8 Things Happening: December 2013

Here’s what’s going on this month:

1. Holiday Cards. This is our third year sending out holiday cards to people who have helped Ryan — and signed-up to receive one — since the attack. Over Thanksgiving weekend we took the photograph that will be on the front of the card. My daughter, Kari, designed the layout and we placed an order to have these printed. I received notice that these will be delivered Saturday. So, that evening and the following days we’ll (with extensive help from Sue’s Crew) get these addressed. I hope to have them in the mail on Monday. It’s not to late to get on this year’s list!
2. Hot Tub Lift. Progress is being made, but slowly, in getting the hoyer lift and track to get Ryan in the hot tub. The term “snail’s pace” comes to mind but doesn’t even do it justice. Anyhow, next Wednesday, December 11, the supplier is coming to our home to take measurements.
3. Blood Work. Last Friday Sue and I took Ryan for an office visit with his General Practitioner, Dr. Rodriguez.
   • Blood Work: I’m expecting to get the results back today or tomorrow. We order extensive labs several times a year because Ryan simply can’t tell us if something is affecting him.
   • Flu Shot: Ryan and Ken got their annual flu shots (Sue got hers at work).
   • General Check-up: Dr. Rodriguez was impressed with Ryan. He was amazed at just how wonderful he looks, and told us it’s the best Ryan has looked.
4. Sleep Study and DEXA Scan. We obtained the scripts (prescriptions) to have these tests performed. We take Ryan out for a Sleep Study annually. It gives us an indication of how his brain his healing by how closely he achieves “normal” sleep cycles. In past test, we know he goes through all the cycles, to include REM, but not ideally. The DEXA Scan (or Bone Density Scan) measures his skeletal health. Osteoporosis is a major concern for patients in his condition. The results from last year were concerning, as he was losing  bone density at an alarming rate (but not as quickly as others in his condition).
5. Eyes. Still waiting on the specialties (doctors) to agree on the best approach. Really, it’s just a “rubber stamp” conference call that is needed. The plan is to move the tarsorrhaphy out to each side and leave the eyelids partly open in the center.
   

   A Tarsorrhaphy is a surgical procedure in which the eyelids are partially sewn together to narrow the opening (i.e. palpebral fissure). It is done to protect the cornea in cases of corneal exposure. [Source: Wikipedia]

6. Website Upgrade. I am well into upgrading the website. The critical parts, the framework (core code) and theme (design code), are in place and working wonderfully. I believe I was successful in making the transition without causing any strife to the readers. I was conscious of keeping the elements which people are familiar using as essentially the same, while making the overall design more “minimalistic”. Actually, the site speed in markedly faster and it is more secure against hackers. By having this new structure, it opens the door for much more functionality. It was a much-need upgrade as the readership continues to grow.
   

   A snapshot of ryansrally.org Home page when it began. Look how far we’ve come!

7. Kari Home for Christmas. It’s crunch time for my daughter as she head into the final weeks of this semester. Final exams are right around the corner. After that, the fun begins! She will be on winter break and home (for most of it, anyhow) for almost a month. It’s so hard to believe she’ll be heading into her last semester and graduating in just five months. She’s excelling in the academic life; maintaining a 4.0 GPA in both her Journalism major and Business minor!
8. The Violent Offenders. Nothing has changed on the convict front. As far as I know, neither Austin Vantrease nor Jonathan May (both of Newark, Delaware) have made any attempt to satisfy their court-ordered criminal restitution of over $100,000 since Felon Vantrease suspiciously coughed-up around $40 days before his parole hearing. Jonathan May, from what I heard last, is keeping his head down with his mama in Delaware. I hear he has is employed, and has been for over a year now. Austin Vantrease is still at the St. Mary’s Correctional Center (whose mission is to provide for the custody, control, and care of adult, male felons who have been convicted of severe crimes against man or nature) after the denial of parole in July.

As for me, it is hard to accept that in a mere 26 days it will be the year 2014. What in the hell would Ryan think if he woke up and it was no longer 2009? Or, to see a his dad who has aged, and beyond what he should have in that time? Where would I even begin to tell him of all that has happened… all that has changed… all that was lost?

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