[nagdu] steppers first step again.

[Wayne Merritt]

A little late, but congratulations Stepper! What a journey. I echo
others in sending positive thoughts your way as you continue where you
left off before. Here's hoping this time ends much better than the
last try though, grin.

Wayne

On 3/30/10, Rena Seay <ras98r at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi Stepper,
>
> I'm in training at GDB Oregon.  I arrived on March 28th and will graduate on
> April 10th, the new two week class.  I have recieved Cadence and female
> yellow lab.  You have quite the story and have over come much, I hope that
> you are able to complete your training.
>
> Blessings!
> Rena
>
>
> Rena A. Seay
> Educantional Talent Search
> (325)677-1444 x. 3105
> ras98r at yahoo.com
>
> --- On Sun, 3/28/10, Stepper <stepper12 at cableone.net> wrote:
>
>
> From: Stepper <stepper12 at cableone.net>
> Subject: [nagdu] steppers first step again.
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: "Lynda" <lyndamorgan16 at cableone.net>
> Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010, 2:50 PM
>
>
>     Greeting to listers.
>
> I have news I never really new I would be able to give again.
> Five years, five months, and seventeen days ago I was at GDB's Oregon campus
> getting ready to receive my second guide from GDB.
> I had had two guides in my life time.
> My first was from Pilot Dogs clear back in 81. He was a yellow lab named
> Hart and only fifteen months old.
> This is the dog I walked across America with in 83, in behalf of the NFB,
> and Christian Record Braille Foundation.
> setting a world record of being the only blind person to walk across
> America. Plus meeting President Regen in the Oval Office on Oct. 25, 83.
>
> 318 days, 3615 miles, accompanied by my wife Lynda, and my three children
> living out of a small motor home.
>
> Because of a medical problem in late 83 I had to have Hart put down, while I
> held him in my arms on Thanksgiving day.
>
> In 86 I went to GDB for my second dog, a yellow lab and her name was
> Kay-Bear.
> I had bear for 13 years, and she was a pure joy the entire time she was with
> me.
> She worked for 11 years.
>
> At the age of 54 I was found with no warning to have and started struggling
> with rectal Colon, Groin, both lungs cancers with life altering surgeries,
> Chemo, and radiation I have now been cancer free for seven years.
> However, I have been home bound during this last nine years for the most
> part.
>
> As I said at the beginning I thought I had become well enough to try for my
> third Guide dog at the Oregon campus.
> But to my surprise after only being with one of there practice dogs for less
> than an hour I new I wasn't well enough to manage this bundle of energy.
> With tears rolling down my face, shaking like a leaf, feeling awful I had to
> tell the GDB staff I couldn't do this.
> To my surprise the GDB staff, meaning everyone of them was so kind and
> understanding when I told them I just didn't think I could do this. I
> thought I could, but was wrong.
> While sitting there with that dog in front of me, I made myself a promise.
> That promise was very simple.
> I promised that if GDB would let me come back some day, I would get well
> enough to try again.
> Plus I also have back problems that include three crushed disks, two bulging
> disk, ten cracked facet joints, and Sciatica so bad in my left hip they had
> to burn the nerves out three times before the nerves would stop growing.
> I was on the strongest Narco made at 10.5 milligrams of 12 a day for years
> after they stopped my cancer drugs.
> This wasn't enough medication for my back pain, so was in pain non stop.
> However, then the doctors said I would qualify for a Medtronic infusion
> pump, because of my pain levels, and so on.
> I got my pump on June 10th 08. I have a drug they are using that is 30 times
> more powerful then Morphine, plus one other numbing drug as well.
> It has taken them a year and a half to get to the point where I don't have
> to take other drugs with my pump meds any longer.
> I started with a half a milligram, and am now up to 3 milligrams of medicine
> a day now.
> This is what has made it possible to exercise now one hour a day, and walk
> an hour to an hour and a half every other day.
> So for the last five and a half years plus this has been my focus.
> I tell you all this, to announce that tomorrow morning 9 A.M. Boise Idaho
> time I start my journey to the GDB California campus to try again.
> My class is from March 29 through April 17-10.
> Three weeks.
> I ask that you on this list serve please send your positive thoughts toward
> me in the time of test and trial for me.
> I promise, I will give it all I have.
> Thank you, Stepper
>
>
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