Sunny Days, Sweeping The Clouds Away

Last night, I watched part of the first season of 30 Rock. I love that show, but only really got into it last year.

After that, I watched the first two episodes of this season’s Penn & Teller: Bullshit! For those who haven’t seen it, Penn & Teller choose  a topic and discuss why it’s bullshit. The two that I watched was one on Orgasms & one about Astrology. I love that show. It’s smart, funny & honest. You should check it out.

I spent all afternoon today in the great outdoors with my Wife.

First, we met on Sparks Street, walked to City Hall, & then walked along the Rideau Canal. We walked all the way to Lansdowne Park so she could get fresh food. While she stopped, I tried to find a Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom, but everything was locked up in the Arena.

Sometimes, it’s a pain in the ass looking for Bathrooms that I can use. Let me paint you a beautiful picture here. My Wheelchair weighs over 500 pounds and it’s pretty wide. So, if I can get somewhere, that’s good news for other Disabled people too. I still have yet to meet someone with a bigger Wheelchair. If they exist, they’re probably fighting in the Middle East as a human Tank.

I’ve always thought that someone should make a movie about a Disabled guy that would be like the Terminator. Going around in a massive suited up Powered Wheelchair, loaded with INSANE weapons.

Picture it

I know you are.

It’s a SICK idea.

Admit it.

After I got home, I freshened up & changed into lighter clothes. I thought it would be cooler out, so I wore long sleeves. I think I lost at least 10 lbs through sweat. Let’s not even discuss my sweaty ass.

Well that’s about it for now, but I’ll return tomorrow. I hope you all had a good weekend out there.

As always, thanks for reading.

Shopping & Stopping

I went to Future Shop today and finally used the $25 Gift Card that I got for Christmas from my Sister. I’d like to say that I spent it on something fun, but no. I needed a new Headset for my Cordless Phone at Home. Believe it or not, I had to pay $14.54 to cover the total cost. Why the hell is a Headset so expensive?

After I was done, I headed next door to Walmart to browse around. I tried to take the Bus home, but the Elevator was broken, so I had to wait an hour for my ride.

I decided to return to Future Shop and watched people playing Video Games. I really wish that I could play them, but I’m not able to use the controllers. When I was a kid, I had a Nintendo & a Nintendo 64, and kicked some serious ass.

My backup controller for my Wheelchair is actually an old Nintendo Controller. That was my idea and people think it’s REALLY cool.

My ride came eventually and I headed back home.

I don’t have any real plans for the rest of the weekend.

Quiet Day

It’s been raining all day here in Ottawa.

So far my highlight was having Coffee with my Wife this morning.

That’s about it.

Have a good weekend everyone.

What A Day

Yesterday was Canada Day. Let’s see what happened.

I woke up shortly before 10 to Cloudy skies. I turned on the TV to check the Weather and it still called for Rain in the Afternoon. I decided to risk it and go out, and I’m really glad that I did.

We started off heading to Parliament Hill because I wanted to try the new free Shuttle Bus that they had for Disabled People, so we hopped on and headed into the VIP section. I couldn’t help myself as I passed everyone inside the barricades, so I said hi & Happy Canada Day to as many as I could while I made my way to the front row. I actually felt like a Celebrity for a little while.

We sat & watched the show, and we were on National TV a crapload of times during the 90 minue show/telecast. As if, that wasn’t enough fun, we got more, alot more.

Near the end of the show, the Organizer of the Wheelchair Section, Charles Matthews, asked me if I wanted to meet the Governer General. Being the Media Slut that I am, I quickly said yes. We made our way over and I was on National TV shaking hands with the Governer General and talking to her like it was no big deal. As if that wasn’t big enough, I met Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and again was on TV.

I’d post pictures, but I’m not overly comfortable sharing my picture on here. I have no problem being on TV and being seen by millions of people.

Don’t try to figure out my logic. Many have tried & many have failed.

Just before meeting them, the Battery on my Ventilator died, which is never a good sign, especially if I’m out. We made our way home and I charged up my Battery for a few hours before we headed back out again.

For our second time out, we returned to Parliament Hill for the Evening show. We had hoped to take the Shuttle Bus again, but it was waiting for people at the Stage. We got there just in time to Sarah McLachlan perform again. Our seats weren’t quite as good as earlier, but it was still in the VIP Section.

We started heading out as soon as we heard the first bang of the fireworks. I’m a huge fan of fireworks & you’re never too old for them, at least in my opinion. The only lasted for about 10 minutes, but they were pretty good as usual.

After they were done, we headed into the madness, and headed home, like thousands of others. Luckily, we only live a few blocks away from there, so we just walked home.

The day went great. We didn’t get to hear any Jazz, but we didn’t get rained on, and we met the Prime Minister & the Governer General while being on TV.

As for today, I’m just taking it easy while it rains outside.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Canada Day

I want to wish any Canadians that are reading this a VERY Happy Canada Day!

I’m Ryan Lythall & I’m proud to be Canadian.

Don’t Rain On My Parade

My Tuesday was pretty quiet, mostly because it rained. I did manage to get out briefly to pick-up my Wife at work. It rained a few minutes after we got home, so we got lucky.

Question is though, will we be so lucky on Canada Day?

Right now, my plan is to get up around 9:30 or 10, hopefully to the sun, and then head down to Parliament Hill for the Noon show.

At some point, I also hope to get to Confederation Park to hear some Jazz.

Will I make it or will Mother Nature piss all over me?

Stay tuned for the continuing story of a Crip.

Thanks for reading.

Doing It In Public

On Monday, I attended a Training Session on Public Speaking at the United Way. It turned out to be a little emotional for some. A few Women talked about working at the Distress Centre, one working at the Rape Crisis Centre, and one had 3 kids with different disorders. It was kind of depressing.

Then it was my turn.

I spoke about my life, how the Doctors gave me 1 year to live when I was born. From there, I talked about spending 19 years at the Childrens Hospital Of Eastern Ontario, and then decided to live on my own, instead of another institution. From there, I talked about the Organization that provides me with 24/7 care.

It was alot to pack in considering I was only given 5 minutes, but I did it & everyone was pretty impressed.

While I was in there, I missed a downpour outside, but I was able to see the rainbow on the ride home. I forgot to mention yesterday that my Wife & I got stuck in the rain on our way home from the Grocery Store, and we had to call a cab to get home.

After I got home from the United Way, I told my Wife all about it and then I watched WWE Wrestling.

No plans for Tuesday yet, but Wednesday’s Canada Day. As of now, they’re calling for rain, but I hope to see Sarah McLachlan & the Fireworks at least. My Wife is off for the rest of the week after that, so we’ll probably do stuff together.

Well that’s it for now.

Thanks for reading.

Weekend’s Over

Well, the Weekend’s over, let’s see what I did.

On Saturday, I went to meet my Wife at the Hairdresser’s and ended up waiting 90 minutes for her. At least I was able to get a Coffee while waiting. After she was done, we headed to the Byward Market, so she could get fresh food.

A few hours later, I headed to the store and remembered that they were gonna show the movie, Ghostbusters in the parking lot. I’m a BIG fan of 80’s movies & it was free, so I went to see it later that night.

That was my Saturday.

On Sunday, I woke up and watched Hellboy 2, which was good, but not as good as the first one. We headed out shortly after, she went biking & I chased after her. I have a feeling that when I get my new chair, she’ll be chasing me.

We went home and then went Grocery Shopping. I don’t really eat solid food, but I push the cart around & carry her bags back home.

The rest of the night was spent together expressing our love.

See, sometimes I am capable of not sounding perverted.

On Monday Night, I’m going to a training session put on by the United Way. It’s to learn how to be a Public Speaking and speaking on behalf of the United Way.

Thanks for reading and I hope you all had a good weekend.

Long Time No Blog

It’s been a few months since my last post on here.

Last time I was here, I was dealing with tough health issues and even ended up staying in the Hospital for a week. It was really tough being there, mostly because I wasn’t used to it. The last time that I was a Patient was in 1995 and that was for 3 days. Needless to say, my week stay was hard on me and of course for my Wife as well.

I’m happy to report that I’m pretty much 100% again and I’m done taking Rat Poison Pills for the Blood Clot that I had. That also means no more weekly blood tests.

Speaking of health issues…

During the whole ordeal, I did two swallow tests and they determined that I aspirate ONLY when I eat or drink or in my wheelchair, but NOT when I eat or drink lying down. So basically, I’m the OPPOSITE of most humans. You should’ve seen the Doctors faces when they found out and even my own Doctor couldn’t explain it.

I’ve always known that I was a Medical enigma, this just cements my belief.

Nowadays, when I drink sitting up, I go very slow & take my time.

Besides all that crap, I got better just in time for Summer and I’ve been enjoying the hot, sunny weather. Right around the corner is Bluesfest which starts July 8th to the 19th. The big act that I’m looking forward to seeing at Bluesfest this year is KISS.

Among the others: Styx, LIVE, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, The Dead Weather, Ben Harper, Joe Cocker, Our Lady Peace, Stone Temple Pilots, Sam Roberts, Blue Rodeo, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Yardbirds, The Zombies, Neko Case, Holy Fuck, & MANY MANY more.

For more info, go to http://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/

This year, they’ve added free shows elsewhere.

I plan on seeing George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, The Proclaimers, & Arrested Development.

For more info on that, go to http://www.bluesfestbyward.com/

You may be wondering why I’m promoting it so much. Well, not only is it a great festival, but also because I helped with making it more wheelchair accessible and I’m proud to see my ideas come to life & hopefully help others like myself get to the different stages easier.

Speaking of music…

We all know by now that Michael Jackson passed away last Thursday. Part of me is still in shock, but not overly surprised. Let’s be honest, I wasn’t really expecting a happy ending to his life. Even Michael himself once told Lisa Marie Presley that he didn’t want to die the way Elvis did. Sadly, he did and now he’ll probably be remembered in the same way, even YEARS from now.

I still remember dressing up as Michael for Halloween when I was a kid, complete with one white glove. I had a Poster of him and the Thriller casette. I think I actually still have the tape somewhere.

Regardless of what you thought of him, you can’t deny his success and when Thriller came out, it was groundbreaking, not only for music videos, but for music in general. He was truly THE MAN when it came to music and I’ll always remember him for that.

In other news…

I discovered Twitter about a week ago. At first, I wasn’t really sure what to make of it, but it’s growing on me, much like a fungus. If any of you use Twitter, you can find me at ryanlythall.

Original name eh…

That’s it for now, but I’ll be back soon.

Thanks for reading everybody & please let me know that you read it.

WWE Wrestlemania 25 Predictions Results

The Tag Team Match got moved to the pre-show, so none of us saw it. I do know that the Colons won. I was correct about that one.

Now let’s see what I got wrong.

CM Punk won the MITB Match for the second year in a row.

Santino Marella dressed as a woman named Santina and won the 25 Diva Battle Royal. He/she is now known as Miss Wrestlemania.

Chris Jericho beat Jimmy Snuka/Roddy Piper/Ricky Steamboat by pinning Steamboat. After the match, Mickey Rourke knocked out Chris Jericho.

Rey Mysterio defeated JBL to become the new IC Champion.

Triple H defeated Randy Orton to keep the WWE Title.

I was right about everything else.

WWE Wrestlemania 25 Predictions

It’s that time of year again, wrestling fans. It’s time for Wrestlemania. That means that it’s also time for me to make my predictions about what’s going to happen on the show.

Chris Jericho vs. Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Rowdy Roddy Piper w/Ric Flair For Chris Jericho to win, he has to defeat all three of the legends. For the legends to win, they have to defeat Chris Jericho just one time.

Alright, so in my opinion, the WWE dropped the ball on this one. Most fans (including myself) were expecting/hoping Stone Cold Steve Austin would face Chris Jericho in one final match. This would be fitting considering that Austin will be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this weekend. It could’ve been like the Ric Flair/HBK match from last year, but with Austin winning in his home State of Texas. Instead, we get to see Jericho take on three legends.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of Snuka, Piper & Steamboat, but this isn’t the 80’s. I’m pretty sure they’re not as good as they were back then. Even though, the kid in me will be happy to see them appear. Chris Jericho is going to have to work really hard to make them look good.

Rumors are still floating around that Mickey Rourke will be there and that probably means he’ll be a part of the ending.

Prediction: Mickey Rourke punches Chris Jericho out and Ricky Steamboat gets the victory. I should point out that Ricky Steamboat is also going to be inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this weekend. I still have hope that Austin will somehow get involved as well.

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

This one will be good, possibly match of the night. There’s not much to say about this. The result is pretty predictable, but the road to it should be damn good.

Prediction: Undertaker pins HBK to keep his Wrestlemania undefeated streak alive for another year.

Extreme Rules Match: Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

This is another match that has the potential to steal the show. Wrestling fans know that both of these guys take HUGE risks in their respective matches, especially when they were a Tag Team. With this being Wrestlemania, an Extreme Rules Match, and a sibling rivalry, they will definitely be going all out.

Prediction: Matt Hardy will get the upset victory in a modern day version of Bret Hart VS Owen Hart.

25-Diva “Miss WrestleMania” Battle Royal: Known Participants – Melina, Maryse, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Michelle McCool, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Eve Torres, Katie Lea Burchill, Beth Phoenix, Layla El, Rosa Mendes, Candice Michelle, Natalya Neidhart, Jillian Hall, Tiffany, Sunny, Torrie Wilson, Molly Holly, Victoria and Jackie-Gayda-Haas

The winner of this will be crowned Miss Wrestlemania. While I’m looking forward to seeing some of the older names, I could really care less about this. In a perfect world, Trish Stratus would be involved and go on to win, but as far as we know, she won’t be there.

Prediction: Oh, I don’t know. Let’s throw a dart and see where it lands. I’m gonna say that Sunny somehow wins.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Finlay

The annual MITB Match returns and this is typically one of my favorite matches every year. I’m sure this one will be no different. What I don’t get is why is Mark Henry involved? I hate to say it, but I’m not really sure if he’ll even be able to climb the ladder.

Prediction: I believe that Shelton Benjamin will FINALLY win the MITB. Every year, he manages to steal the match with his insane moves, but has fallen short of winning the big one. This year, he’ll climb the ladder, grab the briefcase, and cash in a World Title shot within a year of winning.

Winner Takes All – WWE Tag Team Titles vs. World Tag Team Titles – Unified Tag Team Title LUMBERJACK Match: The Miz and John Morrison © vs. Carlito and Primo Colon

I really don’t get why they made this a Lumberjack match, but besides that, this should deliver. These two teams have been having outstanding matches for the past few months. For those that don’t know, a Lumberjack match involves various wrestlers standing at ringside throwing the participants back into the ring if they get tossed out or try to escape.

Prediction: Carlito & Primo Colon go on to win.

IC Title Match: JBL © vs. Rey Mysterio

I’m happy to see the IC Title being defended at Wrestlemania, even if it is JBL. There’s not much more to say about this.

Prediction: JBL wins

World Title Match: Edge vs. The Big Show vs. John Cena

I don’t see why they decided to involve The Big Show in this match. I’d rather see Cena VS Edge 1 on 1 and have The Big Show be in the MITB Match. Even if he’s not able to climb that ladder, it’d be worth it to see him knock out a few people in that match.

Prediction: Cena wins the Title.

WWE Title Match: HHH © vs. Randy Orton

These two have been tearing eachother apart since Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble in January. At one time or another, Randy has attacked Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, & HHH. Needless to say, it’s been a heated rivalry with everyone involved.

Prediction: Randy Orton will win the Title when at least one of the McMahon’s either turns on HHH or their assistance backfires.

Well, there you have it.

As for me, I’ll be watching the show at a local Movie Theatre. I’ll be posting the results of my predictions shortly after I get home.

The show is this Sunday at 7 PM Eastern on Pay Per View.

Enjoy the show!

A Historic Day For Me

I haven’t felt like posting for the past few days because I’m tired of talking about my health issues. I’m happy to report though that I’m off the needle though and today was my last day for my Antibiotics. So, that means that as of now, I have only one drug to deal with. It happens to be the Rat Poison Pills, which taste really really bad.

Last night, my Wife & I were finally gonna have a night out and go see The Wrestler.Just before we left, I started having Stomach issues. Once they subsided, we rented WALL-E, which I recommend you check out if you haven’t already.

By now, you’re probably wondering why is this a historic day for me.

On March 16th, 1994, I left the Childrens Hospital Of Eastern Ontario after living there for 19 years. The main reason that I stayed there for so long is because there wasn’t anywhere else to put me.

My years included 6 years in ICU, followed by 9 years on a ward full of school aged kids, followed by 2 years on a ward full of babies and other kids that needed long term care. From there, they sent me back with the school aged kids.

My “happiest* time was being with the school aged kids. I was able to make TONS of friends. We got to hang out, play video games, or we’d just talk and I’d try to cheer them up during their stay. Whenever there was a new kid or family, I’d usually show them around the ward and answer any questions they had. The downside was that ALOT of my friends passed away due to various diseases & illnesses.

When I was about 14, I got asked if I wanted to live in a Group Home or in a Long Term Care Hospital. My response was that I wanted to live in my own place. At the time, a person requiring 24/7 care wanting to live on their own was simply unheard of, at least here in Canada.

My Mom & I quickly started a letter writing campaign to see if it was at all possible. We hit many roadblocks as expected, but in the end, we prevailed.

On March 16th, 1994, I woke up for the last time at CHEO. The Hospital threw me a big party, the Nurses & other Staff came to say goodbye,  and the Media was out in full force. I was the first guy in Canada to attempt this.

It definitely hasn’t been easy, but it still feels amazing.

Just 4 years ago, they tried to kick me out of my home, simply because it was too expensive to keep me here. This time around, my Wife & I successfully won that arguement and I’m still here.

15 years later

My goal is to surpass 19 years and at least be able to say that I survived longer on my own than I did in the Hospital.

As the song goes, “Nothing is better than freedom”.

Thanks for reading.

Needles, Pills, & Blood Tests. OH MY!

So my day today was filled with two Medical appointments at two different Hospitals at opposite ends of the City.

I started at The Civic Hospital for my (almost daily) Blood test. Much to my surprise, they got it in again on the first try. So far, they’re 2 for 2, which is a damn good thing at this point in time. My next test is on Friday, and here’s hoping they go 3 for 3.

From there, I headed to The Rehabilitation Centre to see my Respirologist. We went over everything that’s happened to me in the past month. Just once, I’d love to have a Doctor look at me and say, how the fuck are you still alive? I’ve seen MANY Doctors in the past 34 years and I can assure you that many of them were thinking that.

Anyways, the Respirologist changed a setting on my Ventilator and it seems to be helping me breathe better. He also said for me to be patient and to keep doing what I’m doing.

From there, I waited an hour for my ride home. I think the waiting was the hardest part.

As for tomorrow, I plan on relaxing after making some calls.

The fun never ends.

Start Of A New Week

I went for Blood Work today, and to my surprise, they got it on the first try.

After that, I headed to the Thrombosis Clinic to ask a few questions and to get a refill on my Needles.

Yup, I’m a Druggie.

Good news is that tonight I get a break from taking Pills, which is quite literally Rat Poison.

On Wednesday, I get to have another Blood Test, and then from there, I have to go to another Hospital to see my Respirologist.

Needless to say, Wednesday will be a crazy day probably.

So What Happened On Friday?

Friday was my appointment at the Thrombosis Clinic, which specializes in Blood Clots.

As you probably guessed, I had a shitload of questions, like who am I and what am I doing here? (Sorry, Simpsons reference)

I was pretty stressed out already just for being there. It didn’t help matters when the Doctors and Nurses kept changing their minds about how to deal with this.

In the end, they decided on two more weeks of daily shots, pills every day for the next three months at least, blood tests at least once or twice a week. Good news is that if I get tired of the Blood tests, I can switch back to the shots instead of pills.

Still with me?

On top of all that, I’m back on the original Antibiotics that I was taking for Pneumonia two weeks ago. That will be for another ten days.

Don’t worry, I’ll be publishing Cole notes, so you can be ready for a test on this.

As if that’s not enough, my Smoke Detector kept going off while I slept last night/this morning. Apparently, I’m getting a new one tomorrow.

So how are you people doing out there?

I hope you’re doing better than me and not feeling like a VooDoo Doll.

Long Day

I’ve had a very long, stressful day.
I don’t feel like discussing it right now.

Maybe tomorrow

More Fun Awaits Me

On Friday, I’m getting up at 8 AM to go to a Thrombosis Accessment Clinic.

Here’s a brief description of what it is:

This is an urgent care clinic investigating and treating patients with suspected and confirmed deep vein thrombosis (clot in the leg) and pulmonary embolism (clot in the lung). The clinic also provides consultation services for patients with suspected or confirmed thrombophilia (tendencies to develop blood clots).

The clinic provides a perioperative anticoagulation (blood-thinner) service for patients on long-term anticoagulants and manages all aspects of care for patients on long-term anticoagulants (monitoring dose adjustments / risk management).

Long story short, they’re gonna see how I’m doing as far as the Blood Clot goes. They’ll probably take some Blood work, which is always fun due to the fact that it’s hard to find a vein on me. From there, they’ll probably tell me what I can and can’t do, plus tell me what my future holds as far as having to take drugs for the rest of my life.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Friday, can you?

At least, my Wife will be with me.

This Is SO Frustrating

This whole month long illness is taking its toll on me. When I think about how fast my life has changed, it kinda depresses me. The idea of me possibly having to take Blood Thinners Pills for the rest of my life is still a shock to me.

I feel odd saying all this because I spent nineteen years of my life while losing friends to far worse illness or diseases than I have.

I will always be grateful for the fact that I managed to get out of there alive, got my own place, and eventually got a life partner that I love as much as she loves me.

It’s just hard for me to fully understand and perhaps accept the fact that I now possibly face a new health issue in my life.

I’m happy to be alive and I know that one day that I’ll be 100% again or damn near it. It’s just that the time that it’s taking to get there seems really really long and far away.

Sorry if I seem down, but that’s what’s on my mind.

Thanks for reading.

Nothing New To Say

Everything’s the same, but I’m getting better

On The Road To Recovery

So last night, the Nurse came over to give me a shot of Blood Thinner. She put it in my stomach, which hurt like hell. My Wife had to leave the room when I was getting it done.

That’s my girl.

Anyways, I get another one tonight and for about the next two weeks.

Fantastic!