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

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

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

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sunday, Sept. 7th and still here

Yes, I am still around and still seem to be moving forward. My shoulder hurts less since the doctor took care of it. I still do some exercises with it and the pain is a lot less than it was before the doctor took care of it. I hope this lasts for a long time! Climbing and sitting still bother me, but I like to think I am still improving.
We are planning on going to see my cousin sometime next month. She lives in Ft. Worth area while her husband is going to school there. Betty called and talked to her last weekend and they decided that October was better for all of us. I have not seen Shannon in quite a while but I knew Rob was going to school to be an anthologist. He has quite a bit of time to get there, but steps in the right direction always helps out. I know both of their kids are off at college now, so moving forward is a good thing to do.
Matt has his first soccer game yesterday. He is back at playing goalie since he has a new coach this year. He was the assistant coach before so he knew how good Matt was at this position. We won this game 9 to 0. He stopped quite a few shots but we controlled the game most of the time. We had a great time there and went to visit my brother after it since it was near his home. We sat and visited with Scott and Karen for quite a while and really enjoyed ourselves. It was a great visit. I did have some issues at the soccer game because the ground is not level in all spots for drainage during rainy times. We had to bring drinks and snacks and carrying the drinks in an ice chest was tough on me. I had to carry the drinks and the chairs, too. I made it but not like before. It was always so easy for me before that you just don't think about the issues this fall caused me. I hope that one day I will be close to where I used to be, but I know "running" is out of the question any more. A broken tailbone will not allow this! It is like working on something low to the ground still hurts my pelvic area. I can sit on the ground to do a lot of these things, but it hurts to get there and to get up from. If I am there, don't expect me to get up too fast. I have to roll over to my knees and push up that way. I know this and have learned how to deal with this. It beats the heck out of the bed I was fixed to at this time last year and that was an improvement from the two months before that. I don't remember the first two months but I hear these stories.
Life is a great thing to deal with and when you are close to the train, the light is VERY bright. I think I was real close to it at that point in my life and I would like to thank everyone that was pulling for me. God listens to each of us and I don't really know how many prayer groups helped me out. Life is great because God takes good care of us.
I love you all so much. If you are one of those two or three people that still check on me here, thank you. If you respond, that's great, but if you don't, I still love you for your concerns for me.
Enjoy life and the pleasures God brings us all.
Mark 9/7/08

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Tuesday, Sept 2 and still here

Today is another GREAT day. I woke up this morning, breathing on my own. This makes it a GREAT day! Things are going well for us right now. I finished the repairs on the porch and Shane came over and sprayed paint on it all. It really looks good. We had a little issue that morning, though. He was taking a load of wood to the dump and had a blow out and needed a ride. I had to go get him and take him to get a new tire. Before we could make it to the dump, it blew out again. This hour long trip took him about 3 to 4 hours. His trailer made it on three of four tires, but this was OK since he got his load off.
I ran onto an old friend and his wife on Sunday. They were not sure how I was and asked a lot of questions. I had to go through my list of pains and issues to deal with all over again. It does not bother me, but they were surprised I was so pleasant about it. Having pain and trouble is not something that gets me down as I am pretty used to it. People that see me pretty regularly know this and help me move on with life.
Megan seems to be coming along with my new grandchild. She is showing more and more all the time. This is an exciting thing for me and willing to get used to it. I am so looking forward in being called Grandpa. This is always an exciting issue to deal with.
Matt has soccer practice tonight, so this note will be short. I am still here and will bother you if I need to. Love to all of you.
Mark 9/2/08

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Tuesday, Aug 19 and still moving along

Every day is a great day! I had to go see the doctor about my shoulder yesterday. He, thankfully, said surgery was not the answer to my problem. He did tell me that the fall ripped a couple of tendons loose on one side, but gave me an injection of some strong steroids into the area and gave a prescription to rehabilitation. I was so afraid he would recommend surgery. I was so thankful this was not my best bet. I was not sure if I wanted to go back into surgery but if this was my best hope, I would not have had much choice. I just knew how much pain this would create and how long it would take to be back to "full" strength. Again, God is on my side and is doing a wonderful job of helping me move forward.
I had two comments posted to my last input. One was from Sallie. She is one of those people that responds every so often to let me know they are still watching my progress. This is always good to hear. The second one was from a friend, Jennifer, that lives in Tennessee. She and Rob are sweet, thoughtful people. She was excited for us to be Grandparents and was also happy for Tiffaney. Tiffaney will be teaching Physics to kids that have yet to pass their TASC test. This seems like it would be one of those things that a 5 year teacher could do better, but Tiff is one of those people that will push these kids forward as much as most people could. It is one of those about her. She is good at teaching kids as long as they will try. She, like most of us, loses patience with people who will not try. But she has a way of reaching these type of people very well. When she was in high school, she tutored some second graders that could not read. She has a way of pushing you without you knowing she is pushing you. When she was in college, she spent her spare time teach some kids that were "challenged" with life how to ride horses and enjoy it. She was everyone's favorite because SHE CARED about them. Most people that were there had to be there because of classroom credit. She did it as a volunteer and stayed with it for a couple of years. Life is a challenge every day and you just have to make the most of it.
Breanna is fixing to start her Junior year of college and seems to be doing good with it. She is like the other two and will push herself to be her best. Matt is going to be starting the 6Th grade next week. He is not real excited about going back to school, but he will be fine once he gets moving in the right direction. He is in the advanced math classes. I know all kids are different but each will excel in their own way. Megan got the news yesterday that she passed the exam for dental school. She had three chances to take this test, but passed it the first time. She was not sure how she did, but her studying paid off on it. It would have cost about $100 to re-take this test each time.
That is about all there is in life these days. I still hurt doing certain things, but that is the way life is now. I will do what I can and ask for help on some other things. Yes, Jennifer, I am very lucky to have these great kids in my life. I am not sure when, but I must have done something right when we brought them up. They are all blessed with intelligence and good sense about things. They are still young enough to know they are still learning things every day. This is a blessing that is great to have around.
I just want to add that Megan said the doctor thinks she is doing fine and that she can't be sure, but thinks the baby is a boy. I am sure this made Matt happy. He will be a great Dad!
I Love you all so much. Thanks for reading up on my progress and I am sorry I get so long winded when I start typing. Smile and move on with life. I know I do and I spend a lot of time just thanking God for keeping me around. It means so much to me every day!
Mark 8/19/08 and still enjoying being around to bother you...

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Here is August and still going along

August is on us and I am still getting better. The doctor said my elbow is a bone spur that must have broken in my fall. He said UNLESS is it too painful to live with, it should be left alone. He said they is a "liquid" area near this spot and the wound made from removal would not heal up right. He said some people have openings there that will not close up but always leak. I can live with this problem like it is. He was not too happy about my shoulder, though. He looked at x-rays of it and decided I needed to have an MRI done. I went yesterday (Saturday, Aug 9th) and had this done. The technician said the doctor will get these on Monday. I know that reaching for something with my right arm hurts, but I try not to do this too much. I am hoping surgery is not the answer, but if it is, I am comfortable with this doctor and will do whatever it takes to get rid of this pain.
I have the greatest of thanks to my next door neighbor. I had the shutters taken off the side of the house a few months ago and could not get comfortable on a ladder to put them back. The were repainted and have been waiting until I felt good enough to put them back. I was talking with Mark about them yesterday and trying to figure out who I could hire to do this. He said he would put them back on. He did a great thing for me because I knew better than to try this stunt. Heights still bother me but hanging off the side of the ladder was not something I would try. I can make it up a ladder, but it is not something I am comfortable with.
I don't know how many people still come here to read up on my progress, but I thank you all for being so supportive of me and my family. We saw Megan yesterday and she is starting to show and we are all looking forward to February. The first Grandchild is an exciting thing for us. We all call it "Peanut" for now, but she will want to know what sex she is carrying as soon as they can tell. She is one of those people that wants everything to be just right when the baby is here. Room will be set up just like it needs to be and all the stuff to go with this gender.
Breanna turned 20 on Friday. This was an exciting day for all of us. She is starting a new job right now and this will be a challenge to learn everything needed to move forward with it. She will push herself a lot to make this work out. Tiffaney's new job will start in a few more weeks. Teaching is one of those things that she does well. She will be teaching Chemistry and Physics to 10th, 11th and 12th graders at Deer Park High School. The good part of this is that these are elective classes that people take to learn more. It will not just be a group of kids that don't want to be there. This will be a challenge for her, but this is the kind of thing she enjoys.
My love to you all for reading this. I will post more information on my shoulder once the doctor decides what our best bet is.
Thanks for being here.
Mark 8/10/08