Another light has left the world

My cousin Bobby was a decade younger than me when he had a car accident the day before Thanksgiving. He was lifeflighted into Ohio, but it was too late. He had surgery to relieve the swelling in his brain, but it didn't work. He was on life support for the legally required time, even though we knew there was no hope.

Our entire family drove to the hospital on Saturday morning to say good bye. Most of us were in the room when his heart stopped beating. The change was immediate. He no longer looked like himself, his soul was free from a broken body. He is now at peace and the demons that he battled his entire adult life are gone. He is free.

We're waiting for the State to release him, so he can come home and he put to final rest.

My precious cousin, until we meet again, I will love you forever and a day.

Thanksgiving Grief

While so many Americans were sitting down with their families to share in their yearly turkey feast, my family was split in several places around the State. The worst was the hospital where 2 aunts and 1 cousin are keeping a bedside vigil on another cousin who was in a serious accident on Wednesday. We do not know if we will see his smiling face again in this world. It was not a good day.

I'm not asking for money, just a few minutes of your time to say a prayer to your chosen deity and ask that Bobby be spared and be allowed to come home to the ones who love him. If you're a regular reader here, you know I'm not able to make the 4+ hour drive to the hospital to see him myself, so I depend on test messages from the family that is there.

That was hard enough to take, but I get home and there is a message from one of my dearest on-line friend's nephew letting me know that Bill has passed away on Wednesday. He has been ill for a while, which is why we connected so well.

Please remember those prayers, candles and healing energy. They're vital now.

Finally home and healing ~ Resistance is Futile

I had the second neck fusion done several weeks ago in Pittsburgh by the only specialist I would allow to work on such a delicate area. Dr. Vinny Silvaggio is a partner in 3 Rivers Orthopedics. He performed the first fusion in April. He warned me that it might not work and he would have to go in through the back of my neck and have more metal put in to keep the nerves from being pinched. Sadly, that prediction is exactly what happened. The pain was coming back and it radiated out to my left shoulder. Numbness would be next step. He asked if I could take the pain another 6 months to give more time to completely fuse, but I wasn't able to deal with it. I met with him last Thursday & he personally made sure I was first on the next surgery day. That happened to be Monday. It worked out well, only 3 days to worry.

We had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. on Monday. Mom, Randy and I were there in plenty of time. The surgery was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. I was taken back at just about the exact time. Of course, I got kisses from both and my teeny beanie Peace bear was in my hand. He goes everywhere with me. This was his third surgery with me this year. I started to have a bit of a panic attack when I first had the face mask put on. Claustrophobia is a horrid thing and mine keeps getting worse. The staff were wonderful and had me calmed down in minutes.

The next step in my transformation towards becoming Borg

It looks like I'll be having another surgery before too long. Back in April, my neck was fused because I wasn't able to use my left arm. I had a herniated disc and fell. The disc moved and pinched the nerve and it went numb. The surgery was supposed to have me better within 6 months. It's been those months, but my neck still isn't better. We were warned that could happen and I would need more surgery. I have no problem with things happen. My whole life has turned into "THINGS HAPPEN." I try to just go with the flow.

The neck surgeon sent me for a CT scan last week and it wasn't conclusive, so we decided surgery is a very real possibility, he wanted a MRI to see how bad my neck is. One disc was fused then, but now it's a possibility that it will be three disc. He'll go in and remove more bone, give the nerve more room to keep It from being pinched, add donor bone (THANK YOU DONORS!!!!), then add rods and screws to hold me together. Go ahead, I've heard all the Borg jokes. Resistance is futile, I will be assimilated!

Then there is my knee. I had surgery at the end of February to repair a torn meniscus. No worries, I'll be fine a couple weeks. WHAT A JOKE! I can barely use my lower leg most of the time. Why? According to another doctor, the nerve was CUT! The knee surgeon says it's only pinched and he was going to send me for a MRI and go from there. It's been a month since then and not a word from the office. I called and ripped them a new one. I know it's not nice, but I have no confidence at all in him or his staff. The secretary claims that their "phones were having trouble for the month." Can you believe that smoldering pile of horse droppings? Everyone has a cellphone. If it's an important issue with a patient in horrid pain, use hour cellphone! Besides, it's a hospital clinic. There is no way in the world that a hospital would allow one of it's clinics to go without working phones for a month!

Since then, we have new insurance, so she has a new company to call. I admit it, I was not the nicest person to her. I told her straight out I thought she was lying. The connection ended then. Hmmm That awful phone system at work? She calls me back. What happened? You hung up on me, lady. "I would never hang up on a patient." RIGHT! I have no such worries and have and will continue to hang up on people. My mother was here, so I couldn't tell the secretary what I thought of her skills and those of her boss. He was in surgery yesterday, so I let them have a day and expect it returned today. Give me the MRI. I will get the disc and the radiologist's report and find a new orthoscopic surgeon. Everyone has urged me to get a lawyer and sue him for malpractice. I fully intend to do that if I don't get a call today with an approval for the knee MRI, I'll make another call. I also know the hospital's CEO as well as their top doctor. I will never allow anyone to do surgery or any test on me without a second opinion.

To tell the difference between the two surgeons, Pittsburgh (where my neck surgeon is) called for the MRI approval on Friday when I left. It was a 3-hour drive home and when we go there, the insurance company had already called with the approval. That's less than 3 hours! There is NO reason for a professional to take a month to get an approval or at least call me and say they are having problems.

If I have to go to the knee doctor's office, I'm afraid to think what my mouth won't be able to hold back. I married a Marine and spent years learning some very "colorful metaphors!" I have no trouble using them. When low~life telemarketers call me, I have had some of them so upset they couldn't even think of a response to me. That's skill! :-)

More Health Woes

I went to my monthly visit with the surgeon who fused my neck in April. We were so hopeful then. I healed quickly and was feeling good. Sadly, that is no longer the case. I went to the doctor on Friday and had the news I was dreading. It looks like my neck isn't fusing like we hoped. The surgeon is sending me for a CT scan tomorrow morning and then we'll go back to Pittsburgh this Friday and sit down with the CT scans and make a decision on what the next step will be.

I'm afraid that steel rods will need to be placed to keep my neck safe. My nightmares are now revolving around what will be done to my neck. I'm scared and I can't help it.

The surgeon is one of the most highly respected spine surgeons and we completely trust him. If he thinks I need more surgery to keep my neck safe and to take away the pain, then there's no question I will have it done. He is one of only two doctors I trust completely. My family doctor and this surgeon are it. I've been injured too oft3n by too many other doctors. My knee is still mess up after I made the mistake of not going to Pittsburgh to their orthoscopic doctor to have my knee repaired. Now it looks like the knee surgeon cut the nerve to my lower left leg. Walking hurts like crazy. I just cry with pain every day. He says it's only pinched and he can go back in and repair it. He must be out of his mind. There's no way in this life that I will ever allow him near me with a scalpel. He was supposed to set up an MRI to see what is really wrong with my lower leg. That was a month ago. The Pittsburgh got approval for the CT scan in several hours. There's the difference between a true specialist and a wish he was.

I'll get my neck taken care of right now and then get my knee taken care of by my neck surgeon's partner who does knees, legs and hips. Until then, I'll just suffer.

Don't end up like me. Please get a second or third opinion before allowing anyone to operate on you. I'll keep everyone updated on the decision made.

Kevin Sorbo: NFL won’t fire anyone over domestic abuse scandal because of Benghazi

There has been a lot of talk about the Ray Rice video. If you've been living under a rock for the past several months, you might not have heard or seen the sickening video of Rice knocking his then girlfriend out cold with a punch to the head and then dragging her out of the elevator. <BR><BR>

The "man" is a disgrace to the NFL and to the entire male species. It all goes back to how star athletes are treated. If they can throw or catch a football or are star basketball players or great high school or college wrestlers, they are treated like gods. They can do no wrong. In high school, these athletes are held to a difference accountability and get special help or outright changing of grades to make sure they are eligible to play. College recruit these high school gods with a vengeance that includes all expense-paid trips to the college for the athlete and his family, they are offered cars and cash. Best of all, the student who gives them tours of the campus make it clear they are happy to show what "team spirit" the female population is willing to give to make sure the athlete picks their college. Now this doesn't happen for every athlete and every school. When JoePa was in charge of Penn State, his players had to live up to a higher standard than most every school. He wanted his boys to have a real degree, not one that is given to them because of their skills on the football field. Don't bother to send hate mail about JoePa, the witch hunt killed him. He paid the ultimate price for his beloved school. I will delete and block anyone who sends such filth. <BR><BR>

I'm not sure that Keven Sorbo knows what he's talking about. He should go back to doing what he does best - acting with his shirt off. I see no connection between the White House, IRS and a cruel, monster who was lucky he didn't kill his girlfriend. There are one-punch murders all the time. If it works, there is a video at the bottom of this with Sorbo telling his story and thoughts on it. <BR><BR>

My thoughts are simple: hundreds of women (and men) are abused every day by their partners. The numbers are easy to find. Talk to volunteers at shelters for abused women. Sometimes, they have to run with nothing but the shirts on their back and their children on their hip. They have nothing, but knew if they didn't leave, one day their husband would finally kill them. Abuse isn't always physical, it can be emotional as well as sexual (yes, there is spousal rape and it's horrible).  Words hit as hard as a fist. When you are told day after day after day that you are worthless and nobody else would put up with such a stupid idiot, you begin to believe it and that when the abuser has truly won. He/She knows their victim will never leave and they will always have their punching bag. We need to help these people not laugh and say "Maybe they should learn to take the stairs" like the idiots at Fox News laughed about the day after TMZ leaked the video. Abuse is never funny and there's nothing to laugh about seeing a woman being knocked unconscious. Ray Rice should never be allowed to play football again. There needs to be a strong message sent that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. <BR><BR> 



Kevin Sorbo: NFL won’t fire anyone over domestic abuse scandal because of Benghazi

A huge weekend for us

Tomorrow is a major milestone in our family. My parents are celebrating their 50th anniversary! I can't wrap my head around being with the same person for half a century! We are having their party on Saturday afternoon. I have planned it, made all the arrangements, sent out the invites and will decorate tomorrow as soon as we can get into the fire hall where we are having the party. I have RSVPs from almost 100 people. It will be huge, but laid back and casual, just like my parents. They didn't want a big catered affair, that's not who they are. They opted for wings, ham and a variety of salads that family and friends have offered to bring. There will be lots of singing from the guests, as well as stories of how they met from the ones who were there.

I'm creating a scrapbook for them and have asked everyone to write up a memory of their lives before I came around and it will be a beautiful way to share their story for generations to come. It's very important for me to have this. My parents, especially my dad, value photos as a way to keep the memories alive. I'm sure the stories will be funny, sweet and completely them.

Randy and I have been married 26 years, so we are slowly catching up. :) His parents were married well over 50 years. We were brought up knowing the marriage was a true life-time commitment. Divorce isn't an option. When life gets hard, you don't throw in the towel, you work harder at it. I'll freely admit it, our marriage hasn't been all roses and moonbeams over the last two and a half decades, but we didn't give in. We dug in and worked a little harder.

I'm so proud of my parents! I will post photos from their party on Saturday. I have already received a Citation of Congratulations from the PA State Senate as well as our local County Commissioners. I have another big surprise coming for them, but won't put it here in case Mom happens to read it.