ANA Discussion Forum
AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: Pooter on September 11, 2008, 05:26:48 pm
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*sigh* So, I get an AN, have surgery, recuperate, go back to work to find the comany in shambles, find out the company is going out of business and I will lose my job by October 31, find out later that it turned into September 15 (Monday), and to top it all off we have another hurricane headed this way... So, the hits keep on coming. When will this crazy world for me just settle back down to some sort of normalcy? There's something to be said for a boring life..
Brian
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Sounds awful.......I hope you weather every storm, you have already proven to yourself you can......charge forward....when one door closes another opens.
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Brian~
I was thinking about you too - try to stay dry & safe...How's the job thing coming??
K
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Pooter, stay safe and dry with your family. Let us know when the storm passes. I have this posted on my office door: "Everything is OK in the end. If it's not OK, it's not the end."
Marci
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Brian,
Sounds like life has been one big hurricane for you lately. I didn't realize you were down close to the storm. Stay dry and safe. That's the most important thing right now. With any luck, Ike will drop a job offer for you on his way by.
If you need to head to higher ground, we're always willing to take in storm refugees! Come on up!
Lori
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When will this crazy world for me just settle back down to some sort of normalcy?
After you finish recuperating, find a new job, and the hurricane season ends. For awhile, anyway. :)
Hope you are staying safe and sane.
Steve
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Thanks everyone for your responses. Lori, to answer you, yup I'm in Houston and it seems to have taken aim on us. Luckily, I'm in the extreme northwest side of the city and the latest projection have the center of it going to the west of us.. Will it be enough that we miss the majority of the storm? I don't know. We're just hunkering down and staying in. Luckily I was given tomorrow off work and Jenni was too. As of now, we're staying put and riding it out.
Kaybo, interesting that you should ask about the job hunt. One of the owners of the current company is trying to start a new company with some backing from a company in Atlanta. Within the last day, literally, I have suspended the hunt and I've put my full force into helping shut down this company and start the new one. Luckily, I'm an IT guy and they'll need that at the new company and they asked me to come along for the journey with the new one. Now, I will take about 50% of my salary for 3-6 months (current projections) but that is better than getting Unemployment. And, the guy that works with me is upset that I decided that because he was hoping to land a job with the new company. He was none too thrilled about my decision. Oh well. Come early next week (Monday or Tuesday), I won't have him around to worry about it. It's gonna be A LOT of work to do everything with both places, but heck at least it's a job. Thanks for asking about it. :)
I'll post some pictures soon, but suffice it to say that physically things are MUCH better than they were. At the time of surgery, I was completely unable to move the right side of my face and it's dang near back to normal now. The swelling continues to go down and it's just about gone now, which is good. I obviously keep close tabs on both things. I seem to be a bit weaker than before the surgery, but that's the least of my worries and doesn't affect me too much either personally or on the job. Things are not back to normal, but darn close. I'll post so people can see for themselves, especially new people here, that healing does happen even if it takes awhile.
We were supposed to be camping this weekend and I was supposed to come back with wild stories of me horseback riding, archery, shooting .22 rifles, building a bonfire, etc. But, alas, there's a little storm headed this way so we've been rescheduled for that trip in March. So, now, our first outing camping will be next month pending no storms. Not nearly as exciting as what was supposed to be this weekend, but fun none the less.
Much more information than anyone wanted to know, but there it is anyhow..
I'll update during/after the storm when it passes us..Thanks for thinking of us!
Regards,
Brian
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Aww, Pooter, I'm sorry you are having so much trouble right now. Life seems to do that to us, sometimes - just one rotten thing right after another. I sure hope it turns around for you soon and then, the only way is up, right?
Thinking of you and your family and wishing you all the best.
Sue in Vancouver USA
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Brian,
I'm thinking horseback riding, archery, shooting and a bonfire might just be a little bit more dangerous than the hurricane! :o
I'm wearing my "I survived Hurricane Isabel" t-shirt in your honor today.
Lori
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Brian:
I hope you and your family are weathering the hurricane safely. My son has a buddy (also an 'IT guy') who lives in Houston (I don't know the exact location) and, like you, he too is hunkering down for the duration. He sends my son e-mails every few hours. reporting the storm situation.
I was pleased to learn about your new job. As you said, its better than no job - and you may be getting in on the ground floor of a very successful business. Fortunately, your IT skills are going to be in demand, giving you some assurance of employment prospects, should this company fail.
Too bad about the canceled camping trip. I hope you can do it at a later date.
Best of all, your report of slowly but surely regaining normalcy (facial function, etc) is fantastic! Your AN experience is very instructional and we appreciate you choosing to remain a dedicated poster who can offer hope to 'newbies' and those struggling with recovery. Looking forward to those photos!
I wish you safe harbors and continued healing. :)
Jim
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Aw, man, Brian. That really is a drag. But from someone who has been where you are I can only tell you that things do get better. Take care of you and your family in the storm. After riding out Andrew, I assure you they are nasty things to deal with.
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Hey Brian,
Take care of you and yours--I'm thinking about all of my Houston friends. As for the rest, things will improve, I know they will.
All best wishes,
Marci
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Pooter, Dear,
The thing I've learned about being a survivor is not to sweat the small stuff--and it's all small stuff. Except for big bad hurrycanes and you sound like you are not much in the bad danger zone and being smart. I survived a class 5 hurricane while many around me died, I survived a brain tumor, while my wonderful cousin who I grew up with did not survive his. I have my life and my family and a roof over my head and food in the fridge. I may get a headache every now and then, but it goes away. The rest is small stuff. It only seems big when I allow it to seem big. I try to focus on the NOW and not let fear of the imagined future get to me.
You will survive this setback, Pooter. Your family will eat and Hopefully your roof won't blow off! Just keep letting your AN family here help boost you up. We'll oil you up and take you on another cruise if we need to!
Poot On!
Capt Deb(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee60/Captdeb_photos/pirate2.gif)
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Hi Brian-
I just sent you a PM, before I saw this post. The heck with the hurricane - the ride at work seems much more unpredictable and stormy! At least it is blowing in your favor at the moment. Being on the ground floor of something new can be a wonderful experience - I hope that is exactly what it turns into for you! You deserve a whole bunch of good events, Brian!
BTW, so glad to hear that your face is amost back to normal! And, yes, we want pictures! I will have to post a picture soon myself. I am far from "back to normal" but I also see a lot of progress from the early days. I'll take it!
Make sure you have lots of chocolate chip cookies for the storm.
Debbi
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Pooter,
I'm with everyone wishing you a safe ride, waiting for this storm to pass. Keep us posted, in the mean time were all here for you and many many prayers that you will all be safe.......God Bless......
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Brian, sorry to hear you are in the path of the hurricane, but happy to hear the job situation may be resolving.
As a fellow facial paralysis patient, I am really happy to read that yours has nearly resolved in . . . five months? Outstanding. When did you first see movement?
Sara
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Pooter -
sorry to hear about all the "rain" in your life - no pun intended. But the job front sounds somewhat promising. And the MUCH better physical things sounds wonderful.
You've been through a lot, but you're tough and you'll continue to get through the "not so good days".
Hang tough and know we're pulling for you.
Jan
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As a fellow facial paralysis patient, I am really happy to read that yours has nearly resolved in . . . five months? Outstanding. When did you first see movement?
Thanks to everyone for their well wishes. We are weathering the storm. We actually just started seeing some sprinkles. The wind has steadily gotten stronger this evening, but just got some sprinkles. Luckily, the family is sleeping so I'm left to watch the storm and what it brings.
Sara, to answer you, I saw the first twinge of movement at 2-3 weeks. It has steadily gotten stronger since then. I've only recently felt that it was close to being "normal" again. I still have my moments when I seem to slur my speech more than usual. Surgery was on 5/8 so I just past 4 months. Heck of a way to celebrate that with the strongest storm to hit Texas in years, eh? ;)
Regards,
Brian
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OH, my Pooter! When it rains, it pours (sorry for the pun during Ike)..... you KNOW I'm sending the hugglez... and wishing I could do more. Like you, I've been slammed with physical whoas continuous for the past 7 years... new funky diagnoses for multiple ailments at least 1-2x/yr... It takes its toll on you (as you know, for all you are enduring)... sending you mental strength to help you get through it... hang tough... know I'm thinking of you... and you can do it!
Phyl
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Hi Brian,
Sorry I'm late coming to this thread. I hope you and your family and friends are safe and sound. Ike has dealt a devastating blow and I am very concerned about you. Please let us know as soon as possible that you are okay.
Wendy
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Brian - wondering how you and Jen and the kids weathered the storm. After I got your email Friday, I was watching all the news reports and it seems like some areas in Houston really got slammed. Hopefully you are all okay and have power!
Post when you can...
Debbi, sending dry air your way
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Debbi -
We are definitely one of the lucky ones. We had minimal shingle damage and a few fece posts, but beyond that we've had power since Saturday morning and clean running water for about as long. J's parents have been without power since Friday night. We survived and weather'd it great. Now, I'm dreading when my fuel needs replenishing.
Talk soon..
Brian
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Brian,
Glad to hear you are all okay and the house sustained minimal damange. From what I've seen on the news and in the paper you have been extremely lucky and I hope that luck continues.
Wendy