Monday, 19 July 2010 at 1817

Happy Monday,

Well, it's another productive day. David was awfully tired today. He had a great deal of pain in his right leg today. After evaluating everything, he determined that his leg was bruised with we went to the Medical Museum the last two days. The right arm brace on his wheelchair bruised the side of his leg and now, whenever it is touched, a sharp pain in sent through his entire leg. It made physical therapy quite a bit more painful than usual.

You would be very impressed if you saw all of this guys work in physical therapy. One soldier, that had lost one of his legs BK (Below the Knee) about 2 years ago, put another soldier across his shoulder and ran around the room - twice. He is the same one that was running while jumping rope a few days ago.

David will not allow one helpful hand and is cheering on his friend, Carlos Evans, the entire time. Carlos is the one that David medivac'd just before he received his injuries. I watched Carlos, who has lost both legs and his left hand, while he laid on his stomach - he was in such terrible pain and was doing everything he could do to smile for his wife and his sister. He later switched to a sitting position with a enormous amount of effort and help. The therapist would take tip him back just to the point of tipping over backwards and then he would use every muscle in his body to get back to a sitting position. Every part of his body was trembling with effort. I tried not to be seen as I just cried.

David is doing the same thing. While he pushes his body to the edge of passing out from pain, the occupational therapist is working every joint of his right hand so he can maintain flexibility until the x-fix can be removed and he can work with the whole hand and arm. We got a padded wedge under him and he was able to sit straight up for at least 15 to 20 minutes. I got him a 5 pound weight and he worked his left arm with all kinds of lifts and curls, then the 6 pound weight, then the 8 pound weight, and finally the 15 pound weight. He did leg lifts while laying on his back, while laying on his left side, and while laying on the bruise on his right side. I started doing some curls myself just so I wouldn't feel like a total couch potato. I've started to take the 156 stairs to his room now instead of riding the elevator.

I'm sorry Grandma Vasey, but David shaved his mustache again. After all that exercise, we had something to eat and then he shaved and cleaned up so he could get a military ID. He was very tempted to get the ID with his beard and mustache but he is very respectful of the United States Marine Corps and the fact that he is still a proud Marine. So he is now very clean shaven. The only problem is that we were 20 minutes late to get his ID so we'll have to get it tomorrow. He already has an ID but we have absolutely no idea where his personal effects are right now.

A young man, also with a prosthetic BK (below the knee), stopped by to talk with David about some of the benefits he can apply for. David was asked about the future use of his right arm and hand. I made a statement that we were hoping that he would get a great deal of the flexibility and strength back in it. David, upset but kind, reminded me that when his arm was almost taken off many many years ago, he was told that he would probably only get 70% to 80% use back. He got 100% + entrance to the USMC. He told me that he would get 100% of the use of his right arm and hand back. I believe he will.

Today was the first time I had heard this, but Dr. Fleming had told David that other physicians wanted to take is arm off AE (above the elbow). Even with the x-fix, the skin flap relocation from his forearm to his hand, the lost Ulnar Nerve at the elbow, the 4 pins in the back of the hand, the skin graft on the forearm, shrapnel everywhere, broken bones all throughout the hand, and the removal of his little finger and part of his hand, he has great use of his arm and is working through every bit of the pain to make it even better.

One of the retired therapists that helps the soldiers expressed how impressed he was with fact that David is talking about all of his future plans for travel and work while other soldiers are talking about getting through this day of physical therapy and hope they'll be strong enough for PT tomorrow.

This blog is awfully good therapy for me. Maybe I'll actually start keeping a journal when all this is done.

Hopefully in bed before midnight,

Gordon