Music Access...

Until I can get some newer music up on Sound Cloud, here is what's up there now, which includes some favorite Forthright demo tunes we recorded *back in the day*  :o)

https://soundcloud.com/wade-odum/

From Brain Fog to Ocean Fog...

4-23-2018

Well, hello there.

Pushing towards 2 years of absence from my own blog...I'm frustrated that I haven't kept this up, but I'm also blessed that my time in absentia has been nearly attack-free, for the most part.  So, in effect, my lack of voice here has meant more time having the option to have more of a voice in other places.

Some of those places have been Orangevale and Fair Oaks (for roughly the last 14 years) until September of 2017 when we moved to the Monterey Coast...Does the title make more sense, now?  :o)   

I hate brain fog.  

I LOVE ocean fog and mist.

On an equally serious note, if you don't have our new address, please email me and I will make sure you get our updated contact info!  

The email address is audiopilotfopc at gmail dot com (just replace the "at" with @ and "dot" with a ".") No underscores or spaces.

The challenge at hand now is where to pick up and how to move forward...so I'm going to begin at the beginning of the blog, what was the purpose of the blog...

Over the past few years, I have come back to this blog and, out of curiosity, I've begun reading several of my posts from 8, 10, and 12 years ago and sometimes I'm caught quite off-guard by my own transparency in these blog posts.  They often seem to be bordering on TMI, social, introspective, recollective and opinion.  When I started the blog in 2006, it began as a chronicling process as my family and I began truly fighting this underestimated disease called HKPP.  It's a demoralizing disease that progressively incapacitates the afflicted person, strips them of their dignity and joy (often on a daily basis) and tests the fabric of family and friends as they watch the disease hit, strike, and chip away in the person they love.

I have learned a great deal about myself and my body, even at the cellular level, as a result of recognizing this disease and accepting it, but make no mistake; recognition and acceptance do not equal surrender or resignation.

Sometime in 2015, the disease began retreating in my body and I have had only a handful of hits in these past 3 years, none of which have landed me in the ER.  HKPP is not known to just "back-off" or quietly fade into the background, so I am giving the credit to Jesus, who I believe used several people to help me adjust to, and rehabilitate from my HKPP.  That said, allow me a (hopefully) brief side note: this disease becomes unique within the person it attacks and though we share similar symptoms and conditions, each person with HKPP suffers their own battle that is unique to them.  This is remarkably frustrating, in that, we can share our experiences and our treatments but there is no guarantee or assurance that what worked for person "A" will work for person "B", so it becomes a "trial and error" process with each of us making suggestions that we hope may make a difference to another, but the reality is that everyone is different.  Medicines (pharmacological and homeopathic), physical therapy, exercise, vitamins, climate, hot weather, cold weather, diet, etc.  All of these are often different factors of relief or triggers depending on the person.

I don't believe that God needs people to be a part of miraculous wonders and healings.  I do believe He involved a number of people in my scenario.  I'm afraid if I start trying to name everyone, I'll unquestionably omit numerous folks...so I'll not risk it, at least not at this point.  The thing is, there were people, families, some churches, and some businesses who set aside effort, time, and finances to help me and my family.  I would not be...well, I don't know where I'd be right now if it hadn't been for God's hand through those people and places.

The disease showed itself several times in my youth.  Unfortunately, it masqueraded as Hypoglycemia, a fairly common condition, and very treatable condition of which I was diagnosed.  It maintained this masquerade until 2005-2006 when it stepped forward and began to show me what it could really do if I pushed the right buttons and pulled the right triggers.  I was completely unprepared to fight it and, within the span of a couple of years, it seemed like it owned my body and I was just renting the life experience, but the rent was due every single day.

Ok, enough air time for that.  And now, for something completely different...

Quick &brief status:

• Missy is in her final year at S.O.U. and is kicking serious ass butt (for lack of a better term).  :o)  I cannot be more proud of my girl!!
• Josh is in his first year at CSUMB and is also doing amazing.  He is continuing to live his dreams, and like his sister, continues to amaze me!!
• CC is the strongest, most amazing woman I know.  She is, daily, caring for and advocating for her family, honoring her parents, and working full time. (she is still having to commute to work, but we are praying for her to have the opportunity to work remotely from home, sooner than later, hopefully.)
• Me? I'm still the stay-at-home house manager and puppy patroller/walker...stay tuned. 

There's certainly more to each of our statuses, but I'll have to get to more of that at another time...

For now, here are some quick pics, post-move...

I'm hoping to start this back up, in some manner, and see if I can transition from posting on Facebook...we shall see.

If you feel comfortable with leaving a comment, short or long, just to let me know you checked this out, that would be a blessing to me.  :o)

Peace, Love & Music

w

Merry Christmas 2016!!

Greetings family and friends~

It's hard to believe that it's been so very long since I posted anything on here...2015 was my last post.  That said, someone else HAD posted on here earlier this year via hacking-in, which was more than annoying.  Thank you, Kelli for the heads up on that.

2016 has been a tumultuous year of a few peaks and several valleys, not the least of which was having to move in the beginning of July from our Orangevale address where we had been for 9 years, to our new address in Fair Oaks.  Not everyone has our new address, so, if you'd like our new address, please email me: audiopilotfopc(at)gmail_dot_com and I'll make sure you have our current contact info.  Speaking of contact info, we closed our Surewest account during the move and we no longer have a landline house phone so if you'd like to connect with anyone of us you can reach us via our cells or you can email me and I will get you connected.  I (and we) would LOVE to hear from you!!!

The quick of the family:

Wade: HKPP continues to be held at bay by God's hand (occasional hits and attacks).  Playing electric/lead on the worship team at River Rock Church each/most weekends, as well as laundry manager, dog manager, sweep, and vacuum manager on the home front.

CC:  Fusion of Super Woman and Wonder Woman working her normal hours and also overseeing both kids schooling and grading processes as well as prepping them for their desired universities.

Missy: Finishing school at a local JC and transferring up to Southern Oregon University before the first of the year.  Growing up and stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her dreams

Josh: Senior in high school, 1/4" taller than his dad, loving his car and car stereo (in that order), gaming when not schooling, planning to major in Marine Science.  Hasn't cut his hair in over 5 years.

We love you all and wish you a blessed Christmas and pray for a Christ-centered New Year.
Wade, CC, Missy & Joshua
and the Odum Furry Family (Annie, Sophie & Destiny)

Greetings Again 2015-04-21

Well it's been quite some time since I posted, mostly because life has been rolling forward and I haven't taken time to just stop and write.  However, being that I've had two hits since a week ago Sunday, I want to get them chronicled.

On Sunday, April 12, CC and I were in the Bay Area at my folk's house (came in for Saturday and Sunday) and Sunday morning I awoke with abdominal cramps that seemed to get more intense as the morning wore on.  This has happened before due to HKPP, but I was not expecting HKPP to be a factor.  Longer story short, we had to leave my parent's earlier than planned because it became clear that a Hit was in progress and we wanted to be back home to deal with it.  This Hit was the most severe I've had in many months and lasted  roughly 5 hours, including difficulty breathing and swallowing, two things I have come to NOT take for granted.  Because of these parameters, fear was also complicating matters for me as well and made for a very stressful drive back for CC.  I didn't fully recover until the following Friday.

Then, on Saturday, April 18 (the day after finally recovering), we went to Old Town Sac with some family from out of town, and walked quite a bit and we were in the sun/heat.  After returning home, I went upstairs to lay down due to abdominal cramps again (and over-all nausea and fatigue).  Missy wasn't home yet and CC and Josh took the puppies to a dog park for a brief stint, so, bottom line, I was home alone.  After laying down and watching some TV, I began to get confused on what I was watching, what time it was and who was home, etc, then realised I couldn't get out of bed and then I knew what was happening...again.  This was much more of a Crash than a Hit, though breathing became difficult again.  CC and Josh came home sometime during the onset, though  I'd had enough time to panic that I was alone while this was transpiring.  I was able to walk unassisted again by Sunday night.

We treated both attacks with O2 and CRASH mixtures (16oz of water combined with 3 tabs of Effer-K, Magnesium Taurate and Vitamin C ).  What I eventually remembered is that sometimes the abdominal cramps are due to paralysis of the abdominal muscles, which is where the paralysis started both of these times.  I know this because of the centralized, localized sustaining weakness that remains even after the Hit or Crash takes place.

I'm still dealing with quite a bit of fatigue and lack of strength as a result, but life keeps moving forward and so will I, one way or another.

Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas 2014

Sorry that the audio just cuts out at the end... it's prefabbed.
We wish you blessings-
Wade & CC, Missy & Josh (and Annie too)

Bigger hit on 9-25-2014

Took a significant hit yesterday evening while watching Casa's soccer games.
CC got me to the car before I couldn't walk anymore.
Tongue got numb and caused breathing and swallowing/choking issues.
It's an "everything hurts" day again.  Been a long time since one of these.
HKPP truly & completely sucks.

Small Steps

Yesterday I was stronger and today am a bit stronger than yesterday, so it is, once again, a matter of keeping perspective.  Thank you for your ongoing prayers.
w

The Good with the Bad

Small/med crash-hit yesterday at the end of worship.
Today feels familiar...not pleasantly so, but familiar.
Pain ranges from 4.5 to 7 or 8 on a 10 scale, depending on what I do physically..
Please be praying for a very rapid recovery and constitutional stability.  I've been through this many, many times before now. Please also pray against the enemy's mind games and the depression that accompanies these experiences.

Thanks to all who are reading this-
 peace, blessings-
w

Happy 4th of July!! (a couple days/years late...)

It's the 7th of July, 2014 and I've been off-blog for roughly a year +....
For those who follow this blog and have connected to me/it over time, I'm sorry to have not posted for so long.  All I can do is ask your forgiveness and to bear with me, checking back from time to time or even setting it up so that, when I post to the blog, you can get a email note of the activity, if you choose to.

Okay....How to start up again...?

2014-07-07

God is good, ALL THE TIME, God is good.  I may lose sight of the electrical joy that comes with knowing that very thing, but His mercy on me holds the spiritual charge that I need every day of every week, and when I am willing and able to see His recharging of me, I can see the power and feel His electricity as He charges me for another unearned day (on my part).

This past February 5th, marks the second year since my stroke and divine recovery.  It still causes me to stop and catch my breath when I think about what has happened in my family, and in me, in the past 8+ years.

Back in 2001-2002, I had the opportunity, honor and the blessing of meeting a young poet/musician evangelist by the name of eLi.  How we met and why we met is for another day, but for the purposes of this blog entry, I want to share how God touched me through eLi.

He played and sang a song that struck me to my center core, as if I was the only one in the room those nights I heard him sing.  Here's the song: "Unqualified"

The lyrics are:

Verse 1
     Every night I stand before you
     And please know that I'm so glad you came
     Who am I that you should treat me like a hero?
     I am no Superman but just another face

Verse 2
     If I had it to do over
     I can't say I wouldn't do the same
     Cuz thru it all I've learned about my God's forgiveness
     Well I rejoice cuz I can turn to Him and say

Chorus
          I have stolen, cheated, I have lied
          I am prideful and unqualified
          I am broken when I realize
          It's God's grace, God's grace
          That covers (me)

Here's eLi sayin' it straight...(below)



This song has never left my soul or spirit since hearing it the first time in the small balcony in a little church in the Bay Area, where he was performing for a gathered crowd of 20+ people or so...
Anyway, his song reminds me of who I am and brings me perspective when things are both very hard and also very good.  I've lost contact with him over these past several years, but he is always in my heart and prayers and I am forever grateful for his humility and honesty and his friendship of me, another unqualified, broken vessel who doesn't want to be out of the sight of his Potter, Giver of Life.

That was not where I was imagining this post was going to go...but it is where it should be in this moment, at this time.  I hope the link comes through above; if not I will go back into the post and fix it somehow.

If you'd like to reach me or reconnect, my email is: audiopilotfopc-at-gmail_dot_com

Peace and blessing to all who read this, and if you don't mind to, just tag a comment that you saw and read it so I know who's still out there?  There's much more to share and I'd like to get a sense of who I'm sharing with at this point.  :o)

Blessings, Love and Music from Wade (Audio Pilot)

Prayer request

my friends, today, for the first time in nearly 9 months, I'm battling significant body pain and feel I need to ask for intercessors.  It's not directly HKPP, but I am behind the pain power curve as I try and write.  My biggest fear is that the pain will keep me from sleeping which would begin its own drama.

Please pray for relief, sleep, rest and a clear head to not get caught up in the moment.

Perspective 4 me is like the mist you can almost taste and you can feel around you, but you can't grasp.  I'm in that mist, if that makes any sense.

I will do my best to update tomorrow.

You each mean more to me than you know-

Praying 4 peace-

w