6 Months And Counting

I wanted to thank everyone for their concerns about how we are doing.  I haven't been on line much as we have really been focused on Karen and just getting through each day.  The good news is we have about six months left and should be watching the sun set and rise in America by September at the latest.  Hopefully, closer to early August.

Karen is doing much better but it still is difficult. She has returned back to work.  We found out she has one herniated disc in her lower back and one bulging disc (not quite herniated).  As the herniated disc protrudes out it touches and irritates the sciatic nerve causing extreme pain, numbness, and even muscle spasms down the entire length of her right leg.  The first time the spasms hit we ended up at the Medical group and they literally had to give her morphine to calm the spasms down.  The second time was almost as bad but we didn't go to the medical clinic.  So the plan is six months of good diet and light exercising with stretching.  We are hoping that can help alleviate the pressure on the nerve and Karen can avoid surgery.  Karen has definitley improved and can get through the day by being careful and moderating pain with medication. But walking long distances or standing is out.  As is lifting Katie or holding her while standing.

So it has been very hard on both of us I think.  Hard on me because I do almost everything around the house or with Katie, but even harder on Karen because she has to endure the pain and wants to carry Katie around very much.  

The Air Force certainly isn't making things any easier.  I have once again found myself in the position of working for a Medical Group that thinks nine hours days are not long enough.  So it's mandatory ten hour days right now. Except, I actually have to get up between 0400-0430 in order to get Katie up dressed, fed, changed, and to daycare.  So as far as I'm concerned they are 12 hour days.  And the drug testing job is the worse job I have ever had in my 27 years of working.  I'd rather be washing dishes back at Pantera's Pizza.  The job itself isn't too bad - it's the status and support of the program that are the big problems.  Karen has been able to start helping out with folding clothes and a little cooking while sitting on a stool.  But I would be lying if I didn't say it's been hard.  Katie is really the only thing that makes the day worth it for us right now.  We really need to be home and near friends and family at a time like this.

Which brings us to our friends and family.  Thank everyone so much for all the stuff everyone has been sending.  It has been just astounding how much stuff people have been sending us.  So thanks for everyone's concerns.  We are making the best of the situation and will continue to post as able.  

Patrick & Karen Dwyer Blogging Hiatus

I will be limiting posts on this site for the near future.  As many of you may know, Karen has been experiencing some extreme sciatic nerve pain.  This has progressed rather severely since last Friday and we really need to look at how we spend our time and money.  At this point we are not sure what the future holds as far as Karen working, medical treatment, our ability to afford daycare, and many other "Incirlik" complications.  I think it best if we focus on being ready to get out of here so when the time comes we have everything in order.  Karen is having a tough time and all I can say is she is my hero for ever more. 

2009: The Year of The Dwyer's Escape From Midnight Express

The Dwyer's spent New Year's Eve at a Turkish carpet store in The Alley in Incirlik Village.   One of the local carpet guys often throws parties.  We didn't have anywhere to go on New Year's Eve so Karen did a little talking and found a party to crash.  I had told Karen I didn't want to spend New Year's Eve being pressured to buy carpets.  But it wasn't like that at all.  The owner, Nuri, had food catered and served beer.  He was very nice and never even discussed his carpets unless you asked him a question about them.  For some reason it's difficult for many of the Turk's to understand that Americans don't like pressured sales.  Nuri seems to have picked up on this long ago and it seems to pay off well for him.  I heard he sold $10,000 in carpets on New Year's Eve. 

Below: Katie models the hand made sweater Major Alicia Edward's bought her. Notice the buttons are actually Turkish "evil eyes."
Katie has removed her sweater to reveal the beautiful party dress made by her Zia Enrica Malone:

The carpets come out and people start looking:

Katie only made until about 9PM and really started to fuss.  She fell asleep on the cold walk home.  We stopped by our neighbors with the intention of seeing midnight with Katie but she woke up there and fussed util we took her home.  I think I fell asleep about 12:15 while Karen was talking to her Dad on the phone.