Skip to main content

I made my first trip without my wife yesterday.

I went to Wal-Mart. Now, I know that for most people that is a normal, hum drum, trip. But for me, it was a big trip. For me, it was the first time I was out for the first time wihtuout Laura since my stroke. I did call her, but I was just giving her a hard time more than anything else. I must admit, Laura has been a wonderful caregiver, but it felt good to go somewhere without my "security blanket".

It also marked the first time I was in my mom's car since I was transferred to the Knoxville VA. I rode from Des Moines to Knoxville in my mom's car, and that trip to Wal Mart marked the first time I was in her car since then. I know, I know, it was a small thing, but everything is big for me. 

Today will be a big day becauae today I SHOULD get me driver's license back. I know my appointment will be a 1:00, and I think I should practice before then. I don't how long or where, but I think I will practice sometime today.

Oh, by the way, I did get a new phone through U.S. Cellular. I did a new 2 year contract through them. I still am not satisfied that no one else will have the same problems we had, but we have submitted a formal complaint, and the lady yesterday said that they know exactly who I talked to and the situation. The people yesterday wer very helpful to us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes my new life stinks...

For the last few weeks I have been experiencing some pretty terrible headaches; not the kind that you can relieve by rubbing your temples or taking Tylenol, but headaches that radiate from the back of my head. It seems as though I have tried several things to relieve them: taking naps, lying down on heating pads, taking Tylenol, turning the lights of, etc. but nothing seems to help. Now, I don't have them all the time, only a few days a week and I can tell that they are more from muscle tightness than anything else. I have been instructed to go the ER if they flare up again, because of my past history of headaches before my stroke, but most likely it is due to the muscles that were cut in the back of my head for the Craniotomy. I would say that most days I do not struggle with headaches at all; but, the days I do have headaches they are a doozy. I don't have blurred vision with them or sensitivity to light or sound; it just hurts. As I look back over the past 3+ years I realize...
8 comments
Read more

15 years already...It's only been 15 years...such a weird feeling

Today is December 8, 2023 - 15 years since my stroke. Time is deceiving; on one hand, it moves so fast that we can barely imagine that the person we were 15 years ago, and the person we are today are the same person. I have started this post 4 different times in the last few weeks; it is just so hard to put into words what I'm feeling. I feel really good for a dead guy (that is my standard greeting; several doctors have told me that I should had died at least 11 years ago.) But, it is so hard for me to talk about feeling good, considering the path we have been on for the last 2 months. My son was the one who helped me to the car when I could not walk; my son was the one who watched the girls when Laura had to take me to the hospital. My son was the one who bought me the little Christmas tree for my ICU room after my surgery, and it was my son that so often told his mom how worried he was about me when I would show signs of weakness. My son has been such a big part of my recovery,...
Post a Comment
Read more

It's amazing what you can learn from a 2 year old...

Ok, to be fair, he is closer to 3 than he is 2, but either way, shouldn't I be the one teaching him lessons instead of the other way around? I'm talking, of course, about our grandson, Theo. He came to stay with grandma and grandpa last night, and let's just say that he seemingly never gets tired! As tired as we get, we absolutely adore our only (for now) grandbaby. This morning, is when I learned a very valuable lesson from Theo, both as it applies to life after my stroke, and my life after the loss of my only son, Brendan. Picture it, Sicily, 1924...wait, where did the Golden Girls reference come from? Maybe I should just go back and erase it, but, I probably won't. In fact, the fact you are reading this means I did not...Anyway, picture it, we are oustide this morning; it is a pretty chilly morning, there is some frost on the car windows, we can see our breath, and Theo is watching the dogs play in our backyard. And then he spots it: his "bike." He runs ov...
Post a Comment
Read more