Day 897 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

A long first day back at work, and a late night! I promise I'll give you a debrief on Sunday at Mammoth soon.

The highlight for me today was the obvious benefit to Grayson of all of the physical activity for the past 9 days. Anishka, who is not particularly tall, had to hoof it to keep up with Grayson on his walks today (Grayson normally walks at a snail's pace.) And this evening when we were going up to the back yard to grill the chicken for dinner, Grayson ran up the stairs! That blew me away since I haven't seen him do that for as long as I can remember. And he did it not once but each of the 4 times we went up to the back yard. Wow!

As if I needed more proof that the 9 days in Mammoth were good for Grayson!

Pax!

Brant

Day 896 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Everyone is home safe and sound!

Grayson and I arrived home late tonight after skiing a full day at Mammoth. Regina is home from her visit to see her father. It is late and we are all headed to bed. A debrief on the day will come tomorrow!

Pax!

Brant

Day 895 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Greetings again from Mammoth!

The weather today was beautiful – crisp in the morning and warm in the afternoon. The snow conditions in the morning are the best, but they have been surprisingly good in the afternoon – not too sticky, but a lot more work to ski through the slower snow.

Grayson had another exceptional day today. All morning was spent on intermediate and high intermediate runs with one exception – a black diamond! He successfully navigated Patrolmen's, a black diamond run with Zachery's constant coaching. Here is a picture of the happy team on Chair 2 immediately following that run. After this lift, we skied over to Chair 3 and went down the backside to Saddle Bowl, then down Broadway – certainly the longest run he has done since his injury. Quite a morning indeed!

In the afternoon we stayed off of Chair 3, but most of the runs were similar to the morning albeit with trickier conditions because of the softening snow. We skied with Brian, one of the other pros at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) and we had a fun afternoon – including another run down Patrolmen's! The kicker was when we got to the bottom of Broadway about 3:15 and were on our way over to the Gondola Building where DSES has its offices. We thought that Grayson was done since he had skied so much on such difficult runs today. As he passed Chair 11, he turned and jumped in line! His instructors followed him on to the lift. I had to put my skis back on! We took two runs down Sesame Street and even had Grayson follow me down one run. Grayson would have gone for more if he could have.

For those that are keeping track, Grayson took the following runs today – Beginner: Sesame Street; Intermediate: Stump Alley, Mambo, Broadway; High Intermediate: Saddle Bowl, Ralphies; Expert: Patrolmen's.

The learning and the physical conditioning from the continuous days skiing has really shown. Last weekend he was tiring easily and we had to make 2 to 3 stops for breaks on the way down Broadway. This is no longer the case. Now he will go down from the top of Chair 1 all the way to the bottom without a stop.

Tonight is our last night here on the mountain. What an extraordinary week it has been. What an honor and a thrill to be part of it.

Pax!

Brant

Day 894 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Greetings once again from Mammoth Mountain!

Today the weather was awesome! Beautiful sunshine and calm winds greeted us after a cold night. B mid morning the snow had softened and it was a glorious day for skiing! And ski we did – WOW!
This morning Grayson was given one of the volunteer instructors for which there is a special bond. She is an awesome skier and really manages to connect with Grayson. The second instructor was Mark Spieler, the Director of Outside Operations for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) – also the former Training Manager for the Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard School. Mark is responsible for training all of the volunteers and monitoring progress of all of the students. What a pair to work with this morning – with beautiful conditions also!

This morning with lots of active coaching, Grayson skied Sesame Street, but quickly moved to higher ground. The pitch of the slope on the beginner runs just doesn't "make" Grayson do turns – he just wants to point his skis downhill and go. So off to Chair 1 we went and we took St Moritz, Mambo (twice) and came home to lunch on Broadway. (Mambo and Broadway are Intermediate runs).
If you saw my Facebook posting from lunch today, you will have known that Grayson and I ate out on the sun deck at the main lodge – Grayson with a pizza and a fruit cup, me with a salad. Here is the picture if you missed it!

After lunch we had Zachery, one of the pros who has worked extensively with Grayson. He was assisted by another who skied with us last Sunday. Zachery consulted with me and we decided that there was no point in doing the regular run down Sesame Street, and we headed immediately to the Gondola. This afternoon Grayson ran 5 different runs of Intermediate to High Intermediate terrain. Specifically he went down Mambo, Stump Alley, St Anton, Broadway and finally Powder Bowl to Ralphies. The most impressive part was not that he went down this terrain, but that, unlike the morning, Zachery just led and let Grayson follow. And follow Grayson did! He went down these runs with few stops, and only once, in the most difficult terrain, did he get "stuck", a problem we saw repeatedly early in the week. He was awesome today!

When I planned this trip, I never realized what a benefit of having so many lessons continuously would have on Grayson's ability. In retrospect, it appears to be one of my better decisions! The growth in his ability over the course of this week – an intense week focused just on skiing – has been immense. He is now going down very long runs without a break, executing parallel left turns wonderfully, and doing very good wedge right turns in a continuous flow. In January he was building muscle and relearning in 11 half-day lessons over a 9 day period. In our few days in February he was doing some skill refreshing during 3 half day lessons. This week he has already had 13 half day lessons in 7 days, with 4 more lessons to go. No wonder there has been such an improvement in his muscle memory and his strength. Frankly he didn't have the strength to do what he did today just one week ago. Proof once again that continuous therapy, no matter the form, yields significant benefits.

For all of us, today was a real WOW day!


Pax!

Brant

Day 893 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Greetings from Mammoth Mountain!

Today "spring conditions" were not exactly what Mother Nature gave us. After skiing in t-shirts last weekend, today we wore everything we had. We received about 3 inches of new snow, although with the 50 mph winds, the snow may be in South Dakota by now! All lifts had suspended operations by 2:15 PM so we had the opportunity to go inside and warm up before the Springtacular closing banquet.

Grayson had fun and did well again today, though conditions were less than ideal. He made a successful run down Broadway before we decided to just lay back and have an easy day on Sesame Street. Grayson was game for more, but when they shut down the Discovery Chair (Chair 11), also the last chair running, our ski day was over.

Tonight was the Springtacular closing banquet. Every participant is called up during the banquet and given an award. Grayson earned the "Spirit of the Trojan" award for his spirit and his obvious appreciation of USC. Here is a picture of him standing on stage with the rest of his group.

These events always make me cry. I know what is coming, and I still lose control. Grayson is so loved and appreciated by everyone he touches here at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES). I lost track of how many people came up and hugged him as they were saying their good-byes. Many will be here tomorrow and excitedly asked if they could come and ski with us! I am so touched by these people that I had no idea that they were so touched by Grayson. I was simply overcome with emotion. There is absolutely no question that we will be back again next year.

Even Mother Nature's cold blast of a late winter can't put a chill on the warm feeling of love that we have been given tonight.

Pax!

Brant

Day 892 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Greetings once again from Mammoth Mountain!

Grayson had a standout day here at Mammoth. He was teamed with some wonderful volunteer instructors who conspired and worked to really get him skiing again. He spent most of the day on intermediate terrain and his instructors really worked to help him connect his turns and to keep himself in control. Today was just a joy to watch – even though the weather was not cooperating! This afternoon it rained most of the time and we were all soaked by the end of the day.

Places like Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) always help anyone who walks in their door. What is amazing is how much support and enthusiasm is given to the students by the entire volunteer team. Grayson was coming down a tricky run known as the Wall and as was successfully navigating it, I heard a voice from somewhere shout out, "Go Grayson!" The voice was from another DSES instructor was on the chairlift overhead who had spotted Grayson.

What a wonderful organization we discovered here and what fun it is to watch Grayson grow with them!

Pax!

Brant

Day 891 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

We had a great day today! This morning Grayson worked with one of the regular Mammoth Mountain ski instructors and was paired with the 19 year-old son of Grayson's very first instructor at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES). This afternoon, Grayson worked with the father of the head instructor at DSES who also volunteers time here on the mountain. We met him and his lovely wife earlier in the week here at DSES while skiing with his son – an amazing teacher who has an incredible ability to reach people like Grayson with cognitive impairments. DSES is a small family where there are never more than a few degrees of separation!

Last year we were primarily working on Sesame Street, or Chair 11. Most people refer to this as the "Bunny Slope" – beginner territory. This year, especially this week, Grayson spends most of his time on more challenging terrain – St Moritz, Mambo, Broadway, St Anton – quite a change since January 2011. It does highlight that gains can still be made even if a full recovery is not possible.

The beauty for me of watching Grayson ski is watching him work to connect to past experience and put it to work for fun. I observe him get stuck, get frustrated, get tired, and just lay down in the snow. I also see him successfully connect a series of turns (with coaching) on intermediate terrain for 5 minutes or more while remaining in control. And occasionally he pulls something out of his experience from deep inside and surprises all of us. Today he needed to make an immediate left turn and instead of doing the beginner wedge turn he flipped around like a pro. The knowledge is in there – tapping into that vast locker is the challenge.

As a parent of a cognitively challenged adult child, it is a thrill when a pathway to one of these past experiences is connected to "now" and is executed. Those moments are rare indeed, but they sure feel good. Very good.

Pax!

Brant

Day 890 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was an early day for Grayson and also a big day!

We arrived at the Mammoth Mountain Center at 8:30 this morning (keeping in mind that Grayson normally gets up at 9:30!) At 9:00 sharp he was one of two that were asked to present the colors for the opening ceremony. Why Grayson? Because he is an Eagle Scout, of course! Here is a picture of him posting the California flag.

Grayson skied all morning and afternoon with instructors that he has had before – except one. That one made instant friends because he had skittles in his pocket! When Grayson needed a little motivation…

Grayson did very well again today. As you might imagine, the videos I posted the last two days are the "best of" Grayson and omit the places where Grayson is caught in his cognitive quagmire. It takes a special person – instructor – to talk, coax, or cajole Grayson forward when he gets stuck. Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra seems to have the knack for finding just the right people!

Grayson has been asleep for over two hours – my turn! Early mornings up here for Grayson!

Pax!

Brant

Grayson on Broadway - Day 2

Day 889 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Grayson had a full day on the mountain – well almost. We arrived about 15 minutes late for our morning lesson today as we were "resetting" Grayson's clock and because Dad needs periodic training on how long it takes to get Grayson ready to go! We arrived at his lesson at 9:45 – Grayson normally gets up at that time. Tomorrow we need to be there at 8:30 for the opening ceremonies of Springtacular – that means a 6:30 start for Grayson, or 6:45 if I push it. That is why he is in bed before 9:00 PM every night during SpringtacularI!

Grayson had a GREAT day today. He was skiing intermediate runs most of the day, connecting his turns (with coaching) and generally doing the best he has ever done since his injury. The videos I am sharing are edited to eliminate the rest stops, cognitive "freezes" and naps in the snow, but you can see how well he is doing for 5 – 7 minutes at a time on the steeper terrain. I have promised to put together a video of the "rest of the story" with Grayson in his funnier moments on the hill. Let's hope I have some time to do the editing!

Two fun photos to share – the first is the view from our balcony and the second is watching the snow cats move up the mountain like combines through a wheat field (my Eastern Oregonian relatives should appreciate that description!)

I hope you enjoyed the video post from Grayson's skiing on Saturday. I'll post another from today as soon as it finishes compiling – or I wake up – whichever is sooner!

Pax!

Brant

Grayson on Broadway - Day 1

Day 888 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

We are here in Mammoth! Grayson and I slept in a bit this morning to make up for the late night last night. As juxtaposition, he was in bed at 8:45 PM tonight. Thus far he hasn't moved – it was a full day!

Because of the late night last night, Grayson and I did not rush out to the slopes. We arrived at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra at noon for his 1:00 PM lesson. We picked up his skis (all equipment is included in the DSES fees) had some lunch and headed out to the slopes.

The last time Grayson was skiing was in late February. He was doing remarkably well for such a stretch of no skiing – except when you remember that he still remembers this as one of his favorite things before his injury. Muscle memory is remarkable. However now when he skis, he has at least two people with him – one instructing and the other making sure that he is safe from an out-of-control skier or snow boarder.

I took video of Grayson skiing today but it is taking too long to complete the process of editing and posting. Look for some images tomorrow!

Pax!

Brant

Day 887 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

We're in Mammoth! Grayson and I left LA late this afternoon and drove to the slopes. It was sure weird leaving 80° LA for a ski trip! We changed out of our shorts in Bishop just before the final pull up the hill. It is also warm here - 45° when we arrived around 9:00 PM. Mammoth announced that they will only remain open until Memorial Day this year because of the lack of snow and warm temperatures. I'm amazed that they can keep operations going that long!

The reason that we are here is the annual Springtacular presented by Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. This is a 4-day ski and snowboard event for the cognitively challenged – lots of time on the snow and lots of instructors. If you have been following, last year Grayson and I came up and had a ball. This year we are doing it again!

Stay tuned for News from Mammoth with an obvious bias toward Grayson!

Pax!

Brant

Day 886 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It was another warm day here in Southern California. It won't be long until the May-June gloom arrives and cools things off!

Grayson was active, alert and very non-verbal today. While he was very observant, words were especially hard for him to get out. Hopefully this will pass quickly as he will be up in Mammoth skiing on Saturday – something that he is excited about. I'd say he was looking forward to it, but that would imply that he could remember it without being cued or reminded. However when he does realize it, he really is happy about it!

Pax!

Brant

Day 885 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson was again quite active and alert today, and he was a bit more verbal than yesterday. It was another warm day here in Southern California – too early for the May-June gloom to have set in!

Tonight we started to pack for our Spring ski adventure at Mammoth – Springtacular at Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra. Grayson has been excited about it all week. We will have warm weather – the forecast this weekend is currently calling for high temperatures of 70 on Saturday! Hardly ski weather, but you plan your trip and get what you get. No matter what we will have fun – you can count on that!

Pax!

Brant

Day 884 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Another warm day in LA. Another good day for Grayson. He was active and alert all day, and he knows about and is excited about his upcoming Mammoth trip!

Life is good!

Pax!

Brant

Day 883 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

It was a beautiful warm day here in Southern California today. Grayson was alert and active again today. He had two nice long walks today and wore shorts!

He was more verbal and alert than usual today. When Anishka took him to the restroom today, he went to the toilet and said in a very clear voice, "Pants down!" That was a first from his mouth, although we all say it to him every time he goes to the restroom. We all thought that was very funny and a good sign that he is in a good phase. I hope it keeps as he and I will be heading to Mammoth at the end of the week!

Pax!

Brant

Day 882 - Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson was functioning pretty well again today. He was up earlier than normal due to church responsibilities for both Regina and I. He was up all day and finally just went to bed. Of particular note today was his alertness. He spoke a few times to me in complete sentences – a rare occurrence here!

At this point tonight I am barely able to keep my eyes open, so I will sign off for the duration and see you all tomorrow!

Pax!

Brant

Day 881 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Grayson did somewhat of an about-face. While he was on a "down" point yesterday, today his mind was active and he was quite engaged – at least for Grayson. Instead of a down cycle, I think that he must have been running on "empty" and he got a refill overnight!

If that sounds a bit strange, let me elaborate. The rest of us have reserves that we call to play when we are drained but still need to get something accomplished. We push through it and get done what we need to in order to meet a deadline, satisfy a boss, or get dinner on the table. Grayson no longer has any reserves. When he is spent, that is it. He is done. Fortunately a good night of sleep seemed to get him back in his groove.

Pax!

Brant

Day 880 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson was very non-verbal all day. It looks as if a "down" cycle is upon us. He was affectionate as always, but had difficulty doing much more than going through the motions of doing what was asked today.

He does remember that Springtacular is just a little over a week away, and that means several days of skiing. He is excited about that. Let's hope that we get through the down cycle before we go!

Pax!

Brant

Day 879 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Grayson was quite alert and active today. When I took him to help me at the grocery store, he was particularly quick and accurate with the shopping cart (his job is to follow me!) He had quite an appetite tonight and went to bed and stayed down.

This was a good day!

Pax!

Brant

Day 878 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today Grayson finished up his testing in San Diego about 2:00 this afternoon. The rain was much lighter and shorter in duration than we had expected, and so we had the opportunity to enjoy some San Diego sunshine and some lunch before we broke for home. We headed inland to avoid the traffic that was sure to plague us had we gone up I-5 and we had a most pleasant journey through the Inland Empire – traffic free I might add!

Grayson was particularly good today. He worked hard during his testing and fell sound asleep on the way home. While sleeping in the car was normal for the "Old" Grayson, this is not typical of him today. We drive for 5 hours from Mammoth and he won't sleep a wink. Here he was asleep for at least an hour of the 2 ½ hour journey.

Tonight he went to bed at his normal time and was down for the count. His brain had quite a workout these past two days and rest is in order!

Pax!

Brant

Day 877 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today we were up and out of our hotel by 9:00. Considering that Grayson usually gets up at 9:30, this was an early morning for him!

After we finished Grayson's testing this afternoon, we had a few hours to explore the beautiful Lo Jolla coastline. What a spectacular place and on such a gorgeous day! We enjoyed a nice long walk then ended our day with dinner overlooking the coast. I can't believe that I have never explored this place before!

Grayson was a champ as always. He especially enjoyed the pile of California Sea Lions warming themselves on the rocks. He found their antics quite funny especially when one of the animals in the comfortable pile moves, upsets another, then the entire pile of formerly content animals complains about the upset in the force. It really was quite humorous to watch!

Pax!

Brant

Day 876 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

After a long work day, Regina, Grayson and I piled in the car and headed to San Diego. While a vacation here would be nice, we are here for some medical tests for Grayson. We'll be here for a few days than back home as soon as we are done.

Grayson was an observant passenger as he has been since his injury. He is content to watch the world go by outside his window. When we arrived at the hotel he was more than happy to help roll suitcases into the lobby to get out of the cold sea breeze!

Because of the late departure from Glendale the traffic was nonexistent, but the arrival was late. We need to get an early start in the morning, so we are all headed to bed!

Pax!

Brant

Day 875 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Happy Easter!

Today I spent much of the day operating on half strength. After I arrived home last night from the Easter Vigil service I became quite ill from what I suspect was a touch of food poisoning. While it passed quickly (sometime in the middle of the night), I felt like I had been kicked by a horse for most of the day. Hopefully I will be back at full strength tomorrow – I have a very full day scheduled.

This afternoon we spent time at Howie and Julie's lovely home here in Glendale. Most of the family was there and I am amazed at how much all of the kids have grown. We had a lovely lunch outside on a beautiful Easter day. Even Grammy was there – still going strong as she approaches her 102^nd birthday this summer.

Grayson loves these gatherings. He spends much of his time people watching, listening to conversations, laughing at the funny parts and grazing at the buffet table. He even got a bit of color in the Southern California sunshine today!

He is Risen Indeed!

Brant

Day 874 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Easter Vigil service is my favorite worship service of the year. We start outside in the near darkness and carry our candles (the Light of Christ) into the dark, tomb-like church. The bible readings begin with creation and end with the glory of resurrection. Interspersed is a wonderful variety of music led by a quartet of singers (including Brant, of course), with bell choir, wind instruments, piano organ, and percussion instruments for the congregation.

Grayson was quite engaged throughout the service this evening. He watched intently as another Boy Scout handled the responsibility of building the miniature bonfire outside the church doors to begin the service. This was one of Grayson's responsibilities for many years. He listened keenly as the 8 or 9 bible readings were superbly shared, bringing the words to life. For several years, Grayson was one of the selected readers at this service where he shared his booming voice and sensitive reading.

Tonight, he was able to join in singing a few phrases of familiar songs and hymns and enjoyed playing a drum at the appropriate times during one particularly lively reading of the "fiery furnace".

Toward the end of hour two he started to get a bit fidgety, eager to be out of his seat. But by the end of the service, the church is filled with light and music and the tomb is no more. The joy carries us all out the door.

May all of your lives be touched by the promise and joy of Easter.

Peace,

Regina

Day 873 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

The sacrifices we make for our children are insignificant compared to the sacrifice God and His son made.

"God so loved the world…"

Regina

Day 872 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Late this afternoon, after work, I took Grayson on a couple of errands to pick up last minute things for Easter lunch with my brother's family.

As we were pulling the car out of the parking lot at errand number two, I realized my sunglasses were missing. I stopped the car and checked my purse, my briefcase, the floor, and under the seats – twice. I drove back to the parking space where we had been parked. I went back into the store. I checked my pockets, on top of my head, and the neckline of my shirt. No glasses. All this time I am carrying on a narrative to Grayson explaining what I was looking for.

At this point, I am convinced that I lost them in the parking lot of errand number one and resigned myself that they were gone for good. Disappointed, (this is the best pair I have ever owned and only the third pair in 20 years) we drove back to the first stop. I pulled into the parking lot and glanced over at Grayson. He was sitting there grinning at me – wearing my sunglasses!

I needed that laugh today.

With joy (and not only from finding my glasses),

Regina

Day 871 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Each day is unique and the same.

Grayson was in one of his down cycles today. He got stuck in a loop several times repeating, "Yeah, yeah" and smacking his lips. We don't know what causes it and it usually lasts only a couple of days. Today he had a hard time staying seated and got up even during meal times.

The loop of getting up out of bed has also started this evening. I expect to hear his door alarm a few more times before I can retire myself.

Without Brant in town to share the responsibility, I must say is good practice in patience for me.

Peace,

Regina

Day 870 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Tonight after I brushed Grayson's teeth and coached him through putting on his pajamas, he gave me a big hug before crawling into bed. I said that I loved him. He said "Good".

It is very good.

Love to you all tonight.

Regina

Day 869 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

Grayson spent the morning being examined and tested by yet another physician. As usual, he was easily distracted and lost focus making it difficult or impossible for him to complete many of the tasks put to him.

This afternoon, Grayson was treated with my sister companionship. I know he enjoyed her company infinitely more. A hearty lunch, time curled up with her dog and cat, a funny movie and her always stimulating chatter.

Grayson was a happy, tired puppy when I put him to bed tonight.

Sleep well my friends. After a long week of too many late evenings working, I know I will.

Peace,

Regina

Day 868 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends

Today was a busy day for me – assisting minister at both services this morning with an ecumenical blessing of the palms between services with the other churches on our street. I was ready for a nap before we even went to lunch!

We finished the day with a grocery store run and dinner while I packed for another trip to Seatle where I'll be spending the week.

Pax!

Brant