november 29, 2007 - i will lift my eyes to the hills....

top of the morning, friends.....


i hope you had an opportunity to enjoy yesterday's beautiful weather! i worked in the yard all afternoon. a friend and i mowed, trimmed, and planted a new mum. i couldn't believe that i was mowing - probably for the last time of the season - on november 28, 2007! of course, all my work was done on my tractor, as i'm still non-weight bearing. my yard is just as green as can be! while i was out mowing, a trooper from the statehouse stopped by to visit. i was shocked that he even recognized me, all bundled up. it was very nice of him. after mowing, i built a fire in my portable fireplace and had lunch there.



i have a dr's appointment today with my plastic surgeon. i hope he takes the stitches out of my hand from the last surgery, and allows me to bear weight on that hand.



my next appointment with my bone dr doesn't happen until next week. i can't wait. i hope he removes the staples and stitches so i can actually get that leg into the shower again!



unfortunately, my stepmom, mary fell yesterday and broke her left hip. it was the same leg that she just recently had a knee replacement on. she's having surgery today at 10:30am, where the dr. will put in a plate and screws. please keep her in your prayers.....she's been through alot lately - and so has my dad. i'm sure he's had his belly full of hospital visits between mary and me!

i talked with retired major fred goldstein this week. he's finally back to work after his knee replacement and seems to be doing well.

please keep patrol historian michele vaughan in your thoughts and prayers as well. she and her daughter lost everything to a fire recently. they need EVERYTHING! if you'd like to donate, please contact connie willbarger, OSP operations 614-466-2300.

laura mourne - thanks so much for the postcard from the biltmore! that area is definitely one of my favorite places in the world!

kathy mckinniss - good hearing from you! i know exactly the song you're talking about! i like it too. sometimes songs can really say what we're feeling, can't they? i'm looking forward to watching the "closer" marathon too!


quote for the day:

"We need to understand that thoughts are tools.
Are we using them as productively as we can?
Are our thoughts serving us well, or are we their victims?
It's up to us."
Dr. Tom Morris

i hope you have a blessed day....

lisa - 1095

november 25, 2007 - better is one day in Your house than a thousand elsewhere....

top of the evening, friends....

well....here we are at the end of another weekend....i don't know where time goes!

the above picture was taken on halloween night - obviously before my last surgery. we had just passed out the last of the candy and eaten the last bowl of chili spaghetti that my sister so graciously made.

on thanksgiving, i wasn't feeling up to traveling to my sisters for dinner, so my friends and i had a roasted chicken and a multitude of vegetables. no bread, noodles, or mac & cheese due to my new gluten-free diet - thanks to finding out i am highly allergic to wheat, rye, barley and oats. it's rough, but i'm adjusting. i guess i've had this condition (celiac's disease) long before my crash, but after the crash, it was highly accelerated, causing me to be sick almost everyday. now that i know what to eat, i'm eating well and finally putting some weight back on.

on friday, i had an appt. with my regular dr. who sent me to mt. carmel west to have dopplers done on both legs to ensure i didn't have any blood clots. thank God there weren't any! i'm still extremely sore and have trouble standing and using crutches, although it's getting easier each day. i have to say that this surgery was the roughest thus far.

i will be continuing my hand therapy, but my leg therapy will stop until i get the green light from my bone dr.

my sister terry and mary came up this weekend as well as trish and di. we all had a feeding frenzy and watched movies. we ate at o'charley's and applebee's and watched "grumpier old men," (which reminded me of my relationship with dirty di) "bug," and "hostel." i think these guys are trying to make me fat and lazy! actually, after the first week, i finally started working out again with my hand weights. i didn't feel much like it last week. di is once again on one of her famous "lose weight quick" diets. she says she's lost 5 lbs for "the biggest loser" contest at work, but frankly, i don't see it....lol

on a good note, mary hopes to return to work this week, if she gets the clearance - but she's still on crutches, so it would have to be light duty.

thanks to registrar mike rankin, BMV for the beautiful white roses! they were delivered late friday. that was extremely thoughtful and they really lifted me up.

gary & annette humphries - hey guys! thanks so much for writing and for not giving up motorcycling! i need to live vicariously through you guys right now...lol i'd love to hook up with you guys and talk sometime soon. i'll send you an email once i'm a little more mobile and you can either come over or we can meet for dinner. i hope all is well in your neck of the woods. good hearing from you!

alvin cox - yes, we've been friends for years, and how surprised i was to see you after all this time. i pray your back surgery went well and you continue to improve. did you ever sell your beautiful motorcycle? we do need to get together too over a cup of coffee or tea. good hearing from you as well!

laura mourne - thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. i was, however, disappointed that there was no question in your blog entry. i look so forward to assisting with your insatiable quest for knowledge...lol

wendy forbes - thank you too for your never-ending supply of cards and well-wishes. you continue to boost my spirits more than you know. give alan a big kiss and hug for me. we need to have another movie night!

terri west - NOOOOOO KAILEEEEEEE!!!!! i'll do whatever i need to, to ensure that nightmare doesn't happen again!! don't give my sister any ideas! thanks to you too for always being so thoughtful to write and lift me up.

jen stabler - thanks for calling and checking on me on thanksgiving morning. i hope your trip and visit with your family was great. don't spend any of that "left-right-center" money...i need an opportunity to win some of it back!

boo & lee - you guys are too much! i appreciate you calling. terry said that when i was in the hospital, you checked on me every day. i'll be down to visit just as soon as i'm able. God bless you!

dale & naomi - i love you guys too! i hope your holiday was great and that you were able to spend it with your family. i apologize for not calling you back the other day, but it's been a rough week. we'll get together soon.

tina - sorry for not updating the blog sooner or calling you back. like i said, it's been a tough week, but every day gets better. hope all is well in your world. i'll call you soon.

more later...until then....be blessed!

lisa - 1095

november 21, 2007 - He gives me strength and endurance...

top of the afternoon friends.....

i got home yesterday afternoon from the hospital. the dr's kept me a while longer than expected due to my hemoglobin and blood pressure being so low, combined with the fact i was running a bit of a fever. i've received 11 blood transfusions thus far in this journey, which has it's own risks, but they sure have made me feel better. i can't yet stand without assistance, as the dr. had to be extremely "agressive" in harvesting bone and marrow from my right leg to use in my left one. they had to put 120 cc's of bone in my left leg, which was the most my dr. has ever done. he indicated that he's only done 10 of these procedures, so he wasn't sure my right leg would initially support me. it is extremely weak and feels like i've been hit by a car (oh, yeah...i was! lol). my left leg has been placed in a brace that will give my knee support, yet allow it to bend 90 degrees. my left hand is a bit sore from the dr's removing a plate, but that pain is minimal compared to my legs.

here are a couple of pictures post surgery. they had to open up my "flap" from my previous surgery to do the bone grafts. one pic is of my hip where they entered to harvest the bone and marrow from my right femur.

mary and sgt. rike both called me at the hospital to lift me up. my dad and my nephew michael came up friday, as well as terry and dianna. trish has continued to help me - otherwise i'd have been in a care facility long ago. wendy and others have continued to send cards and prayers, not to mention the multitudes of visitors i've received! elzie and captain dicken continue to check on me and keep me laughing. thanks to everyone who reads and writes to the blog...you've really been my window to the world and have helped me tremendously! i've got such a great support system of family and friends.

if i can stand long enough, i'm going to go and get cleaned up and try to enjoy some of this weather via my borrowed electric wheelchair (thank you, mary & sharon!).

i have two links i'd love you to see. one is about determination. the other is about Christmas. they both touched me and i hope you enjoy them:

http://www.maniacworld.com/Phone-Salesman-Amazes-Crowd.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ

more later....thanks for everything and happy thanksgiving, friends. continue to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

November 20, 2007

Lisa has been released from Grant Hospital and will be resting at home. She is still very tired and says she feels worse this time than any other time - spirit is strong but body is still weak. She hopes to be feeling much better by next week, and up to taking calls and having company again. She appreciates your continued thoughts and prayers.

Di

november 18, 2007 - I will never leave you, nor forsake you...

top of the evening, friends....

well, here i sit at grant hospital on sunday night. i was hoping i'd be released today, but i had rough night last night and a rough day today. my hemoglobin was low and i was running a little bit of a fever, so they decided to keep me. where they harvested the bone from my right thigh as well as where they fixed 2 small grafts in my left calf were very sore. unbelievably, where they fixed the 10 inch piece in my left thigh didn't hurt too incredibly bad. i did, however, feel like i'd been hit by a car....lol - no pun intended! hopefully, tomorrow, they'll release me.

lt. colonel finamore and major booker came to see me after the surgery. i guess i was very talkative and cordial, but i don't remember much about the visit. the drugs they gave me were intense. i was told it would take me 1 1/2 hours to get out of recovery. i wasn't out of recovery until over 4 hours passed! then, i still slept most of the day.

colonel collins and his wife, s/lt. collins also visited today. they were thrilled about the bucks win.

major atkeson, his wife suzie, and their son luke also visited today after church.

major brooks as well as dxs dale robirds checked on me just before i entered the hospital.

i really appreciate everyone who has called, visited, or simply sent up a prayer for this surgery. while i'm very, very, very sore....this is my first step in walking again. i hope to come back after the first of the year in some limited capacity...then full duty as soon as i can.

thanks to dianna for updating the blog and visiting this weekend. she's been a great friend. i think that she raided my fridge!

my sis terry and my dad as well as my nephew michael were up as well for part of the weekend. they worry about me way too much!

thanks to everyone who has checked on my dogs and cat, as well as house-sat for me. you guys are lifesavers!

also, thanks to the wonderful staff at grant hospital. they have been great and have catered to my every need. of particular note are nurse mary, nurse lashalle, and nurse connie - they are stars!! i'm not, however, looking forward to my visit by the physical terrorists tomorrow...lol

also thanks to sgt. scott rike who has been such an inspiration to me. he was forced to take a disability retirement a while back, due to a serious, and life-threatening condition. but thank God, he has been able to return to full duty. faith and sheer determination prevailed! above is a picture of his really cool tattoo, which depicts his faith, his love for his wife, as well as his love for the patrol. scott...you're my hero. oh, yeah...and congratulations on the fact that you and your wife are expecting!

hopefully, i'll update you folks from home tomorrow. but until then....continue to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

November 16 9:10pm

Lisa is resting well after 4 hours in recovery. She was talking and eating that delicious hospital food before I left. They took both plates out of her arm and fixed some of the mobility problems with her knee. When she feels better she will be back on the blog with more to tell and more of those lower case letters you've all grown to know and love. I've decided to camp out at her pad with Chrissy, Sissy, and Amy and keep them company. They don't talk back (ha ha). Besides she has more food in her fridge;)

Dirty D

November 16, 2007 10:30am

Lisa went into surgery at 7:30am this morning and is now in recovery. The surgeon said everything went well and she will be in recovery for the next couple of hours. Her family and Trish are there with her. The surgeon was impressed with her positive attitude and said that can make such a difference on the final outcome. She will be kept at Grant for a couple days. Your continued prayers are appreciated, she is so anxious to return to work and a normal life. We will keep you all updated on the blog, and when she's feeling up to visitors.

D

november 15, 2007 - and whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and believing, you will receive (Matthew 21:22)

top of the morning, friends...

wow, what a difference a day makes! yesterday, i walked the dogs (with crutches & 1 leg up, of course!) in just my shirtsleeves because it was so warm. today, it's windy and very chilly!

last night, i went out and had wings with my good friends, trish, dirty di, christy, and don & ty. we had a great time. it was trish's actual birthday, so her other friends wanted to treat her to a night out. don even picked up the bill! i just love those OTCS guys! lol while we all had a great time talking, i especially enjoyed my talk with don, as we discussed where God wants us both to be. i've known don all my career, as we graduated from the same academy class. i've seen a wonderful transformation take place in my friend....and what a great friend he's been!

captain kevin teaford and s/lt. brian landis from our HRM section visited a couple of nights ago to explain some benefit issues to me. i had a fire built in my driveway in my outdoor fireplace, so we all sat around the fire and talked. it was very nice. i really appreciate them taking time to visit me. kevin and i even commented that it kinda felt like our old D-9 Jackson days!

my sister, terry and my dad are coming up tonight to visit. they've been here alot to help since my crash - bless their hearts! they try to give trish a break. she's been such a great friend through this ordeal.

my surgery is right around the corner and i can't wait! i know i'll be a bit sore, but i'm so excited to walk again. my goal is to come back to work after the first of the year. please pray that that occurs.

also, please pray for connie willbarger too. she's the executive secretary in our operations section and she just lost her mom. she needs all the support she can get right now.

i'll update you after surgery and let you know how it goes. maybe i'll even post some more photos to demonstrate my progress.

in the meantime, take a look at this link....it has inspired me to believe that i can do ANYTHING i set my mind to - regardless of my circumstances. you won't be disappointed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qTiYA1WiY8


until later, continue to be blessed....

lisa - 1095

november 10, 2007 - love keeps no record of wrong... (I corinthians 13:5)

top of the afternoon, friends!

wow! what a firestorm of comments we've received regarding the punishment of the gentleman who hit us!

please don't misunderstand mary and me....we're angry that this happened, as our lives and the lives of those around us have been greatly changed and we've been terribly inconvenienced. however...we've both forgiven him. that's not to say that he doesn't deserve jail time. if nothing else, maybe it will assist him in getting clean. we simply hope that justice will be served.

thank you all for your very supportive and candid comments about this topic. we appreciate your insight. we've spent our careers removing impaired drivers from the highways. we never expected to be hit by one. but, we both feel that things are the way they are supposed to be and we'll deal with it in the best ways we can.

my sister, terry and i went shopping at the new target store in grove city today. what a nice place! of course i spent way too much money!

tonight, we're going to eat out with some friends. i think that even dirty dianna is planning to come. trish's birthday is next week, so we thought we'd surprise her with dinner. she's been so great to me since my wreck. it will be nice to do something nice for her.

dad came up today and brought me some firewood for my outdoor fireplace. he also brought me an ax....lol....i think he has brought me every tool i own. i sure love that man!

to everyone who helped with and/or contributed to the benefit - mary and i are slowly getting cards sent out. with dr's appt's and therapy, we whittle away at it the best we can. please forgive us if we've missed anyone - it certainly isn't intentional. dianna and don tried to keep very accurate records, but we fear we might fail to thank someone.

mary and her parents came up thursday night. we had a great visit! while she was there, retired sergeant steve belyus came over and brought 2 copies of his in-depth crash reconstruction of our wreck. he retired from the patrol and now works for the governor's highway safety office. he also has a crash reconstruction business. thank you steve for your hard work and unbiased investigation. we really appreciate your professionalism! i'm sure it will assist with our case.

major mark atkeson and captain bob markowski stopped by to see me this week as well. of course i hadn't had a shower and my house was a total wreck! i probably frightened them...lol i do, however really appreciate their visits.

well, i'm gearing up for my surgery! thankfully, it will be very soon. this will be a real step in the right direction in allowing me to walk again. hopefully, after the first of the year, there will be some semblance of normalcy in my life. thanks again for all your thoughts, prayers, visits, and cards. the power of prayer has never been demonstrated more powerfully in my life.

please pray for the family of mary lou schehl, the post secretary at marietta. her daughter passed away this week. she leaves a husband and a son. they desperately need all the prayers they can get to get through this tragedy.

also pray for tonya, daughter of former norwalk post dispatcher jane bell. she is having complications during pregnancy and they are trying diligently to keep her from going into labor and delivering too early. the baby needs further development.

nurse paula - i just got your card and very thoughtful gift! thank you so much for everything. you are one of the people i miss greatly at the shipley building. can't wait to see you and "catch up" when i return!

colonel finamore & s/lt. campbell - thanks for your call yesterday. you've both been so faithful about checking on me and updating me on what's going on.

captain dave dicken - thanks again for all your updates as well. you've continued to keep me "connected" through this ordeal. i could never have asked for a better "wing man."

more later...continue to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

november 5, 2007 - if God is for us, then who can be against us? (romans 8:31)

top of the morning, friends....


well, another weekend is behind us and the time change has happened once again. i really have a hard time adjusting to the fact it is totally dark by 6pm. sometimes i'm in bed by 8pm because it has such a huge psychological effect on me. but, come spring, we'll do it all again!

i'm really getting psyched up for my upcoming surgery. i can't wait to get this hospital bed out of my living room and get my house and life back in order! my family and friends have been nothing less than outstanding through all of this. i'd like to give them their life back too. i want to return to work more than you know!

congratulations to my niece, erin, who won "most photogenic" at the "americas role model" pagent in worthington, ohio. her 4-year old daughter, jillian won her category overall last year and she had to turn over her crown to the winner this year. they are both absolutely beautiful! not that i'm biased or anything....lol.

colonel jack walsh called me again to see how i'm getting along. he and his wife, huey are now in their winter retreat in florida. i really appreciate his thoughtfulness. he was the first colonel that i served under. what a gentleman!

i just received a call from a friend who's been kind enough to monitor my case in WV during the multitude of pretrials. a new prosecutor has been assigned our case. she informed me that the individual who hit mary and me is willing to plead guilty, providing he serve no jail time. while this is a joint decision that i need to discuss with mary, i already know my thoughts on the matter. of course, that's not a topic for the blog.

elzie f. - thanks for the call the other day. i'm sorry i missed you, friend.

tina p. - thank you so much for your friendship and your professional assistance. who knew when we met a few years ago what was in store today? i appreciate your help!

brian b. - let me get through my next surgery, then watch out! you're the one going down! may 1 is fine, but you'll be the one wearing an SMV sign. my arms are HUGE! i've been bench pressing toyotas in preparation for our match. the shop vac will be there to suck up what's left of your dignity!

wendy f. - i'm sorry i didn't get to hook up with you guys last night....i ended up having company. can i please take a raincheck? i'd love to meet you guys on another night.

heather d. - thanks for the call....i'm sorry i missed it. i appreciate you thinking of me too. we'll get together soon.

kathy mccarthy - i cracked up when you said that 904 and 1434 dressed up as law enforcement officers for halloween!

karen morefield - thank you so much for YOUR encouragement! God doesn't call the equipped - He equips the called! i sure miss seeing your smiling face.



be blessed....until next time......



lisa - 1095

november 1, 2007 - another prayer answered....

top of the morning, friends....





well, i survived therapy on tuesday, and went to the bone doctor on wednesday. he FINALLY gave me a surgery date in november!!! i won't post the date on the blog for security reasons, of course, but rest assured, it's soon! he told me that the surgery would not be as bad as the one's i've endured thus far and that i'd probably have a 2-day (or longer) hospital stay - depending on how i feel. he says that i will have a follow up visit about 1 week after the surgery and that he then won't see me again for about 7-8 weeks. until then, i'll still not be weight-bearing. i'm so thrilled that i won't have to wear a full cast, nor will i have to have an external fixator (unless things turn badly). unfortunately, the prediction that i won't walk until the beginning of the year may be optimistic. he says it may be well after the first of the year...but i'm going to prove him wrong.





while i was at the dr's office, i met a young black lady (i didn't get her name), but i have to tell you how inspirational she was. she is 21 years old and about 2 years ago, she too was involved in a motorcycle crash. she indicated that an elderly lady turned left in front of her, causing her to crash her suzuki 500 motorcycle. this resulted in both of her legs becoming severely damaged. unfortunately, the doctors were unable to save her right leg, resulting in her becoming an amputee. her amputation was just above her right knee. while she still walks with a cane, she had such an unbelievably positive attitude. she made me feel so optimistic!






another success story is that of sergeant scott rike, of the patrol. he too has been very inspirational to me. he has battled a serious, life altering physical illness for some time now that actually resulted in him having to file for disability retirement. the great news is that now he has returned to duty! he and his wife are also expecting a baby! two more prayers answered!

another recent inspiration was this short video. if you get a chance, please watch it....i promise you won't be disappointed. it really demonstrates the IMPORTANT things in life! the link is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0aO64aKqek




last night, my friends, neighbors, and my sister terry built a big fire in my portable fireplace out in the driveway and passed out candy while eating a huge pot of chili spaghetti that my sister made. we had a great time sharing ring-tones, jokes, and just good ole fellowship!




i continue to pray for the retired captain walt ashbridge family. as i mentioned before, he passed away while waiting on a second double lung transplant. unfortunately, due to my dr's appt., i was unable to attend the funeral. he was a great man. please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as well.




also continue to pray for officer cory winfield from marion. while he has made great strides, according to colonel and brenda collins, he has a long way to go at dodd hall. God has performed great miracles here!





dan r. - i appreciate the advice on moving a potato chip. who knows when that tidbit of information might come in handy! you crack me up, sir!





elzie f. - i have conducted an ad hoc survey of the folks who travelled to gatlinburg with us. everyone remembers you riding the chicken. sorry, man....ad hoc surveys don't lie.





brian b. - i won't be intimidated! i've painted racing stripes on my wheelchair, buddy! i'm ready to smoke your **^$#^*)_! bring it on! just don't cry like a girl when i thump your hiney!





mccarthy - it is a fact....i HAVE pulled your fat outta the fire more times than i can count!





more later....continue to be blessed!





lisa - 1095