Read My Personal Account of Life With Spina Bifida
—A Frog Named Red— Watching someone you love go from healthy to death in a mere six months is hard. Losing a loved one is hard. My Grandmother, “Nana,” had been diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. Each day, “Papa” and I would drive from Huntsville, Ala., down to Nana and “Pawpaw’s”…
Read MoreI did go to my Primary Care Physician today for my six-month check-up. My heart rate has always been fast. Even as a teenager.My Primary Care Doctor has been keeping a close check on my heart for several years.I even remember wearing a heart monitor. Anytime I’m in the hospital, my heart rate is about…
Read MoreMany people with disabilities eventually end up getting either a colostomy or a urostomy.—I ended up getting both. While I was in the hospital, recovering from my urostomy surgery, the wound care nurse came in and asked me if I had named my newly installed urostomy yet. “I didn’t know I was supposed to.” “You…
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—Funny Story Many years ago, I received an artificial sphincter muscle.The surgery was successful, and the artificial sphincter muscle was a big game-changer for me. Shortly after the surgery, I was sent home with a Foley catheter inserted in my urethra. The Foley catheter was connected to a Nighttime Urine bag. The urine bag had…
Read MoreWe had guests coming to stay at the cabin, and I needed to leave. On my way home, I realized something; I wasn’t ready to go home yet. So, I stopped off in Chattanooga and got myself a room at the Best Western. Instead of getting out and seeing the sites, I have been in…
Read MoreThe motel I’m staying at is on one of the main roads here. All night I’ve heard emergency vehicles pass by.Ambulance, Fire Trucks, and Police Cars have been going by all night.It’s Friday night in the city. Each time an emergency vehicle passes by, I say a prayer for the person(s) they are heading to…
Read MoreIt’s 11:20 AM here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I just walked back into my room from eating breakfast at the “City Cafe.” “City Cafe” is a chain restaurant. We even had one in Huntsville, Alabama.When I worked in Huntsville, I would walk over to the City Cafe to eat breakfast and lunch. The City Cafe…
Read MoreAlmost everyone staying here works during the day.These are blue-collar workers.One large group of guys who are staying here go around the Country laying pipe. Each morning, beginning around 5 AM, the guys start coming out and packing their things, such as lunches, into their work trucks and leaving.It continues until about 6:30 AM. Then,…
Read MoreI had a restless night last night. It wasn’t the bed, I promise. The bed is great. Very comfy, in fact. I have a tethered spinal cord, which goes hand in hand with Spina Bifida, and it can be pretty painful at times.Last night was no exception. It felt like someone had my Spinal Cord…
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