What a month... I needed a new phone and am stuck with AT&T, its the only carrier that works where I do. They offer the iPhone 3GS for free right now, but chose the Motorola Atrix instead. 16GB memory with a micro SD slot and able to add up to 32GB. Its nice, but still like using the iPad2 about the house and anytime I'm away from my chair or away from home. My daughter got an iPhone4 and loves it. Good replacement for her old phone and her old 8GB iPod which is kind of beat. My iPad is set for Verizon. Which my daughter and wife are using. Adding data to my own phone, not quite ready to add another data plan to the other phone bill. But it is VERY tempting!

Tried tethering my iPad2 through my Atrix, but no joy, they won't play together. Getting ready to upgrade the home electronics mess as well. This will include 2 wifi capable BluRay players (living room and bedroom), adding storage to my NAS and getting a new printer that does wifi, e-print and airprint. It might be nice to print from the iPad and the iPhone. Toyed with building a Home Theater PC, still may. I can play 720i movies through the Atrix phone and its HDMI output. Could be interesting for the geek in me.

Therapy is still going well. Therapist has added a few more exercises and I'm tolerating them well. Saw my Rehab Doc last week and he is very pleased with my progress. I learned with my knee that I can push some things, and not others, this, is a whole new ballgame. I hope to get the collar off next week when I see the surgeon. Then I can drive again and give my daughter a break. She wants, and will be getting, a Nook Tablet next month. She well deserves it for all she has done. Shoot, I'd get her an iPad if she wanted one. She prefers the size of the Nook.

Hi zjrog-so glad to hear about your updated progress!! It has been a while since we last heard from you and sounds like you are getting around much better considering your multiple joint injury!! So much to be thankful for!! The nook tablet looks pretty sweet-your daughter will just love it!! Happy thanksgiving !!

I got a bluetooth keyboard and case, iHome branded. I like having cursor keys if typing more than a short note. Once I was back to work and semi-rehabilitated I wasn't using the iPad2 quite as much, but find it useful for many things beyond just surfing the web. I still haven't activated the 3G, and not sure I will. Hate having too many bills. I do use the iPad2 everyday, and sometimes even, instead of my laptop. I take it to work, doctors appointments, and just running around. When I needed to replace my printer recently, I chose one with wifi and airprint. Very useful device. And at present I just don't see replacing it with anything.

Bought my daughter the Nook Tablet. She loves it, and it will be useful when she goes back to college this summer. My wife liked it enough, I bought her one also, and she uses it all the time, 10x more than the laptop I bought her. Which was a big surprise. I've messed with it and I might have bought one for me, if I didn't have the iPad2 already. With the Nook app, I can share book with family and friends.

I didn't mention it in previous posts, my accident was August 21st. My specific injuries other than the burst fractures in the T7, 8, 9 and 10, and ribs, was an occipital condyle avulsion and cracked C2 and 3 vertebra. I went back to work 7 weeks later, very limited. Got my cervical collar off after Thanksgiving. I've had only 5 pain pills since Christmas and use muscle relaxers as needed. I was discharged from Physical Therapy 3 weeks ago. And spend time in the gym. I'm at very low weights, and cleared all exercises with my docs and PT. Pretty sobering when I gave the therapist a list of 37 back exercises I was interested in, and he crossed off all but 8. With explanations of breaking rods or screws or pulling screws out... By all measures, I'm doing pretty good. *I* feel fragile and am very careful in everything I do. Slippery surfaces are especially troubling. But I'm getting by. Silver lining to this, is, my blood pressure is down, and I've lost 40 pounds. The above is more for the retired doc and the therapist that commented. I DO know how lucky I am...

Originally Posted by Zjrog

I got a bluetooth keyboard and case, iHome branded. I like having cursor keys if typing more than a short note. Once I was back to work and semi-rehabilitated I wasn't using the iPad2 quite as much, but find it useful for many things beyond just surfing the web. I still haven't activated the 3G, and not sure I will. Hate having too many bills. I do use the iPad2 everyday, and sometimes even, instead of my laptop. I take it to work, doctors appointments, and just running around. When I needed to replace my printer recently, I chose one with wifi and airprint. Very useful device. And at present I just don't see replacing it with anything.

Bought my daughter the Nook Tablet. She loves it, and it will be useful when she goes back to college this summer. My wife liked it enough, I bought her one also, and she uses it all the time, 10x more than the laptop I bought her. Which was a big surprise. I've messed with it and I might have bought one for me, if I didn't have the iPad2 already. With the Nook app, I can share book with family and friends.

I didn't mention it in previous posts, my accident was August 21st. My specific injuries other than the burst fractures in the T7, 8, 9 and 10, and ribs, was an occipital condyle avulsion and cracked C2 and 3 vertebra. I went back to work 7 weeks later, very limited. Got my cervical collar off after Thanksgiving. I've had only 5 pain pills since Christmas and use muscle relaxers as needed. I was discharged from Physical Therapy 3 weeks ago. And spend time in the gym. I'm at very low weights, and cleared all exercises with my docs and PT. Pretty sobering when I gave the therapist a list of 37 back exercises I was interested in, and he crossed off all but 8. With explanations of breaking rods or screws or pulling screws out... By all measures, I'm doing pretty good. *I* feel fragile and am very careful in everything I do. Slippery surfaces are especially troubling. But I'm getting by. Silver lining to this, is, my blood pressure is down, and I've lost 40 pounds. The above is more for the retired doc and the therapist that commented. I DO know how lucky I am...

Hi Zjrog--

Thanks so much for your update! I am truly happy that you are getting stronger each day and that you have just recently graduated from Physical Therapy! Yes, it is a long recovery, particularly the Occipital condyle fractures/C2 and 3. However, every day I am sure you feel stronger and more confident when weight bearing!

Seems like your whole family loves their electronic gadgets-they certainly are useful and wonderful to use aren't they?

Again, so glad to hear about your progress-and that you have returned to work!

My limitations are still no high impact activities. Weights as I can tolerate but nothing over 25# overhead. I know I'm doing pretty well, but get reminders of what could have been. My only real complaint is my neck is still quite stiff and a muscle/tendon group just didn't respond to heat, TENS use, ultrasound or even manual manipulation. My therapist is very good at that. He worked with me to adjust my posture, which has been bad for years. My change in gait between the knee replacement and now back fusion and posture modification has created other issues, but working through them.

Yes, we love our little toys. Especially the little smartphones. All have strengths and all have weakness'. And none do I wish to live without. OK, I'm hooked!

Co-workers thought I'd be out for months, not the 7 weeks I was. They are happy to have me back. Even with my limits. Still, no high impact activities and no weight more than 25# overhead. No rush, I'll get better and stronger as time goes by. I pushed hard with my knee, not taking any risks with my back. Thanks!

I think we need to now call you Bionic Man with the new hardware that you sport internally, eh? Yes, anytime you have replacements, surgical interventions, etc--it really changes our posture and what was our norm is no longer our norm.

Keep it up--no heavy lifting, that's for sure! Again, very glad that you are able to return to work as soon as you did! That truly is amazing-especially with the level of injury you had. You must have strong will and a heal well, fast!

Take care!