Howard Falkinburg

We have a weekly Group at Hope Network, hosted by speech therapy, for individuals the CSI. I call us the “Quad Squad” since we are all quadriplegics. One gentleman is hard of hearing. One other just doesn’t talk a lot. So it is me and “Steve” that carry the group. Steve and I banter back-and-forth Continue reading

Well, guess what? I was readmitted to the hospital on July 2 after my blood pressure bottomed out because of a UTI. I never shook the infection from my last hospitalization.  The infectious disease team said my infection was resistant to oral antibiotics. The doctor said the kidney stone lodged in my kidney is causing Continue reading

Here are a few updates to keep you up to speed. My move to Sojourners has been delayed to mid-June due to supply and chain issues. The room needs maintenance done but the hardware store lacks supplies. I toured the room and it’s larger than my current one, particularly the bathroom. The window view is Continue reading

Baclofen is a muscle relaxant medicine commonly used to treat spasticity and spinal cord injuries. A baclofen pump was surgically inserted next to my abdomen February of 2019, with a catheter attached to the spinal column to deliver the medication. It’s the size of a hockey puck. Dr.Yablon has managed the pump for me for Continue reading

There are several conditions associated with spinal cord injuries. A few of the common ones are the clonus, spasticity, and muscle tone.  A clonus is a neurological condition that creates involuntary rapid muscle contractions. This results in uncontrollable, rhythmic, and shaking movements. Mine happen primarily in the hands and feet, which are triggered when being Continue reading

Almost two years ago I had a supra pubic catheter installed when I had a mega kidney stone surgically removed. An SP catheter is a tube that carries urine from the bladder through a hole in my stomach below my navel and to a bag strapped to the bottom of my leg. Prior to this, Continue reading

The road of my recovery has been challenging. My injury happened from an auto accident in a parking lot on October 23, 2018. I was driving around 15 mph, then was blinded by the sun and hit a light post. My forehead hit the steering wheel then suddenly I could not move. I tried reaching Continue reading

Sunday was not a good day for me. I had blood in my urine the last few mornings. This morning, my supra pubic catheter was clogged so urine was trapped in my bladder and unable to drain into my catheter bag. I went to Spectrum ER and was diagnosed with another urinary tract infection. Fortunately, Continue reading

I approached Lauren, the assistant supervisor, about accessibility concerns at Maplewood. I cannot leave or enter the building without staff assistance. I’m not able to hit the door open buttons either because of limited arm mobility or location of the buttons. The bathrooms and showers at Maplewood are small with a little storage area. Because Continue reading

It’s been more than a week and I have managed to stay out of the hospital! I had a pic line in my left arm for two weeks that dispensed a liquid antibiotic to kill off the infection. This was removed last Friday. I’m close to being back at full strength. Being in the hospital Continue reading