Gonna be out of the net for awhile.

[Quakindude]

I head down to Florida for some medical stuff and may as well see a family member while in the area. The family member, my mother-in-law, isn't too hip on the Internet craze, so connectivity for me will be limited to wifi hotspots, if any. I will be gone from the 1st-6th. Wish me luck. Hopefully by this time next week, I'll have a clearer picture of why I have so much weakness on my left side and a treatment plan for improving that and my pain management.

[jonnyGURU]

Curious, where abouts?

I just came from FL for X-mas. My in-law's the same way. No broadband, only dial-up and they don't have long distance or call waiting or anything! If I was lucky, and the wind was right, I'd pick up a non-secure wireless connection on my laptop from a few houses down. :D

[Quakindude]

We'll be heading to the Flagler Beach area for the Mother-in-Law visit. The Doc is a Navy guy at NASJAX. Naval Air Station, Jacksonville. He specializes in recovery from Traumatic Brain Injuries.

[Phosphorous]

Ahh good 'ole NAS Jax. Stationed there in '94 - '95 going through flight school for P3s. My very first training flight and we lost 2 engines (caught on fire). Good thing we had 2 left.

[Reloadron]

Have a safe trip and hopefully get some answers.

Ron

[Quakindude]

We are in Florida, having a decent enough time of it. Docs are good too. Navy guys who specialize in Neurology. Waiting for some tests to come back, but it's looking like I'll have permanent 30% weakness on my left side over the right and there's not much they can do about it. Barring anything that comes back on the tests, and the Doc's really don't think there will be anything significant in helping my treatement as a result of the tests, I'll just have to learn to live with it. Physcial Therapy would seem to be the answer to my pain issues. That and drugs. *sigh*

Oh well. Can't blame a guy for trying huh?

BTW, posting from a Wi-Fi hotspot at a BK.

[Reloadron]

Tom, if I can ask what was the cause? I know this sucks for you but following a damn tornado I know you have what it takes. Don't let this get you down. Yeah, Navy Doctors aren't that bad at all. Just wish more would remain Nav than chase the rainbow.

Ron

[Quakindude]

When I was in Iraq in 2003, we were in Tikrit right from the start. Around the end of March. Being MedEvac, we had to haul ass to get on station and actually ended up getting into the airfield there before the grunts could secure the place. During the securing part, some Tango's had holed up in a bunker and were firing small arms/RPG's on to our flight line. We were in a hangar about 200 yards away when this started up. We laid down a base of return fire while the two Apache's that had made it there from 4th ID took off and got into position/got permission to fire on the bunker.

When the Apache's fired into their position, no one knew there was actually a stockpile of explosives in there. When the Apche's lit them up, the whole bunker detonated. The concussion from the blast gave me a headache and a busted ear drum. Through out the rest of my time there, I had weakness on the left side of my body, but never had enough time or concern to have it checked out, just chalking it up to exhaustion. Had 5 or 6 headaches that put me in bed for a day, but chalked that up to exhaustion/ear drum. After we got back in March 2004, I was pretty much OK. Then in September of 2004, I had some pronounced weakness on my left side after doing Physical Training one morning. Decided I would go to the doc the next day. The next morning, about 0330, I woke up in the worst pain I had ever been in. Puking, falling over, passing out, unable to control my bodily functions, etc. Went to the hospital and next thing I knew, I was in having brain surgery in Denver. Turns out a blood vessel had been ruptured by that explosion and each time it had bled, I had a bad headache. As it bled and the blood calcified, it was killing the surrounding brain tissue. The last time it bled, in September 2004, it bled enough to show up the size of a nickel on MRI and caused me all sorts of problems.

Relearned how to read/write (Which I love anyway), but I'm still on a 6th grade math level and have a hell of a time understanding/comprehending complex mechanical situations, things like Excel, which I used to be very good at, easily confuses me, abstract thinking is tough and when it comes to mechanics, if I didn't know it before the surgery, it's very hard to learn new stuff. Then I still have a lot of headaches and left side weakness/dexterity issues.

I can't bitch though. I lived, did my tour and am relatively OK. There were others I met in Denver that had much worse results from strokes and brain bleeds of varying amounts. One lady, who had her surgery in the same spot I had mine, couldn't walk any more. But due to excellent doc's and a caring family, I went through all the physical therapy and stuff without too much difficulty.

[oldman_gamer]

I dont know you and you dont know me.I can tell you this much though,It sounds like a rough time of it,and you will make it through because of family,God, and your friends rite here .Best wishes from My wife Monica and myself(Jody).I served this great nation from 82 - 88 in the Army Res.TroopC 9th CAV 4duece Mortor Gunner mechanized.God Bless the Troops.Our prayers are with you.

[Jokerswild]

Wow glad to hear you've been able to increase your math skills over previous levels. Seriously though it's a good thing you got in there with the problem before it got any worse. Pulling for a full recovery for you and all the troops that have been wounded.