Norm: As most newlywed's do who know
each other for less than 3 months, our first couple of months were spent in a whirlwind of activities.
Things like where to live and finding
work were just the beginning. Add to that our weekend entertainment and of course, those family problems that inevitably
crop up almost drove us crazy . I had 4 children back in New York and she had 2 in Texas. Only 1 of her sons, Stephen,
and one of mine, Bobby, were to live with us. What an experience we will never forget !!
We had bought a brand new 1993 mobile home on a pretty lot that Selles
encircled with all kinds of cactus. We had everything we could wish for, at least materially. Back then we thought
that a good life was measured by what you had, the entertainment you could do in a weekend, and still work hard every day.
We are both Type A personalities and we worked hard and played equally hard! But we never stopped to think how lucky we were
to be healthy or to have someone to really share your life with.
Only 3 months into this new adventure, Selles was in a car crash.
She went to the hospital in an ambulance, they xrayed her and said she was ok. Selles has a pain tolerance like no one I've
ever known. Within 2 weeks, she had a temperature of 104 and she hurt so badly that when she tried to stand she doubled
over. If she laid down she would lose all the feeling in her legs. Once at the hospital, the doctor told
us that he thought he could save her life, but he didn't thinkshe would ever walk again. She was in the hospital for
over 6 weeks and then "We" spent a lot of time in rehab. Our first Christmas came and went with her being home
from the hospital for only 2 days !!
She had endless therapy and also kept getting infections. She
started telling me how she was dead bone tired and couldn't get enough rest. I mean, here I was working miles from home
every day sometimes 12 hrs at a time and She was tired ?? I finally starting believing her
when she didn't even want to go out at night. Her doctors told us that it was because she was coming off all the pain
medications she had been taking.
In March of 1994, I made her go see an Internist who sent her right
away to an Infectious Disease doctor. After several weeks, we finally learned the diagnosis.
Wait a minute !! I thought this was about wedded bliss.
