My Health Anniversary

Today is February 1st, 2025. I got released from my hospital stay in Barcelona sometime in August 2022. I still have a long way to go to get back to normal life. However, I have made huge progress in the last 30 months.

I am nowhere near where I want to be but my day to day isn't bad. Things could be much worse. I hope to stay out of the hospital for good. No one knows how long that I will be problem free. However, instead of worrying about what I can't change, I will work on changing what I can.

I am blessed beyond measure. I am forever grateful for my family, friends and everyone who has supported me. I love you all and thank you for everything.

Til next time, Tyler 

Health and Fitness

I have never been a self starter who is motivated to exercise. In fact, if I am being honest with you, my default state is laziness and I don't like to exercise.

However, since I have been sick, I have made it my job. The experts say that the average person needs 2.5, hours of physical activity weekly. It can be anything you want as long as you get your heart rate up.

Physical exercise has been proven to help with depression and anxiety issues. Along with helping to slow down mental diseases and things like heart disease and diabetes. 2.5 hours a week really isn't that much.

Since I have made exercise my job and recovering from this traumatic brain injury is my goal, I exercise 12 hours weekly. However, my case is not normal and I don't expect everyone to be able to do that. Even when I finally fully recover, I am going to continue with my DDP Yoga program. 

It is low intensity and impact. It helps me to get my heart rate up. It is something which I can easily continue to do well into my 70s and beyond.

Even if I stop all of my other exercises, just doing the DDP Yoga Monday to Friday for an hour a day will be five hours a week. That is double the recommendations for physical activity. 

I am not doing this because I want to live forever. I am doing this because I want to get better for my family. I want to return to being a normal father and husband. I don't want to be dependent on Jenny or Eliana. 

Additionally, I have started reading an excellent book given to me by my Uncle Richard (mom's younger brother). The book is titled The Glucose Revolution. It is all about lowering and stabilizing your blood glucose levels in order to improve your overall health. 

In the book, she (the author) does not give you a super restrictive diet or ask you to count calories or do anything crazy. I am not finished with the book yet, but so far she is only asking me to make small changes to my diet to control the amount of artificial and natural sugars that I ingest. 

Many people assume that if a food is fat free then it must be healthy. However, from reading the book, I have learned that many fat free foods are filled with artificial sugar. So, you are trading one problem for another. 

I have experimented with taking a photo of the nutritional information label on my food and then uploading that photo to Google Gemini, the AI intelligence from Google. I then ask it to tell me in plain English, what is in my chosen food and whether it is healthy or not. 

I am not counting calories or doing anything crazy restrictive. However, using this method, I am able to make more informed choices about what I put into my body. 

None of this has been easy. However, I want to stick around with Jenny and Eliana for as long as I can. Now that I have turned 40, my waistline has been expanding. I need to work hard to take better care of myself. I have the exercise part done. I have finally found my motivation to keep moving forward. Now I just need to work on improving my diet. 

Til next time, Tyler 

My life in written form

Most people don't bother writing down their memoirs. Even fewer people write down every major event in their lives. However, I am not most people. I decided to write my memoirs.

I started on December 24th 2019. I wrote down everything that I could remember, organized cronologically by year. For the years in which I was too young to remember, I was lucky enough to be able to ask my parents.

I made it until 2020 and then I was too sick to continue writing. However, in 2024 I decided to restart it. I brought it up to the current date and I added in stories from each country that I have lived and worked in or traveled to.

I am so grateful to myself for doing this while I can still remember things. It is so nice to put my life down on paper. I have done it in electronic format so it will hopefully be saved forever. It can be printed out by those who are interested in that. 

I have done this for myself. However, more than for me, I have done this for Eliana. I want her to learn about my life and people that she has never had the chance to meet, such as my maternal grandparents. I plan on giving her a printed copy when/if she gets married. 

As of January 29th, 2025, my memoirs are 435 pages and 80,831 words and counting. I have been truly blessed and lucky to have had such a rich and interesting life. I wouldn't change anything even if I could. I am so glad that I started this before I got really sick. I am also glad that I restarted it. I plan on continuing to update it for as long as I am able to do so. Hopefully, I will continue to have things worth writing about. It is my hope that one day Eliana will appreciate the effort that I have put into this.

These memoirs are totally separate from my daily blog. I was inspired to do this after reading my grandfather's memoirs. He waited until he was 75 years old to write his. I am sure that he had forgotten a lot of things. 

I also inspired my mom to write hers. I am glad that she did. My memoirs are much longer than either my grandfather's or my mother's. I am under no illusions that anyone other than the people who are the most dedicated to learning about my life will read my memoirs from cover to cover. However, this is more for me personally and Eliana than it is for other people. Now that I struggle with speaking, I prefer the written word. 

Til next time, Tyler 

An honest look at my future

I have been avoiding this for a while now but I can't avoid it any longer. I am not mentally retarted thank God. However, I do have unique challenges.

I am more dependent on Jenny than I would like to be. I have issues with my speech, my mobility and my brain has been through 12 brain surgeries so it has endured a lot of trauma. This means that everything comes slower for me than most people. I might make some decisions that most people wouldn't and nothing is easy or automatic for me anymore.

I tried for 4 years to find a home based job where I could do the job without talking to anyone due to my speech issues and home based because it is hard for me to get up and go. 

I still rely on my wheelchair or walker to get around. I have faced the reality that I may never again walk or talk normally. I could use my condition as an excuse to give up. To say this is the best that I will be and accept my life as is. 

I don't think that anyone would blame me. However, I am choosing not to give up. I have to keep progressing for my family. I have a long way to go to return to normal. However, in two years, I have come a long way. 

My life is not ideal. I have no job, I have speech issues and mobility issues. I also have to deal with recovering from a traumatic brain injury. 

As bad as things are, I am still a husband and a father. I have two people who love, support and depend on me. So, I am not doing this for me but for them. 

I will continue going to my physical therapy four days a week, doing my DDP Yoga exercise program, doing my extra walking and I am working on a Microsoft Office course to learn how to properly use Microsoft Office. 

Additionally, I have started recording an audio version of my written memoirs. I have also decided to start offering speaking lessons again online. I am doing it almost for free. It is more for my practice and experience than anything else. After four years of looking for something else, I am going back to the only thing that I have done in my adult life that I have ever been any good at.

My challenges and current health condition is not ideal. However, I am extremely lucky not to have a degenerative condition and as long as these shunts continue to hold out, then I should continue to progress. Hopefully, one day being able to get back to normal life sooner rather than later.

I am tired of depending so much on Jenny. I am too young to retire. I am also not rich enough not to work. Ideally, I want to start contributing financially again to my family. 

My situation is not great. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. However, I am not bedridden or completely incapable of taking care of myself. Things are not as easy and automatic as they used to be. However, my quality of life is better than some others. Things could be much worse. I am grateful for every day that I am given. 

Til next time, Tyler 

Big News

I have some exciting news to share with all of you. Eliana is not getting a sibling, but Jenny and I just purchased and received our first brand new car.

We got a 2024 Peugeot 5008. It is a fully electric French made SUV. It can seat seven people. It has all of the modern bells and whistles like cameras, sensors, adaptive cruise control, Android Auto, Parking and lane change assistance. You can pair your phone with the car and use your phone hands free. 

It even has heated front seats and a huge trunk plus climate control in both the front and the back. It even has wireless phone charging and pull down shades on the windows. You can open the trunk just by waving your hand near it. It has a keyless push button start. There are huge touch screen displays.

I am sure that there are more features that I have not discovered yet. They will be installing our electric battery charging station in our underground parking garage soon. 

I can no longer drive because of all of my medical conditions. However, I am happy to be a passenger in such luxury. I don't miss driving at all. The only downside that I can see so far is that it is extremely hard to get our new car out of our tiny parking garage.

This is my first new car since 2009 and my first new car in Spain. The car buying experience in Spain is so much better than back in the US. Over here there is no stress or pressure to buy anything because the salespeople don't work on commission. They don't care if you buy the car or not. 

We received more or less a 60% discount off the sticker price. We bought a model 2024, right before 2025. We received a further discount for it being a display model. In addition, we received a discount for it being all electric and finally we received a further discount because of my disability status. 

Spain has decided that they will no longer sell gasoline powered cars after 2030. However, if you own a gasoline powered car by that year, you will be able to keep it. We are just getting on the all electric bandwagon five years early. 

That is it til next time, Tyler 

Trump's punishment (or lack thereof)

It is high time that I give you dear readers my opinion on the recent court decision involving Trump. It is your right to agree with me or to disagree with me, just as it is my right to post my opinion. I figured it was more appropriate to post it here rather than on my personal Facebook page. 

President elect Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Due to the recent outrageous (in my opinion) Supreme Court decision giving him and every following president near total immunity for basically any crime that they want to commit. Those are the facts. 

However, even though he is a convicted felon, he got off with zero prison time, fines or community service. This was a huge miscarriage of justice in my opinion. It is my personal opinion but I firmly believe that there should be no lifetime appointments for anyone who is in the government. There is zero chance that there will be any changes in my lifetime but I believe one key way to fight corruption and the brokenness and inequality of our current system is to limit everyone to ten years maximum. 

Had he been me or any other regular Joe, he would have had the book thrown at him. However, because he is rich and powerful and the president elect he gets off scot free. This makes me sad for the what this says about our justice system and how it works for the rich and powerful versus the weak and vulnerable. I am also sad for the message that it sends to future people who run for president. It allows them to effectively get away with any crime that they want. Hopefully, this will not be the law of the land forever. 

Til next time, Tyler 

My 40th Birthday

I turned 40 years old today. This is the first time I actually feel kind of old.  At 40 years old I can no longer consider myself a young man. I have now moved into middle age.

The crazy thing, is that I am now as old as my parents were when Lucas was born. Maybe it is because of my mobility issues but I certainly feel my age now that I am over the hill.

I hate getting older not because it bothers me personally to get older, but because my parents are getting older right along with me and I know that they won't be around forever. It just gives me more incentive to take advantage of every day that I have with them. 

Eliana is now 4 years old and growing like a weed. She is learning new things every day and getting more and more of her own personality with her own likes and dislikes. My daughter is becoming a great person and I am very proud of her. I only hope that she leaves this world (long after me) better than she found it it. She is my legacy that I hope will long outlive me. 

I have no idea how much longer that I have left on this earth. Hopefully, a long time, but even if I die tomorrow, I will be happy with my life despite my health struggles. I am truly a lucky guy and I have amazingly supportive family and friends. I wouldn't change anything even if I could. 

I am truly getting old. It is not only the gray hair coming in on my head and beard. Or the fact that I have outlived everyone in the twenty seven club by thirteen years and counting. It isn't the fact that I will be as old as my parents were when Lucas was born. It is the fact that my first students in Thailand are now twenty years old! I hope to have many more happy years left but I will continue to get older. 

I love each and every one of you. I couldn't do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I look forward to continuing my recovery in 2025. 

Til next time, Tyler 

Pity Party

I just noticed something today and I wanted to share it with all of you. I recently have had the feeling that the average person looks at me in my current condition and feels pity for me.

This is frustrating because I don't pity myself. There was a period of time where I was having a pity party for myself. I was very depressed and I was wondering why all of this had to happen to me. 

However, I no longer pity myself. I can't do everything I once could, and I still need help and accommodation with certain things. Despite that fact, I can now do the majority of the daily tasks independently. 

A lady came to deliver a package which I had to sign for. She looked at me (I answered the door in my wheelchair) and she told me that it didn't matter if my signature was messy. I do struggle now with my handwriting. She was only trying to be nice so I am not angry at her. 

What bothers me is that was the first thing that came to her mind. I hope this changes in the future.

Another thing that happened recently was we got our groceries delivered as usual. When I answered the door in my wheelchair the guy offered to bring all of the groceries to our kitchen counter. He was only trying to be nice. I cannot be angry at him. But would he have done the same thing for an able bodied person?

This was really all that I wanted to say. My life and current condition are not ideal. However, any life is better than none at all. I am hopeful that one day, sooner or later I will be able to return to normal life. 

Til next time, Tyler 

Be thankful for the small things

Today I was taking a shower and as I was putting shampoo in my hair, I started to think back to when I was using baby shampoo because the regular shampoo burned my eyes due to my eyes not closing correctly.

I also had to sleep with patches over my eyes for about two years.

I am so thankful that I can now use regular shampoo without it burning my eyes. I no longer have to wear eye patches to sleep. 

Having the ability to close your eyes properly is such a small thing but important. Like most of you, I took things like walking and talking normally for granted. Now I treat them like the miracle that they are.

Having these medical conditions has made me not take anything for granted. Progress is slow and small but it's progress nonetheless. I am in it for the long haul and I am extremely lucky to not have a degenerative condition that will get progressively worse. It will only get better with time and effort. 

Today, I was at neurobidea. That is my facility that I go to for physical therapy. I was talking to Lide my physical therapist, and I mentioned to her how I would love to walk again with a regular 4 wheeled walker and then progress to using a cane and then ideally nothing. 

I asked Lide how long she thought that it would be until I reached those goals. She told me that every person is different. She cannot give me a time line due to that fact. I could walk again normally or use a walker for the rest of my life. 

However, I can now walk for an hour with my walker and I can stand up unassisted for 4 minutes. Prior to a few months ago, I could only stand up unassisted for ten seconds.

Even if I can never walk again without a walker or a walking stick, I will still be grateful to be alive and able to enjoy my life even if things are harder than before. At least I am not paralyzed, bedridden or in a coma. 

Any progress is good progress. I will take what I can get. I only hope that I will be able to return to normal sooner or later. I am also very grateful for my super supportive family and friends. I couldn't do this without them. 

That's it for now, Tyler 

Eliana's 4th Birthday

Yesterday was Eliana's 4th birthday. While I didn't mark her actual birthday with a blog post, I figured that I would do it now.

I have said this many times before, but it bears repeating. My daughter is kind, loving, helpful and empathetic among many other good qualities. 

She is mature beyond her years, mostly due to my health issues. However, it is my goal to allow her to be a kid and allow her to retire from helping me so much. 

I love her to the moon and back and having her was the best decision I've ever made even if she does drive me crazy sometimes!

I hope both of us have many more happy years left together. She is growing up before my eyes. I know that I am going to blink and she will be a teenager. I am going to enjoy her younger years while they last. 

She is lucky to still have one great grandmother, her grand parents on both sides and all of her aunts and uncles on both sides. 

She will be my legacy and hopefully she will outlive me by many years. However, through her, a piece of me will live on forever. 

Eliana Valentina Horton Mojica I love you. 

Love, Dad

Thanksgiving

Since we just celebrated Thanksgiving back home, I wanted to write a short blog about what I am thankful for. I am for my family and friends and each and every one of you reading this. 

I am many things, both good and bad. However, lonely is not one of them. I am truly grateful for all of your support. I am one of the luckiest men alive despite my health challenges.

I am thankful for my beautiful, supportive wife and daughter. I couldn't do this without them. I am also thankful for my super supportive parents and brothers. 

I am thankful for my super supportive in laws and my super supportive brother in law and two sisters in laws. This would be much more difficult without them.

I have an amazing group of friends whom I can't forget to mention. 

I am truly one of the luckiest men alive. I have been blessed beyond measure. I wouldn't change anything even if I could.

Til next time, Tyler 

Something that I need to get off my chest

This is slightly morbid and I probably think about this more than most people do.

Given my health issues though I think it is understandable. I often wonder when and how I will eventually die. 

Of course, I can never be certain of how or when I will die. This is why I am so grateful for every day of my life. 

On the one hand, I am looking forward to my death and hopefully being able to be reunited with my family and friends who passed away before me. 

I don't want to live forever, but neither do I want to die tomorrow. 89 feels like a good age to go out. However, I will stay alive as long as I can be mentally and physically OK.

Unlike most people my age, I have prepared extensively for my eventual death. I am an organ donor, I have a DNR, I have made my living Will, my funeral and burial arrangements, medical power of attorney and I have prewritten my obituary. 

I will only accept euthanasia if I get diagnosed with a brain disorder where I would lose my memory and independence. 

I do not want to be a burden on my family and slowly waste away. Any other disease though and I would fight it until the end. I don't want Jenny to have to stress about anything. That is why I have prepared all of this in advance. 

I hope that both Jenny and Eliana outlive me but I am not ready to kick the bucket tomorrow. 

I don't know how or when I will die but I hope it will be quick and painless. I had an ex roommate of mine die suddenly at only 49 years old. He died alone in his apartment in Africa. Far away from his family in Canada.

He had no wife or kids and his parents outlived him. I am very lucky not to have that be my fate. Eliana will be my legacy and God willing, I will live to see my grandkids and potentially my great grandchildren. 

I hope that I don't die tomorrow, but if I do then I will be happy with the life I have lead. I couldn't ask for much more. The good and the bad have shaped me into who I am today. 

Even if I could change something about my life I wouldn't change a thing. Everything has happened for a reason. 

I just want to remind everyone reading this to be sure and take advantage of every day that you are given because none of us knows how long that we have left. 

Til next time, Tyler 

A new future goal : To run again

The doctors recommend that you get 2.5 hours a week of exercise (enough to get your heart rate up)

Currently, I am getting 12 hours a week of exercise. Considering that I am not working, I treat my exercise like a job. Trying my best to recover.

I am trying to get better not only for myself but for Jenny and Eliana. 

They both deserve a normal life and I don't want to hold them back from that any longer than necessary.

I have made the decision to start running for exercise in the future if I am physically able to. 

I have never enjoyed running, but if I regain the ability to do it then I don't want to waste it. 

I need to stick around for as long as possible and being healthy is a good way to do that. 

So, this means that I am getting 9.5 hours more than the recommendations suggest. 

I say  all of this not to brag or make myself look superior, but just to inform you.

A quick health update

It has been a a while since I have given you an update on my health.

I recently had blood work done. I have to redo my blood work as I had a 24 hour stomach bug during the analysis. So my stomach and intestines were enflamed.

However, my doctor did not see anything alarming. I also recently visited the nutritionist. My weight is holding steady at 74 kg /165 pounds. 

My blood pressure is normal. They measured my grip strength and five months ago, I got 21 kg/46 lbs and just yesterday I got 31kg/68 lbs of grip strength.

I am down to two packages of liquid thickener (per one liter of liquid) down from five packages per one liter of liquid. 

So, overall I am making progress slowly but surely. This is a long, slow process and my daily progress is slow and small but the important thing is that I am moving forward. 

I am still doing my daily exercise program at home. I am still going to my rehab center 4 days a week working on on my balance. I have also started walking an hour extra three days a week. 

I stay busy creating content for my English teaching YouTube channel. I use an artificial voice from Google to speak for me and I use chat gpt to make my scripts. All I have to do is to pick a general topic that I want to teach. 

I am not teaching English in the traditional sense. However, I enjoy it and it makes me feel productive and I am able to do the only thing that I have ever been any good at, albeit in a new and distinct way. 

I am also practicing my speech at home. Additionally, I have a podcast that I do with friends in order to practice my speech and allow me to catch up with friends. 

I can kill two birds with one stone. I record the audio and then I upload it to YouTube. Let me know if you are interested in being a guest on my podcast. 

Currently (and hopefully forever) all of my health problems are minor annoyances like dry, sensitive skin. I am very lucky to be alive and functioning much better than before. 

I am hopeful that I will fully recover sooner or later. Jenny and Eliana deserve a break. My daily grind is pretty boring, as I am looking for work but not currently working. 

A home based job due to my mobility issues and a job where I don't have to talk on the phone due to my speech issues. So far, it has not been easy to find a job which fits my specifications.

I had uncontrollable trembling in hands prior to 2024. I also had severe pain in my neck where the doctors implanted a shunt. Additionally, I had severe vomiting and weight loss. 

I also had a constant swaying feeling whenever I stood up. Thank God all of those issues are now gone. My hands only shake uncontrollably when I get very tired. 

Other than not finding any work I really can't complain much. I am focused on my physical training and trying to get back to normal while I continue looking for work.

I still need some help with my daily stuff but I am doing much better than before. I can shower alone (sitting down) and I can dress and feed myself. All of the basics I can do on my own. 

I am looking forward to the day when I am totally independent again. I am a lucky guy who is deeply grateful to my family and friends. Not everyone has the amazing support system that I do. 

Now you are updated. Til next time, Tyler 

Living with uncertainty

No doctor can guarantee that the shunts implanted on my brain will not need to be replaced.

They could last the rest of my life or fail tomorrow. Since I have two of them there is double the chance of failure.

I read online directly from the manufacturer of my shunts that the average time between shunt replacements is 37 months. It has already been 24 months for me.

I can't stand the thought of having to start my recovery over from square one. However, my first shunt lasted 35 years so I hope I will get a long time out of these.

Since this is nothing that I can control I try not to stress about it because no amount of stress will change the underlying facts. I can only hope that they will last the rest of my life and I will not have to start my recovery over from scratch. 

Something that I want to remember

I am putting this here for posterity sake. Just so I don't forget it. 

I found out this morning that my ex roommate from Canada passed away. He was only 49. I certainly hope that Eliana outlives me. No parent should outlive their kids. 

I feel bad that he died alone. Far away from family and friends. He moved to Africa after leaving Colombia. His family is located in Canada. 

He died without a wife or child unfortunately. Sadly, he will not have a long lasting legacy. I am a lucky guy who gets to hopefully avoid that fate. 

None of us know how long we have on this earth. So be sure to hold on to your loved ones tightly and take advantage of every day that you are given.

Til next time, Tyler 

My Mental Health

I have said this before, but I would repeat this a million times over if I knew it would help someone.

Two years ago, I went through a very dark and depressing period in my life.

I was really struggling health wise and doing much worse than I am now.

I was completely numb emotionally. Nothing made me happy, sad, angry, frustrated or annoyed.

The only reason why I even opened my eyes every day was because it was an automatic reflex from my body. I was not motivated to do anything. I wasn't living for anyone or anything. 

Then they put me on an antidepressant (which I am no longer taking)

It gave me back normal human emotions and I am very thankful for modern medicine.

I do not agree with the decision to commit suicide. You are selfishly ending your own pain but starting a ton of pain for the friends and family that you leave behind.

I do not agree with someone's decision to commit suicide but after going through my own depression I do understand it. Some people just want to end the numbness. 

I was very lucky to come out the other side, I was able to return to my normal life with those people who love me and whom I love.

If any of you reading this, ever find yourself in a dark place mentally, you can feel free to reach out to me and just know that you are not alone and things will get better.

I love each and every one of you. I hope to have many more happy years left and I hope to get back to normal life sooner or later. I have a beautiful wife and daughter to live for. I have amazing friends and family. 

However, even if I don't have much time left here on earth, I truly am one of the luckiest men alive despite my health issues. I would take away all of my health issues if I could, but since I can't, I wouldn't change a thing. 

Til next time, Tyler

Something that I need to repeat

I already posted this entry so some of the information may be duplicated but some may be new. 

I combined it all into one entry. My apologies for the confusion. 

I took this from my Facebook page but I thought I would put it here for posterity.

I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I would not wish my medical conditions on my worst enemy. But as hard as things are sometimes, I truly am very lucky. I don't have a degenerative condition and if I continue to work hard it will only get better.

I need to get better not only for myself but for my wife and daughter. I am not a vegetable, I still have a lot of life ahead of me even if I can't do everything exactly as before.

I am grateful for every day that I am given and I am so thankful to my amazing family and friends. I will continue to work hard until I get back to normal.

Having both my speech and my mobility affected has not been easy. However, it could be worse and it has forced me not to take anything for granted. 

My daily progress is slow and small but when I think about where I was two years ago, I have come a long way. The daily grind doesn't bother me because anything is better than being stuck in the hospital. Just being able to live life is a miracle. 

This will be long but please bear with me. I have said this before, but  I will say it again. 

I have been through a lot during the past four years.

I have had 12 brain surgeries, bringing my total surgery count to 29.

I have been through pain that felt unbearable. I have been on a diet of totally pureed food.

I have spent over six cumulative months in the hospital and I have lost over 30 pounds of weight.

My left eye went crooked due to my increased brain pressure. 

My depth perception got destroyed. However, my overall vision was not greatly affected. 

I had constant vomiting and couldn't hold any food down. I also had a constant swaying feeling every time that I stood up. 

I had severe neck pain where they implanted a shunt. 

Luckily, now all those problems have gone away. 

I wouldn't wish my balance or speech issues on my worst enemy.

However, as bad as things seem, I am very lucky to be alive and functioning for the most part.

I easily could have died multiple times but I did not.

I am not a vegetable and I hope to have many good years ahead of me.

I am confident that I will get back to normal life sooner or later as my condition is not degenerative and will only continue to improve with time and effort.

I have an amazing family and friends who have been incredibly supportive.

I have made a lot of progress, even if it has been slow and small. I can eat any solid food that I want and I use less thickener in my liquids. 

My speech is generally understandable after you have spent some time with me. 

I have not lost my ability to speak or understand Spanish. 

My short term memory is now terrible. However, my core long term memories have been unaffected. 

I had constant vomiting and I couldn't hold down any solid food. It was a major cause of my weight loss. 

I also had a constant swaying feeling every time that I stood up. 

Additionally, I had severe neck pain where they implanted a shunt. 

Luckily, all of those problems are now gone. 

I have to keep going not only for myself, but for Jenny and Eliana.

All things considered, I truly am one of the luckiest men alive. I wish this never happened to me but it did and I have to play the hand that I was dealt.

I had amazing doctors and nurses who gave me the best possible care with the information that they had. 

When you have a surgery in the United States, they always make you count backwards from ten and you are asleep before you get to zero. 

In Spain, they don't do a count down. Once, I was having an eye surgery and they were taking a long time to get everything ready. I angrily asked the nurse when we were going to start the surgery. 

She proceeded to tell me that they had already finished everything! I immediately felt bad for losing my temper. 

I am very lucky not to have to pay off medical debt for the rest of my life. I was also very lucky to leave the hospital without getting an infection or an addiction to pain medication. 

I am grateful for every breath that I am given in this imperfect world of ours.

Til next time, Tyler 

Something that I have said before

I took this from my Facebook page but I thought I would put it here for posterity.

I have said this before, but it bears repeating. I would not wish my medical conditions on my worst enemy. But as hard as things are sometimes, I truly am very lucky. I don't have a degenerative condition and if I continue to work hard it will only get better.

I need to get better not only for myself but for my wife and daughter. I am not a vegetable, I still have a lot of life ahead of me even if I can't do everything exactly as before.

I am grateful for every day that I am given and I am so thankful to my amazing family and friends. I will continue to work hard until I get back to normal.

Having both my speech and my mobility affected has not been easy. However, it could be worse and it has forced me not to take anything for granted. 

My daily progress is slow and small but when I think about where I was two years ago, I have come a long way. The daily grind doesn't bother me because anything is better than being stuck in the hospital. Just being able to live life is a miracle. 

Til next time, Tyler 

Our Trip to Texas

Now that we are safely back home in Pamplona, I thought that I would update you on our recent trip. 

In August of 2024, my mom came to Pamplona to stay with us. Then, Jenny, Eliana and I went back to Texas with her for two weeks. 

It was Eliana's first time in the US. We had a great time visiting family and friends. Eliana had the chance to meet my grandmother, her great grandmother. It was a special time. 

We traveled to (in no particular order) Austin, San Antonio, Athens, Sulphur Springs, New Braunfels, Little Elm and to my parents' place in Saint Jo. We were here, there and everywhere but we had a great time even with my limited mobility.

In Austin we stayed with my dad's cousin Tony (whom I have always known as uncle Tony even though he is not my true uncle) and his wife Susan. We had a great time catching up with everyone. 

We stayed with my brother Jason and his wife Lou in New Braunsfels. We then took a day trip to San Antonio and we did the river walk.

We also went to Athens and stayed with my uncle Richard and his wife Janice. Eliana got to go tubing and she had fun on Lake Athens. 

In Sulphur Springs we got the chance to visit with Nana (my grandmother and Eliana's great grandmother) I was very happy that they finally got to meet each other in person. That is a special thing that not everyone gets the chance. 

We were very lucky to see all of my dad's brothers and sister and their spouses. Plus most of my cousins and their spouses and kids. 

We also had a party in Little Elm with lots of my friends and their kids. Some people I hadn't seen in twenty years. There was a bounce house and swimming pool there. Eliana had a great time. 

Finally, we spent time at my parent's new lakeside cabin in Saint Jo, Texas. Eliana had a great time swimming in the lake and seeing all the animals. She also got to drive the golf cart. 

Overall, it was great seeing family and friends and spending time in Texas. Our two weeks went way to fast. We will alternate years between Texas and Spain so the next time we will be going back home for a visit will be in two years. 

Til next time, Tyler