In the beginning...
Once upon a time, two people met in prison and fell in love. No really - Josh and I met in prison. He was an officer at the ADX and I was an officer at the FCI in the Federal Correctional Complex Florence, CO. We had one of those relationships that began with emails and phone calls and had developed a deep friendship before meeting face to face in 2003. In a whirlwind romance (some would say) we went off to Aruba in 2004 and got engaged/married/honeymooned on the Happy Island for two weeks the month of May. Returning to reality - between 2004 and 2007 - we transferred with our jobs to Southern California and then again to Louisiana. It was in the Bayou where our lives changed. Financial issues, relocation costs, job changes and finally an injury. Josh was hurt not once - but twice while working as a Lieutenant for the Bureau of Prisons while responding to incidents with inmates and staff members at his facility. Long story short - his supervisor put him in a position against doctors orders and he was further injured. A hand injury resulted in the need for surgery to correct a mallet finger and trigger finger. When he woke up from the anesthesia he was in excruciating pain. The pain has continued to get worse every day since December 4, 2008.
Josh was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Reflexive Sympathetic Disorder (RSD). Basically, he has nerve damage. After 2 terms in the United States Marine Corps (ooh-rah!) and 12 years working for the Feds, Josh is now permanently disabled. For therapy he works with wood as a hobby, and has helped me make jewelry for Off The Grid Treasures and Gifts (our parent company). In November 2014 I started keeping him busy with our new line of Upcycled Bullet Jewelry "Bullets and Bling." He does as much as he can until the pain becomes too much to handle. Some days we can crank out 50 pairs of earrings, and others maybe only a pair.
Bullets and Bling is only one of the many handmade products lines with Off The Grid Treasures and Gifts. Click HERE to see our full selection available at www.otgtg.com. We donate a portion of the proceeds to an organization that is searching for a cure to Josh's disease. With every purchase you are helping a Disabled Veteran and his family; and thousands of families who struggle on a daily basis with CRPS/RSD. Click HERE to go to the website to learn more about this horrible disease.
Josh was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and Reflexive Sympathetic Disorder (RSD). Basically, he has nerve damage. After 2 terms in the United States Marine Corps (ooh-rah!) and 12 years working for the Feds, Josh is now permanently disabled. For therapy he works with wood as a hobby, and has helped me make jewelry for Off The Grid Treasures and Gifts (our parent company). In November 2014 I started keeping him busy with our new line of Upcycled Bullet Jewelry "Bullets and Bling." He does as much as he can until the pain becomes too much to handle. Some days we can crank out 50 pairs of earrings, and others maybe only a pair.
Bullets and Bling is only one of the many handmade products lines with Off The Grid Treasures and Gifts. Click HERE to see our full selection available at www.otgtg.com. We donate a portion of the proceeds to an organization that is searching for a cure to Josh's disease. With every purchase you are helping a Disabled Veteran and his family; and thousands of families who struggle on a daily basis with CRPS/RSD. Click HERE to go to the website to learn more about this horrible disease.
