9/11/2010 PLEASE MEET MAJ. RONALD D. MILAM

Major Ronald Dutrell Milam was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and had a Bachelors degree from Eastern New Mexico University earned in 1991. He served his country in Germany, Korea, and Saudi Arabia. He had recently received his assignment as Military Assistant for the Secretary of the Army. He had also recently married Jacqueline on January 15, 2000. Things were definitely going well for Major Milam and his new family. His future was clearly a bright one and who knows what wonderful things he would have accomplished!

On 9/11/2001, Major Milam, who had just turned 33 the month before, was at work at the Pentagon. His wife, Jacqueline, five months pregnant with their second child and an Air Force officer, was also at her job at the Pentagon. Neither had an office in the area where Flight 77 struck that morning. Jacqueline was not terribly concerned immediately after the attack assuming they would connect in the parking lot. Major Milam had been attending a staff meeting that morning... right where the aircraft crashed into the Pentagon.

But this post is a tribute to a man who lived well, with honor and with dedication to his country. His college basketball coach had no doubt Major Milam was a leader and a role model during his years working with him. When Major Milam told his coach he had chosen the military as his career, the coach, who thought Milam should pursue a career in law, told the young man he supported him 100%. Major Milam clearly touched many lives during his own. What a great legacy to leave!! We should all be proud of this young man.

Take a few moments today to visit the sites below. If you can, leave a note for his family at either Legacy.com or at 9-11 Heroes. All of the sites below are links to get you there quickly.

Eastern New Mexico University News Release - Review this page for comments from Major Milam's high school principal and his college basketball coach. This will let you know the caliber of the man we honor today.

Arlington Cemetery Site - If you read nothing else, read this tribute. Major Milam's wife recounts the events of that day and what has kept her going.

Pentagon Memorial Site - This site has a full obituary providing information on Major Milam's life.

The Washington Post - This site has a short remembrance from Major Milam's father about the Major's love of golf.

Legacy.Com - Take a moment and leave a note for the family here, if you wish.

9-11 Heroes - Or you can leave a note for the family here, if you wish.

Thank you, Major Milam, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.

PROJECT 2996 AND TWO POSTS FOR 9-11

Hello again, Blogging Buddies! Welcome back!!

Okay. I feel like I have been having a "poor, pitiful Pearl" couple of months and today, as I worked on my tributes to two souls who were lost on 9/11/2001, I was a little ashamed. My concerns are really so very nominal in the overall scheme of things, I am truly blessed. I apologize for my wallowing about and hope that most of you recognized the humor I was trying to impart.

So... I am letting you know I am once again participating in Project 2,996. I found this project last year and feel it is truly a mission that is worth participation. You can read about it more thoroughly, if you wish, but know it is the quest of one wonderful individual attempting to find anyone with a web site or a blog willing to post a tribute to one of the 2,996 souls lost on 9/11/2001. The idea is to generate a "blog burst" on 9/11 each year to remind folks of the loss of these innocents and to make certain we never forget that day. It is non-commercial, non-political, and non-invasive (you don't have to read the tributes!). I like that.

Watch for two tributes posted on 9/11 on this blog. There are many souls who do not yet have someone posting tribute to them. This is why I have chosen a second soul to honor. Please take a few moments to read them and perhaps leave a note to the families at the web sites I will provide you in each.

Thanks to all!! You are the BEST Blogging Buddies in the world!! :)

SEPTEMBER... ???

Howdy, Blogging Pals!!

Well, the title of this blog is based on the fact that both July and August were not stellar and the current month is "up-in-the-air" in my world. We'll see if it's the month to break the streak of insanity!!

Okay. Some of you have inquired about what has happened since the nightmarish, aborted MRI attempt locally. Let me bring you up-to-speed on that. The spousal-unit drove me down to the "open-air" MRI facility 45 minutes south of here. We entered a BRIGHT, CHEERY environment with a window to the reception desk. The young lady behind it had my paperwork ready to go. After checking a few items on the paperwork and signing it, it was only moments until a woman called me back. I was ushered into a BRIGHT, WELL-LIT room with the machine stationed in such a way that one could actually easily see out of a window which had open blinds. I quickly advised the ladies who were there about my dismal experience the previous week and suggested I was not in the mood for a repeat performance. The tech-gal assured me she would be right there with me in constant communication. I eased myself onto the PADDED "shelf" after tech-gal had LOWERED it to a level that made it easy to climb onboard. A proper padded bolster was gently set under my knees and time was taken to make certain it was comfortable and in the correct place. Tech-gal explained every little thing to me before I was "rolled" into the machine. (I guess she believed me when I said I wanted to know each step of the process.) During the process, a radio was playing in the room (although I was not allowed a selection of music and listened to one that was not my favorite... but hey!) and the configuration of the machine allowed my head to move from side-to-side while under the overhead portion of the unit. I could see out of the window. I could see the wall of the room where I walked into it. Hmmmmmmm. Let's see. Is this really a 180-degree difference from the local experience? Oh yes. It is. Tech-gal popped in on the speaker to tell me each step and how long it would last. She didn't lie. I knew exactly what was going on. That doesn't seem to be a demand that is too difficult to handle and she handled it perfectly. So... want to know the "kicker" about this deal? The cost for "self-pay" was $150 LESS than what I would have had to pay locally. Huh? Isn't that amazing?

Okay. So the first doctor's visit resulted in pretty much nothing. The MRI report, which I obtained a copy of, does not appear to show much difference from the MRI report from 6 years ago. ??? The first doc, who had made the MRI referral, is not a specialist. He had a few suggestions regarding the pain... but I want to know WHY it keeps happening and HOW it can be resolved... IF it can be resolved. If it boils down to pain management, fine. But let's try to "fix" it first. The doc has offered to refer me to an ortho spine guy in the same town where the successful MRI was conducted. I am seeking a second opinion at this point before heading into the world of specialists. A good friend of mine has suggested she had a very similar issue and her doc has apparently figured it out and managed to relieve her situation with a very simple treatment. I'm going to check with him for that second opinion. That is scheduled for this coming Wednesday.

There you have it. You know what I know now... which is essentially nothing, really. Sorry 'bout that!! I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I am able to drive myself short distances now and have resumed my lunch runs to the aunt's house. Still carrying the "Moses stick" just in case I need to part a swamp... but using it less and less. :)

Until the next "General Hospital" update...

THIS WILL BE FUNNY... LATER... MUCH LATER

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!!

Okay. Let me bring you up-to-speed in the most humorous way possible... to keep me from crying. :)

So... Talked to the doc's office and determined they wanted some "imaging" done. Uh-huh. What? An MRI. Okay. An appointment with the local MRI facility was scheduled for Wednesday the 25th of August.

Now then... I will tell you that I have had an MRI before. I went to the Austin Radiological Association in Austin, Texas in December of 2004 (although I would have sworn in a court-of-law it was over 10 years ago but the report told a different story). The room I was taken to was bright, cheery, and gleaming. I was greeted by a chipper young male technician who explained the process and assured me that he would be "with me" the whole time via a headset with which I was fitted. He asked me my music preference as there would be music piped in to me through this same headset. All I asked was that he keep me away from the Christmas music that was filling the air at that time of year!! He laughed and agreed he would do his best. After a few minutes of making certain I was comfortable, the music and microphone were working, the bolster fitted under my knees was properly placed, and that I was in a position I felt I could "hold" for about 30 minutes, he headed into his technician "booth" and pushed the button that carried me into the machine. I simply closed my eyes, focused on the music, and relaxed. He checked with me which required me to only respond with a standard speaking voice reply. He told me I would begin hearing clicks then hammering noises but that was standard and to not worry about it. He was right... and I didn't. The sounds were audible but the music in my ears pretty much muffled them to a point where they were only slightly annoying. Heck... I just about fell asleep in there! My little tech checked in periodically with "Doing okay?" and "We're about halfway through." Nice kid. The experience was not unpleasant and the MRI was successfully completed without incident.

Alright. Since the first MRI was "Lumbar spine, no contrast" and this is the same that was ordered for the new, current MRI, let's compare experiences.

So... I arrive at the local facility, which is in an interior room at the local hospital, at my appointed time. I walk, with the assistance of my "Moses stick" with which some of you are familiar, down a couple of hallways and arrive at the "MRI Suite." Catchy. I walk into a room that can only be described as "bat cave-like" in lighting. I sign a couple of places and am introduced to the technician who ushers me into yet another bat cave-like environment where the machine resides. I asked him about the "music" I was expecting to which he responded, "The music's broke." Huh? Okay. As I am lowering myself to the sheet-covered metal surface (I would swear the Austin experience included a lightly padded surface to lie on!), my tech is scurrying about. He threw a flat padded item similar to a shallow pillow under my legs and up to my butt. He then lifted my legs and jammed some type of pillow (but not a specifically designed bolster as I had been provided in Austin) under my knees. He then shoved some sheet covered pads between my ears and the padded head-holding rests on either side of my head. With a flourish, technician-boy pushed the button that began the slide into the machine. Would have been nice if he had asked if I were comfortable, etc., but apparently that was not in his job description. I guess he figured that I had had an MRI before so there was no need to discuss much although he did mention there would be jack-hammering noises. Huh? Okay.

Perhaps I should have asked for the serial number of the machine at the local facility. That might have given me a clue. (I'm pretty sure it's serial number 1... 10 at the most.)

So... I am "in the hole" with EXTREMELY loud hammering noises going on... without stopping... and I have some discomfort in my lower back (which is what we're trying to "fix!")... and my right leg has begun a very slow slide down the less-than-bolstering pillow... and I try very hard to just deal with it. After all... there is an end. As the discomfort increases and my fear that my right leg is going to "take a header" off of the pillow, I realize we aren't going to finish this thing. So... for some strange reason, I assume the tech is hooked up to HEAR anything that is said in the unit... I simply call out tech-boy's name in a normal tone of voice. No response. I call out again, a bit louder. No response. Okay... I yell out. Now the jack-hammering cranks up again and I know no one could hear anything over all of that... so I wait for it to finish. As I lie there, I am becoming more and more angry. For those of you who only know the "nice" Mary Nell, let me warn you that angry is NOT a good thing to see on me. I feel my blood pressure rising. I am beginning now to feel nauseous (which is a very unpleasant prospect as I cannot turn my head!). I am DONE with this little nightmare. So... I muster up every ounce of anger I am carrying and absolutely BELLOW tech-boy's name from within this little machine. That's when I hear tech-boy's very worried voice saying something like "What's wrong?" I tell him to get me out of there... now. He complies and as I am sliding out of this thing, I note the spousal-unit has burst through the door from the waiting area to see what the hell is happening. *chuckle* Apparently he had heard me a couple of times but said it was very muffled and he wasn't sure it was coming from me. Of course, he is in a separate room and we are separated by a door and walls, so I didn't really expect him to hear me... but tech-boy should have been directly connected to me. Anyway... I get my Moses stick, ball, bat, and glove... and head home. I'm done.

So... now that they have decided I freaked out due to claustrophobia (which is not something that has ever been a problem... although it may have become one with this experience!), it has been suggested that I go to "Open Air MRI" in the nearest town of size... 45 minutes away. Fine. The appointment was scheduled for today (Monday the 30th) for 12:30 p.m. I was up, dressed, and we were heading out... when I got the call that the open-air machine was "down" and they were waiting on the tech and could I reschedule? Sure. Why not? This whole experience has been a Chinese fire drill thus far... why not prolong that? :) So... I am rescheduled for a 1:00 p.m. appointment tomorrow (31st) and rescheduled, yet again, for a visit with the doc to get the report. Sigh.

Alright. Now you have the full report up to this point. Since it has been two full weeks since I have even gotten dressed, much less left the house, I was actually not unhappy to at least get a little ride around town. Amazing how that can help one feel better. The spousal-unit, who has been a TOTAL trooper during this entire mess, was so sweet and took me to the only local place that can make a non-fat Chai latte worth a damn (there are no Starbucks here, folks!) to get one. I cannot even fathom his patience but I cannot tell you how much I appreciate him and how kind he is when he has to take care of me. I'm amazed and totally blessed.

I will hope that things go as planned for the rest of this week and I will get back to you with a report as soon as I know something. What I do know is that whatever the problem is, it is not something that won't improve with time. I am able to do more today than I was able to do last week. For that, I am grateful.

Stay tuned for the next exciting adventure in "This Will Be Funny... Later... Much Later."

Until then...

AUGUST... IS IT OVER YET?

My dear Blogging Buddies... if any of you are still with me! I wouldn't blame you if you gave up and decided I had left the planet.

You probably recall my July post wishing that July was over and hoping that August would show improvement. Unfortunately, I cannot report that to be the case.

A rather unpleasant medical situation caused me to finally seek professional help here. I went to the doc on Friday the 13th (probably not my best decision) and was provided with heavy-duty medications to try to resolve the situation. I began taking them that Friday evening. No problem. No obvious issues. However, by Sunday afternoon, things weren't feeling quite right. Monday morning I began my usual stretching routine... only to have to call the spousal-unit for help getting up. I have been "down" since that Monday (16th) far more than I have been able to be "up." I have not been able to sit for more than 30 minutes and that causes more aches. I can stand but 2 hours is about the maximum before the aches begin. I have not left the house in 8 days and I'm afraid cabin fever is taking its toll. The poor spousal-unit has had to do everything... including helping out with my aunt's meals, etc. He has been such a trooper!!

Now then... what did I do to cause the aches? Hmmmmm? Well... quite honestly... nothing. In fact, while this aching is in an area where I have had problems for the past 20 years, it is NOT the same problem. The ache is different, located in a different area, and has not shown any sign of improvement in the way the other problem generally progresses. That is the problem. The lack of progress.

So... I broke down today and put a call in to the doctor who was the only one who would see me about the initial situation on Friday the 13th and am awaiting his return call. I read carefully through the side effect information about the medication he had prescribed. I have a sneaking suspicion this may be related to the meds but, obviously, I don't have any proof of that.

So... I am so sorry it has been such a long time since a "real" post from me. I appreciate those of you who have stayed with me and promise fun and frivolity in the future. Really!!! Don't give up on me. It's coming.

Until next time... your "gimpy" blogger... signing off.