LOOKS LIKE A GO

 I RECEIVED ENOUGH FEEDBACK TO TRY TO GO AHEAD WITH OUR PMS GET-TOGETHER ON APRIL 20TH.  IT WILL BE HELD AGAIN AT THE OLD ROSSVILLE STORE WITH EATING AT 6, AND ENTERTAINMENT TO FOLLOW.  YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR "GRAVEN" INVITATIONS IN THE MAIL SOMETIME SOON.  I HAVE ENLISTED SOME VOLUNTEERS TO ADDRESS THE INVITATIONS, SINCE I CANNOT WRITE LEGIBLY WITH MY LEFT HAND. (I CAN WRITE LIKE A DOCTOR  WITH IT, HOWEVER!)

HOPEFULLY AT THE GET-TOGETHER YOU WILL ALSO GET A SHEET WITH A SCHEDULE OF THE SPECIAL RIDES. I ALSO WILL HAVE A GROUP HELPING PUT THAT TOGETHER BEFORE THE MEETING.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THE "REFLECTIONS ON LAST YEAR" DVD.  AGAIN OUR GROUP WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH ENOUGH "MATERIAL" TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, I HOPE!

SOMETIME ON THE 20TH, I WILL NEED HELP TRANSPORTING THE TV, LAPTOP, ECT. AND MY BODY OUT TO ROSSVILLE AND WILL ALSO NEED HELP WITH THE SET-UP OUT THERE.

I KNOW EVERYONE ALWAYS ENJOYS THIS GET-TOGETHER, AND WITH SOME HELP, I THINK WE CAN PULL IT OFF AGAIN.

REMEMBER LAST TIME?

KEEP THE 20TH OPEN!

POSSIBLE PMS GET TOGETHER?

 IF I CONTINUE MY HEALING, I MAY BE ABLE TO "CHAIR" THE ANNUAL PMS MEETING YET THIS SPRING.  I'M LOOKING AT APRIL 20TH.  ANYONE SEE A PROBLEM WITH THAT DATE?

I WILL NEED SOME HELP CONTACTING EVERYONE!

LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE DATE AND IF YOU CAN HELP.

563-568-7277

brotach@msn.com

ANOTHER SHOULDER UPDATE

 THE DOCTOR VISIT TODAY WENT WELL.  THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT HE STILL FEELS THE SHOULDER WILL HEAL ITSELF WITHOUT SURGERY.  IT IS STILL GOING TO BE A LENGTHY RECOVERY, AND THAT WOULD BE TRUE EVEN WITH SURGERY.  I AM ABLE TO KEEP THE PAIN DOWN BETTER NOW, SO HE THINKS THE HEALING IS TAKING PLACE.

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE WELL WISHES YOU FOLKS HAVE SENT OR CALLED TO ME.  AGAIN KEEP JULIE IN YOUR PRAYERS AS SHE CONTINUES TO BE MY NURSE AT HOME.

IT WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION TO FIND A NEW LEADER OR LEADERS UNTIL I CAN GET BACK UP AND RUNNING, AND THAT MAY BE MOST OF THE SUMMER.  SO YOU WILL NEED SOMEONE(S) TO LEAD THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDES AND PLAN ANY OF THE SPECIAL RIDES LIKE WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE.  I WILL BE GLAD TO HELP WITH THE RIDE PLANNING, AND THE BLOG CAN STILL BE USED FOR COMMUNICATION PURPOSES.

SPECIAL THANKS  FROM THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIDERS FOR THE FLOWERS!  I,  (AND I'M SURE YOU DO ALSO) KNOW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT GESTURE!

HERE'S THE ARRANGEMENT....

IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S SOME HUMOR FOR THE DAY COURTESEY OF DENNIS & MARLENE...

I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP YOU POSTED ON MY PROGRESS, AND WHOEVER MAY STEP UP TO BE LEADERS AND PLANNERS!

GOD BLESS!

9

SHOULDER UPDATE

 FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK EVERYONE OF YOU WHO CALLED OR SENT E-MAILS WISHING ME WELL.

I DO HAVE AN UPDATE ALREADY!  SUE MC MILLAN WORKED SOME TYPE OF MIRACLE AND GOT ME INTO SEE ONE OF THE ORTHROPEDIC DOCTORS AT GUNDERSEN YESTERDAY.  I PREFERRED GUNDERSEN, SINCE THEY WERE THE DOCTORS THAT DID MY SUCCESSFUL KNEE REPLACEMENTS.

TO MY SURPRISE, THE DOCTOR THERE ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LET THE SHOULDER TRY TO HEAL ITSELF INSTEAD OF SURGERY, AT LEAST AT THE PRESENT TIME.  HE SAID I WOULD STILL BE IN CONSIDERABLE PAIN EITHER WAY.  HE INDICATED THAT THE SHOULDER SURGERY WOULD REQUIRE PLACEMENT OF SCREWS INTO THE BONES AND THAT WITH OLDER PATIENTS WITH SOFT BONES, THE SCREWS OFTEN DON'T HOLD.

HE WANTS TO SEE ME AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS FOR MORE X-RAYS.  IF THERE IS NO PROGRESS, THEN WE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT SURGERY.  EITHER WAY HE SAID IT WOULD BE AT LEAST A MONTH BEFORE I WOULD SEE ANY REAL IMPROVEMENT.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR CONCERNS!

LEADER OUT OF COMMISSION!

 AFTER HAVING A GREAT TIME IN FLORIDA AND ON OUR CRUISE, CATASTROPHY STRUCK!  ON OUR WAY BACK WE STOPPED AT THE DAY'S INN IN SIKESTON, MO, A TOWN SOUTH OF ST. LOUIS.  AS I WAS LEAVING AFTER CHECKING IN, I FELL FACE FIRST ON SOME CONCRETE STEPS AND LANDED DIRECTLY ON MY RIGHT SHOULDER.  I WAS HURTING BAD ENOUGH THAT WE CALLED AN AMBULANCE, AND WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL.  AFTER X-RAYS WERE TAKEN, IT LOOKS LIKE I AM GOING TO NEED SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY.

I AM IN EXTREME PAIN WITH ALMOST EVERY MOTION, AND CAN HARDLY MOVE MY RIGHT ARM & SHOULDER AT ALL.  SO RIGHT NOW I AM A TRUE "GIMP". 

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE VMH CLINIC TO TRY AND GET THE NEEDED SURGERY SCHEDULED.  SINCE THEY DIDN'T THINK I COULD DRIVE, JULIE DROVE MOST OF THE WAY BACK.  HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE PICK UP AND PULLING THE TRAILER, WE LEFT THE TRIKE AND TRAILER AT THE MOTEL.  JIM G IS GOING TO BE KIND ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO SIKESTON AND PICK IT UP FOR US.

I WILL TRY TO KEEP YOU GUYS UPDATED ON MY CONDITION, BUT YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED A NEW LEADER FOR A WHILE.  MEANWHILE PRAY FOR JULIE AS SHE HAS TO BE MY NURSE AGAIN!