coming up on second rebirthday...

[s8n]

aug.27 is my rebirthday. guess it's sorta a somber time of year for me. just thought i'd share. anyone else celebrate their rebirthday??
daniel

[Humboldtmtnbkr]

Hey Daniel, my first rebirthday is 8/31. I plan on doing the same bike ride and taking a piss on the spot where I crashed. I actually may be at the Outside Lands festival in SF on that particular day so my ride may have to wait until the following weekend. Take care. JJ

[minniem]

Daniel

Seriously have a party! Enjoy the day! How many people can say they beat death and won? I hvae read your story and seriously you should not be here. Everyone laughs but I have two birthdays now and I celebrate them both because I was given a second chance to be here! I live every moment to the fullest. Enjoy the day and do something fun!

minnie

[AngelaW]

My first one is this july 26, almost a month apart
My family and I had planned to get away on a mini vacation but now I will be having more surgery (ironic).
One cool thing. When my dad and I crashed, an orthopedic surgeon from mayo happened to be driving by and he stopped to help. Saved my life and now he's the same surgeon who will be fixing my knee. Isn't life weird?

[chimley]

Rick's first one will be on Tuesday, June 30th. Our family had a victory vacation to the Grand Canyon earlier this month. The best thing we could've ever done as a family. We took Amtrak out so it truly was a vacation for me as well, no driving

A year of many changes, but a whole heckuva lot to be thankful for! I'm most thankful that Rick is still here with us!

[shaunnb]

definitely buster, as you know mine was may 26th..
i think kick back have a cold beer, and be grateful...for all those things we took for granted before.
and grateful for all those great people around us in our lives ...
we r still here buster..we take a lickin and keep on kicking
ill have a beer for you here downunder
cheers

shaun

[trimommy]

mine is on july 21st!! isnt it strange how we mark this day??? last year i did the new york city triathlon to "celebrate". this year i was supposed to do ironman lake placid on the 26th, but, i had to pull out. So, back to the New York City Triathlon for me (beats curling up into a ball and giving up, right?). I drive by my crash site nearly everday, so that tragic moment is never far from my thoughts. Hopefully as time ticks by the memories will also fade. But i will never stop being grateful that i survived and my 3 sons still have their mommy!!! When my pain becomes unbearable I try to remind myself of the alternative!

God bless you all and never never never give up!

cheers,
Robin

[Dan]

Amen Robin,

Mine was over 23 years ago, May 11th. I forgot this year and didn't think about it till something on the boards here made me think of it. I remember early on I wanted to water ski over the spot I fell and as I did that just over a year after I fell, I took great satisfaction in knowing my life might be different but I wasn't going to stop doing the things I loved and water skiing was one of them.

I go boating a couple times a year to the lake and drive right over the spot every time, sometimes I think about it, most of the time I am just enjoying being out on the lake and feeling blessed to be alive.

Dan

[ipeverywhere]

Mine is February 29th - Yes, that is leap day.

For this reason I only get to truly celebrate every 4 years.

I will make a point not to sit in the house that day but actually go out and be with people. I usually don't say anything until way late in the evening and then I'll tell the whole story again and answer questions.

For me it's a time to reflect on the fact I live my life without most people ever knowing of my injury but at the same time it does help to inform and be understood on why I do some of the things I do the way I do them.

[racerboy]

9/21 will be my first rebirthday. I too drive by the spot everyday on my home from work. Can still see the dent in the guardrail.

At least there isn't a little cross there that somebody brings flowers to on my birthday. Seen too many of those.

Like others, I refuse to let this injury define me and while I can't do some of the things I used to (yet), I certainly won't "curl up" (though I wish I could do curls with my right arm!) ;o)