We went up to Ogden to Hill Air Force Base for the Airshow. It was so hot! And we didn’t bring chairs or anything like that so we stayed for a few hours but got impatient for the Thunderbirds and left before we got to see him. We were kind of bummed we didn’t stay. That show brings back fun memories from my childhood. We attended them religiously, growing up. 6-25-16
Grandpa Kirschbaum's 90th Birthday Party
John and I made the trip up to Mendon and amazingly we found the park. Jim was totally surprised. John (John’s uncle) told him he was taking him to a library fundraiser and that library was right next to the park. When he saw his whole family there to celebrate for him, he was beaming. Wish I would have taken pictures! We played volleyball with Christy, Carol, Kitty, Jenny, and others. It was so fun! Then we ate, had a little program in the library to honor Jim and the time he served in the war. There was a man there with him, who spoke; he was a prisoner of war to the Japanese. Then we had excellent cake, and the majority of people played kickball while I held Kingston and successfully got him to sleep. It was so easy, he was so tired! John loved playing kickball with them. We made it home about 11:00pm. One of my favorite moments of the evening was when Kitty talked to me and John about our miscarriage. All of Carol’s girls are so kind. The following is a letter that John wrote for his grandpa for a photo album gift:
Dear Grandpa,
"Victory!" The greatest trivial pursuit triumph in the history of the Kirschbaum dynasty pitted you and me versus two brainiacs- my dad, "Larry," and Alexis, and somehow we pulled off the impossible. Shocking them with the upset win was satisfying enough, but then you really put the Grandpa stamp on the outcome with the "Victory!" chant.
While this anecdote might seem small in scale and scope to some, for me it is everything because it gets to the very essence of who you have always been- the coolest, most fun guy around.
Of course, being the most fun guy around doesn't carry much weight without all of the other important stuff. Fortunately, as the grandchildren, and now the many great grandchildren already know, we have been lucky to have it all with you.
We have been able to spend time with the most fun guy around who also happens to be loving, supportive, thoughtful, courageous, and an example to us all.
On this, your 90th birthday, Grandpa, I want to say happy birthday and thank you for your decades of love, devotion, patience, and encouragement. You have always been there, for all of us. I'm sure it hasn't always been easy, but you've never let that stop you. And that's an incredibly selfless- "Victory!"
Love you,
Little John 6-25-16
"Victory!" The greatest trivial pursuit triumph in the history of the Kirschbaum dynasty pitted you and me versus two brainiacs- my dad, "Larry," and Alexis, and somehow we pulled off the impossible. Shocking them with the upset win was satisfying enough, but then you really put the Grandpa stamp on the outcome with the "Victory!" chant.
While this anecdote might seem small in scale and scope to some, for me it is everything because it gets to the very essence of who you have always been- the coolest, most fun guy around.
Of course, being the most fun guy around doesn't carry much weight without all of the other important stuff. Fortunately, as the grandchildren, and now the many great grandchildren already know, we have been lucky to have it all with you.
We have been able to spend time with the most fun guy around who also happens to be loving, supportive, thoughtful, courageous, and an example to us all.
On this, your 90th birthday, Grandpa, I want to say happy birthday and thank you for your decades of love, devotion, patience, and encouragement. You have always been there, for all of us. I'm sure it hasn't always been easy, but you've never let that stop you. And that's an incredibly selfless- "Victory!"
Love you,
Little John 6-25-16
MRI Results
The results were definitely not ideal. They showed cervical spondylosis (fancy term for arthritis of the neck) and two herniated discs in between T6 and T7 and between T8 and T9. I didn’t get a scan done on my lumbar spine, however; there could very well be some anomalies there, as well. Cervical spondylosis is most common in older (generally 60 years and older) individuals . It’s very rare for someone my age to experience this or even herniated discs. I’ll be seeing a spinal specialist soon. This information has been a gigantic disappointment to John and me. The nature of my job seems to exacerbate the pain, since I have to sit a lot. So we aren’t sure, as of yet, what the future holds for me, professionally. I really do love my job, so this reality is pretty frustrating for me. Spinal discs don’t regenerate. There’s no cure for arthritis, no way to reverse it. I’ll have to avoid repetitive activities that put pressure and therefore damage those discs. I have to say I’m glad I didn’t listen to the people who repeatedly attempted to convince me I was overreacting and should forgo the MRI. One of them being my NP. After a year of prescribed exercises and stretches from her, I returned to her office to let her know they weren’t relieving the pain. I mentioned the possibility of herniated discs and listed the associating symptoms, all of which I had. Despite having all of the symptoms and being a registered nurse, myself, she refused to believe that could be a possibility for me. She said I was too young, hadn’t been in a bad car accident, and that if I had a herniated disc my "only symptom" would be “tingling nerves.” Which is totally false. After about 20 minutes of attempting to get her to write me an order for an MRI, she grudgingly agreed to do so. She kept reiterating that I would most likely get "no answers" via MRI and that if it was a herniated disc, there would be "no treatment options" for me. It was a very weird appointment. I don't know if maybe she thought I was a drug seeker or something. I wasn't asking her for meds, I wanted a dang MRI! I’m so glad I listened to my instincts. I almost cancelled the MRI several times for fear I was overreacting. This, on top of our recent miscarriage has made the past year challenging. I’m so glad I have John. He’s been so good about listening to my complaints and giving me all the massages I could possibly want and need. 6-27-16
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