Walk On D.J.

We all have challenges, some seem greater than others. For D.J. Gregory, walking is very difficult. So, what did he decide to do? Why not walk every hole, every day of every PGA golf tournament in 2008?

A friend sent me this video and I did a little research about his quest. I just Googled "D.J. Gregory golf" and there was a ton of information about his walk that left a trail. It's an incredibly inspiring story about someone with a disability who set a goal for himself and then went out and accomplished it!

D.J. was thirty last summer and walked in 44 tournaments in 45 weeks. That's 180 rounds, 3256 holes and more than 900 miles on the eleven-month tour! None of the professional golfers did what D.J. did! None of them golfed in every tournament. It's a great video. I encourage you to watch it and see if you agree with me. You can view it by clicking here.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

Friends Are Important

According to an article in the NYTimes.com on April 20, 2009, our friendships are incredibly important in our overall health. This quote comes directly from the article you can read in its entirety by clicking here.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”
Personally, I have friends from nearly every stage of my life, from as far back as elementary school, junior and senior high school, to college in Worthington, UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota. I don't always keep in touch with some of them as much as I'd like, but from past experience, I know I can reach out to many of them with a phone call or an email, and we can pick up like we have never been apart.

With living in eight towns and going to school in five different districts before I was fourteen, I made a lot of friends at an early age. They come from many different backgrounds and I can count many people as friends, some going back more than forty-five years!

I have also made many friends with people from all areas of my adult life. I'm happy to say each one of those relationships has helped me to shape who I am. To site a quick example of that, in my recent hospitalization, I had visitors, emails and phone calls from friends from many stages of my life.
Please feel free to comment on how your friends have affected your life. I look forward to reading them.

Later,

Mike

Kidney Stones And Children

In the many sleepless hours I spent in the hospital, I spent a lot of time doing research for this blog. One of the sites I spent perusing was the New York Times online. I know it's a credible source and a tremendous wealth of information.

I came across this article and want to share it with you. According to this article by Laurie Tarkan from October 28, 2008, there is a tremendous rise in kidney stones in children as young as five and six years old! You can read the entire article by clicking here.

She gives some incredible numbers and reasons for this dramatic rise in a disorder once considered a problem for middle-aged adults.

One of the most disturbing reasons she sites for this problem is what is causing these kidney stones. She writes, it's food and drinks with high salt content. Drinks like Gatorade, and salty foods like sandwich meats, chips, canned soups, packaged meals and french fries.

One of the major reasons is the fact children are not drinking enough water. These two paragraphs came directly from the article:

Children also tend not to drink enough water. “They don’t want to go to the bathroom at school; they don’t have time, so they drink less,” said Dr. Alicia Neu, medical director of pediatric nephrology and the pediatric stone clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. “Instead, they are likely to drink only once they’re thirsty — but that may be too little, too late, especially for children who play sports or are just active.”

“Drinking more water is the most important step in the prevention of kidney stones,” Dr. Neu said.

I seem to have written a few posts on food lately. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I'll go have a sandwich and a Gatorade and think about it. (He said sarcastically.)

Your comments are always welcome.

Later,

Mike

Morton Cure Paralysis Fund

I have been asked to give the closing speech at the Third Annual Research Symposium for the Morton Cure Paralysis Fund this Sunday afternoon. The keynote speaker is Dr. Anthony Windebank of the Mayo Clinic. He is the director of the Neural Regeneration Program where his research group is focusing on restoring function to damaged spinal cords.

I am excited to hear his message. It promises to be very informative. Who knows, it may lead to another post. You can read all about MCPF and their upcoming symposium by clicking here.

I introduced you to MCPF in my May 3, 2008 post when I quoted them regarding asking questions about spinal cord injuries (SCI). The entire MCPF website is full of good information touching on everything from the basic physiological facts of a spinal cord injury to the latest articles on SCI research.

Last year's symposium was very informative when Dr. Wise Young from Rutgers University told us about his spinal cord research in New Jersey and China where he is working with humans in clinical trials. You can watch the entire symposium including Dr. Young's presentation by clicking here.

Check out the links above and feel free to comment.

Later,

Mike

Wanda Sykes View Of The Bailout

I finally got out of the hospital on Monday, and I'm slowly getting my strength and stamina back. 48 days in a hospital tends to take it out of me. The older I get, the longer it takes to recover from a setback. I'm sure some of you can relate. :-)

I'm feeling better and decided it's time to put up a new post. I thought I would start with showing you a humorous video with Wanda Sykes talking to Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. Agree with her or not, she delivers her routine with great comic genius. Check it out by clicking here. My favorite line is, "I want receipts, dammit!"

I will get serious again with my next post. It's good to be back in the saddle.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike