Family Emergency (update 2) Information

Location: Highway 509 RV Park (El. 275 ft); Mansfield, Louisiana

Today is day 13 since Brandon's stroke. He has attended a few Physical Therapy sessions and is showing some improvement. Physical improvement is coming slowly while it is intermixed with emotional ups and downs. Brandon is familiar with facing adversities in life. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 9 years old. That is a tough thing for a child to handle with the constant finger pricks to check blood sugar levels and a few shots of insulin every day. The diabetes never stopped him from doing everything a child and teenager wanted to do. He was a stand-out at baseball, from little league through high school. After high school graduation he worked in a few jobs then decided he wanted to work in Auto Body Painting. He went to Universal Technical Institute in Houston, Texas. During his time as a student there, he suffered a heart attack and a stent was installed. The heart attack was minor with little, if any, damage. Even with the heart attack, he graduated from UTI only a few weeks later than he had planned. About one year later, another stent had to be installed next to the first one. I still have questions if the first one was installed correctly, or if two were originally needed instead of only one. Immediately after graduation he found work in a local auto repair shop as their primary painter. His reputation grew locally as a top-notch quality painter. Off and on over the last several years he has been in and out of the hospital for a variety of issues but each and every time he comes back stronger.

Someone asked him about the stoke the other day and his response was, "It is just something else to get over". How is that for a positive attitude??? I don't know of many people that could face up to so many roadblocks and still have such an attitude. Now, don't get me wrong, he can get a bad attitude sometimes as well, but overall, the positive side wins the average. 

It is just a guess, but I figure he will be walking unassisted in a few weeks. After that, his freedom to come and go, well be given back to him. He said he is searching for the purpose of him surviving the stroke. I have a feeling it will be something to do with helping others in a similar situation, but we will see. 

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.