The Gathering is coming up soon, and it's inevitable that somebody will ask about videos of the Gathering, maybe if videos of past Gatherings were available yet, and eventually, "whatever happened to Video Bob"?. He answers that below. It reminds me of something William Wynne says often, "every day that passes, you're one day closer to losing your medical". Bob is one of those guys with infectious good humour...he's always smiling, has something positive to say, and is happy to see you. Let's keep Bob in mind at the Gathering this year, and we'll expect him at MVN (or wherever) next year...
From: "Bob Vermeulen" <omega...@att.net> To: <"N56ML "@hiwaay.net> Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 3:48 PM Subject: Whatever happened to videoBob? > Hi Mark, > > It's been a long time since I've seen you or been able to talk with you. > Once again I won't be able to make it to Oshkosh or to the Gathering. I > know I'm going to miss a lot of good things and not see a lot of my old > friends. Sorry about that. I still get the KRNet digest and usually read > it everyday. So now to bring you up to date. As you may know several > years ago I sold my KR project to Keith Crawford. I loved that project, > but when Sport Pilot came on the scene, I realized that it might be a good > way for me to go. I mean, my blood pressure was going up and I realized > that passing a physical may not always be something automatic for me. > Anyway I built a MiniMax. Put a Citroen engine in it, flew it and loved > it. A couple of years ago I also bought a Kolb MK III that had been > balled up in a hard landing and rebuilt it. It turned out real nice and I > was very proud of it. Nice plane. My business thrived over the past ten > years. I normally worked 70 to 80 hours a week. Work was nuts!! Anyway > I turned 62 at the end of November 2009. My plan was to retire (or > seriously cut back my business) on December 1, 2009. I figured this would > give me more time to do what I wanted to do. Flying low and slow. > Getting to Osh, Sun n' fun and the KR Gathering. Retirement was something > I was looking forward to. I worked hard for it and I was READY. > > Dec 3rd was a good day, but in the evening I became sick. Serious > throwing up and sharp pain in my stomach. I had had the sharp pain in my > stomach all last summer and while I mostly grounded my flying activity, I > didn't let it slow me down. My doc thought I probably had a hiatal > hernia. Made sense to me. I deserved ulcers and anything else that might > come along. I also had high blood pressure. It was out of control. > Anyway around midnight on Dec.3 My wife dragged me to the Emergency Room. > They rolled me in as I argued with them about what was happening. To me > it was a hiatal hernia. The docs at the Heart Center said I was having a > very serious heart attack. I don't remember too much after that. In the > days that followed, the doctors told me I had a 100 percent blockage of > the LAD (Lateral anterior descending artery) This one is also known as > the "widow maker". He informed me that he had never had anybody survive a > 100 percent blockage of the LAD. He worked on me till he got two stents > in the artery. Open heart "bypass" surgery was out of the question > because of the weakened heart. They took good care of me and I am > greatful to all the docs and to God for saving my life. Well, after a > weeks stay in the hospital they finally let me go home. I worked the next > day to tie up a few loose odds and ends. My business associate suggested > that I didn't look too good and that maybe I should go home. I went home. > Can't be too cautious can we. A few hours later I'm kicked back in my > LazyBoy and I am having a strange sensation. I see my hands and my feet, > but I don't know who they belong too. I felt like I was outside of my > body. STRANGE. Hard to explain. Sharon (my wife) sensed something was > wrong and got me to lay down. I was having a stroke. That was Dec. 9. It > was back to the hospital for nearly two weeks The next thing I remember is > Christmas day. My first recollection of it was that my daughter and > husband were there. I always love Christmas morning. The next thing I > recall was realizing that I was pretty much blind. I could see very > little and could figure out very little of what I did see. The stroke was > not good to me, but it could have been so much worse. I lost most of my > eyesight, but I could walk and talk, and both hands and arms worked. I > didn't druel all over myself. It was a "hoot" watching me dress. Trying > to figure out where my arms went in a shirt. A number of times I tried to > put two legs into one pant leg. I've learned to dress all over again. > Sometimes I still get the buttons all cockeyed on my shirt. I've learned > to laugh at a lot of things and am happy when I get some things right. My > wife has been a real trooper through all of this and helps me get around > to appointments etc. I tell everybody that she's "driving Miss Daisy". I > don't know if I'll ever be able to drive or fly again, but I can report > that some of my vision is getting better. I still have a problem putting > together what I do see and making it useful information. I walk because I > can see the edge of the sidewalk or road. Crossing the street is a > problem, I can see a car up the street but I can't tell how far away it is > or how fast it's coming. As you can tell I have a few challenges right > now. I do view them as challenges to be overcome. Everyday I look > forward to whipping another challenge. I am making progress. I hope to > one day get back to Oshkosh and especially another KR Gathering. There > are so many great folks who love the KR, and have been so good to me over > the years. I will make it back. (Dana probably shouldn't plan on me yet > this year though.) > > Mark, thanks for all you do by keeping KRNet alive. It's an inspiration > to me everyday. Seeing the names of the guys that post always brings back > good memories. > > Have a great time at Oshkosh and say "hi" to my friends that you might run > into (Mark Jones, Bill Clapp, Larry Flesner, Steve Bennett, William and > Gracie and so many others. > > Bob Vermeulen > aka VideoBob >
