Saturday, September 30, 2006
It's All About Amy #0
I can't find a way to post the following in the order they should go. Thanks to the way that I wrote them.
The numerical order is the way you should read them. Sorry for the inconvenience.
The numerical order is the way you should read them. Sorry for the inconvenience.
It's All ABout Amy #1
Some of you know that Amy, my wife, has had some health difficulties, recently. My posts tonight, are a a short, and incomplete, version of everything up to this point.
We are lucky.
Frankly, if I had pursued the carreer that I originally envisioned after college, there would be no way that we could begin to afford the level of health care that she is now receiving, or will shortly receive.
The three medications that the neurologist is recommending for consideration run from $16,000 to $22,000 a year.
As it is, the Army is picking up the ENTIRE tab.
Not only that, I am VERY fortunate in my new unit. Every time that Amy has had an appointment with a doctor ... or more involved things, there has been no discussion. I mention to my First Sergeant the words "wife", "MS", and "appointment", and his response is that my "place of duty" is with my wife at the hospital.
I need to back track for a second here.
That last bit sounds much worse than it actually is. All of the doctor's office's that I will ever (or Amy for that matter) are in the hospital. If I have to go to "sick call" for a cold, or if one of us has to have major surgery, and everything in between, it involves going to the hospital. If one of us has to get a refill on a prescription, we have to go to the hospital. To rephrase it, our "local, family doctor's" offices, the local pharmacy, and the offices of any and all specialists that we might need to see are in the hospital. So, "going to the hospital" is not quite the same thing for us as it is for you.
Back to the point, my new chain of command has been INCREDIBLY supportive of me being there for every one of Amy's appointments.
On the part of the hospital, they are being helpful, informative, friendly, and thorough. I, really, cannot say enough about the people that we have dealt with at Madigan.
Anyway, what follows is a chronology of what has goen one with Amy over the last few months. As we learn more, or more happens, you will be able to read it here.
We are lucky.
Frankly, if I had pursued the carreer that I originally envisioned after college, there would be no way that we could begin to afford the level of health care that she is now receiving, or will shortly receive.
The three medications that the neurologist is recommending for consideration run from $16,000 to $22,000 a year.
As it is, the Army is picking up the ENTIRE tab.
Not only that, I am VERY fortunate in my new unit. Every time that Amy has had an appointment with a doctor ... or more involved things, there has been no discussion. I mention to my First Sergeant the words "wife", "MS", and "appointment", and his response is that my "place of duty" is with my wife at the hospital.
I need to back track for a second here.
That last bit sounds much worse than it actually is. All of the doctor's office's that I will ever (or Amy for that matter) are in the hospital. If I have to go to "sick call" for a cold, or if one of us has to have major surgery, and everything in between, it involves going to the hospital. If one of us has to get a refill on a prescription, we have to go to the hospital. To rephrase it, our "local, family doctor's" offices, the local pharmacy, and the offices of any and all specialists that we might need to see are in the hospital. So, "going to the hospital" is not quite the same thing for us as it is for you.
Back to the point, my new chain of command has been INCREDIBLY supportive of me being there for every one of Amy's appointments.
On the part of the hospital, they are being helpful, informative, friendly, and thorough. I, really, cannot say enough about the people that we have dealt with at Madigan.
Anyway, what follows is a chronology of what has goen one with Amy over the last few months. As we learn more, or more happens, you will be able to read it here.
It's All About Amy #5
Which brings us up to now.
We are in Washington, as I have said before. We checked in and got Amy set up with Madigan. She was able to see a neurologist within a few days of getting set up with the local Army medical system.
He checked everything in her records out, and we were sent home with three briefcases of material on various MS treatments. Before we started treatment, he wanted new MRI's (more complete, and with a more high-powered MRI machine), and new bloodwork.
The medications are amazing. Each company has an incredible support system. Each involves some kind of self-injection. One is once a week, one is three times a week, and the last is everyday. The neurologist says that the three we have information for are the best there is available.
The one that looked the best, after reading all the material and doing research, is the three-injection-a-week one. The company has a nurse, locally, that monitors the use of the medication, and insures that each person uses it properly. (More on this later)
We found out today that the MRI came back as expected.
Let me backtrack, when the neurologist was looking at Amy's original MRI, he explained Amy's condition this way:
"If I had to have MS, this is what I would want my MRI to look like."
The newest MRI showed more spots, and some spots in the spine. (The original MRI did not cover the MRI, or the entire skull.) However, none of the spots were very big, comparatively. AND, it did not appear that any of the spots were active.
The downside is that the blood work has shown some irregularities in Amy's liver. It appears to be some kind of infection.
The bad part is that the MS medication that the doctor thought would be most effective can, also, affect the liver.
Amy had a liver biopsy last week. We should know the results Monday.
If the liver thing is not a quick fix, then Amy will have to go the everyday shot medication.
But, either way, we should, finally, be able to move forward with treatment.
We are in Washington, as I have said before. We checked in and got Amy set up with Madigan. She was able to see a neurologist within a few days of getting set up with the local Army medical system.
He checked everything in her records out, and we were sent home with three briefcases of material on various MS treatments. Before we started treatment, he wanted new MRI's (more complete, and with a more high-powered MRI machine), and new bloodwork.
The medications are amazing. Each company has an incredible support system. Each involves some kind of self-injection. One is once a week, one is three times a week, and the last is everyday. The neurologist says that the three we have information for are the best there is available.
The one that looked the best, after reading all the material and doing research, is the three-injection-a-week one. The company has a nurse, locally, that monitors the use of the medication, and insures that each person uses it properly. (More on this later)
We found out today that the MRI came back as expected.
Let me backtrack, when the neurologist was looking at Amy's original MRI, he explained Amy's condition this way:
"If I had to have MS, this is what I would want my MRI to look like."
The newest MRI showed more spots, and some spots in the spine. (The original MRI did not cover the MRI, or the entire skull.) However, none of the spots were very big, comparatively. AND, it did not appear that any of the spots were active.
The downside is that the blood work has shown some irregularities in Amy's liver. It appears to be some kind of infection.
The bad part is that the MS medication that the doctor thought would be most effective can, also, affect the liver.
Amy had a liver biopsy last week. We should know the results Monday.
If the liver thing is not a quick fix, then Amy will have to go the everyday shot medication.
But, either way, we should, finally, be able to move forward with treatment.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
It's All About Amy #2 (Amy Update 1)
(This is the first email)
Howdy Folks,
It's Kevin.
I'm not sure who all knows what. Amy has told some folks stuff, and I'm not sure who. So, I will start at the beginning and get us up to today. Also, I'm not going to go into great depth explaining my terms, but I will put links in this email that contain explanations.
Sometime in February, Amy noticed that there was something odd about her vision in her left eye. Not just blurriness, colors through that eye were washing out. She describes it as if she was looking through a matte-finish document protector. She saw the ophthalmologist here at the Army clinic in Bamberg. He referred her to a more completely equipped clinic at the Army hostpital in Heidelburg. (About a 4 hour drive away on the autobahn. I rented a Mercedes E-class for the trip. The drive was GREAT!) They thought it might be optic neuritis. They referred her to the best eye clinic in Germany, if not Europe, in the town of Erlangen. (Erlangen is about 20 minutes down the autobahn from here.) They confirmed the diagnosis, and referred her to a neurologist in town, because optic neuritis is a pre-cursor of, and, sometimes, a symptom of multiple sclerosis. We saw the private neurologist a couple of weeks ago. He did some tests in his office, and looked at the MRI that the eye clinic had done. He saw enough to refer her to the German hospital here in town. We met with the head of the neurology clinic last week. He looked everything over, and said that Amy needed to come in for testing. It would take, at least two days, maybe more, and would involve a spinal tap. The hospital (if I slip, it's called the klinikum in German) was full just then. So, he scheduled for her to come in today for the testing.
Which brings us to today.
Amy was admitted to the Klinikum at 8:30 this morning, and they took some blood. Her roommate in the hospital is a former school secretary with MS named Birgit. She speaks very little English. We didn't see a doctor until about 12:30. They consulted with us, and left. About 3:30, Amy's spinal tap was done, and some more blood was taken. She is fine. She was up and walking an hour and a half later. At 7, she and I walked through a little park that they have on the grounds of the hospital. Her back was bothering her a bit, but not much more than normal. The spinal tap was performed in, basically, the same area where she has a bad disc. I left the hospital when visiting hours were over at 8. We had not heard anything about the spinal tap. They are going to do more tests, less invasive ones (meaning she shouldn't have anything poked into her, or anything extracted from her), tomorrow. We are hoping, at this point, that she will come home either tomorrow, late, or Wednesday. We, also, hope to have some answers tomorrow some time.
The final wrinkles in all of this is the Army and Germany. Let me explain, and bear with me, this will involve alot of Army acronyms.
Before you (a soldier) can go to, or leave an overseas assignment your family members have to go through an EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program) screening. EFMP is a program designed to insure that soldiers only go to duty stations where their family members can receive adequate medical care for their conditions. TriCare is in charge of this. (Amy calls it "Try to Get Care".) TriCare will not sign off on her going to Fort Lewis until all of this mess is over. Our first shipment of our stuff is supposed to get packed up in 11 days. Until TriCare signs off on things, Amy can't leave the country. On the other hand, according to the SOFA or Status of Forces Agreement that Germany has with the US, I have to be out of the country by midnight the 17th of July, unless some type of deferment is given. So, Amy may get stuck here in Germany without me, the dogs, or our stuff.
On the flip-side, however, is Fort Lewis. Madigan Army Medical Center is one of the best hospitals in the Army Medical system. It's not just a hospital, it a training center where doctors, physician assistants, nurses, etc. (both military and civilian) are sent for residency and other training. Beaumont, at Fort Bliss, is a similar hospital. I had sinus surgery there in 1990. A friend of mine (civilian) did a residency there in Ear, Nose and Throat. He asked me, during his residency, who did my sinus surgery. I told him. He told me that I probably had the best ear, nose and throat doctor in all of New Mexico, and western Texas working on me. From everything I have heard, the level of care at Madigan is just as good, if not better. So, if I can just get Amy there, I am very confident that we can get her some of the best care that you can get in the States.
So, here I am, at home. I'm fine.
The dogs are fine. The pup and the old, crippled dog are wrestling in the floor. I think Tasselhof is getting the better of the pup. Not bad for a geriatric dog, with only two functioning legs, especially when the pup is twice his weight.
Amy and I have concerns. I wouldn't call them worries, yet. We are both good. We are going to get through this together. We are praying. Any prayers are, as always, appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 1:04 PM
Subject: Amy Update
Subject: Amy Update
Howdy Folks,
It's Kevin.
I'm not sure who all knows what. Amy has told some folks stuff, and I'm not sure who. So, I will start at the beginning and get us up to today. Also, I'm not going to go into great depth explaining my terms, but I will put links in this email that contain explanations.
Sometime in February, Amy noticed that there was something odd about her vision in her left eye. Not just blurriness, colors through that eye were washing out. She describes it as if she was looking through a matte-finish document protector. She saw the ophthalmologist here at the Army clinic in Bamberg. He referred her to a more completely equipped clinic at the Army hostpital in Heidelburg. (About a 4 hour drive away on the autobahn. I rented a Mercedes E-class for the trip. The drive was GREAT!) They thought it might be optic neuritis. They referred her to the best eye clinic in Germany, if not Europe, in the town of Erlangen. (Erlangen is about 20 minutes down the autobahn from here.) They confirmed the diagnosis, and referred her to a neurologist in town, because optic neuritis is a pre-cursor of, and, sometimes, a symptom of multiple sclerosis. We saw the private neurologist a couple of weeks ago. He did some tests in his office, and looked at the MRI that the eye clinic had done. He saw enough to refer her to the German hospital here in town. We met with the head of the neurology clinic last week. He looked everything over, and said that Amy needed to come in for testing. It would take, at least two days, maybe more, and would involve a spinal tap. The hospital (if I slip, it's called the klinikum in German) was full just then. So, he scheduled for her to come in today for the testing.
When we met with the chief of neurology last week, he confirmed, again, the diagnosis of optic neuritis. He said that to determine if this was MS he would have to do this testing. He, also, said that it might be MS, but MS in such an early state that it would not be detectable. If there was enough evidence to support a suspicion of that, he was going to start Amy on treatment for MS. He said that recent studies have shown that treatment started at that stage have been very successful. The primary method of treatment that he mentioned was with interferons. So, even if they don't find MS, they may start treating her as if she has it.
Which brings us to today.
Amy was admitted to the Klinikum at 8:30 this morning, and they took some blood. Her roommate in the hospital is a former school secretary with MS named Birgit. She speaks very little English. We didn't see a doctor until about 12:30. They consulted with us, and left. About 3:30, Amy's spinal tap was done, and some more blood was taken. She is fine. She was up and walking an hour and a half later. At 7, she and I walked through a little park that they have on the grounds of the hospital. Her back was bothering her a bit, but not much more than normal. The spinal tap was performed in, basically, the same area where she has a bad disc. I left the hospital when visiting hours were over at 8. We had not heard anything about the spinal tap. They are going to do more tests, less invasive ones (meaning she shouldn't have anything poked into her, or anything extracted from her), tomorrow. We are hoping, at this point, that she will come home either tomorrow, late, or Wednesday. We, also, hope to have some answers tomorrow some time.
The final wrinkles in all of this is the Army and Germany. Let me explain, and bear with me, this will involve alot of Army acronyms.
Before you (a soldier) can go to, or leave an overseas assignment your family members have to go through an EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program) screening. EFMP is a program designed to insure that soldiers only go to duty stations where their family members can receive adequate medical care for their conditions. TriCare is in charge of this. (Amy calls it "Try to Get Care".) TriCare will not sign off on her going to Fort Lewis until all of this mess is over. Our first shipment of our stuff is supposed to get packed up in 11 days. Until TriCare signs off on things, Amy can't leave the country. On the other hand, according to the SOFA or Status of Forces Agreement that Germany has with the US, I have to be out of the country by midnight the 17th of July, unless some type of deferment is given. So, Amy may get stuck here in Germany without me, the dogs, or our stuff.
On the flip-side, however, is Fort Lewis. Madigan Army Medical Center is one of the best hospitals in the Army Medical system. It's not just a hospital, it a training center where doctors, physician assistants, nurses, etc. (both military and civilian) are sent for residency and other training. Beaumont, at Fort Bliss, is a similar hospital. I had sinus surgery there in 1990. A friend of mine (civilian) did a residency there in Ear, Nose and Throat. He asked me, during his residency, who did my sinus surgery. I told him. He told me that I probably had the best ear, nose and throat doctor in all of New Mexico, and western Texas working on me. From everything I have heard, the level of care at Madigan is just as good, if not better. So, if I can just get Amy there, I am very confident that we can get her some of the best care that you can get in the States.
So, here I am, at home. I'm fine.
She has her Palm, a good book(a collection of Mark Twain short stories), a miniature DVD player, a huge book of DVD's, her cell phone, and two MP3 players full of music (about 8 hours a piece). She is, probably, watching the US play the Czech Republic in the World Cup with her roommate, right now. That game started about 20 minutes ago.
The dogs are fine. The pup and the old, crippled dog are wrestling in the floor. I think Tasselhof is getting the better of the pup. Not bad for a geriatric dog, with only two functioning legs, especially when the pup is twice his weight.
Amy and I have concerns. I wouldn't call them worries, yet. We are both good. We are going to get through this together. We are praying. Any prayers are, as always, appreciated.
Thanks,
Kevin
It's All About Amy #3 (Amy Update 2)
(This is the second email, dated June 13th of this year.)
It's me again.
Amy was released about 2:30 or so.
They did an EEG this morning. The doctor told her that the preliminary tests on the fluid pulled from her spinal tap was a "5", and that "6" is where it is bad. So, in whatever it is that they are measuring, Amy is on the high side of normal. I wasn't there when that conversation took place. That's all we know, so far.
We go back on Thursday of next week (our 21st anniversary) for the results.
Amy's back is still a bit sore and tender from the spinal tap. So far, the worst thing for her back has been riding in the car. Going over the cobblestone streets on post didn't feel too good. It's mainly when stuff rubs that spot, from what I can tell. She is good.
Not much else to tell. She's going to love on dogs, and watch DVD's.
Kev
It's me again.
Amy was released about 2:30 or so.
They did an EEG this morning. The doctor told her that the preliminary tests on the fluid pulled from her spinal tap was a "5", and that "6" is where it is bad. So, in whatever it is that they are measuring, Amy is on the high side of normal. I wasn't there when that conversation took place. That's all we know, so far.
We go back on Thursday of next week (our 21st anniversary) for the results.
Amy's back is still a bit sore and tender from the spinal tap. So far, the worst thing for her back has been riding in the car. Going over the cobblestone streets on post didn't feel too good. It's mainly when stuff rubs that spot, from what I can tell. She is good.
Not much else to tell. She's going to love on dogs, and watch DVD's.
Kev
It's All About Amy #4 (Amy update: I believe)
(This is the third email, dated June 25th of this year)
Howdy folks, again,
First let me apologize. I must have hit a wrong button, or something. Last night's email was incomplete, and I meant to finish it tonight.
Included below are: last night's email, and the first "Amy Update" with all the links in it. Last night's email referenced several things that had links to them in the first email.
Because last night's email was not complete, I have had several questions that I meant to address in the first email. Before I give you a status report, or anymore of my thoughts, I thought I would answer those.
Kay Booth works in the local Tri-Care office (see link in the original email). Kay was insturmental in getting Amy in for her current treatment. If Kay had not interceded with the head of the local Army clinic, Amy would still have untreated optic neuritis(see link below).
Which brings us to a point that I guess I wasn't to clear on. Amy is in the hospital at the moment to be treated for optic neuritis, not MS. Optic neuritis can be part of MS, but you can have optic neuritis without having MS. This is the major concern at the moment, because if this was normal optical neuritis, it should have gone away on it's on by the end of April.
As it appears now, all of this will not prevent Amy from leaving for the States with me. In the first email, I talked about Madigan Army Medical Center(see link below). It is the Army hospital on the post where I am going. It is one of the biggest and best medical facilities that the Army has. It is comparable to Walter Reed. In other words, Amy will probably be in the care of the best neurologists in Washington state, if not the western seaboard.
The super steroid is supposed to knock out the optic neuritis very quickly. I'm not sure, exactly what time frame, but from what I understand, the end of this next week is a reasonable expectation.
Today's update:
Amy had her second course of cortisone this morning. I have not seen the side effects that she had last time with the lower doses. However, cortisone, apparently, inhibits the body's ability to produce insulin. So, after this morning's medication, Amy's blood sugar skyrocketed. They gave her an insulin shot to compensate for theis.
She was hot (the hospital does not have AC, and it was rather warm here today). I'm not sure if it was "hot flashes", the heat here, or just the fact that she is hot natured. She was a little unsteady. Otherwise, she was fine.
My closest friend here, and one of the few remaining soldiers in my unit that went to Iraq, Chad, came and visited her today. He stayed for a couple of hours. It was a good visit.
(I'm going to wander a bit here, but it is pertinent. I promise.)
Chad married a german a few months ago, Isabelle ... Isa (pronounced ee-sah). Amy did their wedding cake, and we were 2 of only 16 people that were allowed to be present at the actual wedding service. Amy and I have become quite close not just with Isa, but her parents, Anton and Friedl (pronounced freedle) Eigen (eye-ghen). (Forevermore referred to as Herr Eigen (Mister Eigen) and Mama Friedl (figure that one out for yourself).
Herr Eigen and Mama Friedl showed up at the hospital (they do not live in Bamberg, they live in Walsdorf, about 20 minutes away), and stayed for about 2 hours. They had a small bag of gifts. That's right "gifts" ... plural for Amy. It was interesting. The Eigen's speak little english. We don't speak that much german. Especially not enough to really talk about what is going on. Mama Friedl sat on the bed with Amy, stroked her hair, clucked, and chided Amy at turns. It was sweet. One of the gifts was a picture of the Eigen's two daughters with Amy at the wedding. They wrote on the frame: " for our(my emphasis) Amy, be in good health!!, from Mama Friedl and Toni". They told us that the picture was of their three daughters.
Amy seems to be doing well. She is in good hands. Her roommate (TriCare will not pay for private rooms) is a university student in Wuerzburg. Her boyfriend is a university student here in Bamberg. They both speak excellent english. I think we have made even more German friends!
The next time that someone tells you about rude, arrogant, harsh, ... whatever Germans, tell them they are full of organic fertilizer. We live in Franconia. A region within Bavaria. Think of it as the Ozarks of Germany. The people here are the same way.
Amy has one more course of cortisone tomorrow morning, and she should come home tomorrow, sometime.
Keep in mind that this hospital stay is all about the optic neuritis. She has not received any treatments for MS, yet, and, probably, won't until we get to Madigan.
Time to "Fix a Hole" (it's a reference to a Beatles song ... see the top of my blog for the text):
When Amy and I attended a home church in El Paso, Sundays were a marvelous thing. "Church" included lunch, a worship service, a lesson from the Bible, serious prayer time, fellowship (everything from watching movies to throwing darts), and what, generally, turned into about a 30 minute communion service.
We, always, sang some songs, read scripture (either induividually, or out loud together), prayed, and then there was some kind of thought given or shared before we actually had communion. One of my favorites was inspired by Jesus's words at the Passover in the last part of Luke 22: 19:
Luke 22:19
do this in remembrance of me
NIV
So, that is what we did. We went around the circle (there were rarely more than 15 of us), and shared our favorite "memories" of Jesus. Some shared how Jesus had changed their lives, some shared a quote, and others shared stories. It was incredibly uplifting to just sit there with each other and completely focus on Christ, what he has done, and what he has done for us.
I was, generally, quite predictable. I, usually, shared a story and my thoughts on it. This is it:
Luke 8:22-25
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
NIV
Let me set the scene. They are on the shore of what the Bible calls the Sea of Gallilee. A large lake in the Holy Land. It is known for having fierce storms. Four of the apostles (the guys in the boat with Jesus) made their living on this lake as fishermen before joining Jesus: Peter, Andrew, James and John. These guys know this lake. They are professionals when it comes to this lake.
They are out in the water in a boat that was, probably, not 15 yards long, and no more than 5 yards wide at it's widest point. Not a big boat.
One of these bad storms comes up. Howling winds, horizontal rain, the sky is black, the waves are high, and the boat starts filling up with water. In danger of sinking or capsizing. Luke even states that they "were in great danger". No doubt about it, folks, the organic fertilizer has made contact with the ventilation system!
Jesus, in the meanwhile, is crashed out in the back of the boat. This storm is not phasing him, at all. Luke says that "the 'disciples' went and woke him". Who do you suppose that was? Peter, James, and John were closest to him. Peter, Andrew, James and John were the "subject matter experts" on whether they were in trouble or not. You think it might have been them?
Imagine the storm building, and those four telling the others: "Nope, we're fine." ... "It's a good boat, don't worry." ... "We can ride it out" ... "If we can just get ahead of the wind ..." ... "Get the ones that aren't seasick to start bailing water." ... "(Expletive Deleted)!" ...
and then there is this truly unique moment in human history. One of the few times, if not the only time, where a person yelling "Jee-Zus!" at the top of their lungs is not taking the Lord's name in vain.
Jesus wakes up. The disciples start yelling at him, trying to get Jesus up to speed. The storm is so great, he can't hear them. He says, "What?" They yell and scream some more. "What?!?" .... more yelling and screaming ... "Huh?" ...
Jesus puts a 1 finger to tell them to wait a second, turns around, facing off the boat, and yells, "Shutup!" ...
The rain stops, the wind dies, the lake is as tranquil as glass, and the sky is clear, immediately.
He turns back to the apostles and says, "You were saying...?"
They hem and haw for a second and Jesus asks them, "Where is your faith?"
Now that I have set the scene:
I've heard a lot of people teach this story. They go all over the place. From the geography, to the dimensions of a standard fishing boat of the day, to the fact that the apostles should have known that they had the Son of God in the boat and they shouldn't have worried. If you know how to tell it, I think it is one of the most entertaining stories from Jesus' life.
I don't think I have ever heard one that really got it. Other than the way I tell it.
What did Jesus say at the start of the story?
He said: "Let's go over to the other side of the lake."
More importantly, what did Jesus not say? Did he mention anything about how the trip was going to be?
Nope, he just said "Let us go over to the other side of the lake."
That's the point. God says that we, together, are going ... there.
It's like he told Abraham:
Gen 12:1
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
NIV
God didn't give Abram a AAA map and trip itinerary.
He said, "Start walking that way. I will tell you when to turn."
Good thing, too. Because if Abraham had known all that would happen to him, he probably would have ran back into his father's house in Ur of Chaldees, crawled under the bed, and never come out.
But, I know who I believe in. A God that is compassionate enough to say "Let's" go someplace ... and a God powerful enough to be able to insure that I ... or, in this case, Amy and I, get there, no matter what happens between here and there.
I have some concern over some of the details, but I am not scared in where this is going.
We are going to be okay. I know this. If for no other reason, it's not in my hands.
Besides, it's not just me and Amy against those 12 Marines ... like someone once said, "You, me and God make ... 5."
(Grin) or to put it otherwise ... God is my Father ... and my Dad can whip your Dad, optic neuritis (or MS)!
God is good ... all the time.
Thanks for putting up with my ... tangent.
Kev
Howdy folks, again,
First let me apologize. I must have hit a wrong button, or something. Last night's email was incomplete, and I meant to finish it tonight.
Included below are: last night's email, and the first "Amy Update" with all the links in it. Last night's email referenced several things that had links to them in the first email.
Because last night's email was not complete, I have had several questions that I meant to address in the first email. Before I give you a status report, or anymore of my thoughts, I thought I would answer those.
Kay Booth works in the local Tri-Care office (see link in the original email). Kay was insturmental in getting Amy in for her current treatment. If Kay had not interceded with the head of the local Army clinic, Amy would still have untreated optic neuritis(see link below).
Which brings us to a point that I guess I wasn't to clear on. Amy is in the hospital at the moment to be treated for optic neuritis, not MS. Optic neuritis can be part of MS, but you can have optic neuritis without having MS. This is the major concern at the moment, because if this was normal optical neuritis, it should have gone away on it's on by the end of April.
As it appears now, all of this will not prevent Amy from leaving for the States with me. In the first email, I talked about Madigan Army Medical Center(see link below). It is the Army hospital on the post where I am going. It is one of the biggest and best medical facilities that the Army has. It is comparable to Walter Reed. In other words, Amy will probably be in the care of the best neurologists in Washington state, if not the western seaboard.
The super steroid is supposed to knock out the optic neuritis very quickly. I'm not sure, exactly what time frame, but from what I understand, the end of this next week is a reasonable expectation.
Today's update:
Amy had her second course of cortisone this morning. I have not seen the side effects that she had last time with the lower doses. However, cortisone, apparently, inhibits the body's ability to produce insulin. So, after this morning's medication, Amy's blood sugar skyrocketed. They gave her an insulin shot to compensate for theis.
She was hot (the hospital does not have AC, and it was rather warm here today). I'm not sure if it was "hot flashes", the heat here, or just the fact that she is hot natured. She was a little unsteady. Otherwise, she was fine.
My closest friend here, and one of the few remaining soldiers in my unit that went to Iraq, Chad, came and visited her today. He stayed for a couple of hours. It was a good visit.
(I'm going to wander a bit here, but it is pertinent. I promise.)
Chad married a german a few months ago, Isabelle ... Isa (pronounced ee-sah). Amy did their wedding cake, and we were 2 of only 16 people that were allowed to be present at the actual wedding service. Amy and I have become quite close not just with Isa, but her parents, Anton and Friedl (pronounced freedle) Eigen (eye-ghen). (Forevermore referred to as Herr Eigen (Mister Eigen) and Mama Friedl (figure that one out for yourself).
Herr Eigen and Mama Friedl showed up at the hospital (they do not live in Bamberg, they live in Walsdorf, about 20 minutes away), and stayed for about 2 hours. They had a small bag of gifts. That's right "gifts" ... plural for Amy. It was interesting. The Eigen's speak little english. We don't speak that much german. Especially not enough to really talk about what is going on. Mama Friedl sat on the bed with Amy, stroked her hair, clucked, and chided Amy at turns. It was sweet. One of the gifts was a picture of the Eigen's two daughters with Amy at the wedding. They wrote on the frame: " for our(my emphasis) Amy, be in good health!!, from Mama Friedl and Toni". They told us that the picture was of their three daughters.
Amy seems to be doing well. She is in good hands. Her roommate (TriCare will not pay for private rooms) is a university student in Wuerzburg. Her boyfriend is a university student here in Bamberg. They both speak excellent english. I think we have made even more German friends!
The next time that someone tells you about rude, arrogant, harsh, ... whatever Germans, tell them they are full of organic fertilizer. We live in Franconia. A region within Bavaria. Think of it as the Ozarks of Germany. The people here are the same way.
Amy has one more course of cortisone tomorrow morning, and she should come home tomorrow, sometime.
Keep in mind that this hospital stay is all about the optic neuritis. She has not received any treatments for MS, yet, and, probably, won't until we get to Madigan.
Time to "Fix a Hole" (it's a reference to a Beatles song ... see the top of my blog for the text):
When Amy and I attended a home church in El Paso, Sundays were a marvelous thing. "Church" included lunch, a worship service, a lesson from the Bible, serious prayer time, fellowship (everything from watching movies to throwing darts), and what, generally, turned into about a 30 minute communion service.
We, always, sang some songs, read scripture (either induividually, or out loud together), prayed, and then there was some kind of thought given or shared before we actually had communion. One of my favorites was inspired by Jesus's words at the Passover in the last part of Luke 22: 19:
Luke 22:19
do this in remembrance of me
NIV
So, that is what we did. We went around the circle (there were rarely more than 15 of us), and shared our favorite "memories" of Jesus. Some shared how Jesus had changed their lives, some shared a quote, and others shared stories. It was incredibly uplifting to just sit there with each other and completely focus on Christ, what he has done, and what he has done for us.
I was, generally, quite predictable. I, usually, shared a story and my thoughts on it. This is it:
Luke 8:22-25
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."
NIV
Let me set the scene. They are on the shore of what the Bible calls the Sea of Gallilee. A large lake in the Holy Land. It is known for having fierce storms. Four of the apostles (the guys in the boat with Jesus) made their living on this lake as fishermen before joining Jesus: Peter, Andrew, James and John. These guys know this lake. They are professionals when it comes to this lake.
They are out in the water in a boat that was, probably, not 15 yards long, and no more than 5 yards wide at it's widest point. Not a big boat.
One of these bad storms comes up. Howling winds, horizontal rain, the sky is black, the waves are high, and the boat starts filling up with water. In danger of sinking or capsizing. Luke even states that they "were in great danger". No doubt about it, folks, the organic fertilizer has made contact with the ventilation system!
Jesus, in the meanwhile, is crashed out in the back of the boat. This storm is not phasing him, at all. Luke says that "the 'disciples' went and woke him". Who do you suppose that was? Peter, James, and John were closest to him. Peter, Andrew, James and John were the "subject matter experts" on whether they were in trouble or not. You think it might have been them?
Imagine the storm building, and those four telling the others: "Nope, we're fine." ... "It's a good boat, don't worry." ... "We can ride it out" ... "If we can just get ahead of the wind ..." ... "Get the ones that aren't seasick to start bailing water." ... "(Expletive Deleted)!" ...
and then there is this truly unique moment in human history. One of the few times, if not the only time, where a person yelling "Jee-Zus!" at the top of their lungs is not taking the Lord's name in vain.
Jesus wakes up. The disciples start yelling at him, trying to get Jesus up to speed. The storm is so great, he can't hear them. He says, "What?" They yell and scream some more. "What?!?" .... more yelling and screaming ... "Huh?" ...
Jesus puts a 1 finger to tell them to wait a second, turns around, facing off the boat, and yells, "Shutup!" ...
The rain stops, the wind dies, the lake is as tranquil as glass, and the sky is clear, immediately.
He turns back to the apostles and says, "You were saying...?"
They hem and haw for a second and Jesus asks them, "Where is your faith?"
Now that I have set the scene:
I've heard a lot of people teach this story. They go all over the place. From the geography, to the dimensions of a standard fishing boat of the day, to the fact that the apostles should have known that they had the Son of God in the boat and they shouldn't have worried. If you know how to tell it, I think it is one of the most entertaining stories from Jesus' life.
I don't think I have ever heard one that really got it. Other than the way I tell it.
What did Jesus say at the start of the story?
He said: "Let's go over to the other side of the lake."
More importantly, what did Jesus not say? Did he mention anything about how the trip was going to be?
Nope, he just said "Let us go over to the other side of the lake."
That's the point. God says that we, together, are going ... there.
It's like he told Abraham:
Gen 12:1
The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
NIV
God didn't give Abram a AAA map and trip itinerary.
He said, "Start walking that way. I will tell you when to turn."
Good thing, too. Because if Abraham had known all that would happen to him, he probably would have ran back into his father's house in Ur of Chaldees, crawled under the bed, and never come out.
But, I know who I believe in. A God that is compassionate enough to say "Let's" go someplace ... and a God powerful enough to be able to insure that I ... or, in this case, Amy and I, get there, no matter what happens between here and there.
I have some concern over some of the details, but I am not scared in where this is going.
We are going to be okay. I know this. If for no other reason, it's not in my hands.
Besides, it's not just me and Amy against those 12 Marines ... like someone once said, "You, me and God make ... 5."
(Grin) or to put it otherwise ... God is my Father ... and my Dad can whip your Dad, optic neuritis (or MS)!
God is good ... all the time.
Thanks for putting up with my ... tangent.
Kev
Monday, September 11, 2006
Think before You Speak on TV
As I was getting ready for work this morning, Amy had the local news on TV. A newscaster was doing a live report from a local 9/11 observance ceremony.
In the middle of the broadcast, he said, "They are now observing a moment of silence ... Let's listen in."
Just what did this journalistic genius expect, other than the, approximately, minute of airtime with the camera focused on a group of unmoving, silent people?
In the middle of the broadcast, he said, "They are now observing a moment of silence ... Let's listen in."
Just what did this journalistic genius expect, other than the, approximately, minute of airtime with the camera focused on a group of unmoving, silent people?
Friday, September 08, 2006
Playing Catch Up 1
We have been through some interesting changes since I last posted regularly. (All the pics in this post are thumbnails. Click on them for the full size version)
That picture was taken about 3 weeks ago in our new house near my duty station, Fort Lewis, Washington. I've lost the goatee since then. The Army frowns on most facial hair in uniform.
Let's start with the blog:
I ditched the TagBoard. It appears that spammers were the only ones using it.
I've updated the "Reading" section to the book that Amy and I are reading together. I read the series a few years back, and now we are reading it aloud to each other. It's really good, and pseudo-historical. Kind of like the Arthur and Robin Hood legends from England. This story pre-dates both and takes place, mostly, on the most western tip of France. I've been reading a lot of other stuff, but it's either been military history magazines/journals or political magazine articles. Lots of short stuff that I have torn through, and no covers to post.
As for "Listening": I've been on what I will call a "fringe" Country: Cross Canadian Ragweed, Los Lonely Boys (I have their latest CD, just not the album art.), Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Big and Rich.
Cross Canadian Ragweed has moments where they sound real country, but, in general, they are a "Southern Rock" power trio. At times they remind of me of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and 38 Special, and then, just when I think I have them pigeonholed, they sound like Creed. Here is a sample.
Los Lonely Boys is another power trio that is being marketed as a Country group. They refer to their music as "Texican rock'n'roll" on their website. The group is three brothers from West Texas. At times, they remind me of VERY early ZZTop. The REAL early stuff, like "Mexican Blackbird", and "Pan Am Highway Blues". Mostly, however, they remind me of post-Woodstock Santana ... you know, late 60's and early 70's. Sweet stuff. Most vocals are in two, if not three, part harmony, and just pure clean Fender guitar sounds. The latest album, Sacred, also, features a full horn section through most of it. So, you get kind of a "Texican rock'n'roll" big band thing going on with 2 and 3 part vocals. (Who is the "genius" who heard this and thought, "THIS is country music!"? ... It's not exactly Willy, Waylon, George Jones, ... or even Randy Travis, or Kenny Rogers.) This is what I mean by guitar sounds and vocal harmonies.
Then, there is Big and Rich.
A duo.
"Big Kenny" and John Rich.
They strike me as two good ol' southern boys that are just trying to make a living making music. Vocally, they are incredible together. Their harmonies are great. Not only harmonies, they take turns on lead vocal. So, the sound is not always the same. With that said, they are just ... fun. I have not heard a group that sounded like they wanted their audience to have fun, and were having that much fun making music since pre-"1984" Van Halen. However, they have a serious side. If you saw the CMA awards show this year, then you know. Some time ago they met a man named Niles Harris. One of Big Kenny's signature things is his Top Hat. Niles gave Big Kenny his Top Hat. The song "8th of November" is Niles' story. Niles joined the Army in the mid 1960's. He was, eventually, assigned as a paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade (the "Sky Soldiers"(remember that, it will come up later)). During what was called "Operation Hump" (a few days before the operation that would become the movie "We Were Soldiers"), Niles, and 29 other soldiers of the 173rd faced what were, eventually, 1,200 NVA soldiers. Niles survived, and still lives in his hometown of Deadwood, SD. (There are multiple key facts here that will be tested later, BTW.) The video is moving, and the guys' writing, and singing is serious, and heartfelt. Niles, himself, appears in the video. (The link above is to the video.)
Then, there is Darryl Worley.
Darryl Worley has some nice, and some fun tunes. But, that can be said about a lot of artists that I have not bothered to talk about here.
Darryl went to High School at the same school that Amy did.
big deal.
However, Darryl did a tune called "Awful, Beautiful Life".
I LOVE this song. Don't analyze. Just click the link, listen, WATCH, and come back.
Are You back?
Good.
Don't get too wrapped up in the "Iraq" thing. I came back. Most of the, now, over 400,000, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that go there, come back. Less than 3,000 of us, over 4 years, now, have died. Unlike the 43,000 people that died on AMERICAN roads because of traffic accidents in 2005 (a single calendar year).
I would like you to watch it again ... NOT YET! Pay attention to the lines about "Cousin Michael" ...
"We said a prayer for Cousin Michael in Iraq
We're all aware that he may never make it back
We talked about the way we missed his stupid jokes
And how he loved to be a soldier more than most"
MOST soldiers do not stay in the Army beyond their first 2-4 year contract. Most NCO's (Sergeants, of whatever grade) do not stay in beyond 10 years.
IF you stay in, you have to love it.
THIS month makes 17 YEARS in service for me.
I love being a military musician. I love being a noncommissioned officer in the Army. Pick your "military" movie of recent years. ... "Men of Honor"? Carl Brashear died last month, and he was the Navy equivalent of 3 enlisted grades above me ... if he had been in the Army, he, still, would have been a "Sergeant" of some type ... "We Were Soldiers"? SGT Savage is one grade lower than me, and Sergeant Major Plumley is three above me, like Carl Brashear, but WE are still NCO's.
You can even get "John Wayne" on me ...
but, I digress.
I love being: a child, a husband, a brother, a cousin, a soldier, an NCO, a musician, a "Dad" to 3 dogs, an uncle, ... etc.
It's not always fun ("Awful"), but it is precious ("Beautiful") ... but I love this life.
Hmmm ... I have heard that before. Maybe here.
Watch it again, from that perspective.
Next, the "Sacred Cowburgers" button is gone. Jay Dyson, who was the author there, decided to call it quits. Jay has done some great, thought provoking things on the web. He has decided that he needs to spend some more time with his family. Unfortunately, he killed the entire site, as opposed to leaving it up as an archive. As a memorial to the site, I will re-post my favorite pic that Jay ever did:
The huge Fort Lewis weather sticker at the bottom of the right hand column is gone. For good reason. You will notice that my profile shows that (Fort Lewis) as my location, and the little weather sticker under that is now reflecting the weather at this location.
Well, enough for tonight.
The sad part is that tonight's post covered the easy part.
That picture was taken about 3 weeks ago in our new house near my duty station, Fort Lewis, Washington. I've lost the goatee since then. The Army frowns on most facial hair in uniform.
Let's start with the blog:
I ditched the TagBoard. It appears that spammers were the only ones using it.
I've updated the "Reading" section to the book that Amy and I are reading together. I read the series a few years back, and now we are reading it aloud to each other. It's really good, and pseudo-historical. Kind of like the Arthur and Robin Hood legends from England. This story pre-dates both and takes place, mostly, on the most western tip of France. I've been reading a lot of other stuff, but it's either been military history magazines/journals or political magazine articles. Lots of short stuff that I have torn through, and no covers to post.
As for "Listening": I've been on what I will call a "fringe" Country: Cross Canadian Ragweed, Los Lonely Boys (I have their latest CD, just not the album art.), Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, and Big and Rich.
Cross Canadian Ragweed has moments where they sound real country, but, in general, they are a "Southern Rock" power trio. At times they remind of me of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and 38 Special, and then, just when I think I have them pigeonholed, they sound like Creed. Here is a sample.
Los Lonely Boys is another power trio that is being marketed as a Country group. They refer to their music as "Texican rock'n'roll" on their website. The group is three brothers from West Texas. At times, they remind me of VERY early ZZTop. The REAL early stuff, like "Mexican Blackbird", and "Pan Am Highway Blues". Mostly, however, they remind me of post-Woodstock Santana ... you know, late 60's and early 70's. Sweet stuff. Most vocals are in two, if not three, part harmony, and just pure clean Fender guitar sounds. The latest album, Sacred, also, features a full horn section through most of it. So, you get kind of a "Texican rock'n'roll" big band thing going on with 2 and 3 part vocals. (Who is the "genius" who heard this and thought, "THIS is country music!"? ... It's not exactly Willy, Waylon, George Jones, ... or even Randy Travis, or Kenny Rogers.) This is what I mean by guitar sounds and vocal harmonies.
Then, there is Big and Rich.
A duo.
"Big Kenny" and John Rich.
They strike me as two good ol' southern boys that are just trying to make a living making music. Vocally, they are incredible together. Their harmonies are great. Not only harmonies, they take turns on lead vocal. So, the sound is not always the same. With that said, they are just ... fun. I have not heard a group that sounded like they wanted their audience to have fun, and were having that much fun making music since pre-"1984" Van Halen. However, they have a serious side. If you saw the CMA awards show this year, then you know. Some time ago they met a man named Niles Harris. One of Big Kenny's signature things is his Top Hat. Niles gave Big Kenny his Top Hat. The song "8th of November" is Niles' story. Niles joined the Army in the mid 1960's. He was, eventually, assigned as a paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade (the "Sky Soldiers"(remember that, it will come up later)). During what was called "Operation Hump" (a few days before the operation that would become the movie "We Were Soldiers"), Niles, and 29 other soldiers of the 173rd faced what were, eventually, 1,200 NVA soldiers. Niles survived, and still lives in his hometown of Deadwood, SD. (There are multiple key facts here that will be tested later, BTW.) The video is moving, and the guys' writing, and singing is serious, and heartfelt. Niles, himself, appears in the video. (The link above is to the video.)
Then, there is Darryl Worley.
Darryl Worley has some nice, and some fun tunes. But, that can be said about a lot of artists that I have not bothered to talk about here.
Darryl went to High School at the same school that Amy did.
big deal.
However, Darryl did a tune called "Awful, Beautiful Life".
I LOVE this song. Don't analyze. Just click the link, listen, WATCH, and come back.
Are You back?
Good.
Don't get too wrapped up in the "Iraq" thing. I came back. Most of the, now, over 400,000, soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that go there, come back. Less than 3,000 of us, over 4 years, now, have died. Unlike the 43,000 people that died on AMERICAN roads because of traffic accidents in 2005 (a single calendar year).
I would like you to watch it again ... NOT YET! Pay attention to the lines about "Cousin Michael" ...
"We said a prayer for Cousin Michael in Iraq
We're all aware that he may never make it back
We talked about the way we missed his stupid jokes
And how he loved to be a soldier more than most"
MOST soldiers do not stay in the Army beyond their first 2-4 year contract. Most NCO's (Sergeants, of whatever grade) do not stay in beyond 10 years.
IF you stay in, you have to love it.
THIS month makes 17 YEARS in service for me.
I love being a military musician. I love being a noncommissioned officer in the Army. Pick your "military" movie of recent years. ... "Men of Honor"? Carl Brashear died last month, and he was the Navy equivalent of 3 enlisted grades above me ... if he had been in the Army, he, still, would have been a "Sergeant" of some type ... "We Were Soldiers"? SGT Savage is one grade lower than me, and Sergeant Major Plumley is three above me, like Carl Brashear, but WE are still NCO's.
You can even get "John Wayne" on me ...
but, I digress.
I love being: a child, a husband, a brother, a cousin, a soldier, an NCO, a musician, a "Dad" to 3 dogs, an uncle, ... etc.
It's not always fun ("Awful"), but it is precious ("Beautiful") ... but I love this life.
Hmmm ... I have heard that before. Maybe here.
Watch it again, from that perspective.
Next, the "Sacred Cowburgers" button is gone. Jay Dyson, who was the author there, decided to call it quits. Jay has done some great, thought provoking things on the web. He has decided that he needs to spend some more time with his family. Unfortunately, he killed the entire site, as opposed to leaving it up as an archive. As a memorial to the site, I will re-post my favorite pic that Jay ever did:
The huge Fort Lewis weather sticker at the bottom of the right hand column is gone. For good reason. You will notice that my profile shows that (Fort Lewis) as my location, and the little weather sticker under that is now reflecting the weather at this location.
Well, enough for tonight.
The sad part is that tonight's post covered the easy part.
Satan, Dancing Chickens ...
and other signs of the Apocalypse.
Actually, it's just an animated video of Primus' cover of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
Actually, it's just an animated video of Primus' cover of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
