Office Woes

Fellow office workers.....we've all felt like this.

glumbert - Bad Day at the Office

Merry Christmas everyone!

Small but Mighty

I wish I had the determination of this turtle.

It's Still Healed!

I had to shout that out once again. I liked logging on to my blog and seeing "It's Healed!!" posted at the top.

I wish I had something fun to post, but there's nothing too new to report. I suppose I need to carry a pen and paper with me because several times I've had a thought pop into my head that would make a good blog entry, only to forget what it was when I had the opportunity to write a new entry.

Christmas has once again snuck up on me. It's time to visit with family, reflect on the past year and share some good laughs. This past year has been challenging, but through it all Janay and I have had some great laughs. Laughter helped us get through. Don't get me wrong, we've both cried many tears too, but God has put a joy in our hearts that only He is capable of. Have Fun this Christmas season and laugh with those you love.

This photo is from Christmas with Janay's family in 1994. I'm not sure anyone else laughed when this photo was developed, but I sure did.

It's Healed!!

The blog entry you've all been waiting for and the one I've been wanting to post for a long time.....my leg has finally healed! I had a visit with the doctor yesterday and he confirmed what we already knew and said he didn't want to see me for 6 months.

It has been a long 20 months, but God has been with us all along and has finally seen this to completion like we have believed He would all along. Simply saying thank you to everyone for all of the prayers and support doesn't seem like enough, but it's all I can do....Thank You!

Though we may never know exactly why God has allowed Janay and I to go through this, we trust Him have stood on Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We've been presented with opportunities to witness to others, not always with our words, but many times with our actions. We pray that we've been able to make a difference along the way.

Finally, thank you to my wife, Janay, for always encouraging me and helping me to see the end when it seemed like there was no end in sight.

The burn journey is over.......the end.

Christmas Card Photos

Since I have an entry with the outtakes I thought I should show the photo that made the final cut. Then the brilliant idea popped into my head to show all the photos from past Christmas'. That forced me to think back to when we did our first one (the only one with the cats) and then actually find a copy of it. Janay managed to find it and we think the year was 1998. We didn't take a Christmas picture again until 2004. We sent two cards that year, one with a picture we took in the summer and one with a picture we took in the fall. That was the year I discovered Photoshop, hence the heavily edited photos. You might want to put your sunglasses on to view the photos because our white teeth might blind you.

1998


2004 - Summer Photo


2004 - Fall Photo


2005


2006


2007

Christmas Card Outtakes

Our annual Christmas photo is always interesting. Not the final product, but the actual production and effort involved to get one good picture of us. It's an interesting combination of fun, tension, laughter, frustration and love. Since we don't have children, we always want to get our cats in the picture. We've been successful once out of six years trying......and that was because my mom took the picture. Enjoy the 2007 outtakes.

I'm behind the camera setting things up. Sara, the boss of the house, decides to join the fun and show her best side.

Sara decides to behave and pose with Janay.....

Ummm.....nice focus

Try again.....

.....and again.....

.....maybe that bottle of wine would have been better after the shoot....

.....definitely should have waited.....

.....falling off the stool and unintentionally flipping the bird.....next.....

.....Sprockett's ready to go back in for treats.....

.....maybe a new location will help.....note Sara still wanting to join the party.....

.....make up your own caption for this one because I don't have a clue what was happening.....

.....that's one painful looking pucker.....

.....looks like Janay is begging for treats.....

.....and finally, this one just missed the final cut.....

So there you have it.....Christmas Photo 2007 Outtakes. No people or animals were harmed and no wine was consumed. I can't wait to see what 2008 brings.

Are We There yet?

I'm not talking about arriving at our vacation destination. I'm talking about my leg being healed. It's sooo close, but it's still a little crusty so I can't say it's healed yet. I go to see the doctor at Wishard next Monday and I'm actually looking forward to going so he can see it. I think my leg has been almost as frustrating for him as it has Janay and I......almost.

Kelli Pickler

When Kelli Pickler was on American Idol I remember thinking this girl sure is "playing dumb" to fit the blonde sterotype. After watching this video, you decide if it's an act.

Thanksgiving Weekend

My long, holiday weekend has been tainted by the flu. It kicked in at 4am Saturday morning and it's now Monday evening and I'm still feeling the affects. It's been a long time since I've been visited by the flu bug and I hope it's even longer before we meet again.

My leg continues to heal and look good. I'm looking forward to that blog entry when I can shout "IT'S HEALED!" Look for that entry before 2007 ends.

Soon and Very Soon......

The healing continues. My guess is two or three more weeks and my leg will be totally healed!! Praise God! The pictures have been updated and can be seen here.

We've been dealing with this for almost nineteen months now and to see that the end is near is almost hard to believe. As difficult as things have been, throughout it all Janay and I have been reminded of two words.....but God. God is omniscient, omnipresent. He allows us to go through things for a reason. Sometimes those reasons are obvious. Other times we may never know why. During times of bad news, we chose to believe the Truth, not the facts. It's a third degree burn and we need to do surgery....but God. It's burned worse than I thought and we need more surgery....but God. It's not healing properly....but God. It's infected....but God. We need to do more surgery....but God. The tests show it's infected again....but God. We need more surgery....but God. It is healed....Praise God! Throughout it all, God was and continues to be there. Thank you Janay for reminding me when I needed it.

Generics

Generics items are a wonderful concept. Products are touted as being the same as name brand items at discount prices. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't. Tonight I was reminded of a generic item that I can't stand.....q-tips. When I need to clean my ears, I want name brand, Q-Tip brand. Thick, fluffy cotton tips attached to a firm shaft helps get the job done. A couple other "can't stand" generic items.....peanut butter and coffee. Sorry mom, there is a difference.

The Healing Continues

As the title says, my leg is healing very well. The hole on the graft site that was draining heavily has almost completely stopped. The hole is still there, but since the drainage has stopped I think we will start seeing progress there too. The other side continues to heal well. New tissue continues to fill in where needed. I've done my best not to get too excited until it completely heals, but I'm shouting for joy on the inside. I truly believe it will be completely healed by the end of the year.

I've been slacking once again on my blog. Between being back to work full time and keeping up with my photography business, I've been very busy. This is the busy time of the year for people wanting photos. If I could be this busy year round I could quit my day job. You never know....... :) I sure would miss that 80 mile a day commute.

Our Feline Friends

I love all animals, but I'm a cat fan.....I'll admit it. Sprockett and Sara have been the subject of many of my blog entries. I'm sure those of you who have cats can relate to this video. I got a good laugh out of it and hope you do too.

October Progress

October has been a good month for healing. The collage shows the healing that took place during the month. I'm glad we took pictures because it's so easy to forgot how for it has come.

For those of you with a weak stomach....sorry about your luck :)

Blacklight Drama set to Casting Crowns

This is an inspiring video set to "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns. It's a drama made with white gloves and a blacklight. It sounds simple, but obviously lots of time was put into this.

Time Management

This daily thing called "work" has got me slacking on my blog. I leave the house at 7:15 in the morning and get back home at 6:00. My mind still thinks I have all of this free time, yet my body and the clock tells me otherwise. My evenings seem to fly by. It's real easy to get out of the "work groove".....getting back into it isn't. On to more important stuff.

My leg is still doing well. One of the two areas we've been keeping an eye on is healing very well. It's been amazing to see the tissue fill in over the past couple of weeks. The hole on the graft site still exists and is still draining. I continue to believe it is going to come around in time too.

One of Janay's co-workers gave her some magnets from Nikken to try. I've heard of the various ailments cured using these magnets before and I'll admit to being a skeptic. After using the magnets for a few days I could see a difference in the amount of new, healthy granulation tissue. I'm still waiting to see the same dramatic improvement around the hole on the graft site. Is it just a coincidence that it improved once we started using the magnets? I don't know. I do know I'm not quite as skeptical as I was before.

If this doesn't make you smile......

......then your smile must be broken.

Back to Work

My first week back has been good. My co-workers had a pitch-in breakfast for me, even though I specifically asked for a quiet return. I don't like being the center of attention. I guess I've harassed them all enough that they have learned to ignore most of what I say. It's nice to be welcomed back.

Janay says.......

......if I'm well enough to go back to work tomorrow, I'm well enough to resume my laundry duties. Once she made sure I was doing it properly, she went back to her usual Sunday afternoon activity.

The Joys of Being a Man

Sometimes you just have to take a break. This little guy took one during a recent shoot.

All Good Things Must Come To An End

"Vacation time" is almost over. I return to work next Monday. No more Little House on the Prairie reruns. I saw all of them last summer during my "vacation time", but for some reason I'm drawn back to the struggles in Walnut Grover once again. My plan this week was to get up at 6 am in an attempt to get my body prepaired. My plan failed today.....slept in until 9, but as always, I prefer to focus on the positive and celebrate my successes on Monday and Tuesday. Maybe it would help if I could go to bed before midnight....but what's the fun in that?

Back to work....I'm anxious. By the end of the week I'll be wishing for Little House reruns.

What's that I see.......

.......is that the light at the end of the tunnel? I think it is!!

What a week it has been. I posted last week about reaching milestones while recovering and how I was anxious to see what this week would bring. Several have indeed been reached, but more importantly I can see the end of what I've been calling my burn journey. Today I got in my car and went for a drive. A week and a half ago I was still sleeping in a rented hospital bed in our living room wondering what my leg was going to feel like when I could use it again. Did you hear me? I said I drove today!!!

This recovery period has cut into my fall photography season. Everyone wants photos in the fall. I have a list of about 15 people wanting pictures and my phone is still ringing. I was able to schedule my first appointment last Sunday....a newborn session with 11 day-old Paige. Photographing a new life was quite fitting for my first photo session in this new chapter of my own life.

Janay had the day off from work on Wednesday. We went out to lunch and then scouted out some new shooting locations for some upcoming high school senior photo sessions. Janay makes a wonderful model and I can only hope the seniors are half as pretty as her. I posted a couple of the photos on an internet photography forum I participate at and someone commented on how lucky I am that I have a wife who will pose for me. He's right, but it's not luck, it's love. I told him how much I love her, how beautiful I think she is and that I tell her both of those things often. Janay supports me in everything I do, including my fledgling photography business, and will do whatever it takes to help me succeed. I also told him the real reason she poses might be because she hopes my photography business will someday let her quit her job :) All I know is her beauty sure makes it hard to take a bad picture. During our outing I actually had a few hours that I forgot about my leg. Another milestone reached, but this one came unintentionally.

God continues to pour His favor out on us everyday. He has provided for our every need throughout this and will continue to do so no matter where life takes us. I can't stress enough how much the support we have received from family and friends has helped us through. God has big plans for Janay and I. We are excited to see what's around the corner.

10/09 Update

I went to the doctor on Monday and the report was very good. The doc is pleased with the healing and still isn't concerned about the drainage. He wants me to progressively put weight on it this week. I haven't stood on it yet because when we got home from the doctor my foot was very swollen. Obviously my feeling in that leg and foot isn't the greatest to begin with, but when it swells it's even worse. The best way I can describe it is, if you have ever been snow skiing, my foot feels like it does when you put those big ski boots on. Not a good time to try to stand. The good news is I managed to get my compression stocking (my man pantyhose) on before I went to bed and the swelling was 100% better when I got up this morning. I'll stand up today and put some weight it. Another step in the healing process!

The hydrotherapy has been discontinued because it wasn't effective in cleaning up the wound. We are now using a cream (thanks Dave Hubbard for the suggestion!) that is a little more aggressive in getting the dead skin to loosen up and let the new skin fill in. After two treatments we already see progress. The area on the graft site is getting better as well. It's the area where it is draining from and it had formed a little pocket. Before it got any deeper, nurse Janay put her skills to use and started packing the area with a moist dressing. It's still draining, but the pocket is not as deep, filling in with new, healthy tissue.

Overall, things are looking great! Please pray that the drainage dries up and that my leg handles taking weight. Pray that the strength to my legs, and entire body returns quickly. We are continuing to stand on God's promises and believing for a complete healing. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Another Milestone

Recovery is often tracked by reaching little milestones. Several milestones have been reached in the past few days.

Saturday I got to take a shower. Aaahhhhhhhhh! And that was just Janay's reaction to finally having me clean.

Sunday I went to church. It's been four weeks since I've been able to go. Seeing all of my supportive friends was so uplifting. Seeing my sister-in-law make her singing debut was priceless!

Today, Wednesday, the home health care company picked up their hospital bed. The only one crying as it left was Sprockett. He liked the bed because he was able to lay on it and look out the back doors to the yard. I told him either he cough up $150 to pay for another month or give up treats for the next several years to cover the cost, or the bed was going back. He had no cash stashed in his long fur and laughed at giving up treats, so the bed was loaded on the van.

Three milestones in five days. I can't wait to see what happens next week!

Another Inspiring Guitar Player

The five year old was impressive.....this guy is inspiring.

I Quit.....Not Really, but.....

I've been playing guitar for a little over 10 years now and I would rate myself as very average. I took a few lessons, but for the most part I'm self taught. I have always been envious of musicians that are blessed with natural ability because I'm not. I am thankful for the ability I have because playing guitar has brought me much joy and helped me through difficult times in my life. But when I see a five year old kid playing like the one in the video below, all I can say is.....anyone want to buy my guitar?

Guitar Virtuoso

It's All About Perspective

The above photo has been my view for the last two and a half weeks. Saying that I'm tired of the view is an understatement. It has been mentally challenging. Too much time to think. Too much time to dwell on the unknown. My mind is not going there anymore.

I serve a God who knows no limits.....a God who has no boundaries. I am blessed and highly favored. He has blessed me with a wife who loves me unconditionally. He has surrounded me with family, friends and co-workers who support me. He has provided for my every need. He wants nothing but the best for me. Right now He is molding and shaping me for the blessings He has in store for my future.

This chapter is coming to an end and I can't wait to see what's next.

ps - You can click on the above photo (and any others on my blog) to enlarge it. I assumed people knew this, but Janay didn't so I'm sure there are others who didn't.

9/24 Doctor Appointment

Todays doctor visit went well. He said everything looks great. I can now start to dangle my foot starting with just a few minutes a couple of times a day and slowly increasing the amount of time each day. Hopefully after my appointment next Monday I can keep it down as long as I want. I still can't bear weight on it, but I can put enough on it to lightly pivot on it to allow me to get in and out of the car.

I pressed the doctor for answers to when we can say this is definitely going to heal it. His answer was whenever he tells me not to come back. I explained to him that I needed more than that so I can figure out when I can start working from home. He said what he is watching for is the infection I've been fighting. He said in 3 to 4 weeks he should know if the infection is gone. Keep praying the infection is gone and the healing continues!

9/19 Doctor Appointment

Janay and I made the trip to Wishard today to see the doctor. Overall the visit went well....once he finally graced us with his presence after waiting for almost 2 hours. The doctor said everything looked very good. He wasn't overly concerned about the drainage. He wants us to keep and eye on it and try a new dressing where it is draining. He basically ignored the cultures they took on Monday because once the drainage reaches the outside of the body it will test positive for staph because we all have that on our skin. He said the flap looks good, but we are not out of the woods yet. He still doesn't want me to dangle my foot until I see him again next Monday.

So I will take all of this as good news. Continue to pray against infection and for it to continue to heal well.

Sprockett reminds me everyday that he's glad I'm home :)

Update

Janay and I went to Wishard today because they wanted to see my leg since it is draining. Except for the drainage, they thought everything looked great, which is what we have been telling them. They did culture the drainage and should have the results back for my Wednesday appointment with the doctor.

Transportation is a challenge with the limitations they have placed on me. I still can't dangle my foot or put weight on it. My left leg (the injured one) is my strong leg and I didn't realize how much I depend on it until it was taken away. I can't get into the back seat of our car without using my left leg. We tried and quickly gave up. Fortunately Janay's sister and brother-in-law loaned us their minivan (much to the dismay of their 6 year old daughter Carly) and solved the transportation problem. What a blessing it has been! They removed the rear seat and one of the middle seats allowing me to slide into the back and lay down. This allows me to concentrate on praying for Janay's driving :) Just kidding sweetie! :)

Since I can't dangle my foot, we had to come up with a different wheelchair. Imagine that....a guy already in a wheelchair having to borrow a wheelchair....just doesn't seem right. Fortunately my boss (and good friend) at work, Don, had a wheelchair for me to use. It's a little small for me, but it's only temporary and is good enough to haul my big carcass around. The wheelchair did a nice body slam on me in the back of the van today when Janay turned a corner. She got quite a laugh out of it. I wasn't laughing, but I was glad to hear her laugh. Laughter helps get us through :)

The above are just a couple examples of the help we have received from our friends and family. Ultimately, God will see us through this. He has surrounded us with people to be His hands and feet. Thanks to all of our friends, family and even strangers for praying for us and supporting us. May the Lord bless you all ten fold!

Prayer Request

I've had a new area on my leg start draining recently that's caused us to be a little concerned. Please join us in praying against any possible infection. Also pray for physical and mental strength for both Janay and myself.

“With Faith, all things are possible”- Matthew 17:20

Daily Reminder

My circumstances will not determine my attitude.

Photo Link to Updated Burn Photos

The link below will take you to the entire gallery of photos from my burn journey. As always, these are somewhat graphic, so proceed with caution. If you do find these interesting, the newest photos are at the bottom of the page and start after the photo of Janay modeling the hospital gowns. Click on the picture to enlarge it and get a description of what you are looking at. I did my best to describe them, but this is my first time looking at what they did to my leg, so I could have made some mistakes in describing them. I can look at the pictures fine, but it's still too fresh for me to look at in person. Give me two or three weeks and I will be fine :)

Burn Photos

Home Sweet Home

I got home this afternoon at 2. Saying that it is nice to be home is an understatement. Five days in the hospital seemed like an enternity. Janay was able to stay with me the entire time and that helped my mental well-being soooo much.

The doctors are pleased with the progress of the flap. I can not dangle my foot at all until I see my doctor again on September 19th. That makes things a little difficult, but if that is what it takes for proper healing I will do it.

Continue to pray for good blood flow. Pray against infection and blood clots. Pray for good rest for Janay and I both. You prayers are appreciated!

Rule Breaker

So I was bad today. Doctor's orders are made to be broken, right? Plus, I have them on a minor technicality....no one ever told me I couldn't put any weight on my leg this time. I suppose the nursing and physcial therapy staff assume after seven surgeries and showing me x-rays where they took a chunk of bone out down to the marrow I should know what to do. But I HAD to take a shower this morning. Washing at the sink just doesn't cut it. That works fine for a few days, but there is just nothing like a good soaking.

Fortunately I still have a shower chair that I acquired in 1995 when I had my spinal cord injury. Janay pulled it out of the attic last summer after I was first injured. The shower chair allowed me to hang the leg with the wound vac attached out of the shower while I soaked and scrubbed the rest of my body. All I can say is......Aaahhhhhh! Plus, I gotta smell good for surgery tomorrow :)

More Surgery.......

Janay and I went to the doctor today and I am having more surgery this Thursday (9/6). The doctor is performing the the simpler flap surgery that will only take 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I can come home after 2 or 3 days.

The doctor initially wasn't convinced to go this route, but after discussing it with us he was. He was hesitant because the tests came back positive for staph infection on the bone. The orthopedic doctor spoke with us last Thursday and said in his opinion the staph was nothing to worry about because it appeared to only be on the surface of the bone. He wasn't surprised by this because my wound was open all the way down to the bone and since we all have staph on our skin, he would expect to see it on the bone as well. As far as the ortho doctor was concerned, whatever surgery Dr. Sood (my burn doctor) decided to do, ortho did not need to be involved in. Dr. Sood would clean up the exposed bone area during surgery and cover it. The oral antibiotics I am on will take care of the infection.

Please pray that the flap takes and that all signs of infection are gone. God has been with us through all of this and He will see this to the end! I am healed....I'm claiming it!

Update for August 30th

This is another one of those "where do I start?" type of messages. I will try to keep it simple. I went in Tuesday to have the free flap surgery. The doctor started and thought the wound looked much better since he saw it last (it had not changed and you all know I have pictures to prove it) and decides the free flap surgery isn't needed. He thinks it can be healed with a much simpler procedure (pedicle flap surgery). He goes out to the waiting area and tells my family that he is going to do this other surgery. He returns to the operating room and starts but soon runs into a pocket of puss which indicates the presence of infection. All the doctor can do at this point is clean up the wound, take tissue and bone samples to determine where the infection is. The doc then heads back out to the waiting area to break the latest news to my family.

As I'm waking from surgery, I can see the clock says 9:45. This confused me because I knew that I went into surgery at 7:30 for a six hour procedure. I then overheard some of the staff saying they didn't perform the free flap but I couldn't hear why. Still groggy from the anesthesia, I didn't feel like asking questions and waited for Janay to fill me in.

As it stands now, I am home with a wound vac on my leg. So far, all of the tests show that the infection is in the tissue and not in the bone, which is very good. I will see the doctor next Tuesday and he will decide the next step. If all test show there is no bone infection, the doctor most likely will perform the pedicle flap surgery the following week. The pedicle flap will only require a hospital stay of a couple days and a much quicker return to work. I've added a couple photos that shows the new whole the doctor punched in my tibia. Click here to view the pictures.

Though it has been a frustrating three days, God's hand was in it the whole time. He opened doors when we needed Him to and the end result is going to be a simpler surgery. Janay stayed with me every night and I can't tell you how comforting that was. We even managed a few laughs during our stay. Laughter is wonderful medicine.

Twas the Night Before Surgery........

I miss home already....and I haven't left yet. Two weeks in the hospital sounds like an eternity. Tomorrow morning will be the last shower for a couple months. I already miss my shower....and I haven't taken that last one yet. In the midst of what many people would see as a difficult time, I see it as a positive step towards completion.

Today someone noted that my surgery date of 8/28 reminded them of their favorite verse in the bible, Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God's timing is perfect and He will see this to completion.

Furry Frustration

My sweet, loveable cat.....where does he go when the clippers and scissors come out? The tension starts as soon as he sees the tools and it doesn't stop until we finally give in and let him go. Blood is typically spilled, but it's never been his. Grooming time at our house is always a fun occasion.

Surgery.....Postponed.....Maybe

The doctors office called Wednesday morning and said they need to postpone the surgery one week. The burn unit receive a new patient that is burned over 65% of her body and they need my surgery date for her. They then told me that the patient may not survive and if that's the case, my surgery will go on as scheduled on the 21st. Of course I'm ready to have this surgery to get past this season in my life, but I'll gladly postpone it so this lady can get help.

In the past 16 months I've seen many people who have suffered horrific, disfiguring burns. Some seem to have adapted to the challenge, some have not. Though my injuries have been a serious bump in the road of my life's journey, they look like a scratch compared to what others have delt with. I don't know this new burn patient.....I don't even know her name. I do know that burns over 65% of your body will be a major challenge. God knows this woman's heart and He knows what she can handle. All I can do is pray for God's perfect will to be upon her life and know that He is in control. He will take care of her, just as He will me, in His perfect time.

Football......with Pads!

That's right.....Corbin's graduated to full contact football for 2007. No more flag stuff.....that's for little kids! Saturday was the first game and it was soooo hot, but the kids hardly noticed. Corbin (#88) did a great job and had three tackles on defense in spite of being blocked by a kid who looked bigger than me (#77 in the picture below).
Despite the heat it was fun and the team won.I'm not sure who had more fun.....the kids playing or the parents cheering. The photo below is of a proud dad and an excellent coach. Good job Corbin and James! I'm sure you'll see many more victories in 2007 and beyond!

Janay - Happy Anniversary!

It all started on August 19, 1991.....my 20th birthday. I would have never guessed that the 17 year old hostess at the Waverly Inn would be the greatest birthday gift of my life. Though our versions of who was making eyes at the other the most may vary, the instant attraction was obvious. Being the suave, smooth talking charmer I was, I sauntered up to her and confidently introduced myself and told her she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Ok...ok....so that's what I envisioned in my head. Truth be told, I asked her if she was having a good evening while on my way to the bathroom. I didn't have the nerve to say much else to her the rest of the evening.

Fast forward to August 10, 2007....our 11 year wedding anniversary. You continue to get more beautiful by the day. What makes you special is that you are more beautiful inside than you are on the outside. I never imagined being married to my best friend, but that's exactly what you are. Life has had it's ups and downs for us and our marriage is stronger because of it. Thank you for 11 wonderful years of marriage and 16 years of happiness. I look forward to growing old with you. Happy Anniversary!

Hometown Hero

I've never met him, but he gave his life so I could continue to live free. Ryan Fritsche was killed in Afghanistan when his squad was ambushed during a night patrol. The link below is to a well written tribute published in the local paper.

Tribute

William Ryan Fritsche, you are a hero in my eyes. To Ryan's family and to those currently serving in the military, thank you and know that you are in my prayers.

August 5th Update: The photos added were taken as Ryan made his final trip home to Martinsville.