with it being the last week before we do train-the-trainer.  I am very tired, and physically sore from the work done so far and hope that we can continue to work on the bits that are weak and come home with them as strong as they can be.

I have included a clip on YouTube of me walking with sticks, with hand grips and a trainer assisting me to make up for my weak shoulders, hands and wrists.

I have just finished week 4 at Project Walk and I’ve been really happy with my progress.  I have been working really hard at getting the bits that are working well to work better and the bits that are working badly to work at all!  My walking has been going really well still with plenty of assistance and finally my left glute muscle is doing its job and supporting my body weight when I try and take a step with my left leg planted and stepping with my right.  The next problem is getting the right leg to come through as it is supposed to!  This is where I am sending out a telegraph for my right flexor to join the party!  This muscle group is needed to lift the leg and pull it through so you can place at ready to take a step with the other leg.  Monica and I have placed some more video on youtube with me taking some assisted steps.  One of the videos will show you exactly what I mean.  One of the physical trainers at Project Walk is assisting my right leg to come through straight and telling the hip flexor to do its job.  If you do a search in youtube for “MichaelForbes.org project walk” you get a list of videos that we have taken and posted to this point.

Guided Steps


Climbing Machine


I would like to thank the people that have contributed to the extra sessions that I have been able to take, by Friday afternoons I am completely exhausted.  After the session on Friday, I came home and slept for three hours, got up at and ate dinner, went back to bed and slept for 10 hours!

I have two weeks of therapy to go and one more week working with Moni and Patrick where they will be being trained in how to help me when I return home.  In that two weeks I have high hopes of what I’ll be able to achieve before I return home.  There could even be something as exciting as being able to walk independently with a set of sticks!  The only problem will be how do I hold the sticks with wrists and hands that don’t work?  Maybe we will come up with a solution and maybe not.

Tomorrow my brother and father arrive to give me some assistance for the next 10 days.  I am really looking forward to their arrival, but I think Moni is looking forward to it more.  It has been really hard work for Moni as little Ash has needed entertaining every day.  So guess what Pete, you have a job when you arrive!  We are also hoping to get some more video up on youtube with some extra hands around.  Following Dad and Pete will be Moni’s mum and Patrick to get us through the final stint.  So the next three weeks should be good fun and a lot of hard work with some extra company around.

Hope you are all well and enjoying the posts as much as I am enjoying making improvements each day.  Keep well everyone and see you all soon.

Mike.