Hey, this is Jim Roadkill Howe reaching out to talk about a good friend of mine that's in need of a little help.

My good buddy Joe Whisler has had a rough go for a while and I want to help him out. This past year, he went to see a doctor for some issues he'd been dealing with for a few months. After a CT scan of his head, the doctor found a walnut-sized brain tumor in his 4th ventricle that was restricting his spinal fluid. Obviously shocked and in disbelief, he scheduled the procedure. The surgery was extremely difficult, taking a total of 13.5 hours. Unfortunately for him, he faced more complications.

Upon waking up, he realized that the surgery had compromised his eyesight horribly. Three days after the operation, his incision opened on the back of his head, causing his cerebral spinal fluid to leak out and become contaminated. Because of this, he contracted spinal meningitis. This extended his stay in the hospital to nearly 2 months when at first he was expecting a 5-7 day stay. After installing a lumbar drain in his back to extract the excessive fluid, they were finally able to install a shunt in his skull to alleviate the extra fluid, and he was able to return home on an IV for approximately 3 weeks. Ninety days later, the shunt became restricted and wasn't allowing the fluid to properly drain, so back to the ER for a shunt replacement, resulting in yet another stay in the hospital. After months of back and forth for shunt adjustments for lingering equilibrium and other issues, 10 months later he was able to get eye surgery. Unable to completely repair his vision, he's left with compromised eyesight. With monthly and eventually yearly visits to his neurosurgeon, he continues to deal with several concerns, keeping him basically off of his feet. If you know him like I do, this guy has always done things FULL THROTTLE!!! Not being able to do what we all see as simple tasks, I know it's very hard to accept. He's been doing physical therapy for the better part of a year, with some positive results, but he still has a very long road to recovery. Please find it in your heart to help me help my friend get back on his feet (literally). He's never ever been one to ask for help but rather find a way to do things on his own, but this one is a different story. So I ask for help and prayers for my friend of 35 plus years. Be kind and please stay well.

Roadkill