Mr. Bichler: Saturday, December 28~A Double Celebration~

First I must say Happy Birthday to Sara! For years the 28th marked another year older for our youngest daughter. But 5 years ago this date added new significance. It marks another year of progress since Andy's fall in our garage. I remember it as though it were only yesterday and wish that I didn't. I blame the accident on the Cleveland Browns. It was a Sunday five years ago and pleasant much like the weather was today. Most Sundays we would be glued to the TV but five years ago the Browns were getting spanked by the Pittsburgh Steelers so Andy went out to the garage to drill the holes for the flood lights. I went out during half time to hang several of the lights above the work benches. As I worked in the back of the garage I heard a loud thud near where Andy was working and when I looked up I could see him lying flat on his back on the floor. He had fallen about 12 feet from the top of the garage. He lost consciousness briefly and I had to get his phone from his pocket as I didn't have mine with me. I called 911 for the first time in my life. By the time the squad arrived, Andy had stood up and walked into the house. He joked with the boys from the squad and sent them on their way. Two hours later our nightmare began. A trip to Madison County Hospital, CT scans, transport to OSU Medical Center and observation in ICU. Our lives as we had known them would never be the same. It was an emotional roller coaster that seemed to go on forever. If it weren't for my family, friends and faith I am not sure I would have made it through. Many times I wish that I could forget the ordeal that was set in motion on that fateful day but I realize that without our lows we wouldn't appreciate out highs. I've learned to take each day at a time, appreciate the small things and to never take any thing for granted.

Andy has made tremendous progress over these 5 years and has made some monumental strides just in the past year. He agreed to go to Florida in January and we really enjoyed our time in Naples. We had a wonderful holiday with the girls and their families. Andy really enjoyed shopping with Chad and Matt and we are so blessed to have both of them in our lives. Andy went shopping for Luke's gift, a compound bow, which is a first for him. He usually has someone else do his shopping. He is spending much more time outside working on projects and he reads the paper and does his Sudoku every day. He cooks for himself when I am not at home and is quite independent. And yes, I had visualized a retirement that included winters in our 5th Wheel touring around the Florida panhandle or visiting friends in Texas. That may still be a possibility but for now we will enjoy what life brings. I imagine that if any of us examine our lives over a 5 year span we would find that our lives may not have taken the path that we had expected.