Things in Iowa had hit the skids since I had my last spine surgery in August of 07. Medical bills and loss of income forced my wife back to work and as a teacher she was unable to make enough income in Iowa to make up for the loss of my income. So we started the search and found Texas.
My work with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation continues I am actually heading up the Iowa and now Texas Chapters to continue to build the reach of the Foundation. I am working dilligently to build my health up and get to a point where I am functioning and able to really get back to work. My goal has always been to work my way off of Social Security Disability. Being able to walk again has given me a great deal of inspiration and motivation. However the pain is still incredible and often keeps me from participating and I am still finding myself in bed more often than I would like I need to be able to make a full day without the pain knocking me out of commission. The recovery from the surgery has taken so much longer than I had anticipated. I am fully recovered and the results of the surgery were positive but not as much as I had hoped for.
The move to Texas has been stressful finding physicians and building a team of medical specialists to manage my care and ongoing treatments for Arthritis, Arachnoiditis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Degenerative Disc Disease, and the incredible pain of the Nerve Damage in and around the areas of my spine that have been operated on I hope to find a pain specialist to help manage my drug regiment and assist in reducing the amount of narcotics I intake for pain control. I feel that at 44 years of age I should not be forced to consider a morphine pump and increasing use of stronger and more damaging drugs. I want to increase my functionality and reduce the medications but thus far no treatment or medication has been developed to make this possible. I will say that the beautiful weather of Texas has helped make my health and outlook much improved. The aches and pains that come with severe cold and damp weather that is Iowa's fall and winter weather. I hope to increase my activity through the fall and winter here as the weather will enable me to stay outside, walk, exercise and get out of the house. then working with progressive thinking physicians willing to look at anything new and different that may come along that has demonstrated results to try new treatments and methods with me is my main focus currently.
I hope to keep everyone posted and let you all know the progress if any. Thank you all for your support and encouragment over this past year. My friends at MyRideIsMe have done so much to assist me in spreading the word about the SuperCruise and my story that I will be forever grateful and do everything in my power to spread the word about this Amazing Site. I ask that everyone continue their efforts in getting the attention of Chip Foose and the OverHaulin television program to select me and the "Go Forward 50" Lowrider Project for a "mark" on the program. Thank you so much for all the support and kind words.
I look forward to hearing more from all of you members and supporters of MyRideIsMe.com
Best Wishes
Joe "Cool Breeze" Kelly Chairman
Iowa Chapter The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Founder of the Joe Kelly Spinal Injury Foundation
Founder of the SuperCruise and SuperShow'n Shine a charitable event benefitting the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation