As I sat and enjoyed this year?s Christmas Cantata at Church, thoughts turned to my upcoming second year anniversary. I remember the day over two years ago my Cardio came in the room with a concerned look on his face after my last Echo. I could tell the usual light banner wasn?t in the cards for this meeting. After dropping the bomb, he told me ?we? (I just LOVE the way Docs always say WE) need to get that taken care of but because of the upcoming Christmas holidays he wanted me (where did that WE go to Doc???) in the hospital no later than January. I did get an early Christmas present of an Automatic Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD) JUST IN CASE!!!! Merry Christmas to me----talk about the gift that keeps on giving!!!!!!!
Anyway, I went thru the ?why me?, ?is my life over?, etc. that everyone here suffers. Then I found VR.COM. I quickly found out that I wasn?t the only one out there facing (or had been thru) this. Using the recommendations gleaned here, I sat about the task of ?making ready?. Thanks to the wonderful folks here, nothing was a surprise, although the Surgeon?s serious ?about 20 per cent survival rate? did clear the cobwebs somewhat. After crossing the mountain in one piece (so to speak), I told my wife I didn?t know what God had planned for me but I guess I would be around to find out.
Well the last two years have been busy. I can walk again without having to wonder where my next breath was gonna come from (sorry Ross?wish and pray you could enjoy this too). I got my ?get up and go? back. A new lease on life really does apply for almost all of us. I?ve told a lot of folks that you know you?re getting better when you start taking life for granted again (where did those pounds come from????). I?ve been able to add guidance (been there?done that), advice (sometimes welcomed), SLAPS (when needed), humor (sometimes corny) and just a shoulder or ?ear? to those in need----both here and other places. I?ve got a new family here. If this crisis had not entered my life I would never have met the wonderful folks here.
SIDEBAR YOUR HONOR-----
Wait a minute!!!!!!! If I had never faced Valve Replacement Surgery I probably never would have come to VR.COM. Well, in that case-----I WISH I HAD NEVER MET Y?ALL . But I did--Now back to reflection.
I?ve been privileged to meet several VR.COM folks in person (and plan on meeting many more---good Lord willing). The first family member I met face to face and scar to scar was Karl (KAJ). The wife and I meet him, his wife and family just outside Jacksonville, Florida. The next get-together involved lunch with Cort (Knightfan2691). We even braved ATLANTA TRAFFIC to meet with him. This past summer I had the great privilege (or was it THEY had the great privilege) of meeting up with Mary (Mary) and Bonnie (Grandbonny) and their families. I don?t know about them but I enjoyed every moment----even with Mary!!!!! I don?t know if we will make the summer reunion next year but we will definitely be in Orlando in 2008---unless they have a LATE Hurricane.
With my life changing experiences I, along with my wife, have provided guidance and advice to several folks dealing with similar crisis in their life. We were there to (I hope) ease the final journey for a family friend and his wife. We didn?t do much, just listened and visited. Although his journey on earth ended shortly afterwards, his wife has mentioned what a great comfort we both were to them. For that I am thankful.
I?m still here and able to spoil three grandkids and laugh at my kids when they try to handle the same trials and tribulations we faced when we raised ours. I have a loving wife (well most of the time) who stood by me (literally?well, I think she did sleep a little bit) thru this journey and is still here prodding me along. I have three dawgs and two cats that would miss me no end if I hadn?t returned---well, not too sure about the CATS!!!!! I?ve got a new job and am (so far) enjoying every working minute.
I don?t know what waits for me around the corner but I hope I can meet the next great challenge (and I?m sure there will be one----or more) with friends and family here. I would say that none of us really know how much time we are given here on Earth. My friend and co-worker Roger is testament to that. Early summer he was planning on using his ?use or loose? vacation time traveling with the wife during the winter. He was looking forward to seeing family members that he hadn?t seen in years. Now, thanks to the big "C", as of today, December 18th, he is in the hospital with only a few days left. His wife does not expect him to last through the night. I do know we must make the best of what time we are given and feel blessed every time we hear that ?thank you? (or even ?get out of the way?) from someone you touched or helped along the way.
So as I enter my second year of re-birth I will continue to be a thorn in the side of Ross, Mary, Grandbonny, and all the others here. I try to find the humor in most everything I face in life. But OHS is one cruel hard JOKE!!!!!! I look forward to many, many years of friendship with all those that have come before me, those that have started this journey since I got here, and those that we haven?t heard from YET. We may not see ?eye to eye? sometimes, but we have a common bond that can?t be broken.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night. Happy New Year too.
May God richly bless you as He has me and my family,
Danny (Bubba?gadgetman?gadget?hey you?etc.)
Anyway, I went thru the ?why me?, ?is my life over?, etc. that everyone here suffers. Then I found VR.COM. I quickly found out that I wasn?t the only one out there facing (or had been thru) this. Using the recommendations gleaned here, I sat about the task of ?making ready?. Thanks to the wonderful folks here, nothing was a surprise, although the Surgeon?s serious ?about 20 per cent survival rate? did clear the cobwebs somewhat. After crossing the mountain in one piece (so to speak), I told my wife I didn?t know what God had planned for me but I guess I would be around to find out.
Well the last two years have been busy. I can walk again without having to wonder where my next breath was gonna come from (sorry Ross?wish and pray you could enjoy this too). I got my ?get up and go? back. A new lease on life really does apply for almost all of us. I?ve told a lot of folks that you know you?re getting better when you start taking life for granted again (where did those pounds come from????). I?ve been able to add guidance (been there?done that), advice (sometimes welcomed), SLAPS (when needed), humor (sometimes corny) and just a shoulder or ?ear? to those in need----both here and other places. I?ve got a new family here. If this crisis had not entered my life I would never have met the wonderful folks here.
SIDEBAR YOUR HONOR-----
Wait a minute!!!!!!! If I had never faced Valve Replacement Surgery I probably never would have come to VR.COM. Well, in that case-----I WISH I HAD NEVER MET Y?ALL
. But I did--Now back to reflection. I?ve been privileged to meet several VR.COM folks in person (and plan on meeting many more---good Lord willing). The first family member I met face to face and scar to scar was Karl (KAJ). The wife and I meet him, his wife and family just outside Jacksonville, Florida. The next get-together involved lunch with Cort (Knightfan2691). We even braved ATLANTA TRAFFIC to meet with him. This past summer I had the great privilege (or was it THEY had the great privilege) of meeting up with Mary (Mary) and Bonnie (Grandbonny) and their families. I don?t know about them but I enjoyed every moment----even with Mary!!!!! I don?t know if we will make the summer reunion next year but we will definitely be in Orlando in 2008---unless they have a LATE Hurricane.
With my life changing experiences I, along with my wife, have provided guidance and advice to several folks dealing with similar crisis in their life. We were there to (I hope) ease the final journey for a family friend and his wife. We didn?t do much, just listened and visited. Although his journey on earth ended shortly afterwards, his wife has mentioned what a great comfort we both were to them. For that I am thankful.
I?m still here and able to spoil three grandkids and laugh at my kids when they try to handle the same trials and tribulations we faced when we raised ours. I have a loving wife (well most of the time) who stood by me (literally?well, I think she did sleep a little bit) thru this journey and is still here prodding me along. I have three dawgs and two cats that would miss me no end if I hadn?t returned---well, not too sure about the CATS!!!!! I?ve got a new job and am (so far) enjoying every working minute.
I don?t know what waits for me around the corner but I hope I can meet the next great challenge (and I?m sure there will be one----or more) with friends and family here. I would say that none of us really know how much time we are given here on Earth. My friend and co-worker Roger is testament to that. Early summer he was planning on using his ?use or loose? vacation time traveling with the wife during the winter. He was looking forward to seeing family members that he hadn?t seen in years. Now, thanks to the big "C", as of today, December 18th, he is in the hospital with only a few days left. His wife does not expect him to last through the night. I do know we must make the best of what time we are given and feel blessed every time we hear that ?thank you? (or even ?get out of the way?) from someone you touched or helped along the way.
So as I enter my second year of re-birth I will continue to be a thorn in the side of Ross, Mary, Grandbonny, and all the others here. I try to find the humor in most everything I face in life. But OHS is one cruel hard JOKE!!!!!! I look forward to many, many years of friendship with all those that have come before me, those that have started this journey since I got here, and those that we haven?t heard from YET. We may not see ?eye to eye? sometimes, but we have a common bond that can?t be broken.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night. Happy New Year too.
May God richly bless you as He has me and my family,
Danny (Bubba?gadgetman?gadget?hey you?etc.)
