Road to recovery

Hi Hegarty Clan!
First, thank you very much for the awesome cards, calls and prayers. It's amazing what an impact it makes. You know it's like that Verizon ad with the network of people following behind you. I feel like I have the best network of friends and familes standing behind me offering all the support I could possibly use. So let me tell you what that support has done for me. I have been to three rehabilitation appointments. My therapists has said that I appear strong and that my focus is on my balance and stamina. I continue to exercise and push myself as hard as I can to walk up and down stairs, work on my core strength, eat better and get plenty of rest. During this period I have also had a mysterious temperature that broke after a week. But the result was more blood test which has revealed that I need some follow up work on my liver. Apparently the medicine I was given to fight the Guillain Barre in the hospital does a job on your liver...so that is tremendously fun. I will most likely have an ultrasound on that sometime in the next week, but I feel pretty certain it will return to its normal reading soon. During this time I also discovered I have Hypothyroidism...it runs in the family and the hormones I am taking for that seem to be working. The great side effect is that my weight is getting closer to the desired weight for my height. I have lost roughly 20 pounds since this all began. I can walk around the house without a cane, but I am less hesitent to do that while out of the house. My leg strength has increased and I plan on joining Planet Fitness to supplement the work I am doing at rehab...I lost a lot of muscle through this and need to get my ripped and chiseled form back. I attended my first GBS support group with my mom and dad and it was awesome to see a room full of people dealing with the same thing I am. Some parts of the session were discouraging, but you just have to keep in focus that everyone has a different story despite the common GBS connection. I am meeting with the founder of the support group to help develop a walk for GBS next spring. I know there are so many walks for all causes, but this particular syndrome needs as much help as possible to get the word out. I also found out GBS was featured on an episode of "House"...makes perfect sense. So overall, I am making excellent progress, I still have issues with feeling in my hands and feet, but this will come back...it is just a matter of time. My mom is doing excellent, a lot of time with her has been awesome.

In terms of the business, Christine has been holding down the fort quite well and continues to bring in new business and getting productions finished. I hope to go on a shoot tomorrow with one of my favorite clients, Cornerstone Mitsubishi, that's the plan. I will then start going to the office a couple of days next week. My client, Brain Moore International Tours, has been talking about sending us back to Ireland at some point this summer for a week on the West Coast of Erin. They also had some potential work with the Travel Tourism Board of Scotland and if that brings me back to Scotland I will be completely out of my mind.

So, life looks better everyday. I improve a little more everyday. I appreciate my friends and families more and more with each breath I take. And I thank God for the miracles He has performed in my life. I also have to give Praise to Mother Mary, St. Jude, St. Theresa, and St. Patrick. Final thought: don't wait till you are knocked off your feet to look around and see the wonder of those in your life...you all make me smile.

Live and Love,
Richie