All is well!!!!!!!!!!! Well, at least we think so. Lynnette has been released from her short and not so relaxing stay in Cardiology. They say the Ultra Sound showed nothing and the Stress Test was normal. I guess we can chalk this one up to the tiny bit of STRESS that can be felt around here.
David did not stress anyone today. He had plenty of visitors again, two of which were General Brian Tarbet of the Army National Guard and the newly elected Legislator from Utah - I'm sorry that I did not get his name. General Tarbet is a great man and a, long term, great personal friend of our family.
David even received an IPOD from some organization today and was sleeping and entertaining the entire room with the sound level. If 8 times having his bell rung did not damage his ears, they are surely damaged now.
David is eating like a horse, well, maybe a Shetland Pony, and is doing very very well. The "PAIN" team came in today and told us that David could be moved to Walter Reed as early as the end of this week or the first of next week - it is so nice to see him gaining his strength .
I get to go back and be with Lynnette and David in the morning and I am very excited. These are the times when being a Dad is a wonderful opportunity.
Good Night All,
Gordon
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 2246
Hi Friends and Loved Ones,
Today is a mixed bag of feelings and happenings.
David is doing fantastic, he is alert, he is keeping himself busy when he is awake and sleeping very good when he needs to. It is really hard to leave David at any time, but there comes the realization that if we don't leave his room, he feels a little obligated to stay awake and make sure we are not feeling ignored. So, we leave and do something meaningless for awhile.
Randy is a fantastic guy on the floor that I have mentioned before - well, he is a barber too. He gave David a haircut and a shave and yes, Grandma Vasey, he still has the mustache growing. He looked and felt great all at the same time but I'll bet no one got a photograph. We need to get a picture of David and Randy together.
We got some new news today and there will be more surgery for David once all of this surgery is done and healed. If you recall, I told you that this was David's 8th time to get his "bell rung" by explosives of some kind whether it be an RPG, an IED, etc, etc, etc. Well the bell ringing seems to have pierced more than just sound - David was told today that he will need skin grafts over his ear drums. I had absolutely no idea that they could do such a thing. I guess they cut a tiny piece of skin off the muscle behind the ear and graft it on to the eardrum. I'm not sure if I got the facts straight but I understand that the whole process needs to happen well after the other surgeries are done because of the conflicting medicines that need to be used for the procedure.
Is anyone out there counting the number of surgeries?
I know Lynnette will kill me when she reads this but I've been very honest about David and he will be reading this blog to his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren so all the non Top Secret stuff needs to be in here. This morning Lynnette wasn't feeling very good and was a little dizzy so she told David that she needed to run an errand. She went down to the Marine Corps Liaison Office and asked if they could take her to the Emergency Room. When she arrived and told them what was happening, they did an EKG and found some small irregularities so they offered her a Nitro Glycerin Tablet. To the best of my knowledge, the tablet immediately dilates the blood vessels and, if you get a splitting headache - your heart is fine, but if you feel much better almost immediately then there will, quite possibly be a blockage in your heart. I asked Lynnette if she got a splitting headache and she said "No, I immediately felt better!" I informed her that she had given the wrong answer and, to my surprise, she already knew. They said they would have to watch her close for several hours and she told them that was fine and that she would come down from David's room every couple hours so they could check her. They said No No No, you're not going anywhere. So, to make a long story short, Lynnette is currently in "INPATIENT" status on the 3rd Floor Cardiology Wing while David is sitting on the 5th floor waiting for his mother to complete her "errand!" David now knows, he's a bit worried about his mother.
Lynnette has been given 4 Nitro Glycerin tablets and has a Nitro Glycerin Patch. She has an IV hooked up to her and is borrowing some of David's pain meds because after she gets the immediately relief in her chest - the headaches come rolling in. Tomorrow morning they will inject some dye into her bloodstream and then put her through a stress test. Oh yes, I almost forgot, she told me not to tell anyone! How did I do? I told her that I was going to tell because she had every right to have people praying for her too. She may want to kill me for telling, but even if she does, I want you to know, and I know David would agree and so would every one of her children and grandchildren and primary children, she is an incredible individual, she has all the charity necessary to earn her way back into the presence of her Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom (but not yet), and she is the strength that keeps this entire family headed in the right direction. Not to mention the fact that she is incredibly beautiful and I LOVE HER. I know there are an incredible amount of prayers in our behalf and I want you all to know that this IS an answer to those prayers. There is absolutely no better place on this earth to find out that you have a heart problem. We are a very blessed family.
So, flight plans have been changed and there will be plenty to write about while David is in the process of feeling better every day. They have applied a gray foam to David's skin graft donor sites - this foam helps in removing the protective coating that was placed there immediately after surgery.
It's getting late and I need to start packing to get back out there!
I was able to serve in Bountiful LDS Temple tonight and see some very special friends whom I love very dearly. It seems impossible for me to properly express my love for those I serve with in that Temple.
It's going on midnight and I'm going to bed - you should do the same.
All My Love,
Gordon
Today is a mixed bag of feelings and happenings.
David is doing fantastic, he is alert, he is keeping himself busy when he is awake and sleeping very good when he needs to. It is really hard to leave David at any time, but there comes the realization that if we don't leave his room, he feels a little obligated to stay awake and make sure we are not feeling ignored. So, we leave and do something meaningless for awhile.
Randy is a fantastic guy on the floor that I have mentioned before - well, he is a barber too. He gave David a haircut and a shave and yes, Grandma Vasey, he still has the mustache growing. He looked and felt great all at the same time but I'll bet no one got a photograph. We need to get a picture of David and Randy together.
We got some new news today and there will be more surgery for David once all of this surgery is done and healed. If you recall, I told you that this was David's 8th time to get his "bell rung" by explosives of some kind whether it be an RPG, an IED, etc, etc, etc. Well the bell ringing seems to have pierced more than just sound - David was told today that he will need skin grafts over his ear drums. I had absolutely no idea that they could do such a thing. I guess they cut a tiny piece of skin off the muscle behind the ear and graft it on to the eardrum. I'm not sure if I got the facts straight but I understand that the whole process needs to happen well after the other surgeries are done because of the conflicting medicines that need to be used for the procedure.
Is anyone out there counting the number of surgeries?
I know Lynnette will kill me when she reads this but I've been very honest about David and he will be reading this blog to his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren so all the non Top Secret stuff needs to be in here. This morning Lynnette wasn't feeling very good and was a little dizzy so she told David that she needed to run an errand. She went down to the Marine Corps Liaison Office and asked if they could take her to the Emergency Room. When she arrived and told them what was happening, they did an EKG and found some small irregularities so they offered her a Nitro Glycerin Tablet. To the best of my knowledge, the tablet immediately dilates the blood vessels and, if you get a splitting headache - your heart is fine, but if you feel much better almost immediately then there will, quite possibly be a blockage in your heart. I asked Lynnette if she got a splitting headache and she said "No, I immediately felt better!" I informed her that she had given the wrong answer and, to my surprise, she already knew. They said they would have to watch her close for several hours and she told them that was fine and that she would come down from David's room every couple hours so they could check her. They said No No No, you're not going anywhere. So, to make a long story short, Lynnette is currently in "INPATIENT" status on the 3rd Floor Cardiology Wing while David is sitting on the 5th floor waiting for his mother to complete her "errand!" David now knows, he's a bit worried about his mother.
Lynnette has been given 4 Nitro Glycerin tablets and has a Nitro Glycerin Patch. She has an IV hooked up to her and is borrowing some of David's pain meds because after she gets the immediately relief in her chest - the headaches come rolling in. Tomorrow morning they will inject some dye into her bloodstream and then put her through a stress test. Oh yes, I almost forgot, she told me not to tell anyone! How did I do? I told her that I was going to tell because she had every right to have people praying for her too. She may want to kill me for telling, but even if she does, I want you to know, and I know David would agree and so would every one of her children and grandchildren and primary children, she is an incredible individual, she has all the charity necessary to earn her way back into the presence of her Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom (but not yet), and she is the strength that keeps this entire family headed in the right direction. Not to mention the fact that she is incredibly beautiful and I LOVE HER. I know there are an incredible amount of prayers in our behalf and I want you all to know that this IS an answer to those prayers. There is absolutely no better place on this earth to find out that you have a heart problem. We are a very blessed family.
So, flight plans have been changed and there will be plenty to write about while David is in the process of feeling better every day. They have applied a gray foam to David's skin graft donor sites - this foam helps in removing the protective coating that was placed there immediately after surgery.
It's getting late and I need to start packing to get back out there!
I was able to serve in Bountiful LDS Temple tonight and see some very special friends whom I love very dearly. It seems impossible for me to properly express my love for those I serve with in that Temple.
It's going on midnight and I'm going to bed - you should do the same.
All My Love,
Gordon
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010 at 1853
This is a good day. As I had mentioned before, David was very pale and his hands were trembling because he was getting weaker and weaker. They did not want him to go to surgery in that condition so they came in a game him 2 units of blood. He felt great and looked great within a very short period of time.
He is still having the phantom pains but the pain from the skin grafting settled down a great deal over the past 48 hours. His surgery today went great. He came back to the room with NO WOUND VACS - you heard me - NO WOUND VACS. That's fantastic. It feels like every time a tube gets removed it is a reason to celebrate.
The surgical team, especially Dr. Fleming, said that David has really turned the corner and is well on his way to being released from the hospital and should head to Walter Reed within the next couple weeks. Dr. Fleming said they will be applying shrinkers to his legs because, I guess, they really want the legs to be sleek and trim to have the best results with the prosthetics.
A "Shrinker" is a tubular compression material used for control or prevention of edema following amputation surgery, for limb volumetric maintenance, to minimize hypertrophic scarring and to give compressive support for pain relief. Compressogrip shrinkers assure controlled compression, ease of application and wearer acceptance. I sound pretty dang smart, don't I!!!
Actually I copied and pasted that little description for your reading benefit. I shouldn't have told you the truth, I would have sounded brilliant.
Anyway, things are really looking up! I sincerely feel that and say it with conviction. I believe that David is feeling the exact same way. As soon as he got back from surgery, he was starving and Lynnette took off to get him whatever he wanted - you'll never guess what it was - nope, nope, not that either, I told you you wouldn't guess, A HOT DOG FROM 7-ELEVEN, the big honkin' one and he ate the whole thing. The only thing bad about the meal was the fact that his mother is going to have to take days of recovery time to settle down from the drive it took to get the hot dog. To listen to her you would have thought her life was in danger every passing moment of the drive. I tell you, there is a whole bunch to smile about today.
If you think that was incredible, guess what else David did today? Nope, not even close, ya right, not that either... OK, I'll tell you - he called AT&T, by himself, and did all the necessary work to get his cell phone back in commission so his friends could call him and he could call them. He knows he could use our phone but, and it's great to see and feel, he is feeling his independence coming back and it's feels good. Most of us, in our right mind, and without any medications, would hate to make a call to our cell phone carrier - just to deal with many of them is a burden - but he just jumped in and did it.
It is really interesting to write a blog like this. I have found that my words become guarded. When I started to talk about him calling AT&T, I wrote that he jumped in with both feet, I know it's just a phrase, but now the phrase doesn't seem to fit. Then to end that last paragraph with "he just jumped in and did it.", felt really weird too. I'm going to have to find out if it's just my reaction to it or if David feels the same way.
Today Lynnette, her sister Jolyn, and David put on a show to watch and it was, you guessed it, a shoot em' up and blow em' up war movie. In it was a scene that included a man being hit by a shell or a blast of some kind and lying there calling for help. Lynnette had to leave the room. She came back in, after going through several breathing exercises to calm her emotions back down, and told David that she couldn't watch anything like this. He realized the situation and they put on another movie. I am just in awe that David can watch these kinds of scenes, especially after what he is currently going through, and still maintain a cool, calm, and collected demeanor. I know he, and many of his friends, have seen and felt many emotions that most of us will never see or feel or even want to experience, yet these young men just seem to handle it. I really am in awe.
Last word was that David is sleeping and you'll never guess what he is sleeping on! OK, I won't do that a third time. He has sheets on his bed. All this time he has just been sleeping on the bare inflatable bed with a pad here or there to give him comfort. Now he is in luxury with actual sheets. I hope you're feeling good about today too. With great medications to take care of the phantom pain, clean sheets, a very successful surgery day, a step toward a cell phone, and a Big Honkin' 7-Eleven Hot Dog, what more can one ask for.
Our Heavenly Father really does supply us with some beautiful tender mercies to help us push on to the next challenge. Life is a beautiful thing.
All My Love,
Gordon
He is still having the phantom pains but the pain from the skin grafting settled down a great deal over the past 48 hours. His surgery today went great. He came back to the room with NO WOUND VACS - you heard me - NO WOUND VACS. That's fantastic. It feels like every time a tube gets removed it is a reason to celebrate.
The surgical team, especially Dr. Fleming, said that David has really turned the corner and is well on his way to being released from the hospital and should head to Walter Reed within the next couple weeks. Dr. Fleming said they will be applying shrinkers to his legs because, I guess, they really want the legs to be sleek and trim to have the best results with the prosthetics.
A "Shrinker" is a tubular compression material used for control or prevention of edema following amputation surgery, for limb volumetric maintenance, to minimize hypertrophic scarring and to give compressive support for pain relief. Compressogrip shrinkers assure controlled compression, ease of application and wearer acceptance. I sound pretty dang smart, don't I!!!
Actually I copied and pasted that little description for your reading benefit. I shouldn't have told you the truth, I would have sounded brilliant.
Anyway, things are really looking up! I sincerely feel that and say it with conviction. I believe that David is feeling the exact same way. As soon as he got back from surgery, he was starving and Lynnette took off to get him whatever he wanted - you'll never guess what it was - nope, nope, not that either, I told you you wouldn't guess, A HOT DOG FROM 7-ELEVEN, the big honkin' one and he ate the whole thing. The only thing bad about the meal was the fact that his mother is going to have to take days of recovery time to settle down from the drive it took to get the hot dog. To listen to her you would have thought her life was in danger every passing moment of the drive. I tell you, there is a whole bunch to smile about today.
If you think that was incredible, guess what else David did today? Nope, not even close, ya right, not that either... OK, I'll tell you - he called AT&T, by himself, and did all the necessary work to get his cell phone back in commission so his friends could call him and he could call them. He knows he could use our phone but, and it's great to see and feel, he is feeling his independence coming back and it's feels good. Most of us, in our right mind, and without any medications, would hate to make a call to our cell phone carrier - just to deal with many of them is a burden - but he just jumped in and did it.
It is really interesting to write a blog like this. I have found that my words become guarded. When I started to talk about him calling AT&T, I wrote that he jumped in with both feet, I know it's just a phrase, but now the phrase doesn't seem to fit. Then to end that last paragraph with "he just jumped in and did it.", felt really weird too. I'm going to have to find out if it's just my reaction to it or if David feels the same way.
Today Lynnette, her sister Jolyn, and David put on a show to watch and it was, you guessed it, a shoot em' up and blow em' up war movie. In it was a scene that included a man being hit by a shell or a blast of some kind and lying there calling for help. Lynnette had to leave the room. She came back in, after going through several breathing exercises to calm her emotions back down, and told David that she couldn't watch anything like this. He realized the situation and they put on another movie. I am just in awe that David can watch these kinds of scenes, especially after what he is currently going through, and still maintain a cool, calm, and collected demeanor. I know he, and many of his friends, have seen and felt many emotions that most of us will never see or feel or even want to experience, yet these young men just seem to handle it. I really am in awe.
Last word was that David is sleeping and you'll never guess what he is sleeping on! OK, I won't do that a third time. He has sheets on his bed. All this time he has just been sleeping on the bare inflatable bed with a pad here or there to give him comfort. Now he is in luxury with actual sheets. I hope you're feeling good about today too. With great medications to take care of the phantom pain, clean sheets, a very successful surgery day, a step toward a cell phone, and a Big Honkin' 7-Eleven Hot Dog, what more can one ask for.
Our Heavenly Father really does supply us with some beautiful tender mercies to help us push on to the next challenge. Life is a beautiful thing.
All My Love,
Gordon
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010 at 2149
I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday.
I'm really missing being by David's side, I honestly feel quite empty being away from him right now.
I've asked Lynnette to fill me in on everything that has been happening and, hopefully, I can properly portray things from a few thousand miles away.
David's last few days have been about sleeping and just letting the healing process take over. Late Friday night David had some guests and so Lynnette tried to build a little tent over his legs to allow for the air to keep drying the skin harvested areas of his legs and yet maintain a level of dignity for David as he visited with individuals. The visits went on and then things quieted down. The only problem was that nobody had noticed that the sheet that had been used to make the tent over his legs had lowered enough to be touching the wounds and it stuck and, although not a great amount, it had to be carefully peeled away from the legs because it had dried a little. They worked very carefully at it and it did not seem to be any great problem. With the harvested areas, it takes about 5 days to have a good firm surface and every time the blood seeps through, it starts that 5 day count all over again. There has been enough blood loss during the skin grafting surgery and the seepage over the past 4 days that David is looking quite pale and will, more than likely, need another unit or 2 of blood when he goes into surgery tomorrow. They are not worried enough to give him blood right now but, in all appearances, it will be needed tomorrow. His red blood count is low enough that his hands are beginning to tremble.
The pain in David's skin harvested areas are really starting to relax a bit and, unfortunately, the phantom pains are coming back. I asked him which pains he preferred, the skin grafts or the phantom pains and he really wasn't very excited about either of them. They are able to give him special nerve blocking medications that help with the phantom pains but then he is, once again, on his way to La La Land. (La La Bye, and Good Night... - you know the song!)
David really loves to hear from his friends. Today he received email from Jonah Dornbos out of California, and Adam Roberts who was involved in the incident with David in Afghanistan. David really likes to have us set the laptop computer on his chest and he just reads and laughs and enjoys they way buddies converse about the tasks they are involved in. I have to tell you that these EOD Techs are really a breed of their own, I sincerely have not met one of them that I did not immediately like even though I flinch a bit at some of the expletives they use. They are really a great group of men and I believe I could trust them with anything.
David had several EOD Tech buddies drop by today and, although it was really a very very hard day for him to be alert and conversant, he thoroughly enjoyed their visits. Once they were gone and everything settled down, he was able to sleep. Well, maybe not sleep, he was able to get to sleep then be awakened for a pill or two, then get to sleep and be awakened to have something to eat, then get to sleep and be awakened to take another pill, then get to sleep and be awakened to have his vitals taken and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...............
That's what we call sleep in a hospital.
For those of you who read this blog and, hopefully not, feel discouraged by the fact that these vibrant young men are lying in beds with parts missing, please change your thinking to the way they are thinking: "We are lucky to be here talking about how bad it could have been!" and "I am very excited to hit the next phase of this rehab, what's done is done and it's time to move on to the next phase of my life, just in a different direction than I anticipated!" and "I have an amazing amount of opportunities ahead!" Every Warrior I have met is finding a way to have an incredibly bright outlook on the future and this incredible military and these amazing organizations are doing everything possible to make it all happen. They don't see the restrictions, they see the opportunities. My heart does go out to those soldiers with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). I am grateful David's intellect it 100% in tact.
As I have thought about this past week and the different times my tears have got the best of me, those tears have all been out of gratitude that my son is still the witty, fun, caring, unselfish, considerate, motivated individual that he was before the blast. Sorry, leaving his room and having to come home did not produce tears of gratitude. But the countless answered prayers, blessings, mercies of our Heavenly Father - the future is very very bright.
Enough Philosophy for the Night,
Have a great night and make it a point to do something for someone tomorrow!
All My Love,
Gordon
I'm really missing being by David's side, I honestly feel quite empty being away from him right now.
I've asked Lynnette to fill me in on everything that has been happening and, hopefully, I can properly portray things from a few thousand miles away.
David's last few days have been about sleeping and just letting the healing process take over. Late Friday night David had some guests and so Lynnette tried to build a little tent over his legs to allow for the air to keep drying the skin harvested areas of his legs and yet maintain a level of dignity for David as he visited with individuals. The visits went on and then things quieted down. The only problem was that nobody had noticed that the sheet that had been used to make the tent over his legs had lowered enough to be touching the wounds and it stuck and, although not a great amount, it had to be carefully peeled away from the legs because it had dried a little. They worked very carefully at it and it did not seem to be any great problem. With the harvested areas, it takes about 5 days to have a good firm surface and every time the blood seeps through, it starts that 5 day count all over again. There has been enough blood loss during the skin grafting surgery and the seepage over the past 4 days that David is looking quite pale and will, more than likely, need another unit or 2 of blood when he goes into surgery tomorrow. They are not worried enough to give him blood right now but, in all appearances, it will be needed tomorrow. His red blood count is low enough that his hands are beginning to tremble.
The pain in David's skin harvested areas are really starting to relax a bit and, unfortunately, the phantom pains are coming back. I asked him which pains he preferred, the skin grafts or the phantom pains and he really wasn't very excited about either of them. They are able to give him special nerve blocking medications that help with the phantom pains but then he is, once again, on his way to La La Land. (La La Bye, and Good Night... - you know the song!)
David really loves to hear from his friends. Today he received email from Jonah Dornbos out of California, and Adam Roberts who was involved in the incident with David in Afghanistan. David really likes to have us set the laptop computer on his chest and he just reads and laughs and enjoys they way buddies converse about the tasks they are involved in. I have to tell you that these EOD Techs are really a breed of their own, I sincerely have not met one of them that I did not immediately like even though I flinch a bit at some of the expletives they use. They are really a great group of men and I believe I could trust them with anything.
David had several EOD Tech buddies drop by today and, although it was really a very very hard day for him to be alert and conversant, he thoroughly enjoyed their visits. Once they were gone and everything settled down, he was able to sleep. Well, maybe not sleep, he was able to get to sleep then be awakened for a pill or two, then get to sleep and be awakened to have something to eat, then get to sleep and be awakened to take another pill, then get to sleep and be awakened to have his vitals taken and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...............
That's what we call sleep in a hospital.
For those of you who read this blog and, hopefully not, feel discouraged by the fact that these vibrant young men are lying in beds with parts missing, please change your thinking to the way they are thinking: "We are lucky to be here talking about how bad it could have been!" and "I am very excited to hit the next phase of this rehab, what's done is done and it's time to move on to the next phase of my life, just in a different direction than I anticipated!" and "I have an amazing amount of opportunities ahead!" Every Warrior I have met is finding a way to have an incredibly bright outlook on the future and this incredible military and these amazing organizations are doing everything possible to make it all happen. They don't see the restrictions, they see the opportunities. My heart does go out to those soldiers with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries). I am grateful David's intellect it 100% in tact.
As I have thought about this past week and the different times my tears have got the best of me, those tears have all been out of gratitude that my son is still the witty, fun, caring, unselfish, considerate, motivated individual that he was before the blast. Sorry, leaving his room and having to come home did not produce tears of gratitude. But the countless answered prayers, blessings, mercies of our Heavenly Father - the future is very very bright.
Enough Philosophy for the Night,
Have a great night and make it a point to do something for someone tomorrow!
All My Love,
Gordon
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 0721
Good Morning,
I just talked with the group and all is going somewhat OK. While I was talking with David, they were trying to do another blood draw from his left arm. The left arm has been poked and prodded sooooooooo many times that the veins are in stealth mode - they just want to be left alone so it is extremely hard for the nurses to gain access to a good blood source. David has a "Pick Line" in the artery on the inside area of his right bicep, but each time they draw blood from there, they have to flush the line first, the flushing fluid skews the lab work and they can't get an extremely accurate look at his blood counts. David's red blood count has been down the last few days and color has been a little white, we have been told that it is partially because of the little bit of blood loss during the surgery, the skin graft procedure and the pain associated with it, and the enormous amount of fluids still being given to David through his pick lines. I think the ideal count their looking for is a 10 and his last reading was 7.2 which is not critical at all but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Last night the Brecht sisters, they are really mother and daughter but their friendship with each other would make you think they are best buddies. They brought David more treats and fun movies to watch. David really appreciates all the treats and goodies but, for the most part, he is really unable to enjoy them like we would. We ask, sometimes too many times per day, what sounds good for him to eat and then we try to scramble and find it because he really needs to keep up on his protein. He has enjoyed a few of the truffles they brought him. The Brechts are wonderful friends and I have to say that David's Marine friend, David Moran, has great taste in women. Audrey is beautiful, inside and out. (Don't get jealous, Mr. Moran, I just wanted to let you know, if you're following this blog, that you made a great choice - she's a keeper)
David tried to watch Grumpy Old Men last night but did more dosing than watching. When I talked with David, and after having been by his side for over a month, I could hear and feel the lack of strength he has due to his pain, the drugs, the his incredible fatigue. If any one of you call David, please know that he will be putting an extreme amount of effort into having an intellectual conversation and in caring his thoughts from his brain to his mouth and trying to carry your thoughts from his ear to his brain, but now is still not the time to do any more that just visit.
Two days ago we were talking with a Master Sergeant and they were talking about all the wounds people had received. ( In order to protect David's privacy right now I have to be a little vague, but I want you to understand that last paragraph. ) The Master Sergeant was talking about things lost in the blast and David gave him all the details but left one significant detail out so I quickly added that detail into the conversation - David was absolutely shocked and a little mad at me because he thought I hadn't told him. I felt so bad because we had discussed the situation 5 to 7 times (that would be about 6 times) and he had totally forgotten. I'm was looking in his eyes each time we discussed it and thought the drugs were low enough that he was well aware but, oh my, was I wrong. I would venture to say that one of the only things he remembers from the ICU was his Purple Heart Ceremony, and I believe he remembers that because there is a fairly large photo of the ceremony on the wall right in front of him.
If you remember, in some of the first blogs, I typed the words of a letter that was given to David on his flight from Afghanistan to Germany. We read that letter to David in the ICU and he loved it. We gave it to him yesterday and it was as though he had never seen it. He was extremely touched by the sentiments of that young female soldier. He said he didn't know what he was doing to warrant such high praise from someone he didn't even know or couldn't even remember because of the sedation he was under. We could only tell him that his ability to assist those assisting him, his humor, his dedication and respect, his leadership, his compassion, his unselfishness, all shown to this girl while he was laying on a very uncomfortable gurney on a bumpy airplane and sedated to the hilt, was the reason she felt like giving David such respect and praise.
During this whole process, I have thought a great deal about a close friend of mine, Sharon Gardner, whose son lost his leg because of a blood clot. I thought I could really feel his pain but I found, through this, that I had absolutely no idea what he was feeling. Most the time you're not sure what you're feeling, numb, extremely grateful, caring, upset - there are just so many words to describe all the feelings of the day and that's what I'm feeling, what about David.
I feel like I'm rambling a bit and I'm sorry. I have been given many comments about this blog and the questions that come up, when I talk to people in person, lead me to believe that more information is needed so I am trying to give you some of the insights I feel.
All My Love,
Gordon
I just talked with the group and all is going somewhat OK. While I was talking with David, they were trying to do another blood draw from his left arm. The left arm has been poked and prodded sooooooooo many times that the veins are in stealth mode - they just want to be left alone so it is extremely hard for the nurses to gain access to a good blood source. David has a "Pick Line" in the artery on the inside area of his right bicep, but each time they draw blood from there, they have to flush the line first, the flushing fluid skews the lab work and they can't get an extremely accurate look at his blood counts. David's red blood count has been down the last few days and color has been a little white, we have been told that it is partially because of the little bit of blood loss during the surgery, the skin graft procedure and the pain associated with it, and the enormous amount of fluids still being given to David through his pick lines. I think the ideal count their looking for is a 10 and his last reading was 7.2 which is not critical at all but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Last night the Brecht sisters, they are really mother and daughter but their friendship with each other would make you think they are best buddies. They brought David more treats and fun movies to watch. David really appreciates all the treats and goodies but, for the most part, he is really unable to enjoy them like we would. We ask, sometimes too many times per day, what sounds good for him to eat and then we try to scramble and find it because he really needs to keep up on his protein. He has enjoyed a few of the truffles they brought him. The Brechts are wonderful friends and I have to say that David's Marine friend, David Moran, has great taste in women. Audrey is beautiful, inside and out. (Don't get jealous, Mr. Moran, I just wanted to let you know, if you're following this blog, that you made a great choice - she's a keeper)
David tried to watch Grumpy Old Men last night but did more dosing than watching. When I talked with David, and after having been by his side for over a month, I could hear and feel the lack of strength he has due to his pain, the drugs, the his incredible fatigue. If any one of you call David, please know that he will be putting an extreme amount of effort into having an intellectual conversation and in caring his thoughts from his brain to his mouth and trying to carry your thoughts from his ear to his brain, but now is still not the time to do any more that just visit.
Two days ago we were talking with a Master Sergeant and they were talking about all the wounds people had received. ( In order to protect David's privacy right now I have to be a little vague, but I want you to understand that last paragraph. ) The Master Sergeant was talking about things lost in the blast and David gave him all the details but left one significant detail out so I quickly added that detail into the conversation - David was absolutely shocked and a little mad at me because he thought I hadn't told him. I felt so bad because we had discussed the situation 5 to 7 times (that would be about 6 times) and he had totally forgotten. I'm was looking in his eyes each time we discussed it and thought the drugs were low enough that he was well aware but, oh my, was I wrong. I would venture to say that one of the only things he remembers from the ICU was his Purple Heart Ceremony, and I believe he remembers that because there is a fairly large photo of the ceremony on the wall right in front of him.
If you remember, in some of the first blogs, I typed the words of a letter that was given to David on his flight from Afghanistan to Germany. We read that letter to David in the ICU and he loved it. We gave it to him yesterday and it was as though he had never seen it. He was extremely touched by the sentiments of that young female soldier. He said he didn't know what he was doing to warrant such high praise from someone he didn't even know or couldn't even remember because of the sedation he was under. We could only tell him that his ability to assist those assisting him, his humor, his dedication and respect, his leadership, his compassion, his unselfishness, all shown to this girl while he was laying on a very uncomfortable gurney on a bumpy airplane and sedated to the hilt, was the reason she felt like giving David such respect and praise.
During this whole process, I have thought a great deal about a close friend of mine, Sharon Gardner, whose son lost his leg because of a blood clot. I thought I could really feel his pain but I found, through this, that I had absolutely no idea what he was feeling. Most the time you're not sure what you're feeling, numb, extremely grateful, caring, upset - there are just so many words to describe all the feelings of the day and that's what I'm feeling, what about David.
I feel like I'm rambling a bit and I'm sorry. I have been given many comments about this blog and the questions that come up, when I talk to people in person, lead me to believe that more information is needed so I am trying to give you some of the insights I feel.
All My Love,
Gordon
Friday, June 25, 2010
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
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
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 1509
Today is sleep day.
The nurse just drew some more blood, or tried to draw some more blood. To me it looked a little like a gangster sticking a needle in someone and rotating it around a bit to make sure it hurt pretty good. It took so long to draw the tube of blood that the blood clotted in the draw tube. David could tell she was having a bad day so he offered her a Root Beer Popsicle, (I could have understood a cherry or lime, but a ROOT BEER), this son of mine is a saint too. She enjoyed the popsicle and I think she really enjoyed the gesture. Within minutes, David is sleeping again.
David came through the surgery with flying colors. Mainly red. He now has all three open wound areas closed with new skin, and yes, they were able to avoid the tattoo on his back. The only problem with the closed wound areas is that they have caused 3 new wound areas - they took two from his right leg and 1 from his left leg. If you have never seen a skin graft before, it is a little like a motorized PLANER/CHEESE SLICER that cuts a 2"wide strip of skin that is approximately 1/16" deep and about 8 to 10" long. Before the surgery, as you may have recalled, I told David this was really going to really hurt and then a corpsman came in later and told him it did not really hurt - it was more of a burning or a stinging sensation. Last night David said, "Dad, you were right - this really hurts!" From that point on we have tried to keep him sleeping as much as possible. You know, nurses really are quite incredible, but when they each have 5 to 13 guys, all with wounds like these, they tend to forget the little things that really can make a difference. (i.e. Softly walking into a room, turning out the lights when they are trying to sleep, closing the door so the room can remain quiet, not catching a tube in the bed rail, not catching an x-fix under the bed rail, etc, etc, etc) I'm not holding a grudge, it's just that when it hurts him, it hurts me and David has to reassure Lynnette that it's OK!
When David was coming out of anesthesia, he thought we were in the wild west and was wondering where his cowboy hat was. He saw pebbles and dirt all over the floor. He soon realized where he was and he told us to get him back to his room because he didn't like it there. He also told us that when he had his arm surgery for his compound fracture, several years ago, he remembered coming out of sedation in the recovery room and thought that he had died - the ceiling was painted with clouds and the room was the perfect temperature and he just rhought he had died and this was his new beginning in Heaven until an "Indian Guy" stuck his head in view and asked how he was doing. He enjoyed some ice chips and we headed for his room.
The recipient area of the skin grafts will be left alone for 5 days. We have been told that the pain should be tolerable after about 2 days. After the 5 days the wound vacs will come off and David will be almost TUBE FREE. I know he is really looking forward to getting back in the wheelchair. Hopefully, by then, the sauna outside will be down to a cool 90 degrees and 98% humidity. It is a scourcher today.
David woke up to get more medication and I asked him if he wanted to say anything to all of you. He wanted me to tell all of you that he is "moving forward, doing what he is suppose to do, and that he'll be out there with all of you soon!", then he fell back to sleep. I know it sounds like his recovery it is going great, and it is, but, the necessary medications make it very difficult for him to carry a complete thought or a meaningful conversation more than a few minutes - it is all going to just take time.
I keep getting interupted and it has taken me almost an hour to write this so, I'll write more later.
Aubrey and Laura Brecht came in yesterday and it was great. They brought all kinds of goodies and they brought David a great Mickey Mouse Pirate Hat from Disneyland. They also had a folder of letters from the Silver Mine School in Connecticut and those beautifully fantastic kids drew David great pictures and wrote him notes and letters - it really put many many many many many many great smiles on his face. Thank You!!!!!!!!!
For all of you EOD Techs out there - David wanted me to tell you that he received a certificate for a PELICAN case of his choice and you can't have it.
Thank You All,
Gordon
The nurse just drew some more blood, or tried to draw some more blood. To me it looked a little like a gangster sticking a needle in someone and rotating it around a bit to make sure it hurt pretty good. It took so long to draw the tube of blood that the blood clotted in the draw tube. David could tell she was having a bad day so he offered her a Root Beer Popsicle, (I could have understood a cherry or lime, but a ROOT BEER), this son of mine is a saint too. She enjoyed the popsicle and I think she really enjoyed the gesture. Within minutes, David is sleeping again.
David came through the surgery with flying colors. Mainly red. He now has all three open wound areas closed with new skin, and yes, they were able to avoid the tattoo on his back. The only problem with the closed wound areas is that they have caused 3 new wound areas - they took two from his right leg and 1 from his left leg. If you have never seen a skin graft before, it is a little like a motorized PLANER/CHEESE SLICER that cuts a 2"wide strip of skin that is approximately 1/16" deep and about 8 to 10" long. Before the surgery, as you may have recalled, I told David this was really going to really hurt and then a corpsman came in later and told him it did not really hurt - it was more of a burning or a stinging sensation. Last night David said, "Dad, you were right - this really hurts!" From that point on we have tried to keep him sleeping as much as possible. You know, nurses really are quite incredible, but when they each have 5 to 13 guys, all with wounds like these, they tend to forget the little things that really can make a difference. (i.e. Softly walking into a room, turning out the lights when they are trying to sleep, closing the door so the room can remain quiet, not catching a tube in the bed rail, not catching an x-fix under the bed rail, etc, etc, etc) I'm not holding a grudge, it's just that when it hurts him, it hurts me and David has to reassure Lynnette that it's OK!
When David was coming out of anesthesia, he thought we were in the wild west and was wondering where his cowboy hat was. He saw pebbles and dirt all over the floor. He soon realized where he was and he told us to get him back to his room because he didn't like it there. He also told us that when he had his arm surgery for his compound fracture, several years ago, he remembered coming out of sedation in the recovery room and thought that he had died - the ceiling was painted with clouds and the room was the perfect temperature and he just rhought he had died and this was his new beginning in Heaven until an "Indian Guy" stuck his head in view and asked how he was doing. He enjoyed some ice chips and we headed for his room.
The recipient area of the skin grafts will be left alone for 5 days. We have been told that the pain should be tolerable after about 2 days. After the 5 days the wound vacs will come off and David will be almost TUBE FREE. I know he is really looking forward to getting back in the wheelchair. Hopefully, by then, the sauna outside will be down to a cool 90 degrees and 98% humidity. It is a scourcher today.
David woke up to get more medication and I asked him if he wanted to say anything to all of you. He wanted me to tell all of you that he is "moving forward, doing what he is suppose to do, and that he'll be out there with all of you soon!", then he fell back to sleep. I know it sounds like his recovery it is going great, and it is, but, the necessary medications make it very difficult for him to carry a complete thought or a meaningful conversation more than a few minutes - it is all going to just take time.
I keep getting interupted and it has taken me almost an hour to write this so, I'll write more later.
Aubrey and Laura Brecht came in yesterday and it was great. They brought all kinds of goodies and they brought David a great Mickey Mouse Pirate Hat from Disneyland. They also had a folder of letters from the Silver Mine School in Connecticut and those beautifully fantastic kids drew David great pictures and wrote him notes and letters - it really put many many many many many many great smiles on his face. Thank You!!!!!!!!!
For all of you EOD Techs out there - David wanted me to tell you that he received a certificate for a PELICAN case of his choice and you can't have it.
Thank You All,
Gordon
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