That saying has been repeated over and over for as long as I can remember by my mother and other family members and friends alike! Well, yesterday we learned that my wife's older brother lost his wife to a heart attack. No prior problems along those lines, nothing to indicate there was even a problem at her age of about 60! It really caught us by surprise, she passed Thursday in New Orleans so we prepared to go there yesterday not knowing when the funeral services would be! Then the word came th
My condition hasn't changed very much from 12 years ago as I am still doing for myself and got a lady coming in 5 days a week for one hour to help me with my socks and shoes and caring for my feet which is very hard for me to reach and do myself.... that's a big help every morning.... My wife helps me with bathing or showering at night so the VA cut me down to one hour for help coming in home....
She helps me with the exercise bike too that helps with my paralyzed side which I can't use very
Since my last blog I been complaining about me not being able to do things like walking and doing other things for myself as good as I once was doing when I was getting PT, OT, at home and seems to me I was in better shape physically... That time is gone or the money ran out and my insurances didn't pay any more... I still got one guy from an agency to come in for one hour and help me with small things like cutting toenails putting on skin care products from the knees to my feet since my skin se
I got therapy twice a week but my walking is not good at all. My left leg is still paralyzed making it very hard for me to move my left foot and leg. I'm doing the best I can and hopefully in due time I will be walking much better. They stopped the OT until I can walk better then I will work on that for my left arm and hand.
I can still drive my car and I have a lady that comes in from 9am to 11am to help me with hygiene stuff and my feet I can't reach right now. So hopefully before too long
Where would we be after this experience if we didn't develop a sense of Humor??? I know..."We would be crazy by now."
Some light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak but that won't change any time soon! I been here 10 years already!
War does not determine who is right only who is left.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad...
Behind every successful man is his woman but behind the fall of a su
Well guys, I'm back home today with both eyes now done. The cataracts are gone, the lens are in, I'm dropping meds in both eyes and hopefully by Tuesday of next week I hope to be able to see clearly on any day or night. My follow up appointment is next Wednesday morning with a dental visit afterwards. All seems to be OK with the eyes but the right one feels like something is right under the top eye lid and the doctor got me putting in three different drops every hour today then four times each d
I got an email this morning from my grand son who is stationed in Okinawa, Japan with the Army and of course his wife is there with him. It's her home country not sure if she is from that city or not I never asked her when they were here. Anyway this little daughter is their second child she had on this one tour. Both are girls and one was born a year ago in October 2011!
I kept his car here and he bought a get-around vehicle to make do until they return state side. He had just purchased a n
Well, the left eye was such a success in removing the cataract I decided to go ahead and do the right eye on the 16th of May at the VA. I can really see so much better it's astonishing to me. And if I put my glasses on they are so strong it takes my sight in the left eye away. I may not even need glasses anymore after the right eye is corrected if I continue to see this clearly when both are done. Then age is not on my side so I must do this now I'm not getting any younger each day.
If I do
The VA eye clinic told me I will need eye surgery for cataracts in both eyes, but the left one first because it is the worst. It's a matter of time it has to be done sooner or later. Well, I'm not getting any younger so why wait?? It will need to be done so I opted to start next week. Preparation will start on Monday the 15th thru 17th then the surgery will be 7am on the 18th. My wife wants me to get a second opinion from my other eye doctor so I will call him today.
I thought I could see pr
After the pain clinic appointment for a steroid injection my heart beat was slowed to around 33 to 40, that's super low and before the injection it was very normal. That caused a trip to the ER and a 4 hour stay only to continue to the heart doctor a few doors away. Nothing was found to be the reason for a slow heart beat and a monitor was ordered. I await it's arrival by FedEx probably Monday or Tuesday. In the meantime I have to sit and wonder what is going on or is it the steroid causing the
I just learned of your Mum passing into heaven very peacefully as you had wanted it to be!! With that I say all our prayers took hold and was heard by God! May His Grace and Mercy take hold and she rest in His presents in this life on the other side!!!
We must remember we too shall go this way one day we know not the hour and we will be in God's hands!!
Sue, you have given so much of yourself over the wonderful years with your loving husband Ray while caring for you dear dad only to turn
"I'm coming up on the rough side of the mountain" is a song my mom used to sing in church and around the house when she was cooking or thinking about how rough we had it since it was just her and me!!! By the grace of God we made it up and over the mountain!! Well when I survived this stroke I had another mountain to climb as best I could!!
Well at this point in my climb I really feel everything will be OK with God by my side!! I just got back from a trip to New Orleans with my wife and we h
I returned from my VA appointment on a cold day and it makes me thankful my physical condition is not as bad as it could be. When I notice how some of my fellow veterans are suffering, in part from their service defending our country, and from age as we grow older.
I see men and women on canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, and ofcourse scooters. Those who have care givers with them, be it sons, daughters, wives or just friends or neighbors are the lucky ones. Still others are barely able
The Meaning of Christmas
Far away in Bethlehem, a Baby Boy was born; Born with neither riches nor with fame, Yet Wise Men came from all around to bring to Him their gifts, And peace was felt by all who heard His name.
Angels watched Him as He slept, and gently rocked His bed;
Their voices singing softly in His ear;
His Mother and His Father both gave thanks to God above
For the greatest gift of all, their Son, so dear
They knew His life upon this earth would not be filled wi
This is a true story told with the intent of helping others from my experiences of being a stroke survivor of a brain bleed on right side.
When you hear people say
Well, I read all of your well wishes and suggestions in my last blog. And as you all know I don't blog too often but I thought I'd let you know I made it to four years post stroke.
Thought I would wait a couple days to make sure I passed that mark and headed to 5 years. I wish you all a successful year and all your wishes come true. I posted it on the message board but I know you all read the blogs first and may not get around to the topics on the message board with so many members now.
Without any doctors knowledge of what is happening to my left side physically I am in a struggle to make 4 years survivor on 15 Jan 2008. The doctors can not explain what is taking place to cause the problem I have. Their one answer is its not more brain cells dying.
Well then with therapy why am I becoming so stiff and unable to move my left side? Each doctor, my PCP, my Arthritis doctor, my Neurologist, and all the VA doctors. They each have a list of my medications, my therapy schedules
I'm really involved with my fellow soldiers at Fort Hood in their struggles to make a big change in life styles with artificial limbs and brain injuries! Their families are close by their sides along with their children even the small ones! Some kids were born while they were overseas so they never saw the child before! It's so hard to see a young mother trying to hold her baby with no hands!
I'm now wishing I could do more with my weak hand but I can't and wishing I could stand and walk but
Well, members I am posting this subject date because to and for me it's a historical date in many ways. First, should I live to see it I will have survived 8 years and one day. That's more years than I once did not know I would still be here with my wife and family. Secondly, The 15th is Sunday, so my plans are being in my church testifying how good God is and has been to me! Last but not lease, celebrating my extended life on this earth and finding such a fantastic group of stroke supporters in
First, I give credit to one of my email friends, VI, you all know as Mema. I chopped up her interesting email with music to create my own reason I will not go to a nursing home. More over, you guys have read where I've said to my wife, "Let me die at home." So, this email just hit the nail square on the head. I will live by this!
No Nursing Home For Me, I will die at sea!
Years ago, now I remember, my wife and I were on a cruise aboard a Princess cruise liner. At dinner we noticed a
Somehow over the past 49 years we have witness many hurricanes along the Gulf Coast and Houston, my hometown. I remember hurricane Carla and Betsey as the devastating ones causing great damage but no lost of life. Today is the fourth year since hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Mostly by causing breaks in the walls holding back the water.
As we sat and watched on TV the people struggle to free themselves from the water by going to their roof tops to await rescue, my father in law ha
With so "much to do" about this plan that has caused so much debate, I wanted to know what the members here thought of it as far as "How it will help us."
I have not found the web site yet, I tried three time, I gave up! Anyway I think in my case being a disable veteran I get a lump payment and a break on my disability pay each month by $13.00 and a tax break on my wages at Walmart. Maybe a break on my short term disability pay now.
ANYWAY do you all think it will help the disability p
Man today starts a week of special days and the week before Easter this leap year. So I hope everyone will celebrate in their own way and enjoy any time off if you're like me working 40 hours a week.
Last year we had snow on Easter day, a couple days ago we had 90 degree weather so we never know here in central Texas what the next day wil bring weather wise.
Tomorrow we can wear our green I suppose and drink a little Irish beer and tell a few jokes. Then Good Friday and the kids being
Hey, I'm on vacation, short but sweet in New Orleans. Haven't been here since Katrina two years ago. It's not the same in some areas, especially the lower 9th ward, it's in shambles. I brought my big scooter and go out in day light only, Don't want to become a statistic. Glad I brought my laptop and staying across the street from the casino.
I wish every survivor could get out of the house once in a while to see the outdoors. I even walked about a block to see in different little shops what
Well, I haven't blogged in a while so here is a life experience as one of a kind.
My niece passed away on Monday this week while in the hospital with breast cancer, so it was a matter of time. Her husband died the same day, probably around noon, while cutting a yard for an elderly lady in his neighborhood.
The search was on for him, he couldn't be found, to give him the news about his wife's passing at the hospital where he visits daily. His kids went to the ladys house to ask his wher
