Jake is asleep right now all worn out from the day. It was an absolutely beautiful day--not just the weather, but having Jake outside with us all day long. :) He was given his 24 hour pass this morning and couldn't wait to get out of the hospital! We had to wait for a bit because the pharmacy had to fill all of his meds. We couldn't believe how many bottles of medicine he had to take with him! It was mind boggling to say the least!
We finally caught the shuttle bus to downtown Siver Spring, MD, to do some shopping. Jake really wanted a slushie, so we were able to find a slushie stand and get one for him. :) He was in heaven! He hasn't been to a movie in a long time, so we took him to one. There was a huge movie theater (something like the Majestic 10 at home) and saw The Despicables. It was nice to see him smile and laugh. We could tell that he was starting to get pretty tired--he even said that his eyes closed a couple of times during the movie. So, we came back to the Mologne House, ate dinner, and came up to our room. Within a short time lying on his bed, he was out of it. It was a long day for his first day outside, but I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself. :)
We need to have him back to the hospital by 10 a.m. tomorrow. Hopefully, he will be formally discharged on Monday and he can start his outpatient therapy the next day. The sooner he gets going on his therapy, the sooner he will be able to come home.
It truly has been a very beautiful day with our son. :)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Day 29 - July 30
YIPPEE!!! Jake is off his PCA and is controlling his pain with the oral meds!! :) They disconnected him from the PCA this morning so that he could come over to the Mologne House to do his safety assessment. The Mologne House is a hotel on the Walter Reed Campus. This is where Jake and I will be living during a portion of his out-patient stay here.
The safety assessment allows Jake and his team of specialists and opportunity to review the new facility to ensure it will meet his needs. The OT and PT therapists went with us--they are the ones who do the assessment. They made sure that Jake could transfer from the wheelchair to the bed, wheelchair to the toilet, toilet to the shower, open the door to his room by himself, and manuever around the room easily. The Malogne House is a short walk from the hospital and Jake was able to push himself all the way over except for one hill. The room is a nice one--two double beds, two dressers, a comfy chair, a desk and chair, a cabinet with a mini frig and microwave--just about everything you would need to live here for a while. The bathroom is very large to accomodate wheelchairs. Jake was very excited to be over here and is hoping for a 24 hour pass tomorrow so that he can stay the night with us to do a "trial" run away from the hospital. :)
The rest of the day was an easy going one and Jake was very happy and talkative. We believe that this has been his best day yet. It's so wonderful to see him like this. :) While Mike and I were gone to take care of some paper work, Matt came in to work on Jake's legs one more time. When Jake is discharged on Monday (which is still the plan), he will no longer have Matt as his PT therapist or Jacqui as his OT therapist. :( That is soooo sad. We have come to love these two wonderful people. Before Matt left, we got pictures of him and Jake together. We will post the pictures later after I get some of him and Jacqui tomorrow.
We received a phone call from Jake's social worker (every soldier here has a social worker) requesting us to move over to Jake's room at the Mologne House so that it will stay his until Monday. The rooms here fill up fast due to the overcrowding at the hospital. It's sad to have both the hospital and this hotel so packed--because that means so many of our brave soldiers are being seriously wounded. :( Mike and I left Jake immediately, went back to our hotel, packed up everything, and moved to Mologne. We got checked in, dropped our bags and went back to visit with Jake.
When we arrived in his room, he wasn't there. His wheelchair was gone and he signed out at the ward desk when he left. We thought he might of been in the courtyard, but he wasn't. We checked all around the ward but couldn't find him. Even the nurses didn't know where he went. All patients have to sign out at the nurses desk writing down when they left, where they were going, and when they get back they have to sign back in. All he wrote for where he was going was "walking around". So, we had no idea where he was. The one thought that kept coming to Mike and I was that maybe he was visiting a friend. We decided to just wait in his room for him. After 1 1/2 hours, he finally strolled in with his Lieutenant from Afghanistan. :) His Lieutenant was injured very recently and Jake knew that he might be coming to Walter Reed today, but didn't think he would see him because he did not know the extent of his injuries. It was wonderful to meet him and we could see that it meant a lot to Jake to have him there so they could talk about their injuries. Jake was releaved to hear good news about his other buddies in Afghanistan and to hear good news about the ones that were injured in the recent attack.
It was a glorious day for all of us! We can't wait to have Jake in "his" room with us tomorrow. :)
The safety assessment allows Jake and his team of specialists and opportunity to review the new facility to ensure it will meet his needs. The OT and PT therapists went with us--they are the ones who do the assessment. They made sure that Jake could transfer from the wheelchair to the bed, wheelchair to the toilet, toilet to the shower, open the door to his room by himself, and manuever around the room easily. The Malogne House is a short walk from the hospital and Jake was able to push himself all the way over except for one hill. The room is a nice one--two double beds, two dressers, a comfy chair, a desk and chair, a cabinet with a mini frig and microwave--just about everything you would need to live here for a while. The bathroom is very large to accomodate wheelchairs. Jake was very excited to be over here and is hoping for a 24 hour pass tomorrow so that he can stay the night with us to do a "trial" run away from the hospital. :)
The rest of the day was an easy going one and Jake was very happy and talkative. We believe that this has been his best day yet. It's so wonderful to see him like this. :) While Mike and I were gone to take care of some paper work, Matt came in to work on Jake's legs one more time. When Jake is discharged on Monday (which is still the plan), he will no longer have Matt as his PT therapist or Jacqui as his OT therapist. :( That is soooo sad. We have come to love these two wonderful people. Before Matt left, we got pictures of him and Jake together. We will post the pictures later after I get some of him and Jacqui tomorrow.
We received a phone call from Jake's social worker (every soldier here has a social worker) requesting us to move over to Jake's room at the Mologne House so that it will stay his until Monday. The rooms here fill up fast due to the overcrowding at the hospital. It's sad to have both the hospital and this hotel so packed--because that means so many of our brave soldiers are being seriously wounded. :( Mike and I left Jake immediately, went back to our hotel, packed up everything, and moved to Mologne. We got checked in, dropped our bags and went back to visit with Jake.
When we arrived in his room, he wasn't there. His wheelchair was gone and he signed out at the ward desk when he left. We thought he might of been in the courtyard, but he wasn't. We checked all around the ward but couldn't find him. Even the nurses didn't know where he went. All patients have to sign out at the nurses desk writing down when they left, where they were going, and when they get back they have to sign back in. All he wrote for where he was going was "walking around". So, we had no idea where he was. The one thought that kept coming to Mike and I was that maybe he was visiting a friend. We decided to just wait in his room for him. After 1 1/2 hours, he finally strolled in with his Lieutenant from Afghanistan. :) His Lieutenant was injured very recently and Jake knew that he might be coming to Walter Reed today, but didn't think he would see him because he did not know the extent of his injuries. It was wonderful to meet him and we could see that it meant a lot to Jake to have him there so they could talk about their injuries. Jake was releaved to hear good news about his other buddies in Afghanistan and to hear good news about the ones that were injured in the recent attack.
It was a glorious day for all of us! We can't wait to have Jake in "his" room with us tomorrow. :)
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Day 28 - July 29
Rollercoaster rides are fun. However, this rollercoaster ride of Jake's was up, then down, and then back up again.
Jake's day started out really well. He was able to have his very first shower all by himself! :) This is another HUGE step for him to be discharged. The OT and I helped Jake get situated on the benches in the handicap accessible shower. He transfered from his wheelchair very well to the benches. He loved the shower!! He said it's much better than bathing in bed. When we returned to his room, the OT and his nurse rewrapped his legs and put the braces back on. That is when everything went downhill.
As Jake was sitting in his chair, the PA (physician assistant) came in to talk to us about Jake possibly being discharged on Monday. I noticed that Jake was being very quiet during this whole discussion, which is unusual because he voices how he feels when the subject turns to him being discharged. He kept putting his head in his hand and dummy me didn't recognize the signal he was sending my way that he wasn't feeling very well. As soon as everyone left the room, he told me that he wanted to get back into bed because his left leg was starting to hurt him. He got into bed by himself and then the pain hit and it hit extremely hard. :( His pain level rose from a 2 to a 7 within minutes. He was sobbing because the pain was so intense. He kept moaning very loudly which brought nurses and techs to his room. They immediately paged the PA and he arrived within minutes. We really like this PA--he has been amazing in Jake's care there. Jake received an extra dose of the pain medicine in his PCA, received Valium through his IV, received another higher dose of his oral pain medication, and had an ice bag on his leg. The PA also ordered some x-rays of the left leg to see if anything was going on inside. The nurse, the PA, and I kept trying to get him to calm down and have slower, deeper breathing. My heart just broke for him. :( Finally, everything started to kick in and he finally fell asleep and slept for a couple of hours. The doctors said that nothing is wrong with the plates or bones in his leg and believe that somehow Jake tore through some scar tissue today.
When he awoke, he still felt a bit druggy, but the pain wasn't at the intensity that it was earlier. Thank goodness!! He was so happy to see Matt come through the door to do some PT with him. After all that pain, Jake still wanted to do PT because he said that when Matt works his legs, he makes them feel so much better. They didn't work as hard as yesterday--Matt was very aware and sensitive to how Jake was feeling earlier--but he was able to get Jake sitting on the side of the bed again. :) After Matt was done, Jake felt so much better and was in a very good mood.
There was a room that opened up at the Mologne House today. This is great news for us because that is one more step closer to coming home. :) The plan is that tomorrow afternoon, Jake will receive a pass to leave the hospital with OT therapist to go to the Mologne Home to do a safety assessment of the room. Mike and I will also be accompanying him because we will be his non-medical assistants. The therapist will see if the room fits Jake's needs and will also see how well he can do maneuvering in the room and making transfers to the bed, toilet, and tub. If everything meets his needs, then he gets the room and will be discharged on Monday. :) However, there are a few items that he still has to do before that day. He has to be completely off the PCA unit (which the process is starting tonight), be able to control the pain with oral medications, and not have another episode like he did this morning. Jake is so ready (mentally) to get out of the hospital. We will see by Monday if he is physically ready to leave. If there are any glitches in any of this, then the room will be given to someone else and Jake will remain in the hospital until another room is available.
The highlight of the day for him was seeing his dad walk into his room tonight. :) Mike came down this way on a business trip and is staying with us through the weekend. :) Not only was his arrival Jake's highlight of the day, it was mine too!!
The ride on this rollercoaster hit bottom for a bit today, but it ended up high. :)
Day 27 - July 28
What a day!!
Jake really cracked me up this morning--what a funny guy. As you have read from the last few posts, he hasn't been sleeping very well because of pain/discomfort in his legs and because he keeps getting woken up for meds, vitals, and who knows what else. All he wants to have is a good night's sleep--or even a good nap during the day--but it isn't possible. :( I knew that he would be trying to sleep in some this morning, so I went upstairs to do some laundry. He was still asleep when I got to his room afterwards. As the clock neared 9:00 a.m., I knew that he needed to get up and eat breakfast because the nurse would be in to give him more meds, PT and OT would be up early to work on him, and others would be coming in and out of his room. The tech came in to take his vitals, so I tried to wake him--boy was he NOT happy with that! He did not get angry with me, he got angry with the hospital staff for waking him again and again. And, he voiced his irritation quite loudly--he didn't care if they heard him or not. As he tried to get somewhat coherent for the tech, I went down to the cafeteria to get him and I some breakfast. When I returned to his room, he was asleep again, but this time, he had his sheet pulled up over his head and tucked tightly around his head and body so that no one could wake him!! I started laughing! Right after I got into his room, his nurse walked in and said that she needed to wake him. She tried to get the sheet off his head, but he wouldn't budge. As she was telling him that he needed to get up, he kept telling her (loudly but respectfully) to leave him alone!! The nurse had a smile on her face and said something about his grumpiness. He told her exactly why he was grumpy--don't know if she really got it or not because she was still smiling. He had to give up the fight and get up--but he was NOT in a good mood all morning until Matt came in for PT.
He wasn't happy to see Matt, at first, because of the pain in his legs--but after Matt started working on them, he was very happy to have him there. He worked Jake's legs to the point where they felt really good and not so painful anymore. He also got Jake on the side of the bed with his legs hanging down again. :) The right leg went all the way and the left leg went a bit further than yesterday. We were all thrilled!!! Jake also showed him how he can transfer to and from his wheelchair without any help at all! :) Another great step! Matt also put him in a good mood by teasing with him. I am very grateful to this physical therapist. We will really miss him when Jake goes outpatient.
Jake's occupational therapist, Jacqui, is on vacation this week so there have been others taking her place. The one he had today has set up a time tomorrow morning to assist him with transferring to a real shower stall. This shower stall is huge and has benches in it so that he can keep his legs elevated and be able to shower by himself. He does his own bathing in his bed all the time now, but this will be the first time to be in a shower since the blast. He's been expressing his desire to be able to take a real shower--that wish will be coming true. There is excitement, but also some fears due to his legs. This therapist also took us down to the therapy room and had Jake and I play air hockey (to extend the reaching length in his arms). It was a lot of fun for both of us--it was just great to get out of the room and do something fun. I took out my revenge on him for beating me at Uno and Skip-Bo the other day. Yep, I won!!! :) I told him that I would definitely be writing about that in the blog. He just smiled. :)
The rest of the day was peaceful (except for nurses/techs coming in)--we went outside to the courtyard, talked, he received more mail and a package today, and we went and visited one of the soldiers that was injured with him. That, I think, was the highlight of the day for Jake. He's been worried about all of them who were injured, so it was good for him to see him and to be able to talk to him.
Jake has great concern for those in his platoon who are still over in Afghanistan. This was even more evident today. His desire for them to be able to return home to their families is as strong as his own desire to be home with his family again. We are praying for all of them--and thinking about them constantly. Jake has told me about these men/women. I admire them, respect them, and am so very grateful for them. They are, and will forever be, heroes to me.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Day 26 - July 27
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting a bit brighter. :)
Jake had a very, very good day today! Other than struggling with keeping the pain under control, he made a lot of strides. He went down to the occupational therapy room and did some upper body exercises. Once again, he was in a teasing mood. In fact, he was teasing everyone all day! The therapist gave him two "gifts" to take back to his room to help him achieve more independence with his daily care. A long back wash brush and a grabber. If he drops anything on the floor, he can use this grabber to pick it up. Well, he had a lot of fun with that grabber today with mom! It's always good to see him smile and laugh. :)
Matt achieved another goal with Jake. He got Jake on the edge of his bed today with his legs hanging down. YIPPEE!! Jake kept telling him that he wouldn't be able to do it, but he did! His knees may not have bent all the way, but this is a HUGE step for him. I think Jake was even surprised that he did as much as he did. Matt won the bet--so no push-ups from him. ;)
One of the biggest smiles Jake gave today is when the student nurse came in bearing a small gift--a gift that Jake has been waiting for since he arrived here at Walter Reed. His glasses!!! :) He immediately put them on and exclaimed, "I CAN SEE!!!" Then, he proceeded to look at every single sign that is posted in his room. He was so happy to see finally what was written on them. It is hard to believe that he's gone nearly a month without the ability to see clearly.
Jake received some visitors today. The daughter of our dear friend, Michele, and her husband and kids surprised us by stopping in. It was so wonderful to see them all and to finally meet her amazing husband. Kathryn brought Jake some goodies that he devoured right after they left. :) The Connecticut Army National Guard came and visited with Jake also. There was one other visitor from Vermont (the civilian aide from Vermont for the Secretary of the Army?), but Jake was extremely worn out from all the therapy and lack of sleep so he told his liaison leader that he was too tired to receive any more visitors. He apologized to her, but she understood completely.
The past few nights (and days) Jake hasn't slept very well due to the pain in his legs. He usually takes a nap during the day, but hasn't been able to. The lack of sleep was catching up to him today--he was yawning all day long. He received a phone call from a friend in his home unit but didn't take it because of how wiped out he was. He felt bad about turning down the call, but knew that he wouldn't by much of a conversationalist. We both are hoping that he will be able to sleep better tonight.
We also found out a bit more about what his discharge plan is going to be like. It's not exactly what Jake wanted (and, as a family, we wanted), but it is the best plan for him. They are thinking of discharging him from "inpatient" status to "outpatient" status next week--IF--he can get off the PCA unit and control his pain better with the oral medications. What great news!!! He will be outpatient down here--not in Vermont like we were hoping. He, and his NMA (non-medical assistant--which will mainly be me with Mike re-leaving me when he can), will be going to the Malogne House (hotel here on campus for wounded soldiers and their NMA's). He will stay at the Malogne House until the doctors, and other people in charge of his care, give their okay for him to come home to Vermont. They are trying to honor Jake's request to get home as soon as he can, but it will take some time. There is paper work that has to be completed (which will take a few weeks) and then the approval of those involved in his care. This will be good for Jake because he will see how things will work in the real world with a wheelchair and will be close to the doctors in case there are any problems with his healing.
We are very, very excited for Jake and the milestones he is about to make!! It's a long, long tunnel, but we can see a little bit more of that light each day.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Day 25 - July 26
The peace and quiet of the weekend at the hospital is long gone. It's Monday and the hospital, once again, is alive. :(
Jake had a pretty good day. The doctor made his rounds very early in the morning and took the ace bandages off of Jake's legs to let the incisions "air" out. His legs were still unwrapped when I arrived--the incisions look really good and there is the possibility of them removing the staples (not the stitches) on his right leg this week. The doctor told him that it would be another week or so before they take the stitches out of both legs. He also understands the pain/discomfort that Jake is experiencing with the new placement of the pillows, but he gently told Jake that he needs to hold on for another couple of days and that he promises that it will get better. The doctor also changed his oral pain medications so that he can get relief and not get so nauseous. Tonight will be the first time on this new medication--sure hope it works!
Matt came up for PT and really worked Jake's legs. He measured the bend in his knees and right now, Jake can bend his right leg to 45-50 degrees. The left leg is still struggling with the bending, but it's getting stronger. He also measured the straightness of his legs (legs stretched out straight in front on the bed). Their goal is to get the legs to a zero. Both of his knees are about a -1. Which means, they are not as straight as they want, but pretty close. A goal has been set by Matt--that by the end of the week, Jake will be sitting on the edge of his bed with both legs hanging off the side of the bed--knees bent. Jake just laughed at this goal, but Matt is determined to help Jake reach it. :) Jake told Matt that he (Matt) needed a haircut and with him being an officer, that he wasn't setting a good example to everyone. Matt made a bet with Jake. If he does not have his hair cut when he comes in to work on Jake's legs tomorrow, he will do 50 push-ups for Jake. They are not the normal push-ups either--they will be some form of military ones. We will see what happens!
The wife and the mother of one of the injured soldiers came in again to visit Jake. He loves these visits from them! His face lights up with a smile when he sees them come through the door. He also appreciates the updates that they give about her husband.
He was also happy to see that Scooter returned back to the ward. :) His owner and Jake talked for a bit and Scooter stood by Jake to receive the petting and attention that he loves. :) He even brought his ball into Jake's room tonight to play. Scooter decided to leave his owner's bedside for a bit and go visit some of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. :) What a great dog!
Jake wanted to get into his chair again--he gets more relief and comfort with his legs in his chair right now that he hasn't been getting these past two days in his bed. He got so comfortable in his chair when we went outside to the courtyard, that he actually fell asleep while sitting in it. :) I couldn't resist taking a picture of him with my cell phone to show family.
It's good to see the progression in his healing process. Each little step he takes, each day his legs get stronger and he is able to do more for himself is a blessing. :)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Day 24 - July 25
Today was a good day, and, a not-so-good day for Jake. His legs were in a lot of pain this morning due to the doctors starting to wean him off the pain medication he gets through the PCA unit, and, because the doctor also removed the pillows that were under his legs supporting them. They want Jake to start straightening out his legs more and not get used to them being slightly bent at the knees. They placed the pillows underneath his ankles and feet to keep his feet in an upright position too. His pain level was still at a 3, which is good, but it's now a different type of pain. They gave him a "boost" of the pain med through his IV and he started to feel a bit better.
On the shuttle bus ride over to the hospital this morning, I was talking to the parents of one of the other guys that got injured with Jake in the vehicle. They wanted to know if Jake could receive visitors and if they could come meet him. I was very excited about this because I know how much Jake wants to see their son and also meet them. So, as Jake and I were eating breakfast together, he noticed two people standing outside his room. It was them! :) They are really nice people and gave Jake an update on their son. Jake was so appreciative to them for visiting and for their update.
After breakfast, he decided to get into his chair for a bit. We try to go outside to the courtyard every morning before it gets too hot. It was a bit muggy (there's so much humidity here right now!), but it was so nice to sit near the fountain and just talk. Before too long, he was starting to sweat and decided to go back into the coolness of his room. His cousin bought him some games to play--Uno, Skip Bo, Sorry Revenge--so he decided to challenge his ol' mom to some games. Now, we both teased each other about who was the best at these games and who was going to win. Some of his nurses came in and were joking around with us too about the games. :) Jake wanted revenge for the times I have beat him playing Phase 10. Well, it was a very close game with both Uno and Skip Bo. I will admit defeat--he got his revenge! :)
He decided to try to take a nap after that. Notice the "try" part of that statement? His legs were just so uncomfortable. One of his nurses came in and said that the doctors wanted to lower his PCA once again but were going to increase the amount of his oral pain meds to help. Jake was okay with this--he knows that he has to go through this to be able to be discharged.
As he was laying in bed, the mother that visited him this morning came into his room full of excitement. :) She told Jake that her son was moving up to the same ward as Jake--and--that his room is just on the other side of the hallway! We shared in her excitement and I gave her a hug. We asked her if her son was allowed visitors and she said that he was. So, Jake is hoping to go visit him tomorrow.
Jake didn't get to play with Scooter today. :( His owner had surgery today so someone took Scooter home with them to take care of him. We are hoping to hear his toenails hitting the floor again tomorrow and seeing him at Jake's doorway. :)
Jake has an excellent nurse tonight--the same one he had last night. He told Jake this morning before he left that if they assign him to Jake's ward again tonight, that he was going to ask personally to have Jake as his patient. He keeps telling us that his first priority is the comfort and well being of his patients and that he will do all he can to make sure that they are well and that they get rest. What a great man!! There have been so many amazing nurses here (male and female) taking care of Jake--we already have our favorites. :)
Before I left, Jake was feeling miserable--because of the pain and because of the itching. His legs are still covered with ace bandages, the wounds are healing, and he still has the leg braces on--all that combined together makes the itching unbearable. He is allowed to have some Benadryl (through his IV) and knows that within minutes of them giving it to him, he is gone--out of it--in la la land. He told me that I had better come get his hug right then because he knew that he would not be in the condition to give me a hug or say anything to me when I did leave. As I left his room about 15 minutes later, he was in a deep sleep and did not even budge when I gave him a kiss goodbye. Sleep well, son.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day 23 - July 24
It was a nice, smooth ride to the hospital this morning. Rick, Mary, and the kids (Jake's cousin and family) drove me over to the hospital and came up to visit with Jake. Usually, the rides to and from the hospital are bumpy, noisy, and rough--not to mention feeling like you are in a race car that is in the Indy 500! :( Jake's ride on the road to recovery today was similar to the shuttle bus rides--very rough and bumpy. :(
When we all arrived at the hospital this morning (bearing breakfast for Jake from Panera's), he looked okay, but not as well as yesterday. His face lit up when he saw everyone. :) I think them visiting was the highlight of his day! He informed me that through the night he became nauseous again and vomited. :( It was a rough night for him. He was hungry though and ate his breakfast. Everything seemed like it was changing for the better. He got into his wheelchair and we all went outside to his courtyard. He wanted to go out before it got really hot (which it did--in the 100's) and to spend time with the kids. As we were out there visiting and talking, he told me that his stomach wasn't feeling too well. Before I could even do anything to help, he leaned over his wheelchair and vomited again. Poor guy! :( Something is going on with his body right now and we are so confused of what is causing all of this nauseousness. Thank goodness Rick and Mary were there--they were such a great help to me and to Jake. We got him back to his room, Rick and Mary and the kids said their goodbyes, and he got back into bed. His nurse gave him some medicine to calm the nausea--it worked.
His PCA button wasn't working very well through the night either, so he was experiencing more pain in his legs. This guy can't win. :( They finally got the button working again and he starting pushing that button right away. I went upstairs to do a small load of laundry--when I got back, he was in a deep sleep again. He slept for quite awhile.
Later this afternoon, his nurse (who isn't the best nurse) mentioned to him that he looked really sleepy. Duh! Of course he is going to look sleepy! He is on a high concentration of the pain medicine! Jake replied that every time he pushes the PCA button it makes him feel like he can't keep his eyes open. His nurse asked him if he wanted him to call Jake's doctor to get the concentration lowered. Jake gave him permission to do so and told him that he was tired of feeling like this every day. Then, Jake fell asleep again. The doctor did okay the change--they cut it in half--so now it's going to be interesting to see how Jake handles the pain. They do give him oral pain medication along with the medicine in the PCA unit.
Another bright spot in his day is that there is a beautiful (almost white) yellow lab in the room next to his. His name is "Scooter" and he is a very friendly, loving dog. He looks like he could be the identical twin of a dog that one of our friends back in Vermont, the Gilbert's, have. Scooter's owner is a Major in the Air National Guard and is from North Carolina. The Major is as friendly as Scooter is! :) Scooter is an "Assistance Dog"--he helps his owner with opening doors, turning on and off lights, helping pick up items that he drops, etc. He has his own bed in the room with his food/water dishes and his toys. We hear his toenails hit the floor as he fetches his toys. Sometimes, as he is returning back to his owner's room, he stops in Jake's room (at the door entry) and wags his tail. Sometimes he looks at Jake like, "Come on out and play!" :) The Major told Jake that if he wanted to, he can play tug of war with Scooter in his wheelchair in the hallway. Apparently, Scooter loves to play tug of war and will pull Jake in his chair all the way down the hall! :) I really think Jake is hoping that he is feeling better tomorrow so that he can go out and play with the dog. :)
Before I left Jake for the night, he looked at me and told me that he is very grateful that he is alive and that he doesn't have more serious injuries. Jake has seen and has heard of the different types of injuries that soldiers have here. He also saw on the news that five more American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. :( That news really affected him. We talked then about how lucky he really is--not just with this accident, but with the accident last Fall that almost claimed his life too. He said that he just wants to feel better so that he can work harder with his healing process and get home. He looked at me with a lot of emotion and said, "Ma, I just want to go home!" He wants to be home with his family--to have the love and support from them with his road to recovery. It is going to be a very long road, but he feels that if he is home with his loved ones, that road wont be as bumpy and difficult to travel on.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Day 22 - July 23
What a fantastic, fabulous, wonderful, awesome day!!! :)
Jake was in a deep sleep again when I arrived at the hospital with his breakfast. He did not like me waking him up this morning, but I had to because he had a "date" with Jacqui. She needs to see that he can do some more daily living tasks by himself. He was able to prove to her that he can do most of his bathing/dressing by himself and also worked on some "transfers." Today's transfers were from bed to commode then to wheelchair. He impressed her with how well he did with all of his tasks today. :) He was happy to be clean and to be sitting in his chair again. He was just happy all around! :) Jacqui is going on vacation for a week so she brought her substitute with her to introduce Jake to her. Good thing she can take teasing because he gave her a hard time just like he does with Jacqui. :)
He wanted to get out of his room for a bit. The goal this week is to have him in his chair each day for at least three hours. He was able to accomplish that goal except for Wednesday and Thursday due to him not feeling well. The new goal now is to be in the chair four to five hours each day. We couldn't leave the ward just yet because he was expecting a visitor soon and didn't want to miss her. So, we just "traveled" around the halls. As we were going past the nurses area, he saw one of his nurses (a male one) working on the computer. He asked Jake how he was doing and Jake replied that he was doing really good today. The nurse replied, "Well, you are looking better than yesterday." Jake's reply (this cracked everyone up), "Man, I always look good!" :) His sense of humor has returned! :)
Our thoughts/guesses about what was making Jake feel so ill the past two days were correct! It was the new pain medication that they started giving him. Jake and his night nurse decided to not take that particular pain medication last night to see if it was causing the illness. He had a great night and had even greater day! YIPPEE!! It's so nice to see our Jake back!! He makes sure now that every nurse knows that he cannot take that medication.
A special family friend, Francine, came to visit. It was so wonderful to see her again and to talk! It perked Jake up and he just started talking and talking. Seeing and visiting with friends really perk both of us up. Thank you, Francine, for stopping by to visit on your way home. It really meant alot to both of us. Thank you, also, for the hugs. :)
After her visit, Jake decided to hit the road again in his chair and decided to go turn in some paper work a few floors down. He loves being in the chair and going fast. Now, he still has his IV in and the PCA is attached to that IV--and--mom has to push the PCA pole behind Jake so that the IV doesn't come unattached. Just picture in your mind, if you can, Jake wheeling down the hallway enjoying the freedom of movement and forgetting, I think, that there is something and someone behind him trying to keep up with him!! :) At least he is helping me with my exercising! What a thoughtful son I have!! ;-) We returned back to his room some time later and he transferred back into his bed. He was worn out--mom too--from their morning jog. ;)
Right as he was starting to fall asleep, Matt came in. I don't think Jake had a smile on his face then--in fact, I know that he didn't. He really likes Matt and likes joking around with him, but he was not too happy with him disturbing his sleep and then his lunch! But, Matt persevered and didn't let Jake's scowl scare him away. They worked on both legs again and Matt even had me start helping with the exercises so that I can help Jake this weekend with them.
Jake was finally able to eat his lunch and sleep for a bit. Well, at least I thought he was sleeping. I looked over at him and it looked like he was, so I decided to just lay my head back against the chair and close my eyes. Lack of sleep has been catching up on me. Within a few minutes, just when your body is entering the stage of deep sleep, I was jolted awake with "Mom! Mom! Mom!" I jumped up as fast as I could and ran to the side of his bed. I kept asking him what was wrong and if he was okay. I really believed that he was having another nightmare. My heart was in my throat pounding as fast as it could! He replied to me, "Look!"
I said, "Look at what, Jake!"
"Look at my leg, ma!"
He was smiling. Okay. . . so it's not a nightmare--whew! I looked down at his legs--the right one in particular because I knew that he couldn't do much with his left leg yet without assistance. When I didn't see anything, he said, "The left leg, ma."
As I looked, I saw that he had lifted his left leg up high--all by himself!! :)
"See, I did it! I can lift the left one!"
And then he repeated it again! What a huge step--a milestone! We were so excited--high 5's and all! I told him that he scared the beejeebees out of me when he called my name. He just laughed at me! He never did fall asleep like I thought he did--he was just concentrating and focusing on lifting his leg. :)
After that big excitement, he actually did fall asleep. Matt came back to his room, but this time for a different reason. Before he told me the reason why he was back, I told him about Jake lifting his left leg unassisted. He got a big grin on his face and said,
"I've been telling him that it was him lifting his leg and not me, but he wouldn't believe me."
He was very happy to hear the wonderful news! He then presented me with a box (red, white, and blue) and a pencil/pen set that has written on it, "United States Senate". He proceeded to tell me that Senator Bob Dole came to visit the hospital (can't remember when) on his birthday and wanted the wounded soldiers to receive something from him. Matt thought of Jake and wanted to get this gift from Senator Dole for him. Inside the box was a folded American flag with a certificate of authenticity that it was one of the flags flown over the United States Capitol building and signed by the Acting Architect of the Capitol. Wow!! What a gift!! My heart was touched by not only Senator Dole's kindness, but also with Matt's thoughtfulness in thinking of Jake. My heart swelled with love, gratitude, and with greater appreciation for Matt. He left with a smile on his face and with "Have a great weekend!" When Jake woke up from his nap, I presented the gifts to him. He was extremely touched by the flag and with Matt. He couldn't believe that Matt would do that for him. Jake loves the American flag and what it stands for. This is a very, very special gift to him. Thank you, Matt!
We had another wonderful visitor tonight--Jake's cousin, Mary. When she walked into the room, it was like a breath of fresh air! :) She, her husband and kids, are traveling to their vacation spot and always stop half way. They decided to stop in DC and make a visit to Jake. Rick and the kids stayed at the hotel while she visited but they all are coming to the hospital with me in the morning to see Jake. It is sooooooooooo wonderful to have family around--even if it's just for a short visit. :) She and Jake talked for the next 2 1/2 hours about everything! Laughing, smiling, talking--what a great ending to a fantastic, fabulous, wonderful, amazing day!! :)
Day 21 - July 22
A day down memory lane. This morning, as I arrived at Jake's room, the scene I saw took me back many years to when the kids were little and I would go in and check on them at night before heading to bed. They would be sleeping so peacefully and so soundly. Jake did not even stir when I walked into the room. :) In fact, he didn't stir until almost 2 hours after I arrived there! I was sooooooo happy to see him in such a deep and peaceful sleep. He really deserved it.
The morning went pretty well. Matt (physical therapist) came in and decided to work on Jake's legs while he was in bed. He did not want to have Jake in the wheelchair today because he was still having some bouts with being lightheaded and nauseous. Jacqui (occupational therapist) also came in to see him. She wanted to take him down to the therapy room to work on things that he needs to do before being discharged but didn't because of how he was feeling. They just talked and laughed quite a bit. This was the first time that I have really seen him bust out laughing and smiling so much since we've been here. It was a beautiful sight to see!! :)
We are still trying to figure out what is causing Jake to feel so ill. We think that we have come up with a possible reason. The pain management team started Jake on a new oral pain medication yesterday and these symptoms started yesterday. Jake is going to bring this up with his doctors in the morning when they come see him. His nurses also put notes in Jake's about how he's been feeling so that the doctors can read it.
He received more visitors today--the Chief Warrant Officer of the Vermont National Guard and another Captain that was in the same deployment as Jake but in a different area in Afghanistan. The captain, his wife, and son are staying in the same hotel as I am and he was a patient here at Walter Reed in April. He is still on outpatient here and is trying to get back home to Vermont. It was wonderful to see them all and to talk. The Captain and his wife were a great help in answering some questions we had about paper work. Jake also received some great phone calls from fellow soldiers/friends back with the 131st Engineers in Vermont. These phone calls really cheered him up and put a smile on his face. As his mom, I really appreciate these men calling Jake, checking up on him, and making him smile and laugh. Thank you.
The day ended with another trip down memory lane with taking care of the kids when they were sick with the stomach bug--leaving gingerale and saltine crackers by Jake's bedside.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Day 20 - July 21
I'm not sure if it's the red hair or just plain stubbornness (and I'll admit that he probably gets that from my side of the family), but Jake decided to take it upon himself to "cold turkey" from his PCA unit last night. :( The PCA unit is a button that he pushes when he feels a lot of pain so that a pain medication can be released into his system. Yesterday, some of Jake's frustrations had to do with this PCA. He cannot go outside the hospital (except for the courtyard that's by his ward) with this PCA and he doesn't like it much because the medication makes him very sleepy.
He has learned his lesson--the hard way. It was not a very good day for him. When I arrived, he was in a lot of pain--with both legs. Now, for the past week, he hasn't experienced any pain in his right leg, just in his left. Because he didn't have any of the medication throughout the night, the pain came back in his right leg. I immediately told him to push his button--he did without any reservations at all. He can push the button every 10 minutes right now and he watched the clock so that he could push it more. He heard chastisement (which was given with concern and patience) over and over again from the nurses, the pain team, the therapists, etc., about why he should never do this again. Finally, along with his oral pain medications, the pain started to subside and he was calm once again. Thank goodness!
The doctors come in every morning to unwrap his legs so that the incisions are exposed to the air. Yesterday, one of the incisions on his left leg was a bit red--and--his white blood cells count was high. Everyone was a bit concerned that there was an infection starting to brew. But, he didn't have a fever. Because of this missing part, they thought that maybe there was a lab error. Once again, blood was drawn and sent to the lab. The doctor told me that if there was an infection, they would probably have to take Jake back into surgery again to do a "wash out" of the wound. My heart sank--I didn't want him to have to go through another surgery. I started praying even harder. It's amazing how powerful prayer is!! The lab made an error!! His white blood cell count was normal!! YIPPEE!!! When I looked at his incision this morning, it was still a bit red, but much much better than yesterday. :)
Monday night they also had to do a blood transfusion on him. His residuals (guess it's his hemoglobin and something else) were pretty low and not climbing. I received a phone call from his nurse around 11:00 p.m. telling me that they decided to go ahead with the transfusion and were giving him one unit. Yesterday, his levels rose some. Today, his levels are continuing to rise. :) More wonderful news!
His physical therapist took him to the therapy room today and had him do the arm bicycle and then they started working on the left leg. The doctors gave the clearance for the therapist to start bending the knee and moving the leg more. Jake did very well, but you could see that it was quite painful for him. But, he didn't complain. He may have winced a few times, but no words of complaint came out of his mouth. The therapist was impressed with how much Jake could move his left leg and with his "transfers" (going from bed to wheelchair and back). He wasn't feeling well at all during this whole session, but he kept going.
We returned to his room and he began to become very light headed. He thought it was because of the hard workout that Matt gave him with therapy, but the nurses and the PA (physician assistant) believed that it was because of the lack of pain medication from the PCA. Later in the day, this happened again along with some nausea. All because of his frustration and stubbornness! Even with those qualities, we sure do love him! His nurse tonight gave him some medication through his IV for nausea. By the time I left about 15 minutes later, Jake was sitting up more in bed and looked a bit better. He said that his stomach was calming down.
One bright note for the day was that he received some more visitors. :) Our state senator, Senator Leahy, came by with the Brigadier General of the Vermont National Guard (I think that was his title) and another officer of the Guard that Jake knew. When Jake saw this Sergeant, his face lit up with a big grin. :) It was so nice to see that smile on his face! He also had visitors from a chaplain from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (and his assistant) who prayed with Jake and I before he left. He was visiting his state's guardsmen who are here and decided that he wanted to visit all of the National Guardsmen--no matter what state they were from. :) It was nice to have a connection with him since I was born and raised in Pennsylvania.
I came back to the hotel confident and at peace that Jake would NOT repeat his actions of last night. :) He had the button resting on his chest ready to push if needed. :) With this, I am hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.
I want to thank all of you for your love and prayers in behalf of Jake and our family. We can definitely feel them and have witnessed the power of them. Jake has also. He, too, is very grateful.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 19 - July 20th
Today was a really good day for Jake. Thank goodness!! He even mentioned to his physical therapist that today has been better for him than yesterday. He was awake for almost the whole day! Of course, having quite a few visitors coming in through his door probably helped with that! ;)
He was awake, alert, calm, and happy when I arrived at the hospital. He said that he had a good night and slept well. He wanted to get his bathing done before the visitors came (which we knew were coming). He needed to do as much as he could with bathing and dressing himself because that is one requirement from his occupational therapist. He had to lift his upper body up off the bed quite a few times (he has a trapeze bar above him to pull himself up) even with pain shooting through his left leg. He was determined to do it--and succeeded! :) He was also able to get in and out of his bed without hardly any assistance! There were some frustrations that were freely expressed by him today, but it's okay. It is going to be a very long road to full recovery, but he has this drive and determination (maybe it's stubbornness) to work hard.
His visitors consisted of a friend of ours from Vermont and the former Surgeon General of the Air Force (who he was traveling with), our state Governor--Governor Douglas and the Governor of South Dakota, a fellow Vermont Army National Guardsman who we did not even know was here at the hospital in the ward next to where Jake is, and members of a local VFW. It was wonderful to see so many Vermonters. :)
About 5:30 this evening, he told me that he was tired, was going to close his eyes for a bit, and wanted me to go and get my dinner. He slept until he woke with me giving him a kiss goodbye on his forehead--almost 3 hours without any help from sleeping medications. It was a peaceful, restful sleep. He did dream, but it seemed to be good dreams because when I looked over at him, he had a really big smile on his face. :) What a beautiful sight to see!
Day 18 - July 19th
Sure hope the weather doesn't determine what type of day Jake will have. If it does, it's going to be a rocky ride. :( Today wasn't like yesterday--it started out cloudy, got sunny, cloudy and rainy, and then sunny again. That is what Jake's day was like.
When I arrived, Jake seemed kind of sad--not as happy as he was yesterday. This concerned me and I asked him how his night went. He said that it went well and that he slept pretty good. Okay. . . if he had a good night, what could be bothering him? I asked how his pain was--about a 3 (they score the pain from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worse). So, it wasn't lack of sleep or pain--still couldn't figure out what was bothering him. I didn't push it--wanted to see if he would talk about it later--which turned out to be much later. Mondays are a pretty busy day at the hospital. I couldn't believe how many people came in today for one reason or another--not counting his nurses. It was unbelievable!! :( No wonder people can't rest at a hospital--everyone keeps coming in and waking the patient up! I know that everyone has to do their rounds, but if someone is sleeping, why do they have to wake them up to talk to them? Sorry--it was a very long day for both Jake and I. :(
That was the cloudy part of the day. The sunny part came soon after. The wife and mother of one of the injured soldiers Jake was serving with at the time of the incident came to see him. Boy did his face light up with a smile when he saw her. :) She gave him a hug and an update on how her husband was doing. Jake was very concerned when she told him that her husband had a rough day on Saturday. Jake has been worried about all the soldiers that were injured in the incident and asks about them all the time. All he wants to do is to see them again.
His occupational therapist also came to see him, helped him into his wheelchair and took a stroll down to the therapy room to work on lifting to continue to build up his upper body strength. Jake liked that, but the pain in his left leg started to spike and we decided to take him back to his room. When we arrived there, his physical therapist greeted him and they exchanged some teasing between themselves. :) He wanted to do some exercises with Jake but as they started to talk about it, Jake received some special visitors (two women) from the Vermont Army National Guard.
The VANG visitors were a bright ray of sunshine for Jake, and for me. They visited with Jake, gave him a Calvin and Hobbes book (to make him laugh when he was down), gave him a special coin, and gave him and I hugs. It was a nice break in his day and it was nice to receive visitors from home. After their visit, we went downstairs to Subway (yes, this hospital has a Subway, Dunkin Donuts, and a Burger King in it), got some lunch, and came back up on the ward and went outside in the courtyard (which has a nice fountain) and ate lunch. It was nice to just sit and talk in a very peaceful, relaxing spot. Jake loves this courtyard--he says that it is his. :)
He decided that it was time to get back into bed and take a nap--he was pretty tired. When we got him into bed, his physical therapist came back to do the exercises with him. The therapist didn't want to do too much because Jake's levels (his hemoglobin and something else dealing with his blood) were still pretty low and he didn't want Jake to exert himself too much. Jake has lost quite a bit of blood with all these surgeries, which make his levels low. So, they are watching it closely. He was finally able to close his eyes after that visit and take a nap. Thank goodness! I told him that I would run down to the PX store to get him some things he wanted and would be back quickly.
This is where the sun stopped shining outside and it started to get cloudy and dark. When I arrived back to his room, I was greeted with him sitting up in bed with a look of terror on his face and his eyes full of tears. I went to him as fast as I could and asked him what was wrong. All he could say to me is, "I couldn't wake up, Ma. I couldn't wake up." Over and over and over again. He was so distressed and just sobbing. I just held him close to me. He said that he started to dream again. All he could see over and over again was the blast, the truck being tossed, the armor of the vehicle being blown off, and his buddies being thrown from the vehicle. He said that he tried to wake up but couldn't. And then he repeated the exact same words again and again. My heart just broke entirely right then. I wish so badly that I could take away all the pain--physical and mental that he is experiencing right now. He asked his nurse if there was something that they could give him to help him sleep without any dreams. He said that he doesn't want to dream anymore. They did and within a few minutes he was out and slept for almost 3 hours. As he slept, I looked outside his window and saw that it started to rain. Rain outside--rain (tears) inside.
The sun started to poke through the clouds as he woke up. He woke well rested and not as upset. He even asked for something to eat and some more Gatorade. :) As they were doing the nursing shift, a certain cute nurse walked into his room and his face lit up with a HUGE smile! :) I teased him about it and said to him what a great way to end your day--seeing a really cute nurse. He smiled and agreed with me. :)
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for him. No matter what the weather is doing outside, we are going to make it sunny and bright, in every way, for Jake inside.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Day 17 - July 18th
Today was beautiful! The sun was shining brightly and the day became even brighter as I walked into Jake's room and saw him sitting up, alert, and with a smile on his face. :) He looked peaceful and very rested. He said that he had a really good night and that he wasn't feeling much pain in his legs.
Another bright spot was seeing his pole (it holds all of his IV medications on it--sorry, can't remember the proper name for it) without one of the PCA units and the big Ketamine box. What a glorious site that was! Jake told me that they removed the Ketamine late last night and boy, are we all happy with that. It is a great pain medication, but some of the side effects are hallucinations and nightmares. The doctors also removed one of the two drains that are on his left leg. These drains help take out the excess fluid/blood buildup around the incisions.
The day was an easy going one. Because it is the weekend, the hospital is much quieter and there seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere about the place. One of the physical therapists came in this morning and worked with Jake on both of his legs. They don't wait very long after surgery to begin the exercises. In fact, she came up yesterday (a day after surgery) to begin working with him, but because he was already in his wheelchair, she decided to wait an extra day. She was very impressed with how well he is doing with his right leg. So impressed that she gave him more exercises to do. :) She then began to work on his left leg. This worried me a bit because of how much pain he's been in with this leg. But, she was gentle and stopped when Jake told her it was getting too painful. I, too, was impressed how strong and determined this man was--he wants to work hard, but at the right pace.
After they were done with his exercises, she wanted to see how well he could get into his wheelchair. He succeeded with that task without having the usual two people helping him. He still has to have someone help move his legs because he can't bend them or put any weight on them. We then took a stroll outside to enjoy the sunshine and a stroll inside the hospital. We had the hallways all to ourselves which we don't during the week. It was wonderful to just stroll and talk.
He napped throughout the day and enjoyed trying to beat his ol' mom at playing Phase 10. He almost did, but, the sun was shining down on me right then! :)
Before I left for the night, he asked me to get his camera out. I was wondering what he wanted to take pictures of. He told me that the doctors come early in the morning on their rounds and they redo the dressings on his legs. He wants to take pictures of his left leg when all the dressings are off so that we can see what the incisions look like. He wanted to have pictures of the left leg to go with the ones taken of his right leg (which are posted on here). He was pretty tired tonight, so I got him all settled and his legs all propped up, gave him a hug and kiss goodbye and by the time I reached the door of his room, he was sound asleep. :)
Every day, to and from the hospital, we pass a Chinese restaurant called "The Lucky Ginger". This has some significance because the soldiers that he was with over in Afghanistan called him "Ginger" because of his fair complexion and his red hair. So, every time I see "Lucky Ginger", I think of how lucky--no, how blessed Jake has been with this whole horrible event. His life was spared and his injuries are not as severe as what they should of been. Each day, each little step he takes with his healing, is truly a miracle. He is a miracle. The sun seems to shine brighter each and every day. :)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Day 16 - July 17, 2010
The postings from now on will not be written by the writer of the family--Mike--so just wanted to warn you that they wont be as beautiful or eloquent. Sorry to disappoint you all! ;)
Jake was wide awake when I arrived and one of the first things he said to me was, "Ma, I want you to help with my bathing this morning." He desperately wanted out of the hospital gown and into some "real" clothes. They have "adaptive" clothing there at the hospital for these soldiers (made and donated by a wonderful company) to meet their needs with their injuries. The sides of the shirts, shorts, pants, etc. are all velcro so that they can be easily put on without having to move IV lines or going over different braces, casts, etc. on legs or arms. It makes the job of getting dressed by yourself so much easier for them. We are finding so many great products/ideas of how to make these injured soldiers lives so much easier--along with making them feel more self-worth that they can do things on their own. We got Jake cleaned up--which he did mostly by himself--and he felt so much better.
After a short nap, his occupational therapist came in. We love her. :) She is great with Jake and they tease each other like they were brother and sister. :) She was really impressed that he did most of his bathing by himself. Her job is to make sure that Jake can do things by himself in the outside world. She really wanted to take him down to the therapy room to work more on his upper body strength since that is the source he will depend on until he is out of the wheelchair. He has tremendous upper body strength but needs to continue to keep it built up. Because one of his IV lines was a bit short, she did not want to risk having it accidentally pulled out while doing the weights. And, we found out later that he couldn't leave the floor today due to one of his pain medications. Jake was very disappointed that he couldn't go lift weights. But, she made a "date" with him to get him first thing Monday morning and take him to do the weightlifting. He was quite pleased with that plan! He teased her about going on a "date" with him. :) Now, this is all in teasing because he told us that even though there are a lot of pretty nurses taking care of him, he can't do anything because that would be fraternizing with officers. (The majority of the nurses there--men and women--are all Army officers.) Jake has another "date" with a physical therapist tomorrow morning. :) His regular therapist (a man that jokes around with Jake like they were brothers) wasn't working this weekend, so someone else was filling in. Jake wants to get going on this therapy so that he can get home sooner.
She did, however, make his day when she suggested him getting into his wheelchair. He loves being in his wheelchair and getting out of the bed and his room. He wanted to get into the chair right after surgery the other day! He's really good at using it and getting around. The transition to his chair went pretty smooth without much pain. The transition back into the bed later was a bit more difficult and painful. :( He stayed in his chair for over 3 hours today! That is quite an accomplishment especially since he just had surgery yesterday! We took a stroll around the ward and went out into the courtyard to get some fresh air and get some sun. He really enjoyed spending time outside.
He did finally end back in bed and took a great nap. One of the pain medications that he is on makes him extremely sleepy. Right now it is at a high dosage and after tonight, he decided that he didn't want to feel like that anymore and asked for them to lower his dosage. Every time he presses the button, within a few minutes, he is very sleepy. He hates feeling like that. He wants to stay awake more. He is also on a pain medication called Kitamine--which can cause hallucinations and bad dreams. Luckily, he will be coming off of that medication around midnight tonight. Before I left for the night, he started to fall asleep and all of a sudden jerked awake, shook his head, and kept saying, "Got to keep my eyes open. Got to keep my eyes open." I asked him what was wrong. He told me, in tears, that he had a nightmare again that he was back in Afghanistan and was reliving the blast. :( He was pretty shaken up. He kept telling me that he doesn't want to go back over there. He doesn't want to have to experience what he saw and what happened to him again. He grabbed my hand and told me to pull up a chair so that I can sit there with him and just hold his hand. He made me promise not to let him fall asleep again. No matter what I tried to keep him awake, he would just fall back asleep. He kept jerking awake and asking me why I wasn't helping him stay awake. Finally, he asked me to get his nurse to get a sleeping pill that will help take his bad dreams away. (They give this medication to soldiers that have a hard time sleeping because of nightmares of what they experienced over there.) She came in and gave him something by IV that would help him go to sleep ASAP. He was all for that--he just wanted the dreams to stop. Within minutes, he was in a deep sleep--he didn't even budge when I gave him a kiss goodbye.
Other than that episode tonight, he was happy, talkative, and enjoyed the day. He even had visitors tonight--two country singers/songwriters that write a lot of songs for country singers/groups. He made a connection with one of them because the singer travels up to Vermont quite a bit to spend time with friends--going fishing on Lake Champlain, going skiing at Stowe, and going to the Fair at the Essex Fairgrounds. :) Since he made that connection with Jake, he decided to be the one to sing to him. He sang a song that he wrote about his own girlfriend, but since Jake told him that he didn't have a girlfriend, the man told him that this song can be about his mother. It was a beautiful song which had some funny parts in it. Jake and I looked at each other a few times and just smiled at the parts that were so similar to our relationship. :) It was a visit that was truly enjoyed by all.
Even though Jake has these awful injuries that cause his body and mind so much pain, he has within himself such a strength that can't be measured. His attitude about everything he has to go through has been amazing. He doesn't complain about anything other than the pain. He smiles, laughs, teases, flirts with the women nurses and staff (of all ages)--just a positive attitude about everything. This afternoon, as we were eating lunch together, he told me of a conversation he had with one of his grandfathers (who also has metal in his leg--knee replacement). He told his grandfather that the two of them should go on a trip together, by plane, so that when they get to the security checkpoint/screening, they can both enter different screeners at the same time and set them off! :) He thought that was hilarious! :)
Even though Jake has these awful injuries that cause his body and mind so much pain, he has within himself such a strength that can't be measured. His attitude about everything he has to go through has been amazing. He doesn't complain about anything other than the pain. He smiles, laughs, teases, flirts with the women nurses and staff (of all ages)--just a positive attitude about everything. This afternoon, as we were eating lunch together, he told me of a conversation he had with one of his grandfathers (who also has metal in his leg--knee replacement). He told his grandfather that the two of them should go on a trip together, by plane, so that when they get to the security checkpoint/screening, they can both enter different screeners at the same time and set them off! :) He thought that was hilarious! :)
What an amazing man he has become!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 15 - July 16, 2010
Another surgery today. Last night we were told by one of the docs that Jake’s surgery would be first thing in the morning. That means he would leave the room around 6:30 a.m. for pre-op and we would not see him again until sometime mid to late afternoon. We took the opportunity to sleep-in and catch up on much needed wrest, did a little shopping in the morning and then headed over to the hospital arriving around 10:00 a.m.
Jake greeted us as we walked into the room! We were surprised, felt sad and experienced a few moments of guilt upon hearing that the surgeons had delayed the time of his surgery. Jake is up and ready for our arrival at 8:00ish because that’s when we usually arrive at the hospital, but today we didn’t show up. The OR was shut down the day before due to an air conditioning problem, so surgery was stacked up and Jake’s case wasn’t considered an emergency - he moved from first-in-line to last.
Jake described his good and long night’s rest. The local pain block inserted the day before had worked and he was once again comfortable. Shortly after our arrival, Jake was moved down the wide white hospital halls to pre-op. It is quite the enclave that moves with him in these situations with nurses guiding the bed-on-wheels and mom, missy and me close behind. Those watching our enclave maneuver into one elevator might think they are watching a Chevy Chase comedy.
He first went to pre-op where we all stayed with him as the anesthesiologists administered heavy-duty pain block medicine. Within thirty minutes or so, he was wheeled away to the OR by nice people dressed head-to-toe in green scrubs. We followed him as far as we could, but then he had to stop while he kept moving. Love was expressed as he journeyed step-by-step further away. We waved, wondered, hoped, and watched as he disappeared behind closed doors, doors beyond which we could not go. It is all too much like sending him off to war again. Through one door soldiers depart on their journey to distant lands while family wipes away tears as they depart through another door on their journey to a safe and comfortable home.
It is a long day for a parent to sit and wait with little to do, so we stewed hour after hour. I consider how much we take for granted. We move about freely. We are comfortable. We have TV, phone, and internet. We read, do crosswords puzzles, and lounge while our warriors, who are out of sight and out of most people's mind, pay the price for our freedom.
Six hours have passed since Jake was wheeled out of our sight. The waiting room phone brings welcome news that the surgery is over, everything went well, and the surgeon is on his way to give us an update. After all the surgeries he’s undergone, this is the first time we will be briefed by the surgeon himself.
Jake is fine and the surgery went well. He will probably be in a wheelchair for three months. It will probably take that long before Jake can put much weight on his left leg. One bone below the left knee has a large and long break while the other is broken into many pieces. They installed plates the other day, but they needed to install another plate to ensure all the pieces heal correctly. “His knee is a mess,” says the surgeon, “but it will, after many months of therapy, heal fine and he will walk normal.” He may not want to take up running as a hobby, but he will be able to run, when needed. His right leg is a typical injury that many docs in the U.S. might see, but the left leg is the type of injury docs do not see very often. Unfortunately, the surgeon tells us, such injuries are common for wounded warriors.
Jake awakes in post-op believing he is back in Afghanistan. He is shaken, disoriented, and anxiety struck. His wonderful nurse works quickly to convince him he is at Walter Reed and that his parents are close by. Jake shakes off his dream like state and some of his anxiety then, he asks for Dad.
I sat by his bedside talking of simple things. We talked of pizza that we hoped to eat for dinner once we returned to his regular room. An hour or two clicks by before we travel the wide white halls to his room. In his room we are welcomed by Mom, Missy, and the aroma of freshly delivered pepperoni pizza, pizza we consume freely and with much satisfaction.
Jake lays back to rest, reads a few emails, and begins to slip into the warmth of sleep.
Jake greeted us as we walked into the room! We were surprised, felt sad and experienced a few moments of guilt upon hearing that the surgeons had delayed the time of his surgery. Jake is up and ready for our arrival at 8:00ish because that’s when we usually arrive at the hospital, but today we didn’t show up. The OR was shut down the day before due to an air conditioning problem, so surgery was stacked up and Jake’s case wasn’t considered an emergency - he moved from first-in-line to last.
Jake described his good and long night’s rest. The local pain block inserted the day before had worked and he was once again comfortable. Shortly after our arrival, Jake was moved down the wide white hospital halls to pre-op. It is quite the enclave that moves with him in these situations with nurses guiding the bed-on-wheels and mom, missy and me close behind. Those watching our enclave maneuver into one elevator might think they are watching a Chevy Chase comedy.
He first went to pre-op where we all stayed with him as the anesthesiologists administered heavy-duty pain block medicine. Within thirty minutes or so, he was wheeled away to the OR by nice people dressed head-to-toe in green scrubs. We followed him as far as we could, but then he had to stop while he kept moving. Love was expressed as he journeyed step-by-step further away. We waved, wondered, hoped, and watched as he disappeared behind closed doors, doors beyond which we could not go. It is all too much like sending him off to war again. Through one door soldiers depart on their journey to distant lands while family wipes away tears as they depart through another door on their journey to a safe and comfortable home.
It is a long day for a parent to sit and wait with little to do, so we stewed hour after hour. I consider how much we take for granted. We move about freely. We are comfortable. We have TV, phone, and internet. We read, do crosswords puzzles, and lounge while our warriors, who are out of sight and out of most people's mind, pay the price for our freedom.
Six hours have passed since Jake was wheeled out of our sight. The waiting room phone brings welcome news that the surgery is over, everything went well, and the surgeon is on his way to give us an update. After all the surgeries he’s undergone, this is the first time we will be briefed by the surgeon himself.
Jake is fine and the surgery went well. He will probably be in a wheelchair for three months. It will probably take that long before Jake can put much weight on his left leg. One bone below the left knee has a large and long break while the other is broken into many pieces. They installed plates the other day, but they needed to install another plate to ensure all the pieces heal correctly. “His knee is a mess,” says the surgeon, “but it will, after many months of therapy, heal fine and he will walk normal.” He may not want to take up running as a hobby, but he will be able to run, when needed. His right leg is a typical injury that many docs in the U.S. might see, but the left leg is the type of injury docs do not see very often. Unfortunately, the surgeon tells us, such injuries are common for wounded warriors.
Jake awakes in post-op believing he is back in Afghanistan. He is shaken, disoriented, and anxiety struck. His wonderful nurse works quickly to convince him he is at Walter Reed and that his parents are close by. Jake shakes off his dream like state and some of his anxiety then, he asks for Dad.
I sat by his bedside talking of simple things. We talked of pizza that we hoped to eat for dinner once we returned to his regular room. An hour or two clicks by before we travel the wide white halls to his room. In his room we are welcomed by Mom, Missy, and the aroma of freshly delivered pepperoni pizza, pizza we consume freely and with much satisfaction.
Jake lays back to rest, reads a few emails, and begins to slip into the warmth of sleep.
Day 14 - July 15, 2010
With a day like today, it is hard to know where to begin. It was a roller coaster ride of epic proportion.
Jake didn't have a good night. The day or two following surgery are always bad, but we thought time following this surgery would go a little better because the docs gave him very specific nerve blocks to control the pain. In spite of the blocks, he woke up during the night in excruciating pain. He said it was so bad that he started screaming. They wheeled him down to post-op and dosed him up with the pain medication they use during surgery to help him get comfortable again.
He was feeling pretty good when we arrived in the morning. He entertained some special guests around 10:30. Vermont's congressman in the House, Peter Welch, dropped by with Vermont’s two star general who, is responsible for all the troops in VT, Vermont's command Sergeant Major (the highest rank among the enlisted), a Sergeant that served with Jake in Afghanistan (home on leave), and several others. Jake seemed tickled to receive his guests.
A wonderful serendipity came when Missy met the Sergeant Major. She had an assignment in school this past year to interview an individual who had served in the Vietnam war. Missy found out that her teacher’s father had served in the war, so asked if she could interview him. She exchanged emails with her teacher’s father and was able to write an interesting paper. You’ve probably guessed by now, the Sergeant Major who visited Jake today is the very same man that Missy interviewed and made the subject of her paper. This was the first time they’d met in person. It was special and exciting for both Missy and the Sergeant Major – they hugged and chatted like old friends.
Shortly after Jake’s guests departed, his pain level began to rise rapidly. The pain was all in his left leg, the leg that underwent surgery. The medicine they'd given him in post-op during the night wore off. There's no gradual increase in pain when this medicine wears off - the pain just hits you sudden, hard, and in full force. An anesthesiologist had to be called in to give him some pretty strong medicine, once again.
Jake did fairly well for several more hours, but the pain returned with a vengeance mid-afternoon. It hit hard and fast coming in waves with peaks and valleys. He began to moan in pain and then he began to moan real loud – sort of a yell. Mom stood by Jake and held his hand. As the pain would swell in waves, he would squeeze her little hand. She claimed it didn’t hurt, ‘cause she’s “a tough ol’ bird,” but I could see her fingers and thumb turning purple; nevertheless, she stayed by his side and told him to squeeze away.
He was quickly surrounded by a team of nurses. Mom had to retreat back from the bed. His yelling was so loud that they shut his door to minimize the trauma his yelling might cause the “neighbors.” The nurses determined his pain was beyond their ability to help so hastily worked to get the docs to the room. It was very hard to watch and we felt helpless, especially mom.
As the nurses were darting about to locate the docs, Dad approached the bed and grabbed Jake’s hand. With his other hand, Dad wiped Jake’s brow with a cool damp cloth. The pain began to swell and Jake began to writhe in pain. Amidst the groans, Jake quietly looked at Dad and asked for a priesthood blessing. Dad’s hands were on his head in less than a blink of an eye and a blessing of few words given. Jake instantly became calm.
Docs and anesthesiologist arrived within seconds of the blessing. They began to poke, test, and worked quickly to assess the reason for this third major incident of terrible pain. The docs wondered if Jake was in pain because he was so calm. With 0 being no pain and 10 the worst he’d ever experienced, Jake explained that his pain was 9 or 10, but that he felt at ease and calm. During a moment in which the docs were consulting with one another, Jake motioned for Dad to draw near. Jake pulled Dad to his chest and cheek-to-cheek he whispered in Dad's ear, "The blessing worked. The pain is just as bad, but I am calm."
As the docs continued their work, they soon learned one of the nerve blocks wasn’t working as intended. A new catheter to feed pain block medicine might be required and the old catheter removed. Jake was immediately moved to the anesthesiologist’s room and a procedure performed to install a new catheter. Within the next 45 minutes, Jake went from intense pain, but calmness in his heart and mind, to no pain and back up to his room.
We ate a peaceful dinner together in his room. A doc came in to explain that Jake would need another surgery tomorrow (Friday) on his left leg. We learned that the bone in his left leg (below the knee) had been broken into nine or ten pieces. One of the pieces shifted following the operation and they wanted to fix it immediately. We also learned that this type of injury requires months of rehabilitation. This next surgery won’t be long or nearly as extensive as the one he received yesterday, but a surgery none-the-less. We believe this will be his fifth surgery and there’s at least one more to go to fix the broken ligaments in his right leg.
We finished off the day with a musician coming to the room. He brought some fun instruments and we all participated in a little concert. Jake conducted the music, Missy played a rattling type of instrument, mom played the “rain maker” instrument, and dad joined the musician on guitar. The words of the song go something like “Hold on, change is coming soon.” A performance given by our little musical troop was not only a tribute to Jake’s durability, but also a great way to transition from a day of roller coaster struggles to what we hope will be a night of peace.
May we pray that our troops and their families find calmness of mind and peace in their hearts amidst the pains and sorrows of war.
Day 13 - July 14, 2010
Jake's surgery appears to have gone well. He came out of surgery around 2:00 p.m. and was up in this room by 5:00 p.m. He was pretty groggy and quickly fell asleep after getting back to his room.
The only big news is that he received HIS wheelchair today. He was pretty excited to get his very own chair. We told him about it shortly after he got to his room. He kept saying that he wanted to get into his chair and try it out. We had to remind him that he'd just had major surgery so getting into the chair and cruising about wasn't a good idea.
We anticipate a Congressional visit from our representatives tomorrow. Not sure how much Jake is going to interact with them.
The only big news is that he received HIS wheelchair today. He was pretty excited to get his very own chair. We told him about it shortly after he got to his room. He kept saying that he wanted to get into his chair and try it out. We had to remind him that he'd just had major surgery so getting into the chair and cruising about wasn't a good idea.
We anticipate a Congressional visit from our representatives tomorrow. Not sure how much Jake is going to interact with them.
Day 11 - July 12, 2010
It was a good day for Jake. His pain level was low throughout the day. He was alert most of the day with only a couple of short naps.
He's exceeding the physical therapist's expectations so they have added more exercises. He's really working his legs and trying hard to keep up their strength.
He's undergoing surgery on his left leg tomorrow. The external fixator will be removed and they will install metal plates on the bones to hold them steady as they heal. We'll also find out if there is any ligament damage.
He got into a wheelchair twice today. He enjoys getting out and about. It seems to help stimulate him, take his mind off the pain, and keep him alert. Being in a wheelchair and moving about brought the three most notable moments of the day.
First, he got a haircut and shave. He needed it because he was starting to look rather scraggly.
Second, he saw some of the other wounded warriors and realized how fortunate he really is. I don't want to dwell on the tragedies we see everyday, but there are many boys and girls, men and woman who are much worse off than Jake. Sometimes they are wheeled through the halls on beds or wheelchairs and we are confronted with the horrors of war. The news tells us of all those that die, but for everyone that dies there are many more who will never be the same again. It upset Jake to know that his other buddies didn't fare as well as he. He wondered why he'd been spared when his other buddies who are older, married, and have children, were not. Of all the support mom and I are giving Jake, it is the support in these moments that is the most beneficial.
Third, Jake and I took a stroll outside later in the day. It started to rain a little so we found shelter in a covered bus stop. It started to come down in buckets within minutes. The streets were flowing like a river, the sky lighting up with lightening and thunder clapping all around us. We stayed put for 10 minutes hoping it would subside, but it continued to pour buckets of water from the clouds. We finally decided to make a dash for it. I pushed the chair while Jake held onto the IV stand that roles beside him on wheels. A man was running along side of us. He said, "Let's go boys! Be army strong. Let's go. Push hard. Move, move, move." I turned to him and said, "I don't know about army strong,' but we certainly are navy wet!" to which we all had a good laugh. And wet we were!
Running towards the hospital we could hear something that sounded like a loud bell chiming. We wondered if it was a warning signal for something such as lightening strikes close by - lightening was surely close. Out of the corner of my eye, as we were darting through the rain, I noticed something spraying up into the air in the parking lot to my left. I turned my head and saw what was making the noise. I said to Jake, "you've got to see this. I know what is making that bell like noise." We got under shelter next to the hospital and I turned Jake towards the parking lot. There was water shooting into the air some ten to twenty feet around the edges of a rather large manhole cover. The cover would rock back and forth, lift an inch or two, and slam back down as water shot into the air through holes in the cover and around its edges. Dancing to a beat of its own, the cover bounced about as water exploded upwards like some kind of water show you'd expect to see at an amusement park. As the cover rocked and bounced, it made a sound like a bell ringing in the cool rain filled night air. An unexpected bit of magic brought a close to the day for a crowd that gathered to watch a light show, here thunderous claps mixed with a church bell tolling, and see a water show that danced to its own rhythm.
xxxxx
This post was sent to various friends and co-workers via email. Following is one of many responses:
I wanted to let you know that Lucy has been forwarding the updates to me. And I have been forwarding them to my daughter (also a VT Guardsman), who is a full-time employee at Camp Johnson, and who’s husband is one of the 1,600 VT Guardsmen in Afghanistan. She thought his latest update was so inspiring that she forwarded it to the husband of one of her Guard friends who is also in Afghanistan. That soldier was present when these injured soldiers were brought in from the field. This soldier said the message was “uplifting” and he was very grateful to know Jake’s current status. ...Jake’s buddies in Afghanistan are pulling for him! My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Thanks.
He's exceeding the physical therapist's expectations so they have added more exercises. He's really working his legs and trying hard to keep up their strength.
He got into a wheelchair twice today. He enjoys getting out and about. It seems to help stimulate him, take his mind off the pain, and keep him alert. Being in a wheelchair and moving about brought the three most notable moments of the day.First, he got a haircut and shave. He needed it because he was starting to look rather scraggly.
Second, he saw some of the other wounded warriors and realized how fortunate he really is. I don't want to dwell on the tragedies we see everyday, but there are many boys and girls, men and woman who are much worse off than Jake. Sometimes they are wheeled through the halls on beds or wheelchairs and we are confronted with the horrors of war. The news tells us of all those that die, but for everyone that dies there are many more who will never be the same again. It upset Jake to know that his other buddies didn't fare as well as he. He wondered why he'd been spared when his other buddies who are older, married, and have children, were not. Of all the support mom and I are giving Jake, it is the support in these moments that is the most beneficial.
Third, Jake and I took a stroll outside later in the day. It started to rain a little so we found shelter in a covered bus stop. It started to come down in buckets within minutes. The streets were flowing like a river, the sky lighting up with lightening and thunder clapping all around us. We stayed put for 10 minutes hoping it would subside, but it continued to pour buckets of water from the clouds. We finally decided to make a dash for it. I pushed the chair while Jake held onto the IV stand that roles beside him on wheels. A man was running along side of us. He said, "Let's go boys! Be army strong. Let's go. Push hard. Move, move, move." I turned to him and said, "I don't know about army strong,' but we certainly are navy wet!" to which we all had a good laugh. And wet we were!
Running towards the hospital we could hear something that sounded like a loud bell chiming. We wondered if it was a warning signal for something such as lightening strikes close by - lightening was surely close. Out of the corner of my eye, as we were darting through the rain, I noticed something spraying up into the air in the parking lot to my left. I turned my head and saw what was making the noise. I said to Jake, "you've got to see this. I know what is making that bell like noise." We got under shelter next to the hospital and I turned Jake towards the parking lot. There was water shooting into the air some ten to twenty feet around the edges of a rather large manhole cover. The cover would rock back and forth, lift an inch or two, and slam back down as water shot into the air through holes in the cover and around its edges. Dancing to a beat of its own, the cover bounced about as water exploded upwards like some kind of water show you'd expect to see at an amusement park. As the cover rocked and bounced, it made a sound like a bell ringing in the cool rain filled night air. An unexpected bit of magic brought a close to the day for a crowd that gathered to watch a light show, here thunderous claps mixed with a church bell tolling, and see a water show that danced to its own rhythm.
xxxxx
This post was sent to various friends and co-workers via email. Following is one of many responses:
I wanted to let you know that Lucy has been forwarding the updates to me. And I have been forwarding them to my daughter (also a VT Guardsman), who is a full-time employee at Camp Johnson, and who’s husband is one of the 1,600 VT Guardsmen in Afghanistan. She thought his latest update was so inspiring that she forwarded it to the husband of one of her Guard friends who is also in Afghanistan. That soldier was present when these injured soldiers were brought in from the field. This soldier said the message was “uplifting” and he was very grateful to know Jake’s current status. ...Jake’s buddies in Afghanistan are pulling for him! My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Thanks.
Day 10 - July 11, 2010
Yesterday was a good day for Jake. He was really alert in the morning and in good spirits. He napped until lunchtime and then stayed alert for an hour or so then back to napping. He was up again for about four hours during which we all played a lively game of Phase 10. He napped until dinner time and then was up chatting with us until we left at about 8:30 p.m.
A physical therapist came in yesterday and worked with Jake. Jake did very well and accomplished all (and more) that the therapist requested. He's got great movement in his right foot and leg. His upper body strength is very good. After some extensive physical therapy, they put in him a wheelchair. Unfortunately, his right leg started feeling like it was burning. It got worse and worse until he couldn't take it any longer and they moved him back into the bed. Something about sitting up seems to put pressure on nerves or muscles that make his right leg feel very painful. They had him in a wheelchair the day before and his right leg did the same thing. We hope this will subside soon.
He talked to Traci, Gene, Aiden and Mae. It was nice for him to be able to talk to people in the outside world.
They took the drains out of his right leg. It was the first time we saw his incisions on this leg. There's one on the front of his knee extending from above the knee cap to about six or eight inches below the knee cap. This is the incision used to insert the metal plate. The other incision is on the back righthand side of his leg. It starts about five inches below the knee and extends above his knee several inches. It appears that this is where the bone penetrated his leg. Both incisions look good and have no infection.
We believe they will operate on his left leg on Wednesday, but are not certain. They told us last week that they would be operating on the left leg on wed. We've had no update on the next operations since last week so we are just guessing it is still scheduled for wed.
We came in the morning to find that they'd unwrapped his right leg and had taken the "cast" off. It isn't a cast, but some type of brace with velcro that acts much like a cast.
Mom, Missy and I venutured outside the hospital for lunch yesterday. The medical center is, unfortunately, right on the edge of a really bad part of town. The hospital and the town itself seemed rather dead so we thought it would be safe to head into the outside world to forage for food - we were so tired of hospital cafeteria food that we hoped to find something different. We hadn't made it a block when a young man started talking rude to us. He followed us another half block. We didn't even realize he was following us. We went into a small pizza/sub shop and ordered something to eat. The young man started pounding on the window outside the shop and yelling at missy and mom through the glass. He then came in and started yelling at them. It was just stupid stuff like cussing and calling them names - nothing specific. He then said he was going to pick up a chair and hit them over the head.
I was standing at a counter ordering food and was keeping my eye on the situation. He was only about three feet away from me. He noticed me watching him and decided he didn't like that so he came up to my face and started cussing and yelling at me. He said "you don't know me..." and stuff like he'd take me out. I could feel his intense anger and hatred. I could also tell he was on some kind of drug. I didn't want to get into an altercation so I thought, "what do I do now?" I had the thought to just turn away from him so I looked at him and said, "you're right, I don't know you." Then I turned away from him and looked back across the counter towards the kitchen area. He just turned and walked out mumbling under his breath. Whew! Close call. I told the story to one of the staff at the hospital who seemed very surprised. He said that nothing like that would happen during weekdays because there's too many people wandering around the streets. I guess we shouldn't venture out on a quiet day.
Day 9 - July 10, 2010
Jake had a pretty good day. He was a bit more bright eyed in the morning than he has been. Pain levels were low for most of the day. He didn't like the physical therapist, new bandages put on his right leg, nor just about anything else that had to do with touching his right leg.
He did get into a wheel chair type contraption, but it didn't last long because it became uncomfortable and then painful on his legs. He returned to the bed fairly quickly after he realized he couldn't go see one of his buddies on one of the other floors.
Mom, Missy and I spend most of our time in his room. We read, or play a game, or do a crossword puzzle. They do have XBox and Playstation that can be brought right into the room, but we haven't checked that out - maybe tomorrow.
He did get into a wheel chair type contraption, but it didn't last long because it became uncomfortable and then painful on his legs. He returned to the bed fairly quickly after he realized he couldn't go see one of his buddies on one of the other floors.
Mom, Missy and I spend most of our time in his room. We read, or play a game, or do a crossword puzzle. They do have XBox and Playstation that can be brought right into the room, but we haven't checked that out - maybe tomorrow.
Day 8 - July 9, 2010
Jake was able to get in a lot of good sleeping today. Yesterday it seemed as though he was in-and-out of it all day long, but never really slept. Today, alternatively, he slept a couple of hours here and a couple of hours there. He was in-and-out of it when he wasn't completely zonked out.
They reduced his pain meds a bit today. He also seemed to have much less pain than yesterday. This seems like a good sign.
He got a new bed today. This bed has a bar running the length of the bed that is above his head about two and a half feet. It has some handles hanging down so he can pull himself up with his arms. I also think the bed is more comfortable and will allow him to sleep better.
He had a bad flashback today. He thought he remembered the experience of the blast. It was a rather difficult experience for him. It is hard to tell if he had a real memory or if it was a hallucination. Shortly after the flashback he had a couple of hallucinations. I guess his nurse grew two heads and then a few minutes later, wonder woman was flying around the room. It was right after the wonder woman episode that he said he wanted his pain meds reduced.
He was visited by the woman that sat next to him on the plane from Germany to D.C. She is the wife of the medic who was in the truck with Jake. She too is in the military and was stationed in Afghanistan. The medic lost his feet, has a broken jaw, and also had a stroke. He's in Bethesda Hospital about 10 miles away. He's conscious now and doing somewhat better, according to his wife. Her being beside Jake really perked him up. I think it helped Jake to have someone to talk to who has been over there and has been going through this experience. It was the most alert and talkative I've seen him since we arrived. In fact, he talked and talked and talked some more - great to see.
They reduced his pain meds a bit today. He also seemed to have much less pain than yesterday. This seems like a good sign.
He got a new bed today. This bed has a bar running the length of the bed that is above his head about two and a half feet. It has some handles hanging down so he can pull himself up with his arms. I also think the bed is more comfortable and will allow him to sleep better.
He had a bad flashback today. He thought he remembered the experience of the blast. It was a rather difficult experience for him. It is hard to tell if he had a real memory or if it was a hallucination. Shortly after the flashback he had a couple of hallucinations. I guess his nurse grew two heads and then a few minutes later, wonder woman was flying around the room. It was right after the wonder woman episode that he said he wanted his pain meds reduced.
He was visited by the woman that sat next to him on the plane from Germany to D.C. She is the wife of the medic who was in the truck with Jake. She too is in the military and was stationed in Afghanistan. The medic lost his feet, has a broken jaw, and also had a stroke. He's in Bethesda Hospital about 10 miles away. He's conscious now and doing somewhat better, according to his wife. Her being beside Jake really perked him up. I think it helped Jake to have someone to talk to who has been over there and has been going through this experience. It was the most alert and talkative I've seen him since we arrived. In fact, he talked and talked and talked some more - great to see.
Day 7 - July 8, 2010
Nancy, Missy and I jumped on a plane at 6:00 a.m. this morning for D.C. We arrived at the hospital around 9:00 a.m., went through an orientation process, and then were taken to Jake.
Jake was very tired and out of it nearly all day. Not sure if his being tired is medication, jet lag, lack of sleep, or something else. It's probably a combination of things. My guess is that he won't remember most of the brief conversations we had with him today.
We did meet with an orthopedic resident and found out more information. Both legs are broken below the knee. He had a compound fracture on his right leg. I'm guessing this is what caused the open wound on his right leg. Because they had to address the wound on the right leg, they discovered that two of his four major ligaments had detached or torn. You've heard of someone tearing their ACL? Well, that's what happened to Jake's right leg. The bones in his left leg are broken too. They haven't operated on his left leg so don't know if he has ligament damage on the left. They can only see ligament damage if they open him up or do an MRI. They can't do an MRI because he has a metal contraption on his left leg holding it completely steady so as to minimize further damage. They haven't operated on the left leg because it was swollen. The swelling is going down so they might operate early to middle of next week.
The operation they performed yesterday on his right leg was to put in a metal plate. This plate will hold the bones in place without any chance of their moving during the healing process. The plates stay in place primarily because they don't want to do surgery again to remove the plates once the bone heals. They need to perform the same operation on his left leg.
They don't consider these injuries minor nor do they consider them major - they are somewhere in-between. The bone break in his right leg could happen to someone skiing and the ligament breaks could happen to a football player.
The hospital itself is very nice. It is inside an army base, so to speak, so not everyone can get in. The staff is great. The staff is much more attentive to patient needs than I've seen in other hospitals. We must of had eight people, at least, introduce themselves to us and tell us they were responsible to ensure a part or all of our stay was comfortable and productive. They certainly are tending to Jake well and are doing a good job of ensuring our visit is hassle free.
It is sobering to see the many soldiers who are in much worse shape than Jake. Many I saw today have lost limbs. We are grateful that Jake's limbs, and the rest of him, have once again been saved.
Jake was very tired and out of it nearly all day. Not sure if his being tired is medication, jet lag, lack of sleep, or something else. It's probably a combination of things. My guess is that he won't remember most of the brief conversations we had with him today.
We did meet with an orthopedic resident and found out more information. Both legs are broken below the knee. He had a compound fracture on his right leg. I'm guessing this is what caused the open wound on his right leg. Because they had to address the wound on the right leg, they discovered that two of his four major ligaments had detached or torn. You've heard of someone tearing their ACL? Well, that's what happened to Jake's right leg. The bones in his left leg are broken too. They haven't operated on his left leg so don't know if he has ligament damage on the left. They can only see ligament damage if they open him up or do an MRI. They can't do an MRI because he has a metal contraption on his left leg holding it completely steady so as to minimize further damage. They haven't operated on the left leg because it was swollen. The swelling is going down so they might operate early to middle of next week.
The operation they performed yesterday on his right leg was to put in a metal plate. This plate will hold the bones in place without any chance of their moving during the healing process. The plates stay in place primarily because they don't want to do surgery again to remove the plates once the bone heals. They need to perform the same operation on his left leg.
They don't consider these injuries minor nor do they consider them major - they are somewhere in-between. The bone break in his right leg could happen to someone skiing and the ligament breaks could happen to a football player.
The hospital itself is very nice. It is inside an army base, so to speak, so not everyone can get in. The staff is great. The staff is much more attentive to patient needs than I've seen in other hospitals. We must of had eight people, at least, introduce themselves to us and tell us they were responsible to ensure a part or all of our stay was comfortable and productive. They certainly are tending to Jake well and are doing a good job of ensuring our visit is hassle free.
It is sobering to see the many soldiers who are in much worse shape than Jake. Many I saw today have lost limbs. We are grateful that Jake's limbs, and the rest of him, have once again been saved.
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