Day 98 - Oct 17

We are home!!!! :)  Even though it's only for two weeks, we are still thrilled that we can be home with our family.  

Jake didn't have any appointments on Friday except for his platoon's formation in the morning.  So, most of the day we (well, I did) going through some things and packing.  We brought a lot of things home with us that Jake has accumulated over the past few months.  Didn't know that he had so much stuff!  We have left some things in our room that he will need when we return in two weeks.  

Our flight home yesterday went very smoothly--except for some bumpy spots after take off and before landing--due to the weather.  It was a beautiful day in DC--some winds, but nothing too bad until we got up into the clouds.  When we arrived in VT, it was raining and much cooler than what we left.  It's okay--we love fall weather in VT.  As we started coming down out of the clouds, Jake nudged me and told me to look out the window.  Wow, it was beautiful!!  All you could see was a huge array of beautiful fall colors throughout the landscape. :)

Tomorrow Jake is calling the PT office (here in VT that he was going to when he was on con leave) to get appointments set up for the next two weeks.  He wants to get back into the pool again and work his legs more.  

He is able to get up and down the stairs in the house by going on his butt and using his arms. :)  He really likes being back in his own room and having his privacy again.  He continues to try to stand (using his wheelchair as support) and wants to walk so badly.  

A lot of people asked why I didn't post anything while Jake was home on con leave and that they missed it.  I apologize for that.  Being home on con leave was a time for both Jake and I to convalesce, so other than him doing PT a few times a week, we just enjoyed relaxing and spending as much time as possible with our family.  I will probably not post every day while we are home this time, but I do promise that I will post throughout this leave time to keep you updated on how Jake is and how his recovery is going.

We are so grateful to everyone for their continued concern, support, love, and prayers for Jake and our family.  We appreciate it and each of you.  Thank you so very, very much!

Off to have fun with our family! :)

Day 90 - Day 95 Oct 9th-Oct 14

I truly, truly apologize for not posting for the past few days.  Between the long weekend and having major internet issues--well, I didn't get to post.  So sorry. :(

We had a very long weekend.  Friday there were no appointments, no nothing for the day because of training at the hospital.  With not having a car here, it makes it very difficult to get around to do things.  We have to take a shuttle to get down to Silver Spring and the shuttle doesn't even come around until 5 p.m.  Saturday we had a wonderful BBQ put on by the Iraq Star organization.  It was a huge show!  They had a live band, food was provided by Outback Steakhouse (oh, so, so, so yummy!!!), and even Marilyn Monroe showed up!!  Well, an impersonator that is.  Apparently she is the #1 Marilyn Monroe impersonator in the country and flew out to DC from Las Vegas.  She came over to Jake and had pictures taken. :)  It was a lot of fun that day.  The weather was gorgeous too. :)

Sunday was a quite day all around.  It seemed much quieter around the Mologne House also.  There was another BBQ put on by a local church--not as well attended and the food wasn't Outback's, but it was really nice.  It was a peaceful day and a peaceful atmosphere which was really nice.

These past few days haven't been very full of appointments--in fact, today was about the busiest day we've had with appointments.  So, a wrap-up:  Jake got all the signatures he needed for his leave form and turned it all in to his sergeant.  So, we are on our way home on Saturday!!! :)  He was FINALLY able to get in to the Physical Therapist today to have his reevaluation.  His range of motion has increased quite a bit--the therapist was pleased, but there is still work to do.  He wanted to get Jake up and walking next week, but with us going home, Jake will have to wait until we return back down here.  Jake is okay with that--he really, really wants to go home again.  While he is at home, he will continue receiving PT where he was receiving it before when he was home on con leave.  The therapist also wants him to have aquatic therapy 3 times a week and land therapy (normal physical therapy) 3 times a week.  So, when we return, he will have PT appointments almost every single day. :)  We are thrilled with that especially since he hasn't had any for three weeks.  So, when we return, we wont be bored anymore--which we are also thrilled about. 

Oh, some more wonderful news!!  Jake has a new nurse case manager!! :)  She is amazing and is so wonderful!!  What a difference from his previous one--she gets things done right away.  I can't believe how on the ball she is with Jake's care.  Jake and I wish that he was assigned to her when he got here. 

These past few weeks, I have gotten to meet and talk with other moms that are here.  It's been very nice--talking with other moms who are going through the exact same things that I am.  By talking with each other, we also learn new things--we all have something to share that others didn't know about. 

Tomorrow will be a day of last minute things and packing for home.  It'll be wonderful to be with family once again! :)

Day 89 - Oct 7

What a day!!  It started out with a ton of frustration and ended with a true blessing!

We woke to the news that Jake's PT appointment (to have his reassessment done) was cancelled and rescheduled for next week.  UGH!!!!  So, it will be about three weeks that he hasn't had one PT appointment! :(  We were so upset and very, very disappointed.  We are very frustrated with his nurse case manager because, other than this appointment being canceled today, it has been his lack of doing things that Jake has been without PT. 

We decided to go to the hospital to get other things accomplished before the holiday weekend because everything will be closed.  While we were there, we found out that one other item that we thought was taken care of hasn't been completed.  It just seemed like everything was going against Jake today.  He was so upset, angry, frustrated, etc., etc. 

We headed over to his nurse case manager's (NCM) office to find out what was going on and why these things weren't taken care of.  This is the NCMs last day--he's leaving--and turning over all his soldiers to a different NCM.  Thank goodness!!  The man is a very nice man, but he just did not do his job very well.  We were told that Jake's NCM is exceptionally good and that she will take care of Jake and get things done.  We are very happy about that.  We expressed our frustrations to his present NCM (the new NCM saw and heard it all) and his response?  "It's not my fault."  Granted, we know that it wasn't his fault that the appointment got cancelled this morning, but it is his fault that we've been here two weeks and have had no PT.  (We had to go through him to get restarted with PT--we couldn't make the appointments ourselves until the reassessment was done.)

We said our goodbyes to him and headed to an appointment with one of his Sergeants.  The Sergeant knew that we had a few things to talk to him about--one being about the NCM.  This Sergeant is a wonderful man--and very understanding.  Apparently we aren't the only ones who have issues with this NCM. :(  The other thing we talked to him about is having Jake take some personal leave to go home for a couple of weeks before reporting to the CBWTU.  And, we can!!! :)  So, we are heading home next Saturday for two weeks and then we have to come back down here to do the "out processing" paperwork so that he can go to the CBWTU.  Jake also received phone calls today from the CBWTU case manager and his platoon Sergeant to explain things to him.  We are excited that things are falling into place for us to go home for a bit and for Jake and the CBWTU.

The best news and blessing of the day??  Mike and I have a brand new granddaughter!!  This is grandbaby #8!! :)  She weighed in at 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 20" long.  She is beautiful!!  I was able to see her on Skype this afternoon. :)  Mom, Dad, big sister, and baby are all doing extremely well and are very, very happy. :)

So, the day turned out much better than what the morning indicated it would be like.  So glad it did. :)

Day 88 - Oct 6

Jake had his OT reassessment appointment with Jacqui this morning.  He is able to do all of his daily living skills except for one, so he still needs a NMA.  So, that means that he is stuck with his ol' mom for another month. ;)  She told him that at his next appointment he will no longer need a NMA because he will be standing and walking by then. 

His sergeant called him last night and told him that after his appointment this morning that he needed to head to the 2nd floor of the hospital for his flu shot.  Jake explained that he received one before deployment, but the sergeant still insisted that he get one.  In other words, he was ordered to get one.  So, we headed down to where they were giving them and ran into one of the head nurses that was on his ward when he was in the hospital. :)  It was nice to see her again.  She gave him the paperwork to fill out for the shot/nasal mist and kept asking me if I was going to get one too.  I told her that it was only for him and she said, "No way!  It's for you too!"  She said that since I was his NMA and was near him alot that I should get one.  I tried to get out of getting it because you have to go through a process (as a civilian) to get treatment at this hospital, but she was very insistent and made sure that I got to where I needed to go for my "blue" card.  Off I went.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't fun either.  So, as Jake's NMA, I too received a flu shot.  He got the nasal mist--I got the shot.  My arm is a bit bruised and sore, but I'm a tough ol' bird and will get through it. :)

We had to get an appointment with his primary care doctor today because since it is a holiday here on Monday, offices at the hospital will be shut down and Jake was running low on one of his pain meds.  While we were there, we tried to take care of a huge mistake.  Jake was sent a bill from one of the doctors there at the hospital for his services.  We couldn't believe it!!  As a wounded soldier, everything is paid for by the insurance company.  Even his primary care doctor was shocked to see the bill.  We have to go back over to the hospital tomorrow to finish fixing this mistake. 

We also stopped to talk to one of his sergeants about the possibility of Jake taking some personal leave to go home again before heading to the CBWTU.  He wants to be home for his sister's birthday and for Halloween.  We are not sure if it will be possible, but the sergeant was going to do some research and will call us tomorrow.  Since we have returned back here (two weeks now), Jake has not had any PT appointments at all. :(  It is very, very discouraging for him.  That's another reason why he wants to go home--he knows that he will get PT appointments there and continue on his recovery to walk. 

We'll see what happens.

Day 87 - Oct 5

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!! :)  Jake got accepted into the CBWTU!!!!!  We are coming home for good!!!! :) 

However, his report date is not what he was hoping for. :(  He was hoping for the end of this month, but he has to report there on November 14th.  So, we still have some time here.  But, that's okay--he's in and we will be going home--that's what is important.

AND, MORE GREAT NEWS!!!!  Jake went to see his orthopedic surgeon.  He told Jake that he can now start putting weight on his legs and start walking again. :)  They want him to start putting weight on his right leg now and within two weeks, the left leg.  The surgeon was very pleased to see how well Jake can straighten out his leg and how far back he can bend it.  Jake stood up a few times today also!!  He was very thrilled to see that he is still taller than me. :)  For the past few months, I've been the tall one.  Oh well, guess I need to get back to reality--I'll never be taller than my kids! ;)

The surgeon told us that he will be leaving in a few weeks for deployment to Afghanistan. :(  Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.  We are so grateful for him--for everything that he has done for Jake.  He is an amazing surgeon.

Jake has an early morning appointment tomorrow with Jacqui (OT) to see if he still needs a NMA.  She will determine how much of his ADL (daily living skills) that he can do on his own and how much, if any, he needs help with.

It's been a great day today!  We are very excited about the future!

Day 86 - Oct 4

Brrrrrr . . . . it's chilly down here today!  It kind of reminds me of Vermont weather. :)  I like it, but Jake wants the 90 degree weather back!  He can have it--I much rather have the cooler weather.

We had to go to his formation this morning.  That's all the appointments we had today. :(  However, we did get to see and talk with his nurse case manager.  He made the initial call to the CBWTU (to go home for good) and they didn't deny Jake--which is great news--but they haven't given the okay either.  They are waiting for the PMR (patient medical request) paperwork.  All we need is his primary care physician's signature (which she already has stated that she would sign).  So, his nurse case manager was walking the paperwork over to her this afternoon and hopefully will have it faxed to the CBWTU by tomorrow.  Hopefully.  We'll see what happens.  When they get the paperwork, they have 72 hours to make the final decision.  So, we could learn of something either by late Thursday or by Tuesday of next week.  More waiting. :(  Because of a training day on Friday and because of the holiday (Columbus Day) on Monday, the whole campus/hospital is closed--so no appointments and no new information on about going home for good. :( 

Once we receive the acceptance to the CBWTU, Jake will get a report date.  This date, we were told, can be anywhere between 10 to 14 days from the acceptance call.  We are keeping our fingers crossed, keeping our patience, and keeping our prayers flowing that they will accept Jake and that we will be home soon.

We did have highlights today--visitors!!  Our good family friends, Skip and Linda, stopped by on their way up to Vermont.  It was so wonderful to see them, have lunch with them, and just to be with them. :)  Jake also was surprised today by a visit from the other Ginger. :)  He stopped to visit on his way up to the CBWTU.  It's really great to see him again too!

Fall is in the air down here in DC.  Hopefully, we will be able to be home in Vermont soon to experience the beautiful Fall there.

Day 85 - Oct 3

The organization, CAUSE, put on a wonderful brunch for everyone here at the Mologne House today.  They even had the dining hall decorated with Halloween items. :)  We sat at a table with another wounded soldier and her mom, who have been here a few months longer than we have, and had a wonderful time with them.  Then, other moms of soldiers came over and we all talked while Jake watched the Steelers played against the Baltimore Ravens.  (The dining hall has a couple of big screen tv's in it and the game was playing.)  It was really nice to talk to other moms and to hear their experiences, concerns, and frustrations.  It's nice to know that I'm not alone.

A woman who was a volunteer with CAUSE came over to talk with us.  She, too, is from Pittsburgh and we had a great time talking about our hometown.  She was so excited to hear that she was not alone in being a Steelers fan! :)  This woman's features reminded me so much of my grandmother (my mom's mom).  It was hard to keep the tears from flowing because of the resemblance.  She said that she has now adopted Jake as another son. :)  She kept calling him "her Jakie". :)  She and Jaked talked (and laughed) for quite a while--mostly all about football! 

It was a nice afternoon.  Oh, and by the way. . . . the Steelers lost. :(  Jake is bummed. :(

Day 84 - Oct 2

What a beautiful and gorgeous day today!  The sun is shining, the temperature is nice, God's creatures enjoying the day, and not a cloud in the sky! :)

Jake and I went to a BBQ that was hosted by Project HOPE (Honor Our Patriots Eternally)--a Christian Ministry Fellowship church.  They had a HUGE feast and very, very friendly members.  Wherever Jake and I wandered, there was always some friendly face talking to us.  We had one man who came up and talked to Jake, put his hand on Jake's shoulder and kept telling him how grateful he was for his service.  As we were getting ready to go down to get something to eat, he asked us if it would be okay if he prayed with us and for us.  We told him that it was fine.  This man gave the most beautiful prayer--his words really touched my heart.  It brought tears to my eyes.

We couldn't believe the amount of food, and the different options, that were offered!  There were so many people there making sure that we were being taken care of.  After we finished eating, we decided to stay outside for a bit to enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful sunshine.  As we were sitting by the pond, we were watching the little birds bathing in the water by the waterfall and also the fish jumping up out of the water.  It was fun to see them enjoy the day too! :)  We were able to talk to many different people--members of this church and also other soldiers and their families.  There was also a man at the BBQ that helps make sure that servicemen get the VA benefits that they deserve. 

The only downside of the day is that Jake and I got a bit sunburned.  Jake got it worse than I did. :(

All in all, it has been an absolutely beautiful day!

Day 80-83 Sept 29, Sept 30, Oct 1

I know that it's been a few days, but there hasn't been much to write about since Jake didn't have any appointments the past couple of days. :(  We both have been quite bored these past few days, but hung on to our sanity--barely. 

Jake was visited on Wednesday by his Staff Sergeant from Afghanistan who was visiting all the Vermont soldiers that are down here.  That's about the most exciting thing that happened that day!

Late Wednesday and most of the day Thursday, Jake decided to do things on his own again and went cold turkey off all of his meds. :(  He said that he hasn't been experiencing much pain lately, and knows that the plan is for him to get off all medications, so he thought it would be wise to get going on that plan.  Bad idea!  He had a very hard time sleeping that night and he was sick to his stomach the next day and had bad headaches.  Finally, in the late afternoon, he asked for his pain meds.  Within an hour, he started to feel better and realized that going cold turkey was not a good idea.  That was the excitement for Thursday.

Oh, we did have another excitement on Thursday--the bad storm.  It rained all day long--even into the night--and it was a hard rain.  The wind was blowing quite hard also.  As I looked at the weather report on the internet, I saw that there was not only a flood warning and watch out for us, but also a tornado watch.  YIKES!!  It was quite the storm!  We were glad that we didn't have appointments to go to so that we didn't have to go out in it.  It's not fun pushing/wheeling a wheelchair when it is downpouring and the wind is blowing hard. 

When we went in to see his primary care doctor this morning, Jake explained to her what he did about "cold turkeying" the meds.  She got a smile on her face, shook her head, and told him that it was not a very good idea to do that.  He laughed and told her that he learned his lesson.  So, the plan is to gradually decrease the dosage of his meds--one at a time.  The plan started today, and so far, things are going well.  She also gave us good news that as soon as she receives the paperwork from his nurse case manager (for him to go home for good) that she would sign it right away.  She said that she wants to get him home. :)  We really like her--even before she stated that!  Our hopes are high right now. :)

Jake also had an appointment with the audiology department for a hearing test.  With the blast, he was experiencing some ringing in his ears.  So, they wanted to make sure that his hearing was okay.  He passed with flying colors! :)  The ringing has stopped also--which is good news. 

While at the hospital, we stopped by the PT office and got an appointment scheduled for a reassessment for his physical therapy.  We had to wait for a referral from his primary care doctor (because he was gone for 30 days) before we could schedule any appointments.  During this reassessment, Jake will discuss with the Colonel about having aquatic therapy.  Hopefully the Colonel will agree and get it scheduled for Jake.  We also need to go back to the hospital on Monday to schedule another OT reassessment.  This is to determine whether Jake can handle all his ADL's (daily living skills) by himself or if he still needs an NMA (non-medical assistant--me). 

When we returned back to our room, his nurse case manager called and gave us some good news and some more hope.  He finished the paperwork for the CBWTU (going home for good) and was making a call to them today to discuss Jake!!  YIPPEE!!!  He said that as soon as he has a report date and time, that he would call Jake back.  So, we are waiting to hear back from him.  This is where we have to use our patience--the waiting game.  That's the excitement for today.

The weekend starts now.  It should be a quiet one, but you never know!