A New Year, A Breath of Fresh Air

In my first post of 2014 I wrote of my excitement about the spiritual discovery of the term Immanuel. I truly intend to follow up on that but ... as I embark on this new year I am also facing the prospect of a change in my physical life as well. On Tuesday I met with a surgeon, Dr. Yee, in Vancouver to set the wheels in motion to get a Diaphragmatic pacemaker:

A diaphragmatic pacemaker, in medicine, is a surgically implanted device used to help patients breathe following complications from spinal cord injuries. For a full discussion of what is involved in having a Diaphragmatic pacemaker check out the article in Wikipedia.

Since my accident I cannot breathe without a ventilator. This means that, at my bedside or on the back of my wheelchair I have a machine that breathes for me by forcing air into my lungs. The diaphragmatic pacemaker allows me to breathe more naturally by stimulating my diaphragm. The advantages:

1. I will not be as susceptible to pneumonia.
2. My senses of taste and smell will return.
3. I will not need the ventilator all the time.
4. My voice will be stronger.

So, am I excited? YES
I am expecting a call for the operation this summer.