We have a great big bowl of treats and have had not one Trick or Treater, what a bummer, now we have to eat all of that candy. NOT, David won't let me. I get to eat a few pieces tonight and then we have to give it all away or throw it all away. Life is just not fair.
Well, let me get you caught up...
Thursday was a great day, David is very motivated. As soon as we went to the prosthetic lab and had everything evaluated for the updates to his stubbies, he started walking and took two complete laps around the entire hall - a total of close to 230 Yards. Each lap was done without stopping. His endurance has vastly improved over the past two weeks. It's great because his Prosthetist seems to feed on the enthusiasm of his patients and he is always trying to stay a few steps ahead. That means that on Monday, David will have new legs with a little better fit and will be 2" taller. That will mean much more strength needed to do the same walking. As has been said on so many occasions, it's all a process and David is progressing very good - especially through the pain.
We had a nice evening in Old Town and just enjoyed the success of the day.
Friday was a much different day. It all started out great, we decided to go to the beach and have a nice lunch before Lynnette and Christina had to catch their plane. We went to Mission Beach and it was a beautiful day. I was pushing the wheelchair and there was a path of sand that led to the sidewalk, I knew that the wheelchair would bod down a little bit and was pushing a little harder than normal - the thing I didn't know was that the sand was hiding a 2" lip on a cement ramp under the sand. The chair hit that lip and stopped and, unfortunately, David couldn't stop. He hit the ground hard - he tried to roll because he was scared of damaging his right arm any more. He was really hurt. Everything is OK, but he is really sore. With everything we try to do to make things better and easier and more comfortable for David, the last thing in the world that I wanted to do was cause him pain. Today he was talking with Michael, his brother, on the phone and told him that he was a bit sore today because his dad decided to dump him on the ground - he told him it was just one of those things that happen but he was really going to use the situation to get me to do all kinds of things for him. (He was laughing when he said it!)
We mentioned the situation to his Physical Therapist (her husband is in a wheelchair) and she told us that she had accidentally tipped her husband out of his wheelchair 5 or 6 times - all it takes is a crack in the sidewalk - it gives us all a little more to think about.
We waited for a few minutes before we were able to get him back in the wheelchair. We sat there for about 45 minutes and I'm sure he was getting overwhelmed by all of our inquiries as to his pains. So we all just tried to enjoy the waves and I went and watched little crabs and their eating habits for about 20 minutes. I felt so awful even though it was an accident.
We went to lunch and met a girl at the table next to us that saved dogs and cats from being put down. She had a beautiful brindle Pit Bull. The dog was very friendly but was very scared of loud noises because she had been seriously abused. Heather, the dog saving lady, stood up and her chair slid a little and made a noise that scared the dog - the dog jumped and the chair made another noise, that noise scared the dog even more and it took off down the board walk. The poor dog was afraid of the noise made by the chair but the leash was tied to the chair and the dog was running from the chair that was being dragged behind. The only thing that stopped the dog was when the chair got wedged between two cars in the parking lot.
Needless to say, the day was extremely eventful. I've only cried about 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 times because of dumping him on the ground but, as you know David, all is well and, although he hurts today, he is in a great mood and kidding as usual.
When we got back to the apartment there was a box at the door. He had received a great gift from someone that, I'm not sure, may want their name left out of this particular entry. It was a great indoor remote control helicopter. David flew it for about an hour - I only had to crawl behind the couch 2 or 3 times but he is really enjoying it. Thank you - you incredible gift giver.
It's a little harder to type the blog lately because David is really missing his girlfriend and absolutely loves talking with her over the Internet or however they do it. The are both on camera and I really enjoy listening to a few of the things he says. He is really sweet and I am very proud that he treats her with such tenderness.
Well, I think that's about it for today. I'm going to have a couple token Halloween candies and then go to bed. Have a great night yourselves.
Gordon
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 27, 2010 @ 2035
Howdy,
I'm sitting here nibbling on Apple Vinegar Cucumbers and boy are they tart. I'm watching Lynnette play Sadoku and Christine (David's sister) play like she is sleeping between every text she receives - it's quite entertaining.
These last two day have been great. Yesterday we went in to the Prosthetics lab to pick up David's legs that had received some adjustments. The fit was much much better. The Prosthetist, Pete, is great to be around with amazing energy. He worked with David a bit to make sure he knew what changes he would make to his new leg that David should be on this coming Monday. It is still going to be a stubbie but it will be a bit higher and give David a little more challenge.
David already had the legs on so I asked if he wanted to just walk around the hall over to the Physical Therapy room which is approximately 50 yards away. He said yes so I had to go and alert his Therapist, April, and she brought a belt for David's waist so she could walk with him and stabilize him if he started to fall. As David was walking out the door, Pete quickly stepped into a side room and came out with two boxes and told David that he had his legs waiting for him. He said "I've got $100,000 worth of legs to put on you but you have to earn it!" Those of you who know David as I do will know that David took that very much to heart and walked part way around the hall carrying his canes. It is an incredible about of energy just to walk in these stubbies and he is doing great. He is dripping wet when it is over and he is noticeably getting stronger with every step he takes. It was really a beautiful thing to see. Once we got to the Physical Therapy room he decided he wanted to complete the circle and walk back to the Prosthetics Lab to show Pete that he better get his legs ready. Then he decided to take a walk back to the PT Room through a courtyard that has a bit of a terrain change and it took a great deal more strength to complete the walk. It was really a fantastic day so we went out for Sushi. Num-a-num!!! Not my hearts desire but everyone else love it.
David found out yesterday that his some levels in his blood that should be around the 500 mark were at about 120. Those levels greatly affect his ability to produce muscle, energy, and make him retain unwanted weight - so, it was a great thing to find out and now he is using a patch to get his levels back where they belong.
Today was great too, we went to OT and he had all of his scars massaged. I've found out that is very necessary as the scars tend to adhere themselves to the muscle underneath instead of floating with the skin. The massage therapy helps to break the scar away from the tissue and give his skin a much more natural flow. "Natural Flow" sounds so foo foo, but I'm not sure how else to put it. I'm sure there is a medical term but I'd spell it wrong anyway.
We, Charlie Tasto, and I had a pretty good surprise planned for Lynnette and Christina. Charlie is Lynnette's brother and he and Christina have always been very close. David knew the whole scheme so he wasn't surprised. I left to "bring a friend of David's to the hospital!" Tee Hee, it wasn't really a "friend" of David's, it was his Uncle Charlie whom he has liked since he was little and Charlie taught him how to build a wood model airplane. When Charlie walked in with me, Lynnette and Christina looked at Charlie like he was a very nice young man who had come to see David until they finally realized he was Charlie. There was some controlled screaming and some "OH MY GOSH's". It was great. We had some lunch and then went to OT.
In OT we all visited while David had the Therapist bend and straighten his arm and hands and legs until he called "UNCLE!" They push until David has had enough and then they add another 2 degrees and hold it for about 30 seconds. Afterwards David talked to them a bit more about a problem that is not even part of the program - teaching an amputee how to get back into a wheelchair that has tipped over and there is not one person there to help. They struggled with some different methods and then, with a great suggestion from Charlie, they figured out a way to take care of the problem. In the PT room they are also teaching these guys how to fall. You'll be sitting there, not really paying attention to the other patients and therapists in the room and all of the sudden, THUD, a soldier has hit the floor. I wondered if he got fresh with the therapist and she knocked him down, but it was just another phase of the therapy.
There is a one soldier here that received some injuries that have all be addressed and taken care of. He has been told that he can walk again but it is solely up to him and it appears he has given up. It is very upsetting and now David's phone number has been given to this young man in hopes that David can build his confidence back up - but he hasn't called. David plans on giving it a couple weeks and then we'll go hunt the guy down and get him going. As incredibly difficult as this is, David will never give up. It's a great lesson for every one of us, bad things happen - we just need to lift ourselves up and get back in the game until we're called back home.
Tomorrow David may drive a car - I'll let you know how that goes.
We have all learned so much this summer. It has been one of the hardest emotional things I have ever done but I have loved every moment that we take toward David's independence again. He will get there and it will be quite hard to step aside and let him take over, but that will be wonderful too.
I gained a greater appreciation of my extended family today. Charlie was a great lift to David and it was very inspiring to watch their interaction. Thank you Charlie, from the bottom of my heart.
All My Love,
Gordon
I'm sitting here nibbling on Apple Vinegar Cucumbers and boy are they tart. I'm watching Lynnette play Sadoku and Christine (David's sister) play like she is sleeping between every text she receives - it's quite entertaining.
These last two day have been great. Yesterday we went in to the Prosthetics lab to pick up David's legs that had received some adjustments. The fit was much much better. The Prosthetist, Pete, is great to be around with amazing energy. He worked with David a bit to make sure he knew what changes he would make to his new leg that David should be on this coming Monday. It is still going to be a stubbie but it will be a bit higher and give David a little more challenge.
David already had the legs on so I asked if he wanted to just walk around the hall over to the Physical Therapy room which is approximately 50 yards away. He said yes so I had to go and alert his Therapist, April, and she brought a belt for David's waist so she could walk with him and stabilize him if he started to fall. As David was walking out the door, Pete quickly stepped into a side room and came out with two boxes and told David that he had his legs waiting for him. He said "I've got $100,000 worth of legs to put on you but you have to earn it!" Those of you who know David as I do will know that David took that very much to heart and walked part way around the hall carrying his canes. It is an incredible about of energy just to walk in these stubbies and he is doing great. He is dripping wet when it is over and he is noticeably getting stronger with every step he takes. It was really a beautiful thing to see. Once we got to the Physical Therapy room he decided he wanted to complete the circle and walk back to the Prosthetics Lab to show Pete that he better get his legs ready. Then he decided to take a walk back to the PT Room through a courtyard that has a bit of a terrain change and it took a great deal more strength to complete the walk. It was really a fantastic day so we went out for Sushi. Num-a-num!!! Not my hearts desire but everyone else love it.
David found out yesterday that his some levels in his blood that should be around the 500 mark were at about 120. Those levels greatly affect his ability to produce muscle, energy, and make him retain unwanted weight - so, it was a great thing to find out and now he is using a patch to get his levels back where they belong.
Today was great too, we went to OT and he had all of his scars massaged. I've found out that is very necessary as the scars tend to adhere themselves to the muscle underneath instead of floating with the skin. The massage therapy helps to break the scar away from the tissue and give his skin a much more natural flow. "Natural Flow" sounds so foo foo, but I'm not sure how else to put it. I'm sure there is a medical term but I'd spell it wrong anyway.
We, Charlie Tasto, and I had a pretty good surprise planned for Lynnette and Christina. Charlie is Lynnette's brother and he and Christina have always been very close. David knew the whole scheme so he wasn't surprised. I left to "bring a friend of David's to the hospital!" Tee Hee, it wasn't really a "friend" of David's, it was his Uncle Charlie whom he has liked since he was little and Charlie taught him how to build a wood model airplane. When Charlie walked in with me, Lynnette and Christina looked at Charlie like he was a very nice young man who had come to see David until they finally realized he was Charlie. There was some controlled screaming and some "OH MY GOSH's". It was great. We had some lunch and then went to OT.
In OT we all visited while David had the Therapist bend and straighten his arm and hands and legs until he called "UNCLE!" They push until David has had enough and then they add another 2 degrees and hold it for about 30 seconds. Afterwards David talked to them a bit more about a problem that is not even part of the program - teaching an amputee how to get back into a wheelchair that has tipped over and there is not one person there to help. They struggled with some different methods and then, with a great suggestion from Charlie, they figured out a way to take care of the problem. In the PT room they are also teaching these guys how to fall. You'll be sitting there, not really paying attention to the other patients and therapists in the room and all of the sudden, THUD, a soldier has hit the floor. I wondered if he got fresh with the therapist and she knocked him down, but it was just another phase of the therapy.
There is a one soldier here that received some injuries that have all be addressed and taken care of. He has been told that he can walk again but it is solely up to him and it appears he has given up. It is very upsetting and now David's phone number has been given to this young man in hopes that David can build his confidence back up - but he hasn't called. David plans on giving it a couple weeks and then we'll go hunt the guy down and get him going. As incredibly difficult as this is, David will never give up. It's a great lesson for every one of us, bad things happen - we just need to lift ourselves up and get back in the game until we're called back home.
Tomorrow David may drive a car - I'll let you know how that goes.
We have all learned so much this summer. It has been one of the hardest emotional things I have ever done but I have loved every moment that we take toward David's independence again. He will get there and it will be quite hard to step aside and let him take over, but that will be wonderful too.
I gained a greater appreciation of my extended family today. Charlie was a great lift to David and it was very inspiring to watch their interaction. Thank you Charlie, from the bottom of my heart.
All My Love,
Gordon
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday 24 October 2010 @ 2108
Happy Birthday Tate
These last four days have been great. I haven't written a great deal in this blog because I have been extremely busy. Most of you know what it's like to move, you suddenly find all of the things that you accumulated and wonder where it all came from. Well, these you military heroes don't seem to be much different. They go overseas and fight the bad guys and then come home long enough to get situated and more trained and then go again and again and again and again. That ends up being many footlockers and duffel bags full of stuff.
I've been emptying out everything and going through it one piece at a time. With 5 more plastic buckets, 1 duffel bag, and a few large carry bags to go, we have found, washed, and folded 115 T-Shirts. David's feeling pretty good in the fact that he may only need to do laundry three times per year.
On Thursday David went to his first of many driving evaluations. He didn't do any driving but had to go through several exercises to test his reflexes, and his brain functions. Without question, he did better than I could have. The only difficulty he had was on this board that is mounted on the wall - small lights would randomly turn on and David would have to quickly touch the light - the lights were on a large grid with lights about 24" apart and he had to chase them all over the board. They wanted him to get to 80 but he only got to 69 - 69 is above average. Next week, we think, he will be getting behind the wheel and will then be issued a learners permit and they should approve the hand controls for him to drive his new Jeep. I have felt very mixed feelings in putting on the first 500 miles on his Jeep. I'll let you know how things go.
On Friday David met Stanley. Stanley is a service dog that David is interviewing for. These dogs are taught from about 7 weeks old to provide services to these wounded or otherwise handicapped individuals. The training cost is approximately $30,000. The group then interviews individuals to find a perfect companionship, so David is in the interview process. The dog is a Lab and is more on the red side rather than the blond or brown. We'll see how the process goes.
Then we went to PT and David immediately wanted to walk. We took the next 10 to 15 minutes getting him into his liners, his legs, his waist belt, and his harness. David did two laps up and down the room with a walker and I sincerely wish you would have seen the determination on his face. It was quite funny when he was getting seated into his legs. He would push the button on the base of his let and then rock back and forth to get further and further into the sockets. I know this seems light minded but it looked a little like an Oompaloompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory doing a gig. David got a kick out of it too - get it? - a kick.
During the walking, Dr Peyo watched him and said that he felt that David is ready to try knees. The "shorties" he is walking on have absolutely no hinges, they are just a titanium rod bolted to a heavy plastic foot that is only about 7 inches long with a rubber sole. It is very hard to walk with it because you have no bend and the tendency is to bring the legs forward by taking them in an outward arch to get them back in position. David works very hard to pull the leg naturally through and the effort is enormous - you try it without using your ankle or your knee ( not counting the extra bone growing throughout your thighs. He did great and was completely tuckered. The tried doing another lap using just short ski poles with rubber tips and his shoulders were just too tired to keep going. But, he may be standing at 6'4 in the next few days. I can't even get through typing that without getting teary - I know I won't be able to get through it when he is actually standing and looking down on my bald spots again. I'll love every second of it and wish you could be here. Lynnette and Christina may see it with me but I guarantee I'll be carrying my camera all week so you can be part of this.
We went that night and saw the movie RED. It is really an entertaining movie and it is really nice that David wants to get out.
On Saturday we went up to Carlsbad and saw David's great friends Deb and Tom. We had a great visit. Great friends like that and like many of you are what keep him pushing forward. These were his next door neighbors before he went to Afghanistan this last deployment. David holds them is very very high regard and absolutely loved the visit.
And now today - David hosted a BBQ at the pool and had 9 guests. Great friends, great stories, and fantastic respect for each other. You would think that, with all of the terrible things they have gone through, seen, felt, smelled, etc., they would be a bit of a somber group but that is totally not the case, they are fun loving and just a great bunch of guys - always teasing and ribbing each other and then hugging each other. I would have enjoyed watching the interaction all night but I knew my mom would be mad at me if I stayed up too late - just kidding mom.
I'll write more as it happens
All My Love
Gordon
These last four days have been great. I haven't written a great deal in this blog because I have been extremely busy. Most of you know what it's like to move, you suddenly find all of the things that you accumulated and wonder where it all came from. Well, these you military heroes don't seem to be much different. They go overseas and fight the bad guys and then come home long enough to get situated and more trained and then go again and again and again and again. That ends up being many footlockers and duffel bags full of stuff.
I've been emptying out everything and going through it one piece at a time. With 5 more plastic buckets, 1 duffel bag, and a few large carry bags to go, we have found, washed, and folded 115 T-Shirts. David's feeling pretty good in the fact that he may only need to do laundry three times per year.
On Thursday David went to his first of many driving evaluations. He didn't do any driving but had to go through several exercises to test his reflexes, and his brain functions. Without question, he did better than I could have. The only difficulty he had was on this board that is mounted on the wall - small lights would randomly turn on and David would have to quickly touch the light - the lights were on a large grid with lights about 24" apart and he had to chase them all over the board. They wanted him to get to 80 but he only got to 69 - 69 is above average. Next week, we think, he will be getting behind the wheel and will then be issued a learners permit and they should approve the hand controls for him to drive his new Jeep. I have felt very mixed feelings in putting on the first 500 miles on his Jeep. I'll let you know how things go.
On Friday David met Stanley. Stanley is a service dog that David is interviewing for. These dogs are taught from about 7 weeks old to provide services to these wounded or otherwise handicapped individuals. The training cost is approximately $30,000. The group then interviews individuals to find a perfect companionship, so David is in the interview process. The dog is a Lab and is more on the red side rather than the blond or brown. We'll see how the process goes.
Then we went to PT and David immediately wanted to walk. We took the next 10 to 15 minutes getting him into his liners, his legs, his waist belt, and his harness. David did two laps up and down the room with a walker and I sincerely wish you would have seen the determination on his face. It was quite funny when he was getting seated into his legs. He would push the button on the base of his let and then rock back and forth to get further and further into the sockets. I know this seems light minded but it looked a little like an Oompaloompa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory doing a gig. David got a kick out of it too - get it? - a kick.
During the walking, Dr Peyo watched him and said that he felt that David is ready to try knees. The "shorties" he is walking on have absolutely no hinges, they are just a titanium rod bolted to a heavy plastic foot that is only about 7 inches long with a rubber sole. It is very hard to walk with it because you have no bend and the tendency is to bring the legs forward by taking them in an outward arch to get them back in position. David works very hard to pull the leg naturally through and the effort is enormous - you try it without using your ankle or your knee ( not counting the extra bone growing throughout your thighs. He did great and was completely tuckered. The tried doing another lap using just short ski poles with rubber tips and his shoulders were just too tired to keep going. But, he may be standing at 6'4 in the next few days. I can't even get through typing that without getting teary - I know I won't be able to get through it when he is actually standing and looking down on my bald spots again. I'll love every second of it and wish you could be here. Lynnette and Christina may see it with me but I guarantee I'll be carrying my camera all week so you can be part of this.
We went that night and saw the movie RED. It is really an entertaining movie and it is really nice that David wants to get out.
On Saturday we went up to Carlsbad and saw David's great friends Deb and Tom. We had a great visit. Great friends like that and like many of you are what keep him pushing forward. These were his next door neighbors before he went to Afghanistan this last deployment. David holds them is very very high regard and absolutely loved the visit.
And now today - David hosted a BBQ at the pool and had 9 guests. Great friends, great stories, and fantastic respect for each other. You would think that, with all of the terrible things they have gone through, seen, felt, smelled, etc., they would be a bit of a somber group but that is totally not the case, they are fun loving and just a great bunch of guys - always teasing and ribbing each other and then hugging each other. I would have enjoyed watching the interaction all night but I knew my mom would be mad at me if I stayed up too late - just kidding mom.
I'll write more as it happens
All My Love
Gordon
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, 18 October 2010 @ 2345
Here we go again - I'm staying up way too late.
I've been working around David's apartment trying to do whatever I can to help him feel like things are getting accomplished.
David's high school buddy and great friend, Ryan Wicknick just left today after being here since last Friday. It was a great boost to David and we really had a great time together.
For the first time since David's accident, we had a great recreational adventure. Another great EOD Tech friend of David's, his name is Mark, has a boat and loves to fish for lobster, so off we went. We met at about 8 pm on Saturday night and jumped in the boat somewhere around the San Diego Airport. We would set out 9 lobster traps and then just sit and chat in the boat for about 20 or 30 minutes and then go and pull each trap to see what wonderful adventures we might find. We found lots of little crabs, one stingray, one fish that can paralyze your arm and after the setting and pulling the traps 4 different times we found about 20 or more lobsters. Mark taught us that a lobster takes 7 years to mature to legal size so we had to carefully measure each one in order to make sure they were legal. We took 4 of them home - close to $150 worth of lobster. The biggest was somewhere around 4 lbs and David ate that one.
We had no idea how to prepare them so Ryan had a U-Tube video playing on the kitchen counter while I prepared the feast. When I cut them open they didn't look that impressive but they looked exactly like the U-tube video so we rinsed off the meat and dug in. They were fantastic. We would have eaten the brains but the Marine spirit just does not go that far.
David did great on the boat and drove for a couple of the pulls. We were in the boat until almost 1 am and had a fantastic time. We had a seal following us most of the time and I dropped a piece of bait off the side and that seals head couldn't have been 2 feet away from me when he got the bait. We were tired but I was great to be out there together. We got to sleep about 2:30 in the morning. David even allowed me to have some licorice on the trip.
On Sunday we had the Lobster Lunch and then went up north to Ryan's grandfather's house for Irish Burritos. They were great. We really enjoyed the time there and Ryan and I were very manly and lifted David and his chair up and down about 15 or 20 steps. David is so gracious and open about his injuries and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Every time we go to these places I try to sit back and observe when David is explaining everything - inevitably he is given great compliments and love is expressed by those he meets. It is a very tender things to watch.
On Saturday, David bought a new Jeep. A beautiful Jeep Wrangler 4 Door Sahara. While we were sitting there, an older gentleman walked up to David and shook his hand and thanked him for his service. He then stepped over to me and asked if I was his father, I proudly said yes and he tenderly shook my hand and thanked me for such a great son. He was feeling very tender and, as you might guess, so was I. David was doing some great negotiating and I said something that about blew the deal but, after that glaring eye from David that said, "Dad, what the heck are your doing!" I quickly rebounded and he was able to close a great deal on the jeep. We had a good laugh once it was all over but I was very close to banishment.
Today was an OK day. David did quite a bit of therapy and tried to stand but something immediately started grinding in the muscle of his left leg so he thought it best to stop. Instead, he continued to do some strength training. Ryan laid on the exercise bed across from him, picked up a weighted ball and did a few of the same exercises along side of him. It was quite enjoyable to watch as David would start to grit his teeth and pull some good faces when he was close to the end of the exercise and Ryan's face was doing the exact same thing. David thoroughly enjoyed Ryans company and they rekindled their friendship. As we dropped him off at the airport, I received a handshake and David stuck out his hand but Ryan made him open the door so he could give him a big hug. What a great friend and, yes, another tender moment.
I can't express what a privilege this is. It is very hard being away from Lynnette, but I am so blessed to be able to be here and do what I can.
See you soon,
Gordon
I've been working around David's apartment trying to do whatever I can to help him feel like things are getting accomplished.
David's high school buddy and great friend, Ryan Wicknick just left today after being here since last Friday. It was a great boost to David and we really had a great time together.
For the first time since David's accident, we had a great recreational adventure. Another great EOD Tech friend of David's, his name is Mark, has a boat and loves to fish for lobster, so off we went. We met at about 8 pm on Saturday night and jumped in the boat somewhere around the San Diego Airport. We would set out 9 lobster traps and then just sit and chat in the boat for about 20 or 30 minutes and then go and pull each trap to see what wonderful adventures we might find. We found lots of little crabs, one stingray, one fish that can paralyze your arm and after the setting and pulling the traps 4 different times we found about 20 or more lobsters. Mark taught us that a lobster takes 7 years to mature to legal size so we had to carefully measure each one in order to make sure they were legal. We took 4 of them home - close to $150 worth of lobster. The biggest was somewhere around 4 lbs and David ate that one.
We had no idea how to prepare them so Ryan had a U-Tube video playing on the kitchen counter while I prepared the feast. When I cut them open they didn't look that impressive but they looked exactly like the U-tube video so we rinsed off the meat and dug in. They were fantastic. We would have eaten the brains but the Marine spirit just does not go that far.
David did great on the boat and drove for a couple of the pulls. We were in the boat until almost 1 am and had a fantastic time. We had a seal following us most of the time and I dropped a piece of bait off the side and that seals head couldn't have been 2 feet away from me when he got the bait. We were tired but I was great to be out there together. We got to sleep about 2:30 in the morning. David even allowed me to have some licorice on the trip.
On Sunday we had the Lobster Lunch and then went up north to Ryan's grandfather's house for Irish Burritos. They were great. We really enjoyed the time there and Ryan and I were very manly and lifted David and his chair up and down about 15 or 20 steps. David is so gracious and open about his injuries and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Every time we go to these places I try to sit back and observe when David is explaining everything - inevitably he is given great compliments and love is expressed by those he meets. It is a very tender things to watch.
On Saturday, David bought a new Jeep. A beautiful Jeep Wrangler 4 Door Sahara. While we were sitting there, an older gentleman walked up to David and shook his hand and thanked him for his service. He then stepped over to me and asked if I was his father, I proudly said yes and he tenderly shook my hand and thanked me for such a great son. He was feeling very tender and, as you might guess, so was I. David was doing some great negotiating and I said something that about blew the deal but, after that glaring eye from David that said, "Dad, what the heck are your doing!" I quickly rebounded and he was able to close a great deal on the jeep. We had a good laugh once it was all over but I was very close to banishment.
Today was an OK day. David did quite a bit of therapy and tried to stand but something immediately started grinding in the muscle of his left leg so he thought it best to stop. Instead, he continued to do some strength training. Ryan laid on the exercise bed across from him, picked up a weighted ball and did a few of the same exercises along side of him. It was quite enjoyable to watch as David would start to grit his teeth and pull some good faces when he was close to the end of the exercise and Ryan's face was doing the exact same thing. David thoroughly enjoyed Ryans company and they rekindled their friendship. As we dropped him off at the airport, I received a handshake and David stuck out his hand but Ryan made him open the door so he could give him a big hug. What a great friend and, yes, another tender moment.
I can't express what a privilege this is. It is very hard being away from Lynnette, but I am so blessed to be able to be here and do what I can.
See you soon,
Gordon
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 2320
I have no idea why I wait until almost midnight to write on this blog - I must still be rebelling against my mother who sent me to bed way to early as a child.
Anyway, this has been a very busy two days.
Yesterday we went in for a quick appointment with the bloodwork people (didn't know what else to call them) and they told David that all was great with his blood tests. There was a bit of a concern with some elevated liver enzyms, but that was a false reading and everything is A-OK!
We then went to Occupational Therapy where they heated his right arm up with a heavy hot wrap and then rubbed his arm down with cocoa butter and then massaged the heck out of it and did some bending, pushing, pulling, twisting and whatever else they could think of to do to give him more function. He is still unable to straighten the arm all the way but he uses it for almost everything. He is now able to touch all of his fingers to his thump and make a pretty good fist althought it is not quite as tight of a fist as the left hand. His ring finger on the right hand is not extremely responsive due to the ulnar nerve damage, so they will be doing a great deal more to try to activite the strength and sensations in that finger.
I am so in awe to watch him use what functions he has. He goes to the passenger side of the jeep and opens the door, then locks his wheelchair directly in front of the opening. He has rigged a handle on the roll cage of his Jeep and he grabs it backwards and lifts enough so he can completely rotate, while still in the wheelchair. Then he reaches in with his left arm and grabs the dash handle just above the glove compartmen and uses his right arm on the rigged handle to lift himself completely off the seat and rotate into the Jeep, then he uses both arms to lift himself from his back to his rear and vowalla - he's sitting up and ready to travel. It's as easy as that - go ahead and try that yourself - I'm quite amazed every time I see it.
David has decided to purchase a different Jeep with 4 doors so we went shopping. He is figuring out how he can climb into the back of the Jeep, pull the chair into the back, close the back door from the inside and climb from the rear of the jeep, through the center console arm rest area and into the driver's seat. I watched him do the entire routine, except for pulling the wheelchair in because it might scratch a Jeep that isn't his yet, and he just did it. I'm sure it was extremely painful but he just did it. I keep having to turn away so he doesn't see my face scrunch all up as I fight back the tears.
Before we went shopping for the Jeep, we went to physical therapy and he did Palates for awhile and made me feel like a real bump on a log. Then he decided to walk. I watched and gave him any assistance he requested in getting into his legs. The fit is still very painful with all the HO, but he insisted on doing it. We then harnessed him in and he did a lap all the way across the room and back. He tipped a few times and, even though he has only part of his legs, he is still a stout young man - I don't consider myself weak, but helping him get back straight made me feel like a girly-man. When we were taking the harnass off, his skin was absolutely wet. The effort to do that was enormous. I'm glad I contain my tears better when I am with David that I do when I write this blog. Oh my gosh, am I proud of the effort he is putting out. We then looked at the x-rays of his legs and the HO is everywhere - the x-ray of the bones is a deep dense white and the HO looks like a swirling mist of lighter white. In a few places it is darker and those are the more sensitive spots that have matured and are hardening. David had me tough one of the spots and the HO is still pliable and can be manipulated through the skin. In a few places the HO is nearing the joints and the Docs have encouraged him to keep rotating his legs, whenever possible, so the HO does not get a good hold in a joint. We were told today that they just have to wait because sometimes the HO will just stop growing and present absolutely no problems - other times, surgical removal is the only option.
Almost all that was yesterday - now today. Another occupational therapy, heating up the arm and manipulating every function of the hand and arm as much as possible. David comes out of there completely fatigued from the pain but it ready to hit it again tomorrow. We had a few hours to kill before Physical Therapy so we met a few people that he wanted me to meet and then went to the hospital where a fellow EOD Tech, who was just transferred here yesterday, was recovering. It was a bit different for David to put on the yellow gown and put on the surgical gloves to see another wounded soldier. This young man had lost both legs BK (below the knee) and had no arm damages. David's biggest concern seemed to be that this soldier had a better beard that his own. David was very encouraging and helpful. Before we went up, David had asked it that was an OK thing to do and was told that he had to go through some training before they would allow him to talk with someone in an "inpatient" status. We both thought that was a bit STUPID since he had just had 5 months of training while being an inpatient himself. So, we ignored the directive and made a successful visit.
We went on to PT after some lunch and took David's "stubbies" over to the prosthetic lab for some adjustments. They basically rebuilt the legs while we waited and he put them on about 6 different times so they could make adjustments. Then, he slipped in, and they fit somewhat comfortably with no major pinching. He walked, I would say, about 80 to 100 feet. Working on his posture and using the handrails on the parallel bars. At one time he let go of the bars and just stood there and balanced himself. "It's all a process!", he would keep saying - and what a wonderful process it is to see him gaining confidence and resolve to push through every imaginable pain to stand and walk. His goal is to be standing at 6'4" on the runway when his comrades return in November - I know he'll be there and, yep, I'll be standing there with a runny nose and watery eyes.
We were at his apartment and he was playing a war game on his X-box and was hit by an IED. His comrades in the game were dragging him away from the blast and it was showing the view from his eyes close to the ground and coming in and out of focus. David said, "that is eerily real!". A few minutes later he said he as going to miss those military operations when he was able to supress the bad guys and help his friends and the people of those countries. He also said, "Dad, I miss my legs, I really liked having my legs!" What can you say? "I know son!" wasn't much of a comfort, but I don't think he was really asking for comfort, just making a statement of fact. Then it's back at it tomorrow.
It's past midnight now and I am not going to proof-read my mistakes.
All My Love,
Gordon
Anyway, this has been a very busy two days.
Yesterday we went in for a quick appointment with the bloodwork people (didn't know what else to call them) and they told David that all was great with his blood tests. There was a bit of a concern with some elevated liver enzyms, but that was a false reading and everything is A-OK!
We then went to Occupational Therapy where they heated his right arm up with a heavy hot wrap and then rubbed his arm down with cocoa butter and then massaged the heck out of it and did some bending, pushing, pulling, twisting and whatever else they could think of to do to give him more function. He is still unable to straighten the arm all the way but he uses it for almost everything. He is now able to touch all of his fingers to his thump and make a pretty good fist althought it is not quite as tight of a fist as the left hand. His ring finger on the right hand is not extremely responsive due to the ulnar nerve damage, so they will be doing a great deal more to try to activite the strength and sensations in that finger.
I am so in awe to watch him use what functions he has. He goes to the passenger side of the jeep and opens the door, then locks his wheelchair directly in front of the opening. He has rigged a handle on the roll cage of his Jeep and he grabs it backwards and lifts enough so he can completely rotate, while still in the wheelchair. Then he reaches in with his left arm and grabs the dash handle just above the glove compartmen and uses his right arm on the rigged handle to lift himself completely off the seat and rotate into the Jeep, then he uses both arms to lift himself from his back to his rear and vowalla - he's sitting up and ready to travel. It's as easy as that - go ahead and try that yourself - I'm quite amazed every time I see it.
David has decided to purchase a different Jeep with 4 doors so we went shopping. He is figuring out how he can climb into the back of the Jeep, pull the chair into the back, close the back door from the inside and climb from the rear of the jeep, through the center console arm rest area and into the driver's seat. I watched him do the entire routine, except for pulling the wheelchair in because it might scratch a Jeep that isn't his yet, and he just did it. I'm sure it was extremely painful but he just did it. I keep having to turn away so he doesn't see my face scrunch all up as I fight back the tears.
Before we went shopping for the Jeep, we went to physical therapy and he did Palates for awhile and made me feel like a real bump on a log. Then he decided to walk. I watched and gave him any assistance he requested in getting into his legs. The fit is still very painful with all the HO, but he insisted on doing it. We then harnessed him in and he did a lap all the way across the room and back. He tipped a few times and, even though he has only part of his legs, he is still a stout young man - I don't consider myself weak, but helping him get back straight made me feel like a girly-man. When we were taking the harnass off, his skin was absolutely wet. The effort to do that was enormous. I'm glad I contain my tears better when I am with David that I do when I write this blog. Oh my gosh, am I proud of the effort he is putting out. We then looked at the x-rays of his legs and the HO is everywhere - the x-ray of the bones is a deep dense white and the HO looks like a swirling mist of lighter white. In a few places it is darker and those are the more sensitive spots that have matured and are hardening. David had me tough one of the spots and the HO is still pliable and can be manipulated through the skin. In a few places the HO is nearing the joints and the Docs have encouraged him to keep rotating his legs, whenever possible, so the HO does not get a good hold in a joint. We were told today that they just have to wait because sometimes the HO will just stop growing and present absolutely no problems - other times, surgical removal is the only option.
Almost all that was yesterday - now today. Another occupational therapy, heating up the arm and manipulating every function of the hand and arm as much as possible. David comes out of there completely fatigued from the pain but it ready to hit it again tomorrow. We had a few hours to kill before Physical Therapy so we met a few people that he wanted me to meet and then went to the hospital where a fellow EOD Tech, who was just transferred here yesterday, was recovering. It was a bit different for David to put on the yellow gown and put on the surgical gloves to see another wounded soldier. This young man had lost both legs BK (below the knee) and had no arm damages. David's biggest concern seemed to be that this soldier had a better beard that his own. David was very encouraging and helpful. Before we went up, David had asked it that was an OK thing to do and was told that he had to go through some training before they would allow him to talk with someone in an "inpatient" status. We both thought that was a bit STUPID since he had just had 5 months of training while being an inpatient himself. So, we ignored the directive and made a successful visit.
We went on to PT after some lunch and took David's "stubbies" over to the prosthetic lab for some adjustments. They basically rebuilt the legs while we waited and he put them on about 6 different times so they could make adjustments. Then, he slipped in, and they fit somewhat comfortably with no major pinching. He walked, I would say, about 80 to 100 feet. Working on his posture and using the handrails on the parallel bars. At one time he let go of the bars and just stood there and balanced himself. "It's all a process!", he would keep saying - and what a wonderful process it is to see him gaining confidence and resolve to push through every imaginable pain to stand and walk. His goal is to be standing at 6'4" on the runway when his comrades return in November - I know he'll be there and, yep, I'll be standing there with a runny nose and watery eyes.
We were at his apartment and he was playing a war game on his X-box and was hit by an IED. His comrades in the game were dragging him away from the blast and it was showing the view from his eyes close to the ground and coming in and out of focus. David said, "that is eerily real!". A few minutes later he said he as going to miss those military operations when he was able to supress the bad guys and help his friends and the people of those countries. He also said, "Dad, I miss my legs, I really liked having my legs!" What can you say? "I know son!" wasn't much of a comfort, but I don't think he was really asking for comfort, just making a statement of fact. Then it's back at it tomorrow.
It's past midnight now and I am not going to proof-read my mistakes.
All My Love,
Gordon
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010 @ 2005
I hope you're having a great weekend - I'm with David, so I'm having a great weekend!!!!
We've done a lot of shopping today and spent an hour or two installing a remote control for the overhead fan and light in his bedroom. The person who gets this apartment when David moves out is really going to have some upgrades.
I learn more every time we just sit and talk. Today we were talking and he was telling me about the mirror therapy he has been going through. His Occupational Therapist will roll up the legs on her pants and sit next to David with a mirror. Together they position the mirror so David can look in the mirror and see legs on himself. He described his shadow pain in the following manner; it's like your foot is being turned inward and the heel of your foot is being harshly pulled toward your knew. "It hurts like heck!" When using the mirror there was a little bit of relaxation in the lower half of the leg - then the therapist started wiggling her toes and his foot completely relaxed and the pain was gone.
He said that another person in the room said something to her and she, not thinking, moved her leg and David was immediately in pain and told her to get her leg back where it belonged. He was completely amazed, as was I, as to the power of the brain. The pain relief was just sooooooo welcomed.
We have been getting many things done in his apartment and it is very impressive at how mobile he is - especially considering the extreme pain from the HO. When we arrive at a store, I will get the wheelchair out of the back of the Jeep and position it directly facing his seat. He uses his left arm to swing down and rotate backwards to get into the wheelchair and then uses both arm to lift himself up and scoot back until he is comfortable. He is really quite amazing and just continues right through whatever pain is hitting him at the moment.
He said he received some bad (or concerning might be a better word) new the other day. They still draw blood from him often and this time they saw some Liver Enzymes that were not looking the way they should. They had him come in Thursday to have additional test done and should find out the result in a few days.
He has a fantastic apartment. Some furniture foundation provided him with a bed that must have cost $6,000 to $7,000. The thing looks like any other nice natural log style bed but the controls will lift the mattress and vibrate and a number of other tricky things that I haven't heard about yet. The apartment is not necessarily built for his needs but he does just fine with the place. Tonight he whipped up some Guacamole and I had to eat it with some blue chips with flack seed - I guess that just makes me healthier - the surprising part was that they tasted pretty good.
David is quite health conscious and so there are no JuJu Fruits, Dots, and no, not even licorice in his apartment. I'm afraid of the withdrawals. He is, sincerely, very aware of everything he takes and still has all the concern of gaining a dependence on any drug so he takes as much pain as he possibly can before he has to get some relief from a drug of any kind.
David still has his sense of humor. During one of his deployments, they were in a convoy and three vehicles got hit by bomb blasts. Everyone was OK but one of David's comrades got a little anxious with the increased bomb activity and devoured a large bag of Double Stuffed Oreo cookies. Since that time they have never let the man live it down, they put Oreos in his bed, in his water pouch, wherever they can find space. Well, this week the Commandant had the entire battalion in formation and David knew it was going to happen so he called the Commandant and asked for a personal favor. This particular soldier is called in front of the entire battalion to receive a special commendation and was awarded with, you guessed it, a large bag of Double Stuffed Oreos. The soldier said that if David had any legs he would break them. Needless to say, David had a great laugh. All of these things tell me that David is extremely blessed after having been in some kind of major blast 8 different times, yet he has no evident TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) or PTSD. He really has great spirits for the injuries he has.
Today he was wondering if the doctors could take some of the fat off of some parts of his body and inject it into the ends of his legs to cushion the HO.
Early tomorrow morning half of his command is leaving to relieve the other half of his command. We are planning to be there to make sure David can give them the encouragement he thinks they need. David told me that this deployment will be a bit safer because the drug season is over. When the poppy seed fields have been harvested, the drug wars stop until the next growing season. It is quite the cycle these people have to go through.
When Lynnette and I first went to the Bethesda Hospital to see David when he arrived in the United States, we expected to see the most awful scene and , as you may recall, we saw our son - he still looked like our son and felt like our son and the love had not changed. When I got here I expected to see the HO sticking out of his legs like little trees or coral. What I saw was my Son.
The same son that I love and respect for his courage, commitment, and willingness to put his life on the line for someone he does not even know. Yes, the HO is awful. Bumps everywhere when they don't belong and fresh wounds that won't close because there is a bone trying to come through - but he is still that great looking young man that comes really close to being as studly as his father. (Surprised you with that levity - didn't I)
It all makes me cry and smile at the same time. He asked me if I was OK with all this. I told him that the hardest thing for me was the fact that David, just like all my sons, has always been extremely active and on the move, and now I know it is really hard for him not to have those same freedoms. He agreed.
We're hoping to get our fishing licenses and go Lobster trapping - we'll let you know how great the fishing was - but not until after we have eaten all the catch.
All My Love,
Gordon
We've done a lot of shopping today and spent an hour or two installing a remote control for the overhead fan and light in his bedroom. The person who gets this apartment when David moves out is really going to have some upgrades.
I learn more every time we just sit and talk. Today we were talking and he was telling me about the mirror therapy he has been going through. His Occupational Therapist will roll up the legs on her pants and sit next to David with a mirror. Together they position the mirror so David can look in the mirror and see legs on himself. He described his shadow pain in the following manner; it's like your foot is being turned inward and the heel of your foot is being harshly pulled toward your knew. "It hurts like heck!" When using the mirror there was a little bit of relaxation in the lower half of the leg - then the therapist started wiggling her toes and his foot completely relaxed and the pain was gone.
He said that another person in the room said something to her and she, not thinking, moved her leg and David was immediately in pain and told her to get her leg back where it belonged. He was completely amazed, as was I, as to the power of the brain. The pain relief was just sooooooo welcomed.
We have been getting many things done in his apartment and it is very impressive at how mobile he is - especially considering the extreme pain from the HO. When we arrive at a store, I will get the wheelchair out of the back of the Jeep and position it directly facing his seat. He uses his left arm to swing down and rotate backwards to get into the wheelchair and then uses both arm to lift himself up and scoot back until he is comfortable. He is really quite amazing and just continues right through whatever pain is hitting him at the moment.
He said he received some bad (or concerning might be a better word) new the other day. They still draw blood from him often and this time they saw some Liver Enzymes that were not looking the way they should. They had him come in Thursday to have additional test done and should find out the result in a few days.
He has a fantastic apartment. Some furniture foundation provided him with a bed that must have cost $6,000 to $7,000. The thing looks like any other nice natural log style bed but the controls will lift the mattress and vibrate and a number of other tricky things that I haven't heard about yet. The apartment is not necessarily built for his needs but he does just fine with the place. Tonight he whipped up some Guacamole and I had to eat it with some blue chips with flack seed - I guess that just makes me healthier - the surprising part was that they tasted pretty good.
David is quite health conscious and so there are no JuJu Fruits, Dots, and no, not even licorice in his apartment. I'm afraid of the withdrawals. He is, sincerely, very aware of everything he takes and still has all the concern of gaining a dependence on any drug so he takes as much pain as he possibly can before he has to get some relief from a drug of any kind.
David still has his sense of humor. During one of his deployments, they were in a convoy and three vehicles got hit by bomb blasts. Everyone was OK but one of David's comrades got a little anxious with the increased bomb activity and devoured a large bag of Double Stuffed Oreo cookies. Since that time they have never let the man live it down, they put Oreos in his bed, in his water pouch, wherever they can find space. Well, this week the Commandant had the entire battalion in formation and David knew it was going to happen so he called the Commandant and asked for a personal favor. This particular soldier is called in front of the entire battalion to receive a special commendation and was awarded with, you guessed it, a large bag of Double Stuffed Oreos. The soldier said that if David had any legs he would break them. Needless to say, David had a great laugh. All of these things tell me that David is extremely blessed after having been in some kind of major blast 8 different times, yet he has no evident TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) or PTSD. He really has great spirits for the injuries he has.
Today he was wondering if the doctors could take some of the fat off of some parts of his body and inject it into the ends of his legs to cushion the HO.
Early tomorrow morning half of his command is leaving to relieve the other half of his command. We are planning to be there to make sure David can give them the encouragement he thinks they need. David told me that this deployment will be a bit safer because the drug season is over. When the poppy seed fields have been harvested, the drug wars stop until the next growing season. It is quite the cycle these people have to go through.
When Lynnette and I first went to the Bethesda Hospital to see David when he arrived in the United States, we expected to see the most awful scene and , as you may recall, we saw our son - he still looked like our son and felt like our son and the love had not changed. When I got here I expected to see the HO sticking out of his legs like little trees or coral. What I saw was my Son.
The same son that I love and respect for his courage, commitment, and willingness to put his life on the line for someone he does not even know. Yes, the HO is awful. Bumps everywhere when they don't belong and fresh wounds that won't close because there is a bone trying to come through - but he is still that great looking young man that comes really close to being as studly as his father. (Surprised you with that levity - didn't I)
It all makes me cry and smile at the same time. He asked me if I was OK with all this. I told him that the hardest thing for me was the fact that David, just like all my sons, has always been extremely active and on the move, and now I know it is really hard for him not to have those same freedoms. He agreed.
We're hoping to get our fishing licenses and go Lobster trapping - we'll let you know how great the fishing was - but not until after we have eaten all the catch.
All My Love,
Gordon
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