BACK IN FEB 2015 WHILE AT WORK.. I FELT A SHARP PAIN COMING FROM MY MY BACK... I FALTERED AND HIT THE DECK FACE FIRST IN FRONT OF 25 STUDENTS,,,,, 911 WAS CALLED AND SO WAS MY WIFE WHOM WAS TEACHING AT HER SCHOOL WHICH THANKFULLY WAS ON THE SAME CAMPUS.
MY BOSS TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO GET A DOC'S PERMISSION TO RETURN TO WORK AS A CHEF ... ON OUR WAY HOME MARCIE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO GO HOME OR TO MORTON TO THE HOSPITAL.... I SAID THE HOSPITAL AND PUT THE PEDAL ON THE FLOOR.... 3 HOURS LATER I WAS AIRBORNE IN A MED E VAC CHOPPER HEADING FOR A TRAUMA CENTER IN OLYMPIA,WA.
DIAGNOSES....UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME OTHER THAN BLACK SPOT ON MY KIDNEYS AND LIVER THE SIZE OF A BAKED POTATO....
WENT INTO EMERGENCY SURGERY AFTER THE BACK OF MY LIVER BLEW OUT...
DIAGNOSES. DIVERTICULITIS... THE ENTIRE CAVITY OF ABDOMEN INCLUDING EVERY MAJOR ORGAN IS INFECTED... I DIED TWICE ON THE TABLE IN A 7.5 HOURS OF SURGERY... 3 TRAUMA SURGEONS.. A GI SURGEON..THE CHIEF SURGEON FOR KAISER... CLEANED ME OUT OF THE INFECTION... DAMM NEAR EVERY MAJOR ORGAN WAS INFECTED AS WELL AS THE LINING TO THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY.... I LOST THE LARGE INTESTINE AND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE SMALL ONE... WHAT WAS LEFT WAS 18 INCHES OF THE ILIUM SECTION OF THE SMALL INTESTINE.. ALONG WITH 3 COMPLETE BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS I WAS LEFT WITH A ILEOSTOMY WITH NO HOPE FOR A REVERSAL....

SINCE THAT DAY I HAVE BEEN EVER GRATEFUL FOR MY ILEOSTOMY AKA SHADOW IN MEMORY OF MY PARTNER MILITARY WORKING DOG SHADOW X-117 WHO WAS MY PARTNER FOR 5 YEARS AND WE BOTH DID 2 TOURS IN VIETNAM.
SO THANK YOU SHADOW FOR KEEPING ME TICKIN AFTER THE AFTER ALL OF THE LICKINS WE TOOK AS A TEAM
PARTNERS TILL THE END