Another long travel day comes to an end...
The flight from Chicago and Atlanta was not without an incident, and I would like to congratulate the two flight attendants for Trans Air for their total professionalism.
But back to the beginning. We boarded and plugged in the earphones to listen to the free XM Radio they have on board. We read the latest Rolling Stone for a while and then closed our eyes. At one point we felt a presence in the aisle and opened our eyes.
In the aisle, two of the seat occupants from across from us are standing and the third, a male is bent over and obviously in pain. One of the flight attendants and one of the two passengers are wearing latex gloves and we then see that the ill passenger has obviously gotten sick.
We hear them talking and the sick passenger mentions kidney stones. Well we know all about them. They find a nurse on board and a gastroenteroligist who come to help. The man says he does not have his pain meds and we curse under my breath. We do have my pain meds with us, but for like the first time in years, we have checked our bags and the meds are below in stowage.
The two flight attendants then talk to the captain and they are speaking to the ground, whether to divert and land. The doctor informs them it is not life threatening, so we continue on to Atlanta. The two flight attendants were patient, kind, attentive while they needed to toss the seat cushions from the row, and try and clean up the mess. As we deplaned, we told them both exactly that.
When the flight lands, of course they ask everyone to remain seated when we get to the gate. OF COURSE four or five people stand immediately upon hearing the ding and have to be told to sit - what the frick is wrong with people? The doctor, nurse and sick passenger all move quickly off the plane.
We finally deplane and we go to one of the smoking lounges in the Atlanta airport...one of the few that still have them (they also still have lockers, which - if you fly frequently - you know that most airports no longer have lockers for you to store your luggage...)
While sitting there we notice a young soldier in fatigues standing against the wall. We watch his face. It is pained, no doubt about it. As I leave,we walk around toward him and ask, "On your way home?" (We needed to ask that way).
He replies, our eyes locked, "No Sir, on my way back, second tour." His eyes are so sad and there is a fear in them also. We put our hand on his shoulder and grabbed his hand in a firm shake "Sir, you be safe, God bless you and thank you for your bravery." He took a breathe and replied "Thank you Sir, second tour." Like he was disbelieving he had to return again.
We can see this young man's face in our mind right now, and do not know if we will ever forget it.
Thankfully, Atlanta to Memphis was a short, uneventful flight.
We pray for every single one of our young men and women each night...
The jury is in it's third day of deliberations in the Phil Spector trial. honestly, we have not followed the trial at all, but are curious about the outcome. No matter what happens, Spector is responsible for some incredible music over his lifetime. If he is found responsible for the death of this young woman, he deserves his sentence, but it will not change his place in music history.
Going to be a fun weekend for NY/Boston fans....always is this time of year...5 games apart (only 4 in the loss column due to difference in games played)...three games to be played this weekend
Also, if you enjoy golf, you can only ask for a Woods/Mickelson pairing on Sunday to determine the winner of the FEDEX Cup.
Some good news coming out of Buffalo where it appears Kevin Everett is making some huge strides. He plays for the Buffalo Bills and suffered a fractured spinal cord on the field on Sunday. Thoughts in the beginning were that he would be paralyzed.
Within 15 minutes of his arrival at the hospital doctors were cooling his spinal cord using intravenous fluids. This is an experimental treatment, that seems to have some remarkable results
They also administered anti-inflammatory medications and oxygen to help protect the nerve cells in Everett's damaged spinal cord, which carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body.
"The injury limits blood flow to the area, so the cells are starved of oxygen. Cooling, steroids and giving oxygen prevent cell death." said one of the doctors.
MRI and CT images of Everett's cervical spine showed that the impact of his collision had compressed the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae in Everett's neck, fracturing both vertebrae, damaging the soft cervical disc between them and crushing the front of his spinal cord.
After surgery, Everett has been able to voluntarily move his arms and legs and his doctor is optimistic that he will walk again.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this is the first step in treating spinal cord injuries?
Also, if you enjoy golf, you can only ask for a Woods/Mickelson pairing on Sunday to determine the winner of the FEDEX Cup.
Some good news coming out of Buffalo where it appears Kevin Everett is making some huge strides. He plays for the Buffalo Bills and suffered a fractured spinal cord on the field on Sunday. Thoughts in the beginning were that he would be paralyzed.
Within 15 minutes of his arrival at the hospital doctors were cooling his spinal cord using intravenous fluids. This is an experimental treatment, that seems to have some remarkable results
They also administered anti-inflammatory medications and oxygen to help protect the nerve cells in Everett's damaged spinal cord, which carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body.
"The injury limits blood flow to the area, so the cells are starved of oxygen. Cooling, steroids and giving oxygen prevent cell death." said one of the doctors.
MRI and CT images of Everett's cervical spine showed that the impact of his collision had compressed the C-3 and C-4 vertebrae in Everett's neck, fracturing both vertebrae, damaging the soft cervical disc between them and crushing the front of his spinal cord.
After surgery, Everett has been able to voluntarily move his arms and legs and his doctor is optimistic that he will walk again.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this is the first step in treating spinal cord injuries?
Exhausted, and lucky we got this much out today. We will be back in full steam tomorrow.
Our tune today is by Hot Tuna and we have posted it before, but it is one of the songs that lets the sun shine in our life and we wanted to share it again...
Our tune today is by Hot Tuna and we have posted it before, but it is one of the songs that lets the sun shine in our life and we wanted to share it again...
One Day At A Time...
"WATER SONG"
Jorma Kaukonen
We have 5 TUNEAGE TUTELAGE posts in the works. We will share the first of them next week. OK, you ask, why do we work on so many at the same time? Well, we love multi-tasking....or we are just a lunatic...you decide...Jorma Kaukonen
"The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend.
I have no wealth to bestow on him.
If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward.
Is not friendship divine in this?"
Henry David Thoreau
I have no wealth to bestow on him.
If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward.
Is not friendship divine in this?"
Henry David Thoreau
Sounds like that could have been a rough flight if ya had to do a emergency landing poor guy...Great tunes Bond!
Welcome home Mr Lunatic...I mean Vinny. LOL!
Second tour for that soldier...my hope is that he makes it through safely and that it will be the last tour.
I read that excellent news about Kevin Everret.
Welcome home, Vinny. Thanks for visiting my new, refurbished blog. Love your post today and the tunage was sublime. Hugs and kisses.
Nice gesture to the soldier...and I join you in prayer.
Kidney Stones. Worse than childbirth. I've done both. I know. WAY worse than childbirth.
Here's something that was shared with me some years ago which seems to work at least for me. A
t the FIRST sign of an attack...drink six cans (NOT bottles) of regular (NOT diet) Coke (NOT Pepsi, et cetera) at room temp if you can...as fast as you can.
The effervescence, the sugar, and the amount of liquid helps push the stone thru...helps break it up (most are calcium) and other stuff I won't get into....laughing.
(remember when you were a kid and they would put a tooth into coke to watch it disintegrate...same concept)
I know it's lunatic but a sweet cute one;-)
Thank you from all of us for trying to give the young soldier some support.
and katherine.--Bond only drinks Pepsi!
I hope that soldier makes it through all right...you, of course, did awesome there Bond!
Very exciting about Everett - amazing the strides they're making.
ROGER: Flight crew was totally professional. Thanks
TRAVIS: See...my friends know me! LOL
It was so evident from the glare in his eyes...i felt horrible. Pray for them all. The Everett news is a glimmer of hope for the future.
COCO: TY dear and glad to see you are new and improved.
KATHERINE: Interesting...wish I would have known that. they finally let him have a bottle of Vodka, which he chugged! LOL
Atlanta is an airport so many soldiers fly through and I try and at least shake their hand as i pass...but there was something haunting about this young man...
TURNBABY: Once again, my friends know me so well! Small gesture...all I could do
LOL, but I would drink coke if I had no pain meds and it would help!
TUG: Again...small gesture...but TY
Incredible news - I thought of Christopher Reeves and they said this could have helped him back then...
Ah Hartsfield. I know those smoking lounges well! Glad you made it home.
First on a total side note, I cant believe Atlanta still has those lounges, they freaked even a junkie like me out 6 years ago.
kidney stones sound like they really really suck. Good job by the flight crew and good job at you for not say "Hey moron sit down"
Steroids have always had a good impact in some lives, i hate how bad they are thought of.
the soldies story, truly inspiring
Glad you are home, now throw on some Cream and drink some Maker's Mark. Cheers!!
STARRLIGHT: They have deleted many of them, but terminal C still has one...and TY
SPARKY: Just a few left...LOL
They do suck dude..had one already...UGH...and LOL, I know the pain...
There are some great medical applications for the, it is the non-medical applications that suck
I still see him...
MATT-MAN: Jack Daniels Single Barrel or Gentleman Jack dude...and Cream was playing last night!
Thank you for doing for that soldier what I have asked all visitors to the Luggage to do for a long time now. Hopefully people won't limit themselves to airports... maybe some will give a soldier something they need, like music (I never did write that report... dang)
Turnbaby: maybe his problem with the kidney stones is exactly that.. he drinks Pepsi!!!Bwahahahahaha!!
Lunatic? you?! I have nothing to add to that...
So as not to be called a geek again, I shall refrain from commenting on emergency treatment for spinal cord injuries. Luckily, his was not severed and they managed to halt the phenomenon we see with such injuries where the nerve cells self-destruct. Kudos should be given to the onsite first responders. Being an EMT for a football team ain't no bed of roses!
I'm looking forward to see what will be done to prevent such injuries in the future... new and better equipment?
OK.. can't help myself: cooling the spinal cord helps slow the metabolism which is thought to assist in slowing the process of tissue destruction.
I am NOT a geek...
Great tuneage!
ANNDI: And i did think of your story from your airport trip with chicklet when I was walking toward this young man.
OF COURSE you have nothing to add...bwahahahahahahahaha
Never a geek.... A Geek Goddess perhaps.... LOL
I love that song so much......
Your friendship is beyond divine...
108: KYRA...I thank you for that warm thought dear.
Funny, tomorrow's post extends the subject some..
your mention of the soldier - putting it in real terms/making it personal helps me as I don't find it easy to see the news and think of the war as happening to actual real people.... Today the news is saying that the military presence in Iraq is likely to reduce purely because America doesn't have the volume of troops left that could replace the ones already there. It's frightening to think how many people are out there fighting. I don't like it.
Thanks for relating the story about the soldier. As long as we look at the "war" from a detached view, it's easier to send these brave soldiers off. Yes, they are volunteers, but I can't help but think they are getting tired and wondering just what it is they are risking their lives for.
Sorry I haven't been by to visit. It's been an....interesting week.
I was wrapped up in reading your post until I hit the story of your soldier encounter. It was too much for me...
I remember Ann spoke with a soldier in an airport some time ago...I want that opportunity also.
Great post here Vinny.