It was bad enough trying to go to college in my forties. And there was all the baggage that comes with college at that age - actually living in a house, owning cars, caring for an elderly mom, trying to stay married, and on and on. But then, the age variable reared its ugly head; it manifested in health issues that on reflection should not surprise anyone when thinking about middle age.
My ongoing blood and heart conditions evolved in the form of poor circulation in my right knee area. It became one of the most painful experiences I have endured other than my bouts with meningitis, and recurring blood clots, and internal bleeding - all extremely painful experiences.
Around 2000, my right knee hurt so bad, I had to use a cane. You can about guess what transpired. Things deteriorated to crutches. My clinic at the time, sent me to an old well-known regional surgeon.
The crusty old doc explained rather crassly, "You are screwed son. I can't fix what you've got."
My wife did not believe me when I told her what he said. So I made another appointment and in front of her, he said, "You are screwed son. I can't fix what you've got."
In the mean time, I was forced to use a wheel chair, as by then I could put know weight on the leg at all. Any movement of the leg caused extreme pain. That was a challenge. Our old farm house was of course not handicapped accessible. And, I drove one of two Geo Metro stick shifts. In case people have forgotten, Geo Metros are the consummate miniature car - they have three-cylinder engines. My motor cycle has a bigger engine.
I learned also, that the state-of-the-art mega campus at Madison Area Technical College was not as wheel chair friendly as I think the good administrators thought it was. Once I was so tired after a day of fighting through narrow doors and crowded computer labs, that when I went into the bathroom to relieve myself, and was presented with a challenging urinal location, I ended up pissing on my foot.
I remember just saying, "Fuck it," out loud and heading back to computer class.
The handi-cap sticker for my Metro was the only high spot. The infamous bad parking at the MATC campus is topic of legends. For a year I parked right by the front door. I never paid much attention before that time to all the scofflaws that misuse the special parking. I was always one of the only guys at the grocery store that actually got out of a vehicle at the handicapped spot and I was actually unable to walk. Others hop out of a mega pickup truck vehicle with a handicap card hanging in the window; often they bebop into the store with a shit-eating grin and a cigarette dangling from their lips.
One advantage of going to college as an old guy was that I actually paid attention in my classes. In medical ethics class, and pre-law classes, I learned a patient could fire a doctor. You would be surprised how many people do not realize that.
I fired Old Crusty with dispatch and my general doc, with a sigh, referred me to yet another surgeon - this time a rather young dude. Now this guy looked at the facts, the xrays, and CT Scans and scratched his chin.
He explained to me that my wrecked circulation in my leg was killing the complex human mechanisms of my knee. He looked at me and said, "I can open up your leg and move a few things around and remove some ruined parts. You will probably never run again, but I can get you up-right....and you might need a cane indefinitely."
Within a week of the operation, I was out of the wheel chair. Within another couple weeks the crutches were gone. To my amazement, without even any therapy, even the cane was gone just two short months later.
Every so often, I will need the cane for day somewhere along the way. But, I go for months with it just siting in the corner by the cat pole. But, I will never forget that year in..."the chair," and all the lessons I learned from looking at the world at everyone else's belt level.
Note: This blog "Jobs of Bob" Category does not list the jobs chronologically - I write about the experiences as they pop up in my memory and I often revisit an older job. Go to the Cooldadiomedia Web site and the Jobs of Bob Page for an ordered chronology.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Robert Bartz, 43, of Waterloo, Wisconsin, was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. Bartz died from wounds he received when his convoy was attacked by a suicide car bomber using an improvised explosive device. Lieutenant Colonel Bartz was assigned to Headquarters, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), out of Fort Drum, New York. He was one of five U.S. soldiers killed along with a Canadian soldier in the incident. The convoy was traveling on Darulaman Road in Kabul.
An article attributed to the Watertown Daily Times in Wisconsin (not to be confused with Watertown, New York, home of Fort Drum), that is posted on Facebook notes Bartz was part of an advanced team from the 10th Mountain Division headquarters conducting key leader training and help prepare for the 10th Mountain Division headquarters' deployment to Afghanistan later that year. Paul Bartz attended St. John's Lutheran grade school in Waterloo when he was a kid. Bartz went on to graduate from Waterloo High School in 1985. He then went on to college and received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1989. During college he joined the Army ROTC. Bartz had an assignment in the Pentagon during the 9/11 attacks but was out of the office that day.
Some of Lieutenant Colonel Bartz' military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; and, the Army Achievement Medal.
The Website channel3000.com notes there was 18 people that died in the incident that killed Lieutenant Colonel Bartz. Locals in his hometown of Waterloo remembered Paul as an intelligent kid with "great work habits, and good with people," and potential to, "be successful, lead, inspire, and succeed." Bartz had played linebacker on the Waterloo High School 1983 conference championship football team.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes Bartz' father was inspirational in his son's going to college and entering the military. Paul Bartz was promoted up the ranks during his military career, worked with NATO troops, working at the Pentagon, and had even met the President of the United States. Bartz had returned to give presentations to students in classes at Waterloo High School.
At the time of his death Paul Bartz was survived by his parents Robert and Darlene Bartz; his wife and son; sisters Beth and Debbie; and, brother James Bartz. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Bartz was the 19th Wisconsin military service person to be killed in Afghanistan since October of 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
101,366 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
10,028 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,463 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1615 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
904 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
1 American/Coalition casualty in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March, 2011
32,102 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
11,864 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
107 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
31 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
3 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in the U.S. related to "The War on Terror" since October, 2001.
148 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
5 journalists (regional and independents) have been killed in Libya since March, 2011.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.
