Kerry's rehabilitation

As I'm sure you all know Kerry & Ali are sharing their journey with an update each day on their facebook group (link on the givealittle page) so what more is there really to update?

But a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Kerry & Ali at the Spinal Unit in Otara (think packed, understaffed hospital ward). An afternoon that was meant to be 45mins only. It was so soooo good to see them, a wierd sensation of everything the same seeing mates, smiling, laughing, sharing stories, but of course, a lot not the same. I remember driving away thinking that their facebook group updates paint a very real picture of how life is - the shit, and not so shit, and the enthusiasm. These two super-humans are not short of enthusiasm ... absolutely zero'd in on exactly what has to be done (think the specifics of your squadrun training program!), what to eat, drink, rest etc. We yacked amongst the hospital staff and patients, Kerry knows all their names, the nature of their injuries and obvious to see he is more intune than some of them with the extent of their injury and rehab prospects - oh and there is of course one nurse chasing strava segments. True story! Kerry offered me his lunch - quinoa, beans and mash - not quite meeting his nutitional needs, I politely declined as I munched on the baking that my partner made for K&A ;-) Kerry is eager to get back to contributing to the trail running community and in his words, 'I just need to figure out how I can do that effectively'. We did hallway reps in the wheel chair, the slick smooth flat floor saw us get up to a couple of km per hour, maybe, hmmm, maybe. The driveway was a different story... the uneven surface is still too much... and the hillreps (a gradient you can barely see) were definitely a no go. Kerry told me about the wheelblacks and Gus (mentioned on the FB group also) and the strength that he has and mobility. We don't compare, but everybody needs inspiration right. The wheelback training sessions in the gym are something to lookforward to. We talked running a little bit, it hurts talking running with Kerry... it always ends with RPE 8/9/10. We talked about the wonderful comments you have left with your donations. It brings Kerry to tears as he makes the connection with that person/family/group, but we agree it would be a wonderful thing to 'time capsule' for something to look back on. Its left with me to figure out how - I'll be in touch with you again! Ali's presence of mind and presence of being is amazing, so strong, so inspiring. It was great to hear that she planned to MC at the Hawkes Bay marathon (just been) but not so much fun to hear how many emails she has in her inbox. She talked about potential medical support that would add value to Kerry's rehab - they are so keen to nail the rehab over the next 12 months. And hearing about some fancy gadgets that can help also. I shudder to ask how much. You know its all worth it even with the upside being (realistically) very limited. Getting back some independence in a small way means a lot to Kerry. Oh, and I nearly forgot, Ali's tummy is getting bigger ;-) We talked about their house which looks so lovely after their renovations (but having been there) it is hopelessly impractical for Kerry's needs. With all the equipment, and space that you need, everything needs to be big, and obviously level entry. But, they are looking forward to being home, being together. So there you have it, a scramble from my afternoon with K&A... they are so soooo sooooooo grateful for everybodies donations - they are all well needed and very much appreciated. Take care, Murray

PS. If you would like to stay updated with Kerry & Ali's journey join 'Kerry's update group' facebook page and/or check out the Sunday progam on TVNZ on 29 May.