My Motorcycle Injuries

Two days ago my car flashed a couple of warning lights on the dashboard. It started running really rough but I made it home safely. I waited until the next morning to see what was wrong, but the majority of the problems (along with the lights) disappeared. I’m hoping that it was all an unfortunate anomaly and the car will go on without any further incidents. The car was a gift given to me by my church family. They felt that I should have a vehicle because I spend so much time alone at home since the accident. Everyone chipped in and they gave me enough money to buy a used car at a local dealership. They are all very generous and very kind. So, when I experienced a mechanical problem the other day, my mind went back to the period of time before the accident when my wife and I were trying to decide on what to buy as a second vehicle. The reason that we chose to get a motorcycle is stated in the  my story  page of this blog. We felt that a used car would provide too many mechanic...

The pain in my body continues, but I still feel that it’s not worth any medical effort. It’s not the type of pain that hinders me from functioning. It’s rather the type of pain that serves to annoy me throughout the day without any great consequences. I googled the topic of knee replacements yesterday and every website continues to confirm that I really should wait for anything like that until my issue with pain and physical hindrances become unbearable. I’m not even close to that level yet. The rest of my body (emphasis on my hand) hurts to a certain degree at any given point in a day, but life moves on. The thing about all of this is that the pain remains subtle at most times, but always progresses throughout the day regardless of my level of activity. My hand, wrist, knee, thigh, and hip always serve to remind me to some extent of the damage done to my body, but none of it warrants the attention of a surgeon. Well, not yet anyway. Today I spent some time cleaning things up after a s...

I read on the local news today that a guy died this morning in a motorcycle accident not too far from where I live. He rode into the back of a car and died at the scene. I’ve thought about it from time to time throughout the day. The thing is that when I hear of something like this it causes me to question my existence a little. In truth, I can’t explain or understand why it is that I didn’t die six years ago, and for whatever reason it troubles me a little. I’ve been told countless times by medical professionals that I should have died, but I don’t really have an answer as to why I’m still here. I really don’t have a clue as to why it is that some people live and some people die. I’m a theologian by calling and profession. I can understand and use terms such as divine providence, mercy, grace, and fate. I have listened while others have told me that “God wasn’t finished with you yet”, and “He still has something left for you to do”. Still, I really have no idea why I’m alive while a g...

I keep seeing commercials on television that call for people to donate blood during this time of crisis with the coronavirus. I’ve tried to donate blood twice since the accident. They got the needle in me the first time, but a relatively minuscule amount of blood poured into the bag before it stopped flowing and they called it quits. They didn’t even bother putting the needle into my arm the second time about a year later. I was told that my veins wouldn’t support the thicker needle used to draw blood. I’ve wanted to donate blood for the past six years in order to honor the fact that I was given an enormous amount of blood in the hospital during the first week after the accident. If it were possible, I would donate blood several times a year. This past week I actually considered going to the local blood bank in order to give it another try, but my rational mind tells me that I’ll be wasting time…again. They have a hard time just getting a few vials of blood out of me when I need to get...

My jaw was double-broken, upper and lower, in the accident. It was reset and wired shut while I was still unconscious during the first days after the accident. The wiring was taken off a couple of months later and I was able to resume normal use of my mouth. The first thing that I ate after the wiring was taken off was pizza. I have to admit that it was a dumb move. The crust was really difficult to chew and provided more pain than pleasure. I endured an enormous amount of work done to my mouth over the next year, but my teeth and my jaw were eventually restored and life went on. But now…over the past weeks my jaw has begun hurting. It has happened before in the past, but this time the pain has been more pronounced and it continues to linger. I can’t bring myself to even consider the option of going to see someone about it because the year after the accident produced enough visits to the oral maxillofacial surgeon and the cosmetic dentist to last a lifetime. Although this current pain ...

So yeah, the nation is going a little nutty concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19). I absolutely agree that we should be observant, cautious, and responsible. What I don’t fully understand is some of the things currently happening such as the toilet paper rush. My guess would be that people are preparing in case of a mandatory quarantine being put into place by the government under emergency measures. I assume that old leaves and pages from a Sears catalogue just won’t do the trick any more. At least everyone will have enough hand sanitizer to spray on their charcoal grills when the fire won’t cooperate a year from now, right? The title of this blog entry is a Latin phrase and it literally translates “remember you must die”. Figuratively, it is a phrase that signifies a reminder of our mortality and can be symbolized through things such as artwork. It’s an old phrase that dates back to ancient Rome. Having experienced a horrific motorcycle accident and knowing that I wasn’t really e...

       A few years ago I discovered that I was given diabetes as a late gift from my motorcycle accident injuries. The symptoms became fairly intense after roughly two years, and I finally went to see an endocrinologist who placed me on insulin and medication immediately. My initial A1C was a dangerous 14.2 during that first visit, but I’ve since brought it down to very good levels. I only take metformin now and I control things otherwise through proper diet and exercise. Kudos to me, I guess. I’ve got to be honest in stating that I really hate being diabetic. It’s a disease that controls your life and shows no mercy when left unchecked. It’s particularly irritating to consider that it came about as the result of damage done to my pancreas during the accident. It just serves to highlight the vicious nature of my accident injuries and helps to remind me daily of the damage done to my body. I get tired of having to watch my diet and exercise, but I particularly grow ti...