Time Flies... Update

Ok, time for the update I’ve mentioned. Last time I wrote an actual update, it was June of 2010. I only wrote two more blogs after that dated to Sept 2010 and then I was silent here until last week. So, what has been going on since Sept 2010 until Sept 2013? 

First and foremost, my family: Ansley has seriously taken to learning and is doing so well is school. She started 2nd grade this year and is in the gifted program. She loves to read and just loves to learn in general. She is Daddy’s “Big Girl” and is just an awesome daughter! Riley is in pre-K and is also showing some uncanny smarts and memory for a little girl. My only question is if she is actually going to want to learn and will have the drive to learn like her big sister does. She is so much like me, I wonder about her. I always scored very high on the placement/IQ tests in school, I just didn’t care enough to even really try. So, time will tell about Riley. But, she is her Daddy’s “Baby Girl” and always will be. Heather has been awesome in her job and got into fitness a few years ago. She has lost all of her “baby weight” from 2006/2009 and is now even smaller than she was when we married in 2002. She has run multiple 5K’s, 2 half marathon and 1 full marathon. This year, she has a 24 mile “Trail Run” another full marathon in Savannah in November and then she has the “Crème de la Crème” in January 2014. She will be participating in the “Dopey Challenge” at Disney World. She will be running a 5K on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday. That is just as much insane as it is awesome, in my book. On top of her running she also does countless hours of cardio and weight training along with making sure the rest of us eat as clean as possible. She has become a fitness role model to her co-workers and friends. In 2012, Heather and I also celebrated 10 years of marriage and 17 years together. The only other family member I ever mention with any real regularity is my sister, Leslie. I mentioned back in 2010 that she was diagnosed with metastasized breast cancer that had reached her brain. Well, as of today, 5 Sept 2013, she is still fighting it hard. We have seen some changes in her over the years, but she is still fighting right along with no signs of giving up anytime soon. To follow her story, please go here:

www.caringbridge.org/visit/leslielorenz

During this time, Heather and I also had our genetic testing done. I, like my sister, tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation. So, that will be something Heather and I will have to look at with our daughters when they get older. Heather tested negative for it.

 

  As for me, I have since retired from the Air Force. After my second neck surgery, the Air Force decided they had no use for me. They said I’d never be able to be an asset to the Air Force again, so they medically disqualified me for continued military service and forced me to retire after 17 years of service. To be completely honest, I was about tired of their shit and ready to leave anyway. Although I didn’t get to retire at the rank or with the time I was shooting for, I was glad to be gone from it. After they forced me out because of my physical limitations, I swore I would get in better shape than I was ever in while in that uniform. After seeing the results Heather had with her fitness, in August 2012, I decided to get on the fitness train. Heather had the “Insanity” program and she said if I would do it, she would start it with me. So, we started it together and did a couple weeks of it. She had to go TDY and while she was gone, I kept going and got hooked. Unfortunately, when I got to month 2 one of the routines, wrecked my knee. I kept going for a couple days and it got even worse and it swelled up about the size of a softball. So, I was ordered to take about 6 weeks off to let it heal. I wore a knee brace the rest of the time and let it heal up. I went back to it and was able to finish the 60 days of Insanity (by taking Max Plyo out of the rotation) After that, I went on to another program that included weights called Les Mill Pump. It didn’t have enough cardio for me, so I did a hybrid of Pump and Insanity for 2 1/2 months. After I completed that, Beachbody came out with a new program by Les Mills called “Combat.” It looked awesome and I got it the first day it was available. Instantly, I fell in love with that program. 60 days later, I had great results with that program. After Combat, I moved on through Body beast and then to Shaun T’s new program Focus T25 which I am just completed. Next up is a revisit to P90X. I tried this program back in 2009 and failed it miserably. It’s time to give it another shot and complete this program with awesome results! So, over the last 11 months, I’ve lost about 25 lbs and multiple inches around the waist, belly and legs while gaining some inches in the arms and chest. During all this fitness time, I also became a Beachbody coach so I could try and help others along their fitness journey. I have a great group of folks with me and we are all helping keep each other motivated. If you are interested in getting your fitness on, email me at “beachbody(at)wolfpack764.com” or go visit my Beachbody webpage at: www.beachbodycoach.com/dalehall .  I would love to help you reach your fitness goals. As for other hobbies, I still scuba dive as much as possible. We still do our yearly trip to swim with manatees in Crystal River, FL and we put together trips each year to head out for some good diving. I did finally get to do my shark dive in the Bahamas back in Sept 2012. That was a freakin’ blast!! I also still fly from time to time, but have not finished my license for that as of yet. Dad and I did take the girls to the airport just this past Monday. Ansley went up with Dad by herself for the first time. She had a good time. We also took Riley for the first time ever. She sat in my lap and she absolutely LOVED it! That little one is going to be my fulltime co-pilot, I believe.

 

So, that’s about it in a nutshell. Too much detail is boring to read, so I decided to just hit the highlights and this was still damn long. If you have any questions concerning fitness, my neck fusions, BRCA1 gene mutations, scuba, flight, or anything I’ve mentioned, please feel free to message me or leave a comment down below. I will get back you…

 

Until next time...

The Last 9 Months

Wow.. Have I really not written anything worthwhile since September of last year?? I have really gotten slack about this.. And, it’s not like anything interesting hasn’t happened over the last 9 months. To the contrary, too many things have happened over this time, and I think because of the severity of some of them, writing was the last thing on my mind.

On the good side, both Ansley and Riley-Kate are growing up fast. Riley has been walking since December (11 months old at that time.) She is talking up a storm and is showing some good smarts. (Must be from her mom) Ansley has been in dance class and had a “practice” recital back in December and her first real recital last weekend. She did awesome in both of them!! Heather has started running and biking. She has run a couple of 5K’s and even placed 5^th in her age group in one of them. She is working her way up to a triathlon and, later, a full marathon. That’s awesome and I’m proud of all of three of my girls..

We’ve had one real dive trip. We did our yearly manatee trip to Crystal River back in December. We had about 12 people in the group and we all had another great time.. I also did a two week TDY to MacDill AFB in Tampa back in March. We had tried to make a trip to Venice Beach during that time to do some megalodon teeth hunting but got weathered out. So, we made an impromptu trip to Crystal River and dove Rainbow River again. Another good time and I had my first raw oysters, ever, during that weekend. (Thanks Dee) And, I got a new tattoo back in October. I have the girls’ infant footprints surrounded by angel wings on the upper portion of my back. Ink done by Les Collier of Atomic Tattoo in Warner Robins, GA.

On the downside of things.. My sister’s cancer has returned. Her breast cancer has metastasized and has shown up in her brain and a couple of other spots in her body. They have been doing radiation treatments for her brain since the cancer is in an area that cannot be operated on. After three weeks of daily radiation treatments, the legions were less than half the size they were when they found them, so she will now a “surgical radiation” procedure tomorrow. They will pinpoint the legions and zap them that way. The radiologist is saying only one treatment is needed and they should be gone. She is still going through chemo for the other spots in her body. She is scheduled to go through that until, at least January 2011. Her fight is there and we are all optimistic the Docs will have her healthy in time.

On the same cancer note, Scuba Kat, our beloved dive buddy from Covington, GA lost her battle with cancer on 23 May 2010. Rest in Peace, Kat. You are dearly missed. Dive Buddy Dee and I made the trip up to Covington and went to Kat’s funeral. We got to speak to her mother again and meet her son. We wish the family well in their grieving.

On my personal note, I thought I was healing up pretty good from my neck fusion surgery. However, back in February, the Doc noticed two of my ten screws were not fusing to the bone like they should, so he said he was going to have to go in through the back and add more hardware to get the screws to set. So, on 7 May 2010, I went under the knife again. The surgery went well and after a couple days in the Hospital, I came home for 4 weeks of recuperation. Everything went well and I had my first post-op meeting with the Doc last Wednesday. He pulled pout my staples, cleared me to start driving again and told me I could take off my neckbrace, but I had to VERY careful not to pick up anything heavy and to especially not straighten out my arms while I had any weight on them. He had detached a muscle in my back from my spine to do his work and that muscle had to have time to reattach itself before I could really use my arms. Easy enough. Of course, that VERY evening, I was carrying something very light up the stairs and as I lifted it a bit higher to get over the baby gate, I felt a “rip” in my neck. I came downstairs and asked Heather to look at it. She said part of it looked a bit sunken in, but other than that, no big deal. I didn’t worry about it, but, as I was taking my shower the next day, I felt the sunken area and it freaked me out. It was “huge.” So, I called the Doc’s office, I told them what had happened and they had me come in today. The doc wasn’t there so I saw his PA. After some tests and finally, some x-rays, we figured out what had happened. During my surgery, to get all my new hardware to fit, the doc had to remove the “spinous process” from my C4 and C5 vertebral bodies. What is a spinous process you ask? “The bumps that can be felt down the back are the spinous processes. They are bony projections that arise at right angles (perpendicular) to the midline of the lamina. Each spinous process is attached to the spinous process above and below it by ligaments. Sometimes these processes are absent or bifid in the cervical spine.” (Link where I got info) So, after all was said and done, I did no further damage to my neck area and even went to my first Physical Therapy session today. I hurt afterwards, but I know it’ll help me out in the long run. I’ve got 4 weeks of that to go.

So, in a nutshell, that’s what has been going on for the last 9 months. I’ll try and do better with this writing stuff again. I enjoy doing it. Finding the time to do it, that’s the problem.

Update on Car Preparedness

I’m using the “secret” email address to send this write-up. If the format gets messed up, bear with me and I’ll fix it when I get home tonight. If it works right, cool. I’m also checking to see if my subscribers get the email notification they signed up for. If you are a subscriber and you get your notification, please send me and email and let me know it’s working.

In my last update, I talked about the problems Heather had on her trip to Atlanta. I thought I’d update with what we have done to combat the situation if it happens again.

We did do the tire changing seminar that following weekend. We went over how to put together the jack handle, how to lower the spare tire from the bottom of her car, where to place the jack under the car, how to use the jack and how to remove and replace the tire.

The bottle jack that came with car is a real pain for her to use, so we bought a floor jack that she can carry with her. It’s a bit heavier than the bottle jack, and it takes up more space, but it’s much easier to use, so she’s happy with it. We bought one that came in a carry case, so she doesn’t have a jack just hanging out in the back of her 4Runner. Just a black case.

We also bought an Emergency Road Kit to go in her car. We were making a list of things to put in the kit and were going to buy everything separate until I went to the car section of our local Wal-Mart. They had a 91 piece set for less than 30 bucks. It came with a small assortment of tools, the roadside triangle, flashlight, blanket, tow rope, zip-ties, and even a first aid kit. I don’t remember exactly what all is in there, but it had stuff we hadn’t even thought about adding. Great value for the money.

We are also now card carrying members of AAA. When she had no number to call that night, I knew that needed to changed. AAA was the best way out.. $64 for a single membership and another $30 for a second family member. 94 bucks a year for peace of mind when she or I are traveling back and forth is worth it..

And, last but not least, I have ordered her a container of pepper spray and a stun gun to carry on her person. I tried to talk her into carrying a gun, but she isn’t comfortable with carrying one, so we opted for the stun gun. I was going to go for the Taser, but they are very expensive and bulky. She wanted something she could carry in her purse or pocket. Although some are small, Tasers aren’t known for easy of concealed carrying. So, she has a 1,000,000 volt mini sized stun gun that will actually fit inside a cigarette pack. Although small, it packs a punch. I know I don’t want to get ht by it. As for me, I have my .40 cal Springfield Armory XD by my side. I’m covered.

So, I think we have covered all the bases to help Heather on her business travels. Hopefully we won’t have to worry about it again, but if we do, I believe she’ll be able to handle the situation with confidence next time.

Are you prepared?

OK.. Something happened the other night that I need to pass along before it catches anyone else off guard..

The scenario: Heather had a business meeting last night in Atlanta. Her and 2 other ladies from work all rode together to the event (or whatever it was) One of the guys that works with them actually followed up in his car since he didn't have to go all the way back down to Macon after the event. Getting there and the event all went without a hitch. The event ended around 10:00 pm and the ladies headed back here with the guy going his way, but still in close proximity of the women. All of a sudden, going down the highway, Heather ran over something and blew out her left rear tire. She was in the fast lane and with typical big-city mentality, no one would allow her to move over to the slow lane to get on the break down lane, so she had to park in the breakdown lane on the edge of the median. You can't get as far off the road on that one and people are haulin' ass one lane over, so it's not a fun place to be.

The Problems: 3 women in the car and no one knew how to change a tire. All three are married and have guys that change tires for them, so, in the past, there was no reason to learn. They knew they needed to get the jack out and they did that, but it was in three pieces and had problems getting it together. Most cars that Heather has owned has had the spare in the trunk or under the storage area in the back. Imagine her surprise when the floor of her cargo area in her '07 4Runner didn't lift up. For a few minutes, they had no idea where the spare was. They found it under the rear of the car and then had to figure out how to lower it. So, here they are, three women in skirts, on the side of I-75 in Atlanta trying to read tire changing instructions off the jack set in the back of the vehicle. And, of course, not one person stopped to offer any assistance. They called the guy that was close to them and he was able to come back. As they were waiting on him to come back, Heather finally called me. She wasn't frantic, but she wasn't in the greatest of moods either.. She asked me what she was supposed to do. She asked if we had AAA or something like that. Unfortunately, we did not have membership into anything like that. Our insurance covers Emergency Road Service, but it's a reimbursement thing. You call whoever, pay them and State Farm pays us back. So, since she was on the fast side of the highway and didn't know how to change the tire, I told her to call 911 and get a cop out there to help them. I would rather her get a cop there and have him around to keep cars from getting too close along with being there in case someone who we didn't want to stop and help decided to do just that. Since I was at home with the baby over 45 minutes away, I was no help. But, she was able to get a cop to show up, their male co-worker also showed up and he and the cop changed the tire for the ladies. While this was happening, the Policeman also spoke to ladies about not knowing how to change a tire, and not having any protection in the car with them. After it was all changed, they all made it home safe. It was a tense hour around here until I heard they were on the way again.

The fixes: First, we are becoming members of AAA. That will give her a number to call 24/7 no matter what happens to the car. Second, this weekend, we are having a tire changing class. Heather will know how to change a tire on her car come Saturday night. Also, since the bottle jack in the car was such a pain in the butt, we're also going to get her a small floor jack that she can carry with her instead. They were in desperate need of a screwdriver for something during the night. I'm not sure for what, but she will have a screwdriver in the car from this point on also. We're going to put in a "break-down" kit in the car. The safety triangle, flares, a blanket a bottle of water, some rope, etc. And, we will get her some protection to keep with her. I'm licenced to carry a gun and will when I feel its necessary, but Heather isn't very interested in carrying a loaded firearm in her vehicle anymore. She's more of a "shoot first, ask questions later" type person when it comes to her well-being and she thinks she'll shoot someone that doesn't really deserve it. So, we're going to look at mace as the first line of defence and a taser for the next step. I think tasers are cool, so having one could be fun. :)

The thing is, this whole episode caught us completely by surprise and we weren't equipped to handle it. Calling 911 and the lucky guy that happened to be up there with them was their only hope. I want her to be able to handle a flat tire on her own and call others if she wants to not because she has too. We're just really glad it wasn't just her and baby that night. And, the piece of mind of being a AAA member in case anything worse than a flat happens in the future is well worth the 64 dollars a year.

Please learn from our mistake. If you don't have a number to call, find one or become a member of some auto club. If you don't know what to do if you have a flat, please get someone to teach you. And, because of the world today, please carry something to protect yourself in your vehicle. You never know...