Here is a blog post in my brother's own words.  Chris has an extraordinary will and his courage reminds me every day that I  too must be courageous and live my life to the fullest. It is hard to know what to say or do sometimes for someone special when they have survived such tragedy. I will simply say that I love him, that I believe in him.

Today is 6 months since my injury.  It's amazing how i can have days where i wanna give up. I had to go to the hospital to get a bunch of testing done. I went on my own for blood work, X-rays, plus they wanted an ultrasound of my kidneys or something of that nature.  I had the worst pain in my kidney on my right side. It's good that i feel pain below my level of injury. I'm a T6 Asia A complete.  I think if I did the Asia test again it would be different. I feel lower on my right side of my back.  I just was sick for two days. Everyone left for school and work and i laid in bed sick about my life.  Just thinking how in the hell did this happen to me. When i don't feel good i get bummed out.  Just couldn't get out of bed. Jen called and forced me out of bed. I was in so much pain all day. My buddy Carlo helped me into the barber shop to get a cut and then we went to look at golf carts and ATV buggies.  Helped keep my mind of the pain and by the end of the day i felt better.  That night was bad.    Nobody on earth knows what its like unless your in a wheelchair yourself.  When my boys walk in my room i hide my face cause i don't want them to see me upset.  Their lives seem to have went back to normal or at least as close to normal before march 3.  Last year they called me all day at rehab from school crying everyday.  We were driving home after the first day of school.  Christopher got in the back seat behind me,reached over the seat, wrapped his arms around me  and told me in a crackling voice he missed me and worried about me all day.  I told him i loved him and to relax and worry about school and reassured him I'm fine.  I saw a man at the rehab center all dressed up to a T. Tie,dress shoes and some type of laptop or notebook on his lap talking to another patient in a wheelchair.  The guy seemed like a salesman.  He was also in a wheelchair.  Just felt like i was looking at myself 15 years from now.  God i felt terrible going to my car. Just brought me to reality.  The reality that i might never walk again.  We have been working endlessly on the basement. Its almost complete.  I have a walk in closet in the back room which still needs to be organized.  Most of what i did and loved to do in my life is in that closet.  Hunting clothes and equipment. Shoes and boots. Memories from college and high school. Its hard to see that stuff.  Believe me its hard to see things like that.  It hurts. Makes me miss that guy.  Its like that person is gone.  Just starts the roller coaster of thoughts in my head. Just a bad few days period!  I think i snapped out my rut.  Spent the next day outside with the boys. They where riding the quad all day.  Friends and family where spreading seed and straw in the yard.  Even my boys where carrying bales of straw and sacks of seed.  What a pleasure to watch them grow.  I just stare at them. They make me happy.  I love to hear their witty comments and conversations with everyone while they work.  Some of the stuff Braden says is so funny.  When days are bad a good days usually around the bend.  I'm a few weeks away from getting fitted for braces to walk.  My standing times are 20 minutes and i feel good after the 20.  I could go longer but my therapist says 20 is good.  He did a re-evaluation on me for insurance purposes i guess.  He was holding my left leg and telling me to flex and kick outward several times. He said he feels my muscles flexing.  When i try to flex my left  leg i can get my quad and calf to move. Not on demand all the time. Sometimes delayed. Its not a huge movement its just a small flex.  Just a few little changes.But we talked and came to the conclusion that i could have some regeneration starting.  I let the Doctor's in Panama know about all this and I'm going back for more stem cells.  Flights and rooms are booked. Round 2. Only two weeks this time.  I just have too be thankful I'm alive and keep working towards walking.