So Dawn says...

Checked with Dawn today because the blog has been a ghost town. She says Mike is scheduled for surgery today to remove the plate under his eye and also the jaw wires so he can close his mouth (wild applause, mixed meanings) and use a straw. He has been packing up his things this week with help from family and will be house hunting soon.

Mike, dont forget you have tons of friends here who will help schlep your stuff from storage to your new place so there is no excuse not to schedule a moving event where we can help. Asking for help from people who want to help you is not imposing. I'll even buy the refreshments. (Some here have implied that it isnt really a moving party without the "pssssssst" sound of a pop top releasing pressure off a cold beer. )

Who am I to argue?

Great to see ya'll

I dropped in for a minute while I was down at the hospital recently and ended up getting a chance to say hello to many of the tech support folks. It was good to see ya'll. For those I didn't see, sorry I missed you. Everyone seemed to be busy and in good spirits for the holidays. I trust the good cheer will carry throughout Christmas and the upcomming New Years.
MikE.

And now for something completely different ...

So, is the shorter hair and mustache working for me? I thought I would go with a slightly different look (see last post), let me know what you think. xD

Well, the jaw is still wired shut (keep the applause down), probably another 2 weeks on that. Everything else seems to be progressing well, at least that is what the medical folks are telling me. With all the daily wound care and constant appointments I have, there has not been much time for anything else. Speaking of which, egad!!!! only 10 more days to Christmas. I hope you all are better prepared than I am. I usually run a bit late but this year is going to break records.

Telephone?

Although MikE recently rediscovered the telephone from investigating the ringing sound, (at least his EARS are working right) he said he didnt mean to imply that he is ready for phone calls. His jaw is still wired and he said we likely couldnt understand anything he was trying to say. So, blog entries for a while longer to get messages to him.

Otherwise he is making progress. Sense of humor seems to be in great shape, eh MikE?

He also sent me a video so we can see how he is dealing with the wired jaw. He said he looks a little different than we may expect. I agree... He looks really different!

Blew up the Router to Modem configuration

Some things never change. I was working along over my wireless connection and suddenly the Comcast modem stopped talking to the Router/switch. The entire house lost connection to the internet. For goodness sakes! All I was doing was reading an eMail. Apparently my 'magnetic personality' still works just fine. Looks like when Comcast did the automatic update to our IP/subnet something went wrong. For now, we have one PC connected to the internet. Bummer.

In the meantime looks like I have had 2 hackers crack into my blog and make themselves contributors. Just kidding Suellen and Ken!

I have noticed there is a device nearby that makes a ringing sound from time to time, and if I speak into it I can easily communicate to other people. They tell me it is called a telephone. At the moment, it seems like a vastly superior technology. :-0

Mike,

Been speaking with your sister these past weeks and she told me about this blog. Good job Rob! You have not been far from my prayers since I heard. I have read your posts and glad to see that your funny bone was not broken. For me humor is a great coping tool. I expect with your extra computer time you will invent something or max out some new game. I look forward to hearing about your continued improvement and being the "superman" we all know you are.

Ken L.

PS I have not formated any hard drives lately.

The question is "How is Mike today?"!!!!!

Has anyone heard how Mike is doing? Been awhile since a post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Discharged from MCG

I can't believe I said 'simple' and 'surgery' in the same sentence on my last post. I must admit the medical professionals did a good job, no complications and they were exact in cuts and sutures. I finally got discharged shortly before 21:00 on Saturday night. I am just now getting reconnected to 'the grid' out here in Evans, eyesight is still problematic so I appoligize for delays in (having someone assist) reading and typing. Much of today occupied with daily treatments and also a visit from Home Health (UH home health, that is). Again, many thanks for all the positive thoughts and prayers from everyone. You folks have been the greatest. I don't know where to begin: the generous gifts have paid for much needed medical assistance, the cards (which I am still going through) have kept my mind in an attitude condusive for my body to heal. I would not be at the point I am at without all the encouragement I have received from ya'll.
MikE.

Elvis has left the building...

Dawn says Mike was discharged Saturday and is staying with family. We should be hearing from him on here soon. Dont want to steal his thunder but at the same time many of you are asking about his progress so I wanted to update the blog.

Going back into surgery today, surgery #7251 :-)

Going into another surgery, hopefully a simple one to obtain a way to eat. Yes I need some tacos covered in ketchup as Wilkinson said. :-)

I cannot begin to express how much the thoughts and prayers from ya'll have meant. I have worked with and known many of you 10 to 20 years, some longer (wow, I AM old). All that time and history did not prepare me for your awesome support. "Thank you" doesn't begin to cover it, I can only humbly thank God for knowing you all. They tell me I am out of the serious dangers and now it is just a matter of a lengthy recovery, dental surgeries, etc, etc. The good news is that even though I keep typing away incessantly, my jaw is scheduled to remain wired shut for some weeks yet. Seriously though, I cannot possibly express how much everyones' prayers have helped. In those dark times it has made the difference.

Update on project MCGconvert2parkinglot:
Infiltration complete, contacts established with code names Reggie, Don ("the godfather") and Victor ("the Columbian"). The 'plates' have been installed in my head allowing undetected communications via the RedAlert software. Demolition and repaving planning is underway.

Airport Security and Mike

It seems a number of plates were put in during the surgeries, so Mike is likely to cause a lot of commotion around the metal detectors. No flights in his future for now, so I guess he can tell us how that goes later...

Dawn says Mike is doing better after a round of antibiotics for the pneumonia and infection. They are hoping the trach comes out today or tomorrow.


Please dont email him just yet. He is only up to very short periods on the computer and I'd like to make sure his "updates" to the blog get priority time so that all of you know how he is doing and he can read the comments. As he gets stronger, he'll tell us when he is ready for more.

Post comments on the blog as you can see that others have. Note that you will need to sign your comment, so either use your gmail address if you have one or one of the generic ones listed at the bottom of the comment page. It's not difficult. Call one of the posters and ask how they did it if you need help.


Rob

He "Speaks"

Mike has been able to get on email a little. He and I coordinated enough that I finally have a message from him instead of interpretations of grunts or sign language from him in answer to Dawn's questions. The items below come directly from Mike via email. Here's what he wants you to know today...

1) Mike is happy just to be alive. It is easy to take life for granted, I won't be doing that for a while.

2) The sincere thoughts and prayers from my coworders have been incredible, I can't thank ya'll enough.

3) Ya know those silly little mirrors UH has near the ceilings at hallway intersections? Turns out to be a good idea. I am having to rely on my sense of hearing, what a disaster =:-0

4) Only big regret right now, Halloween is past. If you could see me now you would understand. I would be winning EVERY scary contest in the world.

5) Seriously, the giant card of pictures of my coworkers was really a boost. Ya'll are great !!!!

6) Mike still has compulsion to create numbered lists of everything.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

First day of the blog, what a coincidence! Giving him his laptop and access to this blog to give him something to do. Rob