New Speaking Experience

In 2004, I spoke to my first class of 2nd graders about disability awareness. I'm not sure if that qualifies as public speaking, but it was where my side venture of talks began. Since then, I have spoken in several grade schools, colleges, and churches. However, this week was a new experience that I wasn't sure what to expect.

Sometime in May, I received a legitimate message through my website asking me to speak. The venue would be a ladies' group that gathered once a month at a church in a nearby town. I wasn't told a topic other than myself and to bring copies of my book to sell. We arranged to meet at the end of June, the week after vacation. However, that was when I wasn't feeling well and needed frequent suctioning. I felt bad doing it, but officially cancelled the day before I was scheduled.

The new time to meet with this group was Thursday, July 31. I do not like talking about myself, at least as a main topic for speaking. I know this blog is all about me, but this is a different setting. Proverbs 27:2 says to let someone else praise you and not your own lips. Instead of just telling my story, I tied in Jeremiah 29:11 and that God uses all of our lives in various ways.

In all, it was about 20 ladies who were well beyond retirement age. Apparently the time in June had been promoted more and had nearly 30 attendees. Without really knowing what to say, or for how long, it went pretty well. I likely should have spoke a little longer, but I'm not sure my voice would have been able to continue.

Public speaking is a top fear for most people, but it's something I find fun. Living the quad life is full of unique opportunities and I enjoy helping others learn and see more of God's care in our life. A similar venue may be interesting, but I will see what God brings.

Practicing what I Preach

Sometimes we learn while we age, other times we just age. This past week had some of both situations that I will need to keep in mind for the future.

My first sermon was given in November 2017. I preached on why we have suffering in the world, how it makes sense with God's love, and how we should respond. A week later, I was in the hospital with stomach problems, great pain, and a period of severe autonomic dysreflexia. Therefore, I got to practice what I preached. After I was back to normal health, my friend John suggested I should preach on what happens when a friend encounters sudden wealth. I have not preached that topic, but I've given my first sermon at other congregations without trouble.

Last Sunday, I preached from James who said to consider trials a great joy. The text refers to trials of faith, but isn't limited to this subject. Just prior to preaching, I received an email from my nursing agency. The scheduler let me know one of my night nurses has requested indefinite leave starting August 11. She normally works every Thursday-Saturday, but those nights will now be open. My other night nurse agreed to pick up one more day a week, but it means almost every Saturday night will be open. 

Staying up nights is hard on my parents and we all go with little sleep. After two nights in a row, we're nearly zombies by Sunday morning. I already have two preaching times scheduled in August that will be affected, but I'm not planning to cancel. It means any further requests for this year may get denied though. This morning, I preached on the importance of fellowship with friends and other Christians especially. I don't mind if I practice this more.

Friday was also my second attempt to get my trach button changed. This time, we had all the necessary parts and everything went well. My doctor did say the area in and around the hole for the button looks angry from infection though. More samples were taken and will hopefully produce results that give answers.

With one mouth stick, I've never tried juggling. However, it feels like living the quad life is a juggling act to keep everything moving as needed. This week has a full calendar as well, so I will see what God brings. 

Preaching Marathan has Begun

In early May, I sat in a meeting with local pastors and church speakers. It was the group's final meeting of the year and I told a friend that I had a very open preaching schedule if he wanted a break sometime. He has yet to contact me, but the open schedule has disappeared. Starting tonight, I'm scheduled to preach somewhere five out of the next seven weeks.

When I was young, nearly every church had a morning and evening service every Sunday. Now, only a small number of churches still hold evening services and they are mainly attended by people past retirement age. A congregation very close to my home recently lost their main pastor due to him moving to another church. Therefore, I am scheduled to fill one evening a month through September, so far.

Tonight I will be starting a series looking at the book of James. Since I normally only lead a certain church every few months, or less, I rarely get to do a sermon series and look in depth at a passage. I'm excited for the opportunity, but it also creates a problem. I will not be able to recycle these messages to use in other churches. I am scheduled to preach at my own congregation next week, which means I need a totally different message. The final quad life wrinkle is that I didn't have a nurse last night, which means I'm preaching this evening while I am tired and my parents are as well.

This last week has been interesting in finalizing and reviewing one message while preparing another that is totally unrelated. I am then scheduled to preach in the evening again on August 10, and that sermon only exists as an idea for the next message in my series. I also have to keep in mind web development with two new sites I've been working on this week.

My passage tonight is James 1:1-12 and looks at persevering under trial. I am in a busy time of my own doing, but I'm thankful to primarily be back to regular health and to know God gives wisdom to all who ask. I pray for wisdom and energy these next several weeks as I work to do the tasks God has given me and serve Him faithfully through it all.

Importance of Preparation

Another week has come and gone and it's Sunday afternoon once again. Thankfully, my breathing has continually improved. I was able to go from late Tuesday until Friday afternoon without needing my lungs cleared, which is near my regular routine. However, it was also a week of reminders to prepare.

Over the July 4 weekend, flooding in Texas was in the news. Several people were killed in flash flooding, including many children, when a storm produced much more rain than expected. The Quadalupe River quickly flooded its banks and ripped through homes, camp sites, and a girls' summer camp.

When Jesus was confronted with tragedy in His time (Luke 13), He answered "Repent, or you likewise will perish." Times like this call Christians to offer comfort, but also a reminder that we always need to be ready to leave this life and enter eternity. On Friday, I was also reminded to check supplies carefully.

For the past several months, I've had trouble with my trach button. My ENT and I decided to change it after a few weeks of treatment around it. That requirement was fulfilled, so Friday was another trip to Des Moines to see the doctor. Before leaving, I made sure to ask my caregiver if we had a new button. She confirmed she had checked just prior to leaving Thursday and all was good.

Unfortunately, when we got to the doctor's office and went to unpack everything he needed, the button wasn't found. My doctor was understanding and didn't charge for the visit, but now I need to return in two weeks. Upon returning home, the missing hardware was found and put in my travel bag. We don't know what happened, but learned a lesson in checking more than once.

Living the quad life is quite the journey sometimes. I'm thankful to have improving health and look forward to a very busy few weeks ahead and getting used as God allows. 

Weekend of Independence

Friday was the Fourth of July, or Independence Day in the United States. It has been 249 years since this nation declared its independence and freedom for all citizens.

One of the guaranteed freedoms the founding fathers wanted for Americans was the ability to worship. In many European countries, the Catholic church had political power and restricted, or outlawed, any other faith. It's still the case today that some nations only allow Islam while others say the country's leader is to be worshiped.

Recently, Christians have been more maligned in American media and beliefs labeled as hate, but we thankfully have remained free to worship. With the current administration, some of the former oppression has reduced, but it still pops up in some areas.

Due to recent passage of some funding measures, I have seen comments on social media how our freedoms have been revoked and we're living in horrible times. Looking back in Christian history, believers were used as torches to light parties and killed in various ways for following God's Word. The only restrictions I've seen now in the US are to enter the country legally and less government funding for abortion providers.

On this weekend, I'm thankful for this time God has placed me to be used by Him. My lungs are still needing more suctioning, but I'm thankful for improvement and access to necessary supplies. No, everything isn't perfect in the United States, but no human institution will be.

Living the quad life, and seeing other countries, I am very thankful to be alive, active, and still able to live independently. Some of these may change in the future, but this weekend is a time to give thanks. 

Working to Breathe after Traveling

Living through four decades of the quad life, I have learned a few things about lung health. One, I cannot continually go between warm and cold environments as my body can't take the rapid change. Second, I need to make sure I move regularly and not stay flat in bed for long periods. Both these lessons were learned by doing them and then ending up in the hospital with pneumonia. Unfortunately, I did both of these scenarios and added a third irritant just for good measure.

Sitting in a cabin to chat

During my trip, we brought one of my regular night nurses. This was my first time traveling with Steve and my parents and I wanted him to be able to enjoy the excursion as well. Therefore, after my parents took over at 7:00, we stayed in the hotel for a few hours so he could sleep. We did this three mornings in a row, which meant I was in the hotel bed for 11-16 hours straight. I turned on my sides at night, but the beds aren't easy to move me on and tried to decrease work as much as possible.

The weather in Indiana and Kentucky was wet, but nice temperature. We got caught in a couple down pours, but made it through. Just like in previous years, the buildings at camp were very well air-conditioned and visiting cabins was rapid adjustment. Our hotel rooms were frequently quite cold for my preference, with the air-conditioning nearly constantly running. Two scenarios are down, but one more came.

Wednesday and Thursday nights were in one hotel in Kentucky. Steve and I noted our first night that the AC sounded funny, but it worked. Thursday evening, I was in bed while my parents and I hung out until Steve had a nap. Even though it was on the opposite end of the room, it felt like the frozen air was pointed directly up my nose. After a while, my lungs started to feel sore with every breath. I asked dad to turn off the AC for a while and pull up the sheet, but it was too late. It wasn't long before I needed suctioned as well. Clearing out my lungs isn't unusual, but I normally need it 2-3 times a week. By the time morning came, I had already been suctioned seven times.

Ready to head home

I had Steve turn me to my sides to keep junk draining from my lungs, but it only helped to delay the procedure. Friday morning, we left as early as possible and let Steve sleep in the van. I suctioned once before leaving our accommodation and didn't like the looks of what came out. For the ten-hour drive home, we had to stop and clear my lungs twice, but thankfully not like over night. Steve also wasn't feeling the best, so we both suspected the hotel's AC had mold or something. I had hoped getting home would clear up my breathing, but it didn't.

The routine of suctioning 6-10 times per day, and constantly turning me to help my lungs, continued over the weekend. A trip to the local ER on Saturday didn't produce answers, but an antibiotic was ordered just in case.

Monday morning, I called my supply company to order more sterile gloves and suction catheters. The 60+ tubes I had before leaving would normally cover more than a month, but they were dwindling rapidly and would soon run out. Late Tuesday afternoon, a box arrived from the company, but it didn't contain what I ordered. It wouldn't be until Friday when I finally got my order, but not all of it.

Thankfully, suctioning has decreased to 4-5 times a day, with occasional long stretches between. My lungs are sore, and I'm tired, but a second medication has started and will hopefully help. I likely won't ever know for certain what exactly set off this round of illness, but I need to pay better attention to lung health. It's unlikely I will be traveling again, but I'm thankful for the time away and the experiences enjoyed.

Vacation Illness

After a six-year break, I took a week-long trip from June 16-20. It started out as a fun time, but ended in a way that we hadn't planned.

For most of my life, vacation has primarily consisted of going to CHAMP Camp. I had seven years as a camper and then volunteered for 16 years as a counselor. I still maintain their website and promote camp whenever possible, but I can no longer endure the physical needs to be a counselor. This year was CHAMP Camp's 35th anniversary and alumni campers and counselors were invited to come on June 17.

Dad wasn't certain the van could handle the trip, but my parents, night caregiver, and I were eventually on familiar roads to Martinsville, IN. The night before we left, I noticed a green creep across my face any time I considered out destination. After allowing my caregiver to sleep a few hours, we drove 15 minutes from the hotel to join everyone for lunch.

I wasn't sure how many people would still be around that I knew, but it felt like returning home. Most of the campers were new, but familiar faces were everywhere. It soon became routine to hear "Joel!" followed by a hug and story telling. It felt very good to generally be welcomed and missed by so many. Mom concluded by the end of Tuesday that I had received more hugs in one day than I had in years. It's a shame more places aren't as excited to have you come.

We stayed as long as we could Tuesday evening before returning to the hotel. About mid-morning Wednesday, the four of us drove further east to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. My first visit to the museum was during Father's Day in 2015. I was excited to see what had changed in ten years, as well as what remained the same. An entirely new entrance had been made that was a fair distance from the main building. It was fine on a clear day like we had, but it would have been a long stroll through rain or snow if weather was different.

Watching weekly updates from the museum, I knew what exhibit changes has been made. I was thankful to see a large section on the sanctity of human life and how a baby develops in the womb. As society continues to advocate for the murder of the unborn, more such displays are needed. The other changes were also fun to see, but the core message stayed the same. Unfortunately, I didn't research enough and we missed the new butterfly house by 15 minutes. However, the multitude of plants in the new greenhouses were fun.

Our final day with activity was Thursday, June 19. Our hotel in Kentucky was between the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter and made for a short morning commute. My first visit to the Ark was in 2018 and I knew a lot had changed. Just like the Museum, a new welcome area greeted us before entering the main attractions. Several buildings have also been added to include a virtual reality tour of the flood and other displays. The displays in the Ark itself were mainly the same, as I assumed they would be, but I almost felt like I missed some of the information I had seen the first time. However, we did get to tour the zoo this time and see the much anticipated zorse and zonkey. Before leaving, our group watched a live show in the new auditorium. Seeing it in person for the first time, I had dreams of serving God by getting to be a speaker and teaching from the stage.

In order for my night caregiver to get rest, we left the hotel late in the morning and returned a little earlier than we would otherwise. However, I think we saw mostly everything and missed out on just a few shows. Thursday night, laying in the hotel room, my lungs started to feel sore and congested. It turned into a souvenir I didn't purchase, but definitely won't forget. That will be on the next entry as it has been a story of its own.