Thank you Glenn Henry for telling us of your journey and of your Faith. Wishing your journey was neither rocks nor concrete.
Praying that you can at least figuratively; lie down in His green pasture. And that He, the Shepherd , the Good Shepherd, will restore your soul this Christmas Season. Psalm 23:2,3 Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 24, 2017, at 1:52 PM, Glenn A Henry <gah17...@aol.com> wrote: > > Merry > > Christmas > > > > It is Christmas, well technically Christmas Eve, and if you are offended at > what I say, perhaps you will read my whole post and know my story a little > better. > > First, > Merry Christmas, > happy Hanukkah, > happy Kwanzaa, > happy happy happy. > > Okay, I’m one of those that believe that Donald Trump is doing a fantastic > job even > though the fake news media is doing their best to discredit everything that > the majority of this country was built upon and believes in. For those that > say the quad site is not for religion, politics or a Merry Christmas, go > pound sand, better yet stick your head under it and come out in eight years. > > Now, I’m going to say what I intend. I'm free, live in the United States of > America, the greatest nation on earth and at the moment have free speech. I > have been on the quad site most of 12 to 14 years, if not more and enjoyed > the posts that came across, found many helpful and I was able to help other > people that posted. I’m proud of who I am, what I’ve accomplished in my life > and scared of the road that I need to travel. I have this road close to my > house that I call my Prayer Road. When I have an issue I will travel this > road to think and pray. I was traveling that road in 1996 praying for an > answer to prayer because of a decision I needed to make. My mother was put on > a ventilator and a decision needed to be made to continue. Being the only > surviving child the weight fell on my shoulders and that was the issue I was > praying about. I know the spot that an audible voice told me “don’t worry she > is already with me.” That is something I will never forget. > > I still travel that road when I have an issue to think or pray about, but I > look at the road a little different. About two thirds of the way on this > road, I look back. What I see is a stone road that I traveled many times. > This road is now paved, but in my mind I can still see a stone road and small > concrete bridge. This road I traveled hundreds of times on the way to “the > old swimming hole”. Oh yes, the old swimming hole, many of us have areas like > this, many of the kids that swam there also tried their first cigarette or > other first. Mine was a small corncob pipe, tobacco was cherry blend > half-and-half. As I look back the road I treasure the memories of the > swimming hole and probably the best hunting for small game in the area. I > took many a rabbit and squirrel from that road. Gone is the stone road, much > of the trees and brush, remaining sweet memories. > > Today on that same road after I have looked back, I look forward. The road > goes up a small hill and bears to the left. If you are new to that road > wonder, what is ahead, what will I need to go through. > > I know what I find for I elected to follow that road many years ago. > However, the thought of what is ahead and how will I handle it is the > million-dollar question. > > A few months ago someone made the comment about ending their life, but > stated that they probably would not have the strength to go through that. It > is not srength to end your life, I know that all too well. Yes, it is going > to end your suffering and Lord knows I’ve suffered too. I’ve also gone > through pain when a brother committed suicide and I know firsthand what it > does to those around you. My nephew to this day has to be on medication for > depression. If he does not take his medicine they may find him laying on the > floor rolled up in a ball. My brother was a police officer, was on solo > patrol and watched helplessly as his best friends father, a damn drunk, > stepped out from the backside of a telephone pole into the path of a car, to > commit suicide. My brother tried to get him out and resuscitate him, but no > go. The year was 1975 and thinking about actions like this were totally > different. The police department gave a few counseling sessions, but > basically told him not to think about it or talk about it and eventually it > will go away. Well, just about a year later it went away and so does my > brother. I am mad at the police department, or basically the people that were > in charge of that time, but I met her at my brother. At my time of life I > need someone that I can share with, and certain things cannot be shared and > understood unless it is a sibling or very long-standing friend. > > My accident was 1966, so that makes me almost 52 years post SCI. In those 52 > years I started out with two small businesses, the first making Christmas > decorations and the second selling hunting and fishing equipment. I always > had a very strong urge to go into the electronics field. I don’t know why, > but looking back it was a God thing. The Pennsylvania Bureau of > rehabilitation would not pay for schooling for electronics. I said, “fine I > will pay for the course on my own” and that is exactly what I did. All logic > flies against what I did, a person that does not have use of his hands and > can repair electronic equipment. My brain told me I could not do it, but my > heart one my brain over. When I was two thirds of the way through the > correspondence course, before the age of computers there was something called > a correspondence course. The course came through the mail completed it and > returned your lessons by snail mail, OVR decided to pay for the balance of my > course. > > It was about the time of the gas embargo and every truck and car had a CB > radio installed. Well, God put me in the right place at the right time. As I > graduated from consumer electronics in the public service electronics, police > fire and ambulance along with business radio equipment, things took off. I > would stay off of the disabled list for approximately 32 years and impressed > the rehabilitation people so much that when I built a new building to house > the equipment the state of Pennsylvania went to the expense of installing an > elevator. My counselor just shook his head and said in his 20 some years of > counseling the bigwigs never awarded something like this. > > Well, because of my health I am now retired and because of my wife’s doctor > being on drugs and alcohol, botched up a hip replacement surgery. She is now > permanently disabled. But despite it all, life is good. > > Throughout my 52 years of being a quadriplegic my body has taken a toll. > Many of you know what I am talking about, your internals compress, your > bowels will enlarge and someone on the quad site said that the best I’ve ever > heard, “bowels that would hold 10 pounds of shit now hold 30.” > > Also, using a Foley catheter the entire time has taken its toll on the > bladder. This is my Achilles’ heel. In the 1960s and 70s there were no other > options and by the time these options came to light it was too late. > > I’ve spent much of the last three years in bed. We’ve had one pressure sore > than another then another. I was diagnosed 12 years ago was bladder cancer, > but ask for a second opinion. I got my second opinion which was a shrug off. > This Dr. told me to go to John Hopkins in Baltimore, which we did. Testing at > John Hopkins found no cancer so no surgery was needed. The young just out of > school idiot that had his doctor’s license had already scheduled me for > surgery. I ound out that if I would have gone through surgery, I probably > would not have survived. > > Because of ongoing issues with incontinence, thankfully I don’t have many > UTIs I was referred to Hershey Medical Center and visited a female doctor who > is probably in the top 10% in the country. > > After examination and consultation she stated that “I would not be a good > candidate for surgery.” Internal organs have gone too far south and basically > the bladder is nonexistent. She has performed hundreds of surgeries to divert > the urinary tract. Chances of complications are 70% and of those 70%, 40% are > life-threatening. Unless it was a life and death decision she would not do > the surgery. Oh did I mention those odds are with normal patients? A normal > patient would be under anesthesia 6 to 8 hours, but my surgery probably would > exceed 12 hours. That is a long, long time. > > So here I am, enjoying what may well be my last Christmas on earth. I’ve > thought several times about going for a long ride off of a short pier. That > is not the answer, yes it may take your suffering away, but you bless the > world with new sufferings. > > Like my doctor said, I should try different methods to help cope with things > that are happening to my body. > > I don’t really know how I feel, I talk about death and nursing home with my > wife and family. My wife says she couldn’t stand life without me, but I > cannot figure out why she has taken out more life insurance, joke joke! > > So, for now I’m still around, still reading your posts, opening my mouth > once in a while and I will continue to talk politics, religion and say Merry > Christmas to all. > > Thanks for my rambling time, > > Glenn Henry > > > > PS: if anyone else has used a catheter for many many years, have problems > with incontinence because of that use I would like to hear your comments. My > email address is gah17...@aol.com. I don’t know how long I will be on America > Online, it leaves me on for a while then unsubscribe me because of the bounce > backs. AOL could never get their act together and is getting worse not better. > >
