Friday, June 24, 2010 at 1135

Good Morning,

Today is a very bad day for me, but David is feeling much better now that the skin grafts are settling down. Today is bad for me because I have to go home to sell my Allstate book of business and officially begin my new Independent Agent career. It is a very emotional day for me because, for the next two weeks, I can't be here to run interference, to help lift him, to help comfort him, to talk with him and to hold him when I say, I Love You! I'm also a little concerned about keeping this blog updated for you.

David really is doing much better today and his appetite is doing well. He has had many guests already today. You should have been here yesterday, you would have thought it was a social gathering, there was 3 of us guys talking about things over by David's bed, 4 women talking girlie talk on the other side of the room and a female injured Captain standing in the middle of all of us trying to talk with David. The Captain was very considerate.

Got to Go,

Gordon

It's now 2359 and I am in Utah. I feel quite empty without Lynnette and David. My great friends, whom I love dearly, Todd and Karen McKinnon, picked me up at the airport and we enjoyed our 5 mile per hour ride home from the airport - ya gotta love that eternal Utah road construction. Great friends, like many of you, have made this whole experience much easier and we thank you for all you have and are doing.

When I left David's room I went by the nurses station and asked Randy, a big Teddy Bear of a man with a great heart, to do me a favor. He said "Anything for my man Lyon!" I asked him to please watch out for my son because I had to leave for two weeks. Yep, I started crying again, just like I'm doing while typing this - you'd think I'd be cried out by now. I went back to the room and just sat there while the Physical Therapist went through exercises with David. I was still quite emotional when Randy burst into the room and just gave me a big hug. Yes, mistakes have been made by a few staff members, but they all are here and doing the best they can for these great men. I have to say men because David quickly corrected Lynnette this morning when she made a comment about these young boys........."Mom, these guys are fighting for their country and they have had their legs blown off in the process, they are MEN!" Lynnette was graciously reproved and is working on hiding that little motherly instinct.

Every time David makes a move, like pushing the button to raise or lower his head, the skin grafts on his legs stretch or constrict and he seeps fresh pools of blood. He is keeping the pain level at approximately "4 to 6" which I would probably guess is 5. It's funny how I have never heard him say 5 but he quite often says 4 to 6.

David has had several people visit in preparation for some of the upcoming procedures in the rehabilitation process. David will, more than likely, be spending a few more weeks in the Naval Hospital and then will be transferring to Walter Reed. He will probably stay in Maryland until the X-fix is removed and the Ulnar Nerve transplant has been completed. By then he will have a good feel for the capabilities of Walter Reed and will gather enough information to make the decision as to where to do his prosthetic rehabilitation.

I've asked Lynnette to take notes throughout the day and let me know what the day was like so I can keep all of you informed. I sincerely hope I can portray an accurate picture of the events of each day without being there myself.

If any of you have particular questions you would like to ask about this whole experience or you would like to ask David directly, please feel free to contact me at noylnodrog@msn.com and I'll try to give you a better picture.

I wish you all a great night!!!

Love,

Gordon