As you can see, I haven’t had time to keep up with the blog. Erwin has a Facebook account so you can keep in touch with him through that. http://www.facebook.com/?sk=inbox&setup#!/profile.php?id=100001495605584&sk=info
Erwin really appreciates when people who used to dive with him take the time to look him up. A big thank you to all his friends who come and visit with him when they are on the island and especially the ones that bring him down his favorite juice drink! There hasn’t been much change in his situation. He is still going to physical therapy 3 times a week and is staying in good shape. His spirits are very good. We have moved right next door to our son and granddaughter in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Life is good.

With the Neals last fall...

Yesterday Erwin completed his computer course "Introduction to the PC, Microsoft Windows XP and Introduction to the Internet" and received his certificate of recogniton. He is very pleased with his achievement! Pictured are Junny Vos of PrivéPro and Erwin Muller.

Computer Lessons

Erwin is taking computer lessons at PrivéPro. http://www.privepronv.com/
His instructor is Junny Vos, pictured here in the photo with Erwin. Last week, Erwin received the wonderful gift of a brand new laptop computer from Dick and Barbara Stewart, who have been coming to Bonaire for years and know Erwin from diving with him. Erwin is absolutely thrilled with this fabulous gift. Thank you so much, Dick & Barbara!

August 2010

Last month Erwin and I went to Curacao for a week so he could get some occupational therapy, which isn't available in Bonaire. The week went very well and once again we were treated to great hospitality by Leo who graciously allowed us to stay in his home. Back in Bonaire, Erwin has started computer lessons and is doing very well! We lost our precious dog, Mokka, this week, after a car accident, and we are heartbroken over this.

Great Group

A group of divers from Wisconsin, that knew Erwin from previous dive trips to Bonaire, looked him up this week to see how he was doing. They invited us out to dinner at Richard's restaurant one evening but my back was acting up after an exhausting trip to Curacao so Erwin went with them on his own. He had a great time and I promised to rest my back so that I could make it to the dinner they were planning for two nights later. What a dinner! Sherman, who works at Toucan Divers, is also a great chef and he was in charge of the meal. Starting with a delicious seafood soup followed by a choice of either seafood pasta or beef stroganoff, both with homemade pasta. Then came the food from the grill...chicken, ribs, beef tenderloin and red snapper (with a fantastic salsa), potatoes, rice and... as if there needed to be more...all of this was followed by birthday cake and ice cream! A very enjoyable evening and it was great meeting new friends. Thanks again to Ed and all the Wisconsin gang!

Summertime

The beginning of June saw a visit to Bonaire from our good friend Dara Walter. Dara, Erwin & I went swimming in Sorobon on her first day here and over the next two weeks we celebrated her 50th birthday with a surprise party, went out to lunch & dinner, showed off our precious granddaughter and Erwin and our dog Mokka even joined us on a dive excursion a little farther a field than Erwin normally goes since his stroke. It was a fun 2 weeks! The rest of June has consisted of several doctor's visits for both of us, including a trip to Curacao on June 22nd.

Windsurfing Pioneer

The crew from the documentary Children of the Wind has been filming in Bonaire for the past few weeks. It looks like this is going to be a great movie, showcasing the amazing talents and accomplishments of the Bonairean windsurfers both young and old! Erwin was a pioneer in the sport on Bonaire, being the first Bonairean to try windsurfing and later winning numerous competitions but Erwin is probably best known for his long distance windsurfing adventures...including sailing from Bonaire to Curacao with a record time that held for twenty years! Erwin also windsurfed from Curacao to Venezuela and circumnavigated Bonaire. The photo shows Erwin just after his interview was filmed.
http://www.childrenofthewindmovie.com/the_film.html

More Sailing!

In the past two months, Erwin went out sailing a half a dozen more times on Sally's boat "Zahi". Last weekend Sally needed someone to sail her boat back to Aruba and our son Jason agreed to do it. Erwin was invited along on the trip. Erwin was so excited about this because in the old days he had sailed Sally's boat to St. Maarten, Aruba, Saba, Dominica and other islands in the Caribbean. They had a good trip over to Aruba and flew back two days later. A nice adventure to buoy Erwin's spirits!

"A calm sea does not make a skillful sailor"

Sailing

Erwin loves boats of any kind but his absolute favorite thing is sailing. Although we have gotten him out in motor boats several times, yesterday was the first sail for Erwin since he had his stroke. With the help of Linda and Martijn we got him aboard Sally's sailboat "Zahi" and they set off for a three hour sail. A very enjoyable afternoon was had by all. Thanks, Sally, Linda and Martijn!

Happy 50th Birthday!!

Today is Erwin's 50th birthday! Since his birthday falls on a Monday this year, we figured that yesterday (Sunday) would be a better day to celebrate the big event! The party was held on the beach at Sorobon and Erwin had a wonderful day surrounded by good friends and family, great scenery and plenty of delicious food. A big thanks to Jason, Marlene and her Mom and Dad who were a huge help in putting the party together and thanks to everyone who brought food and showed up to celebrate! It was a perfect day for Erwin!

I made a quick collage with some photos from yesterday. Click on photo for larger view.
Happy 50th Birthday to my wonderful husband, Erwin!! He has had the roughest year of his life but still has a smile for everyone! I love him so much!

Children of the Wind

Here are some links to the documentary, Children of the Wind, that I mentioned in the post on January 16th...
http://www.childrenofthewindmovie.com/themovie.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=-CDgYcd4bZ8

Saturday Swim

On Saturday, Erwin and I had a very nice swim with Linda. Molly and Jason joined us, too! Erwin even got to see a Frogfish while he was snorkeling! He was a happy camper :-). Click on photo for larger view.

A New Year Begins

First the good news...Erwin's friend Stewart is back on the island. He picks up Erwin every morning and takes him along on his dive excursions. Erwin really enjoys this. Erwin was also interviewed for a documentary on the history of windsurfing in Bonaire and participated in a rally " Boneiru Activo" which promotes participation in sports and fitness activities. The attached photo is from the Boneiru Activo ceremony at the sports stadium. This photo was on the front page of the Extra newspaper. Erwin is on the far right with the other representatives of the windsurfing contingent. Photo courtesy of Ibi Piar..
Now the bad news...Erwin's younger sister (49) suffered a massive stroke on January 7th. She is currently in the hospital in Curacao but will probably be sent back to Bonaire next week. From all accounts she is not doing very well. More on this later.

Happy Holidays!

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who has given us such tremendous support and encouragement throughout this trying year. We couldn't have made it through without all your help, contributions and prayers. We still have a long way to go with Erwin's recovery, so please keep us in your thoughts during the coming year.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and may your star shine brightly in the New Year!

Much Love,
Ellen & Erwin

New Plans

Had a great visit with Erwin's rehabilitation doctor last week. We made plans to go to Curacao for a few days sometime early next year to do an extensive evaluation of Erwin's current situation and see where he needs the most help in his rehabilitation therapy. The rescheduled visit with his neurologist is next week.

On the home front, we are being plagued by repeated thefts and an attempted break in. This sucks!!

Cruisin'

We got Erwin out in the boat last weekend. He had a good time cruising along the coastline. As we arrived back to shore, we were treated to a green flash. The perfect evening ended with dinner from Bobbejans. :-)

Frustration & Fun

After running around all day last Monday with 3 visits to the insurance office and two to the doctor's office, getting Erwin's paperwork straightened out and going to the airport to pay for the plane tickets to Curacao, I got home late in the afternoon only to receive a call from Erwin's neurologist's office saying that his appointment for Tuesday had been cancelled and would not be rescheduled until early December. I had so hoped to be able to fine tune the dosage on his anti seizure meds, in consultation with his doctor, but now it will have to wait for another 6 weeks. So frustrating! Thankfully, his rehabilitation doctor comes to Bonaire, monthly, so if all goes according to plan Erwin will see him on October 30th.

Friends of Erwin's from his days at Toucan Diving have stopped by the past two Saturdays to spend some time with him. Yesterday they took an afternoon drive with Erwin around the southern part of the island and stopped by to visit with friends. Thanks, Mark and Resa :-).

A New Month Begins..

October arrives with no real progress to report. Erwin is holding steady. He has an appointment with his neurologist in Curacao, later this month, and also his rehabilitation doctor. After consulting with them, we will then try to figure out the next steps to take.

We bought a "zero gravity" chair for Erwin and it has turned out to be a great investment. When I go diving, we set up the chair in a shady spot on the beach, and Erwin can watch the sunset and converse with any friends that stop by. His friend Stewart has been picking up Erwin in the mornings and taking him along on his dive excursions, as well.

On a sad note, it is disappointing to see how many of Erwin's friends have pretty much abandoned him. I guess everyone is busy with their own lives and they don't have time to spend with a friend in desperate need of companionship and camaraderie. This breaks my heart.

A fisherman, that we have known for years, lost three of his fingers (just above the knuckles) earlier this week in a fishing accident. Yikes! We stopped by his house to see how he was doing yesterday and this morning he came by and spent a couple of hours chatting with Erwin.

Moko and Erwin...

Sultry September

Some good news....Erwin's neurologist gave the okay to reduce the dosage on his anti seizure meds. Just the elimination of one pill a day (from 5) has made a HUGE difference. His physical therapist had been reporting that he was going backwards in his physical recovery as a result of the medication and after yesterday's session said that Erwin was almost back to his pre meds self. This is a big relief!!

August Update

Erwin's anti seizure meds were started at a low dose and gradually increased over the course of a few weeks so that he is now taking the maximum dose. These drugs totally drain the life out of him. His recovery from the stroke is going to be greatly impaired, as long as he needs to be taking them, which his doctor mentioned would be for two years. I have asked a few US doctors their thoughts on Erwin's treatment and they concur that he needs to be on the anti seizure drugs. There hasn't been any improvement in his left arm function.

He finally got back in the water, for some swimming, twice last week which he thoroughly enjoys. Erwin is currently in extreme need of some occupational therapy but there is none available here in Bonaire so we are going to have to figure something out on that front. That will be our next project.