Tuesday, Nov 20 and moving along

Well, we went to the doctor this morning. He is still concerned with the infection in my sore. He said he will not know more until the metal is out and he can see it better on the inside. He told me last visit that he could fix my tailbone issues, but this time he says there is nothing he can do to it. Sometimes I wish they would listen to themselves talk. I guess I will have this sore, broken tailbone with me a while. He also said the anti-biotic may be around for a while, depending on the infection status. This doctor was so busy today. His office was nearly empty last time we were there, but today was much different. We had a 9:45AM appointment, arrived at 9:30AM and saw the doctor close to 10:30AM. All the chairs in his waiting room were full and more people outside in the hallway. He is one of the good ones, but this is a little too much to deal with every time. I guess we will see how it looks next time we go see him after the surgery.
May God be there for you today if you need him. He is very helpful for those that ask him for assistance.
Love you all,
Mark 11/20/07

Monday, Nov 19 and all is good!!!

It is Monday night, Nov. 19. All is good around here. Another night without a headache or Imitrex. This was a good sign again. There was no doctor's appointment today. I found out on Sunday that it is for Tuesday. We are going there tomorrow for that. Hopefully we can get some information that is helpful.
Rehab went well today. They worked me pretty hard and I left tired, but that is great. While I was at Matt's soccer practice, I walked a lap around the park with Tiffaney. It was another good turn for the day! I can get tired and feel good about it. This tells me a am moving in the right direction!!!
May God be with you anywhere you need his help. He saved me and will do the same for you. Don't be afraid to ask for His help if needed!
Love you all.
Mark 11/19/07

Saturday. Nov 17 and all going well

Another night without a headache. This is 15 days now and about 7 days since I took any Imitrex. Life is great! This is good news for me!
I woke up in a little bit of pain again today, but that is normal for me. I only have 9 days left until my surgery is scheduled. I get to see the skin specialist on Monday to evaluate my infection. Hopefully, it is getting better and he can close easily. I am hoping to get back to work sometime soon! That is a great thing!
My rehab is going OK. Friday they worked me out pretty good. We did some leg and arm workouts. Hurts doing some of them, but progress is coming my way. LOOK OUT!
I plan on doing something productive around here today. Betty was working in the garage for the wedding. I tried to help, but am more in the way I think. I am going to ride my bike around the neighborhood and maybe some exercising of some sort. Only time will tell what happens next!!!
I love all of you that take time to read this. It means the world to me to know who you friends really are. My God be in your corner today if you need him. He is a great thing to have on your side!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. If you have to go anywhere, please BE CAREFUL.
Mark 11/17/07

Wednesday, Nov 14 and all is great

It is Wednesday and all is good. I had another two nights go by with out any Imitrex or headache. This is a good thing for me! My back is a little sore this morning, but I am doing OK getting out of bed. I am staying up later and getting up earlier which will help with my overnight soreness. We worked out good yesterday at rehab. I always feel good when I leave there so we must be moving right. I get a good work out without going too far. That is always good! I have another rehab work out today. I had to move Monday's work out to Tuesday because of my doctor's appointment on Monday.
I had lunch yesterday with a group of people from work. Many of these people have not seen me in a while and it was good to see them again. It is always good to know that they miss me and want me back out there. I can't wait for that to happen. We'll just have to see how my surgery goes in 11 days.
Everyone have a good Thanksgiving week. Be sure to tell all of your family how important they are to you. That is important information to know. It meant a lot for me to hear this so many times.
All have a great day and allow God to help you anywhere you need assistance. His support and assistance is great to have.
Love, Mark 11/14/07

Monday, Nov 12 and all is great

It is Monday and all is well. Another night goes by with out a headache or Imitrex. That is a great thing! I rode my bicycle yesterday around a little bit of the neighborhood and have no problems! Yes, I rode it with out training wheels. That is good, too.
My doctor's appointment went OK this morning. This was with the internal medicine doctor. My appointment with the skin surgeon is next Monday. This doctor seems content with the progress I am making. He re-newed my antibiotics for another month. He is curious how much metal will be removed during my surgery, as it was not in his notes. I think it is just the piece in my back and the pieces on my front will be left since there is no infection around them. I also had to go down and have a blood test done so he could monitor how my infection is doing. Hopefully, all is going right with it.
Enough news for today! I am still feeling pain in my back, but this will be OK for now. I love you all. May God be with you as needed. Take care.
Mark 11/12/07

Sunday, Nov 11. An update of progress

Well, Sunday is here and all is well. I went to bed last night WITHOUT taking my Imitrex for a headache to see how things would do. I did not sleep real good, but made it through the night without getting a headache. This is great news for me. I woke up still and sore, but I am starting to get used to this feeling. I am not sure if rehab exercises started any of this or it's just my body adjusting to this new life style. I am not sure which way to go with myself. Friday, they did not do much in rehab except heat and stretching muscles, so I can't see how this did that much towards the pain.
I get all kinds of notes from people. This is always good. I heard from many people that tell me I am doing good, but my body tells me different. I ran into a guy from work on Friday night and it was good to see him. Then, I get all kinds of notes sent to me. I am still here and still trying to make progress toward where I need to be. It seems like the progress is slower than what I want, but I knew that would happen. My family and friends seem to be supportive on where I am and the direction I am going, so this is a good feeling to have. I need to be thankful for the things that are most important. I am alive and well, moving in the direction of where I need my body to be in. I will just have to learn to be patient will the slow progress I am making and take advantage of the little steps that I am taking. Hopefully, the plastic surgeon will give some news tomorrow that will be good to hear. My surgery to remove this metal plate in my back will be two weeks away come tomorrow. I am really looking forward to this move and hope to be ready when it finally gets here.
I appreciate everyone that takes time to read my notes about my progress and to those that say a prayer for me because those make a big difference in my life! I love you all so very much.
Mark 11/11/07

Saturday, Nov 10 and all is good

It is Saturday morning and all is well. Another Imetrex night with no headache. I woke up this morning sore as usual, but I am alive and well. I am down to two weeks and two days before this plate is removed from my back. My pain seems to be worse now than it was a few weeks ago, but this could be the extra exercise I am doing. In rehab yesterday, they took it easy on me. Just some heat on my sore muscles and rubbing and stretching these muscles, too. I felt real good when I left, but the soreness did come back. Things on the ground seem so close, but I can't get to them without pain. I am sure this will fade over time. Getting up and down in a chair or couch is rough too, but time will help here, too. I ran into a guy from work last night at dinner. He said something I have heard many, many times. It makes good sense to hear, but never put much thought into it. He said I am lucky to be alive. I knew this was a great feat, but I never put a whole lot of thought in to it. Yes, he is right. I am very lucky to still be here. I know that! If it wasn't for the support systems that are here for me, I probably wouldn't be here. Many people have brought me in to the lives and have been supportive in so many ways. I have been put in to so many prayer groups around the country. Be it family, friends and other people who have heard on this situation. This is an important step in my recovery process. I have heard from people that I have not heard from in years and this is important,too. I have family and friends sending notes in e-mail, phone calls and cards via regular mail that mean a lot. I can not thank everyone enough. We bought a box of thank you notes to send out to a lot of people, but my writing in terrible at this point. The stroke I had after my first release really effected my writing. Betty said it is OK, so I guess I can start on these soon and hope for the best. The support has come from so many people that this will be a good chore for me. I know I owe a lot of these to many people. I hope you can read it when it arrives.
I love you all and appreciate all the effort that was put in by all! May God be with you everyday you need his help. Just don't be afraid to ask him. He is very helpful and very attentive. And thanks for being there for ME! This means a lot whether you know it or not!
Mark 11/10/07