This Is How He Rolls (Asheville commercial photographer)

Two years ago, following surgery for a heart valve replacement, my father suffered a stroke. It left him with left-side neglect, which includes difficulty walking and a whole slew of frustrating, annoying side effects. Without going into details, and for lack of a better term, it flat-out sucks.

He was depressed, mad as hell, and trying desperately to adjust to his new way of living. (And if you know my dad, you can imagine the four-letter, colorful, cursing that spews forth when his bad leg won’t cooperate; or the profanity-laden commentary when his “stroke brain” won’t let him remember what he ate for lunch yesterday.) But as is my dad, who was building a sailboat when he had the stroke, he has not gone “gentle into that good night.”

So finding something to give him a little freedom back was a challenge. Enter my brother Marc who discovered on-line a way for my dad to stay active, get outside and have a little bit of control back. It’s called a recumbent trike – three wheels, seated low to the ground, with eight gears for shifting. Pedal straps hold his stubborn, left leg in place, and the seat allows him to steer easily and go fast. I’m not being paid to write this but simply put, the Rover by Terra Trike rocks!

We took it out yesterday to a local park. He enjoyed the sunshine without worrying about his d*@# leg not working and causing a fall. He pedaled without help from one of us because his d*%# mind won’t work. And he even got a nice view of the pretty ladies that passed. He’s my dad but he’s still a man and a feisty one at that.

So thank you, Terra Trike, and thank you, Marc, for making it happen. In a city known for it’s biking, it’s nice to know my dad, who once was an avid biker, can once again hit the road. This is how he rolls…