Traveling with Tyler

April Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 02:24:01 +0000

Not much new to update you on for April. However, in the gym I am up to 150 lbs on the ab machine, 25 minutes on the treadmill (5.0 incline and 1.7 speed). On the water wheel (a machine used to strengthen your arms, I am on level 17/20. On the elliptical machine I am up to 32 minutes without stopping. I can do nine laps and I can do one lap in 2:58. I have gone 2.15 miles.

All of this working out is getting me into the best shape of my life. My 71 year old father works out along side me. There is no guarantee that all of this exercise will help me but it certainly can't hurt me. My dad is getting into shape with me.

In addition to working out six days a week with my dad, I walk for an hour a day, Monday to Friday with my mom (using my walker) up at the local basketball court. I have started practicing with a traditional walker without forearm support. I am up to 30 minutes a day with the new walker. It is my goal to transition to using a cane. I don't expect to ever walk again totally unassisted. If I can't use the cane successfully, then I will use the traditional walker.

I am still looking for a job online and teaching English to some students in Spain. In the little freetime that I have, I watch TV or read. I also visit my family and friends. The girls get here in June, so I am excited about that We have a lot planned for Jenny and Eliana's visit.

That is really all for now. Til next time, Tyler

Positivity

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:54:39 +0000

Many people admire my positivity in the face of all these health challenges. A common question that I get, is how do I stay so positive?

There is no magic bullet. I have been given a difficult hand to play in life. However, things could be much worse for me. I am not sure or in a coma nor do I have a degenerative medical condition.

I am blessed to know that if I put in the time and effort, that I will continue to get better. I am far from being totally independent, I do have to deal with limited mobility and speech issues but I am at the point now where I can generally do almost everything in my daily life for myself. I have come a long way in the past six years.

Every day that I get the chance to to open my eyes, I make a deliberate decision to stay positive. My only other option is to fall into another depression. I would go into a downward spiral, losing my progress and motivation. I don't want to go back to that.

I am very lucky to have supportive people in my life. Including my wife and daughter, my family, my extended family, Jenny's family and my friends. I would be doing them all a disservice if I just gave up.

Getting back to normal life won't only be a benefit to me. It will also allow Jenny and Eliana to get back to normal life as well. They deserve it as much as I do. None of us asked for any of this, but they have both been amazing.

I have been affected by all of this for all of my daughter's life. She doesn't know me any other way. However, I am lucky and blessed that she loves me just as I am and she doesn't treat me any differently than any other able bodied father.

That is all for now, Tyler

March Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 18:36:00 +0000

We are now March, it's time to catch up on my progress.

Monday-Friday I'm walking an hour with my mom using my walker at the local the basketball court.

Monday to Saturday I'm going to the gym with my dad and exercising 2 hours a day.

I'm also looking for a remote online job. I'm doing English classes for 3 online students (they're in Spain).

I've seen family and friends in my short time.

I'm looking forward to the girls and their visit.

Really, I have only just noticed one big change so far. I can move my arms and legs so much better. Everything is coordinating so much more naturally. I'm in better shape in general. I can really notice muscle.

I have also been visiting a chiropractor to get adjusted and taking a daily creatine supplement. I don't know if any of this is helping, but it certainly is not hurting.

Til next time, Tyler

My Health Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 18:21:00 +0000

I don't know exactly when I went into the hospital for the first time but I do remember that it was in March of 2020.

For those of you who don't know, I was born three months premature back in 1984. I was born with a medical condition called hydrocephalus (water on the brain). It meant that my body was unable to drain fluid off of my brain naturally.

To combat this, the doctors installed a pump on my brain that was connected to a tube that went into my stomach and released the excess brain fluid there. Everything worked like a charm. Other than the doctors having to extend my shunt tubing when I was 13, I had no other issues.

That is, until I was 35 back in 2020. I always knew that one day my shunt could fail. It finally did fail in 2020 due to the plastic becoming too old. I never expected all of these problems but I am lucky and blessed to have the support of my family and friends and I know that things could be much worse.

Back in March of 2020, I was hospitalized in Pamplona due to my shunt failure. I had a total of six brsurgeries;ies, first they tried to repair my original shunt. They couldn't because it was too old. I ended up with facial paralysis and damage to my fourth ventricle in my brain. This was due to the increased brain pressure. Your fourth ventricle controls your speech and balance. Hence my current issues. The facial paralysis also affected my speech.

I was put on a liquid/pureed diet due to the facial paralysis. I also had to have thickener added to my liquids. I still have to have thickener to prevent the liquid from going directly to my lungs. I lost a ton of weight on that liquid diet. Luckily, now I can eat any solid food that I want.

In 2023,the doctors in Pamplona were out of ideas. After enduring six brain surgeries I was really no better. It was then that I found out about a wonderful doctor named Dr Poca in Barcelona. I ended up getting transferred there.

I ended up having six more brain surgeries. By this point, I had two shunts. One shunt is dedicated only to controlling the fourth ventricle. The issue that I was having previously was that one shunt would work and the other would not. Dr Poca gave me two shunts that can be adjusted via magnets. Thereby, avoiding another brain surgery only to adjust the pressure. Additionally, the shunts that she put in have a technology that allows them to talk with and synchronize to each other. Avoiding the issue I was having before of one of the shunts working and the other not. In addition to all of this, Dr Poca found and removed an old piece of shunt tubing from my stomach lining which was causing me to vomit constantly and lose weight.

This has been a long, hard road to recovery which I never expected. I am forever grateful to Jenny and Eliana Valentina for always being there for me. In addition my parents, extended family and friends have all been great.

Due to the damage to my fourth ventricle, I will never again be able to walk totally unassisted. However, being able to transition to using a cane, or worst case scenario, a traditional walker will have me over the moon.

In addition to everything else, the increased brain pressure damaged the optic nerves in my eyes. I have needed glasses or contacts my whole life. However, now due to one of my pupils in my eye being twisted and off centered due to the increased brain pressure, I can no longer drive or wear contacts. I don't miss driving though!

The doctors injected Botox into my eye to try to straighten it. However, it only worked temporarily. Now the doctors tell me that they can do an additional surgery to straighten my pupil, but it will be only cosmetic, it won't improve my vision. So, I am thinking that I won't bother with it. Having the twisted pupil does affect my balance but over the past few years my body has learned how to deal with it. My vision is bad, but OK with glasses. My balance is slowly coming along. It is annoying having bad vision. However, I am thankful not to be blind.

I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. However, I consider myself lucky for the shape that I am in. Things could be much worse. I am lucky that I don't have a degenerative condition. With time and effort I will only continue to improve. I am currently back home in Texas until the end of August. I am walking daily with my mom up at the local basketball court, using my walker.

Every afternoon, I go to the rehab gym in Nocona, Texas for a 2 hour workout with my dad, we alternate between leg days and arm days. Additionally, I am still practicing my speech daily with my AI apps and I am still teaching English online to 3 of my students from Spain. Once a week, I have a session online with a memory specialist back in Spain to work on my short term memory.

So I have been staying busy! This has been a long, hard journey for the last six years and counting. However, I consider myself a lucky guy. I wouldn't change anything even if I could. If you are reading this, I love you and I am thankful for your support.

I have what amounts to a traumatic brain injury. The doctors tell me that it will never fully heal. However, with time they expect the undamaged areas of my brain to take over for the damaged ones I am seeing slow, small but steady progress. I can handle having limited mobility or speech issues. However, having both makes life difficult. I would love to get to the point where I have either speech or limited mobility, not both things. Obviously, having neither of them would be ideal.

I want to be employable again. However, due to my mobility issues, an at home job would be best currently. Due to my speech issues, having a job where I don't have to talk to anyone is ideal. So far I am not having any luck with my job search due to my requirements.

Jenny and Eliana Valentina have both been amazing. I couldn't ask for better support. I have been affected by all of these health problems for the entirety of Eliana's life. Sadly, she doesn't know me any other way. At least Jenny got to know me before all of this happened. I want to fully be a part of Eliana 's life without having to worry about my limited mobility or speech issues. She worries about me a lot and she is always willing to help me out. However, I want her to have a normal childhood, not to worry about her dad.

Me getting as close to a normal life as I can will allow Jenny and Eliana to return to normal life too. That means any improvement that I can make will not only benefit me, but them also. So that is basically my update and my goals.

Til next time, Tyler

My Exercise Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:34:03 +0000

I figured that it was high time to put my exercise routine here in order for everyone to keep me accountable. My overall goal is not to walk totally unassisted, which is unrealistic unfortunately. However, I do want to transition to using a cane. Or worst case scenario, a traditional walker without forearm support.

To accomplish this, I am walking an hour a day with my mom (using my walker) and I am going six days a week to a local rehab gym with my dad. Below, I will post my workout schedule.

Workout Schedule

1. Treadmill-30 minutes

2. Water wheel-30 minutes

3. Ab machine-100 reps

4. Stationary bike-30 minutes

5. Rope pulley-25 reps

6. Leg press-50 reps

7. Arm and leg machine-30 minutes

8. Elliptical machine-12 minutes

9. Leg extension machine 25 reps

Monday

1. Treadmill- 30 minutes

2. Water wheel -30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Arm and leg machine - 30 minutes

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total workout time - 1hr 52 minutes

Tuesday

1. Treadmill - 30 minutes

2. Water wheel - 30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Rope pulley - 25 reps

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total workout time- 1hr 32 minutes

Wednesday

1. Treadmill - 30 minutes

2. Water wheel - 30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Leg press - 50 reps

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total Workout Time- 1hr 32 minutes

Thursday

1. Treadmill - 30 minutes

2. Water wheel - 30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Leg extension machine - 50 reps

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total Workout Time- 1hr 32 minutes

Friday

1. Treadmill - 30 minutes

2. Water wheel - 30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Stationary bike 30 minutes

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total Workout Time- 1hr 52 minutes

Saturday

1. Treadmill - 30 minutes

2. Water wheel - 30 minutes

3. Ab machine - 100 reps

4. Bicep curls - 25 reps

5. Elliptical machine - 12 minutes

Total Workout Time -1hr 32 minutes

Total weekly workout time - 6 days. 9 hrs and 52 minutes weekly

In addition to all of the workouts, I am doing my speech therapy daily. I am trying to beat this facial paralysis. Because it will be easier on me to have either limited mobility or speech issues but not both of them.

I hope all of this effort is going to help me reach my goals. I am doing this not only to benefit myself but to benefit my family as well. Now, you can keep me accountable. Even though none of this is ideal, I still consider myself a lucky guy.

Til next time, Tyler

In defense of anti depressants

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:28:00 +0000

I have talked about this various times before. However, I can't remember specifically blogging about it. I am on a mission to de stigmatize antidepressants and getting mental health help if you need it. I would write this a million times over again if I knew it would help someone who is struggling. What follows is my experience and yours may differ.

I grew depressed a few years ago when I was sick and hospitalized. I never considered ending my life thank God. However, I was absolutely numb. It got to the point where I didn't even care if I lived or died.

Nothing brought me joy or anger or frustration or anything. I didn't care about myself or my family or friends. I had so much to live for but I had lost all of my motivation. The only reason I even opened my eyes was because it was an automatic reflex from my body.

It was around this time my wonderful general doctor in Spain prescribed me an anti depressants. I am forever grateful to him for going the extra mile and caring about me more than he had to. He would call up to the hospital weekly to make sure that I was taking it.

I don't agree with anyone's decision to commit suicide but I do now understand wanting to end the numbness. Being on an antidepressant (which I am no longer taking) allowed me to have normal human emotions again.

I came back to reality from the edge. I found my joy and motivation again. I was able to realize how lucky I am to have the wonderful family and friends that I do.

I took joy in hearing my daughter laugh, talking about boring daily stuff with my wife or even getting annoyed or angry. Just remember, if you are reading this and struggling, it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, talk to a professional or get on an antidepressant. You have a lot to live for. You would be ending your pain by committing suicide but the pain would only be beginning for your loved ones and friends left behind.

If this helps even one person it will have been worth it.

Til next time, Tyler

February Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:21:07 +0000

Now that I have been back home for roughly a month, I figured it is time to give everyone an update. My overall goals remain the same. I want to improve my balance and overall independence, thereby giving Jenny and Eliana a shot at returning to a normal life.

I want to transition to using a cane. Worst case scenario, I want to be able to use a traditional walker (without the forearm support). I know that it is highly unlikely that I will ever be able to walk again fully unassisted, due to the damage to my fourth ventricle. However, I will be over the moon to get to the point where I can walk using only a cane.

To accomplish my goals, I am walking daily with my mom at the local high school basketball court, using my walker with forearm support, for an hour daily. Then, in the afternoons after lunchtime, I go with my dad up to the gym and we exercise for two hours daily. We alternate between arm and leg days. Once this is all said and done, I will get both of my parents into good shape.

In addition to all of my exercise, I am still doing my speech therapy and I have registered with the Texas Workforce Commission, looking for a remote job that I can do from home. I am also staying busy reading and watching TV series. I am also still teaching English to three of my students from Spain, online from here in Texas.

Jenny and Eliana Valentina will be here to visit me in mid June until mid July. We plan on seeing and doing a lot. I will be here in Texas until the end of August. In my little spare time, I am visiting family and friends and eating good Texas food. That is all for now.

Til next time, Tyler

I made it home

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:44:30 +0000

I thought I should update this and let you know that I made it home safely. This will be short and sweet. However, I will be home until the end of August. Right now, we are just trying to stay out of the ice and snow. I am looking forward to seeing Jenny and Eliana Valentina in June.

I am also happy to be home and I am available to see family and friends. I am looking forward to working hard and hopefully regaining some of my mobility and independence.

Til next time, Tyler Horton

My trip home

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:50:44 +0000

I figure that now is as good a time as any to let all of my dear readers know that I am heading back home to Texas with my dad on Tuesday the 27th.

I will be back home until August 31st. Of course I will try and visit with everyone, but the primary purpose of this visit home isn't social. It is to train hard and hopefully make progress with my mobility and speech issues.

Now that I am 41, I am not getting any younger, nor are my parents. This may be my last chance to make meaningful progress. Due to the damage to the 4th ventricle in my brain, I am under no illusions that I will ever be able to walk again totally unassisted.

However, it is my goal to get rid of the wheelchair and walker with forearm support. I want to transition to using only a cane. Worst case scenario, I want to move to using a traditional walker. I will be returning to Spain August 31st. The shape I return in, is realistically the shape I can expect to be in for the rest of my (hopefully) long life. I will be returning to Spain with my mom.

Jenny and Eliana Valentina are both coming to visit me in July in Texas. I hope that we can have a good time. I look forward to seeing all of you soon. My parents no longer live in Little Elm, they moved to Saint Jo Texas. However, I hope to visit my last remaining grandma and all of the family and friends that I can.

It will be hard being away from Jenny and Eliana Valentina. However, I don't want to be a burden on anyone. Nor do I want to live my remaining life with both a speech and mobility disability. I can deal much easier with one disability instead of two. Three of my clients (students) of English will be continuing English classes online with me while I am in Texas. This will be good for my pronunciation practice and a way to stay busy.

Jenny and Eliana Valentina both deserve a chance at a normal life and they won't get it until I do. I still consider myself lucky to be in the shape that I am in. I am not bedridden or in a coma. I still have a lot of life left to live even if it is not as easy as before. I am also grateful for the amazing support of my family and friends and Jenny's family. I couldn't do this without them.

Next time I write you it will be from Texas. Til next time, Tyler

My year in review

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 20:36:34 +0000

Now that we are (almost) in 2026 I thought it might be nice for me to do a quick review of my 2025.

Overall, I have had a good year. When we went on our week long European cruise (with my in laws and Ana and Fran) in addition to Jenny, Eliana and myself. I had a terrible time. I got what I assume (I never got tested) to be covid.

I was sick as a dog. I barely left the ship's cabin. In addition, everyone else got sick as well. Once we got home, I ended up getting hospitalized for a week. Luckily, I was able to recover from my illness and had no lasting issues.

I got the chance to spend time with both of my parents in person here in Pamplona. That was nice. Coming up, we will have my birthday and Jenny and I will celebrate it one of our anniversaries (the civil wedding). In addition, we will be celebrating new years eve. Eliana is growing like a weed and just celebrated her 5th birthday. I can't believe how fast time flies!

At the end of January, I will be going back to Texas for a while to focus on my physical recovery. It is my goal to be able to walk with the assistance of a cane. Failing that, I want to be able to transition to a traditional walker. No more wheelchair or walker with forearm support.

I will miss Jenny and Eliana but they will be coming to visit me in July. I am not getting any younger nor are my parents. This could be my last chance to make meaningful progress with my mobility and speech issues.

Overall, other than getting really sick on the cruise, I have been holding steady and slowly but surely making small progress with my speech and mobility. I am still going to my physical therapy 4 times a week and teaching English online to work on my pronunciation.

I am a lucky guy and grateful for all of you and every day that I have above ground. There are others out there who have it much worse than I do.

Til next time, Tyler

Outliving Others

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 15:29:17 +0000

This one will be short and sweet. I am only 40 years old but I have already outlined seven of my friends (that I know of) plus Jesus and all of the 27 club. I have certainly had my fair share of health issues over the past five years but I consider myself a lucky guy and very fortunate to have the support of my family and friends. I hope that I still have a lot of life left to live, even if I struggle with speech and mobility issues. If you are reading this, know that I am thankful for you and I love you. I am grateful for every day that I have above ground.

Til next time, Tyler

My selfish blog

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:31:15 +0000

I have spoken at length about all of my health issues over the past five years but today I wanted to step back and selfishly congratulate myself.

I still have a long way to go to get back to normal life after surviving 12 brain surgeries and one failed eye surgery. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. This has been a extremely difficult, slow and a long process not only for me but also for my family and friends.

I am extremely grateful for the love and support that I do have. While I didn't ask for or expect any of this my family and friends didn't either. I am extremely grateful to them all. I am a lucky guy who has the love and support of my wife and daughter, my parents, brothers, extended family and friends and all of Jenny's family has been great as well. They never asked for this either.

While I do have speech issues, mobility issues and issues with my short term memory, I have come a long way in the past five years and hope to continue progressing towards eventually getting back to normal life. Jenny and Eliana deserve nothing less for all that they have given me.

I went from being 100% dependant on others for everything in my daily life, to now less so. I am still more dependent on others than I want to be, due to my speech and mobility issues but I am not paralyzed thank God and I still have a lot of life left to live.

I went from losing weight until I weighed almost nothing, and being on a total liquid diet to now being able to eat whatever I want. I have spent roughly nine months of my life in the hospital cumulatively over the past five years.

However, since my wonderful doctor in Barcelona managed to fix my two shunts in 2022, I have not needed to have another brain surgery. Hopefully, I am through the worst of it now. I still need to use thickener with my liquids due to the facial paralysis affecting my swallowing. I also need a wheelchair or walker to get around. However, these limitations are manageable and could be much worse.

I still have a long road ahead of me to get back to normal life but I will continue my daily speech therapy and going to my physical therapy 4 times a week to work on my balance issues. Additionally, I have returned to teaching English online, not to make a ton of money but to improve my speech. My life is not ideal but, it could be much worse. I am thankful and grateful to everyone for their love and support and while I am not fully independent, I am not paralyzed or in a coma either. I do not want to be dependent on others forever nor do I want to be a burden to anyone. I want to return to being a normal husband and father.

That is all for now. Til next time, Tyler

My blog anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:04:00 +0000

I started Traveling with Tyler when I left the United States on November 4th 2009. I only planned to go to Australia for a year and then return home. Sixteen years later I now live in Pamplona Spain.

I write less now than I once did. I also travel less. However, I am grateful that I have been able to keep this up for sixteen years and counting. I hope my future descendants will enjoy reading this. When I was little, my dad used to tell me a story every night before bed, from his childhood.

I was fascinated by his stories and I secretly worried that I would never have any good stories to tell my future kid(s). I was wrong though.

As of 2025, I have been to 47 different countries and lived and worked in seven. I married a Colombiana and we have one beautiful daughter Eliana Valentina. I have had enough adventures to fill a book. I have even written my memoirs.

I have certainly had my fair share of health struggles over the past five years and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. However, I have an amazing group of family and friends and I consider myself very lucky.

I wouldn't change anything even if I could. I still have a lot of life ahead of me even if I can't do everything that I once could. I am much better off than some other people. I am not paralyzed or bedridden.

You never know what life has in store for you. Take every day as the gift that it is. None of us know how long we have.

That's all for now. Til next time, Tyler

My mom's visit

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:38:00 +0000

Well my mom has come and is now headed back to Saint Jo, Texas. We had a great time seeing her. I am very lucky to still have both of my parents and they are still in good enough health to come see us. It is a long, multi step journey from Texas to Pamplona Spain. I am lucky and grateful that they are still willing and able to make the trip.

I am not sure who had more fun, Eliana Valentina or my mom. They both had a ball together. Luckily, my mom still has a lot of energy because my daughter will take it out of you! It was a pleasure getting to see them spend time together. They sure do love each other. Eliana loves all of her grandparents and her great grandmother.

We got to disconnect for a few days go camping (in a handicap accessable cabin) in Asturias, Spain. It was very nice and fun. We had a great time. It was much more enjoyable than our cruise. We had no bad luck or sickness.

We also got to go to the lake and puttered around Pamplona. We were busy nearly everyday. My mom will be returning here to visit us in Pamplona in January. Then, I will be going back with her to Texas for a visit. It will be good to see everyone back home.

I am not 100% health wise. However, I am stable for now and doing much better than before. I still consider myself a lucky person and things could be much worse. I will continue looking for work, my daily exercise and speech therapy. I will continue teaching English online as well.

I may have limited mobility and speech issues but I still have a lot to live for. I am a lucky guy and I have an amazing family, in laws and friends. I couldn't ask for much more.

Til next time, Tyler

My Mindset

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 08:38:00 +0000

Today I noticed on Facebook that it is my third anniversary of my release from the hospital in Barcelona. I still have a long way to go but I have come a long way in three years. I am nowhere near as independent as I want to be, however I can do most of the daily responsibilities of life on my own without assistance.

I would not wish my current condition on my worst enemy. I can't do everything easily and automatically anymore. I have issues with my speech and mobility. However, things could be much worse. I am not bedridden or paralyzed. I still have a good quality of life and I can do a lot even with my limited mobility.

I am grateful and very thankful for the support that I have received from all of my family and friends. I especially want to single out Jenny, Eliana, my in laws and my parents and brothers. I couldn't do this without any of them.

Here is to hoping that I can continue my progress slowly but surely. I hope to get back to normal life sooner or later. I want to have normal speech and mobility again. However, even if I never do, I am happy with the life that I have. I have been blessed with amazing family and friends. Hopefully my shunts continue to function and I can continue focusing on my physical recovery.

I am still working on my physical recovery. I am going to physical training 4 days a week. Additionally, I am teaching online to work on my speech. I am still looking for full time work. Either in person or online.

Til next time, Tyler

Something that I want to remember

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:25:00 +0000

I am only putting this in my blog for posterity.

I know that I have talked about this a lot recently, however I strongly believe in being open about your mental health.

I was put on an antidepressant for a while, which I thankfully no longer need.

However, I am very thankful for modern medicine. One pill daily took away my emotional numbness and gave me back regular human emotions.

Luckily, I never thought about ending my life. However, at the worst of my depression, I only opened my eyes because it was an automatic reflex and I wouldn't have cared had I died. Luckily, I made it through that.

I would encourage anyone that is struggling with depression to talk to your doctor about possibly being medicated. It was a great help to me.

Something amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 17:20:00 +0000

I was just thinking today about infant mortality. So I decided to ask Google Gemini the following question : Tell me the percentage globally of children in 1900 who died before the age of 5? This was the response: The percentage of children globally who died before age 5 has seen a dramatic decrease from 1900 to 2025.

In 1900:

* While precise global figures for 1900 can vary, historical data suggests a very high child mortality rate. Some sources indicate that nearly two out of every ten children (around 20%) died before reaching their fifth birthday. Other estimates suggest that around 40% of children perished before age five in the period leading up to the early 20th century. For infant mortality (deaths before age 1), rates around 165 per 1,000 live births were reported in 1900.

In 2025:

* The global under-5 mortality rate for 2025 is projected to be around 24.99 deaths per 1,000 live births, which translates to approximately 2.5%.

This represents a remarkable reduction in child mortality over the last century, primarily due to advancements in healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, and access to vaccinations and antibiotics.

I also learned that the scientists predict that globally 99% of the children will reach the age of 5 by 2100. That is great news. Humanity in general really can do great things if we can stop trying to kill each other and hopefully we don't create a technology that we can't control. In 1850 the oldest woman in the world was 100. Today we are routinely living into our 80s and beyond. We have come a long way with modern medicine and sanitation.

That is all til next time, Tyler

Thankful

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 06:21:00 +0000

I know that I have said this before but it bears repeating. I don't have an ideal health condition, I am more dependant on Jenny and Eliana than I want to be. I would not wish my current health condition on my worst enemy. However I have come a long way in the past five years. My condition could be much worse. I still have a decent quality of life and I hope it only improves.

Thank you to Jenny and Eliana for putting up with me. Thank you to my parents for always helping me out even in the hard times. Thank you to all of my extended family and friends for their unending support.

I never asked for nor expected this. However, I am dealing with it the best way that I can. I hope that I don't have to go back to the hospital and that I will continue to recover. I will continue trying to motivate myself to get better physically and mentally. I am hopeful that I will be able to start working again soon and will be be able to financially take care of my family. I am tired of being a burden to Jenny and her family.

Well this is all for now. Til next time, Tyler

June Health Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 05:06:00 +0000

Well now that I am back home from my recent hospitalization I figured it was high time to update everyone on my health situation.

Back in March right before our cruise, my parents, Jenny, Eliana and I got sick. However, I got the worst of it (along with my dad unfortunately). I was never tested but we are assuming that I got covid.

I had fever, chills, runny nose, sore throat, headache, congestion and coughing. I was miserable during the cruise and I was barely able to leave my room. It was unfortunate. After about ten days I started to feel better though.

Unfortunately, whatever sickness that I had caused my symptoms to get worse. My facial paralysis got worse, my left eye stopped closing and my walking gait and general stability got worse.

I went to the hospital here in Pamplona and they admitted me for a week of testing and observation. They did blood work, urine sample, xrays, CT scan, MRI and they even checked my eyes. Everything is fine for now with my shunts.

I didn't lose any weight in the hospital. I was able to continue eating and drinking normally. Other than being extremely bored and getting no solid answers I was glad to get home in just a week. At least they were being cautious.

After a week, they released me to go back home with an 8 day course of anti inflammatory steroids (which is what they would have given me, had I tested positive for covid). I am frustrated not to have a solid answer but I am happy not to have to have another surgery or extended hospital stay.

The doctors took out my IV after two days and they nener put me in a hospital gown.

We will keep my in person appointment for November with my neurosurgeon in Barcelona who did my surgeries. I do not feel amazing nor terrible. I am holding steady. Hopefully, everything continues to work. I have one more consult pending with the neuro eye doctor. I plan to ask him if straightening my left eye will improve my balance or not. If it will be only cosmetic I won't bother with another surgery. However if it will actually help, I will do it once they finally authorize it.

Well that is all for now. Til next time, Tyler

The purpose of life

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:01:00 +0000

What is the ultimate purpose of life? That question has been debated since the beginning of time. I have no definitive answer. It is deeply personal to each person. However, I want to give you my humble opinion.

The meaning of life is different for everyone. You need to find your own why or reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Family, friends, your career and your hobbies should be part of the meaning that makes up your life. However, while it is good to have a well rounded life, in my opinion, you should not put too much focus on any one thing.

You should do whatever makes you feel happy (as long as it is legal and not hurting others). Well this is all that I wanted to say. Thank you for reading.

Til next time, Tyler

My blog about nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sat, 24 May 2025 09:52:00 +0000

I wanted to try an experiment. I am currently bored on a Saturday morning before I we go to a concert later tonight. A live orchestra will be playing the music from famous movies. It should be good.

Every moment of life should not be filled with activities. Being bored sometimes is natural and healthy. I am a lucky guy and very grateful for my family and friends. I don't generally get super bored because any day that I am out of the hospital is a good day! If I could have this magically never happened to me obviously I would choose that. However, since I can't change anything and I have to play with the cards that I am dealt, I consider myself very fortunate.

Anyway, I can literally not think of anything worth a full blog post. However, I am deciding to embrace my feeling of being bored. I am not going to doom scroll on my phone to temporarily distract myself.

I will try finding something productive that I can do or learn. I will use this time, not as "dead time" but time for self improvement. That is all I wanted to share with you. Short and sweet.

Til next time, Tyler

Getting Older

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 19 May 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Being able to age is a privilege that not everyone receives. I have had a good friend die at the tender age of 17. I have had multiple friends who died between the ages of 17-49 for multiple different reasons.

My dad's father died at the age of 36. I am only 40 and I have outlined all of those people. I am the same age now as my parents were when Lucas was born.

I don't mind getting older, it is only natural. However, it bothers me that my parents are getting older right along side me. I want them to live as long as I do but I know that is unlikely to happen.

I have been through a lot, especially in the past few years. However, I still consider myself lucky and blessed. My situation could be much worse. I have no idea how long that I will live, or how I will die. However, living until 89 seems like a good age to go out on. Not too young and not too old.

My only hope is that I can make it through my life without developing Alzheimer's or a similar disease which makes me lose my mind memory. Because I could fight a physical disease like cancer but a mental one would be terrible.

I waited so long to become a father because I was scared of the responsibility. I was almost 36 when Eliana was born. She is my pride and joy though. She will be my legacy and hopefully outlive me by many years. My parents were 30 when they had me. When I was younger, I considered them to be old parents. It is only now that I realize how young they were.

I still feel mentally like I am 18. But physically some days I feel 18. Other days I feel like my current age of 40. Some days I feel like I am 100.

I have a friend who died in a car crash at the tender age of 27 back in 2010. I am still in touch with her mom via Facebook. Unfortunately, she has never really gotten over her only child's death. Until Eliana was born I didn't understand the depth of her love and loss. I do now though. I pray that I never have to experience it. Every day that we are given is a blessing. This life is a miracle.

Til next time, Tyler

Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Mon, 12 May 2025 14:39:00 +0000

I was inspired to write this random blog post about my hobby of reading, not for any particular reason but just because I wanted to get it off my chest. I hope you don't mind and don't find it too boring.

My parents instilled a love of reading for me from a very early age. At first, before I could read, they would read books to me. However, once I learned to read, it was off to the races.

I used to read anything that I could get my hands on. I would read dime store novels, kids books, fiction, non fiction, nature books, I would have even read a VCR instruction manual if I could have gotten my hands on one.

I had a big green pillow that I used to support my head and back. Over the years, that pillow was permanently indented with the shape of my head. I don't know if they still do this, but when I was a kid, you could earn free tickets to the State Fair of Texas by reading. I used to read enough to earn entry tickets for my parents and my brothers.

I love (and still love) the feeling of holding a physical book in your hands. I love the smell of it and turning each page. I love how you can get lost in a good book. The time can fly as you are transported to another world. As a kid I used to read for eight hours straight when we would drive from Garland, Texas to Orange, Texas to visit my grandparents (mom's parents).

When I went through my depression I lost all my desire for reading. I didn't even have interest in looking at my phone. However, after I made it through the worst of my depression, my love for reading was reignited. It was just like meeting up with an old friend whom you haven't seen in twenty years. I am so very grateful and happy that I started reading again.

These days, I am much more selective about what I read. I just don't have the time to read anything anymore like I did as a kid. Now, I read both physical books (still my preferred choice) and ebooks on the Kindle. Staring at a screen is not my ideal option for reading. Although, I will admit, 1000 books on an e reader weigh a lot less than 1000 physical books! I read mostly non fiction books. Inspirational, motivational and self help style books. Basically, anything that isn't a horror novel.

I still do read the occasional fiction novel and the two best books that I have ever read in my life are Ten things that are good about the world by Hans Rosling and Picking Cotton. A true story about a woman who picked a man out of a police lineup as her rapist, even though he didn't do it. They later became friends after he was finally released from prison.

I am trying hard to instill my love for reading in my daughter Eliana Valentina. I try to read to her every night before she goes to sleep. Oddly enough, while I do read the news in Spanish, I have never sat down to read a novel in Spanish.

I have also listened to a few audio books. However, it hasn't been many, I prefer to read rather than listen.

Well that's all for now. I know that this was random but I hope you enjoyed it if you made it this far. Til next time, Tyler

A general thank you to everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Thu, 08 May 2025 19:34:00 +0000

I was just thinking today about how truly lucky and how fortunate I am. I have had some health issues and other struggles. I would not wish my current physical condition on my worst enemy.

That being said, I don't tend to pity myself and I am happy to have been able to push through my depression. I can't do everything that I once did, as easily or as automatically as before. I am not in a coma or bedridden. I still have a lot of life left (hopefully) and I have a decent quality of life. I have come a long way since all of this started back in 2020.

I have a beautiful and loving wife and daughter. My wife is completely supportive of me and pushes me hard when I need it. She has more faith in me than I do in myself. She has taken in sickness and in health literally. She has had plenty of opportunities to give up and walk away.

To be honest, I wouldn't blame her. However, she has stayed with me throughout it all. I love her more than words can express and I am extremely lucky to have her in my life. Eliana Valentina Horton Mojica has been through so much in her four short years on this planet. She is kind, empathetic, loving and helpful. She doesn't treat me any different than any other able bodied father. I love her to pieces and having her was the best decision that I ever made.

I have an amazing family (both close and extended). Both of my parents have been extremely supportive and helpful to me with everything. Both of my brother's as well. Not everyone can count on their family so I am extremely fortunate in that regard. I have been blessed with great in laws and an amazingly supportive group of friends. I consider myself much better off than some. I wish that this would have never happened to me but it did. I can't change it.

It has allowed me to take the little victories as they come. This condition has been the hardest on me personally. However, it indirectly affects everyone in my life.

I also want to give a special shoutout to my in laws and my brother in law and two sister in laws. I can't forget about my sister in laws boyfriend Fran either. None of them asked for this but they have all been helpful and understanding. They have taken care of me and Eliana and never complained. Ana's boyfriend Fran didn't realize that I had medical issues when he started dating Ana but he has been totally supportive and helpful. My in laws treat me like I was their own son and they have been amazing. Not having my own family close by, this has made me feel extremely lucky. Not everyone is as lucky as I am with their inlaws.

I do not take mobility or life in general for granted anymore. I can only continue trying my hardest to get back to normal life. I am very lucky not to have a degenerative condition. My condition should only continue to improve with time and effort. I could be content with my current condition. I could live a passable life in my current condition.

However, to do so would be leaving me more dependant on Jenny and Eliana than they deserve. Both of them have been through so much and they deserve a chance at a normal life. They can't take advantage of that chance unless and until I get back to normal life. They are my two biggest and best reasons to stay motivated and keep trying to progress to hopefully one day get back to normal life. However even if I never do, I still consider myself blessed, loved and lucky.

Be sure to hug your family and friends tight. None of us knows how long that we will have on this earth. Every day is a blessing. So this is my general thank you letter to anyone that takes the time to read this. I love each and every single one of you.

Til next time, Tyler

Our cruise

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler Horton) — Sun, 04 May 2025 15:47:00 +0000

I will attempt to chronically explain our recent cruise by destination. We flew into Milan Italy. By this time on our trip, I was already getting sick. I was cold, tired and wet from the rain. I had a fever, chills, a cough and a headache along with a runny nose. I ate a cold, soggy pizza and retired directly to bed. Genova was where we boarded the ship. I was still running a fever and now I had started coughing. I went to sleep early in our cabin. The cabin that we had booked for Jenny, Eliana and I was adapted for a person who used a wheelchair such as myself.

There was a showerseat and a balcony. It was large, spacious and comfortable. I was too sick to do anything other than venture out of the room to eat. Jenny, Eliana and Jenny's family got to enjoy the on board shows though. In Napoles, I was feeling well enough to venture off of the ship (in my wheelchair) and got to see a famous fountain before it started dumping buckets of rain and we had to scramble for cover. We managed to get back to the ship without getting soaking wet. In Santorini, I didn't get off the ship because the terrain was too hilly for my wheelchair. In Heraklion, I was actually feeling better but I had managed to get everyone else sick. No one from our group was feeling well enough to disembark in Heraklion. Our final cruise stop was Estambul, Turkey. They cut our cruise short by one day because of a Turkish national holiday. They did give us a 50 euro onboard credit though.

Personally, I didn't enjoy Istanbul at all. It was dirty, crowded, poverty filled and definitely not friendly for people who are disabled. We were denied entry to various tourist sites. The tiny cobblestone streets did my electric wheelchair no favors. I spent the majority of my time inside the van we had rented (with a driver to show us around).

After leaving Istanbul, we were meant to fly to Madrid. Jenny is always paranoid about missing her flight. She convinced /forced everyone to go to the airport three hours early. This turned out to be a good decision because due to a miscommunication, our driver dropped us off at the wrong airport.

He brought us to the national destination only airport. Since we were flying to Madrid, Spain the international airport was located an hours taxi ride away. Luckily, we found our own transportation, and because of Jenny's paranoia about being late, we had enough time to make our flight to Madrid.

After arriving in one piece to Madrid, we managed to get on board a bus to Pamplona (after some delays and confusion). After a four hour bus ride (with one transfer). We made it back home to Pamplona in one piece.

I am still sick. I currently have a cough and a runny nose. However, my sore throat, fever and chills are gone. I hope to be back to normal soon. It was not ideal getting sick right as I went on vacation. I feel bad that I was responsible for getting everyone else sick. I also feel bad that everyone had to modify their trip to accommodate my limited mobility. Additionally, I feel bad that Jenny had to take care of Eliana and I all while being sick.

We had terrible luck with elevators on this trip. In multiple different locations, the elevators were out of service. I was forced to walk down multiple flights of stairs. I was lucky to have the ability to walk (although not well).

I would return to both Italy and Greece for another visit. However, I have seen all that I want to see of Turkey. I have no desire to go back again. Being in Turkey, where their President /Prime Minister/Dictator is, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. I was slightly worried about us. However, we managed to follow all of the local laws and we had no trouble. Even in a dictatorship, all of the police and local security officers were very nice and friendly, especially to Eliana. They were very nice to her and curious about her life. It just goes to show that as long as you follow local laws, even in a dictatorship you can have a good time.

We went on the trip with my in laws, Jenny, Eliana, my sister in law Ana and her boyfriend Fran. There were certainly some bumps in the road. However, overall I had a good time and I am glad that we got to go.

Til next time, Tyler