Another week has gone by and I am still here to bother you. This was a busy week around here but it is over. My week at work was busy but moved along with out any major issues. I woke up this morning a little sore but I kind of expected it. I did a lot of climbing at work this week. Many stairs and a few ladders, too. I still get tired pretty easily, but I hope, with time, it will get better. I still have to work hard to climb these ladders, but as long as they are short distances, I can do it. A lot slower than it used to be, but so many people say that I should not even be able to do it. I had several jobs at work that required me to climb to so I could see the work to be done. I am so glad that God helped me overcome this down spot and I may always have problems with certain things, but if I keep pushing myself, I will come out OK. Sitting on hard surfaces still bothers me but at least I can get up after it is over. I try to watch sitting too long on hard surfaces but my broken tailbone will bother me for a long, long time. Just smile and move forward.
Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and I KNOW I am in better condition this year at this time than I was last year. It is about this time of the year when I got out of the hospital. I was released the first time near the middle of October and had to go right back in for another week before I was released again. I was still in a wheelchair at this time last year and knew I had a long push just to be able to walk. Next I moved on to a walker and this was a big challenge for me. This was in November of last year and my last surgery was after Thanksgiving. This recovery has been a hard thing to deal with, but I just smile and keep moving forward. According to the hospital, I should still be in a wheelchair at this time. When I see people that I have not seen in a while, they are surprised I am doing this good already. My mind is not always where it SHOULD be, but this is another one of those things for me to deal with. I am one of those people that would just think things through as I was doing them, but now my mind will not help me do this. I have to spend more time thinking about a task and hopefully I will remember the little things that were always there for me. Memory is one of those things that I am still struggling with. Some people tell me it is my age, but that would happen more slowly than mine actually did. I sometime wish all was like it used to be, but I just have to be thankful my Family did not have to come together to put me in the ground. All of the prayers and talks with God helped me a lot.
I was able to see Tiffaney graduate college, walk Megan down the aisle at her wedding and to be here for her to tell me my first Grandson is on the way. In about three and a half more months, Grandpa will be my new name. This will be a tough time for them at first, but Betty and I have worked out a schedule to watch him when she is at school. She asks if this would be alright and we happily said YES, that it would be fine. My boss will have to deal with all the time I am off during March, April and May. I think Tiffaney is going to be able to help out in June and July while school is out for her. It will be OK and we will make it work out. Most of my Friday's will be spent there, too.
Life is good and life is great and I am glad I am still here to take in my fair share of air. If you ever needs someone to listen to you, try God, as he was there for me and my family and will help you out if you let Him.
All for now. More stuff in another week or so. Love to all of you.
Mark 10/31/08
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 20 and still here
Another week has flown through our lives and we are still here to enjoy it. Betty and I went out of town for our anniversary. We spent the first night at Mom and Dad's. It was great to see them and see how they are doing. Bob and Carol (old friends of theirs that I have known for A LONG TIME) came and spent the night, too. We had a great time visiting and remembering things. Next, we went to San Marcos, to work on our trailer that my niece is living in. We did the work around the bath tub area. We had most of the stuff to do this already, but just needed to put it in. It was a little tough to do, but it looked nice when we left. Next, we went to Austin to see Breanna. We did several things around there for her while we were there. Some of these were small items and others a little more involved. We went to eat the night of our anniversary where she works. From there, we walked over to 6th street and walked down it. This much walking still hurts to do. I had to stop and rest several times but this wonderful woman understands this. We stopped in a couple of places for a little bit and enjoyed our night together. We walked part of the way back and Brea picked us up and took us back to the car. We got up Saturday and did a few more things before we left. We left there and went to see my cousin Shannon. We had not seen her in a long time and enjoyed our visit with her. She, like many others, was concerned with how I was doing and so glad to see us. We did not get to see Rob because he was away studying for school. From there, we went to see more family. We got to see Kelley and Michael and Bryar, too. We spent Saturday night there and most of Sunday was spent visiting. Kelley was so glad to see me moving around as well as I am. Michael just went through his second round of chemo and was not feeling so great, but it is so good to see him as cheerful as he could possibly be. Shortly after he met Kelley, we got to meet him, too. I fell in love with him and found out that he is such a special person. He was one of those people that is just great to be around. We left their house last night around 8PM, headed home. We made it back to our house around 1AM this morning. I got a great night's sleep and woke up this morning feeling great. If I had realized 27 years ago that this woman would still be a special part of my life, I would not know how to react. She is the strong part of my life that keeps me moving in the right direction. Because of her, I have four wonderful kids, friends and family that cares so much for us, and a life that is full of happiness.
We got the results back from my "head" doctor. It was many pages of stuff to go through. It told us both exactly what we both already knew, but had some information in it that were questions for us. He said parts of my mind work great, but there are some issues to deal with. The anger issues are going to be an issue that I will have to learn to handle better. But my thinking part seems OK. There are some memory issues that may or may not ever work right. My left hand is not as controlled as my right one, but this is a problem from my broken left shoulder. This also explains why my writing is hard to read. (Yes, even for me). Spelling problems is another issue that may work out over time, but it will have to be pushed. He also questioned my reading comprehension. I used to love to read Tom Clancy books, but now I get lost in just a few pages. He is a deep writer that moves around a lot. He thinks I need to start with a simpler writer but I get lost with Reader's Digest... May be over time, it will get better. I will just have to work on it and focus as much as I can to get better.
There was one note put in my last message from Harry and Gayle. It was good to hear from you and thanks for being one of those two or three people that still read this. I love you both so much and, YES, you better start getting ready for winter. You are probably already seeing freezing weather and snow is coming soon. Our two or three weeks of winter are still a ways away.
Be thankful of what we have and what is coming for us. God creates a lot of special things in our life and we just have to be thankful for each and every one. I love you all so much. Until next week, I'll close for now and deal with these issues and problems as best I can....
Mark 10/20/08
We got the results back from my "head" doctor. It was many pages of stuff to go through. It told us both exactly what we both already knew, but had some information in it that were questions for us. He said parts of my mind work great, but there are some issues to deal with. The anger issues are going to be an issue that I will have to learn to handle better. But my thinking part seems OK. There are some memory issues that may or may not ever work right. My left hand is not as controlled as my right one, but this is a problem from my broken left shoulder. This also explains why my writing is hard to read. (Yes, even for me). Spelling problems is another issue that may work out over time, but it will have to be pushed. He also questioned my reading comprehension. I used to love to read Tom Clancy books, but now I get lost in just a few pages. He is a deep writer that moves around a lot. He thinks I need to start with a simpler writer but I get lost with Reader's Digest... May be over time, it will get better. I will just have to work on it and focus as much as I can to get better.
There was one note put in my last message from Harry and Gayle. It was good to hear from you and thanks for being one of those two or three people that still read this. I love you both so much and, YES, you better start getting ready for winter. You are probably already seeing freezing weather and snow is coming soon. Our two or three weeks of winter are still a ways away.
Be thankful of what we have and what is coming for us. God creates a lot of special things in our life and we just have to be thankful for each and every one. I love you all so much. Until next week, I'll close for now and deal with these issues and problems as best I can....
Mark 10/20/08
Friday, October 10, 2008
Friday, Oct.10 and still here
Well, another week has gone by and all seems well. Hurricane Ike was kind to us on damage, but the gas to keep the generator running added up. We are all still alive and no damage to speak of so we are good.
I had some appointments with my "mind" doctor and some of the stuff he asked and made me do helped me to realize where I am and where I need help. Some of his questions made sense but others did not. He asked questions to see how you mind works and where it had issues. He probably found out some issues that I may understand later. Long term memory, I did OK on and he thought talking about my accident might be painful. I told him what I knew, but still to this day, I can't remember any of it. I can tell him what I was told, but that is about it. He, like my medical doctor, said it MAY come back to me one day. I don't count on it. Talking about what my family and friends went through is the hardest part. One of my co-workers died about 2 weeks back and it made my realize what this would have meant to all of you. I told this doctor that I was in many prayer groups from family and friends that meant a lot to me. I know I was discussed and prayed for in many states and even countries. The support you all showed me still means the world to me. Thanks for all of YOUR efforts to keep me around.
I know a lot of people still read this to keep up with how I am and where I am. I talked to a guy at work this week that had heard I was in an accident, but knew nothing about it. I went through the whole episode of what happened and where I was. When I went over my "pain" parts, it made him a little uncomfortable to know how bad it was. He, like me, said that God was there for me. This I know and will always remember. He asked about where I was with pains and problems and I had to explain a lot of stuff. Climbing and lifting are still my biggest issues. Sitting on hard chairs will always be an issue since broken tailbones don't go away. I can climb ladder at work, but not as fast as I used to. Walking still hurts if it is too far or on unlevel ground. I can reach the ground easier than in the past but lifting something heavy is still real hard. I thought my mind was doing OK until this doctor started questions I could not answer. It was all just to see how your mind works or doesn't work and how much you don't realize that isn't right. Sometimes things like this are hard to accept, but you just smile and move on.
Megan said her doctor told her that she is going to have a boy, so they are getting excited about all this stuff. In about 3 months I will be known as Grandpa and am real excited that God wanted me here for all of this excitement.
I would like to say thank you to the ones that still check up on me here. I love you all so much.
Mark 10/10/08
I had some appointments with my "mind" doctor and some of the stuff he asked and made me do helped me to realize where I am and where I need help. Some of his questions made sense but others did not. He asked questions to see how you mind works and where it had issues. He probably found out some issues that I may understand later. Long term memory, I did OK on and he thought talking about my accident might be painful. I told him what I knew, but still to this day, I can't remember any of it. I can tell him what I was told, but that is about it. He, like my medical doctor, said it MAY come back to me one day. I don't count on it. Talking about what my family and friends went through is the hardest part. One of my co-workers died about 2 weeks back and it made my realize what this would have meant to all of you. I told this doctor that I was in many prayer groups from family and friends that meant a lot to me. I know I was discussed and prayed for in many states and even countries. The support you all showed me still means the world to me. Thanks for all of YOUR efforts to keep me around.
I know a lot of people still read this to keep up with how I am and where I am. I talked to a guy at work this week that had heard I was in an accident, but knew nothing about it. I went through the whole episode of what happened and where I was. When I went over my "pain" parts, it made him a little uncomfortable to know how bad it was. He, like me, said that God was there for me. This I know and will always remember. He asked about where I was with pains and problems and I had to explain a lot of stuff. Climbing and lifting are still my biggest issues. Sitting on hard chairs will always be an issue since broken tailbones don't go away. I can climb ladder at work, but not as fast as I used to. Walking still hurts if it is too far or on unlevel ground. I can reach the ground easier than in the past but lifting something heavy is still real hard. I thought my mind was doing OK until this doctor started questions I could not answer. It was all just to see how your mind works or doesn't work and how much you don't realize that isn't right. Sometimes things like this are hard to accept, but you just smile and move on.
Megan said her doctor told her that she is going to have a boy, so they are getting excited about all this stuff. In about 3 months I will be known as Grandpa and am real excited that God wanted me here for all of this excitement.
I would like to say thank you to the ones that still check up on me here. I love you all so much.
Mark 10/10/08
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, Oct 2 and still around
Well, Hurricane Ike came for a visit and left his mark on us all. We were very lucky on this. We lost power at about 6PM on Friday night and the winds started showing signs of Hurricane around 10PM or so. When our power went out, there was not wind or rain. Welcome to our NEIGHBORHOOD! Finally, it was turned on last Sunday around 3:30PM. 16 days without power was tough to deal with, but some many others had property damage or auto damage from fallen trees. One of our shutters broke off the upper floor (actually, half of it broke off and the other half was still up there). Trees fell everywhere around this area. About 2 blocks away, two cars were smashed and many houses were damaged, too. God was definitely on our side with this one. A friend from work loaned us a generator since he did not lose power. We spent a lot of money on gas. The weather was helpful at first because a "cool" front came in right after the wind died down and night temperatures were around 60 or so and in the low 80's during the days. This help us through the first week and we got Paul's generator the next Thursday. By then, gas was available so getting it was not a real issue.
I am still getting better every day. My shoulder seems to be better since the doctor helped with it. Reaching the ground is still a little problem and slow, but I can get there and continue to get better. I still have a slight limp that may always be there, but unless you are looking for it, you would never notice it. Stepping over things is still a challenge and lifting something heavy is still out. That is OK because God is helping me to improve daily and to help me have a great outlook on life itself.
Finally, we have cable and internet service back so I can bother you all again. Harry and Gail sent me a note to my last entry and it is good to know they still monitor this. My love for you two special people is as strong today as it always was. Thanks for your concerns about how we survived Ike. I know others still check on this once in a while and I appreciate your love and concerns.
We have a special day coming up in a couple of weeks. That crazy woman of mine made me walk down the aisle and has been a wonderful wife to me for 27 years now. October 17th is a special day and it will always be a special time for us. She wants to take a trip to see some things around this wonderful state and to see some people we don't get to see very often. She how special she is?
My you all have a wonderful day! Me and God both love you so much. Yes, it has been almost a month since my last posting, but without power and internet, posting was a major issue...
Mark
I am still getting better every day. My shoulder seems to be better since the doctor helped with it. Reaching the ground is still a little problem and slow, but I can get there and continue to get better. I still have a slight limp that may always be there, but unless you are looking for it, you would never notice it. Stepping over things is still a challenge and lifting something heavy is still out. That is OK because God is helping me to improve daily and to help me have a great outlook on life itself.
Finally, we have cable and internet service back so I can bother you all again. Harry and Gail sent me a note to my last entry and it is good to know they still monitor this. My love for you two special people is as strong today as it always was. Thanks for your concerns about how we survived Ike. I know others still check on this once in a while and I appreciate your love and concerns.
We have a special day coming up in a couple of weeks. That crazy woman of mine made me walk down the aisle and has been a wonderful wife to me for 27 years now. October 17th is a special day and it will always be a special time for us. She wants to take a trip to see some things around this wonderful state and to see some people we don't get to see very often. She how special she is?
My you all have a wonderful day! Me and God both love you so much. Yes, it has been almost a month since my last posting, but without power and internet, posting was a major issue...
Mark
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