ohgraciepie blog posts

In Lieu of Veteran’s day and the Marine Corp Birthday this week, I thought I would do a post updating the condition of my friend Barry.

First off,  I would like to invite everyone to attend a fundraiser we have planned this weekend on
Saturday the 12th of November.

This event was set up in order to give friends, family and anyone who wants to help out, the opportunity to stop by and make a contribution however they see fit. 

 We will be taking donations, cards, words of encouragement, etc. to pass on to the Lundquest family.
 As well as taking photos & recording short video messages of all you “do gooders” to send Amy and Barry to remind them they aren’t alone.

We will also be raffling off a set of passes for a studio tour at KISW & to meet the guys from BJ SHAY!!

Please stop by, say hello, watch the UW game, enjoy the drink/ food specials Dino’s is putting on for us and know that you are making a difference in someone’s lives!

 ALSO
That Saturday morning there is a bootcamp class taking place & all proceeds will go towards the Lundquest Fund as well!

And of course you are still welcome to make a donation via the web page we set up.

I haven’t posted about my best friend and her hubby who was in the motorcycle accident since originally letting you all know what had happened. 

 It has now been over a month since the accident and he has come leaps and bounds from where we ( and Dr.’s) thought he would be at this moment in time, if ever!

This week he was moved into a new hospital in Phoenix to start his next phase of recovery in Rehab!

Since I was in Arizona visiting last month, he has come out of his coma and is beginning to talk.

He is fully breathing on his own and is able to walk, feed himself and tie his shoes on his own!

They have replaced the skull piece that was originally removed due to swelling, and have since removed all his stitches and staples.

Barry is still struggling with movement on his right side, as it was the left side of his brain that was injured and the left controls the right.

(Remember that saying, “Left handed people are the only ones in their right mind?”  Lol)

 This is something he will have to work on, but they anticipate he will regain full movement eventually.

There are a million more medical details, but I will spare you the mumbojumbo.

Bottom line, he is getting better each day.

He is clearly determined and is putting all his effort and energy into getting better and going home.

 I truly don’t think this could have happened with out everyone’s positive thoughts, prayers and support.

Thank you to everyone who has kept them in their thoughts through out this hard time , as well as those of you that have made generous donations to the family.

The fight isn’t over yet, but each day Barry shows Amy what true love really is.

As for me, I know I have learned many lessons from this situation.

 I learned what a promise really means. 

When you say your vows and breeze through “in sickness and in health” you never really play out the various scenarios in your mind.

You never stop and think, what would my life be like if my spouse was ill or incapacitated?

If I had to make the hard decisions of life support, 24 hour care and basically giving up my life to care for this person from now on? 

Would they become a burden to you?

Would you resent them?

How would you make ends meet?

Are you financially prepared for a life altering event like this?

I don’t think many people are.

It’s one of those situations where you never think it will happen to you.

Watching everything that has happened with Amy and Barry has hugely impacted my life.

Steve and I have already made changes to protect ourselves if anything should ever happen to us.

 Something, I don’t think I really ever thought about before.

I always just thought, we are young, we don’t have kids, I don’t need to think about it.

But, I do. And so do you.