Real life thread

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Some of the cheap gas prices around the country (not averages, but the cheapest in numerous places in the following states):

Texas $1.44 around Houston
Idaho $1.50 around Twin Falls
Kansas $1.52 around Columbus
Mississippi $1.52 around Southaven
Missouri $1.52 Around Hannibal
Colorado $1.53 around Colorado Springs
New Mexico $1.54 around Albuquerque
Oklahoma $1.55 around Oklahoma City
Louisiana $1.57 around Baton Rogue
Iowa $1.59 around Dubuque
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Well, here's some more, "real life."

As many of you know I was diagnosed with serious malignant bone cancer in 2009. After a couple of years of Dr. trying to figure out what was wrong with me they determined I had Sacral Chordoma, a rare bone cancer of the lower spins. Sacral Chrodoma is about a 1 in 3,000,000 thing, and to have it discovered after the entire sacrum was full of it, requiring a full and complete removal of my sacrum (Sacrectomy) is about one in 50,000,000,000. I ended up spending six months down at MD Anderson in Houston Texas where the Dr. and personnel there literally saved my life...with help from the good Lord.

I kept a journal of the entire episode...which continues through now. You can read all about that at:

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It is a long read, but for anyone who gets cancer, or has loved ones who have, it is worth reading.

Anyhow, for the last five years I have been blessed to live on, and it has been a pivotal experience. not easy in the least because there are complications and disabilities left over...and there is always the chance the cancer may return. In fact I had three small spots in my hips from the beginning that were very small and very slow growing that we waited until this summer to treat with radiation.

But, on Saturday morning I awoke with a severe pain in my lower right leg. That was the leg that they took my fibula bone out of to use in my lower back to build a strut support to replace where my sacrum had been. As a result of the surgeries and the nerve damage I have reduced feeling in both of my lower legs, and the right one tends to swell and get cramps. I thought this new pain was a cramp like I had had before.

My wife, Gail, checked it out and there was a new red splotch there near my calf that was warm to the tough and was where I was hurting. She massaged it a bit but it was clear it was not a cramp. Through the day the red area grew to be about twice the size it was that morning. I decided to go to my Dr. on Monday morning.

But then Sunday morning I awake and the red area covered my entire leg from the ankle up to several inches below my knee and hurt more. So we decided I better go into the Emergency Room at our small town's hospital.

Because of the titanium in my lower back and the disabilities and nerve damage form the original three surgeries, I am on Methadone for pain and will be the rest of my life. (I have tried a couple of times to get off of it...but simply cannot do so because of the pain). Anyhow the result is for me that when something begins to hurt my pretty well, it means that it has advanced to the point where it is breaking through my methadone and is probably advanced. So with things progressing as they were, waiting until Monday was not an option.

The attending Dr. took a look and marked around the area o clear problems. My wife Gail took a couple of pics of my leg at the time:


cellulitis-01.jpg

cellulitis-02.jpg

The big scar there is from where they took my fibula bone from that leg in 2010 to build a strut/support for me where my sacrum had ben. it, and the bone fusion that has gone with it is what has allowed me to walk again...which was in question at the time.

The Doc took some blood, and then did some research while we were there and determined it was Cellulitis, which is an infection of the upper and mid skin levels. Bacterial. It is painful and can become life threatening if left untreated because it can spread rapidly and become systemic. They gave me a couple of big booster shots (one in both "cheeks" on my backside) and them proscribed an anti-body. They took my blood for some cultures to make sure nothing else was going on and then sent me on my way.

I have to take the anti-bodies for ten days and hopefully it will clear up.

I am 58 years old. For His own purposes the good Lord determined that I was to hang around here on earth a while longer and I am grateful for that. The experiences that saved my life were miraculous...and I have no doubts that there is a God in Heaven who watches over all of us...even through what we consider to be very hard times.

We now have had three more grandkids since coming home in 2010...and found out Sunday night (last night) that we would be having another. Our daughter who was injured in November in North Dakota when a car went out of control hit another vehicle in a parking lot that struck my daughter and threw her into a brick wall, is now pregnant!

In itself this is pretty miraculous because up until now, she has been unable to have any children at all. She and her husband have always wanted them...and now she will be having one in August.

GREAT news, and real life is that you take the good with the bad.

I have learned that many times what we consider as "bad," is a blessing in disguise because we learn so much from it, and it gives others a chance to help and assist...which in itself is a blessing.

Have GREAT DAY folks!

No matter what transpires...you can. Always keep your perspective and remember that there are those on this earth, and above, who love you and care for you...no matter what.
 

Air Force Brat

Brigadier
Super Moderator
Well, here's some more, "real life."

As many of you know I was diagnosed with serious malignant bone cancer in 2009. After a couple of years of Dr. trying to figure out what was wrong with me they determined I had Sacral Chordoma, a rare bone cancer of the lower spins. Sacral Chrodoma is about a 1 in 3,000,000 thing, and to have it discovered after the entire sacrum was full of it, requiring a full and complete removal of my sacrum (Sacrectomy) is about one in 50,000,000,000. I ended up spending six months down at MD Anderson in Houston Texas where the Dr. and personnel there literally saved my life...with help from the good Lord.

...on Saturday morning I awoke with a severe pain in my lower right leg. That was the leg that they took my fibula bone out of to use in my lower back to build a strut support to replace where my sacrum had been. As a result of the surgeries and the nerve damage I have reduced feeling in both of my lower legs, and the right one tends to swell and get cramps. I thought this new pain was a cramp like I had had before.

My wife, Gail, checked it out and there was a new red splotch there near my calf that was warm to the tough and was where I was hurting. She massaged it a bit but it was clear it was not a cramp. Through the day the red area grew to be about twice the size it was that morning. I decided to go to my Dr. on Monday morning.

But then Sunday morning I awake and the red area covered my entire leg from the ankle up to several inches below my knee and hurt more. So we decided I better go into the Emergency Room at our small town's hospital.

Because of the titanium in my lower back and the disabilities and nerve damage form the original three surgeries, I am on Methadone for pain and will be the rest of my life. (I have tried a couple of times to get off of it...but simply cannot do so because of the pain). Anyhow the result is for me that when something begins to hurt my pretty well, it means that it has advanced to the point where it is breaking through my methadone and is probably advanced. So with things progressing as they were, waiting until Monday was not an option.

The attending Dr. took a look and marked around the area o clear problems. My wife Gail took a couple of pics of my leg at the time:

The Doc took some blood, and then did some research while we were there and determined it was Cellulitis, which is an infection of the upper and mid skin levels. Bacterial. It is painful and can become life threatening if left untreated because it can spread rapidly and become systemic. They gave me a couple of big booster shots (one in both "cheeks" on my backside) and them proscribed an anti-body. They took my blood for some cultures to make sure nothing else was going on and then sent me on my way.

I have to take the anti-bodies for ten days and hopefully it will clear up.

I am 58 years old. For His own purposes the good Lord determined that I was to hang around here on earth a while longer and I am grateful for that. The experiences that saved my life were miraculous...and I have no doubts that there is a God in Heaven who watches over all of us...even through what we consider to be very hard times.

We now have had three more grandkids since coming home in 2010...and found out Sunday night (last night) that we would be having another. Our daughter who was injured in November in North Dakota when a car went out of control hit another vehicle in a parking lot that struck my daughter and threw her into a brick wall, is now pregnant!

In itself this is pretty miraculous because up until now, she has been unable to have any children at all. She and her husband have always wanted them...and now she will be having one in August.

GREAT news, and real life is that you take the good with the bad.

I have learned that many times what we consider as "bad," is a blessing in disguise because we learn so much from it, and it gives others a chance to help and assist...which in itself is a blessing.

Have GREAT DAY folks!.

We love you too brother Jeff, just as we love dat sailor man, and our one and only Deino, and TP, we have some very hard working, well researched gentlemen, who are not only bright but articulate, kind and gracious, and set a very fine example for the rest of us, even though I am a slow learner, I have managed to get up to speed on a few things. Your brothers will keep praying for you, cellulitis is very painful and if its breaking through that Methadone, wow. So guys please pray for brother Jeff, and we will pray for a speedy and full recovery, and thanks for sharing with us bruda, we truly appreciate you sharing that vast body of knowledge. We will be praying for that sweet daughter of yours and her husband, and that little buddy in the oven, I think you are pulling ahead of me with the grandbabies, but I will let you play through!

Dang, I saw those two bottom spots and thought??? "RATTLESNAKE", right there on your ankle, I bet you feel "snake-bit".
 
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Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
We love you too brother Jeff, just as we love dat sailor man, and our one and only Deino, and TP, we have some very hard working, well researched gentlemen, who are not only bright but articulate, kind and gracious, and set a very fine example for the rest of us.

Your brothers will keep praying for you, cellulitis is very painful and if its breaking through that Methadone, wow. So guys please pray for brother Jeff, and we will pray for a speedy and full recovery, and thanks for sharing with us bruda, we truly appreciate you sharing that vast body of knowledge. We will be praying for that sweet daughter of yours and her husband, and that little buddy in the oven, I think you are pulling ahead of me with the grandbabies, but I will let you play through!.


Thank you my friend!

The antibiotics are working very well so far.

Lots less swelling, lots less redness, and lots less pain.

I appreciate the prayers, kind thoughts, and care of so many here and humbly thank everyone for them!
 
Last edited:

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Hey guys...check this out:

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"DEVESELU, Romania (Jan. 21, 2015) U.S. Navy Sailors and American and Romanian contractors construct a U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense system at Naval Support Faculty Deveselu, Romania. Once completed, Aegis Ashore will support the European phased adaptive approach to ballistic missile defense. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Alexander Perrien/Released)"



This is GREAT to see!

I forcasted these exact installations in the 2000-2001 time frame when writing my:

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Placing the AEGIS system ashore with VLS launchers for the various versions of the STD missile, from medium range to exo-atmosphere ABM intercepts, made all the sense in the world. And now they are actually doing it 134-15 years later!
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Our present temperature is -21c or -6F....Oh well! the sun is out! We received 12.5 inches or 32cm of snow from Saturday evening to Sunday evening..

Videos from yesterday as taken by my wife.


 
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