Hello everyone, it's me!

Hi there! I'm finally getting a chance to send a message to this helpful blog about my recent health crisis, created by James and Tim. They've invited me to share information about what's going on - now that I actually have Internet access and am in good enough condition to share some of my experience.

Thank you guys for your interest and support. It has been an amazing life experience, which I'm still going through. The following text is something that I just sent this morning to my co-workers to update them on my situation:

I'm currently going to morning rehab sessions located at Junipero and 3rd St. in Long Beach, at a very large and cool 1920s house that has been turned into a medical/counseling program center. I'm also seeing an accupuncturist named Dr. Arnette twice a week, and am seeing my regular physician, Dr. Sherman, who is also sending me to specialists and lab work. So, the schedule stays fairly busy, along with additional work that they assign to me. But it's going well.

My memory is coming back slowly. You guys might be familiar with some of the incorrect info I had in my brain and shared with others. One was telling people that I stayed for three weeks prior to Aug. 12 (the day I actually had to be hospitalized) at a small hospital in Long Beach. I didn't know why I was placed in that hospital, but I kept telling visitors about it until my family informed me that my memory was incorrect. And then there was the story about having been in the army and still being an auxiliary member, recently helping them create commercials for TV shows and other interesting tasks - none of which is true. I'm appreciating getting my brain back.

I'm being treated medically for herpes enchephalitis. That means herpes virus was sent to a section of my brain that mostly controls my memory of recent events and names of people and places. Encephalitis altered that section of my brain, causing me to not remember anything for the first month and then having lapses in memory and ability to focus properly. That is getting better, but I still have gaps that are being treated by those that I mentioned.

My heart stopped twice on Aug. 12, which was the first day I was placed in Community Hospital in Long Beach. Another near tragic situation was once again picking up a blood clot (in my left leg and in my lungs) which occured while being bedded down for over a week at my second stay, Memorial Hospital in Long Beach. I'm doing much better now but of course am more focused on my health condition, which will probably stay with me the rest of my life in a dormant status, according to doctors. I'm getting healthier and feeling better now, but will always have to take care of myself and be in contact with doctors.

Yes, a lot has happened and things have changed, but I do feel blessed by God and sense my condition improving. I do appreciate essential blessings I have now, including living through all of this so far and having some wonderful people provide support in my life. My wife Amy has been extremely involved and helpful here, including working out tricky administrative situations with Aetna and Regal, the health insurance providers, and communicating with doctors and specialists regularly to better manage my care. She's been very supportive and helpful, as have a few other friends and family members.

That's it for now! Will share more later.