Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Amazon Barnes and Noble Category:  Memoir Publisher: CreateSpace ISBN-10:  1500669008 Type: Non-Fiction Pages: 162 Copyright: September 4, 2014 ISBN-13: 9781500669003 Price: $3.99 (eBook) A chronicle of recovery from a spinal cord injury.  In June 2012, I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with meningitis. After four days, I was scheduled  to be discharged, but my condition worsened dramatically.  My blood pressure, body temperature and sodium levels all dropped to a dangerously low level.  I was rushed to the Intensive care Unit and was diagnosed with a spinal cord injury at the T4 level.  I fell into a semi conscious state, and when I regained full consciousness, I could not speak, eat, breathe independently, control bodily functions, nor move my legs. I recovered, and although I wasn't guaranteed to walk again, did so within six months.  Toe Up to 10K is about my journey of recovery. it is about determination, inspiration and gratitude.        Excerpt I opened my eyes. Mom had been calling me. I had no memory of how I got there, in the Intensive care Unit (ICU). I looked at my body and found myself resembling a marionette. Tubes uncomfortably invaded my nostrils, and also were attached to my neck, my arms, and other parts of my body. My fingers, swollen like air-filled balloons, were flexible enough to bend forward a little, but not enough to make a fist. I could not move my legs nor wiggle my toes. Yet, I smiled.

Beautiful, powerful. Must read
“Toe up to 10K: A Journey of Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury” By Steven Fujita is inspiring and humbling. What started as a headache quickly devolved into what was later diagnosed as Viral Meningitis, and eventually landed him in the ICU for a week.
When Steven awoke, surrounded by tubes and medical machinery, he found he was paralyzed from the waist down and on a ventilator breathing for him through the tracheostomy tube in his neck. He also discovered that his skin was on fire – a hellish sensation that would later help point to which virus caused his meningitis, though not conclusively.
The trauma of this moment, the suddenness and inexplicable spontaneity of this life threatening event is staggering. He wasn’t ski diving, he didn’t have an accident; he wasn’t driving a motorcycle or really putting himself in harms path in any way. He just was living…. And that is probably the most terrifying part of all. Steven goes on to share the rest of his story, pulling us in and inspiring us, even though he carries a humble tone through out. He is not bragging –though he should. He is not looking for applause or peddling some cure to others with a spinal cord injury.
What he shares is a story of determination, a story of recovery – one that he considers Kaizen. Steven had to work to get off the ventilator, move his toes, walk… nothing was easy, spontaneous or fast – it took hard work, time and so much effort. Now, 16 months later (at the time of the writing) he is better, though not fully recovered and not to the height of his healthy days; but he is better, and hopefully, each day will get even better.

Inspiration is all around us, we just have to open our eyes
“Inspiration is all around us, we just have to open our eyes and notice it.” Steve Fujita has written a narrative describing his Herculean efforts to recover from an illness-induced spinal cord injury. Initially completely paralysed, he fights his way through to walking and even running over the course of years. The reader marvels at his achievement, made all the more poignant by his understated and modest writing style. To overcome his desperate challenges, he evokes the Japanese concept of Kaizen to motivate him: “improvement through small gradual changes.” His tale of courage will amaze you, his physical endurance will inspire you, and his gentle wisdom will move you.

Once we understand what we have to go through, become resolved to see it through, and know we will survive, we feel our ordeal is not so bad
In June 2012, Steven Fujita went to the emergency room, and was diagnosed with meningitis. After four days of improvement, he was scheduled to be discharged when his condition worsened dramatically. His blood pressure, body temperature and sodium levels all became dangerously low. He started to lose consciousness. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit. He had suffered spinal cord damage at the T4 level. Upon regaining full consciousness, Fujita could not speak, eat, breathe independently, control bodily functions, nor move his legs. In this book, he takes the reader on a journey of recovery from a spinal cord injury. It is not only a journey of determination and hard work, but of positive attitude, of drawing inspiration, of gratitude towards those around him: his family, his friends, co-workers, and medical professionals.

Books about breaking the bonds of a debilitating injury are plentiful, but it’s often the ones that are brutally honest and challenge the current state of thinking that readers seem to gravitate towards and there’s an undeniable mix of both In Toe Up To 10k. Author Steven Fujita hasn’t set his sights on a feel good book. He doesn’t sugar coat his experiences and in not doing so has delivered a moving and determined account of recovery which is incredibly uplifting. His determination post diagnosis is certainly inspiring. A true reminder for us all to stay positive, to focus on and appreciate what is most important in life whilst never giving up! This is Fujita’s unique quest and one that few of us will ever fully be able to relate to, but through his openness and his own incredible achievement we are reminded of the indomitable spirit that so many embrace when faced with debilitating change.

An absorbing and inspirational memoir that will encourage much reflection, Toe Up To 10k is certainly deserving of a place on your bookshelf and is highly recommended.