december 5, 2007 - it is through Him that we've received grace (romans 1:5)

top of the afternoon, friends....

what a beautiful first snow! i have to admit, it's much prettier when you don't have to go and handle accidents in it.....lol i always worried about getting hit while working the road in bad weather....i never imagined i would be hit by an impaired driver, while off duty, on vacation, at 2:30pm in the afternoon! how ironic is that? anyways, it was breathtaking when i woke up this morning.

my left leg isn't giving me much trouble, other than it doesn't want to bend beyond 49 degrees. my good leg, however, is still extremely sore. i was told by my bone dr. that the reason it's so sore is that the surgical team inadvertently poked a hole in my right femur as they harvested bone and marrow. he said that because they were so aggressive, it occurred, but they needed to get as much as they could to repair my left leg. unfortunately, i can't exercise as much as i did prior to the surgery yet, as i can't get down on the floor to work out. what exercise i do has to be either from the bed or wheelchair. to compound the issue, i pulled a muscle in my lower back a day or two ago. it makes getting around a bit challenging, but it will be okay. otherwise, i feel great....i'm eating good....and putting on a little of my weight. another victory!

retired major fred goldstein called me this morning. he's been so faithful about checking on me! he now works for public safety.

major peyton watts also called from the academy. i spoke with both him and captain andy stritmatter. they updated me on the upcoming graduating class. boy, time flies!

mike & connie hunter - thanks for the blood! you just never know when you'll need it! i appreciate your thoughts and prayers as well.

elzie fish (my retired bud) - i think the budweiser just may have affected your mind! i'll admit the restaurant i chose in tennessee was less than desirable, but if you'll remember correctly, no one, other than me, would "step up to the plate" to choose a place to eat. just because they served "tofurky" and bean sprouts didn't make it all bad, now did it???? besides, the soy burger you ordered looked edible. furthermore....the goldfish in the fountain were alive and well when i left. that's my story and i'm sticking to it! one more thing....christy clark and i are the best thing that's happened to capital city motorcycle club in years! it's about time you got some good looking women on board!

quote for the day:

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator."

W. Beran Wolfe

prayer requests:

terry salyers (my sister) - her mammogram came back abnormal and she goes in for more diagnostics on monday. she's very nervous about this, as our mom's sister has battled breast cancer. terry is not only my sister, by my very best friend!

laura pascuzzi (my motorcycle friend from iowa) -her mammogram also came back abnormal and she goes in for more diagnostics tomorrow. laura's mom died from breast cancer, so you can imagine how concerned she is. laura was behind me on her motorcycle when i was hit in july. for years, we've taken a big, yearly motorcycle trip together. i suspect we've seen 1/3 of the country via motorcycle together.

trish scarberry (ironton post) - her mom passed away unexpectedly. she was one of my many great secretaries in district 9.

mary taylor (my stepmom) - as i stated earlier, she had a knee replacement a while back, then recently fell and broke her hip. the dr's were concerned that she had had a stroke and possibly broke her ankle. praise God, she didn't have a stroke nor did she break her ankle. they believe she may have a significant b12 deficiency, which could have caused some of her symptoms. she is preparing to enter rehab.

woody triplett (trish's grandfather) - he is suffering from melanoma in his lungs and is going through chemo now.

vicki moreland (my friend from middletown) - her knees are deteriorating and she needs knee surgery. she is concerned that she can't be off work for that long, as she's a single mom raising 2 teenage kids. she is such a good person who is experiencing some pretty tough times right now.

more later.....continue to be blessed!

lisa - 1095

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