Johnny writes some more in his journal. He didn't sleep too well last night because of storms that traversed the area, storms that included the threat of tornadoes. He also didn't sleep too well last night because of a bad fall that left him hurting all over.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005, 11:10 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

I am sleepy today; and I am also feeling weaker than normal, so I am staying home from school. I also fell last night, and I badly bruised up my back, and my body feels like one gigantic bruise. I am currently holed up in my room, and I am on the computer. I just woke up not that long ago, and I am trying to get the sleep out of my eyes and stop yawning my head off.

We had some wicked weather come through last night, and my weather radio was busy sounding out the alarms. We also heard the tornado sirens go off, and that meant we were under tornado warnings, and we had to go to the basement/safe-room; and I was doing that, getting out of my bed to my wheelchair, when I toppled over and fell, hard, onto the floor. I landed right on my back, and for a minute, I thought I had broken my back. It was highly upsetting, but then I found out that I could move my legs, so I knew my back wasn't broken, but still, I was in a lot of pain. I scared the bejesus out of mommy, and she wanted to call an ambulance for me; but I told her to leave the paramedics out of this one; so my brother, Michael, hauled me up off the floor and very carefully put me into my chair, and we then went, lickety-split, to the basement/safe-room to wait out the (possible) tornado.

I think the worst thing out of the whole experience was not the weather, NOT the threat of tornadoes, nor the sirens wailing; but my fall. I lay on the floor for only a few minutes, but I felt scared, and helpless, because at the time, my older brother, Michael, was in the shower, and he didn't hear me fall; and Richard was in the kitchen, on the other end of the house, eating his breakfast. Mommy did hear me fall, though, and she quickly came to my side; but she knew she couldn't get me back up because she has back problems and she is recovering from back surgery, so she can't do any heavy lifting for a while. Daddy couldn't help me because he has a bad back himself, and he is on crutches; and it would be hard for him to try to deal with me. I am a little kid, but I am solid, and I am not a featherweight. I am pretty stocky, and lifting me is a challenge, especially as I get bigger (and older). Michael is about the only one who can deal with me (Barbara too), so that is one reason why he sleeps in my room, with me. Mommy got Michael out of the shower; all she had to do was say the words, "Michael, I need your help. Johnny, your little brother, fell", and he got out of the shower, and he got me up. He was also totally naked.

I wanted to laugh about the situation, but there was really nothing very funny about it. I could have very easily hurt myself very badly, and also, I couldn't get back up, so all I could do was lie there on the ground, like a beached whale, and blink back tears of frustration. I hated my disease, and I hated having to rely on people to help me do things for myself, but such as it is with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy; so I just have to learn to bear it and get through life as best as I possibly can.

I will write more later; I am going to try to get some sleep, now that the storms have moved on out of here. So on that note, 'bye for now~

~Love, your (bruised up) pal, Johnny. :(