Do Not Cross

I guess I never got around to blogging about my first deer-hitting experience.

A few Mondays ago (March 31 to be exact), I was minding my own business — driving to work, my normal routine. My work hours are from 7 am to 3:30 pm, so it was pretty dark. I work on the Marine Corps Base in Quantico — a veritable venison buffet. I’m usually very careful when driving on base, since there are so many deer around and much of the base roads are not lit very well.

I was only about a mile away from my job when all of a sudden, there was a deer on my friggin’ hood. I was just driving along, rocking out to something on my iPod (P!nk, probably), and then WHAM — a doe went a flyin’. Obviously, I was really scared and freaked and worried. I wasn’t worried about the deer (which I’m pretty sure was dead), I was mainly worried about my car — a 2008 Honda Civic I just purchased in January.

[Sidenote: I was told by no less than THREE people that Virginia law states that I can keep the deer.]

I pulled over to the side of the road and called the police and then my insurance company (Progressive). I was able to get pictures taken by the police (which I don’t have, but I probably should request them for posterity’s sake). Luckily, my insurance company has a concierge service for when you need to make a claim. They were able to come tow my car, take it to a body shop/mechanic, and give me a rental. Since I have rental car coverage on my insurance, I didn’t have to pay for my rental.

I was called within 48 hours with an estimate for the damages. It turned out to be about $4000 worth of damage (the hood, headlights, bumper, panel, radiator, AC condenser, fan, plus a bunch of other little things). There was no damage to the frame of the car, so everything was replaceable. I only had to pay my $500 deductible. I got my car back this past Monday and you can’t even tell that it ever hit a deer.

Hopefully, this will be my last deer hitting experience.

I’m not quite sure (and too lazy to look) when the last time I posted a Crohns Disease related update, but now is as good as any other time. 

Its been over a year since the surgery I had to correct three fistulas caused by perianal abscesses (which in turn were caused by the Crohns).  I had three setons put in (basically threads to help keep the fistula open to allow for drainage as they healed) at the surgery and have since had two removed.  I still have two fistulas present while one has closed up completely.  I’ve been going to my colon and rectal surgeon almost every month wherein she examines my fistulas and treats them will silver nitrate to promote healing. 

I’m still taking daily doses of both Asacol and 6-MP (aka mercaptopurine) to manage the symptoms.  I haven’t had any major symptoms nor flare ups since last year when I was first diagnosed.  Occasionally I will have some minor temporary stomach cramps and/or some joint pain (mainly in my fingers or my knees).  But these have been relatively minor and infrequent.      

Since my fistulas haven’t been healing as quickly as my surgeon would like me to begin treatment with the drug Remicade.  I’ve been hesitant to be put on Remicade since it is administered intravenously and once you begin treatment, you must remain on the drug for the rest of your life, otherwise it will become ineffective.  From what I’ve read, Remicade has been a wonderful treatment for those with Crohns Disease and perianal disease.  I have an appointment with my GI doctor next week, and I’ll discuss this option with him and see what he suggests.   

But overall, my health has been greatly improved over this time last year.  I’ve gained back most of the weight I initially lost when I had my first flare up, and I haven’t had a flare up since that initial attack.  I give great thanks to my wife Cheri, my family, my friends, my doctors, my co-workers, my church small group and God for all the healing that I’ve received this past year.  Hopefully the healing will continue and soon I will be completely symptom free. 

I just wanted to point everyone to Cheri’s blog where she wrote a wonderful piece on our first experiences with me being treated for both my perianal abscesses and Crohn’s Disease.

He is strong. He fools most people. His co-workers and classmates do not know that the words “Crohn’s Disease” now sit under his name in medical files. They do not ask about the three pills he takes quietly at lunch, nor are they aware of the eleven others he will take throughout the day. Each month, while working a fulltime job and completing his master’s degree, he still must carve out even more time to devote to this on-going battle. This monthly routine includes, not only visiting Target for refills of his many prescriptions but also remembering to have has his blood drawn, meeting with his surgeon and waiting, sometimes hours, for his appointment with his gastroenterologist.

You can visit her site for the full post. (Link)

Fried Video Card

Originally uploaded by fallenposters

Last week, as I was getting ready to go to work, Cheri got on the our desktop computer to wake it up from its slumber. Once she did this she heard some eerie sounds and a burning smell. I came over to investigate and lurched under the desk to see what was going on. Once I was down there, I peered into the back of the computer and saw flames — not something you would normally anticipate.

Luckily, my spidey-sense jolted into action and I sprung out from underneath the desk and pulled out the computer quickly. I opened up the case and had Cheri hand me a towel to smother any flames that might shoot out. Once I opened the case the flames had disappeared and a cloud of smoke emerged from the computer. This photo is the result.

It seems the new video card that I installed recently somehow caught on fire. I have no idea why or how this happened, but I’m very glad that Cheri and I were home when it happened and that it didn’t burn down the apartment. I replaced the video card but it appears that something else must have been damaged in the blaze as it won’t boot now.

Its not a terrible loss as we don’t have anything on the hard drives that we need right this second. Plus we have a new MacBook that we purchased recently — so we won’t go starving for computer usage.