This is just my little place in the world to blog about whatever comes to mind. I plan to review books, movies, music, bands, bars food and restaurants, along with my wife, step sons, marriage past and present, anything is fair game! and AVM's
Okay someone has to explained this one to me... This is amazon's #1 seller...
It's Made of 100% Cotton; Its Sales Are 99% Ironic
And really, why wouldn't you buy the shirt, which is priced from $7.65 to $17.93, depending on your size? Just read the long and growing list of customer testimonials promising earth-shattering experiences or psychedelic vision quests upon purchase.
"I bought this shirt and instantly old girlfriends started calling me again," wrote one reviewer.
"My doctor says the cancer has gone into remission," wrote another. "Thanks for changing my life!"
As retailers, media companies and even government agencies attempt to get with the times and connect with an online audience, every once in a while they get a reminder: Anybody, or any group, armed with a Web browser can anonymously game the system and manipulate the marketplace at sites inviting user feedback -- for profit or just for fun....
On October 4, 2007, my sister AL suffered a stroke due to a ruptured and bleeding cerebral AVM . Several months later, I sat down and wrote about the experience. My main intention was self-therapy through writing, but I also wanted to record some of the details that I thought (correctly) would fade from my memory over time.
Recently, AL and I had a conversation about how little she remembers from the weeks after the stroke (click here for a little more fore/background). I told her about my AVM journal and she was keen, so today I'm going to mail her a copy of it in its entirety. Please read on for a couple of excerpts....
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I have an AVM... actually a popped one.
My personality has changed. (not for the better)
My ability to keep friends has also diminished.
Now I am very tiered. (hooray Naps)
I do like Led Zeppelin videos.
I do like the 80's.
I do feel like I can be better...
Minus the Led and the 80's.
I just don't get society... here I am a man... with the same drives that I had before. Sure I can't do some things that I use to. But come on... I still do a number of things the same way!
I think that they should bring me back as the Service Manager for the Hot Tub Co. I use to work for. (Nordic Hot Tubs)
They make life on Social Security a real bitch... I mean, they give me one weeks pay... for a month... How am I to live on that? I mean come on!!!!
Here is a good person... and they are F'ing me! That is when I don't F my self.... :)
Though you mite want some Eminem...
Eminem on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Eminem - Lose Yourself
"NEW" EMINEM - WE MADE YOU
Eminem - The Real Slim Shady
and by the way... the videos that I took down... I took down because they didn't say what I was tiring to say... I apologies.
Charlotte Bennett and TAKARA Born with a rare condition called Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS), a disease that affects the entire vascular system, Charlotte has endured severe discomfort and complications throughout her life. After a couple of extremely bad years and, due to being hospitalised in isolation, Charlotte lost touch with her group of school friends that had now moved onto college and found it difficult to interact with other students due to the timespentalone. Recognising that her … Author: OfficialCrufts; Tags: Crufts Friends for Life 2009... from here...
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Good article... ME:
So how have you been? Me? okay really.
Tell me if I'm wrong... The Americans With Dissablates Act... doesn't it include ME? I became disabled while working. I was basically told we don't need you... nothing more. They did say to Unemployment I was fired because I was disabled. Sure I am disabled... but I can still do my job. What do you think? Leave a message .... Please...
Adam goes first... sings "Mad World" does a great job.... Gets a lot of praise.... until you get to Simon... and he wasn't to hard on the lad.
(I don't know who sings it... so you get something, that may be right... may be wrong.)
Kris dose "Ain't No Sunshine" It's okay... he did a respectable version. Even Simon had good things to say.
(I don't know who sings it... so you get something, that may be right... may be wrong.)
Simon Fuller.... chose the next songs...
Adam sings a song... I can't remember... (is it "A Long Time Comming"?)
I know that this is wrong....
Next is Kris... He sings..."What's Going On"
He sucks... sorry.... but he dose... for this song anyway....
hey what do you know... I got one!
Adam for round three... sings ... a song I don't know... wrttin' by someone who works with them... Adam is okay... actually he sucks too now... the song really sucks... he is pitchy... Simon says good things.... unbelievable.
Kris does the same song...
"No Boundaries" is the name of the song...
He sucks too... not a big surprise...
The judges seem to thing Adam is going to get it...
call some number... who cares... I like Kris...but who cares...
Well one more night... I can tell your on your feet waiting for it....
I am going to go... there was not any AVM stuff... and I didn't do anything either. Went to get job applications... did not get one... oops.
My medical treatment is now only a daily tablet of low dose aspirin.
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The recent CT of the abdomen and pelvis (20/3/09) demonstrates that the lesion related to the left iliac arterial and venous system is a pelvic arteriovenous malformation. This is a congenital lesion that given this man's duplicated renal system (left-sided !VC), represents congenital variant in his venous anatomy. The AVM is an incidental finding. There are real risks related to treating the AVM related to embolisation, both locally including to the sciatic nerve and distally to the peripheral arterial tree. At the moment there appear to be few benefits in treating the AVM. Mr Fry is asymptomatic and there is no evidence of distal embolus or circulatory compromise. The AVM in itself does not represent a problem as a space occupying lesion. At this stage as the risks of treatment outweigh the potential benefits I believe we should adopt a wait and see approach before we intervene in treating the AVM looking for evidence of local symptoms or distal embolisation. The second problem for this man is his chronic aortic dissection. This is stable. The only ongoing potential clinical problem would be aneurysmal degeneration of the false lumen. This can be well monitored with yearly imaging. Similarly, yearly imaging would monitor the AVM. As such a yearly angio CT looking at both the abdominal aorta and the left-sided pelvic AVM would be reasonable. I have given Mr Fry a form for his next imaging. The only other issue for this man is the resolving DVT in his left leg. As I have mentioned in my previous letter, given the fact that the thrombus has essentially resolved and the d.dima level is normal, it would be reasonable for this man to manage his venous thromboembolism risk with long term low dose Aspirin rather than Warfarin therapy. Mr Fry has a pair of surgical compression stockings. At this stage he should wear these for symptomatic relief. From my point of view I look forward to seeing this man again in one year. DAVID HARDMAN
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As always I want to say how much it means to me to have so many of your prayers! I am very blessed and that is what helps get me through my work days, my procedures, the bleeds - everything I endure! There is always that darned pain! Hmmm... I guess I should start w/the latest news and go backwards? I'll probably jump around and confuse everyone!
At the end of my work day Friday I was soooo happy! I just could not believe another week had gone by and I've got TWO DAYS to spend with Hanz and Mark! (Like Mark says, notice the pecking order)! My baby Hanz is so adorable and unbelievably cute! Such a winning personality! I was showing one of my friends @ the main office Hanz' photo and she could not believe when I told her that he drags that duck that mom gave him for Easter everywhere! Hanz grabs the duck, looks @ me and then starts running around the house with it, so I'll chase him! Most times, he's too quick, so he'll wait for me to almost catch up to him, before he starts running off again! I can only go "round the dining room, through one bedroom and the hall" about 5 times before I just poop out! I tell Hanz, "Mommie is too told for that"!
Oh! Back to my stuff! Well, we were up late Friday night, so I was waking up about 8:30 am on Saturday. Soon as my eyes opened up, my first thought was, that I would go get Hanz and bring him back to bed! My neck felt wet, so when my hand touched that area, I could pretty much tell I would be seeing blood. Yup! So as usual, I go, "Mark, I'm bleeding"! As usual, he goes, "You are kidding"! So we start the drill! I was dripping blood on the way to the bathroom, and I got my dressing off my face and I could see where it was bleeding from. Mark had just pointed out that area the night before when we was changing my dressing - saying that the very same area looked like it would be giving me trouble! Actually, soon as I removed the dressing and put some pressure on the area, it stopped bleeding very soon! Mark cleaned the area and redressed it and we just went about our business! I ran a couple of errands, then came home to spend more time w/my two favorite people! Later that night, I grabbed Hanz and he and I headed off for bed! Mark, I knew would be falling asleep on the couch, which he did. About 1am I heard or felt something, so I turned the bedside lamp on. I saw Hanz was up and looking @ something on the bed. Hanz had thrown up, poor baby! I looked @ it and apparently he had eated some gold threading from one of the cushions near where I had my Build a Bears, Saba and Rulon! Hanz is always wanting to get to Saba, and I'm sure that tassle w/gold threading caught his eye! Hanz is like having a toddler around 24/7! We have to watch him and everything he puts in his mouth! Course we had to change the sheets, but he ended up sleeping w/us that night all the way through for the first time!
Anyway, it's late and I'm gonna wrap this up soon! Here is a photo of the dinner my sister made for us on my birthday, May 1st! She made arroz con pollo (chicken w/rice) and mom made tortillas!
My next trip to Denver will be June 10, 11 and 12th! I need to be doing some exercises to make sure my mouth can open wider or the anesthesiologist is threatening me w/a trach! Yikes! As always, thank you all so much for all your love, support and prayers! Could not do this without you!
Don't forget! If you get a chance, check out my buddy Shalon's blog and website! She always has great stuff on there and she's adorable! You can get to her sites from mine!
Love to all!
Cyndi
Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about something that happened the other day @ work! I had gotten a call from a lady that had been there before w/a defendant. She is his caregiver and being in the medical field, she was interested in learning more about my avm. Her name is Julie Ann - and she came into the office again and surprised me w/a nice gift! She gave me a wooden box that opened up, and inside were a couple of things! One was a silver compact/pillbox and on the cover of that it says, "Being normal is over-rated"! There are also little slips of paper in that box, that Julie Ann says when I meet an obstacle in dealing w/my avm, I should write that on one of the papers and pray about it. She herself put some wooden letters on the cover of that wooden box that say, FAITH BOX and it also has a red heart on the front of that wooden box! Julie says she was so impressed with my great outlook on everything in dealing w/my avm, and she was moved by my blog and all I had written! Wasn't that sweet of her to come by and tell me all this! She is really nice and wants to help me in any way she can! I tell her that is one of the reasons I have this blog - to help people know what someone w/an avm goes through on a daily basis! So that more people can understand what having an avm is all about!
ain't she a hoot... from -------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------- I don't know why... but I have a real thing for Led Zeppelin. I guess it is from having a brain AVM.... :-)
Yes for those who are just joining us... I have a brain AVM. It first showed it self in 1999 (i think) with a bleed.. from there I had Gamma-knife surgery... I was told it was goan... I had regular MRI's every 6 months and then every year. (time flew by) Until summer 2004... when it popped! I was damn near killed... I have very little memory of the next 6 months. In fact I have very little memory since... I was fired from my job... I used to be a Manager at Nordic Products. (A Hot Tub Manufacture) I made an okay living... $54,600/yr. I was given SSI... to the tune of $1500 per month... after I deduct my medical insurance I get $1400... I, with my wife's help, have gone through my life savings... About $70,000. I don't know what's going to happen... but it ain't gonna be pleasant...
So excuse my idiot tendances as I try to get my ability to type back... and my ability to remember what happens one minute to the next... I would normally say "help me right here... but what would come of it.
Here have some youtube...
Dazed And Confused - Led Zeppelin (Video)
I don't know if this will save or not... Well see ya.... later.
Doctor's appointment update: I survived! After procrastinating for literally years (read about it here and here), I found a doctor and had myself checked out. My visit was uneventful until I went to the lab to have my blood drawn. The tech asked me if I've ever fainted during a blood draw and I said no, I haven't had this done in a loooong time, but it shouldn't be a problem.
Her first try was painful. I wasn't looking at the site, but it felt like she was digging a ditch with that needle. I felt a sudden rush of heat and said, "Woah, I don't feel so good." Apparently I was having what is referred to in medical jargon as a vasovagal response - what a terrible feeling! I was given an ice pack and told to lay my head down. Several minutes later, the tech asked if I wanted to go ahead with the blood draw. "Absolutely," I replied. "I don't want to have to fast again!" So we went to find an exam room where I could lie down. She tried again, in my other arm this time, and everything went smoothly.
At the end of the visit, I felt fantastic. As I skipped along to my office, I texted my little sister AL: "Just had my blood drawn and almost fainted. Guess I'm not as tough as you." AL suffered a stroke in October of 2007 due to a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) - this picture at right gives an idea of what an AVM might look like. In the months that followed, she had to undergo invasive brain surgery and countless medical tests and procedures. After all that, I figured that a blood draw would be a piece of cake for her.
AL texted me back: "Oh but you are! I would probably faint too." Hmmm. Later that day, she called me. She said that she doesn't really remember having her blood drawn in the hospital, even though it was done several times. The combination of intense pain, heavy and sustained medication, and brain bleeding have left her with huge gaps in her memory of the time she spent in the hospital.
AL said that it's weird to have these long stretches of time that she doesn't remember. Or she'll remember one random thing that happened, but not know exactly when it happened or what came before and after. This made me think of the time I sat down and wrote a journal about her (our) ordeal. I thought she might like to see it. Maybe it would help fill in one or two of the gaps. AL seemed excited about this. Thus, my assignment for the week became digging up the journal and sending her a copy. I'm looking forward to a re-read (writing the journal was so therapeutic at the time), and hope my sister finds something in there worth knowing, too. .. -------------------------------------------
Go give them a read!
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Bee Gees - Nights On Broadway - 1989
Bee Gees, Maurice Gibb Last Great Performance April 27, 2001
Bee Gees - Barry & Robin Reunite in 2006
I have something to say... I liked the Bee Gee's I know it ain't cool... but damn it I do.It was the dancing that I liked. I use to live next to a hottie! Sure I was 12... and she was 11 or so... but we use to dance... I use to fantice about her being my wife... Lori was her name... funny
Thank You, know that by giving me a small donation you have made a happy man.
I have had an AMV, a head bleed, and now have only my left hand to type with. I try. If you think that I try, please give.
