John Ritter's Story Webpage #1
The above photo was taken in 1983 and is rare to see the Ritter's all together in one spot...
Left to right is Dad(Buster) Alicia(Lee) Me(John) Barbara(Barb) Mom(Thelma) and Margaret(Margie)....
About your host.. John R. Ritter Jr.
I was born at Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey on Oct. 28th 8am in the morning, the Doctor joked that I was checking into work in 1940.. We lived at 815 S. 6th Street.. Times were very rough in tose days and I use to collect newspapers and scrap metal to sell to the local junk dealer. Mom would make us go to church every sunday and I was cofirmed Episcopalian. I also remember at a very early age about 8 selling icecream on the weekends and summer at the Campbell Soup plant during their break time, cleared about 10 cents an hour.. also ate most of my profits myself Ha ha, At age 12 we moved to Cramer Hill.I became an Alter Boy at the local Episcopal Church, it tought me to live by the truth.. We lived in one of a four row house, we had a garden, chickens and ducks, the ducks would fly away for the winter and return in the spring.. I thought that was so neat..I would work after school at the Clorox plant loading trailers and made 3.00 per trailer load that took about an hour to load, that was good money in those days.. I can also remember riding my bicycle to my grandmoms house about 5 miles away.. My father was an alcololic in those days and would be gone from friday to Monday morning so I had to quit school at 16 to go to work at a local theater as an usher and would also put up the marquee as well as clean the theater after closing at about 1.25 an hour but it helped buy food.. Then I found a job at the Aluminum shapes Co. and was making around 4.50 per hr..Until they found out I lied about my age and I got fired... At age 17 I decided to join the service so I went to the recruiters of the Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force.. The Air Force came by first so that's where I went...Nov.1957 I went to Trenton for physical and Indictment, form there it was off to Lackland AB in San Antonio Texas it was my first airplane ride and I got sick as a dog..(funny now)..after for 13 weeks of basic training.
I came out an Airman third class and went home on a couple weeks leave I was so proud of myself because there were times when I wondered if it was worth it... It was!!!!
My first duty station was Craig AFB in Selma Alabama Mar. 1958,I took the train to selma.. While in Selma I learned how to run the water supply of the base and also about entomology I was in an engineering Squadran. I also switched from Episcopol to baptized Southern Baptist at the Water Avenue Southern Baptist Church but it was never changed on my Dog Tags... I still remember the friendly southern people and I was welcomed into many homes almost every sunday for Dinner, even though I was a northern yankee...
On Dec. 1958 I was transfered to Osan AB Korea and worked at the Water Point as a Water Supply Specialist.. While in Korea I was transfered again to Kimpo AB and started on the water plant that would eventually become Kimpo International Air Port. Korea was a very interesting place. We use to say "We're sure to go to heaven, because we spent our time in Hell"...My how Korea has changed in the past 40 years..
After my tour of duty in Korea I went to Luke AFB Glendale Arizona, In 1960 Took a course in Professional Investigaters Training school in Los Angeles 41 California (Diploma). In 1962 Air University USAF at Gunter Air Force Base I graduated for, Military Medical Entomology (Diploma)Also in 1963 I studied Disease Vector and Economic Pest Control at the U.S.Navy Disease Vector Control Center, Alameda NAS California (Diploma) I married Linda Smith and had one child in March 29th 1962 Christopher(Chris), to my disappointment we devorced in 1964 and I would not see Chris for the next 12 years... March 29 1963 I graduated from Non-Commissioned Preparatory school at Luke AFB Arizona
In 1965 I went to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where I was wounded in action little did I know it would change my life forever.. I wound up back In New Jersey and was Honorably Discharged in Jan. 18th 1966...I married Nancy Ford and we lived the American Dream for about seven years... built a house through FHA had a new car every other year.. Worked mainly in the Pest Control Business...Hygenic Sanitation, Camden NJ...Gabos Pest Control, Vineland NJ, Vogel-Ritt Pest Control, Vineland NJ. and Terminix Termite Control, Camden NJ. Also worked for Wheaton Glass Factory in Millville, NJ I was the guy who put the ship on Old Spice bottles..and even did the printing on Mabaline bottles... Worked on comemorative bottles for the Apolo Missions.... It however was a rotating shift job and I hated that...
In 1977 I moved to Durango to see my son Chris, he was 14 at the time, I called Weatons and quit my job and divorced Nancy. Linda and I were reunited in marrage in 1978.. I got a job at Mercy Medical Center as a janitor, within three months I was promoted to Night Environmental Supervisor and spent about a year there... After resigning from Mercy I went to work for Orkin Exterminating Co. for the next 3 years... My territory was from Page Arizona, to Pagosa Springs CO...and from Silverton to the New Mexico State line... Check that out on your map that is a lot of area....
In 1981 Linda and I were divorced again and I went to work for the Colorado Department of Transportation for 12 years in Automotive Maintenance. The best part of working there was hauling supplies from Durango to Denver and back every couple weeks for 10 of those years, during that time I seen it all from Tornatos, Blzzards, Avalanches and of course beautiful weather. I took disability retiremint in 1993, Because of a pinched nerve and bad back...
Since retirement I have tried to get a part time job doing something I could handle, but with my speech problem (srevice connected) and not beeing able to lift more that 5 lbs with my right arm and bad back there just doesn't seem to be anything out there for me to do, so I have been fighting the VA trying to get something done for my speech and swallowing problem that was a result of a blow to the neck with a rifle butt in the Dominican Republic in 1965.. I had to give up my HMO because of money problems.. After four years of fighting I'm finally begining to get help from the Albq. Medical Center...
Maybe someday I'll be able to get back to work and become productive again...
Well after 4 years of fighting with the VA... I finally got my disabiliy raised from 30% to 60%... But now have worse problems on the horizon...My weight dropped from 155 lbs to 118 lbs in 3months because I wasn't eating enough food because of the chewing and swallowing problem, All I was eating was things like Jello instant pudding with (Thick-it) in it and oatmeal, getting very little liquids so they said I had to do something quick, If I dropped down to less than 100lbs my imune system would break down so I just found out they are going to give me a Stomach Tube, because liquid is getting into my longs.. So on Tue Sept 8th 1998 at the Albq. Veterans Medical Center I will be going in for the operation... This meens I won't be able to eat anything by mouth... "What a way to live", I also had to buy a newer car (94 Isuzu) the 1988 stared 500.00ing me death... Hopefully this car will be the last one I have to buy.... ..
Well I had the Stomach Tube put in as I said on the 8th of Sept 98...
after getting instructions on how to use the feeding equipment by Carole Caswell my Dietitian they sent me home the next day, Loaded up the Trooper with 10 cases of Ensure Plus, an IV stand, feeing bags, syringes ect. I headed back to Durango CO...
My first night was the hardest because the Instructional video tape they gave me broke in the VCR... and I had to do every thing from memory, the first bag I ruined but the second one I got it working...
12 hrs of feeding and couldn't sleep worrying about it shuting off or something going wrong....
The next day a nurse named Debi came by and took my vitals.. I had developed Diaria that ain't good... She checked with a Dietition and she said I wasn't getting enough water, we increased the water intake but it just got worse... another nurse came the next day and called my Dietition... She said I was getting too much water and put me on a 48 hour sustained feeding... what a pain.. The 48 hrs turned out to be 72 hrs but now we have it back under control.. I am back on the 12 hour tube feeding...
Well I'll be heading down to Albq. again for appointments on the 1st of October, hopefully they will be working on my throat to get my chewing and Swallowing back in working order.. also have to have me G-tube checked to be sure everything is working right, will be seeing the dietitian Carole to check my weight and check my hearing aides.. I'll be staying at the Sleep Inn on Yale... Les Blohm a friend from down the street offered to help me drive... A couple hundred miles can wear you out when your not in the best of health...
Went to Albq. on the 30th of September and stayed over night, On the first I first got a flu shot and And got good news and bad news... The good news is the G-tube is woking fine and I have gained almost 12 lbs since the 8th of September if and when I hit 140lbs I will be able to cut back in the feeding time... The bad news is they don't think they will be able to fix the trap door the works between swallowing and breathing... This means I may be on the feeding tube on a permanent basis...
Have more appointments the 13th of October and 13th of November for botoxin shots to halp my speech..
Just got back from my Oct 13th appointment, receives 6 (Botox) shots in the neck and vocal area. Les helped with the drive again, I will have a little worse speech and swalloing for about a week or so until it goes into effect... so far no adverse reactions.... Will be going back to Albq. in a month for a follow up..
Nov.13th 98 for a follow up.. the shots didn't do the job this time and they told me I may have gotten an small overdose (Botoxin is not an exact science!!! So now I have to wait till the shots wear down and let them know when I feel I need more shots... Still on the feeding tube and probably will be for quite a while.. It's going to be rough to go through Thanksgiving and Christmas being on the G-tube but I guess thats life and we have to deal with whatever it deals us...Less went along again.. It's nice to have friends that care and are willing to lend a hand when it's needed...
I myself have a friend who is a quadriplegic that I help out from time to time, his name is Earl Christy and does have a moterized wheelchair that keeps breaking down.. When I see him I feel my problem is minor...
Thanksgiving was rough, I ues to go to the local fairgrounds and help in feeding the poor and homeless..We would feed four to five hundred people, I just couldn't take looking at all the food and not being able to eat any of it... I did go by there when they were about finished and say Hi to all the nice folks I use to work with prepairing it... I explained to them what was going on... Then I found out that my ex-Mother in law Ruth Smith had died in her her husband Frank's arms, She was the smartest woman I ever knew and went to the graveside service...She was the Grand mother of my son Chris.. and I felt it only right that I be there for him and Frank....
I went out to my ex-wife's Linda to visit my ex-Father in law come to find out that he has a malignant tumor on his lung that has spread to his brain and he can't mobilize his left arm or leg, so now he is bedridden and has about 6 months to live, another great guy who was a first sergent in the Army during the second world war... I will grieve for both of them... They just don't make people like them anymore...
Today is Christmas eve... My son Chris came over the other day to bring me a gift.. We had a nice talk and I expect he will spend Christmas with his Mother.. It will be just another day for me...
Made it through Christmas and Newyears.. Wasn't easy, I think it was my first year not to have Turkey and Cranberry cauce, also Olives I love olives... But I suvived...
I went to the Farmington Clinic on Dec.31st (yes that was when it was scheduled...Seems my Doctor Dr. Lanzi had been transfered to Albq.. and I had a temp Dr. until they get me a new one,what a hasstle. She knew nothing about my condition.. She did change my medication to Prozac and sent me a bottle of loation for my dry skin...When I recieved the loation (stupid Albq. sent it in an evelope)... What a mess that was....Loation all over the inside the envelope, but that's not the worst part when I tried putting it on my hands for a test of what it would be like all over my body.. It burned and my wrist to my first knuckle was red as a beet... Good thing I didn't put it on my body... I called Albq. and they are going to set me up with a dematologist to see why the reaction??? I'll be going to Albq. on the 22 of January.. for more Botoxin shots.. I'm not so sure now if it's all worth it although there is some good news, I have gained almost 30lbs in the last four months.. Ha ha hey will probably put me on a diet now,It snowed about 6" last night and I thought it was going to be a rough trip (you can not predict the weather in Colorado), But the trip went well and after getting 6 shots of Botoxin in my jaw and chin area I'm back from Albq VAMC.. as I said they put my on a diet I now only need 5 cans of Ensure Plus in my G-Tube instead of the 7 I was on.. I have another appointment with the Dermatologist and have my hearing aids checked out on the 2nd of February... Also when I returned I had a call from my ex-wife Linda that her Father W. Frank Smith my son Chris's GrandFather passed away on thursday the day I left for Albq. I will attend his graveside service tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm... This was just about 2 months since his wife Ruth passed away.. I guess they are together again if there is a heaven, I loved them both...
Tomorrow Jan 31st is SuperBowl XXXIII Being from Durango, Colorado of course I'm hoping the Denver Bronco's win Back to Back Super Bowl's so you know where I'll be on Sunday.... Monday morning I'll be off to Albq. again for what I mentioned above... The doing only 5 cans of Ensure Plus in the feeding tube is working out well... it's saving me an extra 4 hours of free time being off the G-Tube.
Great news the Broncos won the Super Bowl over the Atlanta Falcons...
I am in auh... John Elway was named MVP of the game... Yahoo!!!
Feb 3rd 1999 Just returned from Albq. this trip was to see the Dematologist, I had a slice taken from my right ear to have a biopsy test to see if it is Melanoma Cancer... They will notify me as to the reults, also had two small growths on my forehead and one on top of my
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