Outrageous Malfunction

Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 22:00:28 -0500

From: “Holcombe, Robert”

Today was slow. Trudi is sedated more than yesterday, they are giving her a day off, she is too critical to have her experiencing pain and discomfort, and with the medications that they have, no need to feel pain. They do bring her around to check her neurological functions, but she is back to sleep in 5 minutes. Trudi is still on the extremely critical list and needs your prayers more than ever, and knowing that your prayers are lifting us up to the Lord, eases my burden, tremendously, and is healing Trudi, daily.

There is a little increase of fluid in her lungs and they are giving her diuretics and suction to remove fluid from her lungs and body. Her eyes are still swollen closed and they are using cold gel packs on her eyes to help reduce the swelling. She was resting quietly, each visit.

I hold her hand and talk with her, rubbing her legs and arms, to stimulate them, and to let her know I’m at her bedside. I talk with her about walks on the beach, listening to the waves as they break, finding that special shell, her grandson, daughter and son-in-law, and the flowers blooming in her flower garden, and how the hummingbirds are using the feeders. I tell her about all of you loving her. And each morning, each visit, I tell her how wonderful she looks today.

As I was shopping, on my way home, I was pushing the basket, and it hit me, how she enjoyed pushing the basket because she could use it to assist with walking and holding her purse. I stopped in my tracks as tears came to my eyes, she wasn’t with me pushing the basket. Reminding myself that she is in God’s hands, I remember that He is healing her as each day passes.

This is truly a life changing event, and I couldn’t even imagine going through this without the many prayers and encouragement from all of you. Thank you, again, for the love and kindness I am feeling at this moment.

Oh, and the note she wrote to me was correct. To let her mom know about her surgery and condition. I’m amazed, and at awe how just sitting here staring at the note, how it popped out at me. Praise be to God for showing me the words in her note. To put it mildly, it was a jaw-dropping experience, and she squeezed my hand to confirm what she wrote, when I asked her, as they had her awake for tests, and not only that, she remembered writing it, but was soon back to sleep for her rest and healing. I had to leave the room after that and go sit in the Chapel to ponder on it. Still, it blows me away, and strengthens my faith in God.

You all know that I don’t talk about my personal beliefs at work, not much, but maybe on a one to one basis, at times. This has become an open journal of my journey, and I hope you all don’t mind. This is very helpful for me, to be able to reflect on the day and share it with all of you.

You are all angels to Trudi and I. My family has be so very supportive, too. I couldn’t do this with out them, either. My corner stone is Christ, with family and friends building on that. My parents and brothers have been so loving and helpful, talking with me, encouraging me, strengthening me, and praying for us. I stop and think, what a lucky guy I am, having such a wonderful woman to share life with, and a family who is awesome and loving, and all of you, my friends, my angels. Trudi and I are truly blessed.

I’ll send another update tomorrow evening with more good news.

May God Bless You All.

Bob Holcombe

Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:16:21 AM

Subject: Hey

I remembered something from the morning of her stroke. When we got there the
doctors said they weren’t able to give her the “clot busting” drugs. I think
these are the miracle drugs that can save you from severs damage. But
anyway, they couldn’t because she would have bled to death at the site of
her surgery , which was all clotted and healing.

Oh well, another day and maybe she can talk to us.

Love you,
libby

Sent: Tue, 20 May 2008 09:15:04 -0500

From: Bob Holcombe
Subject: yesterday’s update

Liz, below is my update that I just sent to all my co-workers and you can copy it to send if you want.

I’m almost overwhelmed with emotion trying to imagine all the people praying for Trudi. I am feeling pretty good, considering the circumstances, and know it is the healing energy we are receiving from everyone. I’m still in one piece, and will continue to take care of myself, knowing that I have to be available for Trudi, and to be able to give her my utmost attention.

My last visit with Trudi was my best visit of the day, 6 - 6:30pm, today. She was awake and feeling frisky. She was responding to me with nods and squeezing my hand for yes and no, and wanted to talk so bad, but couldn’t, with all the tubes in her throat. I had to help hold her eyes open so she could see me. I was holding her left eye open and asked her if she could see me, and she nodded, yes. She is very swollen from the surgery on her head, and her eyes are almost swollen shut, but that’s normal with this procedure. I am checking her left side, from eyesight, to touch and movement, and anything else I can do to stimulate nerves to make new connections, if possible. As soon I am able, I’m taking a Scrabble game to her, she loves Scrabble and is good at it. I want to stimulate her mind as soon as possible, too.

During this same visit, her cardiologist came in, she heard and saw him, recognized his voice and starting kicking him in the stomach, indicating he was getting fat. I was almost overwhelmed with joy. That is something Trudi would do. And most awesome was that she was trying to write with her fingers on the palm of my hand. I asked her if she wanted to try writing me a note. She nodded yes, so I asked the nurse to get pen and paper. I put the pen in her hand, but she had a difficult time holding it, but did. She wrote something, and I would love to know what is was, but it ended up being scribble that I could read at all. I’m looking at it to see if I can recognize any letters or words, so tomorrow, I’m going to ask her to print my name, and that’s an easy one, BOB.

The neurosurgeon said that if she continues as she is, she will go back to the cardiac-vascular ICU in a couple of days. Then they will work toward removing the breathing tube, and she will then be able to speak. Once she can speak, we will know more about her impairments from the stroke. Her cardiologist said that her face may droop a little bit because the exterior carotid artery wasn’t as badly effected as the internal artery. The external artery feeds the face and the internal artery feeds the brain, and that the one that was plugged 100%, resulting in massive brain damage.

Considering all of that, she knows me, has a sense of humor, and can communicate with hand squeezes, thumbs up, and a peace signs, along with hand gestures and nodding her head yes or no. This afternoon was a big event for her and I, and pray she continues to improve. With all of the healing energy coming our way through all of your prayers, and God holding Trudi in His healing hands, she is already being healed and I’m thanking all of you and our Lord for the healing that is taking place.

Witness the power of prayer and know that it’s what life is about, reaching out to others with love and compassion. Please continue to pray for us and know how grateful we are to have such a wonderfully loving group of souls holding us up at this most disturbing time. I thank God for each of you. I will send the days update tomorrow evening, unless there is a reason to update earlier.

This is another way for me to counter those many overwhelming moments I’ve had the last several days, communicating. The many phone calls of support and love are helping me cope, also. And the hugs from loved ones is releasing the stress within me. Without expressing these feelings and allowing myself to feel them, I would overload and shut down, and that’s no good for anyone. My gratitude is deep, and goes out to all of you.

May God Bless You All

Bob

Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 3:32:19 PM

Subject: Thumbs up

Hi there

Just wanted to share the news that Trudi gave Bob a thumbs up today during
his visit. I am back home now with my son for a while, so I will share the
updates I get from Bob.

He talked with her for 20 minutes and she answered all of his questions and
even patted his hand in consolation when he got upset. He felt like it was a
step forward.

The doctor said he’d like to get the breathing tube out in 2 days and get
her back down to the Vascular and Cardiac ICU.

Much love,
Elizabeth

Monday, May 19, 2008 2:36:29 AM:

Subject: Trudi update

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday afternoon was really hard. We found out that they had to stop a
medication that was helping keep the brain swelling at bay because it was
causing her to have too much sodium. They did a CT scan and found that her
brain was dangerously swollen and immediately went into surgery to remove
part of her skull in order to relieve the pressure.

She made it through the surgery and gave Bob a squeeze with her hand just 3
hours after she left the operating room.

She is under minute to minute care for at least the next 24 hours.

I love her so much, I just want her to get better,

Much love,
Liz

Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 3:30 PM

From: Linda Jones
Subject: talked to Libby

Trudi’s stroke came from her carotid artery. It was about 50% blocked. They discussed repairing it this morning but decided that would flood her brain with more blood and do more damage. They are going to keep her heavily sedated and medicated against pain to be still and quiet and let some healing take place. She has had a couple of CT scans and it looks like she can achieve a good recovery if all goes well, especially in speech.

I’ve talked before about wishes and the ATFE. Indirectly, these were prompted by Tannerite users and the claims of the inventor and manufacturer, Dan Tanner. I’ll be more direct this time; quoted from a long thread full of wishful thinking:

Part of the problem with Tannerite is Dan Tanner. He misleads people as to the legality of his product. I just looked at his website; he continues to make specious claims about the CSPC being the regulatory body that matters. His products, once assembled, are not primarily regulated by the CSPC; his products are regulated by the ATFE. That they are binary when he ships them is how he washes his hands of responsibility for his product.
The reality is that, in many states, mixing Tannerite is regulated as the manufacturing explosives. You can make all of the federalist arguments you want; I agree, the state has no business regulating this activity. I agree that the commerce clause is speciously applied in all sorts of situations (like this) where it shouldn’t.

The fact is, in many states, mixing Tannerite is illegal without a license. Washington and Texas are two of the states where this is the case. (in Texas, it’s a county-by-county basis, but statewide it is considered illegal without a license).

I, personally, consider this type of nanny-state activity complete bullshit. Because I wish to stay out of prison, I manufacture and assemble these devices (for the Boomershoot) under the auspices of a licensed manufacturer in accordance with the regulations in the Orange Book (and the other publications the ATFE puts out).

The area where Dan Tanner is correct is in saying there is no federal regulation (for the most part). If you wish to mix Tannerite and drive it across the road, unless that road is private, you’re breaking the law unless you have 2 CDLs with HAZMAT endorsements, a portable magazine, current inspection, and placards. If you mix Tannerite and store it for over 24 hours mixed, you’ve violated another set of regulations. At the state level, things are much worse. Merely possessing mixed Tannerite in Washington is illegal. Dan can make all of the arguments he wants, but he won’t be paying your attorney’s fees when you’re up for federal time.

Think of Tannerite as that $300 DIAS in Shotgun News. The likelihood that you can legally do anything with it is pretty slim.

Above all, don’t believe me. Read the laws for your own state. Read the Orange Book. Please don’t trust Dan Tanner to tell you how to legally manufacture explosives. Please don’t trust Ry Jones, either. The laws are simple enough. Read them, understand them, and make informed decisions about risks.

Some anti-fun maroon stuck together a video to demonize recreational explosives. Joe’s daughter, Kim, appears in the last quarter of the segment. Too bad the anti-fun maroon is a TV station in Atlanta;

Mr Bachman,

In your recent report on explosives availability, you include a segment at 3:35 of Kim Huffman; her father, Joe Huffman, is a licensed manufacturer and dealer in high explosives. Your inclusion of the clip implies that Kim is shooting Tannerite; however, the video is of Kim shooting Boomerite, which had been manufactured by Joe in accordance with his license.

Once a year, the Boomershoot manufactures over 1000 pounds of high explosives for recreational use. We’ve been featured in Newsweek, Outside Magazine, and many local media. You’re welcome to stop by next year; this year, we detonated a toilet for Dave Barry.

As to the general tone of your production, I disagree; unsafe use of explosives is a self-limiting problem, no laws beyond those Darwin outlined are required.

Ry Jones

Assistant Director, Boomershoot

Offer to put logos on the roof (or in the lawn) of your customers. Align them east-west such that aerial photos will pick them up. What says FedEx, this:

Or this:

Quickly, where is the UPS depot here?

(here’s the answer, on the same scale).

As someone that uses mobile maps (from Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft), this would make them about a million times more useful. That said, I have no interest in getting into the roofing business (or landscaping), so someone else can take this ball and run with it. Just throw me some scraps when you’re at the table, OK?

ADCO is highly regarded in the industry for the work they do on firearms, especially for suppressors; they posted an example of the work sent to them to fix. As they said, this picture isn’t blurry; the threads are:

Remember these pictures when you send your rifle off to someone to be threaded. I’ve used ADCO and Gem-Tech; I suggest you do, as well.

1451:

Subject: just got a text
brain swelling
surgery pending today

1622:

Subject: talked to Elizabeth just now
Trudi is in surgery at this monent having the craniectomy????? otomy??? and it will take two hours. Th

e meds they were giving her to prevent the swelling started to raise her sodium levels too high so they had to quit giving them and the pressure built dangerously. Elizabeth is at the airport and will be flying home and will be inthe air when the surgery is complete. all prayers and thoughts for outcome.

1857:

Subject: trudi
has made it through the craniectomy with minimal bleeding, now the brain can swell out of her head rather than trapped in the skull. Her husband, Bob, said that since she made it through the surgery, there is hope/ She will be in neuro ICU for a few days then back to cardiac ICU

Liz sends a note:

Hello friends!

your efforts have been paying off and Trudi made it through last night without any additional swelling!!! this was just the hump we needed to get over. so thank you again, it worked!!!!

she has shown some major improvement today and will continue. at this point she is still on the ventilator but should be off within a day or two and breathe on her own. our next challenge may be with her lungs, but let’s cross that bridge when we get there.

she has been awake, she has responded to neurological exams very well and she has communicated with Bob through hand gestures. she is paralyzed on her left side. but you know what, that’s better than the alternative. we are so happy that she is still here.

thank you for being so great and thinking of her,
liz

One day at a time.

Quotes from Food stamp recipients scramble for food:

Diane Doherty, executive director of the Illinois Hunger Coalition, said she’s seeing people more frantic for food than ever.

“The level of desperation is just frightening,” she said. “People are calling, saying they have no idea what they are going to do.”

Here’s an idea. Joe covered this recently, as well. For deer, you can have a depredation hunt.

Bruce Ramsey, member of the editorial staff of the Seattle Times, reminds you that Hitler’s demands were reasonable. (ht LGF)

Democrats are rebuking President Bush for saying in his speech to the Knesset, here, that to “negotiate with terrorists and radicals” is “appeasement.” The Democrats took it as a slap at Barack Obama. What bothers me is the continual reference to Hitler and his National Socialists, particularly the British and French accommodation at the Munich Conference of 1938.

What Hitler was demanding was not unreasonable. He wanted the German-speaking areas of Europe under German authority. He had just annexed Austria, which was German-speaking, without bloodshed. There were two more small pieces of Germanic territory: the free city of Danzig and the Sudetenland, a border area of what is now the Czech Republic.

My sisters Rayne and Leah have posted about Trudi’s ongoing trouble in Houston. My cousin Liz sends a note:

Hey there,

todays news, they have taken Trudi off of her pain medication so that she will soon wake up. and soon after that (within 24 hours) they will remove her ventilator tube. she has a fever still, since we have been here it has dropped from 102.5 to 101.6 in the last hour, but she is also on a 45 degree cooling blanket. the fever is a possible sign of an infection in her blood. we should get results back today of that test.

she is very swollen, if you want to see a picture I’ll send it to you, but she really does look awful. but her color is great!

I have a really weak stomach, so taking pictures somehow helps me to deal.

oh, and she may have moved her left shoulder, so thats good.

you can see from the address line who I have sent this to, so please forward it on to those you know are interested.

I love you
liz