Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Is Normal really Normal?



I lived almost 30 years of life and I can’t really believe it.  I have done a lot of things in my life.  I was in the Navy for almost 4 years.  I have traveled the world and seen places that most have only dreamed of. I have held almost every title in the restaurant business.  I have met many wonderful people in my life that have made me what I am today.  Before my illness happened, I was working three jobs. I was very active in sports (playing basketball any chance I got).  However, when I turned 26 my life changed.

(If you want to look at my past blogs, it tells the detailed story about what happened.)

In Dec of 2008 my life as I knew it changed.

I lost the use of my feet…I had my right foot amputated at the ankle and I lost three toes on my left foot due to my illness.  I was in a wheelchair for almost a year. As of now, I am up walking, driving and I have a lot of my mobility back (which is a great thing).  Being that active and then having it all taken away was something that was very hard to live with.

I mentioned in my last post that Preach and my Brother are very important to me.  Without their help, I couldn’t have made it through this hard time.

Just think to yourself.  What would you do if you couldn’t use your feet?  It’s really, really, really depressing not being able to do the simple things that I used to do.  I live about a half a block from a gas station in town and with the weather starting to get better now, it would be awesome to walk to get a soda. It’s those little things that people have a hard time understanding.

I also live about an hour from St. Louis Mo and the Cardinals (baseball team) did rather well last season winning the World Series.  One of my buddies called me during the games…

Buddy: Hey, got an extra Cards ticket, do you want to go?

Me: Man, I would love too, but I would have to take my wheelchair. Is there room?

Buddy: No, man. I just have an extra seat. I don’t have room for your chair, man. Sorry.

Now I know he wasn’t being insensitive by any means. On the other hand, it is something that I have to consider in everything that I do from now on.  It really makes anything that I want to do a hassle.  The last three years have been very difficult to plan any trips or to go anywhere without knowing the conditions before I go.

Another thing I love to do is during Halloween.  Haunted Houses have been a really fun thing to do since I was a kid.  I have helped in a many of them around my community for several years.  This last year, Preach wanted to go to Talon Falls in Paducah KY. This haunted house is rated as one of the best in the country, but it’s not wheelchair accessible!!! So I couldn’t go on that trip either. 

I don’t want is this to become a pity party for me.  I have come to the realization that my life has changed. My point is to get information out to the readers that aren’t handicapped. To have a small glimpse of what I go through on a daily basis.

Also, my illness (Lumeirre’s Syndrome)  was featured on ”Oprah” and on the hit tv show ”House” because it’s so rare.  Here is a picture of what the title means to me.


 I agree, House, that NORMAL IS OVERRATED!!!!!


(DJ pick of the day)
Song of Day




Blackout Breathe Carolina

P.S. Red is my hero

Monday, March 19, 2012

A New Start


This blog is going to help me with a lot of things.  I want this blog to be funny and light and tell some of the many stories that has happened in my life.  Many times, my friends have said that I should write a book with everything that has happened in my life.

The first two posts that I wrote, which I have included in this new blog, tell the story of the horrible illness that I went through three years ago.  I will share stories about that and some of the things that I have had to deal with because of it and now living a handicapped life.

I also want to write about my new business adventures with being a DJ.  I have worked in the business for 3 years now and I absolutely love it.   The people that I have met and the relationships that have been built will last a lifetime.

Enough Preface - now to the good stuff….

I really do have a great support group around me at all times.  I was just visited today by Preach and he is a great and wonderful friend, mentor, counselor, teacher, fix-it man.  If it wasn’t for Preach’s guidance I really don’t think that I could have made it this far without him.  There will be some great stories on this blog because of him. Today was a great example of that….He has been the force behind writing again. He told me write not only because I have a lot of free time, but also that I have a lot of great things to say.  I was hesitant to write again because I really don’t know correct grammar and I have a hard time spelling “kat” right most of the time (I think there is two t’s in kat, but I’m not sure).  Preach came over today to get “Train’s Whistle” up and running.  After about an hour of correcting grammar and spelling on my old blog, we launched the site. It was a great day spent learning the tricks and trade of a very talented blogger.

Second, my brother or bro, who I am really close to also came by for a visit today.  Didn’t stay long, but it’s great to talk to him and see him when he does come by (he lives in a two story building and he is on the second floor, so its very hard for me to go to his house. So, he came to mine).

Homie Homie Homie is all I can say about my other friend…..he also stopped by late tonight after he had gotten off work.  All I can say about him is that he is whipped like butter.  We were hanging out a lot and getting into trouble together, but he started dating another friend of mine and I haven’t seen too much of him lately but, it was soooo good to catch up with him tonight as well.

As I mentioned before, I am a DJ and I love my job, so I wanted this forum to be a place where I could let my readers see and hear some good music that they wouldn’t have listened to before….So, I will try to end each blog with a new or old song that I came across in my show this last week…

Song of the Week

Aarron Lewis- Country Boy…




This artist is very talented and amazing….just his voice can give me goosebumps….hope you enjoy it and there is more to come. Hope everyone will continue to come back and read some more about my boring exciting life. 

P.S. Red is my hero

Fresh new Blog with a twist

First off, I wanted to say thanks to my best friend Brett that has cleaned up my old blog site (grammar which took a while) and I started my own blog now.

It will be a fresh new blog that will have a lot of new things about it.  My struggles and fights with life, drama with friends, poker, my new business that I have started, etc.

I hope that it will be entertaining and fun with a twist.....

Stay tuned for more information to come....