Da BearzFan "DUDE" Family Updates

I am still having dizzy spells

2011-03-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

It has been a few months since my last update. I used to have lumps in my throat and coughing spells. I saw some doctors and they tried a variety of medicines and inhalers. I think now after several months of the doctor experiments that I don't wake up in the middle of the night and cough so they must have found a repair for me. I have had dizzy spells for many months now. I have to walk anywhere with a cane I bought last fall. I don't use the cane in my apartment but just walking to the mailbox with Patches my puppy on a leash I have to use the cane. I use it at the grocery store. I have for months after visiting 5 different doctor offices still got a dizzy problem but the last office I visited did some tests on me and found a problem with my inner ear. I don't know which side but I think it is my left inner ear because that is the side of my body that was damaged the most from the accident. I don't remember anything after the accident. Not how I was flown to the hospital or how many hours I was in surgery but I was told about those hours by Annette one time. My memory is very fuzzy but I have remembered some of my youth that I spent with my Grandpa Bowman.

Dizzy spells

2010-10-22T07:34:00.001-04:00

I haven't been doing too bad. I have been going to see a few doctors because I have been trying to get the lump in my throat and my full sinuses cleared up. The latest doctor has put me on some additional medicine. I don't know what any of it is. Also it doesn't seem to be helping since I still wake up in the middle of the night coughing. I get coughing fits sometimes during the day. Last weekend on Sunday I woke up and was very dizzy. I got out of bed and almost fell to the floor. I had a lot of dizzy spells all day and into Monday. On Tuesday I called the clinic and told them about the dizzy spells and they said they would call me back. The third phone call I got explained that it may be a reaction to the shot I was given when I was at the doctor office. These past couple days have now been not so dizzy. I think the shot has worn off.

PGR gettogether

2010-08-16T06:50:00.000-04:00

Last week I got an update email from the Patriot Guard Riders. It told me about a gathering in Fort Wayne that was to be held last Saturday at the Harley store. The Harley store is just across the interstate from me and I told my Angels supervisor that I wanted to attend. I got there at 8AM just as people were arriving and signing in. They lined the motorcycles up in the alley in front of the store. I walked around a bit and talked to a few people that recognized me. I didn't know names of people because my memory is not good but I did remember the name of one of the people because he gave me a ride a year ago Christmas break. He took me to a rest area in Illinois and brother Mike came to join us and take me back to the school I was attending. It was a great time at the Saturday gettogether to see all the motorcycles lined up and leave as a parade with police escort. I stood at the front of the parade and crossed my heart and waved to the riders as they left. It was very touching and I wished I had my Bike again but I know that is not feasable because I have a lot of dizzy spells.

A recent update.

2010-07-31T19:16:00.002-04:00

I am living in a nice 2 bedroom apartment. My brothers Mike and Rod came to my place a little over a year ago and found me a better place to live. Then they rented a 20foot truck and moved all my Chicago Bears and Jaycees collectibles to my parents home in Illinois. They had me contact the mover that got us moved from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne and they came and loaded up all the rest of the stuff and moved me to a lower 1story apartment away from the traffic area looking over a pond. I am getting used to this.

Now I have a company called Absolute Angels that comes over to help me get to appointments and clean my apartment. I have an Angel at 7:45am for 2 hours a day except Sunday when they come and take me to church. I am taken for a walk on a regular basis and we go to the Eagle marsh where I have seen Eagles in the past and we see geese.

I have 3 grandsons. 2 of them live in Portland, Oregon and are about 4 and 7 years old. 1 lives in Fort Wayne and I see him from time to time and he is 6 years old.

My daughter Danielle just graduated from 8th grade and is ready for high school. She got an academic award at graduation.

I go to church every Sunday and some of the people there always look for me when I get there because they like to see what necktie I am wearing. I have almost 200neckties of different holidays and seasons.

I was taken to the Bowman family reunion in July in Turkey Run state park in Indiana by my daughters Tandy and Danielle. They stayed with me for a couple hours while other people got there and then they drove back home to go to work and school. I got to be with all my aunts and uncles at the reunion. After a couple of days of social activity then Mom and Dad loaded me in the truck and headed to Fort Wayne. On the way we were greeted by a group of Patriot Guard Riders on motorcycles and escorted all the way to Fort Wayne. When we got to the apartment the PGR people helped move me and Mom and Dad into the apartment and we had treats.

I think I am doing ok. I have dizzy spells a lot. Sometimes I have to sit in my chair and relax for a while to get thru the spell. I walk a bit every couple days. I usually walk my puppydog Patches daily to the mailbox to get the mail. She sleeps in my lap when I sit in my chair and watch TV.

I still don't have some of my memory back. I have recently had a lot of older memories come back to me and I have thought about a lot of old things that happened to me. I still have no ability to smell or taste anything. I am limited on the activity I can get my left arm to do because of the damage my left shoulder went thru. I go to see a doctor every few months and he has me on medicine prescriptions.

A month gone by

2010-02-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

After we spent a couple days at Rod's house we drove back to my apartment in Fort Wayne. We stopped and got some groceries that Mom needed and then went home. We visited again for a couple days and then on Sunday Mom and Dad took me to church. After church they brought me home and made their bed with the clean sheets and we cleaned out the fridge so they could leave some good leftovers for me to eat. After a few hours Mom and Dad loaded up in their car and I got hugs and they left. I sat down in my chair and watched TV. From time to time I checked my emails to see if I had a message and then I went to bed after I got the email that told me Mom and Dad made it home. On Monday morning my Angel arrived and took me to the kennel where I had Patches staying while my folks were here. We picked Patches up and took her home and relaxed. I was glad to see my puppy dog.

The next day I went to the church to see my counselor Rick and we talked. He is the only counselor I see now and I am scheduled to see him on a weekly basis for the next several months. I have been to the doctor to have my dizzy and lightheaded spells looked at and he says I am ok. My blood pressure was ok and we talked about my spells and he said I probably needed to take a regular break when I am walking, so I do. Now I am into February and taking a look at my budget.

Christmas stretched me out a little but I got stuff for my daughters that I wanted to. I got each of them a necklace from Kay Jewelry with open hearts and I liked it a lot because I love my daughters and the necklace was a symbol of my heart and their heart linked.

Christmas

2009-12-30T09:12:00.000-05:00

My Mom and Dad came to my apartment on Christmas eve and took me to the Christmas Eve church service. Then we got back and got ready for bed. The next morning was Christmas and I got up and they got up and we talked. Then after gifts and showers and lunch we got in the truck and went to Jim and Suzie Jordan's house to see Danielle and then Tandy and Parker and Ronna came over and we had a good time. Then Ruth and Dave Walters came over and we all ate supper together and played cards. Then it was time to leave and we did go home. We went to bed and got up and Tandy and Parker and Ronna came over for lunch and some social time. We had a wonderful time together. Then after they left we had some packing to do to get ready to go to Rod's house and on the way we were going to stop at Janice house in Bloomington to visit. On Sunday after church we went to Walter and Anna's house for a visit with them and Berniece and Byron and Twilight and Dawn. Then we drove home to finish packing for the trip to Rod's. We got to bed and slept ok. We got up on Monday and drove to Janice house and had lunch with them and drove on down to Rod's house. We got to Rod's house before they got home and found the key where he had it hidden. We moved in and relaxed. Then Rod's got home a bit later and we all had supper. Now I am up a little early and bringing my blogsite up to date.

New Transitions

2009-06-27T17:42:00.001-04:00

Rod and I are in Ft. Wayne this weekend working on consolidating Jeff into a 2 bedroom apartment. We had a group of family and friends with Jeff today to look at a new apartment that is close by to where he is now. We have that taken care of now and are headed to start loading a truck load of extra belongings for me to take home for storage. Hot and humid day for carrying boxes but we have lots of help.

Thanks to Jimmy and Suz, Don and Paula and kids, and Danielle for all the hard work (and sweat).

The truck is loaded and ready to roll with my (Kim's) bike in the back. Tomorrow morning Rod and I will head towards our homes after Jeff heads for church.

Mike

Sent via BlackBerry

Weekend past

2009-05-19T07:56:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was a wonderful time. My daughter Tandy drove her son Parker and Me to Polo,IL. for the weekend. We left on Friday late afternoon when Tandy got away from work and took the 6 hours drive to Polo. We arrived a little late but into open arms. I slept good all night, then we had breakfast and showers and went to aunt Helen's house and saw 5 baby goats, a horse, 5 head of cattle and colts and a variety of cats. Then we went inside and visited for a little bit. Parker was a little nervous around the baby goats but was fine when we got to the cows. From Helen's house we started to go to Mom and Dad's house but we stopped at the cemetery to see Tim's grave site, where I got a little tense and prayed. Then we went back to the country and had a good lunch.

Then after lunch and a little relax time we climbed back into the Envoy and drove to where Grandma was staying. Grandma is staying in a nursing home about 12 miles from Mom and Dad's house. We had a good time visiting with her for almost an hour. It was good to see her and talk with her. Then we got back into the Envoy and drove back to Mom and Dad's house for supper. We had barbequed meatballs and mashed potatoes and Apricot salad for supper and apple crisp for desert. The food was very good and filling. Then we relaxed and went to bed.

Sunday morning we got up, had breakfast, took showers, packed our luggage and a cooler with leftovers from supper Saturday night, and went to church. After church we went to a restaurant in Dixon,IL and met Joann and Stacy and a couple of the kids, and Mike and Kim joined us. It was a good lunch at the Galena Steakhouse.

Then after lunch and being social we got up to leave. We hugged everyone that was there and then walked to the Envoy. We headed south to the Interstate and drove east. We didn't stop again until we got into Indiana. Parker sat in his seat and played games on his toy and watched CD's on his player and then fell asleep for a while. He is a great traveler, kept himself busy with games and CDs. We got to Ft. Wayne about 7:30pm and dropped me off at my apartment and then Tandy drove her and Parker home. They should have been home around 8pm and Parker would have more of the night to sleep.

On Monday morning I got my Angels assistant to join me about 7:45am and I got dressed to go outside, then we climbed into her van and went to pick up puppy dog Patches. We got patches and walked to the van and Patches jumped in and curled up in my lap and we drove to my apartment. Then we walked inside for a little bit and then we all 3 took a walk around the apartment complex. We saw a swan in the pond on the west side of the complex again, It was a large pretty swan. Then we returned to the apartment together and the assistant did a little paperwork and then she left.

It was a great weekend. I enjoyed the ride and Tandy enjoyed driving. We slept ok and woke up ok and got around ok, no problems. We are back home now and doing well. Tandy had to get up early this morning to go to work and I hope that went well. I didn't call her to make sure she got around ok.

I feel good after the weekend visit and I didn't get anxious and hit my chest. I had a couple close moments but I didn't do it. I look forward to doing that again someday. I relaxed almost the whole weekend, No pressure driving for me.

Sincerely, Jeff, Dad, Grandpa

Session today

2009-04-16T14:08:00.002-04:00

I have an appointment scheduled this afternoon. I will be going to Ft.Wayne Neurology for speech therapy. This is the third appointment I have had this week with therapists. I met a couple days ago with Winsome (occupational therapist) at Ft.Wayne neurology and she gave me a couple math tests and I did the tests ok and passed them successfully. Wednesday I went to Suzie's office to sign a paper for Danielle's school entry for next year and then I was taken to the Lincolnshire Church of the Brethren and talked to the counselor there. He gave me a project.

The counselor at the church is named Rick Ritter and is a Certified Traumatologist. I didn't see the fillin minister because she was gone from the church. I like talking with Rick. He gave me an assignment this week that is a brain clearing task and I have done it a couple times.

I have met with 3 therapists this week at 3 different times. When I meet today with Melissa the speech therapist I am going to ask if there is anyone else at their office that I could see. I am doing fine and having no anxious moments. I am getting better. I was a little nervous Sunday when we went to Dave and Ruth Walters for lunch and birthday party but I told myself to "settle down" and it worked.

Absolute Angels is keeping up with me. They have taken me to a grocery store on Monday afternoon. I have taken a walk a couple times with my assistant from Absolute Angels. Today I walked with my assistant and before we went inside I walked over to my garage and opened the door. I looked around for a bit. I am trying to decide whether to keep or sell my wood working tools and saws. I looked at a bunch of stuff and then we walked to the apartment after I closed the garage door. That brought back a lot of memories but I did ok. I am doing fine and getting better.

Sincerely, Jeff, Dad, Grandpa

I'm Home

2009-04-07T20:04:00.002-04:00

I have now been home for a little more than a week. I met with my Doctor today and he answered a series of questions. He does not recommend the shot of Novocain in my left shoulder. I like this doctor. This afternoon I met with a representative with vocational rehab. I will get back to him when the doctor is done with my referral about my shoulder. I have another appointment with the doctor on 6-2-09. I met with an occupational therapist and a speech therapist yesterday. I have a meeting tomorrow at the church and back to speech on Thursday. So this is beginning to be a busy week.

I walked the dog outside today again. She does very well in the cool weather and gets to know her way around. I picked up my mail today and had no bills. I have caught up with all the mail on my desk and paid all the current bills on computer checks. I am doing ok.

I got my new license plate for the Envoy today. In case you aren't aware my Indiana plate number is "DA BEARZ" again. this is about 11 or 12 years with that plate number. I have all the old plates in a box in the BEARS room (the 4th bedroom).

I am relaxed tonight. I am alone again. Mike was here for a few days and took me to my therapist appointments and talked with them. I hope all is well with his drive home this afternoon/evening. I have been pretty calm and easy going. I still don't talk very loud but when I do it feels weird. That's enough for tonight.

Sincerely, Jeff, Dad, Grandpa

My First Week Home

2009-04-04T13:55:00.001-04:00

I have now been home for about 5 days. My brother Rod stayed with me until late yesterday afternoon and then he drove home to Kentucky. My other brother Mike is coming in Sunday afternoon sometime for a couple days.

Tandy has volunteered to take me to church on Sunday for the 10:30am service. I met with a counselor in the church yesterday and he is very nice and level headed. He asked me questions and I gave answers. It was a good meeting at the church for an hour.

I have 2 meetings Monday at the Neurological center of Lutheran Hospital, one is occupational and the other is speech. I have a meeting on Tuesday with the vocational therapist Jim Wycoff.

I slept good last night. Patches woke up about 1:30am and wanted to go outside and I had a bit of breakfast then looked at a clock and saw how early it was. So we went back to bed and went to sleep. No problems. I slept all the way to 8:15am this morning and got up and drank the rest of the coffee from the middle of the night. Then I took my medication. Now I am emailing.

I have not had another episode of grief since the other day at the grave. I miss her but I am doing better. Patches the puppy is keeping me company and I enjoy her. I am doing fine with no more anxious moments.

I am eating food ok. I have purchased a lot of groceries to maintain myself. In a few days I am going to clean the apartment when I get some help from the PSA assigned to me, My left shoulder is not working properly and gets tired. I have done a couple loads of clothes in the washer and dryer and had no problems. My physical condition is ok but I have a list of things to talk to Dr. Acquaro about for a while and ask for referrals from him. He is gone this week but returns to the office 4-6-09 and I will call then for an appointment.

I have a PSA every day twice, 10-12am and second time is 3-5pm. The Absolute Angels is the company We hired for assistance and Jeff is a very nice person. I have arranged my appointments in this schedule available. It is working so far.

I am doing fine right now. That is a current update and news info. Take care.

Sincerely, Jeff Bowman, DAD, Grandpa

Week #1 in Ft. Wayne

2009-04-03T12:23:00.003-04:00

I have spent the past several days with Jeff getting him set up for the next phase of his adventure we call life. Priority #1 was to procure a personal care assistant to allow Jeff to live independently in his townhouse. This has been accomplished with a local organization called Absolute Angels. They are assigning a team of 3 personal service assistants to Jeff, all of which are women. Only one will be here at any certain time, but he will always have a familiar face from the group of 3. Initially we have set him up to have his PSA here from 10-12:00 in the morning and 3-5:00 in the afternoon 7 days/week. This schedule is for a transition period and will be scaled back as we are able and Jeff can prove his ability to live independently. Jeff will be scheduling his doctor appointments, therapies, and errands during these timeframes.

We have Jeff set up with OT, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and a minister along with his PSA this week. There is more to do, and he is awaiting call-backs from other resources in FW.

Overall, I am very pleased with Jeff's progress and I believe everyone else will be also as you see, talk, visit with him. His emotions are much more "level" than I have seen and he is coping well. To use Jeff's own words, we have had no anxious moments this week. Having said that, I will admit to 1 instance of emotional chest pounding (3 hits) which I give him a pass for. On Wednesday, Jeff and I went to the cemetery to visit Annette's grave. It was an emotional reunion, and if I were the one in Jeff's shoes, I don't' know that I could have handled it any better. Overall, he did very good, and he has come a tremendous distance in his handling of his grief at the loss of his beloved Annette. CCS, Pastor Grey, family, and friends have all played a key role in bringing him this far. His improvement since we were last together in FW is borderline miraculous. I am very proud of my big brother.

Regrettable, I am headed home today. I am taking Jeff to meet his new minister at 2:00 and will be leaving after that. He will be on his own for a couple days until Mike arrives Sunday afternoon for a day or 2. After that, he will again be on his own with the help of the local resources we have set up and continue to find.

I would ask friends and family to take a moment and stay in touch with Jeff to keep him connected to the outside world. He is in his email all the time (bearzfan@aol.com) but only occasionally checks the blog. We continue to work on this as we had hoped he would take over the blog as a means of staying in touch with everyone. Pick up the phone or key in an email. With a little attention from many places, we can keep Jeff pointed in the right direction and continuing down this most incredible journey.

Later,

Rod

Jeff Returned to Ft. Wayne Today from Carbondale

2009-03-30T23:43:00.000-04:00

Big brother Jeff made a triumphant return to Ft. Wayne today from the Center for Comprehensive Services in Carbondale, Illinois.

Jeff left for C.C.S. on August 11th of last year and has been undergoing a multi-faceted treatment regiment that is designed specifically for people with TBI (traumatic brain injury). This was a very tough time for Jeff as he went through everything from grief therapy to speech and occupational therapies and more. It took a lot of determination on the part of his family to keep him motivated to stay in Carbondale. Jeff checked himself into this facility and always had the ability to check himself out. But we were able to convince him to remain there until they were convinced that they had taken his recovery as far as they could. Two weeks ago Rod and I attended his monthly update meeting with all of his staff people at C.C.S. and we all came to the same conclusion, "Jeff is ready for the next step, home". So we all agreed on today's date for discharge and they have been working very hard to put together Jeff's emergency plan and contacts.

Jeff came home today with a list of resources in the Ft. Wayne area and already has appointments scheduled with some. Everything from psychologist to minister are ready to meet Jeff and start the next phase of his recovery. Rod is staying with Jeff for a few days as they make contacts and set appointments. They are also going to work with a group that provides a personal assistant for Jeff that will work with him every day. He/She will make sure that he is taking his meds, getting out of the apartment, taking Jeff to appointments, and to coordinate his schedule. As Jeff continues to improve at home this person could eventually be phased out over time.

Jeff still has the same numbers and email address so he can be reached just as before.

Welcome Home Big Brother!!!

Mike

FINALLY, we actually have a blog update for you all..... (Thanks to Suzie)

2009-03-01T16:59:00.001-05:00

Wondered what Danielle (aka Dani) has been up to?? What fun stuff she's involved in? How she's adapting to her new school? Well then it is time for a blog update!

She has been keeping Jim and I busy with activities, planning projects, attending games, going with friends, visits with family and let's not forget homework!! These events include a lot of fun for all of us wellmaybe not the homework part!

Danielle played volleyball and was a "float" which meant she could/would play varsity and junior varsity. She has an awesome serve like her Mom and enjoyed the season. Danielle's fall semester included the basics math, science, social studies, English, but also she has a writing class. Special classes include Honors Choir and a new language FRENCH. This has made dinner time very entertaining she tries very hard to "correct" Jim's French and I just laugh at them both. She has adapted to her new school very well and has had As and Bs with high effort grades on all of her report cards.

During fall break, she and I were flown to New York City for a long weekend of fun with Annette's cousin, Anita Elliott. Anita has "work" to do; but arranged for Danielle and I to be treated like queens with the full array of activities walking, sightseeing, Top of the Rock, Billy Bong, WICKED!!!; riding the subway, spending time with my nephew Steve all while having a great time!! Thanks to Bill and Anita for a fantastic weekend. Don't feel sorry for Jim he was off fishing with one of his buddies, Chris!

While in NYC, we visited Macy's and purchased "the dress" for the Christmas dance at school. This is a special evening where the ladies and gentlemen dress up for the dance nice dresses, suits and ties. Jim and I were chaperones with a few guidelines from Danielle and we closed the evening with a visit to Baskin Robbins!! Danielle looked fantastic in her purple dress with her hair in an up-do she was a stunning young lady. Purple is her favorite color it is also the representation of pancreatic cancer too.

Jeff was home for a week at Christmas and stayed at his townhouse with Patches. They enjoyed seeing each other every night except for the icy evening. Jeff had a nice time catching up with Danielle; but also Tandy, Parker and Ronna. Games, movies, fun and a trip to Auburn for Christmas Eve with Grandpa and Grandma Walters; Christmas day with Dad; then with my family - filled the first week of break.

Danielle stays in contact with a couple of her friends from Greenwood; so while they were all off school, Danielle spent two sleepless- days with them and had a BLAST!!

Danielle is now working crew for the school musical Willy Wonka. She has been painting, decorating, moving, and other stuff to make the production lively and colorful! I even have a few costumes that I have to finish up tonight!

Again, thank you for your support of thoughts and prayers and we greatly appreciate everyone's support of Danielle's Education Fund that will be in use for years to come!

Suzie

Thanksgiving at Rod and Cathy's

2008-12-02T16:30:00.005-05:00

I see that it's been WAY too long since anyone has posted something on this blog, so I'm going to take the initiative and put an update on this thing. :)

This past weekend, I drove down to Georgetown, KY with my son and my little sister Dani in tow. We headed down south for a good ole fashioned family Thanksgiving. Uncle Rod had left his home earlier in the day to pick up my dad from Carbondale and we all met that evening safe and sound in the comforts of his beautiful home! And let me tell you, what a sight it was to see my dad after 2 very long months! He looked GREAT!! He had his beard pretty much shaved off and the mustache all trimmed up. It's amazing how much he is finally starting to look like the man I remember him to be :) We spent the late hours of Wednesday night chit chatting and relaxing (which is exactly what I needed after the week I'd had!).

Thanksgiving day finally arrived and we all arose after getting a peaceful nights sleep. The theme of our weekend soon became evident...DO NOTHING! And that's exactly what we did! Parker, Dani, and Susan played Nintendo Wii all afternoon while Aunt Cathy, Dad, and Uncle Rod did the majority of the cooking. As for me, I sat and continually scanned thru the massive number of channels they had on their satellite TV (I'm used the basic 5 I get on my TV at home!) :) Matt showed up at just the perfect time that afternoon....right as dinner was finally declared ready! We all sat together as a family and feasted on some very good grub! Everything was absolutely delicious!! As our food "comas" slowly set in, we all lounged the evening away and watched some very boring football games.

Friday started with a much needed Starbucks run. Gotta give thanks to my cousin Susan for shuttling Dani and I around. Her driving skills are top notch! :) After eating leftovers for lunch, us girls took Parker to see the new movie Bolt. Dad and Rod chose not to go and instead took the Envoy we drove down in to get a good checking over. Dad was concerned about the tire pressure and other various fluid levels, so to ease his mind, he had to check everything over (it's great to see some of his vehicle knowledge coming back!) After the movie, we then met dad and Rod at the restaurant where Suzie works and had some appetizers. It was a very cute, quaint place with excellent food! And then back to the house where our "do nothing" theme continued! I think we watched 3 movies that night, while Parker played away on the Wii! :)

We then come to Saturday...the end of our joyous family weekend. :( Dani and I drug out our goodbyes as long as possible. Neither of us wanted to leave. It's hard seeing our dad in little snippets like we have the past few visits. It's almost like it takes us a day or two to get re acquainted and by the time we are all feeling really comfortable...we have to say good bye. As we packed up our stuff, we made the rounds of hugs and kisses. We piled in the Envoy, Parker in tow, and started the long journey home. Driving away, Dani and I looked at each other, both thinking the same thing...What a GREAT trip!!!

To Rod and Cathy-- THANK YOU for everything you did for us this past weekend. Your hospitality was impeccable! We couldn't have had a more relaxing time. It was so great seeing you all, and Susan and Matt.

To my dad-- You are looking better every time I see you. It was wonderful to talk to you this past weekend and hear about how good your therapies are going. I am encouraged by your progress. There were NO outbursts or sudden, jerky movement! I'm so proud of how hard you're working! You've been through SOOOO much and have taken it all in stride. I can't WAIT to see what the future holds for you!

I hope you all had as great a holiday as I did! Hugs and kisses to everyone out there supporting my dad and the rest of my family. We are thankful for each one of you.

Happy Holidays,
Tandy :)

MOM AND DAD GO TO CARBONDALE

2008-10-09T14:30:00.002-04:00

We had a really nice weekend with Jeff on October 4 and 5. We arrived Friday evening after a nearly 400 mile drive. Jeff was waiting for us at the door of the Phoenix House. After the hugs and tears, we drove around to the back to park and unload food at Jeff's new "living space". He had just been moved (on Monday) into a studio apartment, across a patio behind the Phoenix House where he has been living since arriving at CCS. A NEXT STEP in his recovery!!

Jeff enjoys the more quiet atmosphere in his new home. However, he still eats the evening meal with the group in Phoenix House. He also has been doing some "grill Meals" for the group, and just yesterday made his very special "daddy salad" (something his girls surely can relate to) for the group.

On Saturday we took Jeff shopping for long pants, jeans, and a belt that fit. He has lost 60 pounds since the accident, and has continued to wear the same old clothes, drawing the belt to the last notch, and still not feeling a snug fit. He said "I guess I do need a smaller belt" and Mom said "and pants that fit".

We enjoyed Mom's stuffed peppers and baked potatoes for Sunday dinner. And then, the Bears winning the football game in the afternoon, made Jeff a very happy guy.

We saw Jeff smile several times, which is a real accomplishment, because he had to "relearn" that expression.

On Sunday morning we went with Jeff to church, and we met the pastor who sees Jeff once a week for grief counselling. Jeff thinks a lot about Pastor Gray and the weekly visits they have together.

On Monday morning, Mom, Dad, and Jeff met with Darcy, his case worker, and four of his therapists, in an informal exchange of "how he is progressing", and what we observed of him during the weekend. It was a very positive meeting.

The move to the studio apartment comes two months into his rehab recovery. While it is "the next step", going home is still down the recovery road. Jeff needs this reminder occasionally. There is still much to be accomplished.

Following a delightful lunch Monday noon at a nearby cafe, we left Jeff at the CCS woodworking shop where he works three afternoons each week. He introduced us to his foreman and the director, and they both spoke very highly of Jeff and his workmanship. His job is in the finishing area for the wood products they make there - Adirondack Chairs, tables, wall shelves, etc. (Just about an hour ago, Dad was talking with Jeff on the phone. Jeff said they had him painting chairs today. What color? Yellow!! And then he said he turned around, and there was a green one. "Oh my gosh, that's Green Bay. Why can't we be doing blue and orange?" And his foreman said "OK, look over here". And there was a blue chair and an orange chair. "OK", Jeff said, "now I can stand working here.")

We are very impressed with the interest shown by the staff people, and the "hands on" therapy that Jeff is receiving at CCS.

We were so pleased to see first hand how good Jeff is doing. What a great weekend!!

Mom and Dad Bowman

Roadtrip to Carbondale!

2008-09-02T21:11:00.013-04:00

At 7:45am Saturday morning, Parker & I left my house in Jeff’s Envoy to pick up Dani (thanks again, Suzie, for stocking the Envoy with snacks and sending Jeff a care package) and then on to pick up Tandy (Parker had bunked at my house for the night). We found it to be a 6-hour drive between Ft. Wayne and Carbondale, plus stops. Very easy trip on 3 interstates, about 2 hours on each one. Dani read a library book the entire way down and on into the evening. Her new school has a summer reading program, and if I understood her right she was excused from most of the required reading due to her late enrollment, but she is tackling the list anyway! Tandy and I took turns driving and tending to a squirmy 4 1/2-year-old.

We arrived around 2pm Jeff’s time, and we checked into a family suite at the Ramada Inn that CCS provides free of charge once a month to visiting family members. Jeff soon arrived accompanied by one of his therapists, Kathy. She spent quite a bit of time with all of us just visiting at first, and then she & Jeff filled us in on strategies that he is working on, and they talked about the State Fair they had gone to earlier in the week. After she left, we went to the pool and while Tandy and Jeff talked, I saved Parker’s life many times from drowning. (Dani was in the room, still reading! She couldn’t tear herself away from the story!) Then we ordered a pizza, just hung out in the room, and Crampa & Parker played a game of laying down and picking up matching cards. There was no matching going on. Crampa was simply expected to collect cards handed to him, and he complied.

Sunday morning we went to church with Jeff. He is attending Our Savior Lutheran Church just a short walk from Phoenix House, where he currently lives. He no longer has to be accompanied when he leaves the house, just signs in and out. We walked in the door of the church and were greeted by Pastor Gray who said “Hi Jeff!”. The other pastor and vicar both greeted Jeff by name as we left! I found out yesterday, from Jeff, that he has met with Pastor Gray once and will be meeting with him again this week or next. Pastor Gray has lost both of his parents and Jeff feels they have a connection in their grief. (I’ve been praying for this for Jeff so you can imagine the chill that went down my spine when he told me this. Thank you, God.) Then Jeff took all of us to Logan’s for lunch. Here are some of my boothmates.

And we toured the Phoenix House and spent time with Jeff in his room looking at his goals and his schedules and his daily notes. Here he is showing us his shelf in one of the fridges.

He told us that on Wednesday he prepared dinner for his housemates. He compiled the grocery list & then grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Just an FYI, he makes his own breakfast and lunch and there is a dinner prepared for the residents each evening.

Later we went to University Mall and followed the girls & Parker around as they all did their mall thing. And we went to the Dairy Queen. Needless to say, Jeff took good care of us. We finished off the day back in the room watching TV and talking and participating in a post-Olympic gymnastic demo by Parker & Dani,

and a trashcan basketball demo by Jeff. Sorry I don’t have a picture, but we saw a real smile! That’s one of his goals, by the way, to practice smiling.

Monday morning we got checked out and picked up Jeff not long after 8am! We headed for Giant City State Park and hiked the 3/4-mile Indian Creek Nature Trail. Dani and Parker got big sticks and busted through the spider webs for us. We all marveled at the sun shining through the numerous spider webs. We put Jeff in charge of protecting us from venomous copperhead snakes. Luckily, we didn’t run across any. We came upon a shelter bluff rock wall that Native Americans utilized years ago for cooking, sleeping and working. It was very cool!!!! Dani climbed big rocks. I didn’t take my camera on the hike, but here is most of the team at the trailhead.

Then we happened across a playground where Parker was in the swing for a LONG time and Dani practiced balancing under Dad’s watchful eye.

Jeff said Sunday was the best day of his life! I think the weekend exceeded ALL of our expectations. We already have a list of the places we want to visit next time we go. I can’t even put into words how hard it was for the girls and their dad to say goodbye. We parted with many tears but many great memories.

Tisha, you were missed. You were in our thoughts and I know we were in yours. Another FYI, Tisha/Chris/Aiden & Gabey drove the 12-hour (I think) trip from Portland, OR to the Bay area in California over the weekend specifically to visit Chris' sick grandma.
Ronna

Dani Update from Suzie

2008-08-23T14:00:00.002-04:00

I thought that you would all enjoy an update on Danielle (aka Dani).

After an extremely enjoyable trip to attend her cousin’s wedding in Illinois, Danielle moved into our home in Fort Wayne. She has her own bed, dresser and “stuff” to make her room here as comfortable as she needs!

Before school started she kept herself busy with visits to Grandma and Grandpa Walters, spending time with her cousins in Auburn, pool time with the girls, reading her book for school and playing X-Box. This past weekend Anita (Walter’s cousin) visited from Arizona and we conquered the need for school clothes – kids grow!! On Wednesday, Janis (a great friend of Annette’s) took Danielle out for a special back to school afternoon; and they had a great time. Danielle helps around the house and has made burgers on the grill for dinner one night, as I finished up her school paperwork – the burgers were great and I appreciated the help making dinner!

Danielle is a very bright young lady and has transitioned into her new school with her first day being on Thursday. On Tuesday she was invited to a luncheon and afternoon of fun with 6 other 7th grade girls hosted by one of the ladies I know. That night Jim, Danielle and I attended orientation and she met the other 2 new girls to the 7th grade. So she knew a lot of kids already plus being one of the new students everyone was meeting her. Danielle is playing volleyball at her new school and I’m THRILLED – we can practice at home since I love this sport!!

We would like to thank everyone for their love, kind words, support and also to the generous people who have donated financially to the future of Danielle’s education in honor of her Mom. Danielle is doing well. Jim and I enjoy having her smile; laugh and a great young lady join our family!

Suzie

The Next Chapter......

2008-08-14T10:07:00.001-04:00

It has been one month since we lost our beloved Annette, but her legacy lives on in the promises we made to her in her last days with us all. And this week Jeff starts a whole new chapter in his life that will give him the best chance for a complete recovery.

Monday Rod and I were in Carbondale,IL with Jeff as he admitted himself into the Mentor ABI program to treat people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Mentor is one of the leading networks for treating TBI in the nation and their home office is here in Carbondale. Jeff had an extensive interview with Mentor two weeks ago to evaluate his abilities and needs and they decided that the best facility they have to meet his needs is here in Carbondale.

http://www.mentorabi.com/welcome.aspx

http://www.mentorabi.com/standard/Location.aspx?guid=8b1eb36d-be93-4e1f-9f9b-0cc74d9b4d91

These are residential based treatment facilities that focus on 24 hour therapy for every patient. Jeff is living in a dorm type building with his own bedroom. There are about 6 bedrooms on each end of this building with a common cooking/eating area in the middle that all residents can use and work in. We were disappointed that this is not the town house type of facility that the Georgetown,KY facility has, but that facility is brand new and this one is older and sits right next to the SIU campus. Looks and feels more like a college dorm than anything else.

The staff there is wonderful. They only treat TBI patients and they really know how to do it. They talked to Jeff, Rod, and I as people and explained everything to us in detail so we all know how things are going. Jeff's case manager, Darcy, is a lovely lady who has an engaging personality that makes her perfect for her job. We sat with her and talked about Jeff's goals for his time at Mentor and how to get those goals met. She has a ton of experience with TBI patients and it showed very quickly as she was able to reach out to Jeff very quickly and get him to open up. Darcy will be the person who is responsible for coordinating all of Jeff's activities at Mentor. She is the head case manager there and everyone refers to her as the "best in the business" at what she does. More than once we were told that we were very lucky to have her working with Jeff.

Jeff has their laptop computer with him and is able to receive email anytime (bearzfan@aol.com). He also has his cell phone (260-437-8327) and is able to make and receive calls when he is not in a session of some type. Please feel free to drop him a note as it will help him stay in touch with the rest of the world while he starts this new adventure.

You can also send mail and/or packages to him at Mentor.

Jeff Bowman

c/o Mentor CCS Carbondale

306 West Mill Street

Carbondale,IL 62901

For the next couple of weeks Jeff will be in a "get to know you" mode at Mentor as he starts therapies and sessions to find out what his needs are. There is no set time frame for how long this will take for him to be there. He understands very well that he will get out of the program what he puts into it and was already saying just that before we left him Monday afternoon. We all know that Jeff is a very motivated person and I have no doubts that he will dive into this full force once he sees himself start to improve and words of encouragement are always a good thing.

Meanwhile, Dani has successfully moved in with Jim and Suzy Jordan while Jeff is at Mentor and is enrolled in school for the fall near their home. She has taken the extra bedroom at their house and made it "her room" now with things from home. We spent time with her last weekend at niece Megan's wedding in Princeton,IL and she is a spunky as ever and seems to be excited about school starting. I got word this morning that she has been invited over to a friend of a friends house to meet a few of the girls that she will be at school with so they can get to know each other and she doesn't walk into a new building looking like a deer in the headlights. I have no doubts that she will excel in this new school as she has done VERY well on all of the placement tests that she has taken so far.

Patches is being boarded in a kennel near Columbia City for the duration. She is out of quarantine now after her little biting incident with mom. Hopefully she will have a little better attitude after all of this (well, we can hope anyway).

The apartment is locked up, alarm enabled, and checked in on regularly by neighbors, friends, and family. When Jeff returns he will be in a good position to decide what his next adventure will be. But I am confident that his drive, determination, and everyone's encouragement will bring him home ready to raise his daughter and get back to work. We all know how much Jeff loves to just sit around.

More to follow....

Mike

ANNETTE K BOWMAN

2008-07-16T20:08:00.003-04:00

Wow, this has been a couple hectic weeks that just ended. I am broken and troubled and I'm taking a few days to recover.

Annette and I have been together for almost 25 years. We have traveled to all 50 states, about a dozen or more foreign countries. We traveled by car, Truck, Train, Ship, and the obvious Airplane. We traveled alone frequently, sometimes with a group that Annette would have set up for a meeting and she did meetings all over the United States and in many foreign countries. During our meeting travels I would sit back and wait for her to handle the groups she booked and then we would go on a side trip to dinner or a horse ride or casino or anything to occupy the night. We went to Chicago Bears football games from 4-10 times a season because I have had season tickets for over 15 years. We would go to ball card shows in Chicago and collect cards for sale, player autographs and a variety of plates or steins.

Life was an enjoyment and a world of busy activity but our Love for each other was always in place.

We went to Alaska 3 different trips and had a rental car for days and saw many Eagles. Annette was a wizard with the camera so we have 100's of pictures to remember our travels.

JEFF BOWMAN
Husband for 19 years

Online Guestbook for Annette

2008-07-14T08:01:00.001-04:00

http://www.legacy.com/FortWayne/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=113231020

Annette Kay Bowman

2008-07-11T19:14:00.001-04:00

Annette Kay Bowman, 47, died Friday July 11, 2008 at the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Home in Fort Wayne. She was born June 15, 1961 in Auburn to Dave and Ruth (Friend) Walters. Her parents survive in Auburn.

She worked as a conference coordinator for Conference and Travel Services of Fort Wayne. She was a member of the Fort Wayne Jaycees where she was Director and Community Development Vice Pres and she was also the first woman in the club to receive the Wally Award.

She married Jeff Bowman, May 20, 1989 at the Auburn First United Methodist Church Chapel and he survives in Fort Wayne.

Besides her parents and husband she is also survived by a daughter Danielle Bowman at home, 2 step daughters, Tisha Bowman of Portland OR, Tandy Bowman of Fort Wayne and a brother Ed Walters of Auburn. She was preceded in death by her sister, Susie Bishop, Feb. 27, 2007.

Services will be 11 AM, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at Auburn First United Methodist Church. Rev Ted Jansen and Rev O. Dale Williams will officiate. Burial in Woodlawn Cemetery, Auburn. Friends may call Monday from 4 to 9 PM at Feller and Clark Funeral Home, Auburn and also 1 hour prior to the service at the church Tuesday. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be directed to Danielle Bowman Educational Fund.

2008-07-11T11:34:00.002-04:00

At 11:00 Fort Wayne time on the 11th of July, 2008 Annette Bowman left this earth to be with her sister, brother-in-law, nephew and many other loved ones who are gathered at the gates of heaven to welcome her with open arms. She leaves behind a loving husband and daughter, two step daughters, 3 grandsons, her parents and brother, and many, many relatives and friends who have had the honor of spending time with Annette in her short 47 years on this earth.

She will be sorely missed by all.

PRAY!

2008-07-11T10:11:00.002-04:00

The family was called in early this morning to be with Annette. Please pray for her peace and comfort.
Tisha

Thursday July 10

2008-07-10T17:45:00.003-04:00

Earlier this afternoon, Annette was moved to hospice care in Ft. Wayne with a rather large family contingent in tow. The facility is beautiful, close, has a wonderful staff, and will suit the family's needs exceptionally well during this most difficult time.

Annette's new residence is:
Visiting Nurse & Hospice Home
5910 Homestead Road
Ft. Wayne, IN 46814
260-435-5611 (direct to room)

As said many times before, but becoming more important all the time - thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers, keep them coming.

The Family

Update for Monday July 7th

2008-07-07T21:18:00.001-04:00

Annette's sodium level is up to 129 with the 130's being the target range for normal. Almost there!! The blockage that they thought she had turned out to be nothing at all so no worries there.

Prayers are still very much needed and appreciated for Annette, Jeff, and the entire family. We're not too proud to ask for any help we can get and we sure won't turn any down. So if you have any pull with the man upstairs, feel free to mention their names.

Thanks to all, Mike

Greetings from Fort Wayne, and a prayer request for Annette

2008-07-05T13:42:00.001-04:00

This is the first update from the new Bears Den in Fort Wayne,IN.

Kim, Michelle, and I decided at the last minute to take advantage of the holiday weekend and made a quick trip to Jeff's to help out with whatever we could do. The townhouse is in remarkably good shape considering the number of boxes that were carried into it. I expected to see some piled around that needed unpacking yet but there has been enough help and time to get the necessities taken care of. Except for the Bears room, that will take a while, a long while, but at least they are all in the room. And then there is the garage, which is wall to wall, and floor to ceiling. That will be another project for another day.

The townhouse is surprisingly roomy and comfortable. Granted, it's not the Greenwood house by any stretch of the imagination, but it really does fit the needs very well for them right now. Good neighborhood and well kept grounds with lots of green space and a community pool. As seems to be typical for Fort Wayne you can see the townhouses from several vantage points on different roads, but can't get there without knowing the proper streets. Reminds me of the house they lived in on Wood Rim Run years back.

We found Jeff to be in reasonably good spirits but understandably worried about Annette and the future. His progress has come to a halt with the move and waiting for the insurance and/or disability to decide the next course of action. Hopefully that information will be coming sooner than later and he can get back into a rehab routine that will start him moving forward with recovery again. With Annette's current medical status and Danielle to look after Jeff needs more progress before he can move to the next level of being self sufficient. And that frustrates him right now as he tries to work through the daily routines of life.

Danielle (otherwise known as "Grace") was on crutches with a bandaged ankle when we arrived. She was soon able to shed the crutches (with a slight limp) but has a rather impressive raspberry on her knee to show as a prize from her little adventure with a diving board and teenage coordination.

Annette and family have requested that we add her to our daily prayer lists. She was admitted back in to Lutheran hospital on Tuesday with low sodium levels again. They have been draining fluids from her abdomen at a fairly high rate so some new tests were ordered from her new Oncologist to look again at where this problem might be coming from. She also has a small blockage that they are looking at with some x-rays and other tests to find it's origin. On a good note, they decided to install another drain for her abdominal fluids that will make it much easier to handle that problem. Hopefully this one will not have the infection problem like the earlier one and will allow her to be drained regularly either at home or here whenever necessary. We (including Annette) were all hopeful that she would be able to get home today but some questionable results on a couple of the recent tests and a rough night sleeping will have her staying here probably for the weekend yet. According to Suzy her color has improved since she was admitted and they started getting her sodium level back up. She also has a little bit of a high glucose level that was noticed yesterday. Today it was still a little high so she had a shot to bring that back to a normal range. According to the diabetes doctor this is not uncommon for Annette and nothing to worry about. Just needs monitoring to keep her levels stable.

Mike

Sunday June 22 - Move Weekend

2008-06-23T00:03:00.007-04:00

I will be the first to admit that the blog posts have become rather sparse the last 2-months since Annette was diagnosed. I cannot give a really good reason other than to say it was far easier blogging for Jeff than it is for Annette.

For Jeff, his doctor visits and rehab have stopped, at least temporarily due to insurance, and our needed focus on Annette and their impending move back to Ft. Wayne. All his doctors have been notified of the change, and at the appropriate time we will attempt to get him back on track and continuing his improvement. For now, Jeff can out-calculate me on mental math, and remember many recent items/conversations better than most - me for sure. I think he is dealing with the long term memory loss and learning what he can't remember. It doesn't seem to bother him as much as it used to - he is adapting. We have a ways to go on personal mannerisms and interacting with people - he is well aware, and this is a focus of some of the rehab. I can't wait to get him back in. Physically, he does pretty good with the exception he does not have strengh he once did, he tires easily from physical activity, and he get's light headed pretty easy when he stands up fast or gets tired. I would expect all areas to improve when we get back on track.

I don't want to share more about Annette than she is comfortable with everyone knowing. I'm going out on a limb and will take a stab at this. First and foremost what comes to mind for me is the absolute confirmation that Annette is one of the strongest, most focused, and amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The challenges that face her would have knocked me to the curb months ago - yet she keeps going. Not only does she keep going, but she does so with the interest of her family in the forefront. She spent a week in the hospital at St. Francis Beech Grove coming home Thursday of this week. The reason for this was some funky blood tests when she went in with unexpected weekeness a week ago. During her time there, she had a stint installed in her liver, numerous IV's and, had the fluid drained from her tummy a couple times, including immediately prior to her release. Her stay there really got he prepared for what she came home to face - a move - and she joined the effort where she could starting Thursday evening upon our return from the hospital - always with us prodding for her to NOT overdue it.

Which brings me to my last topic for this update. This weekend we moved DaDen to Ft. Wayne - at least we closed the den in Greenwood and their personal belongings are in a truck terminal somewhere in Ft. Wayne for the weekend. I wish to give a heartfelt shout out to my wife and daughter, Cathy and Sue - my cousin and his son, Brian and Benjamin (license boy) - and PGR brother and sister Theresa (TayTay) and Don. We could not have done what we did without each of these people pulling in the same direction. Sue gave Ben the moncar of license boy as he is 17 and would take Sue to run tons of errands around town as we needed things over the weekend - Sue is only 15.

The movers showed up Saturday at 10:00am. Tandy came down with her mom, Ronna, and drove Jeff, Annette, Dani, and Patches to Ft. Wayne departing Greenwood at noon on Saturday. The movers packed and loaded all day, and we did the same along with cleaning, patching nail holes, etc. By evening their truck was full and they were out of boxes, and we had a long way to go. A decision was made for them to return on Sunday (today) at the same time with another truck and the same crew to finish up. In the end, we filled the 2nd truck to the back door and they pulled out - 1 hour before a 2nd house showing this afternoon. At this point we jumped into hyper-action cleaning, removing last minute items, painting, patching, and packing ourselves during this final hour. Minutes before the realtor rang the doorbell with our prospective buyers Brian and Ben headed for IL, Theresa and Don headed for home, and Cathy and Sue headed back to KY. The only thing left in the house was the auction stuff in the garage (2-stalls worth), about 10 bags of garbage, and my clothes in an upstairs closet. I waited for the realtor to leave and went in for a final walk thru. I snuck in a shower and dried off with my dirty clothes as evertying was gone - including towels. Then I packed my bag and got in my car and sat in the driveway for what seemed an eternity. I simply could not leave. As difficult as it has been here these past weeks/months, there are a ton of wonderful family memories at this place - some of the most vivid involving motorcycles and including our lost brother, Greg. I realized we may never enter this place again. I know it is only a house, rather a home, but it is also so much more - it is a place we were alway welcome and were drawn to, often to find strength from each other. Words fail me trying to describe what this meant to all of us. Eventually, I also left and headed to Wisconsin for meetings and to get my head back into work.

The movers will show up at their apartment (4-BR townhouse) Monday morning to unload. A new crew of family and friends will be there to help. For the weekend, Jeff is with Tandy, Annette is with her Mom and Dad, Dani is with her cousin, and Patches is at the doggy hotel. We have neighbors/friends lined up to keep the yard mowed, dispose of the garbage, coordinate with the autction company, and freshen the house as needed during the showing process.

I hope you don't mind, Jeff and Annette, but I am going to put your new address on here. May you get smothered in cards and well wishes in the new Den.

The new den is located at 7975 Winston Lane, Fort Wayne, IN 46804. There is no apartment number needed as this number is on their front door. They will not be installing a land phone line, but will keep their same cell numbers they currently have. These numbers are already Ft. Wayne based numbers.

Thanks everyone for your continued thoughts, prayers, and help along the way. I believe the next blog post will be coming from Ft. Wayne.

Rod

Sunday, June 8

2008-06-08T15:07:00.006-04:00

I am reporting today from Da Bears' Den in Greenwood, and I am going to try to update the situation on several fronts.

First of all, Jeff, Annette, and Dani have decided to move the den from Greenwood back to Ft. Wayne. Although the exact timing of this move is not yet known due to many variables, it will be happening "sooner, rather than later." They have their eye on a couple nice apartments on the SW side of Ft. Wayne and are working on many details that must be ironed out before a firm plan can be put in place. This move will serve the family well, as this is where there primary base of support is. For those who do not know, Annette grew up in Auburn, near Ft. Wayne, and this is where her parents still live and farm. Jeff & Annette both spent 20+ years in Ft. Wayne prior to moving to Greenwood in 2005. Many of the people coming to spend time with our Bears are coming from Ft. Wayne, and moving the den there should make this process easier on everyone, and get J&A back to life long family, friends, and surroundings.

Joann and Francis (Greg's wife and youngest daughter) were here earlier this week for about 4 days. They spent time holding down the home front and packing up J&A's Bear's room. You see, this is entirely too valuable of a collection to entrust to just anyone. Joann worked with Jeff and packed, labeled, and sealed boxes for the upcoming move. They really knocked this one out in fine fashion. Other items in the house will be packed and moved by the moving company when the day comes.

Cathy and Sue (my wife and youngest) came in Thursday and will be staying thru tomorrow. I rode up and joined them on Friday night, arriving minutes before the first of many thunderstorms hit. I am headed for home this afternoon, then Cathy and Sue will be joining me tomorrow.

Tandy is down for the afternoon, and Annette's Mom and Dad are coming down this evening. All in all, we have managed another week with at least 1-person, and preferably 2-people on hand to help out where needed.

Jeff and I mowed the yard today and began the process of organizing the garage and moving items to be auctioned to a specified area of the garage. You see, they are moving from their 5-bedroom house with a 3-car garage into a 4-bedroom apartment with no garage. There will be considerable downsizing required to facilitate this move.

Suzy Jordan has been key in identifying acceptable apartments in Ft. Wayne, and lining up a moving company to pack, load, move, and unload their belongings. She has also arranged for someone to come to the house and remove the items they wish to dispose of, and sell them at auction. Thank you Suz!

To pull this off will be the result of a true team effort.

Tandy, Cathy, and Sue are out for a couple hours this afternoon for some girl time getting "pedi's" and whatever else girls do during girl time. Dani is at a friends house this weekend, and although I spent a night sleeping in her room, I will not see her this trip.

Annette spent some time at the hospital several days this week dealing with an infection with the drain in her tummy. Ultimately, they ended up removing the drain. The infection cause her to miss her chemo treatment this week, but she will be back at it Tuesday for another one, assuming acceptable blood tests in the morning. For tomorrow, her Mom and Cathy will be on hand to make the hospital trip and tend to the home. All in all, I sit here in awe at Annette's level head in the face of everything they are dealing with.

An ongoing need is for someone to be present to help around the house and drive to and from doctor's appointments. If anyone has a day or 2 available to help the cause, please step up and call Annette or Jeff. She maintains a calendar of people coming and going and has to fill in openings as they occur. I'd rather they had more help than they need, than have to be on the phone looking for people to fill in.

Thanks everyone for your continued support, calls, emails, prayers, and thoughts. It all helps.

Rod

Sunday June 1

2008-06-01T08:32:00.002-04:00

Today is my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary so we are Auburn today to help them celebrate this special occasion.

Jeff's occupational, physical and speech therapy was officially over as of last Thursday as his insurance has run out, however, they are trying to get Vocational Rehababilitation to see if they will pay for some additional Occupational therapy and should have an answer early next week.

Jeff got a cortizone shot last week in his shoulder which has helped the pain and helped to improve his movement.

For me, I am continuing with chemo treatments weekly. I will have 2 more weeks of chemo, one week off, and then one more week of chemo. After those series of treatments, I will have another CT scan to see how the chemo is effecting the cancer and determine the next course of treatment.

I have recently had a permanant drain place in the abominal cavity which I can drain off excessive fluid build up and also had a port placed in which I receive the chemo treatments. Both are healing well now and I have been able to use them the last week. These will both be a big help in convenience with treatment.

I have developed an infection on my face and scalp which is one of the side effects of the additional chemo pill that I take. I am off pill for a week an on antibiotics to clear up the infection.

Please keep you prayers and thoughts coming. We appreciate them!

Memorial Day Weekend in the BearzDen

2008-05-27T22:34:00.007-04:00

The Den was abuzz with company this holiday weekend as Mike and Kim came down from IL, Michelle came in from WI, and Cathy and I drove up from KY. We were joined by Dave and Ruth Walters on Monday.

Given Jeff's current condition and the circumstances that have brought us to this point, the decision was made to sell his bike and turn it into an asset that better suits their needs right now - cash. Additionally, it does not appear Jeff will be doing any riding in the foreseeable future, and there are other things so very much more important in their lives now. With this, we loaded the bike onto his trailer and Mike hauled it home with him Monday night where it will be selectively sold to a worthy and appreciative rider. This was a fairly difficult decision for Jeff and I hope everyone, especially riders, can be supportive of this as you visit with Jeff should it come up in conversation.

Enough about machines - on to more important matters.

Saturday and Sunday appeared to be fairly difficult days for Annette as she mainly slept in her recliner and seemed to be in a fair amount of pain/discomfort. This is as much of a guess as anything, because those of you who know Annette also know she does not often complain or think of herself. She has a "drain" of some sort installed in her abdomen to periodically remove the build up of fluid that collects and causes her discomfort. The "drain" is a much more comfortable and easier means than the needle used previously. This also allows her more independence to gain this relief at home w/out having to go back to the hospital. She had a nurse friend from the neighborhood come by the house on Saturday to assist in the procedure. On Monday, Annette seemed like a new woman. She spent quite a bit of time up and out of the chair moving thru the house and spending time with the family. She went in for her weekly chemo treatment on Tuesday (this morning) accompanied by her Mom, Ruth.

Jeff is going in to see his blood doctor tomorrow. This is a regular visit, I believe, to track and maintain the Cumidin (sp?) levels in his blood - basically blood thinner still working on the clots which remain in his legs. When those are gone, the thinners will no longer be needed, and the filter will then be removed. Jeff also has his last therapy/rehabilitation session this week as the insurance coverage has max'd out. Annette is working on a couple options to allow Jeff's rehab to continue, but there are details yet to be worked out.

Jeff's energy level is about what you would expect for a man of limited, if any physical activity for 7 months. Mowing the yard is a feat like climbing Everest at times. Jeff wants to get it done, and get it done now - thus we work with getting him to pace himself, take breaks, and not overdue it. This is difficult as Jeff is not a patient man, and it seems almost any physical activity is exhausting to him. We are pushing him to do a better job of maintaining his own physical therapy with his prescribed excersize regiment at home to help build his strength.

Dani got to spend a couple of afternoons in the community pool with her Aunt Cathy swimming and generally having good, relaxing "kid" time. Something that she needed. Kim, Michelle, and Cathy took Dani and her friend to the movies on Sunday evening for a "girls night out", and all came home giggling and cackling, including Kim, Cathy, and Michelle. Sounded like a good time was had by all while Mike and I worked on rebuilding Annette's work computer to get it operational for Jeff and Dani to use.

Monday evening, Michelle headed back to WI, then Mike and Kim left for IL with the bike and trailer in tow, then I headed back to KY leaving Cathy behind to help out for a couple days along with Ruth and Dave. I will return later in the week to pick Cathy up when the schedule gets finalized.

All in all a wonderful, sometimes emotional weekend where we feel we accomplished some things that needed to get done or set in motion, and otherwise helped out where we could.

Much thanks to everyone for your continued thoughts, prayers, and support for Jeff, Annette, and Dani.

Rod

Friday May 23rd

2008-05-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

Greetings from Indy!
It's been an awesome week. Dad has amazed me in all that he does. His memory has improved so much in the past few months. I saw him perform memory tests for Social Security purposes, and he did really well. His short term memory is amazing. I had no idea what he was retaining! He was awesome at patterns, math, and visual memory items. He hated every minute of it, but he did great. I was so proud.
He fixates on things very easily. I mentioned a winery down the road Sunday and he talked about it all week. I finally took him down today and he just glowed. We shopped, went to appointments, and went out to lunch. He really responds when he sees people wearing football shirts and American Flag shirts. He'll go up and just casually talk to people. He's also very animated when he talks. Very passionate about what he is telling you!
Annette had a good week also. As the week progressed, her color has improved and she says she feels a bit better. I'm really proud of how she is handling the situation.
Anyway, I'm headed home tomorrow. Well, first to Oakland to meet my husband and 2 boys (my in-laws are in the Bay Area) and then to drive home to Portland on Monday. Keep praying for my family here. They have had so much support, and please keep it coming !!
Love to all,
Tisha

Fundraiser Update from Team Timmy

2008-05-19T00:40:00.000-04:00

I need to update our many family members and friends on the latest doings for Team Timmy and the Out of Darkness Walk for the Association for Suicide Prevention. Since this is where the idea started for the benefit, I thought this would be the best place to let everyone know how things went.

We had our big fund raiser last night at Jeff's Reff's in Polo,IL and it was HUGE success. We had over 40 auction items, many raffle items, and a whole lot of people buying 50/50 tickets, candles, and other items that helped us raise funds. We started at 8:00 p.m. and went until close and the total raised for the evening was over $5,000.

Many, Many thanks to so many people who made the trip, some from many miles away. The bar was packed with people for the 90 minute auction and they were there to buy. There are so many people to thank I can't even begin to list them all. But some notables are Jeff Grobe, proprietor of Jeff's Reff's who gave us a generous $500 donation, Rich Sanders from VietNow who brought a large donation from their National organization as well as the local chapter, Dave Ackeberg for volunteering to auctioneer for the evening free of charge, Brandon Valez and Lon Feary for donating their DJ services, and the many, many people who stepped up to buy items or donate.

We were hoping it would be a success, but just as Jeff and Annette's benefit in Auburn, we completely underestimated the people attending and the depth of feeling that they have for our cause. It is such a blessing to have so many people assist us with our mission.

A special thanks to you all,

Mike, Kim, Michelle, and Timmy forever.

Sunday May 18th

2008-05-18T09:38:00.003-04:00

Hello from Indy!
Jeff's daughter, Tisha, reporting from the Bearz Den. I haven't been out since Dad came home in February so I was very excited to see Dad's progress. I've spoken to him at least twice a week over the past few months, but it's hard to actually understand his progress until you actually see it. When I got to the house, Dad was really tired from doing the yard work that morning. He and Annette's mom Ruth had mowed, trimmed, and then cleaned up the remaining clippings. He was exhausted and slept much of the evening. However, this morning, he has filled me in on exactly what he did down to the details about the red string flying off the weed wacker! His short term memory is very good and he's remembering much of what he's heard about his past. He could tell me how old Patches was and various things about his bears collection. He looks great, and I'm very proud of him!

Annette looks great. She had a drain put in to help alleviate the pressure in her stomach. She had to have it adjusted a few times and ended up at the hospital yesterday because the drain was leaking. Since then, she's doing great and the pain has subsided. She also will have a port put in on Monday to help the chemo run smoother. Annette has also received her chemo drugs in the mail and has begun that process. Even with all that, her spirits are up and she remains positive! She was up and around this morning when I finally got up (jet lagged). I'm really proud of the way she's pushing through her pain and tiredness.

Tandy and I are planning to get Dani out today. The weather is beautiful and I'm so happy to be here for the week.

Reporting from Indy...
Tisha

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T19:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! It was a very nice day here in Indy at dad's house. I came down at noon today with my mom and Parker. We arrived to a house full (which is NOT uncommon in the Bowman family!). :-) Stephanie and Libby (Jeff's sister and niece) are in from Texas until Monday. Rod, Cathy, and Susan (Jeff's brother, sister in law, and niece) were here from Kentucky, and Annette's parents were in from Auburn. Dani, Susan, and Libby had set up a wonderful Mother's Day lunch for all of us mom's! They did such a great job waiting on us hand and foot and even came bearing roses :-) Thank you girls for making this a very memorable and fun day!

After lunch, a bunch of girls headed to the spa!! We soaked it up by getting pedi's and mani's and enjoying the company of family. It was so nice to spend some well needed quality time together.

Annette is spending her time getting some much needed rest. Jeff was able to actually mow the lawn yesterday for the first time since last year. They also both attended the PGR fund raiser yesterday and had a GREAT time! Tomorrow brings more appts for dad and Annette. Please keep us all in your thoughts and we will try our best to keep everyone informed of any new information.

Tandy :-)

Tuesday, May 6

2008-05-06T20:10:00.002-04:00

First of all, thanks for your emails, cards, thoughts, and prayers.

After several appointments, tests, and procedures, they have found that I do have advanced pancreatic cancer and it has spread. The tumor is inoperable.

Yesterday, I went to the oncologist for a consultation and was able to actually start the chemo that afternoon. I will get Gemzar via IV on a weekly basis and also daily tablets of Tarceva. With both of these chemotherapy treatments, there is normally no throwing up or loss of hair.

As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our entire family and your support helps. We will try to keep you updated as much as possible.

Just got off the phone with Annette...

2008-05-01T14:21:00.001-04:00

Just got off the phone with Annette. As serious as pancreatic cancer is there is still some bright spots for her if all the right pieces fall into place. She has some fluid build-up that they are going to admit her for and do a needle biopsy this afternoon. There will be more news and info available tomorrow after the biopsy results, and then another scope to get to the lymph nodes. Each test will either eliminate or confirm the following step of treatment.

Annette sounded very upbeat. She was with Jeff and our mom and dad, along with her mom and dad for the Oncologist meeting and several of them took notes.

Obviously we need to keep the pressure on the man upstairs.

Annette will be in the hospital at least until Saturday as these tests are worked through.

Keep up the good work folks, Mike

STORM HEAVEN WITH PRAYERS!!

2008-05-01T10:45:00.001-04:00

Thursday between 11 am and 2 pm let's all STORM HEAVEN WITH PRAYERS!!

Let's give it a try!! God has to listen to the family, friends, PGR, Senators & Jaycees, co-workers, neighbors, and those who have never met the Bowman's but love them from all over our country and the world!! If you are not a religious or a praying person then just send some happy thought towards the Indy area!!

Dani - have a great time on your field trip!! Love ya bug!

Suzie (for Dad Bowman - I'm the one married to Jimmy!!)

More distressing news.... The next battle....

2008-04-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

To all, we have received some very distressing news. Jeff's bride Annette has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The biopsies are done and now we wait for Thursday when she has the appointment with the oncologist to see what the next course of action is. As more information becomes available we will keep you posted.

With Jeff still going to and from therapy the schedule around their house will be very hectic. Mom and Dad are there for this week to help with transportation and support. Annette's parents have been there as well as Jimmy and Suzy Jordan. Several other family members and friends will be visiting and helping out in the next week. This will be a very tough time for all and at times we may need to holler for help with various needs as they arise.

Once again I ask for your prayers and thoughts as both of our families start another battle. As with all things both of our families do, we are all here to assist along with our many friends and relatives. Please keep Annette, Jeff, and Danielle in your prayers.

Sincerely, Mike

Monday April 21

2008-04-21T20:15:00.002-04:00

Today is 6 months since Jeff''s accident. Sometimes it seems ages ago and sometimes it seems like just yesterday. I feel Jeff has made such good progress in this 'short' time.

We met with Jeff's doctor, Dr. Lipson, from RHI today for a follow up visit. She was impressed by his recovery and especially his short term memory.

Also, as you may recall, Jeff has a filter placed in his vein that carries blood to the heart while he was still in Methodist hospital due to two large blood clots in his legs. Today, Jeff's doctor suggested that we get ultra sounds done on his legs to confirm that the clots are gone. As long as this proves true, she wants to get him off the Coumadin, and then schedule a procedure to remove the filter.

We are also going to set up an appointment with a orthopedic specialist to make sure the pain in his Jeff's left shoulder is not due to any muscular issues (like rotator cuff).

It was encouraging to see good progress in his recovery both neurologically and physically.

Thursday April 17

2008-04-17T19:43:00.002-04:00

Another day of therapy and good reports in Jeff's 4 week evaluation period. He has again met most of his goals set for the last four weeks and new goals have been established. Jeff just has 4 more weeks of therapy left.

The paperwork has begun with Vocational Rehabilitation to get Jeff started back at work. This will take several weeks to process.

With only one day of therapy a week, Jeff gets pretty bored during the day, especially as I am trying to work. So, keep the emails, comments, and phone calls coming.

Reporting from Indy

2008-04-13T18:52:00.003-04:00

Good evening to everyone! This is Tandy, blogging from da den in Indy. This is my first visit since the homecoming and I am happy to report that all is well. Parker and I arrived to a beautiful spread of food on the kitchen island consisting of steak, potatoes, garlic bread, and raspberry pie (a favorite of my dad's)! We all enjoyed a nice lunch together and then retreated to the living room for an afternoon of watching TV and napping. It was such a soothing feeling to be here in this house with my dad. Ever since October, this house has had a void and the visits here were quiet and empty. It was used for 3 1/2 months as our makeshift command center where we all slept and refreshed while not at the hospital. Now, with my dad back home, this house has life again. It's used for entertaining and enjoying each other's company. I didn't realize how much I missed the little things, like the smell of the grill and (I can't believe I'm going to say this) the sound of dad snoring!

All in all it was a great day...a great day spent doing nothing (which at one point was something I wasn't sure I would ever have the chance to do with my dad again). He told me stories about his past that he had heard from my mom last week and we reminised about the "old days". One thing is for sure, he is very animated with his story telling and Annette will sometimes have to remind him to quiet down. It just shows his eagerness to want to share his life stories with anyone he can!

Must head back home to Fort Wayne now. Wishes to you all for a happy, sunny week!

Tandy and Parker :-)
(Daughter 2 0f 3, Grandson 2 of 3)

Thursday April 10

2008-04-10T20:30:00.002-04:00

Today was a full day of therapies.

We just started a Group Therapy with 5 - 6 other brain injury patients and their loved ones. Most are stroke victims; however, the results are still very similar. The first couple weeks are being spent learning about brain injuries and how it affects the patient and their family. I took similar family classes while Jeff was at RHI, but still learning new things in this Group. Jeff on the other hand is learning about brain injuries for the first time and how it effects him. It is amazing to see what he is learning. This is a 12 week program so will continue after this other therapies end.

The therapist and I are working with Jeff on helping him 'get to the point' when he is asked a question or is telling a story. The Occupational Therapist is still working very hard with Jeff to get his left arm and hand working better and Jeff is working hard while at home with additional exercises. He is showing good progress with his hand and arm.

More later.

Sunday, April 6

2008-04-06T17:30:00.002-04:00

Mike and Dad Bowman filled you in on the long weekend in Polo. It was a very busy trip, and one that sparked many memories for Jeff. After we returned home, Jeff dug out his box of memorabilia and has spent time looking through yearbooks, pictures, and scrapbooks from the 60's and 70's.

As some of you know, Jeff has Post Tramatic Amnesia, which is a lose of memory prior to the accident. Normally this is only months or years, however, Jeff's memory loss is about 30 - 35 years. He recalls very few memories during this period. especially when it comes to events such as vacations, deaths, and everyday events. However, he remembers most people and he seems to remember just about everything regarding work and PGR. It seems like he can recall some memory when he sees something (visual).

On the other hand, his short term memory is getting really good. Which means when he learns something new (or new again), he remembers it. So, basicially Jeff is relearning what happened in his life over the past 35 years.

The trip to Polo was a great start and the memory box helped also. I have been filling him in with as much information as I can and his family as well as his first wife Ronna has been helping with the earlier years.

Jeff's therapy schedule has changed again. He is now just attending all day therapy on Thursdays and we are doing exercises at home the rest of the week. He only has 6 more sessions of Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy left and they are trying to extend the schedule as long as possible to get the most out of the time left.

We have also been getting started with a project that the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders are planning called "Operation Indiana Cares". The PGR is having fundraisers throughout the state and collecting items to send to the troops overseas. Items being collected are toothpaste, deodorant, books, snacks, etc. Money is also being raised to pay help pay the postage cost. There are currently about 4,400 Indiana troops overseas and the goal is to send one box to each troop this summer/early fall.

More updates later in the week.

What a Wonderful Weekend!!

2008-04-04T23:47:00.002-04:00

It truly was a wonderful weekend. Jeff, Annette, and Dani were with us from Saturday evening until Tuesday noon, and everyone was busy just about all the time.

Jeff and family went with us to church Sunday morning, and we all got a nice surprise - Jeff remembered, and identified, nearly all of the people that he had known in his growing up years. He would point his long arm toward someone, and shout out their name, and then there would be a handshake, or a real Bearz Hug! His memory was working great!! One person in particular, Steve, and Jeff were almost the same age. For several years, I had worked for Steve's dad as an electronics repairman in his appliance business, so the two boys spent a lot of time together. And they again spent a lot of time together Sunday. But, when we reminded Jeff that we needed to get home so he could crank up the BBQ grill - he was ready.

We soon realized that Jeff has not lost a bit of his expertise at the BBQ grill. We had T-bones, rib eyes, and even some pork steaks, and Jeff did himself up dandy with finished products that were as succulent and tender as you will ever want to set on your table. And then we saw how Jeff's appetite has come alive. I know he ate at least 3 of the steaks he had grilled, and then piled on all kinds of salads from the salad bar, au gratin potatoes, and I don't know what else. His appetite is back!

We were ready for Jeff by preparing several of his all-time favorite entrees - meatballs in a gravy sauce over freshly mashed potatoes - a huge bowl of Mom's special potato salad - stuffed green peppers - Dad's own recipe for home-brewed iced tea - and on it went. If I'm not mistaken, I believe we consumed 4 gallons of iced tea over the weekend. But, in spite of all the eatin' time, we still had time to do some other very special things, some of which Mike explained very well in his message Tuesday evening.

As to Jeff's memory, he reminded us of any number of incidents while he still lived at home, that we had completely forgotten. We all had a learning experience!

We are so grateful to Annette for making the long drive out here so Jeff could see his Grandma and Aunt Helen, and all the rest.

Memories were flowing. Goodnight everyone.

Dad and Mom Bowman

Spring Break Travels - and some heartaches as well

2008-04-01T14:34:00.001-04:00

Jeff, Annette, and Dani have been visiting family in Illinois this weekend and will be heading home to Indy shortly. This has been a good trip for them as I think that there was some severe cabin fever setting in for all three of them.

They arrived in Princeton at Joann's house on Saturday afternoon after an evening in Springfield with the Jaycee's. Joann and most all of the kids were there for a wonderful lunch/supper of homemade lasagna. We sat and talked and reminisced about many things, including Greg and his funeral. Joann has many, many wonderful pictures all over the house of her and Greg and various family members from all over the country on trips and vacations. Everyone sat and talked with Jeff on various subjects for several hours. It was a great afternoon of family sharing before heading to Polo for overnight.

At mom and dad's we shared a typical "Jeff" kind of noon meal on Sunday. Jeff manned the BBQ and cooked up steaks of all kinds for all the family. Sunday afternoon brought some social time with local friends and family members sitting around the dining room table. Jeff was talking about Da Bears and GMC, life on the farm in his childhood years, a high school car accident up the road, and all kinds of other things that many of us had long forgotten. Some of which we had tried really hard to forget.

Monday we took a trip to Stockton to "the curve", the place where Greg rode his last ride. Jeff, Annette, and Dani along with mom and dad and I headed out early afternoon and drove up to Stockton and headed down Rt 78 just as Greg did on that fateful day. Shortly we were at the curve and could see that some caring person had attached a couple of US flags on window mounts to Greg's memorial cross. Talk about standing out in the crowd, you can't miss that as you drive by. There were a couple of more patches on the tree, a Ride Captains hat firmly fastened to the cross, and more pieces laying at the base of the tree. We all stood and shed many a tear as I described the chain of events from that day. There are still marks in the ditch and on the road that tell the story if you know what you are looking for. This was the first trip for all but Jeff and I, but in reality it was his first trip as well. The reality of what we were looking at hit hard as we went through all the memorabilia that has been left. So many people thought so much of Greg and each has left their touch in some way. We did notice that the flowers and bulbs that we planted last year when we set the cross are all starting to sprout. It should look very good when spring finally arrives, and stays.

Afterword we were back at mom and dad's for a traditional "Bowman" meal of Swedish meatballs and all the fixins'. John and Merlene Freet stopped by and had supper with us as well.

Just now Jeff, Annette, and Dani loaded up in the Yukon and headed towards home with a short stop to see Grandma Wales and Aunt Helen in Polo. Jeff said that this has been a very good trip for him even though he is struggling to put many parts of his timeline of life back together. I know that we all enjoyed this time immensely as it was a chance to try and help him reconnect with his memories. I know that some parts of this trip were very hard for Jeff as he was forced to relive some very tragic parts of his life that he has lost. I feel so much of his pain as I watch him struggle to remember and then see the emotions in him as he realizes what we have just told or showed him. My heart aches for him every time we go over Tim's and Greg's last days. I hope that soon he can get those memories back and not have to relive those tragedies ever again.

Well enough rambling for today, I really need to go and get some work done that actually pays the bills today.

In the words of the great world renowned philosopher, Chevy Chase, "Later dude's"

Mike

Sunday March 30

2008-03-30T10:05:00.002-04:00

We have been doing a little bit of traveling while Dani is on Spring Break.

On Friday, we attended the Region V Spring Fling in Springfield, Illinois. It was wonderful to see many of our JCI friends. Many were impressed with Jeff's progress as we all are. On Saturday afternoon, we left for Princeton and visited with Jeff's sister in law, Joann and most of their kids. It was a wonderful visit with wonderful food. So good to see everyone.

More on our 'excellent adventures' later.

Friday March 28

2008-03-28T07:51:00.002-04:00

Jeff got the results back from his Nuero Psych test last week. Overall he has shown good progress with his memory (especially visual) and ability to focus for short periods of time. He still needs to work on his ability to problem solve and being able to get directly to the point when conversing. It was a good evaluation and we will meet again in 4 weeks for an update on the progress.

We went to the eye doctor on Wednesday and they were going to put a new lens in his glasses, which will help even more with his double vision, however, they accidentally broke his frame. So we will go back next week to get the new lens.

More later.

Tuesday March 25

2008-03-25T20:29:00.002-04:00

We have had a very busy week so far and it continues tomorrow. Sunday we spent the day with my parents and family in Auburn for Easter and had a very good afternoon. We stopped to see Jeff's daughter, Tandy, on the way back home.

Jeff had good therapy sessions on Monday. Today we went to Fort Wayne for some meetings at my work and Jeff spent the day with our good friend Suzie. They visited his old work place and had lunch with his daughter.

Tomorrow we have an eye doctor follow up, meeting with Jeff's neuro doctor, and therapy. It will be a very busy day tomorrow. Will give you more updates in the next couple days.

DaBearz fan room

2008-03-23T18:05:00.004-04:00

These pictures are of our upstairs 2 additional bedrooms that have almost 30 years of Bears collectibles.

The poster at the end of the hallway is the first thing pictured and it is Walter Payton at his best in uniform and carrying the football.

I have Statues and figurines of past players such as Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Some items from travelling to Chicago Bears games every Sunday for all these past seasons.
Also the shelf cabinet with the white boxes. These boxes hold BEARS football cards from the 1950's to 2007. About 3000 cards that are mostly different.

The license plates hanging above the shelf units are my personallized Indiana plate number "DA BEARZ" which I have had since the early 90's and still show on the current truck in the garage.

The painting in the hallway has a certificate with it that was signed by each player that signed the picture and these are dated in 1994 by players from the 1920's such as Red Grange, George Halas, from the 1940's Bulldog Turner. There are 24 autographs on the picture.

There is an old barbeque grill that has a dollsize figure of Brett Favre under pressure.

The chairs are from the old Soldier Field renovation and were shipped to me and then assembled onto a board on display in the room.

Saturday March 22

2008-03-22T20:57:00.002-04:00

Not a whole lot new over the past couple days. Thursday through Saturday are normally a little less hectic for us.

We made our weekly visit to Skillman's on Thursday and groceries and errands today.

Looking forward to spending Easter with my family in Auburn.

Hope all of you have a very happy Easter too.

Wednesday March 19

2008-03-18T19:18:00.002-04:00

We have had a busy couple days. The weekend was busy with normal shopping and errands. Monday morning was usual therapy and continuation of stretching and strengthen the use of Jeff's left arm and hand which is showing good improvement. Now that Jeff has gotten used to his new glasses, which corrected his double vision, there has been a significant improvement with Jeff's balance.

Today Jeff spent the day at the Neuro Rehab Center (NRC) taking a neuropsych test which assesses brain function. This test such things as as simple motor performance to complex reasoning and problem solving. This test lasted 5 hours with break for lunch. The test was conducted several different modes, visual, verbal and written, to help determine how Jeff best comprehends information. The test results will help the therapist pinpoint the areas that Jeff needs help on currently, and will be most used by his Speech Therapist. The test results will be input this week and we will get the results next week when we meet with the NRC doctor.

Tomorrow is Jeff's appointment to get his permanent crown put on and afternoon therapy.

More later

Sunday 3-16-08

2008-03-16T18:17:00.004-04:00

This is the football that was sold at our fundraising auction 3-8-2008. There were almost 300 auction items. When this football sold about 2/3rds of the way thru over 1 dozen bidders were in on this football.

Then at the end a small group of 8 or 9 bidders said the bid was $460.00 and we will pay the bill but give the ball to our honorie, Jeff Bowman and I was sitting around in my Walter Payton BEARS shirt.

The ball has a letter from the BEARS office and the following laser autographed signatures: #8- Rex Grossman, #9-Robbie Gould, #23-Devin Hester, #30-Mike Brown, #31- Nathan Vasher, #32- Cedric Benson, #33- Charles Tillman, #37- Jason McKie, #38- Danieal Manning, #54-BRIAN Urlacher, #57-OLIN Kreutz, #63- Roberto Garza, #65-Patrick Mannelly, #69- Fred Miller, #74- Ruben Brown, #76- John Tait, #80- Bernard Berrian, #81- Rasheid Davis, #82-Greg Olsen, #87- Mushin Muhammad, #92- Hunter Hillenmeyer, #94-Brendon Ayanbadejo, #97-Mark Anderson.

This ball looks good in my BEARS room.

Then the next thing I was given was the stone logo that said "Welcome Bears" .

What a great evening and a tremendous football that is now in my huge collection.

Friday March 14

2008-03-14T19:46:00.002-04:00

We have had a pretty quiet couple days as is normal for us now on Thursday and Friday. Jeff has now been given more exercises to do at home - arm and hand.

On Thursday, we visited Skillman's and picked up some forms used often so that Jeff can have his therapist incorporate these forms in his therapy... helping him to relearn anything that he may not remember. We also picked up a couple training videos.

We had dinner out tonight at Texas Roadhouse and Jeff ate his entire 11 oz steak, mashed potatoes, 3 rolls, some peanuts, and 1/2 of his baked potato (yes he is a steak and potato kind of guy). This was a huge meal for him and I see his 'normal' appetite starting to come back.

More later.

Wednesday March 12

2008-03-12T19:21:00.003-04:00

Well it has been a very busy last week with the Benefit, therapies, numerous doctor's appointments, and we even had our story in the Johnson County Daily Journal.

And, this week is starting out just as busy. Jeff had therapy Monday morning as well as a root canal that afternoon. This morning Jeff got his new glasses and I can already see a difference in how he carries himself. Before his glasses, he was lifting his chin and looking downward in order to not have double vision.

We had a little extra time late morning, so we stopped at RHI to visit with the staff that took such good care of Jeff. They were as thrilled to see Jeff as we were to see them and they were also impressed with the positive changes he has made. Then it was off to therapy this afternoon. At the end of therapy, we had a 1 month review and Jeff's progress has been good. He has achieved most goals that were set for this first month. So, several new and more challenging goals have been set for him for the next month.

The rest of this week and weekend are full of activities for Dani ... choir concert and multiple Girl Scout activities that will lead to their troop earning their Bronze Award.

I know Mike and Jeff have already expressed their thanks, but I also wanted to say thank you to those that attended the Benefit and/or made a donation. Although insurance pays many expenses, as you can imagine it is difficult to keep up with those that are not when you are on a limited income. This is one less stress we have so we can concentrate on Jeff's continued improvement.

And to those that were unable to attend, we appreciate your emails, blog comments, and the visits from those that live nearby. These are also incredibly important in Jeff's continued recovery. He reads his emails and blog daily (although he is not always able to reply back or blog, he does appreciate hearing from you).

More updates later this week.

3-11-08 The Benefit was GREAT

2008-03-10T07:57:00.004-04:00

I Can't remember everyone who came. BUT I remember all those 500+ followers and bidders at the auction. THANK YOU to everyone who was able to come, donate to our hospital fund, and just make an appearance. I was overwhelmed, impressed and emotionally sadened. This was a tremendous event planned by Annette's mom and friends for several months. I can relate to the pictures and the crowd and draw some memories.

Thanks to my brother MIKE that came 6 hours from Illinois to be a part of this function.

You may not know about my brother GREG who died in Sept last fall. Mike shared pictures from the funeral. The slide show we experienced together from our other brother's funeral last fall was a phoenominal moving experience. It was an experience and a throwback for both of us.

Thank you to everyone that participated in the BENEFIT. and to the cooks that fed everyone spaghetti and meatballs, The Auctioneers who ran the festival, and everyone that donated items.
It All went well. Several hundred auction items were sold BUT I GOT the Bears Autographed football presented to me after it was purchased by several patrons.
THANKS to everyone.

Da Ball

2008-03-09T21:12:00.000-04:00

Jeff holding the Chicago Bears laser autographed football with 22 players signatures on it. This was the first bidding war (friendly war) that we had last night if I remember correctly. And in the end we all discovered that we were all thinking the same thing. Buy this for Jeff, add some funds to the trust account, and have a good time. So we split this between 5 families from both sides of Jeff and Annette's family and everyone got to be involved in the gift.

And a big THANK YOU to those that made the plea to the Bears organization for this donation from them. Goes to show you that persistance pays off when necessary. Well done.

Mike

Welcome Stone

2008-03-09T21:02:00.000-04:00

Jeff and Danielle with Annette's parents Dave and Ruth Walters, holding up a Bears welcome stone that was purchased by another generous person and given to Jeff for his Bears collection.

The Ten Commandments

2008-03-09T20:43:00.001-04:00

One of the items that was bought at the auction and then donated back to the family. I wish we would have asked for names to give these people proper credit. Thank you to the generous anonomyous donors.

Mike

Saturday Night Live - Post Benefit Bliss

2008-03-09T00:58:00.001-05:00

I really don't have words to adequately say what has happened in the last 8 hours, but I will attempt. I am at a loss to find the proper thank you's to all the people involved with this afternoon and evening's activities.

Our adventure started at the Auburn Inn at noon when Dave and Ruth Walters (Annette's parents) treated us to lunch and started talking about all the items that were at the American Legion for the auction. After lunch we stopped by the Legion and OH MY!!! What a spread of materials did we see for the auction. We were met by some wonderful ladies who were working feverishly to finalize the last of the auction items, get the spaghetti cooking, and organize the auctioneers paperwork. Jean, Martha, Julie, and Dawn were busy attending to many details along with their crew. At 4:00 the food was being served like an assembly line and people were flooding in by the truckload.

Many, many people surrounded Jeff and family offering everything from a funny story to congratulations on looking so good. Jeff found himself in a position of being overwhelmed several times and needed a chair and at times a shoulder. Overall he did a wonderful job of hanging in there for what turned out to be a long day of emotional rollercoaster rides. We all took turns "trying" to keep Jeff settled down and sometimes we actually succeeded. But mostly it was chasing after him as he would see someone he recognized and feel the need to meet them half way up the aisle with a handshake or a hug. (OK, we tried)

What an emotional day for all. There were people who bought things just to give them to Jeff, like an autographed Bears football or a Chicago Bears concrete lawn ornament. And there was the wonderful couple that bought the "guess jar" full of cash and then promptly handed it to me and said "please give this to the young man over there". All I could think of to say was "God bless you for your kindness". And most people who know me know those are not the usual words I would come up with in a time like that. There were bidding wars that erupted over items like the autographed Tony Dungy football, or a quilt and rack, or the bird feeder with bird seed that all brought much more than ever expected. But everyone knew it was going to a good cause and they just bid away regardless.

I could go on and on about this wonderful day and the amazing people that made it happen. So many people to thank and I know I would miss several if I tried to name them so I won't even get started with that. Everyone involved did this today because they were either associated with the Walters family or with Jeff and Annette when they lived in Ft. Wayne. From the auctioneers and their assistants to the Boy and Girl scouts and their leaders. So many people put so much effort into this day that I can sparsely find the emotions to express the thanks I have. It was a truly amazing experience and one that can only be shared with friends and family in that old, familiar, small town atmosphere that Auburn has. What a place to be to witness the generosity and kindness as I was tonight.

Thank you is just not enough, but it is all I can find at the moment. You are all wonderful people.

Mike

Friday Night/Saturday Morning Update - March 8, 2008

2008-03-08T10:01:00.001-05:00

Hello again sports fans, your old roving reporter Mike here sending you the BearzFan news update today from Ft. Wayne, IN.

My story starts on Friday morning at 7:30am when I grabbed my phone and saw a message from Jeff. He was wanting to know when I was going to head for Indiana, and how soon I would be there. He was an anxious as a kid in the candy store, and then suddenly so was I. He was so excited that I was coming out to see him. It's amazing how Jeff's enthusiasm can be infectious. I had office work that needed to be done, a whole list of phone calls to return, a couple of jobs to check on, and I flew through that with lightning speed and was actually ready to leave at 1:30 to head east. I checked in with Jeff and family to let them know I was on the road. Jeff called me twice along the route to see how far away I was. Each time I would tell him the location and he would remember how long it would take for me to get there and what exit I needed to take next. His Bowman Family GPS skills are working pretty well again.

When I arrived and Jimmy and Suzy's I was greeted at the front door with a HUGE BearzFan bear hug and a deep sigh of, "I am so glad to see you". That hug took a few minutes, it was a classic. Tandy and Parker were here along with Rick and Debbie and later Ted (Jaycees friends from way back) and hugs were passed all around. We ate pizza and reminisced into the evening until finally common sense prevailed and we needed to get a good nights sleep knowing that today would be a big day. Jeff was tired because it was actually a late night already for him. He is usually in bed pretty early these days (I know, huge shock there). But he and I sat in the kitchen and talked while we munched and had a great time conversing with everyone.

This morning everyone has some things that are on that "to do" list and we were all up and around and getting ready to head out all over the city. We will be heading up to Auburn for lunch with Annette's parents and then hang out till we go to the American Legion for the benefit.

Speaking of the benefit, there is something I need to mention about tonight and Jeff. Please don't just run up to Jeff and give him the classic line "do you remember me?". Jeff is trying very hard to reconnect everyone he meets with the memories that are there but he can't get to yet. If hundreds of people come up to him and ask this over and over, he could easily get overwhelmed. Heck, I wasn't in a coma and I have a hard time remembering peoples names.

We are all looking forward to tonight. There are rumors flying all over about some of the auction items and what they might bring. The excitement has been building for a while now. Thanks to all that have helped put this together. I will see all of you in a few hours.

Mike

hello everyone - 3-7-08

2008-03-07T09:09:00.003-05:00

I have been to therapists twice this week and work for 1 afternoon.
There is a process I have to go thru to go to work. I have some driving test to go thru and then I can do what I am oriented to do, sell GMC TRUCKS. And to sell them to Commercial customers as often as possible.
I am making progress, But they are working to get my head together and my Left Side and Arm to work in harmony with my brain.
I am ready to work. I have talked to a couple customers, a couple other sales people at SKILLMAN'S GMC. I am excited to get to work. AND Skillman's is excited for me to get to work. I fit like a glove. And it seems to be a good future and experience.
My involvement in Indiana Patriot Guard Riders is limited and I haven't been out on the Harley yet, but it is coming together in hopefully a couple months.
I am going to a JCI Senate meeting in a couple weeks in SPRINGFIELD,IL. I will be in attendance for the Saturday business meeting and then headed to visit close family for the rest of the weekend. I have my Sister in law Joann and the kids and then my parents that live a couple hours north of there in the country. I will not be on the Harley, JUST visiting family as much as possible.
I am looking forward to going to Idaho in June for a family reunion. I am flying into Boise but I have a couple brothers talking about the BIKE ride thru the United States and their variety of scenic places to visit that sounds great. But I am not able to Harley all the way to Idaho. Their trip will be a must see someday.
For those going to Auburn this weekend I look forward to seeing you at the auction benefit.

Thursday March 6

2008-03-06T15:54:00.002-05:00

As I am typing this blog, we are getting our pictures taken for the Johnson County Daily Journal. The story will be in this Saturday's paper.

It was a pretty normal and quiet day. DaBear spent the morning putting his non-Bearz football cards on e-Bay.

DaDaughter,
Dani(elle) Bowman (3rd and final daughter)

Wednesday March 5

2008-03-05T18:18:00.002-05:00

We had a busy last couple days. Yesterday we had an appointment with Vocational Rehabilitation who will be evaluating whether Jeff qualifies for their services. Voc Rehab is a government agency that helps recently disabled individuals return to work. In order to qualify for the program, there must be documented presence of a medical or physical problem, they must confirm that the problem poses a substantial barrier in the applicant's ability to work, and the applicant must require services in order to return to work.

It will probably take a couple months for this process to be complete. If he qualifies, one of the services offered is for a specialist to go with Jeff to work and help him as well as his employer (Skillman's) learn how to adjust to any deficits Jeff many have. They may also be able to help Jeff get specialized testing to make sure he is able to drive when the time comes. Jeff is very anxious to get back to work and it is hard to convince him that he still needs some time before he will be ready.

This afternoon, Jeff had therapy. He did arm/hand stretching and strengthening exercises. He also did leg and walking exercises. In Speech Therapy, he worked on sequenced steps in common tasks, reading and following directions, and organizing functional information.

Jeff is making good, but slow progress which is very normal for head injury patients. I don't always see the progress day to day, but when I look back a week or two, the progress then becomes obvious.

Thank you for your continued comments, emails and prayers.

My Most Excellent Visit

2008-03-03T19:14:00.006-05:00

I am a day late adding this post as time just got away from me last night upon my return from visiting Jeff, Dani, and Annette. Let me back up a couple days. It kind of started Saturday when the weather turned nice here in KY and I decided to clean out the garage, pull the bike out, and clean off the road grime from the last time I rode it - Jeff's welcome home mission. I cranked up some tunes and set about cleaning the beast, and I just kept thinking that Greg would have enjoyed this day - and how unfair it was that he was not there to do so - and to do so with me. The day, the bike, the smell of spring in the air, and the old time rock and roll - the memories kept coming, sometimes very comforting, and other times it brought a sense of loss I cannot describe, but one that just makes you sit back, gather your thoughts, and try again to keep moving forward. It made me realize I had not talked to Joann in quite some time, so I put out a call her way and although I did not reach her right away, we finally connected later in the day. That was nice. It also got me to thinking that I might just drive up to Indy and have lunch with Jeff. I guess if I could not get a Greg fix, then I would go for a Jeff fix. So with another phone call, plans were made.

The weather report was stellar for Sunday and I left home about 9:00am. The weather man was a little off on his timing though as the temp was about 40 degrees and it kept misting all the way from Shelbyville, KY to Greenwood. I stopped north of Louisville for gas and changed into heated gloves. I pulled up in Jeff's driveway, walked throught the house to find him already at the grill getting it lit for the steaks. It was almost instantaneous when I walked out onto their patio - the clouds went away, the sky turned blue, and the temps went up. What a beautiful day it turned out to be in more ways than just the weather.

I think the steaks Jeff grilled were his first since the accident, but let me tell you, he has not lost his touch. He preheated the grill, seared 3 huges steaks on both sides to lock in the moisture, and then grilled them to perfection. After we ate and sat around chatting for a bit, Annette took Dani out to do some "girl shopping" and Jeff and I had the best conversation we've had for about ever.

I am struck by his progress. Like I said, the last time I saw Jeff was his homecoming on Feb 4. He continues to improve. He is very steady on his feet, and I resisted the urge to jump out of my chair the first few times he headed for the back door to flip the steaks, or let the dog out. He cooked, he made coffee, he loaded the dishwasher, he cleaned up, he did all the things we love Jeff for doing. It is obvious his left arm and hand are not what they should be, and he is infinitely aware of this too. From what I've read on the blog and what he told me, they work this hard in therapy. I got the scoop on the glasses and his eyesight. Apparently he is seeing double (sort of) and has lost much of his peripheral vision. When you talk to him and he focuses on you, he tilts his head up as if he were looking thru bifocals. Apparently there are only certains areas in his field of vision where he sees clearly. His new glasses should arrive in 2-weeks, and I'm betting this will open a whole new world to our Bear as he once again will see clearly.

His memory is another area which is improving, but he has a very long way to go. The missing time in some regards is not weeks or months, but literally years - many years in some cases. In other areas, he remembers things well - like work. He is driven to get back to work, and I think this is an area of his memory that is itching to come out. We talked for hours and I explained things he couldn't remember - some of this is most difficult, and it really bothers him a lot. All in good time, it will come back.

I've rambled long enough. This post was for me, for the family, and to share an outside view of progress in the Den. The ride home was a beautiful ending to a perfect day. Warm temps, dry roads, and comforting thoughts of a most excellent day.

Rod

Monday, March 3

2008-03-03T18:25:00.002-05:00

Jeff had therapy this morning and went through the usual routine of shoulder/arm work, walking and balancing exercises and memory exercises. Jeff's short term memory is getting much better, although we still have a long way to go.

After this morning's therapy, Jeff went to the dentist to get his permanent crown put on; however, they discovered an abcess and he will have to have a root canal. Jeff has a very difficult time with the dentist so this is going to be a huge ordeal for him.

More tomorrow.

Sunday March 2

2008-03-02T18:39:00.002-05:00

We had a pretty relaxing day today.

Jeff's brother, Rod, came up from Kentucky to visit for the day. It was a beautiful day today in the low 60's. Since it was such a nice day, Jeff got the grill out and grilled some steaks his first time since he has been home. The steaks were great. Dani and I also got for some 'girls time' shopping for clothes.

Relaxing now and getting ready for next week which will be full of more therapies and appointments.

Saturday March 1

2008-03-01T20:19:00.003-05:00

It is nice to type 'March' in the date line above... makes me feel like Spring is not to far away.

After working around the house this morning, we met one of my friends, Karen, for lunch. After lunch, Jeff and Dani went to a Father/Daughter dance for Girl Scouts. This is event that they have done for the last two years, and it was wonderful that they were able to do it again this year.

After the dance, we stopped at the grocery and then home for the evening. It was actually a very long and busy day for Jeff, but he was able to hang in there like a real tropper.

Friday February 29

2008-02-29T19:42:00.003-05:00

Happy Leap Year Day!

Jeff had another good day of sorting football cards. I think we are ready now to list them on eBay.

Went out to dinner tonight and Jeff got a big steak and ate it all. Having an appetite is new for Jeff since his accident ... I guess his appetite was back tonight or it was a really good steak (or both).

Looking forward to weekend.

Thursday February 28

2008-02-28T21:24:00.003-05:00

Today was a more relaxing day after the busy day yesterday.

Mostly Jeff worked on his puzzle, sorted a lot of football cards, and visited with our PGR friend, Ray. This afternoon we visited Skillmans and Jeff picked up some additional materials to 'study' to help him get ready to go back to work when Rehab says it is time.

More later.

Wednesday February 27

2008-02-27T19:54:00.005-05:00

This morning, we spent 3 hours at the eye doctor for more testing. They are creating glasses prescription with a prism that will help with his double vision as well as adjustment for his new long distance vision problem. It was amazing when they put on his trial glasses today and he could see things 'normal'. I don't think anyone, including Jeff, was aware of this extent of the problem with his distance vision and double vision. This correction should help with his balance also. The glasses will be here sometime in the next two weeks.

Then, this afternoon Jeff had his normal therapy. Again, they worked on his shoulder/arm flexibility, walking, and memory. A very busy and tiring day.

This evening I want to dedicate the blog to my sister, Susie, who passed one year ago today after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer. This has been a tough day and year for our family and friends and we appreciate your keeping all of us in your thoughts and prayers. I know if she was here today, she would be there helping me through my difficult time. She is just another reminder to live each day to its fullest.

Tuesday February 26

2008-02-26T19:13:00.003-05:00

We had planned to go to Fort Wayne today for my work, but the bad weather up north kept us home. Jeff kept very busy today sorting and pricing some of his extra football cards that he is going to list on eBay, working on his Harley puzzle, as well as sorting and alphabetizing some business cards that he brought home from work.

Tomorrow morning Jeff has an eye doctor appointment and then afternoon therapy and I will update you tomorrow on his progress.

Monday February 25

2008-02-25T19:32:00.002-05:00

It was a very busy day today. Jeff had therapy this morning where they worked on his range of motion and stretching his left shoulder/hand use, balance and walking exercises, and memory exercises using a time line.

After lunch, we went for a follow up visit with Jeff's neurologist from RHI. She indicated he was doing well and anticipates good continued progress. They xrayed his left shoulder to make sure the pain was not related to any calcium build up, but they xrays looked fine.

Then we went to an eye doctor that specializes in neurological issues mostly because Jeff was having trouble reading smaller print. They did discover that Jeff has double vision in his left eye and will need to have specialized glasses. We are going back later this week for some more extensive testing. Once he gets his glasses, this should help with some of the balance issues also.

More updates tomorrow.

Sunday February 24

2008-02-24T19:08:00.002-05:00

My parents were down today to visit. Other than their visit, we did not do a lot of anything today.

It has been a while since I have given a update on Jeff's progress:

Jeff's short term memory is really improving. He is able to more often recall conversations from 1 day to a week prior. He still has some difficulties with this however. On occasion, he will not remember what I asked him to do just 5 minutes earlier. All very normal with this type of brain injury.

Physically his walking is getting more stable and he is able to use his left arm/hand better. He is able to independently do things like shower, dress, and load/unload the dishwasher. There are several thing is able to do with minimal assistance such as paying the bills and cooking. His conversations are getting better, although he tends to repeat himself, which is another common issue with a brain injury.

Those that see Jeff weekly versus daily like me are more aware of his progress. Overall he is doing well and continuing at the normal pace of improvement.

Saturday February 23

2008-02-23T19:35:00.002-05:00

This morning we had breakfast with some PRG friend, Mike and Marcia and then went to the Sports, Vacation and Boat Show where PGR had a booth set up. Jeff was able to visit with several PGR members and also roam the booths of outstanding motorcyle 'stuff'. Although crowds were large and it was overwhelming for him at first, he was able to adjust especially with some 'sit down' breaks at the PGR booth.

The remainder of the afternoon was pretty quiet, resting up from our big adventure.

Dani treated us tonight to dinner, Pork Tenderloins. Like her dad and me, she loves to cook. If you are in the area and want to come for a visit, we would have you over for lunch or dinner. It is good for Jeff's development to be able to follow recipes and he loves the company. Feel free to email us at bearzfan@aol.com (Jeff) or abowman34@sbcglobal.net (Annette).

Friday February 22

2008-02-22T20:53:00.003-05:00

Another quiet day at home. Jeff was restless today...pretty bored and nothing to keep his attention for very long.

The weather is snowy and icy today, so we decided to stay inside today.

We will venture out tomorrow hopefully.

Thursday February 21

2008-02-21T21:46:00.002-05:00

We had a fairly uneventful day today. Mostly resting after yesterday's therapy workout. Ray from PGR came to visit today and this evening we ran some errands and also went out for dinner.

Jeff also worked on and off on a new puzzle today that he got from his parents...its a Harley puzzle.

More later.

Wednesday February 20

2008-02-20T19:22:00.002-05:00

In the left column is information on a fundraiser that my family/friends in Auburn (where I was born and raised) are putting together for us to help with the medical expenses that have started coming in. Auburn is located just north of Fort Wayne. I lived in Auburn for 18 years and then in Fort Wayne until about 3 years ago. Jeff has lived in Fort Wayne since the mid 80's and we were married in 1989. My parents and a lot of my family still lives in and around Auburn. Jeff and I also still have lots of friends in this area. If you are in northern Indiana and are able to attend, we would love to see you. If you have any questions on the Benefit, please feel free to email me at abowman34@sbcglobal.net and I will get you an answer or direct you to someone who can.

This afternoon Jeff had therapy. He worked on range of motion and reaching exercises for this shoulder and left arm/hand. He worked on hamstring and heel cord stretches as well as stair stepper and ramp/curb practices to help with his walking and balance. Jeff also worked on word association exercises.

After the workout he got in therapy, he was exhausted this evening and I am sure bedtime will be early tonight.

Annette

Tuesday February 19

2008-02-19T18:38:00.002-05:00

We had a pretty busy day today. A reporter from the Daily Journal (local paper) interviewed us today for a potential story in their paper about Jeff and the power of family.

A friend from PGR, Theresa, came to visit today and was also here for the interview. Then later this afternoon we ran some errands.

Jeff was also busy today checking the blog and emails and reading through some books from work on 2008 GMC truck specs.

Back to therapy tomorrow and more updates.

monday2-18-2008

2008-02-18T19:06:00.001-05:00

I am feeling better today after 4 hours visit with 4 different doctors. I have pain in my left shoulder from the motorcycle accident. Today a specialist found the pain and worked thru it. more to come on Wednesday with another several hours of therapist times.

DaBear hits the road for a PGR Welcome Home Mission

2008-02-17T23:38:00.000-05:00

Pics from Jeff's first PGR mission since his homecoming. Thanks to Theresa for sending these for the Blog. There are a few more in the online photo album.

Sunday February 17

2008-02-17T15:53:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let you know that I am 2 weeks out of RHI and improving. I have sleep requirements, some muscle pain, and some joint ache. I start therapy tomorrow.

Thank you to the Bears for their following on my blog and their comments. Waiting for the Bears to start summer camp.

As you know, I went to the Indy Airport yesterday for the return of a solider with the Patriot Guard Riders. It was a good experience and good to see everyone.

Jeff

Saturday February 16

2008-02-16T19:09:00.002-05:00

Jeff has been watching the Indiana PGR website for upcoming missions that he can go to. There was a welcome home this morning at the Indy airport and we were able to make it to this one. Jeff was very excited to be able to participate and it worked out well since it was a short mission and was mostly inside. His fellow PGR members were excited to see him too.

This afternoon a JCI friend, Ted, and our neighbors, Tony, Toby and Hannah, came over for a nice visit. This evening we (Jeff, me, Dani and one of her friends) went out to dinner. So it has been a busy day, but a good one.

Looking forward to a fairly quiet day tomorrow and getting ready for a busy week and the beginning of the therapy sessions.

Friday February 15

2008-02-15T18:27:00.002-05:00

Today we had another visitor, Scott, who used to work with Jeff at Skillman's. Jeff and Scott talked 'trucks' for a while. It was nice to see his mind working this way.

When we were at Skillman's yesterday, Jeff asked for some books so he could 'study'. He spent part of the day today reviewing the books and getting ready to go back to work. (He thinks he is going back to work next week, even though I keep telling him that he needs to finish therapy first). These books are good therapy for him. He is planning to study them throughout the weekend.

Every day it seems that Jeff is remembering more and improving physically. It will be good to get back to a 'regular' routine once therapy starts next week.

Thursday February 14

2008-02-14T20:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Rayhog, a PGR member, visited today for lunch. Jeff enjoyed this visit.

We had a busy afternoon and evening going from lab for blood draw, credit union, Skillman's for visit, bookstore, Market Day and Girl Scouts to pick up Girl Scout cookies. After all this running, Jeff is completely worn out.

Tomorrow should be a fairly slow day as well as the weekend.

Wednesday February 13

2008-02-13T18:57:00.002-05:00

This morning Jeff had a dentist appointment to get a temporary crown on his tooth. It was on the lower left side and dentail assistant guesses it was cracked in the accident. After the big day of therapy yesterday and this mornings appointment, Jeff was pretty warn out and mostly relaxed today.

We did get Jeff's therapy schedule for the next couple months. He will have sessions on Monday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. We will also have exercises to do on his non-therapy days. For those of you that live in the area, if you would like to come visit, we would appreciate it. Now that Jeff is settled into a more regular routine, he is getting bored. Please email if you want to visit to make sure we are going to be home (Jeff's is bearzfan@aol.com and mine is abowman34@sbcglobal.net ).

For those of you farther away, please feel free to comment or email. Jeff still regularly checks his email and the blog comments. His return emails are usually only 1 - 2 lines and sometimes they don't really make complete sense, but this too will improve with time and practice.

Tuesday February 12

2008-02-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the Nuero Rehab Center (NRC). We were there from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm with an hour break for lunch. The entire day was spent in different evaluations. We saw a case worker, doctor, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and speech therapist.

Jeff will not start his actual therapy until next week and we will know the schedule by the end of this week. He will only go 2 days per week and will have three 1-hour sessions on these two days. The therapy sessions are very similar to RHI but more intense.

At NRC, they will work on increasing his balance, strengthening his left arm, and also improving his memory. He will also work on increasing his ability to perform everyday skills (cooking, balancing a checkbook, shopping, etc.).

The remainder of this week and weekend will be pretty 'open' for Jeff. So, please email, call, and come for a visit if you live nearby.

Monday February 11

2008-02-11T20:15:00.000-05:00

Jeff has officially been home one week now and he is adjusting well. Today was the first day that I was able to work a full day for quite some time. For those of you that don't know, I have worked from my office at home since we moved to Indy two years ago. Many families have to stop work when their loved ones come home so they can care for them or have to put them in nursing homes. I am very blessed to have a job that allows me to stay home and have Jeff at home. Although I initially had my doubts, I was able to work a full day and Jeff entertained himself by reading his blog pages (he is now into mid-December), napped, and watched TV.

Tomorrow is Jeff's first therapy session/evaluation at the Nuero Rehabilitation Center. We will be there from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. I am very excited to find out the plans they have for Jeff's continued improvement.

Thank you for your comments and emails. Jeff has enjoyed checking both throughout the day and hearing from people that he has not talked with recently and for some it has been years. His return emails right now are short and sometimes don't make a lot of sense but I am encouraged that he is even attempting to follow up on them.

Sunday February 10

2008-02-10T18:46:00.000-05:00

Another pretty uneventful day, but that is a good thing. Next week we should be getting into our 'new' routine with outpatient therapies. After Tuesday's first rehab, we will know the schedule.

Jeff has been helping with the cooking which he always loved to do before his accident. Jeff has also started to send very brief (1 - 2 lines) emails to friends/family. If you would like to email him, his email is bearzfan@aol.com. If you do email, please be sure to tell him how you know him as he still has memory deficits, especially with people he has met with in the last 1 - 2 years.

This evening, we are watching the Pro Bowl. Our last NFL opportunity until Draft Day in April and pre-season in August. Hopefully this summer we will get to Bourbonnais to see the Bears at Training Camp.

Homecoming Picture Updates

2008-02-09T22:54:00.000-05:00

I have added a complete new web folder for Jeff's Homecoming pictures, and I have added some individual pics to the left side column as well. There is a slide show over there and also a link to the web folder. We do have video from the day but it was being a pain and did not want to talk with my laptop. That will be added later when we can get these two to get along again.

Saturday February 9

2008-02-09T20:25:00.000-05:00

Another pretty quiet day for us. Mom and dad went back home this afternoon. I now have a clean house, thanks Mom.

We did grocery shopping late this afternoon along with a little other shopping. This type of activity pretty much wears Jeff out. Jeff is now reading the November printed blog pages and has started to show an interest in the computer and emailing. He was able to send a couple short emails to family today. This is good for him as it stimulates his brain and uses his fingers (although he only types with his two pointer fingers!) I will continue to push him to send and answer emails as it keeps him busy and in touch with his friends.

Jeff is getting much more stable walking, but still tires easily. He also is doing good on our home stairs and getting in and out of the truck.

Friday February 8

2008-02-08T21:07:00.000-05:00

This morning we got Jeff's haircut. He has decided for now to keep it short. We also stopped at Skillman's to get the oil changed and spent some time visiting with co-workers. Jeff sat at his desk and asked several questions about inventory and work. He is 'itching' to go back to work. Then we ran some errands and got home in time for lunch and the arrival of my parents who are spending the night with us.

We did excercises, cleaning and paperwork in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. This evening Dani went to her school dance. Mom, dad, Jeff and I went out to dinner.

Jeff seems to be falling into the home routine pretty well, is sleeping good at night, and besides being bored, he is doing well in this new setting.

Thursday February 7

2008-02-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

This was a pretty quiet and uneventful day. We had a couple doctor appointments this morning and spent the rest of the day working on paperwork and relaxing.

Jeff is still adjusting well to life at home and getting better at moving around the house with better stability.

More tomorrow.

Wednesday February 6 Update

2008-02-06T17:49:00.000-05:00

It was a busy morning for us. Jeff broke a tooth over the weekend, so we had 'another' doctor to visit today and now he will be getting a crown next week. Then we ran some errands and ended up at Skillman's GMC for a visit. Jeff enjoyed seeing his co-workers and having time to visit more than he did on the brief stop on Monday.

We worked today on the exercises that the Physical Therapist at RHI gave us trying to keep the him on limber and ready for the new therapy sessions next week.

Around the house, we are working on cooking, cleaning, and 'normal' everyday housework, including bill paying. Jeff is doing good at re-orienting to his old surroundings.

We have a couple doctor appointments tomorrow but then a fairly quiet rest of the week and weekend planned.

Tuesday February 5 Update

2008-02-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

First of all, Jeff's return home went well and we are settling into our new 'routine' here.

Today was a good first full day home for Jeff. The family all left last night and today. Jeff went with me to the airport early this morning to drop of Tisha and family. Then the remainder of the morning was spent visiting and then a short afternoon nap, and trip to the grocery store. Jeff also helped me fix dinner.

The rest of this week will be spent with some follow up doctor appointments, running errands, visits with some friends, and exercises that RHI gave us to work on. Next Tuesday we will have our first therapy session at the Nuero Rehab Center and will find out the therapy schedule for the upcoming months. This week, we will also work on setting up some projects for Jeff to work on while at home to avoid boredom and keep him mind working.

It has been a while since I have said thank you for everyone who has helped over the past 3 1/2 months making Jeff's stay in the hospital a little more bearable.

A special thanks for our neighbors who helped from the beginning in transporting Dani to the hospital, letting Patches out during the day, doing my laundry, for all the words of support, and for setting up the Welcome Home luncheon.

Also a special thank you for the PGR. So many different members were with us from the beginning and the visits never stopped throughout Jeff's stay. And then the special Welcome Home escort. Jeff was overwhelmed by this. He could not believe that someone was doing this for him and was also upset that he could not be on his bike (Yikes!!). Hopefully we will be able to to get the welcome home video on the blog soon.

Another special thank you to our JCI friends, those from Skillman's (current and past), Jeff's past co-workers from Fort Waynes, my co-workers at Conference & Travel, and other friends who visited, called and helped throughout Jeff's stay.

And most of all thank you for Jeff's family, my family, and Jimmy and Suzie who were there continually for us not only in continual visits but constant communication. We would not have made it through these last couples months without all of your support.

And to everyone else who are too far away to visit but were there in thoughts, comments, and prayers, I say thank you. You have also help us get through these last few months.

We will continue to blog as often as we can and keep you update on Jeff's progress. Hopefully Jeff will blog more as his memory increases. Please continue to send your comments and your thoughts and prayers. We need and appreciate all of them!

Monday Afternoon Update

2008-02-04T20:26:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all PGR members for escorting ride from the hospital to my home in Greenwood.

Thanks to everyone for their support and wishful thoughts. This experience was 'an experience'.

The FINAL update from RHI - 2/03/2008

2008-02-03T22:31:00.001-05:00

Well, today is another milestone in the recovery of our brother Jeff. What a day we had at RHI as we gathered throughout the day to eat, socialize, and prepare for the big game. Jeff was up bright and early this morning in anticipation of cooking and entertaining for all of us. He had fixed us mini meatballs, mini weenies, shrimp cocktail, veggie and fruit trays, and more. And of course Jeff was there to be sure that we were all fed, ALL DAY! With all the activity of the day Jeff was pretty worn down by halftime and we all decided that we should let him get to bed and rest up for the big day tomorrow. So, much to Jeff's dismay, we packed up the food and treats and headed out at 8:00. He was disappointed to see us go but after we left he wound down pretty quickly and headed for bed. Tomorrow he has a couple of therapies in the morning and then back to the apartment to pack up and get ready to check out. 1:00 is still the target for the trek home.

Tomorrow starts another phase in the recovery of Da Bear. At home and in familiar surroundings will bring a different kind of therapy for Jeff as he reconnects with many things that will stimulate both his memory and his abilities. Tomorrow night we are going to turn him loose on the grill for some good old fashioned BearzFan seasoned steaks and potatoes. When we talked about that tonight his eyes really lit up followed by an "oh boy". What a treat to see the smiles and the expressions return to Jeff. Each time we are here he adds to his repertoire and reminds us of the old Jeff and the fact that he is returning.

More tomorrow night after the big move, including pictures and maybe even video.

Good night to all, Mike

Saturday Update #2

2008-02-02T23:21:00.001-05:00

When Kim and I got to RHI tonight I was greeted by one of the best "big brother bear hugs" I have ever had in my life. I told Jeff that I have waited over 3 months for this, and he agreed. What a sight to see him so mobile, so conversational, and joking around. I can't wait till tomorrow to see how he is when is isn't so tired. I just needed to share this tonight for all the family and friends. Jeff is back with us again and what a thrill to see.

Mike

Saturday, February 2nd Update

2008-02-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

Good evening all!
So I haven't seen my Dad since his move to RHI at the beginning of December. He, at that time, was just waking up and amazing us with the things he was able to do. Now, in February only a few days from going home, he continues to amaze. Today, I brought my kids and my husband over to see him for the first time since July and his face just lit up. The fact that he recognized my family after all this time and all of his recovery was just a thrill for me. I also love the fact that Dad smiles all the time and puts in his opinion on conversations when appropriate.
I am so very excited for his homecoming on Monday. He's doing great in the transition apartment they have him and Annette in, but let me tell you, he wants to go home. And we Bowmans have been waiting for that day too!!!
Enjoy the super bowl everyone. In case you were wondering, Dad is pulling for the Giants but has a feeling the Patriots will win.
Tisha
Daughter #1 :)

"Thank You, Thank You"

2008-02-02T15:36:00.000-05:00

The BIG DAY is getting closer and closer, and it is time to say "Thank You" to all of those faithful followers of Jeff's blog who have written comments and held him in your prayers, and to the obvious thousands who have been regular readers of the blog. We have heard of many prayer groups in our area, as well as some around the world, who have kept Jeff and our Family in their prayers.

Our Family is strong, but not invincible. It hasn't always been easy to go to the blog daily, and see pictures of our son, Greg, and grandson, Tim, who are no longer with us. We begged God for Jeff's life on October 21, and the Miracle Has Happened! You all helped with your prayers, visits and blog comments. Our PGR family has been of tremendous support, and have been so very special to us. This first battle has been won! Jeff is going home! But the war continues, so please keep your prayers, visits, and good wishes coming. The months ahead will also be a challenge. During all this time, Annette has been Jeff's "Pillar of Strength". We are so proud of her and her faithful helper, Danielle.

Most of you may not be aware of the extent of the "Bowman Family". We have 4 sons (Jeff, Greg, Rod, Mike), 1 daughter (Stephanie "Little Sis"), 17 grandchildren, 1 great granddaughter, 4 great grandsons, 4 daughters-in-law, 1 son-in-law, and another greatgrandchild on the way.

We love you all, even though we have not met many of you and we probably never will, and we feel your support.

We will be on the way to Indy in the morning after our choir sings their anthem, and we will be having lunch enroute with Joann (Greg's wife) and whatever grandchildren are available. We will return to IL on Tuesday.

We had a lengthy phone conversation with Jeff a few minutes ago, and it was the best of the many we have had. Once again, Thank You one and all.

Mom and Dad Bowman