Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 2112

Sorry for keeping so many of you in the dark all day. It has been a very busy day and a very very good day.

David was taken to surgery about 9 am this morning and Lynnette did not see him again until 1:15 in the afternoon. When you're waiting, it sure seems like an awfully long time but all seemed to go very well.

David had to have about 3 units of blood in the last 12 hours and during surgery. They looked at everything again and things are looking very well. The "Integra" (mesh), that was put on David's right leg about a week ago, had to be removed two days ago in surgery because of the infections. Today they said the leg looked very healthy and they really feel like they can re-apply the Integra again during next Monday's surgery. They said that the left leg is looking really really good and they hope to put the Integra on that leg as well. We were told a bit more< about the left leg, that we had never heard before. As I had mentioned before, they are trying very very hard to maintain any length possible on that left leg. The blast seemed to have done much more damage to the back of the leg than the front and so they have been working with a large flap of skin that has been preserved from the front of the leg and are going to use that to wrap around the end of the leg and attach on the sides and part way up the back. They said it looked a little like a tongue.
I had also mentioned, in previous blogs, that they would have to use the inner and outer thigh muscles to wrap around the front of the leg to give David more stability and strength where he would need it for the prosthetics. Those muscles were attached in the last surgery and are looking very very good.
David's calcium is creeping back into the normal range and it, like was said in a comment from Allissa, put us a bit more at ease. I know we were told it was just a precaution but when we hear that his calcium is suppose to be at 10 and it's at 4.5 and his EKG is starting to show a little rhythm change - one tends to worry.
David's spirits seem to be very high today. He is, sometimes, very good at hiding things but we really feel like this has been a great day for him. He has been fantastic with his 5 year old nephew, Carter. He is playful and smiling and very aware right now and it is great to see.
His playful and smiling moods are very very short and he is very sure that Lynnette wasn't there most of the day even though she hardly left his room.
He said that he hadn't even slept yesterday but he slept completely through 5 - 10 people working on him for over an hour, moving him in and out of the elevators, going from the 5th floor to the 3rd floor, going over some of those speed bumps in the hallways, and a great deal of noise.
Sometimes, as frustrating as these drugs make you feel, they are still wonderful when they help him to just step away from it all.
I'm really not confident that he remembers the bad news he received yesterday, but, for now, that's just fine.
David really enjoys visitors but I'm really not sure that he is going to remember those visits. I remember that, when I was really sick, my brother Jann came to visit me every day and, for a couple of years I felt a little bad that he hadn't visited me. Boy, was I wrong and David is really going to be surprised when he hears about all his visitors.
A request has come to David from the Ogden Standard Examiner. They have requested to do a story on David and he feels very strong against making this a media event. I respectfully ask that you, even though this blog is available to about anyone, please don't publish any part of this unless you have direct permission from David or myself. Thank You!

I have expressed, several times, many thoughts about a young woman who's husband was wounded and has lost part of all four extremities - he is now in a very serious fight for his life because the fungus that was blown into his wounds is now taking over and the medication that will help the most will do the most to his, already damaged, kidneys. A transplant is not even an option right now because of the extent of his injuries and the serious nature of his infections. I am so grateful for David's progress and so sorry that I can't step in and change everything for her and her brave soldier. Life is so fragile.

Last night they had a beautiful dinner and entertainment evening for many of the wounded soldiers as well as for us. We were on Australian soil in their Embassy. Many very influential people were there and, if we didn't need to get back to David, I would tell you all about it but for now please be aware that there are many many wonderful people doing very wonderful things in behalf of these brave young men.

Good Night Everyone,

Gordon