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.