Wow, blessed and much to be thankful for!!!

[marvymelvin]

Hello net54ers. I have been messing around a bit on here for a few months, but haven’t really introduced myself officially. I am Brad. I have a lovely wife and three children, 2 boys 10 and 12, and a beautiful girl who is 7. I am employed as a Child and Family Therapist here in St. George Utah.

I have had a health set back recently that is requiring major surgery. I have informed those close to me such as my family, and a few friends... While I was contemplating if there were any others to share with, I thought of you guys, as I have been treated very kindly here and also need your help a bit.

Due to upcoming surgery I am in need of selling a lot of things. I am keeping just a few of my favorite cards and selling the rest to help pay for expenses. I also have a previous item I have been saving for and committed to buying from a fellow net54er, prior to my accident, that I intend to follow through on. Thanks for helping me out. I have set my prices pretty close to fair market value, but if they are a bit too high please feel free to make a reasonable offer.

I have posted a collection of things I have collected over the years, and put it all in the Pre WWII section of the BST. There are a few items from pre-war such as 1915 cracker jacks, up to the 1950’s.

It is not my intention to pull on your heart strings for charity. As such I will let you know what is going on for me.

I had a serious accident recently where a full sandbag fell on my head while doing some landscaping. The resulting spinal compression caused initial pain that has only grown with the passing days. Also numbness and gradual loss of muscle in my left arm and leg. We were able to quickly obtain an MRI and an appointment with a top neurosurgeon so we are very lucky.

The MRI shows crushed vertebrae, and disc, which are providing significant pressure on the surrounding nerves, but more problematic is that it has also compacted my spinal cord over 50% at the C6-C7 location. As you know spinal cord injuries are very dangerous and I am very lucky that the offending bone and tissue has not yet severed the outer layer. Also discovered was a stroke in my right cerebellum. (remember undergrad neuro-psychology class, it is at the base of the back of the brain.) No-one is really sure if the stroke was existing from before or happened as a result of the recent trauma. But it is also implicated in the loss of muscle strength and shaky movement in my arm and leg.

I have been able to secure emergency surgery for the 22nd of the month. Wow, another blessing!!! I am resting at home and even going in to the office for some therapy sessions with clients, but I am not allowed to move very quickly, do anything that requires a lot of movement, and hopefully not get hit by a vehicle while traveling.

We laughingly discussed that maybe I should wrap myself in bubble wrap as to not risk additional damage to my spinal cord.

So, we are lucky/blessed to have a great surgeon and to have a speedy surgery time. But I am a bit anxious about the risks and am hoping all will be well in the end. Looking at that MRI on the big screen, and how precariously close the offending bones and tissue are to severing my spinal cord was a bit unnerving. At the time of the accident I basically yelped a bit and then laughed it off. But it began rather quickly to be more serious with time.

I am so thankful for my family and blessings thus far. I have added a picture of my two most favorite ladies in the world, my lovely wife and daughter.
I really don't know why I am telling you all this but I had wanted to introduce myself for a while now, and this seemed to be a good excuse. So, I hope all is well with you. I will let you know how things work out. Please check out my listing in the Pre-WWII BST and feel free to make offers.
Sincerely,
Brad

[itjclarke]

Brad, best wishes on your upcoming surgery. I'm sorry to hear about your accident, but it sounds like you have a great support group as well as a great doctor, which is definitely a blessing in situations like these.

I had a pretty serious medical issue about a year ago, and though very different than yours, similar things stood out--- I had great support from family and a few select friends... and I had great doctors. All turned out better than could be expected prior to the surgery, and I left the experience with a new (and nice) perspective. I also left it in awe of the people who had treated me, not only the doctors, but the techs and nurses who were so professional and did such a great job keeping my spirits up throughout. I very much hope your experience will be similar.

I'll take a look at your offerings on BST, and very much hope you're able to keep the ones you really like. Sounds kinda weird, but when I was most anxious and/or upset, my cards and this site were incredibly therapeutic.

Best,
Ian

[JollyElm]

Hey Brad,
My wishes for the greatest of luck to you with your surgery!!! And (so as not to be overly rude by ogling your lady) thanks so much for the shot of the two bikini babes in the background!!!

--elm

[the 'stache]

Brad, my thoughts and prayers are with you, as well as your family. You are among friends here, and we are pulling for you to make it safely through this surgery, and get back to your normal life as much as possible.

Like Ian, I, too have gone through some pretty serious medical issues of my own in the last year. Before that, I'd been dealing with extensive spinal issues of my own, and they cannot be corrected. I do not know what the future holds, and while I have a wonderful family, and supportive friends, I do worry.

If you ever want to talk to somebody that understands what you're going through, please feel free to message me anytime you like. I check the forum several times a day, and I'm a good listener

God bless.

Bill

[ethicsprof]

my thoughts and prayers are with you during these most difficult times.
all the best,
barry

[Jacker_ Cracks]

Praying for you and your family Brad. Keep us posted when you are able.
James

[4815162342]

Praying to The Almighty God for a successful surgery and speedy recovery, Brad!

[marvymelvin]

Thanks so much for the support and all of the guys who replied and also to the many who sent private well wishes. You know, I joined net54 officially just this past May after years of browsing the posts for information, only expecting access to a bit more information as a member. I had no idea I would make friends and receive support in other ways. It really isn't about the cards, although collecting is fun. I enjoy the company and friendship more than anything. So thanks a lot guys. I now there are many of you with far worse ailments than me. I just have had blessing after blessing this past year and the way that my spinal cord injury could have been much worse with a tiny difference just made me thankful for what I have. Take care and thanks for the support,
Brad