Be strong. Life is never easy

squatting dog

squatting dog

We don't have as far to go, as we've already been
Location
Arkansas, and also Florida
Besides my time in the Army Infantry, there have been plenty of other times life has thrown a curve ball at me. The losing my young daughter was probably the worst. However;
In 1975, I was caught in a gasoline fire. Ended up in intensive with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Wasn't expected to live, (clinically died at least 3 times while there), but if I did, was told I'd never grow hair on my face again and would be scarred forever. Well, I not only survived and despite multiple skin grafts and infections, I exceeded most doctors expectations and beliefs.

So, by 1976, even though not fully healed and having to go to the hospital twice a day for de-breeding (fancy term for skin you alive) and skin grafts, I never the less was back to building race cars and hotrods.
My biggest problem was the special gloves I had to wear to prevent infections and protect the new growing skin made it hard to drive and harder to work on cars. It was a challenge, but, I pushed on. For years after, my skin would shed and bleed with every little bump or scrape. (to this day, my elbows will occasionally shed skin as they were burned to the bone). By early 1977, I was back to racing my car , but, It was extremely difficult at best because my hands had still not fully healed.

I don't know why, but I felt the need to share this story and let people know that despite whatever gets thrown at you... you can and will survive.
Oh yeah... about the hair on the face thing........... :D


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squatting dog said:
Besides my time in the Army Infantry, there have been plenty of other times life has thrown a curve ball at me. The losing my young daughter was probably the worst. However;
In 1975, I was caught in a gasoline fire. Ended up in intensive with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Wasn't expected to live, (clinically died at least 3 times while there), but if I did, was told I'd never grow hair on my face again and would be scarred forever. Well, I not only survived and despite multiple skin grafts and infections, I exceeded most doctors expectations and beliefs.

So, by 1976, even though not fully healed and having to go to the hospital twice a day for de-breeding (fancy term for skin you alive) and skin grafts, I never the less was back to building race cars and hotrods.
My biggest problem was the special gloves I had to wear to prevent infections and protect the new growing skin made it hard to drive and harder to work on cars. It was a challenge, but, I pushed on. For years after, my skin would shed and bleed with every little bump or scrape. (to this day, my elbows will occasionally shed skin as they were burned to the bone). By early 1977, I was back to racing my car , but, It was extremely difficult at best because my hands had still not fully healed.

I don't know why, but I felt the need to share this story and let people know that despite whatever gets thrown at you... you can and will survive.
Oh yeah... about the hair on the face thing........... :D


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Just goes to show that you never bet against determination. Great comeback !
 
Squatting Dog, I admire your courage to live with the problems you now have. I am 88 and was in Hospice for 3 weeks in October, 2018. No one is referred to hospice unless the doctors think the person will die very soon. I have always felt we MUST accept whatever happens to us whether it be pain, impairment or even coming death. ACCEPTANCE of every problem in life makes one more contented and helps to avoid the perception of suffering.
 
RadishRose said:
Even tho' I know what you've been through Dog, sometimes I still can't believe it.
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I know what you mean Rose... it's not that I can't believe it..like you...it's just hard to believe that one person gets to suffer such pain and trauma in one lifetime.. and still, be standing, stoical, and working and living for each day... if I could hand out medals , I know where the first one would be going...
 
squatting dog said:
Besides my time in the Army Infantry, there have been plenty of other times life has thrown a curve ball at me. The losing my young daughter was probably the worst. However;
In 1975, I was caught in a gasoline fire. Ended up in intensive with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Wasn't expected to live, (clinically died at least 3 times while there), but if I did, was told I'd never grow hair on my face again and would be scarred forever. Well, I not only survived and despite multiple skin grafts and infections, I exceeded most doctors expectations and beliefs.

So, by 1976, even though not fully healed and having to go to the hospital twice a day for de-breeding (fancy term for skin you alive) and skin grafts, I never the less was back to building race cars and hotrods.
My biggest problem was the special gloves I had to wear to prevent infections and protect the new growing skin made it hard to drive and harder to work on cars. It was a challenge, but, I pushed on. For years after, my skin would shed and bleed with every little bump or scrape. (to this day, my elbows will occasionally shed skin as they were burned to the bone). By early 1977, I was back to racing my car , but, It was extremely difficult at best because my hands had still not fully healed.

I don't know why, but I felt the need to share this story and let people know that despite whatever gets thrown at you... you can and will survive.
Oh yeah... about the hair on the face thing........... :D


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Thanks for sharing your story. You are a survivor and meant to be on this earth.
 
Quite a story, but you are correct about perseverance. It takes courage and stamina to hang in there and keep going forward. It's when we quit, we lose and our life becomes nothing more than living like a victim, instead of a hero. You are an example of all that.

I have seen men come back from combat without having 2 arms and 2 legs, yet they will sit up in their bed and tell me jokes and laugh at my stupid ones. I walk away wondering how someone in that condition can find any humor in life. Most everyone has heard the Marine slogan of "Improvise, Adapt and Overcome." When someone ends up being like you or the fellow with zero appendages, I have to give pause and reflect and also to give thanks to my creator, but for the grace of God there goes I.

I am glad you told this story. It gives us all a reason to be thankful for what we have and have not. You don't need to be rich with money to be thankful or happy. You just have to grateful that our higher power gives us a new day to keep trying to reach our goals in life and to remember that it's our attitude that keeps us in the game.
 
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