November 13, 2019

Hi you guys. Welcome to the blog where I talk about the present.

Don’t be afraid. This is what I learned the other night. Don’t be afraid to call 911. I had a little episode on Friday night. In past, I blew it off and didn’t call 911. Monday morning, I called my doctor and told him what happened. They said, “What are you calling us for? You should be calling 911.” You see, I had chest pain and pain in my stomach and arm. It turned out I just ate too much pasta. You see, at the hospital, which is where I went, they took blood samples and they can see if you had a heart attack or not. Bottom line is, after spending the day in the emergency room, I realized it was important that they ruled out I might have had a heart attack. It’s important not to be afraid to call 911. Another lesson learned. I swear, this adventure I’m on is constantly teaching me things. When in doubt, always play the safe card.

I’ll tell you, spending the day in the ER wipes you out. I did my therapy at night, but it was real tough. But, you gotta keep going. Right? I’m still looking for a photo assistant. So, if anyone out there knows of anyone, have them give me an email: briannice@me.com

I’ve been watching my daughter play basketball on the internet. She’s really good, and grown up. I’m impressed. Kids grow up so fast, don’t they.

That’s about it for this week. I get kind of bummed out cause I work harder and harder. I miss my daughter. It’s tough. Plus on top of it all, my dog really sitnks.

OK, I’ll talk to you guys next week. Don’t forget to look at my other blog where I talk about the past.

This is B. Nice signing off. Love, B. Nice

October 30, 2019

Hi everybody. Welcome to the blog where I talk about the present.

When you’re like this, you have to have a laugh at yourself, otherwise, it’s too depressing. So I have a floor that has porcelain tiles on it. It’s very slippery when wet. My aide was transporting me from my bedroom to the bathroom. I have a special chair to use in the bathroom. Well, how can I put this lightly, but I basically had an accident on the floor. Yes, I pooed on the floor. Charming, right? Well, my aide had brand new shoes. He stepped in the poo and slipped. He was so pissed off. He almost fell right into the mess, but caught himself on the sink. That could have been a disaster. It was bad enough as it was. My friend here said, I might have had to call an ambulance for him. Nothing surprises me anymore.

You know, Thanksgiving is coming up. It’s my favorite holiday. It’s funny, I had a dream where I thanked my body for getting me through all this, and it’s true. I’m thankful I was in good shape from running and surfing and everything else I did. My body gave me the strength I needed to get through all this. I’m also thankful for all my angels, like the one sitting in front of me typing. Her and all my aides and family and friends. I’m especially thankful to my surgeon.

You know what I’m really thankful for is my memories. They got me through all the tough stuff. Somethings stand out more than others, like when my daughter was born, that connection that was made when we looked at each other. Amazing good luck to the surgeon, as they put me to sleep. Stuff like that. That’s why I’m always amazed at kids, because they don’t really have any memories. I guess they truly live in the moment.

Anyway, I’m rambling on. It’s Halloween. Have a good Halloween and I’ll talk to you guys next time I blog.

Love, B. Nice

October 2, 2019

Hi everyone. Welcome to my blog where I talk about the present.

I’m presently recovering from my walk across the room. You should check out my facebook page for a video.

This instructor I have helped me walk across the room on my own with his help! It was tough, believe me. It felt like I ran a marathon. But, like they say, “One step at a time.” Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? It felt good to walk. The wheelchair is getting a little too comfortable. You know, when I was working all the time and traveling around the world, I kept saying to myself, “Man, I just want to sit down and chill out.” You gotta watch what you wish for, LOL

This is B. Nice signing off.

Love, Brother B

September 11, 2019

Hi everybody. Welcome to my blog where I talk about the Present.

Gimme Shelter (that’s my favorite song). It’s by The Rolling Stones. Now this is a comment on the present and the past. I think I told you, I was in Jamaica, checking into a hotel and the manager came out and said, “Oh, Mr. Nice. We’ve been expecting you.” I went back to his office and the manager said, “There’s a guest who wants to stay on and his room is yours.” I walked into the manager’s office, and there was Mick Jagger.

I said, “Give me another room.” They were all booked up. I said, where am I gonna sleep, by the pool? No, I want my room.” I made some other comment. Mick Jagger got pissed off and took off. I should have given the guy my room. I still feel guilty. If anyone out there knows him, tell him Mr. Nice says he’s sorry. The guy was just on vacation. But then, like my friend said here, he’s always on vacation.

The reason why I’m telling you this story is I’ve been feeling guilty lately. I haven’t been working out as much. When my mom was around, I worked twice as hard. My friend here said, “Are you sitting around feeling sorry for yourself?” I replied, “No. I’m just sitting around.”

I’m tired man. It’s been 10 years since my first bleed. I literally work out when I open my eyes and that ends when I shut them. Crazy. I need a vacation. You can’t take a vacation from yourself, so I just gotta bite the bullet and work hard. It does make a difference, working out. I walk a little smoother. I stopped eating sugar and less caffeine. It seems to help a lot. I’ve been having some weird dreams though, man. For example the other night, I called in my health aide and I said, “We have to get to Point A.” And then I said, “Our only transportation is by horse, but we’re gonna be real hungry, so don’t eat the horse or we’ll never get to Point A.” I have to say, there is some logic in that, somewhere.

On another note, the woman who works on my gardens, her husband had a head injury. He went on medicare, and anyone on medicare should apply for the traumatic brain injury waiver. It helps you a lot. It definitely helps you a lot. It saved my butt. You can get health aides, special equipment, extra other help, etc. Talk to your service coordinator about it.

That’s all I really have to talk to you about. I’ll just keep going, right? OK, talk to you next week.

Love, B. Nice

August 7, 2019

Hi everybody. Welcome to my blog where I talk about the present.

So, imagine this, imagine a buffalo, a papa buffalo saying goodbye to his baby boy as he walks away. What does the papa buffalo say to the baby? Bye son. You see, I’ve become my father. It’s crazy! I was in the studio (which has become mine) working on his table, wearing his clothes, painting with his brushes, listening to his music. I thought, “Oh my God! I’ve become my father.” What a nice act to follow. I just wish I had his talent. He was a great artist. The other day I went out to shoot for the first time in a long time. My friend here helped me. It felt great to get out and do some creative work. I know the images will be great. I stockpile all my film and then process it all at once a few months later. It’s fun getting it back. It feels like Christmas.

I hired a physical therapist for one hour a week. A private deal. He’s helping me stand and it’s working. The guy knew me from my days at Helen Hayes. He said my strength is there. I just have to work on my core strength. See, the core of the body will keep you stable if it’s strong. I took off my lateral supports from my wheelchair back. It’s like doing a sit up all day. It’s tiring, but builds your core. I sit up a little straighter and I feel my core working.

There’s not much else to report on. I do notice I get depressed, but man, who wouldn’t be in my situation. Plus, on top of it all, I gave up caffeinated coffee. It’s cool. Actually, I have less auras. Every Tuesday and Thursday I try to walk with the help of a special walker. It feels great to walk. Man, I get tired though, just walking 100 feet is like running a marathon. My last seizure really did a number on me. I can’t remember if I told you, but I was DOA at the hospital. They brought me back, but I guess it took a lot out of me. I kept saying to my friend here, “If they take me away, come and get me!” I kept thinking they were gonna send me to Bellevue Hospital. The seizure really messed with my mind, not to mention the drugs they had me on. I was extremely paranoid.

One last thing I’ll share with you before I go. The other day I made an appointment to have my toenails cut, and when I arrived there, (after a big production in getting there), they said they had no appointment for me. While I was right in the middle of chewing out the receptionist, my health assistant came up and said to her, “Can I pray for your foot?” Well, I rolled my one eye that’s good, and rolled away. My friend here said it did break the ice, and it did. The guy is a great guy. A great help.

Anyway, this is B. Nice signing off.

Love, B. Nice