Team Muzzy Meal Plan

I have been getting a lot of questions about Team Muzzy's food plan. This blog post will fill everyone in on what my shopping list typically looks like, recipes, and the costs associated.

We mostly shop at Walmart in Clinton, NC & Sams Club in Fayetteville, NC.

Your pricing may be different at diff locations.

All amounts are based for the whole month but I shop weekly.

Everything is based off of 2 adults.

You may need more or less based off your own usages.

SHOPPING LIST W/PRICES

-1 canister of Advocare Spark at $51.95/month

-1 canister Advocare Muscle Gain at $79.95/month

-6 cartons of cage free farm fresh eggs at $4.76/ea = $28.56/month

-3 onions at $.88/lb = $2.64/month OR 3 precut onion tubs at $2/ea = $6/month

-3 cartons of sliced mushrooms at $3.34/ea = $10.02/month

-Portabella mushroom caps at Sams 18oz $3.98 or Walmart 6oz $2.88

-1 bag of baby carrots at $1.84

-2 bags of precut broccoli at $4.74/ea = $9.48/mo OR 4lbs fresh broccoli crowns at $1.44/lb = $5.76/m

-8 lbs bananas at $.57/lb = $4.56/month

-4 cucumbers at $.52/ea = $2.08/month

-2 packages of great value bacon bits at $4.78/ea = $9.56/month

-1 large bottle of great value ranch at $3.86

-1 olive oil nonstick spray at $1.53

-3 12ct Activia yogurts at $5.43/ea =$16.29/month

-1 1lb fiesta shredded cheese at $5.97

-1 1lb shredded mozzarella cheese at $5.97

-1 10lb bag of frozen boneless/skinless chicken at $19.83

-3 6lb raw whole chickens at $.98/lb = $23.52 OR 4 1lb cooked whole chickens at $4.98/ea =$19.92

-3 heads of iceberg lettuce at $.98/ea =$2.94/m OR 3 packs of romaine lettuce at $2.38/ea = $7.14/m

-Butter tub at $3.14 and spray at $3.76

-3 bags of frozen vegetables at $5.98/ea = $17.94/month

-Seasonal fruits whatever is cheapest budget $10- $20/month
-Nuts: Now we buy 2 - 3lb tubs of mixed planters sea salt nuts from Sams Club for $16/ea = $32/month. Walmart sells one similar at 1lb for $12/ea which you would need 6 of at $72/month
-2 12ct Akins shakes at Sams Club at $15.27 = $30.54 OR 6 4ct at Walmart at $5.38 = $32.28
-Spices any kind you want
-Dips/sauces any you like so long as they meet the label guidelines below.
In total you should not be spending over $300 in food to eat healthy while fueling your body properly! For the chickens I choose one or the other frozen or whole depending on how we feel but the flavoring possibilities (spices/dips/sauces) are endless and thats why we never get tired of what we eat! Pretty soon the chickens will be laying eggs and that expense will fall off our grocery bill as well! You can obviously save more by prepping your foods verses buying them pre-prepped but sometimes a girl is tired! Also some of the items you wont need to buy monthly or as often, I kinda just replenish when they are low. I just tried to give a rough estimate about the max of what healthy eating could look like. I don't include our Advocare expenses because we have a whole separate budget for that and the Akins shakes. We personally only spend about $250-$295 for the month since changing our lifestyle. We use to literally spend $400 and up!!! So for us its not only saved our lives but also our checking account!!!

Lets talk about nutritional labels for a moment. How many of you actually read those things? I never really use too and I focused on the wrong parts! When your trying to adapt recipes or try new dips or sauces what I want you to look at is the CARBOHYDRATES! Normally a serving size is 2 tablespoons. I bet you never read that part either eh? I don't like to eat any type of sauce or dip that has more then 5 carbs, I honestly like to stick to 1-3 max. Did you know to look at the fiber and subtract that from the carb number? Same if there is sugar alcohol content listed. Both of those numbers you should always subtract from the carbs listed in order to get your net carb. Thats the guideline I follow. Do you realize how different each brand can be for the same product? Seriously lets take ranch for example hidden valley brand has 3 carbs in it while great value has 1 carb! They taste the same to us and great value is cheaper so thats what we get. So please always check your labels.

Are you afraid you can't eat foods that you love anymore?

WRONG! Everything in moderation my dear! Lets talk PORTION CONTROL! I typically try to use the hand method to portion things out. I don't count calories or use measuring cups because lets face it thats just not sustainable for me and its too time consuming. If I were to need to really buckle down then I might try other methods. However, right now this is what works for me! Take a challenge for me please, measure everything you consume at every meal this week according to the labels serving size. Take a picture of it, now serve up what you would normally do, take a picture, compare the photos... see how much we sway from the suggest serving size? See how over the top our consumption is? I struggle the most in this area because I struggle with binge eating. If you struggle with food, I HIGHLY suggest reading the book “Shades of Hope”. Even if you don't struggle read it. It can be life changing if you let it be.

Things I have learned. Your body can only process so much with in the hour. Typically a body burns 1200 calories a normal day. It needs that amount in order to maintain and function properly. Eating less than 1200 calories a day is not good for your body, it doesn't understand that you are trying to lose weight, instead it starts to store and go into survival mode. In which case can also make you gain defeating the purpose of cutting your calories. The more active you are the more you should eat BUT you need to fuel at the proper times, because again it can only process so much in a given amount of time. You should always kick start your metabolism with breakfast, don't skip it. To keep your metabolism going you should eat at least every 4 hours at minimum if you can help it. Our typical day looks like Breakfast at 7am, snack at 10am typically after our morning cardio/abs, lunch at noon, strength training at 1pm, then a snack at 2 (post workout), dinner around 5, and a bedtime snack at 8pm. We like to try and stick to this schedule as much as possible. Life happens though so sometimes were off an hour or so or have to throw all our workouts into one sitting instead of 2. We believe you need to fuel yourself pre and post workout so you can see why we have the schedule set up the way we do. Now if you are training for a event of some sort you may need to taylor this a bit more.

ADVOCARE

Yes, we are independent distributor advisors. Why? We love the quality products so much we decided to back them! If your interested in learning more about the products, trying them, or wanting to become a distributor too please message me! I can also tell you how to get your own discount! I have had many ask about Advocare since they see me having my morning Spark everyday! I also use clear mood! Cory interchanges muscle gain, post workout recovery, and mass impact. An when we need extra hydration we use rehydrate! You can check out our website because I'm sure every single person can find something thats perfect for them!

Speaking about hydration. What do you drink? It is said that you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day. I am pretty sure I may over do that sometimes which is also said to potentially screw with your electrolytes. At first to help get myself off of the soda pop and sweet tea, I started drinking diet green tea to help me transition to water. Find the way that works for you! I also have to have it super cold and a straw! Insert my wonder woman tumbler!

EXERCISE

Move your tush more! We do cardio and abs monday through friday, strength train heavy weight/low reps Monday (chest/tri's) & Tuesday (back/bi's), Wednesday is leg day, strength train low weights/high reps on Thursday (chest/tri's) & Friday (back/bi's), off Saturday & Sunday. You don't need a GYM to exercise! Even walking for 30mins a day can greatly improve your life! If you need advice or ideas just message us! We are more then happy to help you develop a plan with what you have! If your local to us feel free to utilize our home gym, its free!

I will be writing out the recipes I use in another blog but for now below you can find the things we eat.

BREAKFAST

-Omelet Casserole w/a spoon of salsa, half a banana or handful of any fruit, yogurt for cory, & Spark.

(sometimes we add a slice of bacon)

-Scrambled egg, bacon bits, shredded cheese, garlic salt, butter. Half a banana or handful of other fruit.

LUNCH

-Boiled egg w/salt&paprika, raw broccoli, raw carrots, ranch.

-Portabella Mushroom cap Pizza's

-Salads

-Dinner left overs

DINNER

-Any meat the size of my hand and 1 and half handfuls of frozen veggies.

(with assorted spices, dips, & sauces)

-Portabella Mushroom cap Pizza's

-Salads

SNACKS

-Handful of mixed nuts

-Shakes

-Handful of fruit or veggies

-Banana protein muffins

-Pecan Swirls for Cory from Sams Club.

PLEASE message us if you have any questions or need advice!!!

We have been doing all of this since March and I have lost 40lbs and feel better and happier than I have in my entire life, Cory has lost 15lbs but has built a decent amount of muscle already too! If we can do it, then I know you can too! Persistence and Perseverance! Stay consistent at least 85% of the time and you will notice a difference in no time!

 

 

Well I certainty have done a horrible job and keeping the blog updated! I tend to keep the updates on the Team Muzzy page up and running tho. Just in case your a blog reader and keep up this way let me see if I can fill you guys in.

Cory went off to Blind school at the Hines, VA blind center in Chicago, IL. He learned so very much there and had way too much fun. He didn't want to leave! He went horse back riding, golfing, swimming, kayaking, fishing, played some bingo and visited some cool spots like Al Capone's grave and some museums. His had 7 classes a day, 5 days a week, for 2 months. They were broke down into living skills, orientation & mobility, manual skills, computer and technology skills, and ADL skills. Many of these areas he flew through with little to no issues.

I came to the blind center for the family program. Were I spent 2 days kinda going through a bit of what Cory has done and a overview of what he can/cant do. Yes, I was blind folded to complete some tasks myself and lets just say everyone should really try it! It deff brings on a whole new perspective!

Cory is like a whole new man! I am highly impressed with the center and Cory!

We are just back to Texas now where they will start his MED board process to medically retire out of the Army. He is also back to rehab at the CFI were he will start learning how to run and practice swimming some more.

Cory and I have sat down and after a lot of consideration we have decided we will not be trying for baby Muzzy any longer. We could be on our way back home for good in 4-6 months and we would rather not just try to squeeze it in and add so much more stress to our lives. We wont be preventing so if it ever just happens to happen then that's a miracle worth having! If not, its not the end of the world either. We are talking of maybe adopting in maybe 5 years or so. Time will tell where our hearts will lead us.

Overall Cory is doing fantastic and we are trying to get into a new normal now that hes so much more independent! He has an eye check up tomorrow which honestly I'm a bit worried about because Cory has said the last couple of weeks his vision has declined, and looking at his right eye it looks really different then what I left him as. So I worry as always!

Next week I am starting a part time job that's only a couple of days a week but will give me something to do while Cory is off doing his stuff. Plus who couldn't use some extra money?

It's pretty weird to think we are finally at the end of this journey and will soon be transitioning on into building our real normal lives the way we choose too. Whats even funnier is that when things first happen Cory and I made it a goal to be going home around the 2 year mark of the accident. How strange is that to be coming true?! We can taste the freedom! We cant wait to find all our new activity spots and hook up with local organizations as well as volunteer our little hearts out when we get back home for good. Cory had to pass up speaking at the Duke conference this year but plans to next year, as well as going to the Tee tournament again, and possibly this week long event for the younger blind kids out in Chicago. This year we are hoping to be able to take what use to be our yearly summer vacation trip to the mountains again! I am so looking forward to that week. We need to find a spot to golf at, a spot to kayak at, a spot to ride horses at and a spot to fish at in our area of Sampson or Cumberland county back home still! Send us any places that would work with Cory and allow some adapting! (for example letting a golf cart on the green to stand up against when he swings etc.)

Oh yea everything on the house minus 2 things is done (installing a kitchen fan and fixing the shed lights switch into the house if the contractor ever gets around to doing it, which if its not done by the time we are home again I will hire someone else to do them and deduct those expenses from the gift cards I owe him for purchasing the appliances. I am also going to have a dimmer installed and change out the living room fan to match. Then its a matter of finishing decorating when all our goods ship home! Then I'll tackle cleaning out our shed and organizing it to have it extended out the back to create a workshop/gym for Cory!

Thank you for all the continued support we love each and every one of you!

Hello Blogger community I want to apologize for not doing a better job on updating y'all! If your on Facebook I do most of the updating on the Team Muzzy page or my personal Facebook.

Most of y'all who read here aren't on Facebook so I apologize in advance!

Last update seemed to be the beginning of January, my how times fly's!

So much to update on!!!

Cory's right eye is healing nicely and staying stable so far. The pressure is back down into a normal range again. His cornea is clearing up and he is beginning to be able to use his eyeglasses (needs a new prescription) to see large contrasted print, shapes, colors, light/shadow, and movement up close again. His left eye has been pretty stable this whole time so we are thinking its better to hold off on fixing it till after Cory attends blind rehab which he plans to do in August/September in Chicago, IL.

At blind rehabilitation Cory will learn to become completely independent in 4 to 6 possibly up to 8 weeks. I will be dropping him off and then heading home to NC during his schooling. At the end I get to come and be taught the best ways to help him in his new way of life, for example how to properly guide him. They will also show me everything he can do so that he cant try and get out of anything by saying he isn't able to. We joked about house work! We are hoping he can get a hard contact before he goes so that he can have his best vision possible.

He wanted to hold off on his left eye surgeries (which should only be 2 if all goes well) because from now till he leaves for blind rehab he has time to practice walking. His goal is to be using a cane instead of forearm crutches by then. He has 3 months!

Cory's left ear is healing really nicely and we expect his hearing to return to 80% fingers crossed and then the hearing aids will help in certain situations too. This is the week he comes off restrictions and can get back to walking. He still has to take it easy on straining too hard or much. He is very happy to finally get back to work! I'll be happy to get back into a routine too.

His legs are perfect! They are all healed no problems and he is soooooo happy Dr. G the amazing cached that nerve and fixed it. I catch him tapping and rubbing his nub all the time just because he can now. He couldn't touch it like that before with out hurting!

The House is looking so amazing and we couldn't have made this possible with out all of your help!

Thank you for all the love, support, prayers, and donations!

Thank you to The Americas Fund for making this happen for Cory and I!

By the time all is said and done with the help from a VA grant, The Americas Fund, Donations from all of you and savings from our hard earned money this whole project will have cost around $135,000.

This completely renovated the whole home to become accessible for Cory and then some.

Doorways where widened, half of the home was extended out the back to create more space for the kitchen, master bath and new master bedroom, we ran into water issues that had to be taken care of with 275 feet of a french pump drain, a back deck and ramp with 2 exits as required by ADA code were added along with several windows, all floors were replaced with hardwood and tile, the new master bathroom will have a roll in shower and two entrances, our previous bar counter was relocated to open up the space between the living room and kitchen eliminating the wall altogether, kitchen counters will vary in height to allow for roll in with wheelchair, roll under sink, the stove will have front access for the knobs as well as the fridge will have a drawer that pulls out at the perfect height for wheelchairs, painted the whole place, the laundry room was rearranged for roll in access and the water heater was replaced with a tank-less system, vinyl siding and gutters where installed, new furnishings, thank you garden, and outdoor toys for the boys as well. Half of the furnishings are here with us in Texas and will go back with us when we return home for good.

Want to give a shout out to All American Home Renovations and our contractor Marc and his teams for making our home into the beautiful gem it is.

We are holding a open house June 17^th from 1:00 pm till 4:00 pm.

604 North Pine Street, Roseboro, NC 28382

We would love to have you come check out what your hard work went into and to give us a chance to meet you as well! Refreshments will be provided and plenty of things to do for the kids as well!

We will never be able to thank everyone enough, forever grateful!

If that date doesn't work for you please don't hesitate to visit on another, we will be home on leave from June 15^th till July 6^th just expect a whole bunch of crazy with me unpacking the pod after the open house!

On our second wedding anniversary we are getting the best gift ever, after 10 long months or having not seen them, we are bringing home our furbabies! Since they started the remodel they have been off at training camp where they are doing an amazing job I hear! I literally can not wait to snuggle!

On to the making baby Muzzy front. Still haven't been able to get into the infertility clinic here due to my BMI being higher then 35. I was taking 1000mg of Metiformn and getting the normal cramps and potty issues that go along with that medication despite doing the whole low carb thing as suggested, however when they upped it to 2000mg and I became nauseous all day and puking after anything I ate. I gave myself a little break. I will be restarting here soon and titrated up again as I can handle. I take Metiformn for insulin resistance due to PCOS. After several tests and a biopsy it was determined my lining to be too thick so I am now on Provera 14 days on and 14 days off till told otherwise to stop. I will have to redo the tests and biopsy in 6 months. In the mean time I have to do a 2hr glucose test and another HSG. Cory's semen analysis came back abnormal, the one prior to the accident was normal so he was referred to a urologist and has to repeat another semen analysis. I am hoping that it was somehow just a mistake. Its hard enough having me be the problem with out adding to it. Ill just keep my fingers crossed. I ordered a ton of things I am hoping will help the process. I am starting a low-carb/little to no sugar/clean eating diet at at least 80% along with becoming more active to lose some weight since that's apparently the reason for all things infertile. Which I get so tired of hearing because honestly I know its better on my body but when I lost 80 pounds before it made no difference in having a baby. Not once have I ever in my life gotten a positive test or had to worry about it like most people. It simply just doesn't happen for me. I do not ovulate. Sorry for the vent. I have invested in several tools to help when things start to get more serious and are no longer all tests. I have fertile-Aid, Ova-boost, fertile CM, fertile focus saliva ovulation detector, Ovu-Sense monitoring system, PreSeed, Pro+ & Endoflex essential oils, soft cups, and a gazillion hcg test strips. So to say the least we are pretty serious!

On to some awesomeness! Cory has shown some interest a few times about learning to play guitar. So I thought well hey he must be serious, I set to Facebook to ask some questions and a friend and fellow wounded warrior wife sent us to Warrior Cry Music Project to see if they could help!

What a truly amazing organization they instantly brought us on board! If I could explain the excitement in Cory's face to learn something new, to find a new hobby that isn't almost completely changed just because he cant see, it was just the most beautiful thing I have seen in awhile. Not only will Cory be learning but they brought me on board as well! So we will be learning together! I am totally in love with this idea. Its something new that we get to build with each other. I am so happy he is finally finding new hobbies he is loving and I'm starting to see the pain of not being able to do what he use to anymore leave his body and be replaced by these new awesome things! Kayaking and Guitar!

God thank you for all your blessings and continue to watch over our supporters!

Sorry for such a long read!

-Team Muzzy

See a video of Cory being silly HERE

See a video of Cory walking  HERE

Updates:

Cory's right nubby is doing well, he was cleared to start wearing his liner again. It's looking fantastic! He wont be having anymore eye surgeries until we come back from leave in March. He's started with Recreational Therapy (RT) and is loving it. He went to the food bank and sorted stuff and said he had a good time and that he liked it. I got a lot done in the 4 hours of free time that gave me by getting a lot of the stuff we need for the ski trip lol Friday their doing Dave & Busters, I'll have to remind him to wear his hearing aids that day so he doesn't get overwhelmed. I'm so proud of him. Everything is real stable for the moment and things are going well here in Texas. I am so thankful for the staff always going out of their ways for us. I wonder if they realize how big of an impact they make on peoples lives and how grateful we are for them. There will never be enough words. Never.

They start remodeling the house next week!!!! This weekend everyone is packing up everything and putting it all in the POD. Jerry from the Fayetteville Location got us a sweet deal and helped us out! The dogs are going to doggy bootcamp tomorrow for a 8 week basic training course at Tarheel Canine. I am praying someone took pictures of everything before so I can have my memories of my dads house. That's what makes it bittersweet for me as we have spent over 10 years there. I am so happy that Cory will have access to the whole house and be able to be as independent as possible. I'm also happy because my dad who passed away 3 years ago always wanted to do more with the place and now its happening. I only wish he was here to see it. I miss him too much. Everything in the house is going to be completely different! It's so crazy to think about. Almost surreal. I'm glad its only going to cost us $18.400, We are still fundraising to help pay for it. The Americas Fund said they would be helping too, but I'm still waiting on the contract and stuff so that I can send it there way etc 

Had my first doctor appointment today to get a referral into the infertility clinic. Let me tell you how much fun it was filling in the history up till now and then the pity look I got when I explained why there was a random break after we just finished testing at ft Bragg and how we got here. It wasn't fun but its part of the process. The doctor started me on prenatal s, metformin, & spironolactone. The first 2 I am familiar with because I have been on them before, the last I haven't. She said all these things are great for people with PCOS so we shall see how it goes. I start tomorrow. The blood vampires took 9 vile's for various tests to check stuff and I have to go to the other lab in the morning for my chromosomes to be checked. The paper says someone should call me in 3 days about the referral. I see the doc I saw today in 3 months to see how the meds are working. Also I am obviously overweight and have to lose some.  Tell me something I didn't already know!

onward and upward!

#TeamMuzzySigningOut

Update Time!

 

I'll start from head to toe or lack there of! haha

 

TBI/Headaches: TBI left no actual damage to his brain thank god and he has been cleared from the TBI clinic. He still suffers from headaches daily but they aren't nearly as bad as they use to be.

 

PTSD: We are both learning better ways to cope with life and what types of situations to avoid to keep us from feeling out of whack. Even then we just kind of push through it. We both suffer anxiety something Cory never really experienced till the accident happen. I can read him like a book and can tell if I need to change something or do something different. For example placement of where he is sat and if anyone's bumping into his wheelchair. Things that really help is having his back towards a wall and wearing his hearing aid. Things that help me is calling ahead and finding out to make sure access is available for wheelchairs. Some places say they do but then turn out to be a little tricky. instances like that put me out of whack. We both look forward to the day where we wont need his chair as often.

 

Metal/Emoional Health: We love the help we get at the CFI and I think we are both doing ok. Cory rarely complains or gets down. I can honestly only think of one time and that's when we had to start over in his right eye. Even then he was fine the next day saying the dreaded line of "it is what it is". I deff think I'm the one who has more down days. Sometimes I just get sad and miss my home and family. Its not easy this whole new life, but like our PT says its just a blip in time. Deep down I know that. So in the name of Cory "it is what it is" lol dads going to kill us if we keep saying that!

 

Ears: They are actually kind of doing fantastic. His left surgery to repair his eardrum will be done in March. His right healed up nicely. Tomorrow we get the right hearing aid so he will have one in both ears. They even have blue tooth and can sync to his phone and TV's!

 

Eyes: oh the complications... We just love Dr. Kim. If he had to leave before all Cory's eye stuff was done I would be distraught. Ophthalmology clinic is like our 2nd home, I joke with them all the time about that. The eye stuff is so complicated I'm just not sure how to break it down properly but I am going to try. Cory is legally blind, the hope when everything is said and done is that he will be the notch before being legally blind. He will NEVER see details again. To be honest that kinda breaks my heart. He will never get to see the men his children grow into and that hurts like a dickens. Right now he is back to seeing movement and light. Lets start with the right eye, which is his best eye. The retina is stable and attached, they have oil in, and he really needs a new cornea. The idea is to remove oil and do a cornea transplant in March after leave. The left eye is not so great. A portion of his optic nerve must have gotten damaged and that's the reasoning for him not being able to see the top 60%. It's just black. After taking some scans today it shows that in the same area his retina is detached as well. Cory couldn't notice because it was black up top for so long. This concerns Dr. Kim because he doesn't want it to detach completely causing all his sight to go even though its only a little. He also needs a cornea transplant. We meet with the cornea doc next week to figure out the plans since leave is around the corner. Dr Kim thinks we will try to do the surgeries in early Jan for the left eye. He will prob get oil again and need another cornea transplant after because of the oil. We prob have another year left of eye surgeries if all goes well we are looking at about 7ish.

 

Neck Fracture: Totally healed. He did lose a little bit of range of motion but its no biggy.

 

Heart: He is going to be seen here soon, will keep everyone updated.

 

 

Right Forearm Break: or as Cory puts it shattered lol its healed up and is now actually his strong arm! woop woop!

 

Left Nubby: Healed perfect, no complications, and his prosthetic is starting to feel like his own leg. 

 

Right Nubby: Still has staples in it, but looks to be healing nicely! Cory's not looking forward to when those are removed since its still sensitive. We are so glad we went ahead with that surgery to remove the trauma sutures that were causing problems. Once he is healed he can get back to walking on his prosthetics!

 

Nutrition: We are both fatties lol and will be starting a new plan after the holidays. Step one is admitting the weight we have both gained. At least Cory has a legit excuse, I however don't!

 

The Boys: We miss them way to stinking much. It's hard watching babies grow from afar. We are excited to be able to see them both in Feb.! It's the best Alive day present for Cory ever! He is just over the moon about it. Kille has been struggling missing his daddies since Cory is here and his step dad is at basic training but he is doing great in school. Deklen has start to walk already! We miss so much and it sucks.

 

The Dogs: Excuse me while I get the tissues out. I'm not use to being away from my babies so its a whole other kind of missing from my step kids. It's hard. Like really hard. I cry about it often. Not to sound harsh but I've never been through anything where they weren't there for me to cry on so its kind of difficult being with out them. Pretty soon they will be off to doggy boot camp to get some training while the house is being remodeled. They all did so great when we went home last. They prob think we have forsaken them :(

 

The House: The approval came through from the VA for the $70,000 grant. The blue prints to make half of the house accessible rang up to $73,400. We are responsible for the $3,400. To finish the rest of the house we were quoted at $15,000. So we are responsible for $18,400. Which really isn't bad at all considering everything they will be doing! We are still fundraising to help cover the costs and any little bit helps. We are still waiting on the papers etc to sign and fax a copy over to the Americas Fund. They will be helping in paying for it as well and when I heard more I will share!  

 

Infertility: Before the accident Cory and I were being seen at Womack's Reproductive endocrinology department also known as the infertility clinic. For the passed 8 years off and on with and without medical intervention I have had no luck becoming pregnant thanks to a lovely disease called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome also known as PCOS.  When the accident happen, it put a crimp in our plans and they came to a halt. We have been struggling with and when the right time for us will be to start again and if we could handle all the extra appointments, medications, costs, time, and emotional distress. We decided that we could handle it and that it would be the more financially savvy route as the types of procedures that will be happening will greatly increase once he retires. So the most realistic overall chances will be while he is still active duty when infertility treatment costs are greatly reduced. So there you have it Team Muzzy is trying for a baby Muzzy! <3

 

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this coming year as it's going to be a wild ride!

 

xoxo

 

 



It has come to my attention and with a heavy heart that I even feel the need to make this blog post but here goes...

Recently I was sent screen shots of an old friend speaking ill of myself, my husband, and Team Muzzy.

While I search for the truths in the post and comments much of it is inaccurate.

So I want to set the record straight and square things away for those who may not know any better.

First and foremost I wish this life on no one, We would give anything to go back. I would gladly switch lives with anyone to have my husband whole again. To be at HOME cuddling with our dogs. I would much rather have stayed at my amazing job then have to let my husband feel helpless and turn into his caregiver verses his wife. Despite everything we have been through we still feel blessed! After all we get to spend more time together now and our bond is stronger then anything anyone could imagine.

Let start with getting his injuries correct. Cory is blind in BOTH eyes. He will never see clear or detailed again, never, for the rest of his life. Think of it this way take a zip lock bag and fold it in half twice. This is what he sees on a good day, most of the time less especially after surgeries, which are still on going. With the oil in his eye add water to that zip lock bag and that's what he sees. Oil distorts things more just like the water in the bag. Tape that to your face and see how well you can get around and what you can achieve. He will never drive again. He will also never grow his legs back. Sure there are prosthesis but so many factors go into that besides learning how to walk, your residual limb can swell or shrink making for and ill-fitting prosthetic. Resulting in being stuck in a wheelchair.

Apparently I have my hand out for hand outs and I'm taking advantage of our situation because I keep having one fundraiser after another and have raised $75,000.

Man oh man how I wish that was true! If that was the case I wouldn't have to fund-raise.

Because of this inaccurate information I feel the need to fill everyone in with the amounts and where they went, no I don't have too, no its no ones business, but I'm sure it will ease everyone knowing their donations went toward what we said they would.

Also I have not held not one fundraiser, people come to me asking if they can, I say yes.

I have however thrown a thank you party for all the support.

TSLGI: Yes we got it and were advised to put them into CD's. CD's can't be touched for 5 years. We made a mistake in doing that and didn't think about the struggles we would have in the future. That's what happens when you make choices in the mist of chaos.

The original Fundraiser was immediately set up by a couple of friends named Roxy & Stephanie. If it hadn't been for this fundraiser we would have been straight up screwed. Everyone thinks the military takes care of you, but they don't. About $22,000 was raised. Duke is located an hour and a half away from our home. Cory was at Duke for a month in half. Money was spent on the gas. Money was spent on lodging for when I wanted to take a shower. Money was spent on food. Money was spent on parking which was $6/7/day depending on if you did valet or not. We were told by the Army we would get per diem for 15 days. 6 months later we had to fight to get that refunded and it wasn't even 1/3 of what we spent. We also paid for his parents plane tickets in which the Army said they would refund and never did. We also paid for his brothers gas to come down and help his parents move from New Mexico to North Carolina. Money was spent on moving them and all that entails. His mom and myself both lost our jobs and bills still had to be paid. Money was spent on them bringing our vehicle here to us in TX.

All of that money is gone and that's is everything it was spent on.

Stephanie also set up the online booster T shirt fundraiser which $1500 was made all of which went to bills, food, gas.

The next fundraiser was set up by Kate and Mr. Barefoot at the Railroad steak house where about $3100 was raised. All those monies went to bills and travel expenses to bring his 1^st son down when we went home on leave in September.

The next fundraiser was a craft fair put on by Dawn and her family. $1171 was made in that fundraiser and has yet to be used because we haven't received it yet. This money will go toward the house.

The Votaw family created a gofundme account where people could donate to the house fund. No money from this has been used (so far its about $300 last I checked) this is going toward the house.

Sampson County 4H raised around $600 in which was used on gas/food.

Around $600 was raised through the magnets and is going toward the house.

Currently there are three online fundraisers by Danielle, Niki, & Sandra for Herbalife, Oragami Owl, and Younique products. They are still ongoing. Anything made from then will be going toward the house.

We were approved for a VA Housing Adaptation grant that is paid directly to the VA contractor for $65,000. The blue prints just for one portion of the house to be adapted came out to $73,000. That's to extend part of the house, adapt the kitchen, one bathroom, and a hallway and does not include the other hallway, the other bathroom, and the laundry room. Per ADA requirements he has to have 2 exits and in that estimate a back deck and ramp is included. Anything the grant does not pay for we are responsible for paying. So as it stands we are responsible for $8,000 as is. Thats not even including the things not covered which we have yet to get the quote on. Which would finish the house and make it 100% accessible. I don't know about you but I would just like for my husband to be able to get around his home as much as possible with the least amount of help so that maybe one day and I can go have a job again. I don't want a new custom built home, I am perfectly happy with staying in our home that's been in the family for over ten years. We have no plans on moving, that's our home and we just want it accessible and I don't think that is an unreasonable thing to ask for. Should we have to go into debt to make it happen? We will if we have too. Just because were in TX for rehab doesn't mean we can stop paying our mortgage. We sure as hell aren't going to sell it either. Please tell me how he should be forced to live in a home were he cant even bath, fit through doors, or turn in hallways... that makes no sense to me and is unfair of you to blow things out of proportion.

Another thing the fund raising will help pay for is the lodging of our 3 dogs at doggy boot camp while the house is being remodeled and a storage POD for that duration.

So far that's about $29,000 out of fundraisers. That has gone to everything mentioned above.

We are extremely grateful for everyone's help no matter how much we didn't want help we needed it and could not have gotten by with out it. Seriously Thank you!

I am prob leaving stuff out that I can't remember but you get the gist.

Its not easy asking for help when your normally the one giving and anyone that knows me knows how true that is.

As for the various other things we have been given.

The life of a Wounded Warrior.

Your injured and transferred to a WTB/WTU. (Warrior Transition Battalion)

You are still active duty and receive the same pay you always do.

In our case I lost my job to be his caretaker.

Before your assigned, if your just attached you can receive NMA (non-medical attendent/caregiver pay) this isn't even close to the income I previously made.

Once your assigned you can no longer receive this but they then start you on SCADDLE.

SCADDLE is pay based on the level of tier you qualify for.

Cory is high level tier which means he still needs a lot of help.

As he advances and gets better the tiers go down. Which means the amount of money received changes.

This amount is still less then my previous income.

Now try managing 2 household with that and see how well you do. How stressful that can be.

That's the extent of help you get from the military.

Once your finally done with surgeries they will then start your MEB board process if your wanting to medically discharge. We haven't stated this yet and prob wont for some time. This process alone take 12-18 months we have been told. There is a time between getting discharged and the VA starting up where your can possibly receive no pay for up to 6 months. Manage that!

The military provides you with healthcare that you tech pay for. It is not free contrary to popular belief. Tricare pays for everything since it was a military connected accident.

In the beginning I had to submit claims and proof.

Another fight to make sure he was covered properly.

Your job in the WTB is to heal and get better.

Your still required to check in/formations.

You still have to do ridiculous amounts of paperwork every month.

They are still active duty.

Every day he has physical therapy for 2 hours, occupational therapy for 1 hour, and various appointments with the ophthalmology clinic, TBI clinic, Audiology clinic, Nero & Neru clinics, social work, psychologist, PMC visits, pain management visits, and surgeries scattered throughout that puts holds on his rehab process anywhere from 2-4 weeks at a time, not to mention the amount of time we waste at the pharmacy picking up all his medications and eye drops that he takes 4x a day.

Insert organizations and trips.

As a wounded warrior a lot of opportunity open up for you. Some things that are offered almost daily here at Ft. Sam are almost daily events at the Warrior Family Support Center also known as the WFSC. Here they hold dinners, bingo's, it's also where celebrities often come to meet the wounded.

They also hold small classes for various activities, they also have a media center, and you can rent movies or games. This is also where you go to use HERO MILES which is a program that provide plane tickets to the wounded and their families at no cost.

The Center for Intrepid (CFI) also works closely with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Another amazing program for Americas wounded. Through them and the CFI Recreational therapist we went on a Wounded Warrior Annual Trip to Rochester, NY with 40 other wounded and families. On this trip we learned how to travel on plane and bus being disabled. It wasn't easy but we got it done. It was a very overwhelming trip for Cory. Through the WWP we have gotten a bunch of gear. (shirts, backpack, hats etc) They also helped get a eye dropper guide, and handle bar extender so I would stop bending over to push Cory's wheel chair since it's too short and to save my lower back. We also attended a 8 hour peer mentoring class held by WWP. So that we can help people in like situations.

The Armed Forces Foundation stepped forward in the beginning and provided Cory with a scooter, which he uses to get around at his parents house.

Sew much comfort is a organization that adapts clothes at no cost to the wounded, Cory loves his Velcro pants! (I am going to take the rest of his pants to a tailor to get adapted in the same way)

L.I.F.E is an amazing organization that helps you locate a accessible place to stay and make any accommodations that need doing such as installing handle bars in the shower, a detachable shower head, and wall guards to make ease of access and less worrying over damaging the walls with the wheelchair.

Veterans Airlift Command is a great organization that has volunteer pilot's! This organization was introduced to us by the CFI and our psychologist, Jorge. We were able to fly on private jets round trip our first time back home since the accident. Which also cut down on the amount of germs Cory would come into contact with, unlike the NY trip in which he got super sick when we got back.

The Americas Fund has been the most helpful organization we have ever come across. They have helped us by getting us house furnishings such as, couch, coffee/end tables, lamps, love seat, dining table set, bed, & washer/dryer set. They helped us with first months rent and deposit. They will be helping us financially starting next month as well! They will be paying our mortgage back home so we can afford rent here. Which is a huge stress relief for both of us. Its impossible to pay for both with the income we make now. We are extremely thankful for this organization and we would be in debt with out their help. They are offering to help contribute to the contractor to help us finish paying for the house renovations as well. Simply amazing. Every time I think of this organization I just want to cry because they are so amazing and with out them we couldn't be focused on Cory getting better with all the other worries.

Take the time to check out these amazing organizations an see how you can help them because they truly help Americas wounded warriors. NO wounded would be able to get by without some organizations help, its just the facts of life, that is what they are there for!

Next once he finally goes through the MEB board process to be medically discharged (prob not for another year) he will get 2 ratings one from the military and one from the VA. We suspect he will get 100% VA but nothing is ever guaranteed and have no clue what the military rating will be. We can appeal the process if we have to or they forget something which I hear is very common and to be prepare to do so at least once to make sure all injuries are listed so they are always covered. Cory, and myself will have Tricare for life. Both of his sons will be covered by Tricare until they reach 18 or finish college. His sons will also have 4 years of education paid for assuming he gets 100% VA rating using CH35 benefits. If he chooses to apply for social security benefits, SS will pay for a portion of child support. His sons will also have various death benefits for when ever that time comes.

Media Coverage is not something I could have controlled, from the get go Cory was a big deal. Our goal through the media coverage is to help people in similar situations, to know they aren't alone, and where they can seek help, and letting them know they are strong enough to overcome whatever happen to them. If you don't like it then ignore it and move on. It isn't for you. It's for that person/s who's life has just been ripped out from under them. I pray that you may never know what its like.

As for the reason why all this came about. I apologize for not participating in the ALS challenge you called me out in. I was not in a position to participate or donate. I had a lot on my plate at the time and we just got to Texas and were amputating his left foot. What makes one think were in a position to donate when were seeking help is beyond me. We fully intend to pay forward when we are in a position to do so, now's just not it. It's rude of you to suggest otherwise and hurtful to think you know me so little. You ma'am have shown your true colors, I don't take kindly to liars and I pray that everyone seeks the facts for themselves. I hope I have squared things away for those who may have any questions. We are a open book please ask away we have nothing to hide.

I apologize for the length on this blog but I wanted to set the record straight.

Love, Team Muzzy

I think the blog is over do for an update don't you?

TBI: Cleared and fine. He does have a follow up Neurosurgery apt when we get back from leave tho. Apparently the paperwork states he had 2 hemotomia's that had to be removed and that was really serious. Thank you God for keeping Cory who he is and not affecting his brain.

Neck Fracture: Healed. He has lost some range of motion and encounters stiffness and discomfort from time to time. This has proven to be a bit uncomfortable when he tries to walk since his neck is weaker now its harder to keep it held up and straight fwd. Time and practice will solve that!

  

Broken Arm: Healed. Gaining strength like a champ! 

Left Leg: Healed. Very strong! His prosthetic has become one with him on that side, he is a pro with it. 

Right Leg: Still not done healing there are a few spots that are taking their sweet time, a couple of the spots have blue sutures coming up and out. So I am pretty sure there is more in there that will continue to do that. We have to keep a close watch on them to make sure they don't become infected. They still ooze from time to time and bleed. The liner he wears makes it really sweaty in there and in the evening when we are done we have to let it air out and dry to become scabs. That's not stopping us from progressing though! They gave him a special gel liner for this leg because of those spots. Cory thinks the right leg prosthetic is a pain in the ass. it is difficult to use. difficult to get on. is uncomfortable in his groin. and a annoyance BUT he loves that he can stand and walk even if it takes a lot out of him. He can make short distances like a piece of cake if they are level surfaces. He has learned how to kind of figure out if hes going to run into something or where a step is with using his crutch. The CFI is working on getting him his blind stick and think its only a matter of time he wont even be n crutches, not being able to see has really thrown things off. I think in a couple of months the right will feel like its apart of him just like the left does. He is suppose to be getting an actual knee today instead of this peg leg stuff they have him in! This will be super interesting!

Ears: Right ear is healing nicely from the surgery, still looks icky in there to me! The back of his ear seems to be healed up for the most part. We don't expect for him to have hearing back till November when it should be completely healed. Even then it will only be 80%, he will use a hearing aid to reach 100%. After the right has been fully recovered they will then do surgery on his left ear. Same situation where he would have to wait 4 months to readjust the hearing air for that side. We are hoping and praying that side wont be as bad as the right one was. 2 of his ear bones where completely missing and what was left was shattered. They had to put in prosthetic bones and skin from his ear to make the ear drum.

Eyes: So his right eye is seeing some swelling in the retina. it's still attached but the scar tissue is making traction and kind of pulling on it. He gave us some drops to try out to get the inflammation down. If the drops don't work then at the appointment we have before leave he will do an injection into the eye. When we come back from leave if the injection didn't work then he will have to go into surgery and pull of the membranes. Other then that his eye is great and we will talk about transplanting the lens when we get back from leave. (the right eye will more then likely be the first eye done) The left eye is still closed.The lid graph has taken perfectly and looks amazing! His eyelid looks like an eyelid now! lol When we get back from leave they will separate the lids or as they like to say "retract" them. Then he wont have to have his eye sewn shut anymore!!! yay!!! Next step for that eye will be the cornea transplant. I am not sure if they will plan to do those 2 procedures together or not. Assuming the cornea transplant goes well without complications and heals correctly, about 4 months after that he will have a lens transplant on that side as well. The left eye still has the censor bar up top that he cant see. We are unsure if that will change or if its from his failing cornea and graphs he has now. We will be seeing the glasses/contacts doctor before we go on leave as well!

Psych: All is well and we have been seeing our counselors. Its always great seeing them because we get different perspectives and can try new stuff. :) 

Shrapnel: He still has tons all over his right side of his body. They are still coming out and will prob do so for the rest of our lives. The doctors like to call it tattooing lol He also has rocks, plastic, and strings from his cami's that we pull out from time to time.

Our Marriage: Is not perfect and never has been. We refuse to live in the past, it's a waste of time. Sure we have our days just like every other human being but whats important is that we aren't wasting our time here on earth. Time is too precious. Not everyone will understand us and that's ok, when major life events happen it changes you forever. We don't expect you to like us or agree with us. What I do expect is you to show me the same courtesy of respect I show you. I expect you to act like the mature adult you should be. I expect you to know your boundaries. I wish for all the pain and hurt you feel inside your heart to be healed and for you to find peace. I pray one day you both can move on just as we have. I know your reading this because you can't help yourselves. I know you feel wronged, both of you, in some way shape or form. You have every right to be. I pray it heals eventually. I know the things your say and do are out of pain and hurt, I know you can't see through it. That's ok. I know I have never done anything wrong to either of you and have done nothing but try and help you get your ways, with whatever it is you wanted. Even when you have hurt me time and time again. You don't give me much to work with when you say and do the stuff you do. Think about the choices you make and how they affect people around you, do you really want to be that ugly of a person inside? I pray for you both night and day. You both have many years left dealing with us, we need to find a way to make things work respectfully. We just want things to be fair and legal for all parties. Switch places with me for a day and maybe you would understand more. Anyways I will continue to pray for you.

Now that I got that off my chest time for some pictures!

Yes his right prosthetic is as big as my head! heavy too!

The deck back home is coming along nicely!

The ramp/stairs will be to the left!

September is PCOS awareness month! Something near and dear to my heart as I am 1 in 10 women who suffer from this disorder. You will see me posting about it all month! to find out more click here.

I wear teal for me! Who do you wear teal for?

PCOS Awareness!

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