January 31, 2021

Just wanted to give a quick update on my surgery. Things are healing up nicely! Staples are out, and feeling great! Hoping to get some good news tomorrow at my next Dr's appointment. I assume worse case scenario is they tell me that I have to wait a little while longer to start my radiotherapy. Which...honestly wouldn't be my biggest concern as I'm not expecting that to make feel very well. Then there will be the temozolomide which I assume will be taken at the same time and I'm not sure how long that will last either. So in any case, wish me luck with my upcoming treatments!

January 26, 2021

Yeah! Got my staples out today! This was a fun experience, not much pain involved. Went into the IU care facility and just had them pulled out. Didn't take a lot of effort, other than the zillion staples that had to come out, but the nurse took care of all that. She was friendly enough and had my wife to look over all the staples to make sure they were all taken out. Only had a couple of the many, many staples that came out that hurt at all. So that's that... we are all done with the surgery portion of this whole ordeal! 

January 25, 2021

After a fairly massive headache yesterday, I managed to get some work done on my 3D printer. So I managed to get my parts installed and updated for today. I also managed to get some other 3D printer stuff together for the day as well. The major parts that I was able to install include the dual axle printer head. This printer head should be capable of printing some flexible filament as well as normal PLA and ABS. So that's the big news for today, should be able to get some flexible filament, next step, buy some flexible filament. 

The other components that I was able to install include reverting back to 3D printer stepper mounts. These include the stepper motor mounts required for the "normal" operation mode. I had converted these back in the day to try to decrease the amount of movement generated by the steppers. The restored system is noisy, but will suffice just the same and leave me in a better position for the flexible filament. 

January 21, 2021

Today I tried to mount up some 3D printer parts that I bought a couple days ago. Turns out they are not quite what I wanted, so I needed to order some new parts. I purchased these push to connect fittings that should have mounted up to the material handler that I purchased awhile back. These parts are far to large, which I expected, but turns out that they cannot be retrofitted back to the original size of the new parts due to some size limitations. 

So we try again... This time I purchased a one size fits all sort of arrangement that should accommodate the M10 threads that I was purchasing for the last set of parts. This set of parts is also used to exclusively drive the filament via a dual mechanism which I assume will make things easier for flexible filaments going forward...and now we wait...

January 19, 2021

Blah, blah, blah.... Another fine day of recovery... I'm about done being locked up in house arrest. I don't find it interesting anymore, nor do I find it entertaining. Got a couple weeks to go still to get through all of this, and then back out...to where...no where that's for sure. COVID numbers are up, and people are back to doing their things...feels like I'll never get out of this dole drum experience. Purdue is bringing back march madness here in the state, and I can't seem to figure out why we are doing that. Airlines are still flying, even though COVID numbers are through the roof...doesn't make any sense to me. 

In any case, I'll keep on keeping on, keeping my head up and looking toward the future. No better place than looking forward...right? Anyway, I hope Mr. Biden can keep his shorts together, if you catch my drift, it's going to be a long one. I hope we can keep it all together long enough to get through this, and to get to the other side...whatever that looks like when it's all over with. 

January 17, 2021

Wow, what a day! Started off just fine, but then we went to return the car, and it just gets worse. After getting there, turns out the car wouldn't start, so my wife and I had to deal with that situation. We ran down the road and got a new battery and the wife placed the battery in the car. My wife was just trying to help me get the car started, but then I got knocked in the head. Fortunately, it was not in the bad spot that needs to heal up, so there's that... Anyway, we made it through that escapade, and the wife says she will be doing things from now on...lol.

So now we are on to other things, like healing up! I hope things keep going so good, and I get a good doctors slip! So we have about seven to nine more days of staples, then we get those taken out. It's like they are up there just saying hello, we are up here, bugging the crap out of you...lol. In any case, I know that I am super looking forward to that!

I am also so very thankful for the many friends and family that I have supporting me through all of this. You are all so wonderful! I am thankful each and every day knowing how many of you came to my rescue when I needed you the most. Knowing that you keep me in mind each day, and in many ways! Again, I thank you so much, you are wonderful!

January 15, 2021

All, I am happy to be reporting in from Rochester! Today is a great day for recovery, and for all things to reflect upon. I am so happy to be done with this surgery, and looking forward to radiotherapy! I am hoping that it doesn't make me too ill. That will be followed up with a chemotherapy that will be taken in pill form, and I don't expect that to make me too ill at all. That pill form of chemotherapy should make me ready to handle the world around me again, if not already capable of doing that. So once again, I am ready to face this world head on...after some much needed down time.

It is a great day here, it is snowing outside and I would love to go enjoy it, but I cannot do that. I will just have to see from outside my window. I want to go down and roll in it like a little kid...but cannot do that, dang it. In any case it is beautiful, and I love watching it fall down to the ground. I don't look forward to traveling back home tomorrow, although it will be a nice sight to see family and all my Birck family once again!

I will be happy to be heading home, believe it or not, tomorrow morning. It will be healthy and happy to get home for awhile. In some ways it will be more important to me to get home and see everyone rather than stay up here and enjoy the snow. I hope everyone will be as happy to see me, as I will of them even after the full two weeks is up. I look forward to seeing you all when I get back to town!

January 14, 2021

Today is the second day outside the Mayo Clinic. I was sent home last night, and I was considered a rock star by the Mayo Clinic staff! They told me that my brain would normally work out the right way to sort out the speech skills, so I was hoping for something that would result in less than normal speech skills. Instead I came away with all my language skills! I couldn't be any happier with my treatment and resulting outcome, although it is gnarlier than I had once thought.

So with that said, I don't have much else to report on. I'm just hanging out here in the hotel, staring at the ceiling mostly. Spending time with my family and doing some blogging. I hope to have you all back in my life again real soon!

January 11, 2021

This will likely be my last post for a few days, as tomorrow I head into surgery at 5:30am. I anticipate not feeling up to an update tomorrow. Know that I am in great hands and will be well taken care of, please just wish me the best of luck and success!

What a long day today... fMRI scheduled for 8:25am and busy all the way through about 4pm for Neuropsychic evaluation. In between I had a meeting with the the surgeon, which unfortunately did not go nearly as well as I had hoped. It appears that the tumor has grown since December, and he feels that we are dealing with a Glioblastoma, but again only pathology can say for sure. He is also unable to resect the entire tumor due to the depth and position. I know that he will do the best he can, and I have faith that he will give me the best chance at a great future. I also learned that he will be opening quite a large opening for this surgery to access both portions of this tumor...not gonna lie, it's pretty scary. I suppose on the plus side, I will have a rather large scar and quite a story to tell.

I volunteered to have a couple catheters put in place during surgery. These catheters will be used to take samples from the tumors and see how the they "talk" to each other as they are being resected by the surgeon. These will be removed when the surgery is over, and that data will go on to help other people suffering the same condition. I also volunteered to have my DNA and other useful things stored for future research and to answer calls and questions if needed. I felt like...you know I work in a research facility, I would be remiss to not participate in this research to help others. So no matter what, this information will go on to help other people, and I feel really good about that. 

Well, it's an early day tomorrow, I'll see you all on the other side of this surgery!

January 10, 2021

Today was the first hurdle to accommodating this surgery. We made our way into Rochester and had a COVID test... I gotta say I've been pretty happy with this Mayo patient portal, however today it let me down, but that's why we planned ahead and left early. We were given a map in the patient portal to follow and my wife and daughter dropped me off at the prescribed location. After my wife dropped me off at the doors, it turns out those doors were locked and my wife had already pulled away, but I'm resourceful. I looked through the glass to see that no one was inside, no one at the information booths, no "guards" at the doors for COVID adherence. So, I managed to slide through a door that I probably wasn't supposed to go through, following a man who looked like he might have been a doctor. No worries, I was wearing my N95 mask...thank you Justin! 

Inside there was no one around, this was Sunday after all, but I also knew that Mayo has an extensive underground tunnel system so I started making my way toward the Charlton building through this tunnel system. I found a gentleman at a table who directed me toward the Charlton building and told me I needed to go up a floor when I got there...easy enough. Upon arrival, I was questioned a bit about how I got there without a "Sunday" sticker...I said "walked"...lol. They didn't ask anything else other than the standard COVID questions. Have you had a cough, fever, loss of taste, etcetera, and then gave me a "Sunday" sticker and directed me to COVID testing. This test was in and out, no waiting and the staff were nice and helpful. 

I went ahead and left the building, as I was supposed to do at the Charlton building, and made my way a block south to where my wife was to pick me back up. As I waited, I noticed a few people having the same problem, or at least that's what I assumed. They happened to pull up and ask for directions from another person getting in their car, and another person checked the doors and jumped back in the car before I could ask if they were looking for COVID testing. My wife picked me up and we did a little exploring around Rochester but didn't go inside anywhere, again don't want to risk any chance of COVID. 

Headed back to the hotel for dinner and step two of preparing for surgery! I look an awful lot like my older brother, and I must say...we look good Bubba!

January 9, 2021

To all of my Birck family, my wife and I am in a state of shock. Your outpouring of support, and generosity goes far beyond anything I have ever experienced in my life. You have literally brought me to tears. This used to be a job...but now I truly feel like part of a family who cares deeply about me and my future. Facing this challenge with all of you in my corner makes this seem easier somehow... Having so many people supporting me in this journey somehow makes the surgery itself less terrifying... I can't explain it, and maybe that will all change on Tuesday, but today I feel confident and ready to face this challenge head on.

We arrived safe and sound in Rochester today! Tomorrow is the COVID test, because that's a thing...dang it! Then the gauntlet starts on Monday, appointments all day in preparation for the big day...Tuesday! It's getting late, time for bed, but I wanted to let everyone know we made it!

January 8, 2021

Today has been super busy getting a few work things taken care of, picking up curb side groceries, packing food items, and packing bags! We are almost ready to depart for Rochester. Tomorrow morning, we pick up the car at 9 am just a couple miles up the road, then bring it home, pack it up and hit the road. All this activity makes me feel like I'm heading on vacation making it easy to forget where we are really headed. I'm sure the reality of it all will hit on Monday when reporting for my fMRI, but until then....Road Trip!!

Since my dear friend Bill has volunteered to let us use his i-pass for the toll roads, we will certainly take the shortest route to Rochester which is awesome as it cuts about an hour off the trip! Thank you so much Bill, you sir are awesome! This route takes us through Madison where I'm hoping to find a cheese shop to stop at for some tasty Wisconsin treats! It is hard to beat some salty cheese curds when you don't get these treats very often, and here in Indiana, we are not known for our cheese curds....at all. With a little luck maybe they will also have some peppery meat sticks...venison would be awesome but I'll settle for some beef. This route will also swing us by Wisconsin Dells, a place I've not seen since I was a young man. It will just be a quick drive by looking from the interstate, but should be interesting to see how much that place has changed over the last 20 years.

I feel bad since we have to travel tomorrow, it is my wife's birthday, and I'm not allowed to drive. That puts her behind the wheel all day long. So I am going to do my best to keep us pointed in the right direction as navigator and keep her entertained as we make our way to Rochester. My little one will be in the back seat, so maybe I can get some help with the entertainment. Seven hours is a long time behind the wheel, and my wife has heard all my jokes...I'll do my best. My daughter is looking forward to the swimming pool! They have indoor slides and things at this hotel, so it should be pretty awesome after the virtual school work is done. I called the hotel to check on the pool status just to make sure...it is currently closed, BUT, they are pretty sure it is opening up on Monday as long as the state allows it. With us staying all week, that will work out ok...hopefully! It would make me feel better knowing she has something to do besides sit around and worry about Dad. 

Step one to surgery is complete, hair shaved down to a zero guard!

January 5, 2021

This has been a great day! I received several inspirational messages today from a couple of friends that I work with now or have worked with in the recent past. I really needed these messages today and truly appreciate you sharing these personal stories with me. It is always a welcome reminder that I am not the first to travel these roads, and certainly wont be the last. Others have faced life's painful roads and walked away with more strength, determination, and a renewed appreciation for the positive side of life. I feel, in many ways, obligated to do the same. To see past life's ugly spots, and admire the wonders that surround me every day. To take notice of the things that I have taken for granted for so long. 

Today I am five days away from travel to Rochester, and about a week away from surgery. The nervousness is fading today, being replaced by curiosity. I am amazed that a surgeon can open my skull, remove a tumor, and put me back together again and the risk of death is less than 1%. Even more amazing is the fact that they can do all of that while I am awake and being asked questions to avoid critical portions of my brain. My wife thinks it's weird, but I kind of want to ask the doctor for pictures and maybe a video...I assume they do that already as part of the procedure...is that weird to want a copy?  

I can't go without mentioning my amazing wife!. She has totally taken control of this trip, planned the meals, and figured out how to make it all work in such short notice. She is planning to cook chicken and noodles while we drive to Minnesota...I would not have thought of that. She is doing everything to keep me safe from this pandemic we are all suffering under and she is doing it with the best of attitudes. Along with everything she is doing for me, she is still supporting her own business, helping busy people walk and groom their dogs. I'm sure she is getting exhausted, and I'm trying to do my part to help out...it distracts me from the stress anyway. I couldn't ask for a better partner at my side to travel down this road. To my wife, if you are reading this, thank you, you are truly amazing and I love you more than my words can describe!

New Subscribe Via E-mail Option Available

I've been watching the stats for this blog, and I'm not sure quite what to make of it! I don't know if these are all real page visits, but if they are, WOW! When I created this, before the preliminary diagnosis, I never thought anyone would read this at all. Then when I couldn't remember who I had told what and decided to use this medium to distribute information, I thought maybe a few dozen would take a look. Thank you all so much for your support, it is truly uplifting!

In any case, I thought it would be nice if those who choose to follow along didn't have to come back every day to check for updates. On the left sidebar you should see a subscription form. Simply add your preferred e-mail and click the subscribe button. You will receive an e-mail asking you to verify your subscription along with a reCAPTCHA form to prove you are human. Hopefully I have this set up properly to limit the internet spamming of the blog....we shall see! When subscribed, you will receive an e-mail from the The Shepard Experience at about 4:00 am, any day new content was posted within the previous 24 hours. If you choose not to subscribe, feel free to check back in when it is convenient for you, I'm happy to have your support either way!

January 3, 2021

Today begins the seven day count down to travel. In seven days we will travel up to Rochester, Minnesota, to begin preparation for surgery. The holidays have been a welcome distraction even though we've kept our circles small, but I'm already feeling a bit nervous about this entire experience. I expect that feeling to continue to grow as the week progresses. For now, I remain focused on the tasks that I need to complete each day to make this all work out. 

Tomorrow is an early day, after what feels like a lifetime of days off work, but locked inside my house to avoid the COVID. In many ways, I'm looking forward to getting some work done, as a distraction if nothing else. Tomorrow is a billing day for Birck, so I will be busy for several hours just getting usage confirmed and lab access charges uploaded. We have a morning meeting to discuss how things went over the break, and I assume I'll have a chance to talk with the group a bit about my situation. Later in the afternoon I have a one on one meeting with my manger, and I assume we will discuss work arrangements during my recovery. 

As for the drive north, my wife and I plan to avoid road side food. That means we will need to plan out a grocery run for the drive up. Mostly lunch meat and snacks for the drive I'm sure, but my wife has a great idea to run a crock pot in the back using our new 300 Watt inverter. Should make for a nice meal once we arrive at our hotel. Sunday and Monday meals are also going to be from our coolers, and then I'll be headed into surgery early Tuesday morning and living off hospital food...I hope it isn't terrible.

Exploring Passive Income - Dividend Paying Investments Return on Equity

On 12/30/2020 we have reached the Ex-Dividend Date for my NHI stock investment. That means that if I own it on that day, then I get the past quarter's dividend payout. That payout won't actually happen until January 30th, but even if I sell it today, I'll still get that dividend payout. It has been about six weeks holding this investment, what have I learned along the way?

First of all, if you have read any of my other posts I've learned that life is unpredictable at best. I'll let those posts speak for themselves, you're here to learn about dividend paying stocks. First and foremost, never trade after hours. When I ordered the purchase of my stock, the closing price was $66.35 per share, but it was after hours and the market was closed. I'm new to this and didn't think much of it, figured price might slide a little this way or that but probably not a huge shift. Turns out, when the deal was settled, I wound up paying $68.30 per share or about $2 more than expected. I would call that a significant change by the time the market reopened. If I trade while the market is open, I assume it will happen faster and the price would have shifted less. Do I know that for sure....no.

Price change while the market was closed was a little shocking, but I'm in this for the dividends, so as long as the value doesn't drop out totally these shifts in the stock price really don't mean much to me. The dividend will still pay out at the expected $4.41 per year. This is the primary reason I decided to go this route, because I'm not chasing that stock value day to day or the stress that comes with it. Now that we are about six weeks into this, the stock value on this Ex-Dividend date hit a high of $70.49, making money on the stock valuation and the dividend, perfect! I do expect the value of the stock to drop by about the same as the payout, that value comes directly off the stock price. We collect the check next month and are currently still a bit ahead on the stock value. Not bad....

I've been trying to learn more about investments so I can make better decisions in the future. What to look at first...how about profitability over the last 12 months, or the shareholders return on equity(ROE). Why ROE? Well, it is useful for assessing how effectively a company can generate a profit for its shareholders equity. Remember, I'm new to this also, so if you see mistakes in my calculations below I'd love to hear about it so I can learn also. 

Given:

Using the information found at National Health Investors Financial Statements in column "2020 Q3 YTD (as of 9/30/2020)", we find the following information available to us as investors.

On the Cash Flow Statement tab, I find the net income on the line labeled "Net Income" and see it has a value of $148,148. That value is in US dollars (in thousands). This number doesn't represent the total income for the year. We need to apply an expected income for the last quarter of 2020 to get year end calculations. We will calculate a reasonable estimate here:

Expected Net Income = Net Income YTD (3rd Q3) + (Net Income YTD (3rd Q3) / 3)

Expected Net Income = $148,148 million + ($148,148 million / 3)

Expected Net Income = $198 million Dollars

On the Balance Sheet tab, I find the line labeled "Total National Health Investors, Inc. Stockholders' Equity" and see it has a value of $1,493,049. That value is in US dollars (in thousands). This represents the total equity given to the company by it's shareholders. A company uses this equity to operate and generate the income or profits. Unless there is a stock split or something similar, this number shouldn't change before the end of the year.

Average Shareholder Equity = $1.493 billion dollars

Find:

Return on Investment (ROE) = Expected Net Income / Average Shareholder Equity

Solution:

ROE = $198 million / $1.493 billion Dollars

Answer:

ROE = 13%

Is 13% a good return on investment? The best way I see to evaluate that question is to compare to similar REIT investments. Is this a perfect comparison? No, because REITs vary wildly even within their own classifications, but it is the best evaluation we can make. Based on information found at this link on 12/30/2020, Yahoo!Finance , we find the industry average is 5.4%. That's clearly superior when compared to industry averages, but does it tell the whole story? No, we will need to consider debt, which we will do in the next article on this subject...