Well, I guess I will share some of mine. Many days right now are spent in front of this computer chatting with y'all because it hurts too bad to move, let alone walk. We were hoping we would have been through this phase by now, and now we are left to wonder if I will ever get any better.
For the most part, I have always been very healthy and active. I am now only 43 and am a Desert War Vet. My issues come from being involved in a construction accident, and I have always pushed myself daily to try and be a productive citizen, and now it has all backfired on me.
So far this year, I have had 2 more surgeries. I had 2 ribs removed in April because I reinjured them and they were in too bad of shape to save. We risked them puncturing the lung again, or coming through my side (it felt like they were doing both). Then in July, I had a multi-level spinal fusion because my back was so bad that I really couldn't walk much anymore, let alone even sleep. We were finally very excited that there was some hope that the pain was going to be at least managable.
Right now, I have to keep reminding myself that I am only a little over three months out from that surgery, and the doc says it would take 6-12 months to really see what was going to happen. Some days now, I would rather be paralysed in a wheel chair as long as it took the pain away. I am on vicodin, percocet, opanna er, flector patch, to try and control the pain. And it does very little.
We have downsized for years now trying to get to the point we can live off of my wifes income because I have been turned down for disability. She is a burn nurse, and works her tail off to try and provide for us and her patients at the hospital. We haven't had furniture in 2 1/2 years, only a bed and a small table, and all the while it's not easy, we keep saying someday.
We have just lucked into (I think, I hope, I pray) our dream farm. It was owned by another nurse my wife works with family. They had to put her mother into a condo finally and this has just been sitting there all year empty. They have been nice enough to work a lease purchase option for us so that we can make repairs that the bank will require before they will make the loan. I have the experience to do it, and am praying that I will have the strength soon.
It needs alot of work. It has 12 acres, a pond, 3 barns, and two small houses that both need alot of work. One house is 700 sq. ft, and hasn't been lived in in over 5 years. We will have to heat with wood this year cut from the property to help keep utility bills low. Our monthly payment on this will be half of what the little apartment we have is, and it will give me more opportunities as well.
My hopes are that I will be able to raise chickens, eggs, and anything else out there to help supplement the grocery bills and make a little other money as well. I am baking pumpkin breads, banana breads, making fresh mozzarella cheese, etc to try and sell to folks at church etc to make a little money as well.
This is getting a little long here, I apologize. I will keep you all in my prayers that somehow you will find the strength to keep going. It is very hard somedays, I know. But together, we can hang in there and do it.
I wish we were all closer to each other and could just start our own little village or something for survivors!
