Saturday, June 19, 2010 @ 2244

This was a great day and a lousy day - all rolled up into one.
Ethen and Heather showed up about 11 this morning and it really meant a great deal to David. Ethen was very happy to see David but did not want to touch him or let David touch himself. David handled it very very well and Ethen, within an hour or so, asked if he could get up on a chair and give his Daddy a hug. It was very sweet.

Ethen wanted to be like his Daddy so he got an ace bandage and put it around his knee. I have no idea how he came up with an idea like that.
David was having a pretty good day but had another BIG BUMP in the road today when his nurse put down the side rail on the bed and caught a drain hooked to David. It is the first time, through all of this, that I have heard him call out in pain. It hurt him really bad and continued that excruciating pain until she put the rail back up. He has been hurting all day. Also, for the first time since the accident, he actually complained about "PHANTOM" pain. He said that his feet have been really hurting all day long. I asked him what it felt like and he just said "It really hurts and I don't like it!" The staff has received orders to give him special medication to, specifically, that care of that type of pain.
We were talking about 8:30 tonight and he said he was worried about becoming discouraged. He said he wasn't quite sure if he was discouraged or not but just showed some concern, which, in turn, was very discouraging to me.
The pulled tube did not do any damage, but it really brought his pain to the surface.
After all that, we started talking about getting him in a wheelchair so he could tool around the ward. I mentioned that the pain he was feeling from the earlier mishap would really be bad and he really didn't care, he wants to be mobile - no matter what.
Between David and I, we have figured out how to take care of some of his needs without rolling him from one side to another. Today they staff brought in a big contraption, a bit like a trapeze, and told us that "Ortho" would be in to install it in the bed. They didn't come in so I installed it. David is now able to grab a hold and help us lift him instead of rolling him. It is so, so much less painful to him.
I sat and read many of the emails and comments that many of you have sent to him. He really enjoys the ones that bring great memories of fun things he has done with friends and fellow Marines.
I know it sounds like all, except a few mishaps, is going pretty good. It is really important for you to all realize that, although he has had many guests, although he is trying to refuse the pain medications, and although he is still on a great deal of medications to take care of different things going on in his body - he is only alert for short periods of time. We have tried to have extended meaningful conversations but he just doesn't have the strength to keep up with it just yet. When he grabbed the trapeze for the first time he had a good look at his arm and was quite amazed at the reduced size and strength, and that was his good arm. David has been use to running for miles with an 80 - 120 pound pack and a weapon and now it is a bit of an effort to stabilize a glass of water so he can drink by himself. I have absolutely no doubt that he will gain all that strength back again, but it is going to take an enormous amount of effort.
I'm heading back over to David room right now.
My love to all of you.
Goodnight!

Gordon