Final Blog

To all that have been reading the blog and providing support and comfort to Mark through these times, Mark passed away Sunday morning. I'm comforted by the fact that he is more comfortable now and in a better place.

Sue

Drifting & Disappoinyments

To Ron and Photobabe, thanks for reading and your comments. As far as Porters goes, I still stop in every now and then but I haven't taken any photos in some time so have very little to contribute. My eyesight is still poor and with these new seziures I just don'y feel like doing much. I was in the emergency room twice this week (once via 911 and ambulance)



Sue and I did go to the show at the Pickneyville Community Center again this year. It was terrible! They had new organizers and it sucked. The price almost doubled,. Last year the vendors were given a goodie bag containing some candy and snacks and a Christmas ornament - this year nothing. The food service very limited, no fries only chips with main selections of a hotdog, chicken fingers (ice cold) and chili.



Traffic was nonexistent. No postcards were sent out this year advertising the event. I sold 2 matted prints, 2 note cards and a single postcard and those were to other vendors at the show! We will not go back next year and from what I was hearing neither will most of the others.

As for me, other than the seizures my rye sight seems to have gotten worse not better. Y am at a loss and it kills me just having bought all this new camera equipment and not being able to use it. I pray it will change, I miss taking`photos

Where Are We Now?

Another long time between post again. When I first started this blog I posted daily sometimes twice a day but I've been worn down. I know my body is failing - more problems it seems like occur daily. If anyone still reads this I would be greatly surprised.

Most of the time now I either don't feel good enough to post or I cannot see well enough to write. (yes, the vision problem still exist - sometimes better or worse. No steady improvement.) My weeks are now filled with more bad days than good and now comes more problems - SEIZURES. More test, Cat scans, multiple MRI's and of course the blood test too.

I still haven't gained my balance and strength to get away from this damned wheelchair and it's been a year now. Part of it is my fault for not trying harder ut I can't seem to do it.

Sue has hired a caretaker to help out - she comes 5 times a week picks me up from dialysis at 10:30 & stays with me until 5 on Tue & Thur. On Mon. Wed. & Fri. it's 9 - 3:30. She is very nice and also does house work and errands. It's an attempt to give my Mom and Dad their life back but they're back right now because Sue is out of town for a couple of weeks and everyone doesn't want me to be alone for that long. Even I have to admit I couldn't get along without the help.

I haven't shot any photos in several months but I am hoping to do so soon. (Wishful thinking, maybe so, but it's all I have). I am reworking some photos into B&W's and that's working out well most of the time.

So, where are we now? Closer to the end, yes but I still can't see it.

If you're reading this - Thanks, it's therapy for me again. - Mark

Photo for today - Effie's Bridge, Stone Mountain Park, GA

Seems Like Forever!

Poole's Mill Bridge

It does seem like forever since I last posted anything. i've been here, just unable to see to read and write until today. My eyesight has returned somewhat. Its still weak. I oftsn have to rest my eyes and anything outside in bright light is out of the question for now. The Doc says it may be 6 more months before we'll know if this new medicine is really working, so until then I've got my fingers crossed.

Still missing Miss Kitty. Both Sue & I sometimes "feel" her jump up on the bed at night or expect to see her tucked on the blanket on the sofa.

Sue is well - out of town as usual on business. She'll be goneb3out oe 4 weeks in October too. So much for less travel with this job.

My eyes are beginning to tire so this will be a short one.

Thanks as always for reading and sending your comments - Mark

General Update

Just a general update to let you know what is going on. It has been several weeks since I have let you know what is going on, this is primarily due to eyesight troubles. Swelling & dryness have made it nearly impossible for me to read or write.

First I want to thank everyone for their sentiments about Miss Kitty. She wasn't very noisy but the house sure seems quiet without her. I miss her fuzzy face and her snoring in my ear.

Entered 2 more photos in the jurored art show. It seems to be more of a popularity contest, but I will keep trying and it is good exposure. I recieved good interest from the last 2 I entered.

Hopefully I will be back more regularly when my eyesight improves. In the meantime, I will dictate updates to Sue.

IN MEMORY

MISS KITTY 1987 -2007

It is with a heavy heart I write this post. many people may never understand why others can become so attached to a pet. To us, Sue and I, Miss Kitty was more like our child.

Everyone that meet Miss Kitty liked her and also treated her like a full member of our family.

Sue brought Miss Kitty home after we played cards at a friend's house. Miss Kitty and her brothers and sisters were there, all Tennessee barn cats. They were just small kittens but this one kept coming over to Sue and untying her shoe. After the third time, Sue knew she had to take her home. This one was so cute and playful. (at the time we didn't realize it was Miss Kitty picking us out to go home with.) She was the runt of the litter but the most curious and active. You could fit her in one hand at this time.

She was the sweetest cat always wanting to take care of us too. The day I fell down the stairs and broke my hip I was lying on the floor by the front door and Sue had gone to call 911. Miss Kitty had been sitting on the stairs watching what was going on. Miss Kitty came over to me and sat down right up against me and gently put her paw on my hand and held it there until the firemen arrived. when the firemen got there she moved back to the stairs to watch. I was in such pain that when they tried to roll me over I screamed and Miss Kitty came bounding down the stairs screeching at the firemen to stop hurting me.

When ever Sue didn't feel well it was the same thing. Miss Kitty would sit with her holding that tiny paw on her. Miss Kitty would stay like that until she thought Sue was feeling better. Miss kitty would even ignore food until she was sure Sue was better she just stayed by her side.

We got to where we called her Baby kitty, I was Daddy kitty and Sue was Momma kitty. My parents also fell in love with Miss Kitty bringing her all sorts of gifts - play toys and home-made catnip sewn into hand-made mice,candy canes,turkey legs and a whole host of other shapes.

We all loved Miss Kitty and she loved us too. She was the best cat she never once bit or nipped at us or anyone never scratch anybody. She was always friendly warm and happy to see you.

Miss Kitty had recently eaten some of the tainted Menu pet food and gotten very sick. We had taken her to the vet close to a dozen times in the last couple of months trying to get her well and we thought she was improving. She seemed like she was back to her old sele. She was playing with Sue like she did when she was a kitten and eating well but I guess the taint food and her advanced kept her from a full recovery.

Please join with us and say a final prayer for our child, our friend, our Miss Kitty.

Thank you - Mark & Sue

The Clock Strikes Midnightand Death is Cheated Again

The morning started the same as it has for the past year or so. It's 5:30 and Sue is up and in the shower getting ready for another commute into work. I'm awake and getting ready for another day at the dialysis clinic. I test my blood sugar and find a little high at 203 so I take 3 units of novolog insulin. I've done the same thing many times before in the 36 years of having diabetes.

This morning something was not the same, what we're still not sure. I felt like my blood pressure might be low. Sue helped me check it and it was normal but I still had an uneasy, light-headed feeling. That's the last thing I remember before "my dream"

I thought I was dreaming and it wasn't a pleasant one. I said Oh Damn, I'm in the hospital again! It was the sounds and smells that flooded my head. I could feel people lifting my arms and yelling my name. I couldn't move, open my eyes or speak no matter how hard I tried.

The sounds were those of Sue and the first responder firemen that arrived a minute before the paramedics. For some reason my blood sugar had dropped to 20 in a little over 15 minutes and I had gone from having seizures to slipping into a coma-like state.

I remember my tongue and lips feeling thick and heavy. It was the " instant glucose" the firemen had put in my mouth and all over my lips. It's a jelly-like substance used to combat low blood sugar in a unconscious person. It wasn't having much of an effect in this case. When the EMT's arrived they started an IV and started giving me D-50 (intravenous glucose). I felt myself put into a wheelchair and moved to the door. I still couldn't move, speak or open my eyes at this time. I felt myself being loaded into the ambulance and starting the ride to the hospital.

While on the way to the hospital I began to come to. I could open my eyes only to have them slam shut again. As the minutes passed I was able to hold them open longer and speak a little. I was now fully aware of what had happened and what was going on around me.

Over the next few hours in the hospital my blood sugar would continue to drop and I would get more D-50. This went on for what seemed like forever. Finally my sugar stabilized and I was released to go to dialysis.

Since then all I've wanted to do is sleep. I've been exhausted from the seizures and lack of eating anything for a day and a half. Lunch today was my first real meal but I still feel tired and weak.

Of course Sue was with me throughout all this. The EMT's said her calling so quickly had saved my life. She had to go to MN today for work and my parents are here until she gets back on Friday. I miss her so much. She has to leave again on Monday for the entire week she'll be in Belgium and return on Saturday. After that she's taking a week off to be with me and we'll be together.

Thanks for reading -Mark

Photo - An Old Homestead ( and how I feel)