Playing PI with the Internet

When purchasing a home for the first time, I always imagined we would buy it from a family who had lived there awhile and they would take us under their wing and tell us all the ins and outs of the house. Perhaps they would even show us all the work they had done and regale us with stories of their lives in the house.

Alas, that wasn't the case with the home we ended up buying. You see, our house was part of an estate so all we knew was the name of the owner, that she was deceased and that a relative in another state was handling the transaction. Maybe it is the anthropologist in me or maybe I am just super nosey but after all was said and done I started to do some research on the internet regarding the previous owner.

The first thing I discovered was Cathy's (not her real name) obituary. She died in our house at the age of 65. Yes, you read that correctly she died in our house! While I was slightly creeped out by that fact at first, I am coming to terms with it. She had a husband, a daughter, and a son; she loved her dog and she was an amazing potter.

I also discovered that she had originally purchased our home back in 2001 and that her son lived with her. So why wasn't he living in the house, or handling the sale of it for that matter? Well, that's because he died back in 2006 at the age of 38 from complications of diabetes. Okay, what about the daughter? That I don't know, I haven't found anything about her other than she picked up the car that was in the garage the night before we got our keys. I think the lack of information on her is because her first and last name are very common, unlike her relatives.

So, what about Cathy's husband? I discovered that back in 2001 (the same year Cathy bought the house) he was indicted on charges for attempted murder. You see, he had a girlfriend while he was still married to Cathy and he allegedly attempted to kill this girlfriend. His defense and subsequent appeals stated that he had PTSD which he sustained during his tours of duty in Vietnam as a Marine. The court did not agree and he subsequently died in prison just three months after Cathy passed.

What a tragic family story! It is my hope that we can replace some of the sadness this family experienced in our home with happy and joyful memories!

Do you agree that it is a little terrifying how easy it was to piece together the history of this house  and its family in just one afternoon?

Happy Birthday USMC!

Evergreen celebrated the 238th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps on Friday. Fun was had by all as we witnessed the passing of the cake (and tradition) from the oldest Marine born in 1930 to the youngest Marine who will enter boot camp in February. Poor kid was overwhelmed by all the attention and advice! 

Happy birthday and thank you to all past, present and future Marines! Oohrah!

Living History Week

This past week was Living History Week at Evergreen. This is the second annual event which brings high school students from around the Willamette Valley into the museum to listen to first-hand experiences of our veterans. The overarching theme this year was thanking our POWs, in particular we honored the survivors of the Bataan Death March, of which 16 were able to make the journey. It was a beautiful and memorable experience!

A Catholic Principal, A One-Legged Marine and A Swearing, Drinking Nun

Hubby and I had the pleasure of joining one of my friends from Evergreen and his family for Thanksgiving dinner. We watched football, ate decadent food and sipped on wine. There is something very freeing about joining a family that isn't your own for dinner. There is still all the bickering and arguments that occur at family get-togethers, they just don't include you!

My friend, Joe, is the one-legged Marine, his wife is the Catholic principal and her friend SAM (Sister Ann Marie) is the swearing, drinking nun. In addition, there were 7 more guests who were either family or strays like Matt and I. Add 3 standard-sized poodles to the mix and it was one heck of a party!

Happy Birthday USMC!!

Every year Evergreen celebrates the awesomeness that is the USMC! Today we sat, drank coffee, talked and enjoyed the company of many Marines and their families. Thank you to all Marines who have, do or someday will serve this great nation. We can never repay you for all that you give.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”

Today I would like to remember and recognize the men in my life who served their country. They didn't pay the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives in the line of duty (which is what Memorial Day is all about), however they each paid costs which changed their lives forever.

To my husband: who gave many long years in pursuit of his dream to be a Marine, who didn't only because his bones failed him! I am so very proud and thankful for you!

To Curtis: who served as a Marine, who will teach his young son to love and honor his country, and whose heart was given to and for this great land.

To my Pop-o: who served in the Reserves during Vietnam, who stood up for what he believed in...even if it was unpopular.

To My Grandpa Ski (deceased): who served in the Army during WWII in Europe. He never spoke of the traumas of war, his experiences too painful to recall out-loud. Instead, he turned to the bottle and drowned his sorrows in the only thing that brought him comfort. On this day, I place a special emphasis on those veterans who to this day still struggle to reintegrate into daily life and who suffer silently with all that they have witnessed.

You each are heroes to me and I appreciate what you did! Thank you!

Post OCS: Foot MRI/Orthopedist

Matthew had another doctor's appointment this morning. This time it was to take a look at his right foot. The MRI report indicated that he has 3 stress fractures. Two are in the first metatarsal (the bone below the big toe), and one more in the bone above that (closer to his ankle). There is also significant swelling and edemas near the first metatarsal and ligament damage, although not serious enough for surgery. He also is experiencing numbness in his left big toe but still maintains full functionality. The doctor speculates that with time this will heal, but he may never regain feeling back.

The doctor has prescribed 6 more weeks of rest and than a follow-up appointment in May. After that, as long as he is continuing to improve, he can begin running and exercising again. No formal physical therapy is needed during this 6 week period.

We are still fighting the insurance company (TriWest) who keeps denying our claims despite having pre-approval.

The x-rays still haven't arrived from Quantico.

We received our second and final payment from the Marine Corp for "disability". We are (hopefully) rounding the bend with all this government nonsense. Matthew is back to work so we and the military are itching to part ways!

Post OCS: Pay Day

Before hubby left for OCS we banked a good amount of money in savings, just in case the change from a civilian paycheck to a military paycheck didn't go smoothly. Everything went just fine while he was gone (and of course I am extremely thankful for that), but now that he is home, they haven't paid us a single penny. In fact, they demanded money back because he was sent home a few days before the pay period ended and we were over paid in his final check.

He was injured in the line of duty over 3 weeks ago and is supposed to be on a form of disability, but they can't seem to muster a buck or two to help cover the finances. Good thing we planned for them to screw us, just not in the way I predicted.

Post OCS: Diagnosis

Sorry for the delay in updates. The past few days have been stressful.

Matthew and I went to the orthopedist on Wednesday afternoon. The doctor determined via the MRI and the corresponding report from DMAFB that he has three fractures in his pelvis, not his hip as we previously thought. He also has significant edemas surrounding the fractures. The fractures are approximately located where I have put red marks on the picture below:

The doctor is very enthusiastic about his recovery thus far and wants him to continue to rest and work out in the pool for the next 5 weeks. The fractures have already begun to heal and the pain he is experiencing now is mostly muscular. No additional pain medication is needed at this time aside from over-the-counter solutions.

The referrals regarding his foot haven't been approved yet, so we are still a couple weeks out from knowing anything about that.

The x-ray taken of his shin at DMAFB indicated that nothing is broken and everything looks okay.

We have a follow-up appointment in 5 weeks with the orthopedist for the pelvis. At that point he will determine if progress has been made and if formal physical therapy is necessary. If the foot referrals go through, the orthopedist will also take a look at that data, as well. We are working on getting the x-rays from Quantico so the doctor can compare the MRI with the x-ray, as Matthew and I are still concerned about stray bones floating around near his hip joint. There didn't appear to be bone fragments in the MRI, but they are not the best diagnostic method for bone analysis. The x-ray in Quantico indicated an acetabular injury, so we have conflicting diagnoses regarding the hip, at the moment.

I will say that I am most relieved that his prognosis is so positive! However, I cannot say that I enjoyed the way we were treated at the orthopedist. We spent an hour waiting to speak to him and he couldn't wait to brush us off for his next, presumably more important, patient. My grandma once told me regarding doctors: "you have to be your own advocate". Truer words have never been said! If we hadn't been researching, studying and forming questions about this subject, he would be in much worse shape than he is.

Post OCS: Orthopedist

Some good news to report. The MRI took place on Friday late afternoon (but boy that took some finagling and it almost didn't happen even up to the last minute). Unfortunately, the films will be sent to the base where one of their radiologists will write up a report and send it over to the orthopedist. Sadly, I have little faith that this will ever happen, the base hasn't exactly been timely or competent up to this point.

The orthopedist appointment is on Wednesday afternoon and we will have to pick up a copy of the MRI (films minus the report) that morning to bring with us to the orthopedist. Monday and Tuesday will be busy with phone calls as we try to get all the x-rays and reports taken by other people sent over to the new physician for his review.

Progress....

Post OCS: Hip MRI

I thought I would quickly update and let you know that very little progress has been made since I last posted. Matthew still hasn't seen a specialist and his pain medication runs out tomorrow. The red tape is so thick I am beginning to doubt he will ever see anyone. The hold-up seems to be in the referrals...they just can't seem to get it right. The referrals either weren't ever put in (what?) or they were for the wrong body part (double what?) or they were for a doctor on base (which we don't have access to).

The only progress that has been made is that we have an appointment for an MRI tomorrow for his hip. An MRI seems rather pointless at this point without having a doctor to send it to but I guess it is a small victory. They are still working on an MRI referral for his foot and a referral for an orthopedist.

I am distraught to say the least. He is in pain and will be in more pain come this weekend without any medication and no one at the base or the Marine office seems to care. For them this is all "business as usual" but for me this is my husband who sacrificed his body for his country. The least they could do is fix him.

I never thought I would say this, but I miss the days of Cigna.

Post OCS: First Dr. Appointment

The Staff Sergeant from the Marine Corps Officer office picked Matthew up at noon this afternoon for his first appointment at Davis Monthan at 1:00. I couldn't take him since I don't have base privileges. At around 1:3o, I got a call to come to the visitors center so the Staff Sergeant could sponsor me on base to take Matthew to his actual appointment at 3:00. Apparently some wires got crossed about the time.

We saw the doctor right on time and she and Matthew discussed his ailments (hip, foot and now left leg). She was extraordinarily nice and soft spoken and sent us over to the Referral Management Center. Apparently, in order for Matthew to see specialists it must be coordinated by the Referral Management Center and approved by...well someone? He has been referred to see an orthopedic specialist and to get an MRI of his hip and foot. We should get approval in about 7-10 days. It is still up for debate whether he will be able to see civilian specialists or if he will continue going on base. I fear all this waiting will be detrimental to his overall health, as he is already noticing a loss of mobility in his leg which he still had just a few days ago.

He was able to get an x-ray (this afternoon) of his left tibia (shin) for an egg-sized protrusion right on the bone. We should get something in the mail regarding the results of the x-ray in about 3-5 days. In the meantime, she did prescribe some pain medication to get him through until the other appointments can be made.

I cannot describe to you how difficult it is to work within the confines of a military operation when you have no experience doing so. I was simultaneously overwhelmed and frustrated by the experience. We were bounced from office to office, building to building for almost 2 hours. On top of that, we don't have military ID's and Matthew was Marine Corps and not Air Force, which also complicates the situation. I hope it will get easier from here, but something tells me that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

OCS: NPQ

Approximately two weeks ago, Matthew completed the obstacle course where he hurt his left hip. He didn't think much of it at the time but the following day he completed Fartlek training, which was extraordinarily painful. About a week later he completed a 5 mile run where he hurt his right foot. In hindsight, it was probably the bad hip that caused the bad foot.

This past week he completed the Confidence Course and a 3-mile 'Boots and Utez' run in 23 minutes. During both events, the Sergeant Instructors commented on his limping and eventually ordered him to the doctor.

On Wednesday morning he reported to the doctor where they x-rayed his foot and diagnosed sprained tendons and was put on light duty.

On Thursday morning, he reported back to the doctor for a follow-up where they x-rayed his hip. The Navy Lieutenant doctor said there wasn't a problem, and after some discussion allowed Matthew to return to full duty to complete the Land Navigation Course.

The Land Navigation Course required a 3-mile march to the course when a candidate slipped on ice and Matthew tripped over him, where his leg made a horrible popping noise. He was unable to walk so he was vanned up to the Land Nav course which he aced!

During the Land Nav event the Sergeant Instructors took no mercy, saying things like:
"Old Man River broke his hip"
"What are you, 70?"
"Easy Target"

After Land Nav he was vanned back to the barracks.

On Friday morning, he returned to medical where a civilian Physical Therapist reviewed the x-rays taken earlier in the week. She discovered 2 bone fragments that were formerly part of his hip free-floating away from his hip and the same for 1 bone fragment in his foot. The radiologist had also seen these fragments and had made notations, so why the first doctor didn't see these results is a mystery. She confirmed Matthew was NPQ (not physically qualified) and should be sent home.

By 6 p.m. on Friday night he was on a plane, heading to Dallas. By 11:30 p.m. he was at Tucson International Airport and by midnight he was standing on our door step. What a complete surprise for all involved!! I had no idea he was coming home!!

We are now in the process of setting up doctors appointments for a fractured hip and foot, all expenses being covered by the United States Marine Corps. He is expected to be unable to work for approximately 8 weeks and that is only if he doesn't have surgery to remove the fragments.

His hip continues to make horrific popping noises and his only souvenir from this crazy adventure -- crutches.

OCS: My Handsome Marine Candidate

I received an email this evening with a link to head-shots of all the Marine candidates. Matt had told me that they had taken them, but he didn't know why. Now we know! I have the opportunity to order copies, if any of you want some.

8 x 10 = $30.00
5 x 7 = $20.00
11 x 17 = $50.00
8 wallets = $30.00

There is a limited time on these images, so please let me know if you are interested as soon as possible. Also, please specify which image you would like, the left or the right.

OCS: Confidence and Obstacle Course

http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoJ

OCS: Second Phone Call

Hi everyone, just wanted to check in with you all and let you know that I heard from Matthew last night and again this morning. He is doing better this week, he went to sick call on Friday and they confirmed by x-ray that he has bronchitis. The doctor prescribed something like 9 different medications to get him on the road to recovery. He certainly sounds better and coughs less than the last time I spoke to him.

He decided to leave base after all this weekend because his bunk-mate finally got off of probation and really wanted to leave. They stayed at a hotel last night and had amazing Greek food at a little place down the street from the hotel. He ate until he was stuffed and then back at the room ate more cookies. Amazing!! This afternoon he crashed at the Harbor House (which is a house, but not near a harbor) and had snacks and watched movies.

This past week was really tough on all the guys, and some candidates were cut (voluntarily and not voluntarily). His platoon now has 54 guys (down from 75). Starting this week the upper chain of command will start holding "boards" where they will continue to dwindle the number of candidates down. On his agenda this coming week is the confidence course and the Tarzan course.

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers this week, as I know he could use the encouragement. This process has been mentally and physically exhausting but he is half way done!

OCS: Combat Course

This course and the water obstacles look absolutely horrific. Check out all the ice and snow!
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoG

OCS: Small Unit Leadership Evaluation

http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoI

OCS: National Museum of the Marine Corps

I cannot wait to see this museum next month!
http://www.ocs.usmc.mil/?dest=ccoH

OCS: First Phone Call

I was shocked last night around 11:15 p.m. when I got a call from Quantico. Matthew earned liberty which lasted from last night until 7 p.m. Sunday. He wanted me to apologize to everyone that he didn't have time to call each individual person but he was still expected to accomplish a great deal...even during his "off" time.

The Highlights:

1. He had a cold, which turned into bronchitis, which is now a sinus infection. He sounds horrible but he says that has more to do with all the yelling and less to do with his illness. They do have medical personnel on staff if he gets much worse.

2. He was able to leave base, so he and a buddy booked a room at the Comfort Inn about 30 minutes away so they could sleep in warm beds and take long, hot showers. Next weekend, if he gets liberty, he plans to spend it at a place on base called the Harbor House. It is run by the church and it is a place for the guys to decompress, relax, talk on the phone, and get free meals.

3. During the entire phone calls (both last night and this morning) he was eating. He ate cheese sticks, a chicken flatbread sandwich, ice cream, candy bars, nuts, and Cheetos...just to name a few. He was completely insatiable.

4. He is doing very well on his tests! Approximately half of his platoon is on probation because they failed the tests. If you fail, no liberty!

5. He is getting along with every candidate except one. This particular guy speaks nicely to his face but speaks horribly about him to the upper chain of command. Matthew is very unhappy with this particular situation.

6. Four guys have already decided to opt out of further training come Wednesday when they are officially allowed to drop out. There are a few others that he speculates will be cut around the same time.

Overall, he sounds exhausted and hungry. He commented that a lot of what they have him do is "stupid" or "ridiculous" but he hasn't wavered and he is working very hard. I really think he is picking up on the culture and necessary strategies of Marine Corp officer school.

If all goes well this week he will have liberty again next weekend, starting on Saturday night and extending into Sunday. I will keep you updated!