Father's Day Sunday 20 June 2010 at 2325

Happy Father's Day to all you Fathers. David's brother, Michael, had one of the best presents I know of, his wife, Tiffany had a baby girl today at about 6:30 PM, she was 6 lbs. and 19" long. She has a bunch of dark hair and is beautiful. Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lynnette and I both felt bad that we were not there for the birth of grand child 17, and now 18. I have no doubt that Michael and Tiffany and Mary Jayne and Kevin understand completely but I very much miss being able to put my cheek next to the cheeks of those beautiful little babies and just feel the softness of their skin. They are just so precious.

I guess this is David's blog so I best get talking about David. He had a good Father's Day. He received a very cute card from Ethen, heard from a couple High School Buddies, Danny Diehl and Ryan Whicknick, and had several conversations with family members and with one of his Marine buddies. He had each of those conversations, you'd better sit down for this - well, are you seated?
If your not, this is at your own risk. He had each of those conversations WITHOUT A FEEDING TUBE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You heard right, the feeding tube is out. One small step backwards for liquid INSURE and one giant leap forward for our Marine.

There were no bent fixators, no jerked tubes, no setbacks at all.

David is extremely tired and the rest is exactly what he needs right now but he is still having to deal with a great amount of the Phantom Pains. I asked him, again, what they felt like and he explained it as such: "it feels like my legs are hanging over the end of the bed and my feet keep falling off!" It is both painful and disturbing at that same time. This healing process takes many different turns - I'm wondering what is next. David phantom pain is relieved when we rub his lower back, so I am trying to find out if there is anything that has been developed, like a heating pad, that can do a light massage on different areas while he is laying in bed. I just got the thought that he may be having a problem with his siatic nerve and it is causing the pain down the legs. I guess it's time for more research.

David was talking to me about the experience immediately after the blast when he saw how badly he was hurt. David had to go through some Field Medical Training and he knew exactly what to do and had to get those around him to take care of specific tasks. He instructed one soldier to apply a tourniquet and another one (I guess it could have been the same individual) to kneel on the artery of the other leg. He was instructing them how to put in the IV lines and I am thoroughly amazed at the training of these Marines. I asked if his limbs were numb from the blast and he assured me that he felt everything. He said he had to keep a cool head and take charge of the situation - he also expressed that he was trying to joke with the other soldiers to keep things as light as possible.
You know, there are many things that we can say against the military, but, as a father of 4 military boys, the military really builds men.

David was feeling a little gloomy today until he received an email from a person very important to him. I won't mention names. I can tell you that his entire day brightened up after that email came.

David is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday. I really have no way of knowing when he will be taken to the OR. He is scheduled to have all skin grafts done that day, so it could be a lengthy procedure and, as I understand it, very painful for the next several days. They brought 6 more soldiers in today. I believe 4 went directly to the 5th floor - which is great. The other 2 went to ICU, and I don't have any idea how many are never coming home from those same incidents. I know of one because I talked to the soldier who had a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of his head directly after a blast that killed the soldier, directly in front of him, that stepped on the IED.
I hope David continues to learn more and helps stop these IEDs from having such a devastating effect on these individuals.

I have mentioned, several times, the soldier that was in the room next to David in the ICU. A member of his extended family told us tonight that his death was eminent. I am guessing that his wife of 4 months is the one who is going to have to make that final call. He has been given no chance of recovery and she has been told that any infection he gets is probably going to kill him. He has lost all four limbs and they have had to take his hip as well. I, so vividly, remember having to give the doctor permission to take off David's pinky finger and it was heart wrenching. This 22 year old sweet young girl has had to give permission to take off her husband's second arm and now she is, probably, going to have to give permission to terminate the support that is keeping him alive. I'm not sure what her faith is, but my faith gives me comfort for that young man - knowing that he will receive his perfect body back again - knowing that he will be at peace, with no pain, and knowing that he will be very busy learning about and helping his Heavenly Father.

Once again - Happy Father's Day,

Congratulations Michael and Tiffany,

Dad and Gordon to you non-family members

P.S. I am writing so late that I have not checked my grammar, and have not checked to see if I didn't complete a word or left one out, so please forgive this tired old man.