This all happened on August 16th 2007.
I will share something with all. The night before surgery #4 (08/29/2007) the big one of taking a muscle out of his stomach and filling in the void in his face I was sitting on a bench near his bed working on my laptop while he slept. I saw out of the side of my eye what looked like a man dressed in white down to his feet with snow white strait shoulder length hair leaning over him and kissing his forehead. I saw his hands stretched out beside mike holding Mike’s hands. When I looked over there was no one there and the headboard of the bed was brown so I found it hard to believe I saw white all the way down to the floor. I tried to recreate the view of this man through my side (peripheral) vision but could not.
I feel that is why I have come here to share Mike’s story. I saw something that I don’t want to say what, but its to strong of a haunting (good) vision I can not ignore.

Speaking to the landlord who was the first person on the scene and who called 911 said that Mike never lost conciseness and when the police officer asked what his name was all there turned in amazement as they heard Mike say his name. His jaw broken into several pieces and no upper mouth and they heard him say his name. WOW. What I get from this is not sadness but joy to think in 6 months when they say they will rebuild his upper mouth (he will keep breathing and eating through a tube till then) he has I feel a high chance at being able to speak again!! They have sewn his tongue back together (most of it was there) since the incident and rebuild his chin and it’s a good looking chin.
I am in a few hours going to go back to the hospital for the week to see how all is doing with him. He is still in the ICU Burn unit since this is where they can deal with infection and the new muscle they put in his face making sure the blood vessels stay open and his body does not reject this new body part. They cut him open about 20 inches down his chest and stomach to harvest this stomach muscle to fill in the void in his face. The doctor said there was more skin than he thought and both eye lids (which can not be reconstructed) there to work with. News and blessings are getting better all the time.
Frank

Today is Monday, Labor day and its almost midnight. I read and am so thankful for all your prayers and advice.
The hospital is 2 hours from my home and work and I will be here again until Saturday at the hospital and motel.
I had not seen Mike for 3 days as my other son Charlie took the weekend shift to stay with him each day.
This situation is making Charlie stronger and I myself am very proud of him.
He is the only other sibling to Mike and 2 years almost to the day older.
I adopted these 2 boys when they were 2 and 4 years old and it has been through its ups and downs a true blessing and we 3 do stand strong together as a family.
Mikes swelling around his upper face was way down today and this afternoon he was so happy to see me and his hand gestures and writing of words was better than ever. He was full of questions and I answered them all. He took the answers well and just said he wanted to go home.
I told him yesterday was his youngest daughters first birthday and on September 8th will be the middle daughters birthday.
I told him when he comes home in about 2 weeks we will have another party for them at my house and I think this made him happy.
It must be hard for him.
Tonight I visited (can only visit 30 minutes 3 times a day) and I could tell he was agitated. Just wanted to pull tubes out and get out of there.
His nurse had him tied down hard tonight. I have been told with all the pain drugs he has been on this is not totally uncommon.
I hope that it is the drugs and not the kind of mood switches I fear he may have while the shrapnel heals in his frontal brain lobe.
Time will tell.
I did notice that when I was leaving and had to tighten the restraints on his hands again he pouted and his bottom lip turned out. Ok…that muscle works in his face.
Every little blessing counts right now.
Frank

Mike was in good mind today. he wrote notes to me most of which I could understand. I answered some questions for him. He does not remember what happened but that may be a blessing. Several strange things have happened to me in the last several days. For example he said it was ok for me to call his kids today and put them on speakerphone so he could hear them. My phone always works and I had 2 charged up batteries. I rebooted 3 times, change the battery 2 times, this is a newer cell phone that always works and the buttons were frozen up each time. I have made and received calls from his room before. Nothing worked. The moment I left the ward walking down the hall I said out loud ... ok Lord, for some reason he was not to speak to the kids today and I accept that but I need my phone to work now. I opened it up and made a call and everything’s worked great since then. NOW...another thing, the # 13 (which has always been a lucky number for me has been showing up 100 times more than it should. What does 13 mean? For 2 days now, I get 13 candles or have 13 subscribers, my change at store is $13.13 at one store and the next day I owed $13.13. I has 13 messages waiting for me to call them back at work. The ice machine just broke on the Motel floor I am staying on and the only working machine is on the 13th floor. I parked in the only space left...guess what space # it was....yep, 13. And there has been more. Please tell me what this is all about. Now I wish I brought my study bible with me to look it up.
Thanks
Frank
PS: They say that Mike will be moved out of the burn unit tomorrow into a regular ICU room where I can visit him all day. He is breathing on his own today by himself for the first time.

Today in my mind was an Amazing day. Mike was more clear minded by far than ever before. Every visit was sooo good. He also started breathing on his own yesterday and because of that he is in a new room tonight where I can stay with him all day from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. Since they didn’t get him in the room till 9pm tonight I got to stay with him until almost midnight and it was so good. He was clear minded. They have not tied his hands and feet up all day today and in the new room either. He was tied up for 2 weeks and now he gets to stretch out his arms and sleep on his side. How good that must feel. The little things we all take for granted that can become the greatest pleasure in the world for that moment. How humbling this all is for me to experience this and to through hand communication and some words he can write on a dry erase board to have full conversations. We talked about so much today and the feelings on both ends hit both ends of the spectrum.
Mike also tonight for the first time was remembering so much. He remembered the night before this all happened. He remembers all before that time and remembers things from yesterday and up to 5 days ago. His mind is working and accepting all information like a switch was turned on and the medication has not changed in 3 days. I can’t call this anything but a BIG BLESSING and PRAYERS ANSWERED on so many levels. We have a long way to go but late last night and today all day has been amazing for me. I feel now that no matter what happens as long as Mike and can work through this not else much matters even if we have to downsize to do what needs doing. I also continue to be amazed at the wonderful responsible way my older son Charlie is handling all this. This has changed his life where I see such a major good change in his life and way of thinking that alone is a blessing. Charlie now has purpose in his life to be there for Mike and where he was having a hard time with every day events he now excels according to his boss and fiancée and just gets more done during the week so he can be there to spend time with his brother on the weekend. I again thank all for their prayers and the Lord for being here in our family’s time of need.
It will be a long haul for our family I am sure. I have already seen so many blessing so quickly to. Mike is going to be a fantastic testimony for others is my gut feeling right now. Hope this update finds all well and some touched to know life can change in a moment both ways so please never ever take it for granted! Thank You Lord!! Today’s been a very good day.
Frank

Oh...I need to add this. I told Mike this morning about all the prayers from many churches today. I told him about this web site and over 170 prayers as of this morning. I held his neck as recommended and prayed to the Lord for his healing. I held his hands tonight before leaving and prayed for and with him. I saw tears coming from his good eye through his swollen eye lid. I asked him if he was ok? He held both my hands tight and pulled them to his lips. This is a moment I will never forget. I get more humble every day.

Today I saw clearly where they took the muscle from hid stomach to fill in his face. We are past the critical point on non-acceptance or rejection so the major operation from 1 week ago today was a success. Today Mike from 10am till 7pm sat and slept in a chair and it felt good to him. They reduced his help on breathing with a lesser tube to his neck and have taken him off of a drip Morphine to be replaced with pain medication only as requested. They say he may for now come home as soon as next week. He did has terrible headaches and throbbing of the head but I feel this is all part of the healing process.
Frank

PS: I caught Mike in a time of clarity of mind and told him/reminded him of this web site I am posting photos of him and telling of his story. He said it was ok and good. I told him I would in a few days read him each one of the prayers posted and that made him happy. I asked him if I could send this site and his story to local people who have been praying for him including a dentist who I have worked with and respect that might be very helpful to him in the future and he showed me that it was ok and held his hands together and held a time there as to thank God.

Today Saturday Sept. 8th 2007: I am home now. Its been a long week and I am tired. My son Charlie showed up last night after visiting hours and I had a chance to take him and his fiancé and her son to dinner. Charlie’s shift will be until Sunday afternoon and I will be back there Monday night. I must on Sunday prepare his room and the house for him to come home some time next week. Two days ago he sat up in the chair all day and loved it. He has paid for that for 2 days now with throbbing headaches.
Mikes swelling is starting to go down so much now (Newest photo posted was after operation #4 about 4 days ago) . I have not downloaded newest pictures yet.
He is so much looking forward to going home. I am learning of all the help that I may be able to get for him. What I have to do and where I have to go.
The right side of his face is drooping so much it’s a little disheartening. He can finally open his right eye (good eye). I looked at it and it didn’t look right. I shined a light into it and asked him if he saw anything and he said no. My heart dropped. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS EYE RIGHT NOW. Everything else can come in time but I want him to see. FOCUS all prayers here now please.
I am hoping that with the most difficult operation #4 where they built eye sockets from titanium plates and put the muscle into his face that the muscle and swelling is just putting pressure on the optic nerve and within the next 3 months as this all goes down and starts to form a more normal face he might see again.
He loved all your prayers so much as I read them to him last night. I will be reading him many more next week when I am there. I told Mike next week I will not be getting a motel room but be staying all night in his hospital room on the couch. He clapped his hands when I told him this.
I hope to be able in the morning to meet all the doctors that visit him every morning (about 5) and talk with all of them for as much information as I can get before he goes home.
PRAY for MIKE tonight please. I am.
Frank

PS: Mikes wife visited today. This is the 4th time she has visited since 08/16/07. The visit went well and the 1 year old was there. He didn't want to hold her in fear of all the hoses and needles in him but got to hold her hand. This 1 year old was SO wide eyes at Mike and didn’t know what to make of it. When she laughed and was playing with others in her stroller I saw a happiness come across Mike that touched me so much. He needed to hear that.

Its 3:50am on Monday 09/10/07. I am having some trouble sleeping tonight so thought I would do a little research. I Googled 13.13 and Bible 13.13 and what jumped out at me the most was a reference to 1 Corinthians 13.13 so I looked it up in my son Mike’s bible (King James Version) and it read as follows … “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity”. If I remember right from old bible studies the word Charity is the same as the word Love. If this was the message I was to receive during some of my hardest days of acceptance of our situation I guess I could not have asked for a better message than this one. My son Mike has had some fear set in about spending nights alone in the hospital so when I go back on Monday (later today) I told him I would spend every night in the room with him until he comes home. This message to him I was told is making him very happy. It will also give me an opportunity to talk to each Doctor that visits him and not miss any so I can get all the information possible before he is set free. Frank

09/11/2007 I spoke to 7 doctors, 2 psychiatrists, 2 case managers, 1 person for Georgia Medicaid and another for North Carolina Medicaid, someone else tells me not to forget SSI and talked and filled out more papers for Medicare. and a partridge in a pair tree. Looks like Mike is coming home tomorrow. 4 weeks to the day from the accident. This is almost overwhelming …no…no…not almost, it is !. God...I pray tonight for strength because I need it Lord. I don’t know if he is ready. I don’t know if I am ready. I am now learning of all these people I should have contaced in NC that no one said for me to. Now I do not have funding in place to pay for home health care yet so nurses all day have been showing me and teaching me what to do. Clean him this way, vacuum his lungs this way etc ect ect …….. I AM A REALTOR give me a hunk of land to sell someone please. I would know what to do then. OK…I have vented and am feeling a bit better. Mikes coming home. Praise the Lord. Signed Frank

4:15 am on Sept. 13. We got home last night. Almost didn't happen when Mike pulled out his trac tube from his neck catheter (a day before) and pulled out his feeding tube. They wanted to keep him. I wanted them to help him more but decided in my own turf I can find more support and prayer and help. He was home 45 min. and back to the emergency room with him. He could not breath and drank water with a trac tube on. I think some when to his lungs but not problem with that. This might have been a God Send because I met a lot of people and doctors that are willing to help me. At the big city hospital they taught me to feed him through a tube and vacuum his lungs (scary) with tubes and suction and the doctors said no home health care for him because this is all long term care and home health care is only for short term. I have not slept for about 76 hours now. Mike has not slept even longer. He hallucinates and is fighting me on everything. I will try to sleep now after I try to get him settled. Charlie and Christy his Fiancé will watch him but its only been 3 hours and I think they are wearing thin in how to help him. Its time for another prayer. Frank

Charlie and Christy are here tonight and have the homecare down pat. Mike got to take a shower this morning for about 1/2 hour where I used a hand held shower and kept it hot and he felt so good. Its been about 1 month of bed baths and he had a clarity for a while that let me know Mikes still in there. I was told he was on Morphine so long that his lack of sleep (going on several days now) and hallucinations is not uncommon. I have slept about 4 1/2 to 5 hours in the last 4 nights and am starting to know how he feels. Tonight I am looking forward to a good dead sleep for several hours. Life is going to be difficult but I am feeling better now that we are home and people are offering time to sit with mike 24 hours a day and are bring meals and running errand for me. I am getting a larger crew to manage and organize on Mikes behalf the love being offered is so heart warming. I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I see it. I am walking that way and am putting the time schedule in the Lords hands. Frank

9/15/07 Mike is home. We are set up for him for now and making a list of never ending supplies. He is on nine different drugs...OUCH First time he fell asleep is after he pulled his trach out of his neck. I knew I had to put it back in but didn't have the heart to do it before he got a few hours sleep. When I saw the whole shrinking smaller I knew I had to wake him and put it back in. This was the first time I ever put in a trach and I guess the scariest but it was not so hard. In the latest photo you see Charlie that would not and will not leave his side catching a few well deserved winks himself. I love Charlie so much. Mike has some new drugs and I stopped giving him his sleeping pill (made him very hyper) and he is now starting to sleep and if not has a much better attitude. THANK YOU LORD! I have to go now. I got 6 1/2 hours sleep last night and a 20 minute nap so I since I got more sleep in the last 48 hours than anyone its my turn for night shift. Usually you can't fall asleep on night shift but Mike is doing better now so I might slip in a nap. Charlie and Christy Lee have been a blessing since Mike has been home. We are now starting to get people asking if they can take a shift to watch Mike and I say THANK YOU LORD and they I say yes. signed Frank

Monday Morning now: Mike and I had right at or over 7 hours sleep last night. We both feel so much better. Mikes daughter (going on 5 years old) visited on Saturday. She wanted to see her daddy so much. We talked to her and prepared her for the first visit. We had mike on the couch and when she first saw him she said with wide eyes OH MY GOD. Mike reached out his hand for her and she gave out a little scream and said NO, NO. She scrambled up Charlie and held on for dear life. I and Charlie and Christy Lee kept saying its Daddy, Its OK. She said no several times as she stared at Mike. Mikes head dropped and arms fell and he started to cry. You could see the tears and hear it through his trach tube. Then his daughter stopped saying no and said don't cry daddy, I Love You. She climbed from Charlie’s arms and got up on the couch as we all held our breath. She took his hand and climbed into Mikes lap and kept saying don’t cry, I Love You. Just then he looked up at her and through the air tube we could make out the words I LOVE YOU TO. She said, Did you hear that, Daddy said he “Loves me to”. She understood him. They had a great afternoon together and she read him a book for a while that she brought. When he got tired he asked to be taken to bed and after a while she said can I see my daddy again. She climbed into his bed and Mike put his arm around her and they watcher TV for the rest of the visit together. THANK YOU LORD it was a vary good day. She came back for a while on Sunday also.

PS: His daughter had all kinds of questions as kids do. Daddy, where is your eye and what happened to your teeth, can you eat? We answered them all and told her the doctors and God were going to fix daddy all up and she will see how good he looks. She said thats good.

PS: His daughter had all kinds of questions as kids do. Daddy, where is your eye and what happened to your teeth, can you eat? We answered them all and told her the doctors and God were going to fix daddy all up and she will see how good he looks. She said thats good.

Every prayer here is read and appreciated by myself and people close to me. I do read many to Mike when I can find time and he feels well enough. If someone would like to send a more personal note to us your welcome to. I have set up an email address for Mike. Thanks to everyone again! God Bless! Frank
mike.standstrong@yahoo.com

This is an email I sent to many today.
09/19/2007

To my friends, family and business associates.

I am sending this to everyone in my address book.

If you want to forward this on to anyone it would be a God send because you can never have to many prayers.

I am Humbled.

Frank

Mikes Story: http://www.prayabout.com/requests/22532/Mike-was-shot

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE OUT TO:

Frank Schuler for the benefit of Michael Schuler

Acct.# 10055555

c/o Nantahala Bank & Trust Co.

86 Hiwassee St.

Murphy NC 28906

Banks phone # is 828-837-1402 for any questions.

PS: to the prayer web master. I hope I have not over stepped the rules and if so please remove this from my update but leave to rest because we want to prayers to go on.

PS: A special thanks to all the people who have been supporting Mike and myself during these hard times.

GOD BLESS

9/21/07 THE LORD IS WORKING OVER TIME HERE. It’s Friday morning and I am kinds of exited about what will happen today and over the weekend as far as Mike’s healings. Here are some blessing highlights so far. Wednesday afternoon I told Mike I had to go to Wal-Mart because his canned food was $50.00 a case (3 day supply) at the drug store and I was sure we could get something similar for less. He asked if he could come with me. WOW, sure I said so off to Wally World we went. My sister in-law behind the food carriage and Mike in a wheel chair and he got out of the house. Saw some people we knew and that went well and it amazed me the people’s reactions to Mike when they saw him. Most had a hard time looking but with an article coming out next week I hope that will change and he and the prayer line here will get better known.

Mike had a fall in the hospital and a lot of pain from what we think to be a broken or bruised tailbone. Yesterday we put an air mattress under him in his bed and finally he is getting better rest. He had a full 8 hours sleep last night.
He also yesterday was so hungry and ate like a horse. 8 cans of food (his normal diet) that was hard to get him to eat before and was easy for Mike today. He also had a little coffee in the morning, 2 berry smoothies, a large bowl of vegetable and bean stew (liquefied in the blender to go through his feeding tube), V8 juice, chicken broth and a little Coke.
He walked several times (with help) to the living room and outside and did some stretching exercises next to his bed.
My office (headed off by Freddie and Helen my neighbor, friends and co-workers) has rallied behind Mike to open that checking account I posted before for Mike’s present and future medical expenses and they are having with many peoples help a organized a bean and cornbread lunch ($5.00 per lunch) benefit on Tuesday of next week to raise money to put in the account. WARNING: If you are in the Murphy NC area on Tuesday bring a gas mask because they have already sold over $1,000.00 in lunches!!
God is good, My friends and neighbors are good, Mikes getting better and life is not looking so dark.
PS: I had an old client show up yesterday and looked at one house I had listed for sale which is now under contract for a quick closing. I told him he was a God Send.

PS: The girl in the photo is Cecily, Mikes Cousin who is going to 7th year of collage to get her Doctorate in Homeopathic Medicine. She flew here from the state of Washington for 1 week to just help care for Mike and meet her parents (my brother) who came up from Miami. Mike is loving his feedings. This is the first photo of him with his head up.
Thumbs up to you my son, STAND STRONG!

Great night sleep last night. Still hurting but feeling better.
We did have an incident where Mike’s top lip got caught like a hook on his bottom broken teeth and some blood was involved but we were able to unhook him. His tongue has also been bleeding some from the sharp teeth. I hope to take him to a dentist when he can open his mouth more to maybe grind down some of the sharp spots. I told him I could do a Tim Taylor from Tool Time on him but Mike will not let me in there with a Dremel tool to grind his sharp spots down.
Mike hurt his tail bone in a fall at the hospital and it had him very restless. Yesterday we put an air mattress under his sheets and he is so much more comfortable.
My brother Bob and his wife Lynn from North Miami are now gone. Their daughter Cecily who is from Washington State learning to be a Homeopathic Doctor has flown out of Chattanooga also. Their visit was a God send and they helped so much both with restocking of supplies and food and sitting with Mike and just good family moral support.
It’s Charlie, Christy Lee and myself now. In the photo you see Cecily, Mike and Charlie all smiling for the camera. Spirits were up for sure. Thank You God for a good week for all of us. Frank

It’s been a long hard day for me today, I am wearing thin. Mike is doing so good. He has spoke to an organization today for the blind to start helping. We have his first visit with his new Primary Doctor on Friday. My work place did a fund raiser lunch for Mike today and sold at or over 235 lunches. So many people worked so hard and I am blessed to have friends like this.

PS: Mike still sleeps much better when he knows a loved one is right there with him all the time.

Mikes doctors appointment went well. God new medications to make Mike feel more comfortable. His stomach has been torn up for a few days now and we are fighting that because we do not want him to loose any weight. Mike is 6 foot 4 inches tall and was 175lb with no fat just muscle. When he came home from the hospital after 4 weeks he was 138lb. We have him up to 144lb now so it is going in the right direction.
Mike has his first appointment in the morning with his plastic surgeon to see how the healing is going. We have to be in Chattanooga at 8 am or he will not be seen. It’s a 2 hour drive from Murphy NC to get there and by the time I get him up, fed, medicated, bathed and ready for the trip with cans of food for his tube and medications to travel with. It will be an early day tomorrow. Mike does not like the drive through the Ocoee Gorge because of all the curves. We will have to travel it 2 times tomorrow. I hope he handles 4 hours on the road well since he has been more bed ridden lately.
All in all things are going well and he is sleeping better at night. That is when he is not making a qick B line to the bathroom which he has now learned to do on his own and not wait on us.
I have been able to get back to work and it feels good to get some normality back to a life I remember so very long ago.
Thank you every one for our special prayers and a special thank you from Mike to a 2 year old little girl who is with whirlwindwings on prayabout known as Mike’s “little prayer warrior”. We understand she lost her Daddy and has taken a special interest in Mike and his story. Mike says a prayer from a pure of heart child is the best prayer anyone could ever get!

PS: In the photo today you see Mike is up and around visiting with his Boss, friends, coworkers who was nice enough to pick up all of his furniture from his old home and bring it to me to be stored in my garage. From left to right Chris Hanson (boss & friend) and his son Brandon and Chris Horton (friend & co-worker).

The visit with the plastic surgeon went well on Oct 1, 2007.
Mike did the drive back and forth to Chattanooga very well over 2 hours each way.
The doctor said that Mike is healing quicker than he thought he would.
I feel that this is a combination of the grace of God and what he has allowed Mother Earth to help supply me in herbs and vitamins to supplement the medication which at this point is mostly to make him more comfortable and less anxious through the healing process. I told him of the several things I was giving him every day and different foods and homeopathic items and he was impressed at how well they were doing and the clarity of mind mike had compared to what he saw and knew from just 3 weeks ago. I think he used the work amazing.
1. He gave Mike a new Trach for his neck that can be plugged up. Mike can start breathing through his mouth now as he wants to. Now Mike can form words better and the doctor has given me an order to get a speech therapist to teach Mike to talk again. (bullet went through tongue and shattered it which the doctor sewed up what he could)
2. He also ordered a swallow test for me to make arrangements to have done and if Mike passes he can start drinking and eating liquids with his mouth. If Mike can prove he can take in enough nutrition through his mouth then the tube can come out of his stomach. Mike hates that tube and how much it hurts where it intrudes into his body.
3. Yesterday was the last day of antibiotics and the doctor said he does not need any more right now and all infections look like they are gone. He had about 3 different kinds of infection.
4. In about a week or 2 he will be scheduled for a short out patient surgery to grind down sharp teeth and bone in his mouth so it stops cutting his lips and tounge and to look around in there for a plan of action for the next surgery.
Thank you Lord for all the blessing Mike and I have had today. Watch over Mike and allow a speedy recovery. Allow him to learn speech again and to in time see with his one eye when you know its time for him to see once again. In Jesus name I ask these things. Amen

Mike today found out that his wife of almost 7 years has gotten an apartment for her and the kids which is a very good thing so the children can feel a sense of home.

She also let me know that she did have another male friend (boyfriend) “but not around the kids”. She said she wants Mike to have full rights to the kids and equal time as possible but she will be filing for divorce in GA because in GA divorce can happen quicker (30 days) than in NC which takes 1 year.

I am torn over her decision and boyfriend so soon after the “accident”?? She told me she was going to be the wife Mike always wanted as the Lord would want her to be. This statement was right after the accident. She shared this information after I heard small town gossip and asked for confirmation. This is not necessarily a bad thing in the long run in my eyes.

Mike cried when I told him but he felt it was not an unexpected thing since he felt she has again been wanting her freedom because of being so young and having kids since she was 15 or 16 years old.

Soon to be single a good hearted man with an unknown future. My heart breaks for him but being older and wiser (I hope) I will guide him to wonderful future opportunities in his life and as him to STAND STRONG!

On Friday the 5th of October Mike and I went to Chattanooga for his 5th operation.
It was as an outpatient this time. They pulled a few sharp teeth and cut away some sharp bone shards on his jaw that’s been cutting his tongue and mouth.
They had him set up for a swallow test this coming week but after investigating his mouth they cancelled this because the doctor realized his pallet received in the healing process to much for him to pass. The top pallet will have to be build later or it might have to be a prostheses.
The operation went well. We were all concerned because Mike has had diarrhea for 8 days and was feeling week. It may have jest been a bug because he is feeling so much better today. He is eating good and holding it all down as he should.
Mikes mouth feels better and he was told even though he could not eat through his mouth he could drink ice water and clear liquids in small amounts. It is amazing how good he felt just being able to do a simple thing like drinking some ice water. The simple things that we all take for granted that can be so important.
All is going well and Mike says hello to everyone and thank them for the prayers. He says he feels them.
God Bless all.

10/7/2007 Mike is eating good and feeling much better. I think its time to get him out of bed again and start a daily exercise program. Look at today’s photo. He is healing so good. The doctor wants to see him in about 1 month to decide on when the surgery # 6 will take place. Mike is looking forward to each surgery.

Lord, I thank you for the blessings and knowledge you are bestowing upon Mike and myself. I thank you mostly for the positive attitude Mike has about the future because I know your hand must be here for I see it every day. Thank You Lord and all of our blessings. Amen!

10/12/2007 Mike is doing very well. He had a long bout with diarrhea for 8 days but is now over it. The nurse weighed him and he is 139lb @ 6’4” tall. He was a lean and strong 175lb before. He is back to eating like a horse. Vegetable soup, Beef Stew, (made by Lynn (my sister in-law) from scratch) fish chowder, (made from scratch) fruit smoothies, cans of his regular foods, tomato & cheese soup mixed because he use to like tomato and cheese grilled before. I don’t know where he is putting it all but the Lord has given this boy his appetite back with vengeance and even after just a few days you could see the difference in him. If we can blend it (liquefy it) to fit in his feeding tube he is getting it. I have also been putting just a little bit of these foods on my finger and putting it in his mouth so he can taste what it is when we give it to him. His taste is not the same any more without a nose or sinuses but he says he can still taste and it is good.

Mike use to ask a lot for blueberries or anything with blueberries and I was not sure why except thinking there was something in there that the body needed or wanted. That’s back when we started giving him berry smoothies. Now keeping this in mind I just read up on a vitamin I have been giving him called Bilberry for his eye. It is suppose to have good healing properties for the eyes. It is in the blueberry family but much more potent. On that note I will let you know that I put a light from the ceiling fan right on his face. It is a bright light and when he asked me to turn on the fan as he does some time it shined bright with this spot light on his face. I watched him and saw him tilt his head one way and then another. I asked him what was wrong. He said he saw (through a closed eye lid) a pyramid shape. I turned the light off and it went away. This tells me that some vision is trying to come back. Remember the doctor told me 100% blindness and not to expect any recovery and no need for me to make another appointment with her. WELL HELLO….I think that doctor was wrong. Let’s KEEP PRAYING FOR THE RESTERATION OF MIKES EYE. Any vision he can get would improve his capabilities 10 fold.

Mikes tail bone still hurts him a lot from that fall in the hospital and keeps him from getting out of bed as much as he should but we are working on him getting some exercise every day.

The speech therapist came yesterday for the first time and said for what mike has to work with he is doing extremely well and she feels she can work with him to get great improvements in his speech capability’s in time.

Mike has been a bit down lately worrying about his children (1,4 & 6 years old) and that he can’t help with support ever since his SSI (Social Security Income) was turned down. They said he would after 5 months qualify for Social Security Disability but because he was a self employed contractor they had to consider his income as being for all year and that he could not prove a specific date his income stopped. If he worked for a company that issued him a weekly paycheck then he could prove the day the checks stopped and he would have qualified. Sounds like politics (no common sense) to me. Mike asked me to thank all the people who donated to him account (medical fund) which I am being very strict to use only for Mikes doctors or medicine saving all receipts. He also asked me if anyone wants to or could get a Wal-Mart or Roses gift certificate to help buy the children winter cloths it would be appreciated and a way for him to feel like he is still trying to provide. We have a few volunteers to do the buying so the children (his wife) get the cloths direct and the certificates are not just passed on. If anyone wants to do this it can be mailed or dropped off too :
Big Frank / Mike
c/o Exit Realty MVP
1900 Hwy 64W
Murphy NC 28906
I again thank everyone for their prayers and support and God Bless all of you and this site for allowing me to share Mikes story. I will try to have a new photo up of Mikes improvement by Saturday (tomorrow).

PS: The Lord has been blessing me with new clients and Real Estate sales which should go through. It feels good with the support of friends and family watching Mike during the day to be able to get back to work and start producing again. Life does not look so gloomy any more. God is Good to me! signed Frank

5:00am Sunday morning. Charlie is asleep on the couch. Mikes 4 year old that’s visiting all weekend (great visit) asleep in her made up bed. I hear a little bang? I come out of my bedroom to see all asleep so I look in on Mike. Not in bed? Not in the bathroom? Hummm. I search the house to find him with his head stuck in the refrigerator. Feeling around for a cold drink. This is the first time he has by himself ventured out of his safe zone. It was very good to see him up like that. Trying for a little more independence.

We talked a little bit about the reality setting in that he is blind. He keeps writing on his board that he will never see the kid’s smiles again. Their faces as they grow up. I tried to explain to him there will be so many ways he can see them through touch and hearing their laughter. I also told him through this experience his sacrifice may open so many opportunities to him for education and help through support groups that if he wants to care for them or get help for their further education the possibilities are better now than before. His sacrifice may bring up the quality of his children and their children for generations to come. I feel this was some help for him to think about it that way but he will probably need to go through some of these different stages as life is very different than it was. The future is unknown and scary to him but I am trying to get him to think of it as a vast adventure that not many travel but the success stories are there.

I am trying to get him hooked up with a blind support group to help him know and understand more of that the future holds. We had a visit from a blind pastor in our local area. He seams to be a very nice man. Mike says he is special because of something Mike felt at the end of the visit with the mans touch and prayer. Mike hopes he will bond a friendship with this pastor. The pastor is from our local “Free Methodist Church” and Mike is a “Seventh Day Adventist” which should spark some very interesting future conversations.
Its so far been a good weekend even if sometimes its through tears. Thank You Lord!

10/16/2007 Mike went to Wal-Mart yesterday with me. He wanted some dress cloths to be able to go to church this weekend. We also did a little food shopping where he had a long and very detailed list of the kind of soups and caned Spaghettios that he wanted. He was tired out by the end of the shopping spree but it was a good trip.

There was a little red headed boy that came up to us and looked under mikes hat and said “Mister, Ummm (long pause) is your son dieing?” I looked up at his parents that was melting into the floor and told the child “No, he was hurt but the doctors are fixing him.” He said thank you and his parents started to apologize. I told the parents that the curiosity of a child is ok. They took the child and hurried away. This kid was Opie, from Mayberry RFD but a little younger. He was so cute and it was killing him not to come up to Mike again when we saw then isle to isle. I asked Mike if the child’s questions bothered his and Mike said not at all. Then the kid saw a chance and ran up to Mike and I while looking over his shoulder for his dad. He said “Sir” to me. “Does your son have Cancer?” As his dad got to him and I could see the fear in the child that dad would take him off before he got his answer. I told his dad “it’s ok.” Then I told the child that Mike did not have cancer but Mike had a special message for him. He said what is that? I told him that he was never allowed to play with guns and to stay away from them. He said he would and his dad agreed. That seamed to make the kid happy to know what happened. I personally found the clarity and honesty of a child so refreshing after all the looks we had gotten and Mike agreed.

Tonight some friends of Mike asked if they could take him to a Spiritual healer. I asked Mike if that was ok with him and he said yes. I asked what kind of healer. I was told it was a Christian New Age type healer. I respected Mike wanting to go and they just got home a few minutes ago. I was told that one of the things they did was a strobe light that put out about 10 different colors and Mike could see RED and ORANGE and while those colors where blinking he could make out the people in the room. Where am I going to find an Eye doctor that understands this after a leading doctor said he would be and stay blind. The search is on to know how this can help us but the bottom line is the eye is not dead. It lives and has some kind of possibility of seeing. Mike spirits are at a high tonight after this and that is a good thing in my mind!

Hi Everyone,
I am sorry for the delay at keeping up on the updates.
Its been a ruff week for Mike. His Mom and grandparents visited and that was nice but I thin reality is now setting in for him.
I knew it would happen and am surprised it took this long.

Mike is staying in bed to much. He has a lot of pains and many of that is staying to immobile.
His reality of probably never being able to see again. He keeps saying he can’t think of not seeing his children smile again and seeing their faces as they grow up into young lady’s and woman and never being able to see this happen.
He is getting fanatical about things and fighting my (control of him) realizing he has no independence any more for now.
He just wants to sit and or sleep. He refuses anti depressants. He is just waiting for the next surgery to see what happens then.
I am trying to get him up more and to exercise or walk with me but he always … every day has a different excuse why he can’t get out of bed.
Sometimes I feel it is justified and sometimes frustrates me to no end. How can you argue with him when you don’t truly know what he is feeling. It may be true but I think ½ of his problems and pain come from his lack of activity. We are working on this problem.

Thanks for all your prayers and keep them coming please.
Thanks Frank

Church day today and so far a much better day.
Mike started feeling better shortly after I posted yesterday. (wow, does this prayer stuff work quick or what … THANK YOU LORD!)
He had a bit of a wrestless night but this morning I asked him to try and get a shower and get dressed and we could always change our mind. We made it to a small church this morning that has a wonderful (BLIND) pastor Tim Huff( here in Murphy NC) that’s been visiting Mike and giving him insperation. This pastor has been blind for 12 years and a new pastor in this church for about 3 months now. It was very uplifting and the time flew bye.

Here is a new photo of Mike in front of the church showing off his new walking cane that the Lions Club donated to him. A few minutes later the pastor gave Mike his walking cane which was longer and said he might like the longer one when not in the house and walking outside.

When we got home Mike took a walk with me down the hill and road and by the time we got home he was ready for bed. He got his exersize today and has been in talkative good spirits so I am happy.

THE GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE INCIDENT!

I was given by my boss a wonderful heavy rich german chocolate cake to take home and feed the family or caretakers etc…
I took almost ½ the cake and sent it home with one of the caretakers that helps me out who has a shut in man in a wheel chair she cares for at her house since it was his birthday the next day. She said he loved it.

NOW, Mike was hearing all the talk about this cake and said I NEED CHOCOLATE because I hear you feel loved after eating it. This must be true because I blended him up a piece with mile so we could put it in his feeding tube. He loved it and he stuck his finger in the mixture and put it in his mouth and I thought his eyes would roll back into his head and all the moaning and growning of delite that came from him. Since he has no sinuses we new he could not taste as he had in the past but he could taste that cake for sure. He is to only have clear liquids by mouth but I figured a little taste on the toung could be acceptable.

I showed Mike a few days ago how to get to the kitchen and put ice and water or green tea in his jug so he can draw suringes of liquid to put in his mouth. That night I awoke hearing the russeling in the kitchen and figured he was having a hard time finding things or got turned around but I also figured he needed to work through it himself so I did not get up and rolled over back to sleep. The next morning I awoke and checked in on him and he said he was hungry and could I add a little more cake to his canned feeding mix of his food. I said sure can and went into the kitchen. OH MY….Ummm…well…I saw a large hunk of cake missing and chocolate droppings all over the counter, floor, in the fruit bowl. Going back to the bedroom I told Mike we had a CAKE MONSTER break in last night. He laughed and in the most humble way said “I got a little hungry last night so I got a small piece of cake after I found where you put it” (had it in a glass cake pedistle on the far side of the kitchen that he never saw before).
I said “a little? A small piece?”. He said…well…I went back twice. He mixed it with cans of his food and mixed it with a spoon untill he could put it into a suringe and feed it to himself through his feeding tube. He admitted to licking his fingers often during this long drawn out prosidure. I think this puts a whole new light on the term “Finger Lic’n good”.

Mike now feeds himself on every meal andfter we blend up what he like. He is striving for more independence. He does not like learing much about getting around the house during the day but hide a cake someplace and he will spend all night hunting it down and finding it on his own. Two nights now of one messy kitchen but it warms my heart to see him getting up and striving for a little more independence even if it was chocolate that was the inspiring factor. That was one mess I didn’t mind cleaning. PS: His caretaker this morning saw the chocolate iceing all over his bedroom floor this morning and thought he had an accident and could not make it to the bathroom at night. I told her it was chocolate cake and she was relieved since she was going to clean it for me.

Monday the 5th of November we see the plastic surgon to see when operation #6 will be on his moth this time. With a little luck we can mayby get him to pass a swallow test after that and his air and feeding tube can come out. Time and the Lords blessing will tell.

Subject: Seven Wonders

I thought this was nice enough to pass along.

http://www.vuhere.com/misc/7wonders.wmv

EARLY START
Its 4 am on 11/5/2007 and the alarm goes off to get Mike ready for the trip to Chattanooga for a meeting with plastic surgeons for hopefully scheduling Mikes 6th surgery.
On the road shortly after 6 am for a 8am appointment.

While running around getting CAT scans and x-rays for Mike we return to Plastics around 11am and await the doctors ok to go home.

THE KEEPER OF EVENTS
Suddenly I see a familiar and friendly face of a man who I never knew but he always had a look about him. His dark skin with the whitest hair and facial hair trimmed with such uniqueness that his face would never be forgotten. He left me with the impression of someone with wisdom. A man who I never spoke to but who spoke to me many time with his eyes, a nod, or consoling smile. This man has seen tears in my eyes or a num walk as I came and went from the Burn Unit ICU more than any one man should see from another.
He always looked busy but I always noticed him like a watcher. “The Keeper of Events”
Today was different and he greeted me with a big hello and how is Mike doing. He was so pleased to see Mikes progress and invited us to visit with the Burn Unit once again but this time Mike got to walk in on his own. This man also knows God and has been blessed to have a job where he can see the workings of our Lord. Wow, all that and get paid to!
He spoke of another man he now calls a friend and the bond a Indian Head penny can create.
I told him of so many wonderful nurses I met in the Burn Unit ICU and of the one that stood out in my mind the most.

ANGEL NURSE
This nurse I first met in the waiting room when my mind was in confusion and no one had to much time to help me put together what was happening. She took me to Mike and spoke to me, explaining and showing compassion I had not felt yet. She made me feel a little bit better at the moment and I thank her for that. I was blessed one night while visiting Mike at night to have this nurse caring for him. We spoke about Mike and she explained much. Then we spoke of other things in life and had a great conversation that made me feel human again for the first time since the accident. She was an Angel that night and I don’t think I ever told her. It amazes me how we meet people in this life and know them for years and never know them and sometimes you meet someone and its like there is such a feeling like you know them or knew them and they are so true in heart and soul. Unfortunately she was not there today to thank. “Angel Nurse”
We did get to see many of the other wonderful people there who helped Mike and it made my day.

Mike is doing ok. He is having his good and bad days. The visitations of people have thinned out dramatically. This is ok with me because I have to try and get back to work and some sense of normality and routine. Unfortunately caretakers have also worn thin and I am blessed for the people that can still come. I am trying to get Mike more medical care during the day but I need some prayer to get the doctor to see this need.
Medicaid has finally told us they will be helping but we still don’t have the initial card to get that ball rolling. The bills are coming in … oh my, they are coming in.
An example of some of the bills Mike has is : Trauma Doctors, $6,500.00, Ambulance over $2,000.00, Airlifting to Erlanger Hospital $6,500.00.
Plastic Surgeons for 5 operations so far ?? Not received yet, Hospital bills to date $298,621.00, and a fistful of small bills and local emergency room bills from some of Mikes visits there. Oh well … time will tell but this is not something I will worry about now. Now I need professional caretaker help for him during the days and that’s my project now. I am trying to stay positive and am grateful for all the healings that Mike has received and is receiving but I am also trying to keep myself healthy and I am wearing thin. I have a cold flu right now and am maybe felling a bit down because of this. I just hope Mike does not get what I have because I think he would have 10 fold problems more than I if this happens. Love everyone’s prayers and I thank you for that.
Frank

Hi Everyone,

Well, it was worth a try but the Doctor did not deam Mike to ned full time. So no 6 hours a day 5 days a week care for me to help him.

They say he does not need a RN which is all that would help now. There is a C.A.P. program they say can do this. Then a CPN would come but only 168 of these are available for this county and I have been on the waiting list. First come first searve. They say it looks like maybe Febuary Mike will qualify.

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We are about to get ready to try and go to his old Seventh Dat Adventist Church today for the first time since the accident.

Mike is in much better spirits the last few days and that makes it easeier on me.

.

Lord watch over us and keep smiling down on Mike for me. I thank you Lord for the blessings that you have sent and the good people that have graced our lives. AMEN.

Sunday 11/11/07 Church went well this morning at the local “Free Methodist Church”. The pastor there has been visiting Mike often and is also blind and a wonderful person. He is taking Mike under his wing for anything he can help with. Great moral support and full of knowledge for Mike’s continuing education and the church is helping Mike with some financial support and lots of hugs and love. The pastor last time even gave Mike his personal walking stick that’s a little longer than normal so according to Tim Huff Mike can step lively when he is walking because he will know what’s in front of him further than normal.

After church I took Mike to the park. It was sunny and cool and we took a nice walk down by the river. I taught Mike to be aware of his surrounding sounds and the water sounds so he didn’t get to close to the edge of the river. We felt the sun on our face and used it to help guide us back to the car. He walked into a few fences as I watched and worked around them. I am very proud at how he is trying to learn these new things. The photo today is of Mike sitting on a tree down at the river. THANK YOU LORD!

PS: Mike found out the good and bad of fudge last night. He knew one of his caretakers made it for him so off to the kitchen he goes in the wee hours of the morning in search of fudge. Finding it he makes it back to his room and mixes it for a long time with his ensure drink About half way through his chocolate fix the feeding tube clogged. Fudge had nuts and through a blender that’s ok but not Mikes way. A walnut had lodged into the tube.
I could get medication in there with water the following morning but no more food.
Not wanting to hear the Doctor tell me “I told you so” about feeding him anything but caned food the search started on how to dissolve this nut. We were not looking forward to a stomach tube replacement before Mike got to hungry. Backwashing the tube, coke, working it back and forth. By 7 pm yanking on the tube knowing the clog was within his belly while plunging the tube with coke it finally broke loose.
I fixed him a big dinner with meatloaf and mashed potato soup and some sugar snap beans. (all blended and liquefied) Mike was one happy camper with a full belly. Mike says PLEASE bring on the home made fudge but NO NUTS PLEASE!

11/18/2007 Last week Mike saw an Eye Doctor and he said Mikes center vision is gone in his 1 eye but the peripheral vision looked good in the eye itself. He wants a specialized test for the side vision of his one eye left. It is an optic nerve test. He was going to send us to Raleigh NC (9 hour drive) so Medicaid would pay for it but they also can do it in Atlanta GA which is only a 2 hour drive. I figure rather than the cost of Gas and Hotel it will be simpler just to make it a day trip to Atlanta and pay for it. We have to try this. Can’t leave a stone unturned when it comes to Mike maybe seeing something again.
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Mike is getting a little more independence all the time. He can feed himself most of the time and dress himself. Finding his own shorts and or shirt. Color combinations are interesting some times to. He is starting to get into listening to audio books and getting around the house without his walking stick. I am very proud that he is making an earnest effort with no formal training yet for a bit of independence.
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Mike was approved starting next week for a C N A caretaker for 2 hours and 45 min. 5 days a week. I was told that might be stretched for 1 more hour a day possibly until the C A P program can kick in around February or March which will allow him 6 to 8 hours a day 5 days a week. The C N A will help with Mikes bedding and laundry, cooking, hair care, cleaning and checking his feeding tube and trach in his neck and even some house cleaning. I also have a new caregiver who will be donating 1 day a week to sit with Mike. So as a total I have 3 to 4 people who will be able to sit with Mike from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM and a caretaker till I hope 5:15PM. Charlie comes and visits on Friday night and Saturday and Sunday during the day. It looks like I am going to get back to work here very soon!! Maybe I can get a little bit of a life again for me. Now I just need to find someone to take to dinner or go to a movie.
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Today Mike was not feeling well enough to go to church but that turned around soon when he got a surprise visit. He was very happy to have all 3 of his girls visit him for most of the day. The weather could not be more accommodating. It was beautiful outside. We sat out there and visited while he could hear the children playing with the dogs and the older ones having a bubble blowing contest. Meanwhile the 1 year old kept sneaking over to a flower pot I had outside and was trying to eat the dirt. YUM

Mike asked me to send out a Happy Thanksgiving to all on the prayer line.
He is looking forward to all the company (relatives) that are coming to visit. I expect about 17 people for dinner from all over the country to see Mike. Aunts, Uncles, Grandmother, Cousins.

11/24/07 ……………. PRAYERS NEEDED TODAY.
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Its been a ruff 2 days now. Mike can’t sleep for 4 nights now. After loosing a few nights sleep Mike gets hallucinations or (waking dreams) and there are some wild ones.
He is agitated and aggravated at times and sometimes just sits there and talks to people in his dreams. This happens with sleep depravation and has happened before.
Just so you know when he is walking around in these waking dreams he is seeing in full color of where ever his mind his. Sometimes its half in the real world and half in the dream world. He told me at one time “Dad, I know I am in a dream because you say so. I can’t see you but I know your hear and you know what? Its good to be able to see again even if its in a dream and the colors are so vivid and wonderful”. Now there are other times he says “Dad, I need you to get me out of here and back to my room. I just want to watch a little TV and sleep.” Unfortunately even after I tell him he is in bed and in his room it does not help.
Sometimes I have to play into the dream and that helps him allot.
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Usually during those long times you don’t hear from me because if he does not sleep I can’t either. Last night was relief for me because with the holiday here my sister-in-law spent last night with him and I got about 6 hours sleep. It’s been unfortunate that with most of the family here they had to see Mike in this state of mind.
He did get about 3 hours sleep this morning from 6am to 9am on and off. I do not think its enough to break up the cycle yet but I hope it’s a start.
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I feel part of his problem is he started with a tore up stomach and because of that he does not want to eat right or at all. Now a hacking cough and fever of 99.9.
I had a bad cold and gave it to a few caretakers. I was so proud that Mike had not gotten it and I fear I spoke to soon. It knocked me on my butt for about 10 days and I am still not over it. I wonder how long it will take Mike to get over ?
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One very interesting side effect is the last time I gave him his pain meds was about 18 hours ago. He has been on pain meds for over 3 months solid every 4 hours like clock work. I keep asking if his head hurts and its never the point of discomfort. He says no pain just a soar back or just feel bad in general. I am going to count this Pain Free time as a blessing giving his liver a chance to take a break and maybe by the time he asked for them again they will work better for him.
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So please lets all #1 thank God for his pain free time, #2 ask God for Mike to get more sleep or rest and to heal him from his hallucinations that he has a time or two referred to as a demon that’s trying to mess with his head. #3 he needs to not get this cold or to heal from it quickly.
LORD I TO PRAY AND ASK FOR THIS IN JESUS NAME, AMEN

11/26/07 Mike has slept on and off now for 2 days. He is his old self again and does not remember much. We have changed his Meds and I think that helps a little. I think prayer helps allot! Thank you all for your prayers. Mike is feeling so much better now.
Frank

12/01/2007 – Its been an interesting and educational week. The Meds that helped Mike sleep is what we are guessing he may be allergic to. We did not know of him ever being allergic to anything but Mike’s head blew up like a balloon on the morning of Thursday 11/27/07. His hands and feet did also with all his joints hurting. The red blotches and welts were huge. The itching he was going through was unimaginable for me. Luckily we had a Primary care Physician appointment that morning. The doctor changed his meds again and gave him a shot and meds to help. His swelling and blotching welts went down within a day but the itching all over is still there, not as bad but there.
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Sleep has been good and more scheduled the last few days. Mike’s sleeping more at night and staying up during the day as we have been working towards. Mike and I are feeling much more rested and the mood is better because of it despite the itching. Mikes dreams are better and he is not having nightmares any more for now.
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On Dec. 3rd we go back to Earlanger Hospital in Chattanooga TN to see the plastic surgeons again. We feel they are going to this time schedule his next surgery #6 and work on his mouth. This is not a simple surgery since as the doctors explained they don’t have bone to attach to for a top pallet to his mouth and they are during what they call unprecedented surgery with Mike. The doctors said they would this month come up with a plan of action and we would discuss and hopefully schedule it on the 3rd.
Mike is in hopes that if this all goes well he might in time get the trach out of his neck for breathing and tube out of his stomach for eating and can start using his mouth again. He will have to pass a swallow test before we know if that will ever happen.
.
Lord I pray to you this day to watch over Mike and his doctors to guide them in this time of Mikes rebuilding of mind, body and soul. AMEN

12/05/2007 Monday the 3rd was Mikes plastic surgeons visit. They want to wait for more healing until they decide what they want to operate on next, so now we wait again. The next appointment is January 14th to see if they want to schedule him for one of his next surgeries.
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Mike was disappointed in a few things the doctor had to say.
1. The doctor originally said that after the muscle they put in his face atrophied they could probably readjust it so both sides match. Now he says he will have to live with the protruding of the right side of his face.
2. The doctor said he was pleased to have saved half of his nose to help in the reconstructive process of rebuilding his nose. Now the doctor says Mike will probably have to live with a prosthetic nose, one that maybe attaches to some glasses or something.
3. Mike and I both had the impression that the next operation was going to be the inside of his mouth so he can pas a swallow test and get the trach out or his neck (that he breast through) and the feeding tube out of his stomach (his only way of getting food “liquid”). Now he is told they will not take either one of those out of him until the last operation which will be over a year or so. .
We were both waiting for the next operation so he could travel better before he want to “Hadley School for the Blind” but now I guess it does not matter.
As soon as I feel we have him equalized on the medications I will make arrangements for him to travel and try it. Hadley School for the Blind is located in Raleigh NC which is about a 9 hour drive from where I am. I understand Mike can go to school there for a week or even 6 months to learn full independence. They have dorm rooms and he will probably have a room mate. I will learn more about this school over the next week or two.
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Mikes Middle daughter turned 5 years old yesterday. Mike missed his other 2 daughters birthdays (he was in hospital) when they turned 1 & 6. We last night had a big birthday party for all 3 of then with cake and ice cream, party favors, family and lots of gifts.
Last night was a good night and very uplifting for Mike.

12/05/2007 Monday the 3rd was Mikes plastic surgeons visit. They want to wait for more healing until they decide what they want to operate on next, so now we wait again. The next appointment is January 14th to see if they want to schedule him for one of his next surgeries.
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Mike was disappointed in a few things the doctor had to say.
1. The doctor originally said that after the muscle they put in his face atrophied they could probably readjust it so both sides match. Now he says he will have to live with the protruding of the right side of his face.
2. The doctor said he was pleased to have saved half of his nose to help in the reconstructive process of rebuilding his nose. Now the doctor says Mike will probably have to live with a prosthetic nose, one that maybe attaches to some glasses or something.
3. Mike and I both had the impression that the next operation was going to be the inside of his mouth so he can pas a swallow test and get the trach out or his neck (that he breast through) and the feeding tube out of his stomach (his only way of getting food “liquid”). Now he is told they will not take either one of those out of him until the last operation which will be over a year or so. .
We were both waiting for the next operation so he could travel better before he want to “Hadley School for the Blind” but now I guess it does not matter.
As soon as I feel we have him equalized on the medications I will make arrangements for him to travel and try it. Hadley School for the Blind is located in Raleigh NC which is about a 9 hour drive from where I am. I understand Mike can go to school there for a week or even 6 months to learn full independence. They have dorm rooms and he will probably have a room mate. I will learn more about this school over the next week or two.
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Mikes Middle daughter turned 5 years old yesterday. Mike missed his other 2 daughters birthdays (he was in hospital) when they turned 1 & 6. We last night had a big birthday party for all 3 of then with cake and ice cream, party favors, family and lots of gifts.
Last night was a good night and very uplifting for Mike.

12/13/07 Not much news. No results from the eye exam yet. Mike is sleeping and eating well. Life is a little restless with the soon to be X but don't want to go there right now. Hope everyone is getting ready for the holidays. God Bless

12/16/07 Its been 4 months since the accident. Mikes main wounds are healed until the next operation. He is getting out of bed every day to do exercises and get around more than ever before. We have his medications worked out to have virtually no surprises. It seams like this all happened so long ago but yet in the big picture its not been that long. I feel Mike has come so far.
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Its been worked out where Mike is now going to spend most of his time at his brothers house.
Charlie and his fiancé Christy Lee will be his Care Givers. Christy Lee’s mom also lives next door and she is a very nice and concerned lady that I am sure at times will be able to help also. Mike have a nurse visit every afternoon now and by January should have one come in more hours each day to also help Mike out. I will continure with the paperwork and logistics of keeping everything strait plus I get to go back to work full time.
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I feel a lot of prayers have been answered and we all hope this change will be a good change for Mike who is the mail concern.
Thank you Lord for watching over all of us and guiding up to what we hope will be a easier road for Mike to travel. Amen

Happy Christmas eve to every one,
An update about Mike: Mike is doing well and settled in to his new location with his brother Charles. There is Charles and Christy Lee and their son who is almost 12 in the home. Between them and Christy Lee’s mom who lives next door. Quarters are a little tighter I know but the amount of people that can be there for Mike is greater then when he was with me.
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We did hear from the Optometrist and 1 of the major control tests were missed so Mike needs to go back to Atlanta GA at no charge to get the last test done to see what the total results are. I hope we will know by Mid. January the results from his tests on his eye.
Mike is on a more even scale as far as his Medications working better and the most crucial part of his healing over with. I feel its now just time to heal, learn, and reflect of his possibilities for the future.
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Mikes full time nursing care is also now kicking in by the first of the year hopefully giving 6 to 8 hours a day 5 days a week for Mike so my oldest sons family can work more freely. I have gotten all Medicaid’s from GA & NC to kick in now so we are comfortable knowing Mike’s bills are and will be paid. Social Security Disability is all approved and Mike will be getting SS long term starting in February. We were also told that all of his children qualify for SS and that is being applied for now. I feel it is enough to help provide will for them as they grow up and that is a huge load off of my mind.
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I myself am still taking care of all the paperwork for SS and Medicaid and we hope future School for Mike.
The shared load now is a huge load off of my back and I feel with all the benefits coming into play will help Mike and his brother to cope as good as possible.
I am able to get back to work full time @ Exit Realty in Murphy NC and hope that sales soon will bring me get my head above the water.
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Thank you Lord for having this all fall into place. Thank you Lord for knowing the best way for all, even though we don’t always understand it as it happens. Watch over us and bless us as these trials and tribulations continue. Help us to understand your ways and to watch over the children. Amen

01/04/2007 The holidays are over and all the company is gone. Now its time to get back to business and a routine.
Mike is having his last eye test today to see if part of his vision can be salvaged.
Christmas was very good and a great time was had by all.
According to a call this morning they are trying to set up a full time (6 to 8 hours a day)(5 days a week) caretaker so Charlie can get back to work. It might even be a possibility that Christy Lee can with a few classes added onto her present education get licensed to be part of the caretaker program and stay home more to care for Mike and still get paid.
The photo is of Mike on Christmas day with him Mom from Florida. She came and visited for almost 2 weeks and it was a good visit.
We hope that the Lord will allow all to have a great 2008! Its gotta be better…lol
Frank

1/15/2008 I talked to Mike today about yesterdays visit with the doctor.
He was very upset. He will be getting his next operation some time between 2/23/2008 and 2/28/2008.
This operation will be good because it will fill in his forehead, lift a sagging eye socket and straiten his top lip.
What has him upset is that the doctor said they see no way he will ever have top teeth so will never be able to chew again.
They will not be able to rebuild his pallet to swallow but maybe there is a prostheses for this.
He was also told that they will not give him a new nose and again maybe a prostheses might be available for this but that is not there department.
Mike said when the doctor saw how visibly upset Mike was that the doctors tone softened but no help in anything else he can do.
This is the same doctor that told him at the beginning that all of this can be done in time.
There was another head doctor in place then. Now there is a new head of that department and now Mike is being told none of these things can be done.
I told Mike that we will see this next operation through and then it will be time to search out new doctors that might be able to help Mike more.
Pray for everything to go through ok and to guide us to new doctors to help Mike.
Frank