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Upright

Edgy MD Feb 23 2016 08:22 PM

This handsome 16-year-old is my nephew Oliver. [fimg=500]https://metsinpeace.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/ollieupright.jpg[/fimg] Ollie has a form of muscular dystrophy. It's never been clearly diagnosed as such, but his muscles never fully formed, so as his skeleton grew, they just became stretched out, refusing to grow along with him. And he went from a childhood walking with braces and fumbling with everything he handled, but managing, to growing more or less utterly paralyzed the last six years. But he's adapted with amazing resolve and humor to life in a chair, the struggle to communicate (the tongue, it turns out, is a muscle), and (more recently) one or two (terrifying) bouts of pneumonia per year. He's been reliant on the family and the chair for getting around, and our family is a dysfunctional lot. Six or eight months back, Ollie discovered a gym in the neighborhood that works specifically with injured and handicapped patients, around the same time he discovered a little 1976 record called "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)." And he's become a workout maniac. At the end of months of workouts, he's achieved something we thought we'd never see again. He's sitting upright, unsupported. It's almost stupid that such a modest achievement feels like I just watched him beat the champ, but that's how I feel.

Fman99 Feb 24 2016 10:15 AM Re: Upright

That is amazing. Kudos to him. That music will get the blood pumping. They played it before the start of the Philadelphia Marathon, just outside of the Art Museum, and it sent chills up and down my spine.

TransMonk Feb 24 2016 10:34 AM Re: Upright

Very cool! Great work by Oliver!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 24 2016 11:15 AM Re: Upright

Go Ollie

themetfairy Feb 24 2016 11:22 AM Re: Upright

Good job Oliver!

Benjamin Grimm Feb 24 2016 11:32 AM Re: Upright

Very inspiring! I wonder if there's any kind of speech therapy he can do to improve his speaking skills. I imagine that not being able to talk has to be awfully frustrating as well.

Chad Ochoseis Feb 24 2016 04:47 PM Re: Upright

Well, yay. Glad that Theme From Rocky is doing someone some good. A gym that works with injured and handicapped people is a great idea, and I wonder why there aren't more out there. Go, Ollie!

smg58 Feb 24 2016 05:00 PM Re: Upright

Awesome.

seawolf17 Feb 24 2016 05:48 PM Re: Upright

That awesome. My best to him.

cooby classic Feb 25 2016 09:40 AM Re: Upright

Good for Oliver!

d'Kong76 Feb 25 2016 11:44 AM Re: Upright

Best to Oliver, keep pluggin' champ!

dgwphotography Feb 25 2016 01:04 PM Re: Upright

Just awesome. It's great to see some good news around here.

Rockin' Doc Feb 26 2016 05:45 PM Re: Upright

Oliver has obviously had to endure a tremendous amount of adversity in his young life, but he is obviously a tough, persistent, and determined young man. Those traits will serve him well in life. Keep up the good work Ollie.

Edgy MD Mar 01 2016 01:40 PM Re: Upright

Thanks for you encouragements. I'll pass them on to the champ. The amazing thing is that this is such a testament to his own initiative. I'm afraid I'd be, all, "Well, I guess my life sucks now." Benjamin Grimm wrote: Very inspiring! I wonder if there's any kind of speech therapy he can do to improve his speaking skills. I imagine that not being able to talk has to be awfully frustrating as well. He gets plenty of speech therapy at school, I imagine. But only those frequently around him have their ears calibrated to understand what he's saying without a frustrating half a dozen repeats. I feel awful because I see him infrequently enough — a weekend visit every few months, that it takes me two days or so to get my ears re-tuned, and then I'm leaving again. Maybe he can get wired up to communicate by twitching his fingers and "speaking" electronically like Stephen Hawking.

Edgy MD Sep 11 2017 07:40 AM Re: Upright

Ollie is fighting through a terrible time at Children's Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center. Pneumonia. Collapsed lung. Respirator. Ventilator. If anybody has a good thought for a sweet young man, he could use it.

MFS62 Sep 11 2017 08:51 AM Re: Upright

Edgy MD wrote: Ollie is fighting through a terrible time at Children's Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center. Pneumonia. Collapsed lung. Respirator. Ventilator. If anybody has a good thought for a sweet young man, he could use it. He's got it. Later

Centerfield Sep 11 2017 09:20 AM Re: Upright

Hang in there Ollie. And the whole family. The kid looks tough.

themetfairy Sep 11 2017 09:37 AM Re: Upright

All the best to Ollie!

Benjamin Grimm Sep 11 2017 09:44 AM Re: Upright

I'm rooting for him too. Hopefully he'll get past this ordeal and recover quickly.

Edgy MD Sep 11 2017 10:59 AM Re: Upright

Thanks. I'm trying not to panic, but this kid is kinda the best.

cooby Sep 11 2017 11:15 AM Re: Upright

Kisses and hugs.

Rockin' Doc Sep 11 2017 09:25 PM Re: Upright

My thoughts and prayers are with Ollie, his extended family, and friends as he goes through another difficult health battle. Keep up the fight Ollie, you have a lot of people in your corner.

41Forever Sep 13 2017 07:59 AM Re: Upright

Courage and faith!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 13 2017 08:40 AM Re: Upright

Strength and fortitude

d'Kong76 Sep 13 2017 02:25 PM Re: Upright

Positive vibes to Oliver and his family. (resolve; visit the fringe fora more often)

Fman99 Sep 17 2017 07:05 PM Re: Upright

Be strong, Ollie.

Ashie62 Sep 19 2017 04:36 PM Re: Upright

Many prayers for Ollie.

Edgy MD Sep 20 2017 07:52 AM Re: Upright

Thanks. I went and saw him this weekend. He had been extubated, but was unable to talk because your vocal chords swell around the invasive tubes. He got through the first 24-48 hours after the extubation, which tend to be anxious, because you might have to be re-intubated, and you really don't want that. Your canal is really sensitive and your swollen tissue makes being re-intubated a chore. I bought him a drone. I figured it was the kind of toy that would motivate somebody to get out of the hospital quickly. I know able-bodied folks have trouble operating the things and lose or break them quickly, but even if somebody else flies it for him while he rides along with the virtual reality goggles, that would be a pretty cool experience for him. I'm setting the line on the thing being lost or broken at about five days after his release.

Ashie62 Sep 22 2017 06:30 AM Re: Upright

I have more interest in Ollie getting well than anything that might have to do with sports. Keep the faith.

metirish Oct 02 2017 06:48 AM Re: Upright

Wishing Oliie nothing but the best.

Edgy MD Oct 10 2017 05:08 PM Re: Upright

Thirty-four days in pediatric ICU. Getting stronger, but still not free. Survived a collapsed lung or two, which is frightening as hell. I bought him a drone, as a tease for something he can use when he gets out of the hospital. I didn't think he was that excited, but supposedly whenever somebody visits, he says, "Wanna see my drone?" Which is funny, because for all intents and purposes, it's a box for the time being. Hopefully he can operate it with the same dexterity that helps him move his chair around. It has some virtual reality goggles that allow him to see what the drone's camera is shooting, so maybe he gets a few minutes of fun out of it before he parks it in a tree.

Edgy MD Oct 13 2017 06:54 PM Re: Upright

And Balboa takes Lang in round three! Three rounds that took 40 days, but I'll take it. [fimg=800:ttz2tzx0]https://metsrostercentral.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ollie.jpg[/fimg:ttz2tzx0]

d'Kong76 Oct 13 2017 07:36 PM Re: Upright

Great news!

Fman99 Oct 15 2017 08:56 PM Re: Upright

Utterly fantastic.

41Forever Oct 15 2017 09:32 PM Re: Upright

Wonderful!

Ashie62 Oct 18 2017 03:51 PM Re: Upright

Super Awesome!!

SwitchHitter Oct 20 2017 07:08 PM Re: Upright

Catching up on this....as I mentioned in my thread, we had our own adventure in hospitalization a few years ago. Way to go, Ollie!!!! After 30 days of IV antibiotics, my son said the best thing was mom's cooking, cuz the hospital food was never made "the right way" and he swore he'd never diss my food again (riiight). I hope that Ollie gets whatever he considers "the best thing" and that he can get back to being a kid.

smg58 Oct 20 2017 07:15 PM Re: Upright

Awesome news!

Centerfield Oct 24 2017 01:25 PM Re: Upright

Bravo. Just amazing. Great job Ollie!

Edgy MD Feb 10 2018 05:21 PM Re: Upright

So, this kid is going through the fight of his life at Westchester Medical Center. If you have a good thought, please send it his way.

Rockin' Doc Feb 10 2018 06:58 PM Re: Upright

Prayers and best wishes to Ollie in his brave struggle. He has already endured more than anyone should have to go through in a lifetime. Hang in there Ollie, I'm pulling for you tough guy.

Fman99 Feb 11 2018 07:26 PM Re: Upright

Thoughts and prayers, man.

Edgy MD Feb 12 2018 06:32 AM Re: Upright

I went and saw him yesterday. He's stabilized, but intubated, so communication is a greater struggle than ever. Double pneumonia, in a hospital full of flu patients. And the other night he had some seizures, which was something totally new and whose cause is unclear, so he's now pumped full of Adavan. It looks like he is going to need a tracheotomy, but since he's turned 18, he's legally an adult and so has to consent, unless it's an emergency. But really, with all the school he's missed, he's closer to 13 as far as his intellectual and emotional development, so that's not really a decision that he has the resources to make. So his parents are in the position of having to coerce him to make that call — a call they don't really want to make either — and then live with the guilt of having coerced him. Beyond that, his parents are separated, but now mostly live together at the hospital, struggling to put aside their mutual enmity and stay on the same page for the kid. And to their credit, they're mostly doing that, but the added stress it creates is tremendous. Fucking mess. The kid couldn't have been more positive and resilient. He should be knighted.

d'Kong76 Feb 12 2018 07:06 PM Re: Upright

Thoughts for Ollie, miserable sounding scenario on all levels.

Edgy MD Feb 12 2018 07:12 PM Re: Upright

If anybody has an in with Superman or Spongebob or some celebrity who visits pediatric wards, he could really use the boost.

Fman99 Feb 13 2018 08:42 AM Re: Upright

Christ, what a sad deal.

smg58 Feb 13 2018 08:45 AM Re: Upright

Stay strong, Edgy. We're all pulling for Ollie.