Hello everyone, I'm Adam and I have been on a journey over the last eight years. I'm here to ask for your help and here is my life now in written word and picture format to help you make that decision to donate to my gofundme.

Please follow along as I will update with both the good and the bad that has happened along the way.

All donated funds will help me buy medical equipment (electric wheelchair, hospital bed, hoyer lift and sling), to become mobile and capable of social interaction outside of medical surroundings.

Chapter One: What Happened?

The journey starts March 22, 2018 and I'm taking my finals in college when I realize I have a doctors appointment to test my TSH levels. I have had Hypothyroidism and many other genetic abnormalities inherited from my parents. We will dive further into that bucket of luck as I move on. My thyroid has hindered me all of my life as it wasn't controlled until I was tested at 30 years old. I gained weight every year, no matter what I did to fight against it. Exercise and dieting was never enough and eventually I gave up as it seemed hopeless.

I went back to college when I was 36 years old, graduated with honors and an Associates degree. This allowed me the opportunity receive grants and scholarships to go to Southern Oregon University and earn my Bachelor's degree. However, in my junior year of college, I had received a phone call from my doctor explaining that my bloodwork indicated high creatinine levels, an indicator that I am in kidney failure, and need to go to the Emergency Room immediately or I could die. The doctor said she had sent an ambulance for me. This was at about 6 pm on March 22, 2018 and by 3 am, I was transfered by ambulance from SkyLakes in Klamath Falls to St. Charles in Bend. I received a port catheter in my chest later that day and began dialysis until the end of March 2018 when I had been discharged back home to Klamath Falls.

On April 1, 2018, I started going to dialysis at Davita Klamath and remained there until February 2022, about a month after my mom had died from kidney failure and a septic infection causing further organ failure. I moved back to my hometown of Medford and found a place to rent on June 1, 2022. This move was to be close to family and friends, and was working out pretty great until I started having some health complications. Little did I know, I was having hundreds of mini strokes, in 2024, leading to my first major stroke.

The first major stroke had happened right after I had finished a dialysis treatment, where I had lost conscience and woke up in the hospital where they had found out about my strokes with a ct scan and mri. I was kept bed bound as I was too weak to walk and was considered a fall risk. I was eventually discharged to a rehabilitation facility in Medford to do both occupational and physical therapy. While in rehab, I continued to go to dialysis three days per week for 5 hours each day.

Then it happened, another stroke this one changing my ability to speak certain letters and the sound of my voice. I had a hillbilly accent that sounded very high pitched and quite funny. I might post a video example for all of you. As I still do a pretty good impression of myself at that time. The doctors had used a device that reprogrammed my brain to make me sound almost normal again and be able to say everything as intended. However, I had developed a very bad staphylococcus aureus infection that needed the help of an infectionous disease doctor. The doctor created a special antibiotic to kill the infection. Yet, the damage was already done and my forearm muscles had been detached from the bone on both arms by the infection. The doctors had to drain the infection and later do a debriding of the tissue in my right chest wall when they found a giant calcification under my armpit on my side and 3 liters of infectious fluids. This surgery didn't occur until after I had my third stroke and went into a coma for a week. Blacking out in Medford and waking up in Milwaukee at another rehab facility until a room opened up at the hospital in Portland. My surgery had left me without the use of my right arm due to the removal of my skin and muscle tissue, about the size of a small dinner plate wide and an inch and a half thick or deep into my side wall.

After the surgery it has been a road of obstacles to recovery. The doctors, nurses and cna's were all telling me that I was terminal and that I need to prepare my family and friends for my death. I never once believed them, even though they would tell me I was terminal, multiple times per day and everyday I was there. On my last day there when they sent me back to the hospital in Medford, they said that they didn't believe I would make the trip home and would die in transit. Little did they know, I am a stubborn Norwegian, born a Taurus the bull, and I don't think you can get any more hard-headed than that.

I told them all that I'm not terminal and I will prove it. I am getting ahead of myself now though, so back to my stay in Portland. I had been in and out of the ICU several times for different reasons. I started getting bed sores on my thighs and hips that, blistered and busted open, got infected and became necrotic, leading to more debriding of the tissue and removal of skin. They are still healing to this day. Thanksgiving came and went, and I demanded to be sent back to Medford and that if they think I am going to die, I'm not going to do it up here in Portland away from all my family and friends, like my mom did. It took weeks of me asking day in and day out until they finally agreed. I don't know what the meaning of quit is and too hardheaded to find out.

Chapter Two: The Way Back Home

The day finally came, got packed up, loaded onto a gurney, and into the ambulance for a long, cold ride home as it had snowed the night before and the roads were icy. After about 6 hours of driving, we finally made it back to Medford and was transfered into the ICU. The next day my doctor had came in looked at my wounds and said, "You're not terminal!" and I was so relieved. I stated that I didn't think I was and nobody tells me I'm terminal, only I can say I'm terminal. I'm not ready to give up yet. The doctor agreed and so the healing began. While I was in the hospital, my dad had to go in for more cancer surgeries and treatments only to end up in the same rehab facility as I have been in twice now. Eventually, he was sent home to hospice care and passed away on President's Day 2025 just a couple of weeks before his 73rd birthday. Meanwhile, I'm still in rehab spending Christmas and the New Years by myself. Remember that bucket of luck I had mentioned earlier? Well, lets see if we can fill it up. I got the flu, went back to the hospital, had to be put on a cpap machine and oxygen, then I got pnuemonia and just when I thought I was done being sick,the strain I had mutated into a different strain that the doctors had no antibiotics to kill it with. With the help of an infectious disease doctor to create one that would work, I was able to be discharged back to rehab where I contracted covid for the second time from my roommates in rehab. Lucky, Right? That string of unfortunate events left me needing three liters of oxygen from a concentrator and breathing treatments with a nebulizer, daily for a month or two. The good news is that I have recovered from having to use oxygen and can breathe on my own without any assistance again. Now comes the hard part, getting everything to work again. My hands, arms, legs, feet, in fact, my whole body atrophied and I had lost a bunch of weight including any muscle I had left. Physical therapists and occupational therapists have been working with me to build strength and stamina to the point that I can sit up on the side of the bed on my own.

Chapter Three: One Step At A Time

After 6 months of dialysis three days a week, therapy every other day, and sitting up on the side of the bed by myself, my therapist suggested that I try to stand up with his help and using a sit-to-stand device. It was scary at first because I had not stood up or walked in over a year by this point. It was hard to do and I was like a new born baby deer, shaky legs, wobbling and weak, but I did it! I was holding on to the device for dear life, white knuckling it the whole time, but I did it and stood up on my own two feet for over a minute before running out of energy and needing to sit back down. Even though it hurt to stand, it felt so good to know that I could still do it. it gave me a sense of pride in the hard work I had done and the self confidence I needed to get this far and keep motivated to do it over and over again. I have since stood up 10 times for approximately 20 minutes in total. I still have a ways to go but every little step counts and I count this as a win. Terminal? Yeah right, not me!

Chapter Four: The Breakdown

My life, so far, has had irs ups and downs, but I always remained positive and motivated myself to do better. It has not been easy, but nothing worthwhile is going to be easy. I mentioned earlier that my parents had both died within about two years of each other. My mom had Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes, and weight issues from having Hypothyroidism that lead to organ failure and her death at the age of 66. While my dad had multiple types of Cancer, Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, and hip replacement surgery with his final battle with cancer taking him just weeks before his 73rd birthday. Now, why do I bring all this up? Well if I am nothing, I am my parents in that I inherited my ailments through DNA and as luck would have it. I have been adding to the list every year for the last 8 years. I have what is known as Tumoral Calcinosis a very rare disease that is creating calcium deposits randomly throughout my entire body, essentially turning me to stone. Having Pyrogenic and Osteoarthritis in all my joints, Degenerative Disc Disease with Anterior Wedging of the Mid-Thorasic Vertebraes and a Compressed L5-S1 Disc makes it hard to move without pain. Being bed bound for over a year leading to atrophied muscles did not help either. Oh and did I mention I had to have 27 teeth extracted all at once while under general anethesia due to my kidney failure and the need for dialysis leading to malnutrition and anemia. Yep, Lucky Me! Here is where the positive comes, I'm losing weight by using portion control and exercise with physical therapy. My wounds are healing from using Manuka Honey on them and I have been able to reconnect with all of you in one way or another. Yet, sometimes, I do get depressed and sad when I think of my parents being gone and how much I miss my family and friends. However, my reflection in memories also causes me to remember all the great times we had together and that helps me out a lot. Well, that and the meds I take to help me stay happy and deal with the mental and physical pain I experience on a daily basis. I am getting better every day though and I know there is always more for me to do to keep moving forward. Hopefully, that will soon be one step at a time.

Chapter Five: The Transfer

When I first came to the Rehab for Occupational and Physical Therapies, I was a full assist, meaning that I needed help with everything. Slowly but surely, I regained mobility in my arms and legs. However, moving them and using them were far from inbetween them. I had not stood up in over a year, as sitting up was still dificult to do even with help. My core strength was gone and I had no stamina to do anything for very long. I was transported to and from all appointments via gurney and transfered from bed to gurney via slide sheet or an air float. Eventually, I was able to roll from side to side by myself, and situp on my own too. It took a lot of hardwork that I did with the help of my therapists and on my own a lot. I use stretch bands to do several different types of arm exercises and situps and leg lifts for core strength. To help build stamina, I do more repetitions as I progress. Also, I upgrade the resistance of the bands to increase the weight I use during such exercises. I Started to use a hoyer about six months ago and have been using a sling to transfer from bed to wheelchair and back on dialysis days. The neuropathy in my legs and feet has gotten so bad that they constantly go numb, tingle,and feel like needles pricking me all at the same time. They are continuously hurting, randomly twitching, and cramping often. Having arthritis in all my joints, including my toes, doesnt help either, but I still try my best to get back to walking and being independent as possible. Three months ago I tried to stand up, with help, and was able to do so for one and a half minutes once. Two days later, I did it again for the same amount of time, but I did it three times. Then next week I did it again three more times for three minutes each time. Trying to progress, I started to try a transfer from bed to wheelchair last week and used the walker to stand, pivot and transfer to the bed from the wheelchair. It was very hard to take full body weight steps, but I slowly shuffled my feet and pivoted myself and the walker on my own, with supervision by the therapist for safety. I have done the Stand Pivot Transfer about ten times now and have started to use the transfer pole in the physical therapy room to do mini squats to help build my back and leg strength. It will also allow me to be able to stand up on my own without assistance using the sit to stand device or the help from a therapist lifting me with a gait belt or the back of my pants. Wedgies are still not as fun at this age as they were back in the olden days. You know, back when we used to walk to school in the snow and it was uphill both ways too and from home. Anyway, my schedule has been more taxing lately and as a result of the hard work, I am gaining strength and building stamina, but I am also gaing weight due to the cortical steroids I've been taking for an adrenaline deficiency. I have been watching my fluid intake like a hawk but I am eating more too. I need to eat better foods with more lean protein and less sugars and carbs, mainly avoid things high in phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. ESRD and no teeth makes my eating healthy difficult, but I still get in a salad and some other vegetables on a regular basis. Remember, I'm not giving anybody any advice on how to eat or exercise, I'm just telling you what has worked for me and how I'm going about maintaining my weight loss goals so I can walk again, get a kidney transplant and survive in this world today.

Chapter Six: Working The Pole

October has been a month of discovery for me. Transferring from bed to chair, using the walker instead of the sit to stand to get up, and using the transfer pole to stand up and transfer in the physical therapy room were all accomplished with the love and support of all of you and from the staff at Ashland Post Acute. My self confidence increased by knowing that I could do what I did and It helps me to stay motivated in every step I will take. So far, I have been using my walker to transfer more often to my wheelchair and rolling to the PT room to do transfers and mini squats using the transfer pole. Marching in place, hip thrusts, and getting up with as little help as possible has been hardwork, but it gets a little bit easier each day I do it. i have learned that I need to use the word "DO" more than "TRY" to explain my goals and when I have accomplished them. I try my best to progress, but do I? I like to think I am and the staff here say they see it and give me complements for doing so. if that is my measurement, then I do my best, but I think and want to do better. I have been given the go ahead to transfer more often with supervision and still need help, but my goal is to get strong enough to not need it. I will always accept the help because I don't want to regress and seem ungrateful, as I am actually very grateful to everyone that has helped me in one way or another. I'm looking for electric wheelchairs and the other equipment. Everything is expensive and doctors are hesitant in trying to help me right now with all of the changes from the government shutdown and the impacts it is having on all of us. I have denied my SNAP benefits due to obtaining food from the rehab physical therapy facility and have to reapply after I have stopped eating there and after the shutdown has ended. My dietary needs are not being met without me providing food for myself as my End Stage Renal Disease has caused me to have high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium levels, even with the use of phosphate blockers and making better choices than what is provided. I also have a 32 ounce per day fluid restriction that includes fruits and vegetables with high water content, not just beverages. otherwise I get high blood pressure and have to have large amounts of excess fluids removed during dialysis. Lately, I have had to take approximately 3.5 Kilograms or about 8 pounds of excess fluid off during each treatment. Anymore than that and my blood pressures tank, my hearing gets muffled and I cant move my legs or arms. Also, I start to see sparkles and or my vision gets blurry. I am very cold after dialysis and that is due to the fact that the filtering system pumps my blood back into me at a colder temperature than when it is removed from me during the dialysis process. I actually feel washed and worn out after every trearment, but after 8 years of dialysis, three days per week, and three major strokes this last year, I still keep going and I keep making progress. Positivity is my strength and my love for you all is my motivation. Thank you all for your continued support and unconditional love.

Chapter Seven: The Parallel Bars

The week started off well with balance exercises like hip thrusts and mini squats, then we do a few more stand and pivot transfers using the pole. Then dialysis the next day and some shoulder exercises with stretch bands to build up strength to wheel my self around and get ready for a new day. Starting that day by using the parallel bars to begin side stepping to build hip strength and stability. Moving side to side was hard and tiring after a few minutes, but my stamina is getting better every day. Then we move on to dialysis again and my machine clotted off halfway through treatment causing me to lose 200 milliliters of blood in the machine and catheter lines. This caused me to be weak for days and hindered my ability to work harder at getting ready to walk. By the end of the work week, My body was ready for more exercises and transfers. This time I would use the walker to pivot transfer to my chair and begin doing it using the handrail to stand up in the main hallway by the court yard windows for all to see. I stood up and started marching in place. trying to raise my knees as high as possible with each transition. I then did some side leg raises while holding them out as long as I could before switching legs between each set of reps. The weekend starts out rough, as my blood pressures tanked real low due to my dialysis maxhibe running longer than it was meant to and removing more fluid during the extraction process than my body could handle. As I had mentioned before, my maximum fluid extraction is 3.5 Kilograms but the machine took off an extra .3 Kilograms and that little amount is all that my body needed to react poorly. It caused my stomach to cramp and my blood pressures to drop to the point that my skin went pail white and I lost my hearing. My vision became like I was staring at a snowy screen on an old antenna tv, and I could not raise my legs on my own. I had to be hoyer lifted back into be and given fluids to help equalize my blood pressures. It took a few hours, but I am still here. Sunday is my relaxing day before I start my week all over again and hope this week is better than the last. The donations have been very generous and greatly appreciated, The goal is gradually increasing as I find the equipment and negotiate the prices. So far, I have a wheelchair hitch ramp to haul my chair around when my friends and family wants to take me out on a field trip or enjoy their company out in the world. Your kind words and support helps me push on and gives ne hope that I can come home to live a more independent or at least a less dependent life on my own. I thank you for everything you have done and my do in the future to help me in attaining this goal.

Chapter Eight: The Long Walk

As some of you may already know, I am walking. It is very difficult and I run out of energy quickly, but I bounce back fast and have been doing it multiple times per week. Also, I have been riding a wheelchair cycle to help me increase my stamina, keeping my joints flexible and loose, and building my leg muscles strength in the process. For those of you that subscribe to my free YouTube Channel (@adamnordahl-t9g) you may see the videos that I have posted of my progress. my videos have reached Thousands of views and multiple countries world wide. I will be posting videos as I find time, but if you ring the notifications bell then you will kniw when each video is available. You can also Comment and Like my videos, but please be respectful and keep the language PG or better. Your support is greatly appreciated and I thank you very much for everything you have helped me accomplish. I'm doing my best and progressing at a reasonable pace with minimal setbacks and a bright outlook for the future.

Chapter Nine: The Pride in Mobility

We purchased a used powerchair for a good deal as it was working for about two days, then a motor went out in it and it started to do involuntary donuts. It would not go forward and backwards, just left or right in circles. It was funny, at first, because It started working again after my physical therapist checked out the connections and made sure they were tight. However, it stopped working again and that time, there were no loose connections. we had to put it in manual mode and push me back inside to transfer to a manual chair and finish physical therapy. Approximately, one week later, the mobility technician picked up the powerchair and began diagnostics and repairs to it at his shop. I am waiting for an update on the progress and looking for the other equipment I still need to get. Thank you all for your donations, support, and please go watch the videos and share our story. I am shocked at the amount of views and the reach the YouTube Channel has received. The link is in the updates or you can search @adamnordahl-t9g on the YouTube app. #AdamsJourneyHome

To be continued...