Reflections on 2013

The end of the year is often a time to reflect on the year that is coming to a close and think ahead to the new one. 2013 was a year I’d rather not repeat. It wasn’t all bad, and there were some pretty awesome times, but there were a lot of times when I’d ask myself “what’s next?”…and not because I thought it would be something pleasant. January was pretty ordinary. February was pretty good until the end when Justin deployed a couple days before my birthday. Corey and I got back into our routine while Justin was having a deployment that was definitely not boring (though I would have been okay with boring). March and April went by pretty fast, as did most of May. Toward the end of May, the Burdette side of the family welcomed a new member when Cole married Nikki. Then came June. It’s been a rollercoaster since then. But for each difficulty, there has been something to be thankful for. Justin got his legs blown off, but he’s still alive. His injuries could have been a lot worse, but they weren’t. My dad’s place of employment decided to downsize and my dad was laid off after working there 30+ years. Because of his age and years of service, he qualified for early retirement status…something that couldn’t have happened if he had been laid off a year ago. My sister’s husband got in a car accident (other driver was at fault), but he wasn’t injured. The driver that hit him didn’t have a valid driver’s license, but amazingly he had insurance. Two things to be thankful for. Justin’s brother was riding his motorcycle and was hit by a car. He sustained minor injuries, but he was wearing his helmet (actually Justin’s helmet which we were glad that he had and was wearing), so he was a lot better off than he would have been without it. My grandmother had a mini-stroke not too long before Thanksgiving. We’re thankful it wasn’t worse than it was, but we still aren’t sure what effects from it are only temporary and which are permanent. The doctors are still working with her to find out what medications will help her situation. One medication did not react well with her, and we had to call for an ambulance on Christmas day. She is now out of the hospital and she and Poppa will be staying with my parents for a bit while she’s recovering. Please pray that she will make a full recovery from the stroke and that the doctors will have wisdom in treating her. Please also pray for her as she’s having difficulty understanding and remembering what’s going on and is worried and anxious about a lot of things.

There were a lot of things that made 2013 a rough year, but there are also a lot of things that happened that gave us a lot of good memories to treasure. Corey finished his first year in the Awana program as a Puggle. He also got to play in his first team sport…even though his season was cut short due to Justin getting injured. He got to play in practices and in one game. As I already mentioned, I gained a new sister-in-law, and Corey and I were able to be at their wedding. My sister, Krista, and I took a road trip together down to Florida for the wedding/mom and Wendy’s birthdays and had a lot of fun. (“Look, there’s a Chick-fil-a!” lol) Justin found out that even though he was injured, he’d still be able to hunt and fish and wouldn’t have to wait on getting prosthetics to do so…huge morale boost for him. Justin was able to participate in a fly fishing tournament the weekend before his birthday…just 2 ½ months post injury. He had a great time and caught a lot of fish. I can’t say enough about how great Project Healing Waters has been for Justin. Between the weekly fly tying and the fishing trips here and there, they’ve helped him get back into one of the hobbies that he loves. And the people who make it happen are some of the nicest people you could meet. We got to go as a family to Sharptown, MD and enjoy some time away from Walter Reed, met some amazing people who treated us like family and welcomed us with open arms into their community…oh, and Justin shot some does and we got to stock our freezer with venison. Minor details. Lol And going there wasn’t just a one-time thing and they forgot about us – it was a “give us a call and come back anytime” thing. We went back about a month after the Heroes Haven event and had a wonderful time then too. They even threw Corey a little birthday party complete with a camouflage cake. We were able to drive down to Georgia to attend the homecoming ceremony for Justin’s guys. I was probably more emotional for that homecoming than the ones where I was welcoming Justin home. Lol It was so good to finally be able to meet the men who were up there with Justin and made sure he didn’t bleed out after he was hit. I also got to meet some of the wives – many of whom I had spoken to on the phone but had never met in person. Even though Justin had been back in the States for months, this was his first time back in our house and back on Ft. Stewart. He only beat his guys back by a few days. It was so great to see him in uniform on the field with his guys and the rest that came home that day. We were able to drive down to Florida to be with our families for Thanksgiving. This was the first time Justin had been in Florida since January and the first time since May for me. It was so good to be with family even though the trip went by way too fast. Justin and I were able to go to Texas for a hunting trip at the San Rafael Ranch. We both had a great time, made some new friends that hopefully we’ll see again down the road, made some great memories (and got some fun pictures), and I even shot a hog…something most people never thought I’d do. Shoot, I never thought I’d do it either. Lol I was content shooting paper targets at the range. Shortly after our Texas trip, we drove back down to Florida to be with our families for Christmas. Our Christmas wasn’t at all what we expected, but we got to be together for it. Both of my sisters and their families were here. All of Justin’s siblings are here. I got to see one set of grandparents a couple days before Christmas, and the other set on Christmas day. I’m also glad that I’m here and able to help out with Grandma even though I’d rather be spending time with her under better circumstances. I feel so helpless when stuff happens and I’m out of state (and formerly out of the country). Grandma was upset and said that she feels she’s ruining things for me and for my mom and feels like a burden, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. I’m thankful that she’s still alive and that I’m blessed with the opportunity to spend time with her still.

2013 has been a year of highs and lows. We’ve gotten to meet some amazing people (and even a few famous ones), do some really fun things, reconnect with old friends, feel the love and support from our families, friends, churches and communities. Looking back at the pictures from this year brings many laughs and smiles, and some tears here and there. Here’s to 2014 having less stress, fewer difficulties, more adventure, more healing, fewer surgeries for Justin, and hopefully seeing the end of our time at Walter Reed (though I know it won’t be any time soon). A belated Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of my friends! Thank you for being there for us and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers this year! We are truly blessed.

Our trip to Texas

Justin and I just got back from a hunting trip on a ranch in Texas. We had an amazing time there. The ranch is owned by a couple that are huge supporters of Project Healing Waters – the organization that Justin does the fly fishing with. All of the guests who were there with us were either on staff with PHW or were participants/spouses of participants – the majority being wounded warriors. Some had visible wounds, others not as much, but all have made sacrifices for our country. Many people would look at them with pity, others with curiosity, and some even with disgust. Some might call them handicapped. I look at them and see people who have overcome so much to get where they are today – and have many more obstacles still to overcome. Three of the men were amputees, though two were a lot further along in the healing process and if they were wearing long pants, you might not even know they had fake legs. Another of the men is paralyzed from the chest down. The rest had other wounds that you might not even notice, but all of them had a story and were united through their service, sacrifices and a wonderful organization that helped the ranch owners organize the trip.

After the smoothest experience with airline travel that we’ve ever had, we arrived in southern Texas and were driven to the San Rafael Ranch. We met the ranch owner, Loralee West, Loralee’s friend, Kathy, the ranch staff, and the other guests who had already arrived. We were shown to our guest house so that we could relax a bit before dinner. Every evening, we had appetizers which could have been a meal by themselves. Then came dinner of the five star quality variety. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten such a variety of amazing food in such a short period of time. I even tried elk for the first time and the second time and the third time and it was never prepared the same way twice. After dinner, they had us draw names to see which of the staff would take the hunters out for the early morning hunt. As I’m not a morning person, I slept in while Justin hunted. When the hunters got back in, we had breakfast. After breakfast, there was shooting sessions on three of the days and a horseback ride on the fourth. I skipped the shotgun session, but enjoyed the rifle and pistol sessions. The rifle session was both to have fun and to sight in the rifles we would be using to hunt to the trip. I shoot left handed and was able to use a left handed rifle for the first time. It made things so much easier. I had only shot a pistol once before, so it was nice to get some instruction. We had a little competition and Justin and I did pretty decent. Lunch was buffet style and let me tell you, they put out an awesome spread every day. Before lunch was over, we’d draw names for the afternoon/evening hunt. After lunch we had a couple hours to rest and relax before the hunting resumed. Then after hunting, we’d all meet up at the cleaning station to see what everyone shot. Then back to the main part of the ranch to get ready for dinner.

The first evening of hunting, Justin and I were together in a raised blind with one of the staff. We saw a lot of the exotic/non-native animals. It was so cool to watch them. Once again, I was thankful that I splurged a few years ago a bought myself a camera with a 26x zoom. Toward the end of the evening, a herd of wild hogs came into range, and Justin managed to shoot one (58 lbs). I had them in the sights of my rifle but wasn’t confident enough to take a shot. The next evening, Justin wanted to be in one of the ground blinds, so I went with one of the staff, Eddie, to the other raised blind hoping to get some more pictures of the exotics. I didn’t see as many that evening unfortunately. I saw a couple white tail bucks. One was too young to shoot but the other was a good aged 9 point that Eddie said I could shoot if I wanted. I had him in my sights and he was well within range, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger. He was just too pretty…though I would have had no problem with someone else shooting him. I was afraid I would just injure him and he’d run off. He eventually walked out of range. Then a herd of hogs showed up. They came into range and all stopped. Then they’d walk a little bit and stop. (According to Justin, it’s rare for hogs to stand still, but these piggies seemed to be posing for me.) After a few minutes of tracking them with my gun without pulling the trigger, I know Eddie must have thought they’d just walk away like the buck. I think I surprised both him and myself when I actually did shoot. I looked and saw that I had dropped the pig (43 lbs) and was in too much shock to get off a second shot at one of the others. lol Will I become an avid hunter now? Doubtful. I could take it or leave it honestly, but the look on Justin’s face when I told him made it totally worth it. The next morning, Justin finally got his buck. He’d been trying for years to shoot something with antlers to join his gator on the wall, and he finally got it. He got a nice sized 8 point. That evening, I got him to go back to the raised blind with me in hopes that the herd of pigs would come back. We waited and waited and finally three large hogs appeared about 200 yards away.  I’ve only ever shot at 100 yards, so I wasn’t confident that I could make the shot. Justin was a different story. He shot at the largest one – a boar. He hit it, but it ran away and we weren’t able to find it. Unlike me, he wasn’t too shocked to get off the next shot. This time he shot twice at a sow. She also ran off, but Eddie was able to find her (140 lbs). All in all, between the two of us, we had a successful hunting trip. The ranch owner paid for each person to have something mounted. Mine was too small (though not too small to eat and ended up on the lunch buffet on the last day), but Justin is getting his buck mounted.

By the end of the week, we made a bunch of new friends that I hope we will see again somewhere down the road. It was hard saying goodbye on Sunday. Some we bid farewell to at the ranch. Justin and I were on the same flight as 6 other people from the ranch, so we had a little longer to hang out with them in the airport and one was even across the aisle from us on the plane. After we got off the plane, we were met by the TSA agent who helped escort us to our next gate. We started off as a group heading in the same direction and at each place where one or two people broke off to go to their own gates, we took a few minutes to say goodbye. The TSA guy was pretty understanding at our delays. It was just that good of a time that we weren’t ready for it to end (and the weather in TX was so much nicer than what we were all heading to).

We’ve been blessed with so many opportunities that have helped Justin get back into his hobbies, get us away from the hospital, and just to have fun. Each one has been so different, but after each one, we’ve come away having made new friends, wonderful memories, and enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. I’m so thankful for the people who have given so much to help the wounded warriors and their families. It’s so good to see Justin back outdoors doing things he loves. He may have lost his lower legs, but he didn’t lose his spirit. He hasn’t let being in a wheelchair keep him from doing the things he loves, and I will forever appreciate the people who have helped make that happen.

Six months

Six months ago, it was a Sunday morning. My alarm went off telling me it was time to get up and get ready for church. I got up, fixed Corey’s breakfast and was starting to fix my own when my cell phone rang. It wasn’t unusual for Justin to call around that time because of the time difference between Afghanistan and Georgia, and it wasn’t unusual for him to call from a random international number that I didn’t recognize. I answered the phone, and sure enough, it was Justin. He told me he has some bad news for me. For him, bad news could mean anything from the commemorative rifle order not going through to getting orders that we would have to move somewhere that I didn’t want to live. Then he told me that he’s been in an explosion and had lost both legs above the ankle. My first response was “are you serious?” You see, Justin has a weird sense of humor sometimes and has joked for years about getting springy legs like the guy in the Olympics, so I thought he was joking with me. Then he said “yes, I’m serious” and I could hear the pain in his voice and realized it wasn’t a joke. It took me a minute, but I pulled myself together and reminded myself that at least he was alive and it could have been a lot worse. He told me he wanted Pastor Lou’s number (the pastor of the church we grew up in and still consider home) and we talked for a few minutes before he said he needed to call his parents and handed me off to the nurse to answer any questions I had. I was so thankful he had been coherent enough to call me himself so I could hear his voice and know he was alive. I was also thankful that he called his parents. That was one phone call that I didn’t want to make, and I know they would rather hear it from him so that they could hear his voice too. The nurse explained to me a little more of what had happened and medically what would be happening next. At this point I had a million things running through my head. My world got turned upside down, and I was struggling to figure out which way was up.

My first call was to talk to my parents. Given the time of day on a Sunday, I knew they were in choir at church. I tried my mom’s cell phone first – no answer. It was in her purse in the pew and she was in the choir loft. I tried several other numbers with no answer. Finally I tried my dad’s cell phone. A lot of times he leaves it at home on Sundays, so I knew it would be hit or miss as to whether he’d answer it either. Thankfully he had it on him and was able to pass it off to mom and they both slipped out of the choir loft. I told them what had happened, and even though they had just gotten back the day before from another trip, they said they’d be on their way as soon as they got home and threw their clothes back in the suitcases. They let a few people at Faith know what happened so they could be praying. One of them has a daughter who goes to our church in Georgia, so she passed it on and then our church in Georgia was praying too.

My next call was to my friend, Katie. She and her husband were two of the first people I met in Georgia after Justin and I got married. Neil and Justin deployed together for their first deployment and have been close friends since then. Katie and I became great friends from the first time we met practically and the four of us have kept in touch and finally we back together in the same duty station after we returned from Germany.  I told her what happened and she said they’d be over right away. I started to tell her that if I didn’t answer the door right away, to let themselves in, but then realized she’d already hung up the phone. They made it to my house in record time and stayed until right before my parents arrived. We laughed together, and we cried together. Katie helped me clean up the house while I was answering calls, emails, and Facebook messages. Neil was on the rear detachment, so he was making calls trying to find out more information for me.

After I got off the phone with Katie and called Justin’s parents, I went back out to Corey. He’s usually very sensitive to my emotions and saw that I’d been crying. He asked what made me cry. I told him that his daddy got hurt and that the bad guys had taken his legs. He handled it better than I did and gave me a big hug. He was excited that Mimi and Papa were coming to see us later that day and that Neil and Katie were on the way over.

Throughout the rest of the day, it was a blur of phone calls and sitting around waiting for more information. Justin was able to call again later in the day and they must have upped the dosage of pain meds because his pain was more under control and he was joking around. He asked to talk to Neil and joked with him about beating him in a PT test once he gets his springy legs. I felt a lot better after that call because he sounded so much better. One of the other phone calls was from one of the ladies whose husband was also deployed and saw Justin after he was injured. He told his wife that Justin was an inspiration. When she told me this, I nearly started laughing. Before he got hurt, nobody had ever used the word “inspiration” to describe him. He laughed when I told him…though I had to tell him a couple times before he was coherent enough to remember it. There’s a lot that he doesn’t remember from those first few weeks. Not long before my parents arrived, Pastor Steve from our church in GA came over to the house to talk to me and pray with me. While he was there, my parents arrived and were slightly confused when they saw two nearly identical trucks in the driveway.

The majority of that week was spent waiting for information. The Army information line was great at keeping us informed. While Justin was still in Afghanistan, he received his Purple Heart. I was emailed pictures from when he received it and that was the first I had seen of him since he was hurt. I had heard his voice, but what a relief to see him alive! When Justin was transferred to Germany, his platoon sergeant from when we were stationed in Vilseck was at the hospital waiting for him when his plane landed. Usually I hate that I have friends spread out so far because I can’t see them very often/ever, but on that day, I was thankful that we still have friends in Germany who could be with Justin even though I couldn’t. The next day, another friend (who had deployed with Justin in his first deployment, was a groomsman in our wedding, and later was stationed in Vilseck) visited Justin. I’m so thankful that these two drove about three hours each way to spend some time with him. I felt better that he wasn’t alone over there. I was also able to call Justin while he was in Germany. I could call the Army information line 24 hours a day and they could patch me through to the hospital in Germany. I woke Justin up nearly every time (though in my defense, he did sleep a lot due to meds…I was careful to take into account the time difference before calling) and he joked that I was getting him back for all the times he woke me up during his deployments.

While we were waiting to hear that Justin would be transported back to the States, I was overwhelmed at the outpouring of love from family, friends, our churches in Florida and Georgia, and our neighbors. I know I missed responding to many of the messages people sent me, but I read them all and appreciated them all. We are truly blessed by so many people who care about us and have been encouraging us and praying for us these past six months.

Less than a week after he was injured, they were transferring him to Walter Reed. Usually things don’t move that fast from what I was told, but he was strong and stable enough for transport. On June 14th, they loaded him on a plane and booked my flight. We landed in the D.C. area around the same time and that’s where we’ve been for the majority of the past six months.

Right now we’re still waiting for Justin’s left leg to finish healing. Sometimes it gets discouraging seeing so little progress with it. Please pray that it will heal up and Justin can get things got with a prosthetic after Christmas. The right leg is doing great! He’s working closely with his physical therapist and the prosthetics people to get it to fit comfortably. He’s been able to wear it out and about and is getting used to having it. In PT, he’s been walking on it and doing exercises with it. It’s been awesome to see the progress he’s making with just one leg. So far, they’ve been able to mold the leg socket in such a way that it doesn’t aggravate the weird bone growth (H.O. – I mentioned it previously). We’ hoping and praying that it will continue to work out so that he doesn’t need additional surgery to remove it. He’s tired of surgeries and being in the hospital and who could blame him.

Thank you all for all your love and support these past six months! It means the world to me. Different ones have called, let me vent, helped out with Corey, sent cards and notes on Facebook, brought meals when we’re in town, and prayed continuously for us. We are blessed.

Homecoming

This past weekend was an amazing weekend. We had a long drive to get to Georgia and a long drive back, but it was worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Justin may have arrived in the States months ago, but he only arrived in Ft. Stewart a couple days ahead of his guys. It was a true homecoming all around.

We left Thursday morning after Justin saw the wound care people. We got about an hour down the road when Justin received a call saying he needed to go back to Walter Reed to see the pharmacist to “reconcile his medications”. This didn’t really make much sense since Justin had just talked to her the day before after his primary care appointment. We decided to get off the interstate and stop for an early lunch while Justin called the clinic and waited for them to call back. Thankfully he was able to take care of that over the phone and we were able to get back on the road. After a lot of hours in the car, we made it to our house. There was a welcome home sign on a tree in our yard from our neighbor and newly built ramp over the steps to get into the house (thank you, Pastor Steve and Ricky! – our music pastor and a fellow saxophone player in the orchestra at First Baptist of Hinesville went out to the house and build the ramp the day before we arrived so that Justin would have an easier time getting into the house). This was Justin’s first time in our house since the morning of the day he deployed back in February and it was so good for all of us to be home together again.

On Friday, the first thing Justin wanted to do was to go down to the 3-15 building on Ft. Stewart and see the guys who were already back/didn’t deploy. (You probably thought I was going to say go to Bass Pro in the Savannah Mall, didn’t you? lol) He got to see quite a few people and about gave a few of us a heart attack…until we realized he was okay and then laughed at him. Corey was acting up, so Justin was trying to scare him while popping a wheelie. Had Justin had his wheelie bars on the back of his chair, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, said wheelie bars were sitting in our closet in Maryland.  He misjudged how far back he’d gone, wasn’t able to recover, and flipped the chair over backward. It was quite an awkward landing, but nothing except his pride was hurt. I don’t think he’ll live it down any time soon given who was there to witness it. lol We hung around and visited with people until it was getting close to lunch time. Then we went to our friends’ house to hang out before going with them out to lunch. After lunch we ran errands and headed home. A couple of our neighbors brought over supper for us and we relaxed at home the rest of the evening. (Have I mentioned how much I love where we live in Georgia??? We have some of the nicest neighbors!)

Saturday was the big day. On Friday when we were down at the 3-15 building, they kind of strongly encouraged Justin to be in uniform, so he made sure he had all the patches he needed and he got dressed in his multicam uniform (only worn for deployments). We got there early to make sure we got a parking spot and headed over to the field for Justin to get instructions. While we were waiting, I got to meet some of the wives and put faces with the names and voices I’d only heard over the phone. Justin got a lot of hugs from people he didn’t know, many were the mothers of guys from his unit that had heard about him from their sons. Then the busses drove past the field and parked behind the trees. The families waited in the bleachers and in front of them to catch the first glimpse of their loved ones. The wounded soldiers (Justin being the only one in uniform) waited near the podium while their fellow soldiers marched out from behind the tree line. When they stopped marching and stood in formation, the wounded walked/wheeled out onto the field to join them. Justin’s platoon sergeant walked out, gave Justin a hug, and then helped wheel him to his place in the formation. There was a little talking (though I doubt anyone could tell you what was said lol), the National Anthem was played, the unit song and Army song were sung, then they released everyone to meet up with their soldiers. Most of Justin’s guys found him and it was so awesome to see them reunited. I’m not gonna lie, I think I was more emotional at this homecoming than at the two where Justin was one of the soldiers returning. Seeing him rejoin his platoon out on the field was a moment I won’t forget. After grabbing some lunch, we headed back home where we all crashed. For supper (and by supper, I mean over 3 hours long lol), we went out to eat with some of Justin’s guys and their families. By the time we got home, both boys went straight to bed pretty much. It was a great day!

On Sunday morning, Justin wasn’t feeling the greatest (I think he overdid on Saturday), but we all still made it to church. I got to play in the orchestra and Corey got to hang out with his buddies in his class. It was great to be back even just for one weekend. After a little bit of relaxing, a couple of the single guys from Justin’s platoon, and our friends, Neil (deployed with Justin for his first deployment to Iraq) and Katie, came over for supper. While they were there, the guy delivered Justin’s track chair – given to him by a non-profit organization (I can’t remember the name at the moment). Let me tell ya, that thing is pretty awesome…except the horn which is kind of wimpy sounding. lol Justin can’t wait to take it hunting. It was a nice evening full of laughs…mostly at Justin’s expense, but he deserved it.

This morning, we were definitely not ready to leave. Aside from wanting to stay in Georgia longer, Justin woke up not feeling well again. Corey and I got up, ate breakfast, and I got things packed and ready to load in the Jeep while Justin got a little more rest. We finally hit the road, had a fairly uneventful drive with no wrecks or traffic jams, and made it back to Walter Reed around 8:30 this evening. Unpacking the suitcases can wait until tomorrow. I’m beat. Back to the normal routine tomorrow. Hopefully Justin will get casted this week and start bearing weight on his right leg. I never thought I’d be so happy to anticipate him hobbling around on crutches.

The wounded soldiers

Veterans' Day

Tomorrow marks 5 months since Justin was injured. Two days from now we will be celebrating Veterans’ Day. Memorial Day is to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Veterans’ Day is to honor all who have served in our military – most did not give their lives for our country, but they all made sacrifices of one kind or another. To all my friends who have served, THANK YOU!

Being here at Walter Reed, it’s very visible the extent of the sacrifices many have made. One group of people I want to thank specifically are the men and women who chose to be combat medics and the ones who assisted them so that the wounded warriors made it this far alive. If it wasn’t for the men in Justin’s platoon who didn’t even wait for the dust to settle before getting to him and stopping the bleeding, it’s doubtful that he even would have made it down from that mountain. They will forever have my gratitude and hopefully soon I will get to meet them and thank them in person. I am also thankful for the servicemen and women (and civilians, but it’s Veterans’ Day, so the main focus is on those who have served) who serve in the medical field in non-combat roles. The majority of Justin’s doctors, nurses, techs, and various other staff who have helped him are either current or former military including his orthopedic surgeon who splits his time between Walter Reed and various places overseas. Justin has received excellent care here. On the medical side, I have never once had to go above someone’s head to complain about the level of his care from the Army or Navy personnel. Many of them could probably make more money on the civilian side, but they have chosen to be in the military or work at Walter Reed after their time in the service helping other men and women in uniform. (And during the recent furloughs and government shutdown, that’s no easy choice for many who had to wait weeks to get paid and/or were forced to go home with no pay while the active duty members had to work more hours and shifts to make up for it.) THANK YOU!

On a personal note, where are we now?

Justin got released on Monday from another round of inpatient time to take care of the left leg which wasn’t closing. Same type thing that happened with the right leg in September. Hopefully this surgery took care of things and the leg will finally heal all the way. The right leg is looking pretty good. He had a minor setback while in the hospital. He was changing his dressings on the right leg and noticed an area that looked like it had opened back up. Wound care looked at it and determined that a stitch from his September surgery hadn’t been removed and caused the issue. They removed the stitch and now he has to wait for that little spot to heal before they can begin the casting process…hopefully this will take place in the next couple weeks. Another issue that’s still lingering is the staph infection (MRSA). When we was inpatient in September, they took cultures of the bone and tissue for testing and found that he had MRSA in his bones. They gave him a PICC line (basically, an IV that can stay in for a long period of time if needed and they can use it to draw blood – helpful especially for someone like Justin who isn’t an easy stick for IVs and blood draws) and showed him how to administer IV antibiotics himself to be taken twice a day for 8 weeks. He was almost to the end of that course of treatment when he had to be readmitted. When they opened up the left leg, they took cultures which came back positive for MRSA. Apparently, infection can hide in a “pocket” that antibiotics can’t reach. When they opened the left leg back up, the found one of these pockets and now the clock is reset and he’s got 8 more weeks of antibiotics. He was very unhappy about this as he’s tired of having to schedule his days around IVs and his weeks around the nurse coming to draw blood and waiting for his weeks’ worth of IV balls to be delivered. It’s a hassle and he’s tired of it, but what can you do other than deal with it. Hopefully after this round, he’ll be cleared and can move past this with no further need for the PICC line (though it did come in handy during his recent stay in the hospital so that his arms didn’t look like pincushions). Once the right leg heals, even if the left is still open, the can start the prosthetics process just with the one leg. The first step is to make a cast of it so that they can make sure the socket will fit him somewhat comfortably. They will likely have to make plenty of adjustments, but it’s a starting place. Then they’ll start working with him walking on one leg and crutches. What likely will happen before the walking is a thing they call a “tilt table” that they’ll put him on to gradually get his leg used to hold his weight without overdoing it. We’re hoping to start this in the coming weeks while he’s waiting for the left leg to close up all the way.

What’s in the future medically? Hopefully no more MRSA and no more surgeries due to his leg(s) not closing! The one thing that we’re concerned about for potential future surgeries is something called Heterotopic Ossification (or HO). In non-medical terms, when the body suffers sever limb trauma, often bone starts growing in places it shouldn’t. It’s very common here at Walter Reed and almost every amputee has it to some degree. Justin is not exempt. They typically let it grow for about 6 months until it stabilizes, and then evaluate to see if it hinders the patient from walking or causes a great degree of pain for them. If needed, they perform a surgery to remove it. Justin has HO growing in both residual limbs and since he doesn’t have a lot of extra padding, it’s pretty close to the surface and hurts at times. We’ll know more, most likely in January as to whether or not it will require additional surgery.

On the non-medical side of things, we’ve had some ups and downs. We’ve gotten to do some really fun things and have met some amazing people and even a few famous ones (though the ones I’ll remember the most fondly are the ordinary, everyday people who have opened their hearts and gone out of their way to express their appreciation for Justin and men and women like him). Justin has gotten to get back into his pre-injury hobbies which have boosted his morale and helped him to relax. On the flip side, we’ve had some frustrating things to deal with. It isn’t the Army as a whole, but the warrior transition brigade (WTB) here is one big, messy ball of red tape…to put it nicely. I could say a lot more, but I’ll refrain for the time being. Cutting through said red tape isn’t always easy, has caused many headaches, but if it’s something important to Justin and his medical side clears him, we don’t take “no” for an answer. I was recently told that I had people fooled that I was a quiet, mild Army wife but after a recent incident, he saw the claws and teeth come out. lol Mess with me if you must, but you better not mess with people I love. Certain people here will learn what it means to end up on my “no fudge ever list” if they keep throwing red tape at Justin (and if you’ve tried my fudge, you know that that isn’t a list you want to be on lol). We’ve got our good days and our bad days both physically (for Justin), mentally and emotionally. Corey is growing like crazy and he has most of the women around here wrapped around his little fingers. He even won first prize in the kids category in the Halloween costume contest for his Duck Dynasty costume. Being up here is an adjustment for him and that can make for some unpleasant moments and days, but we’re glad he’s able to be here with us. Everything is an adventure with him whether it’s going fishing (and out-fishing most of the adults who were with us) or simply seeing a car that looks like Bumblebee from the Transformers movies in the parking garage and guessing which of the other cars are Decepticons, life is never dull with Corey around. When he’ll sit still, he’s put Justin to sleep multiple times while they’re cuddling (and sometimes Corey will doze off too). He is a joy to have around…even when he’s driving me nuts. All in all, we’re doing pretty good. The end of this journey isn’t in sight yet, but we have 5 months (and hopefully the worst) behind us. We have many things to look forward to in the coming weeks and months – hopefully Justin will start the process toward walking, a few trips, and Corey’s birthday to name a few.

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate each and every one. I don’t know why God put us in this situation, but it could have been (and could currently be) so much worse. God has answered many prayers on our behalf so far and I know He will continue to answer them. Specifics that need prayer are for Justin’s left leg to heal completely and for the small spot on the right leg. For the MRSA to go away completely and never come back. For safety in our upcoming travels, and for strength for us on a daily basis – physically, mentally and emotionally. Thank you so much!

Corey with two of the Washington Redskins cheerleaders

Got to meet Gary Sinise aka Lt. Dan

Halloween costume contest

Heroes Haven

After getting back from a quick trip to Georgia on Monday, getting stuff taken care of for the Jeep on Tuesday, getting the windshield fixed and cutting through red tape on Wednesday morning/afternoon, we set out for the Eastern shore of Maryland. Justin had a hunting trip there that he nearly wasn't able to go to (hence the red tape cutting), so due to changes of plans, I was bringing him instead of the recreational therapy people. I was worn out from the drive from GA and while I was happy he was getting to hunt, I wasn't so excited about tagging along. I figured Corey and I would just be in the way and bored out of our minds. I was wrong.

We met up at the gun range so that Justin could test of the rifle he'd be using for the long weekend. Once we was done, they told us we'd be escorted to the local American Legion for a lasagna dinner. We were surprised to find that we would be escorted by police and 50-100 motorcycles through a couple towns where people lined the streets waving American flags and holding signs to welcome us and the other two wounded warriors who were able to attend the trip. After the dinner, we followed our host family to their house where we would stay for the rest of the week. They didn't just treat us like guests, they treated us like family. Knowing that Justin is in a wheelchair, they had a ramp set up so that he could get into the house and other things to make the stay easier for him with his needs. We had a great time getting to know them and Corey had a great time having sword fights with Mr. Hank and chasing Mrs. Kim all over the place.

Justin got to hunt on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and managed to kill 4 does. While he was hunting Corey and I got to sleep in, relax, and hang out at the hunting lodge some. On Saturday, we went to the zoo with Kim, her sister, and her two nieces. We had plenty to do to keep us busy and enjoying ourselves while Justin spent time in the woods. We definitely ate very well during our time in Sharptown, MD. Between two different American Legion posts and the hunting lodge, we were shown so much hospitality and generosity. They welcomed us as honored guests and we left as part of their community.

On our last night there, they held a banquet to recognize everyone who helped make our awesome week possible and to honor Justin, Dustin, and Will - the three men from Walter Reed who were able to be there. They presented them all with keys to the city, plaques for lifetime memberships to the American Legion, gave them the guns that they had used for the week, and so much more. They even had a huge giftbasket full of snacks and toys for Corey. The name of their organization is Heroes Haven and it is such an accurate name. Justin got there run down and stressed out. He left there relaxed, happy, and thankful for all these kind people did for us during the week. While he was worn out by the end of every day (and sometimes long before the end of the day lol), it was from doing something he loves rather than a crazy schedule of appointments and meetings. He fell into bed at night relaxed and excited for the next day.

Before we left this morning after the farewell breakfast, so many people told us we were welcomed to come back any time. We can't wait to take them up on it. This weekend went by way too fast and even Corey kept saying how much he loved Sharptown and didn't want to leave. We are so thankful for the opportunity for Justin (and Corey and me) to be a part of the Heroes Haven event for 2013!

4 month update

4 months ago, I was anxiously waiting for the Army travel people to tell me when I would be flying to Water Reed to meet up with Justin (who was also waiting for fly there from Germany). Tomorrow will be 4 months from the day both Justin and I got there. Tomorrow also will be the day I head back after a bunch needed weekend back home in Georgia…the first one since I left for Walter Reed. I can’t wait until we can come back down – with Justin the next time. (And yes, I probably should be packing or something productive to get ready for our road trip, but instead I’m writing this note. lol I’m always the procrastinator.) I have had so many people asking how Justin’s doing, how Corey’s doing, and how I’m doing. I’m not going to lie, I’ve cried more than once this weekend. Not because I’m sad, but because I’m overwhelmed with the love everyone has shown us. Having lived most of my life in Florida, I thought nowhere could ever feel like home like Florida does, but over the past two years, Georgia has because more than just a duty station. There are so many things people did this weekend to show how much they cared about us and each one means so much to me.

How is Justin doing? Since he’s been out of the hospital, I know I haven’t updated as much. His typical week consists of wound care three times a week, physical therapy and occupational therapy every day, and various other appointments scattered here and there. We stay pretty busy keeping up with all of them. By the time his appointments are done for the day and we’re back in the apartment, Justin’s usually worn out and falls asleep on the couch. He’s still on antibiotics for the staph infection and will continue them twice a day for the next month. Please pray that the medicine works and the infection clears up completely. His legs are still healing, so he hasn’t started the process to be fitting for prosthetics yet. The right one is looking really good and they’re going to start removing the stitches soon. The left leg isn’t healing quite as well, but wound care is keeping a close eye on it and doing what they can to promote healing. Even if it doesn’t heal up as quickly as the right, he can still get things going with the right and just use crutches. We’re hoping and praying they will clear him to bear weight on the right leg so he can start the process toward walking. Justin’s started taking adapted drivers training and has been doing very well. When Corey and I get back up to Maryland with the Jeep, we’re going to take it to be fitted with a hand controlled brake/accelerator so that Justin can drive it even without legs. Overall, Justin is doing pretty good. He’s got a lot of things coming up that he’s looking forward to and is working hard in his PT and OT so that when his legs are ready, he’ll be ready to learn to walk again.

How is Corey doing? He is a nonstop bundle of energy. Sometimes it’s hard for him to channel that energy when we have so many appointments and it’s hard for him to sit still and be quiet…as is the case with almost all kids his age. He makes friends wherever he goes and he’s got a lot of the female physical/occupational therapists wrapped around his little finger. He’s getting old enough that he can really help Justin out with getting different things and bringing them to Justin when Justin’s really exhausted. He sometimes gets really bored which causes him to act out more, but we work through it. He’s been growing like crazy and will be as tall as me before I know it. He’s also decided that (most days) he’s too old to take a nap. He loves life and doesn’t want to miss a thing. It’s hard on him being away from all his friends and his things, but he loves getting to experience new things up at Walter Reed.

How am I doing? It depends when you ask me. Some days I’m doing great. Things are looking up I feel like Wonder Woman. Other days it seems like nothing is going right, I can’t do anything right, and I just want to go home. Some days are downright frustrating and feels like for every one step forward, we take 3 or 4 steps backwards. Being around so many injured service members all day every day can be disheartening. But on the flip side, seeing men and women who have come through such severe injuries and how well they’re doing now is amazing. Missing limbs and other physical difficulties doesn’t stop them. They just find ways to adapt things so they can still do the things they love. I may not like our current situation, and I may hate having to live in a big city, but like them, I have to adapt. When I married Justin, it was for better and for worse, in sickness and in health. There was no, “unless circumstances aren’t what I like” clause, so for now, since Justin’s having to be at Walter Reed, that’s where I’ll be too. We’re in this together and he won’t be there forever. The end’s not quite in sight, but I know that it’s there, we’ll get there eventually, and then we can move on to the next phase in life…whatever that may be.

There are so many of you who have been there with us from day one with your prayers and encouragement. We really appreciate it and I know that God is answering those prayers. If you’d like to pray for some specific things, here are a few.

1)      For Justin’s antibiotics to work and completely clear up the staph infection.

2)      For continued healing of his legs so that he can start the prosthetic process.

3)      For Justin’s convalescent leave to be approved so that we can get away from Walter Reed for a bit to relax, see family and friends, and just catch a break from the hectic schedule.

4)      Safety for Corey and me as we’re driving back up to Maryland. Nice weather and light traffic would be great too.

Thank you all so much for all the love and support. It’s such an encouragement to us to know so many people are praying for us and pulling for us. Now to get back to packing and then to sleep before the long drive in the morning.

We got a visit from our youth pastor and his wife

Corey and Justin working out

Selena Gomez came for a visit. Corey has a crush now lol

3 months down, who knows how many to go

Today marks 3 months since Justin was injured. Today is also is also two days before the 12th anniversary of the events that sparked the war that Justin was fighting when he got injured. Who knew on that morning of September 11, 2001 as I was getting ready for school just how much that day would change my life in ways I never could have imagined. If someone had come up to me on September 10th and said, tomorrow terrorists are going to hijack some airplanes. Two will fly into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon, and another will miss its mark because of some brave passengers. Oh, and one day, you’re going to marry a soldier who will eventually deploy three times and on the third time will get seriously injured and you’ll live at Walter Reed for a time. I would have looked at the person like they were totally insane. Yet, here I am, and thankfully, Justin’s here with me.

Right now, the only thing holding him up for prosthetics is the open wound areas on both legs. Because of how the blast hit, it originally looked like the left leg would be the holdup since it sustained worse injuries and needed the skin graft. Now it’s the right leg that’s causing a little bit of concern as to its healing. Due to the way his leg had to be closed up (picture moccasin type stitching around the end of right leg), the last section to heal is right at the end where he would need to be putting pressure to bear weight. The left leg was closed up in more of an X pattern across the top of the leg, and they’re hopeful to start the process of casting it and getting ready to bear weight. He’ll be able to start that even if the right leg isn't ready yet. It’s more difficult to walk with just one prosthetic, but I’ve seen plenty of guys here start out like that. Please continue to pray that both legs will finish healing.

Corey’s been up here with us almost a month now. We’ve had some times of adjustment that weren’t too fun, but we’re working through them. He’s enjoying “working out” with Justin for PT/OT. He wants to do everything his daddy does. We’ve gotten to do some fun things together as a family since he’s been up here like the fly fishing tournament, the zoo, and some of the museums and monuments in D.C. I think Justin has another fishing trip this coming weekend that we’ll all be able to go to, also through Project Healing Waters. So thankful for organizations like these that provide opportunity for Justin to get back into his hobbies and let Corey and I come along for the ride to enjoy it with him.

Even though there are days when hate it here and just plain want to go home (whether that be to GA or to FL), I’m thankful for the opportunity for us all to be together and for the good times where we can make new memories. Not all of my memories from the Walter Reed days will be pleasant, but there are plenty that are…just like any other situation I’ve been in and every place I’ve lived and really, life in general. There will always be ups and downs. Things I’d rather not have to deal with, and things that are a pleasure to experience. Through the difficult times, you can definitely see who your friends are, and let me tell you, I’m blessed with some really awesome friends and family (and friends who are like family). Barely a day goes by that I don’t get a message on facebook or my email, a text or call on my cellphone, or a card or letter in the mail from friends and family and even complete strangers. Some days up here are pretty crazy, so if I don’t reply/call back right away, I apologize. I do really appreciate each and every message I get. Sometimes I just have a minute to read them and then am pulled in several different directions, and by the time I’m able to reply, I’ve got 50 other things on my mind and forget or it’s too late at night to call. Anyway, thank you all for being there for me and my family in so many ways that I couldn’t begin to name them all without leaving something or someone out. You all are the best!

Changes in Perspective

Life definitely has a way of changing your perspective on things. Before Justin was injured, when I’d see an amputee, I’d try not to stare, but still looked on in curiosity and pity. I was clueless. Granted, I’ve still never experienced the loss of one of my limbs, but I’ve seen firsthand what Justin’s gone through. I’ve seen guys with much worse injuries than Justin working out in physical therapy. Some guys give up and probably will never leave the hospital wing other than to end up in a nursing home, but the vast majority of the ones I’ve seen are fighters. They don’t just fight to do big things like walk again, but they fight to do simple tasks that most of us wouldn’t think twice about. Not only do they fight for themselves, they push each other to fight harder. They don’t need pity; they deserve admiration. They daily overcome more obstacles just to get out of bed and get dressed than most people do the entire day, and they’ve been through so much to get to the point where they physically can get out of a bed. Yes, I still look at them with curiosity, but it’s different now. Now I wonder things like how long it was until their residual limb was ready for weight bearing and what the steps in getting fitted for a prosthetic are and how many modifications to it were necessary before they got their permanent ones. I look at them and see hope. I see men (there’s currently only one female amputee here and she hasn’t healed enough for a prosthetic yet) who sustained more severe injuries on their new feet/legs next other wounded warriors who were starting to walk for the first time. They were giving tips to the new walkers and encouraging them the entire time. They aren’t wallowing in a pity party (though I’m sure they’ve had their moments); they’re coming down to the PT area at times when they don’t have to so they can make their rounds pushing the other guys to work harder; they’re going back to the hospital to check up on buddies that have had to have more surgeries. These men know the meaning of sacrifice and have given so much in service to our country, yet they’re still giving of themselves to help each other. It’s pretty amazing to watch.

Please keep all these wounded warriors in your thoughts and prayers…both the ones with visible injuries and the ones that often go unnoticed because their wounds aren’t something you can see and the doctors can’t do surgery to fix like brain injuries. Each of these men and women are facing different struggles, and I’ve seen how much prayer can make an impact on facing these trying days, months, and years. I thank you all for the prayers sent up on our behalf! Whenever the doctors/nurses/various other medical personnel see Justin’s progress and the date he sustained his injuries, they are amazed at how well he’s doing in such a relatively short period of time. Justin has received the best care possible, but only God can make his body heal, and He definitely is!

First Project Healing Waters meeting (more on them in future posts)

Recreational therapy archery program

First time putting weight on his knees post-injury

Our time at Walter Reed so far

Today marks one month since Justin got injured in Afghanistan. It’s been quite a rollercoaster physically for Justin and emotionally for the rest of us. He’s made a lot of progress even with having some setbacks. Two weeks ago, he was in a lot of pain due to non-leg related issues. Last week wasn’t pain-free but it was at a level just about discomfort which was a relief. This week will likely be a mixed bag. They’re weaning him off the different IV and epidural pain meds. On the one hand, this shows significant progress, but on the other hand, some of the leg and other pain that was dulled/eliminated by the meds has started to return. Hopefully they can get it under control with oral medications. He’s also been going to physical therapy this week and got a really good workout today. He’ll be doing that pretty much every day now. This Friday, they have him scheduled for his skin graft. They were able to close up more of the area, so it’s about ¼ of the size they originally thought would need a graft. Now it’s about the size of a nickel that will need it. They’ll also be starting to remove some of the stitches from his legs in the areas that are healed up. This will get his legs one step closer to starting preparations for the prosthetics. Weaning him off the IV/epidural meds gets him a step closer to outpatient.

I know Walter Reed got some bad press not too many years ago, but the Walter Reed today has given Justin excellent care. He has had teams of doctors attending to every aspect of his care. It hasn’t been perfect, but the very few issues we’ve had have been addressed. The physical therapy department has a ton of activities like fishing, hunting, learning to scuba dive, and many more than Justin can participate in once he’s physically capable. He’s also had great nurses and techs. After being here with Justin nearly three weeks, I have a new respect for the nursing profession. The day shift people have been great, but it’s more hectic with the teams of doctors in and out of the room all day long. I can’t say enough good about the night shift staff. Since it’s quieter at night with a lot of the patients in the ward asleep, they are able to spend more time with Justin. Whether it’s talking about current events, joking around, or listening to Justin tell about how he was injured, they never act like being in here is an inconvenience…even on Justin’s worst nights. In fact, after one of the worst nights, one of the Army medic/techs requested to have Justin on his rotation the next night since he knew he’d be in here anyway. One of the Navy guys came in to help Justin even before his shift started, and a different night, they needed to monitor Justin after adding a different medication, so he brought a chair in the room and watched over Justin while he was sleeping. I have no idea how long he was in here because I fell asleep knowing Justin was being taken care of. One of the civilian nurses (who is a former Army medic) is Justin’s favorite. He has a great sense of humor, even with the unpleasant aspects of caring for Justin. He also will come by just to say hi and check on Justin even when Justin isn’t on his rotation for the night. These guys care about Justin as a person, not just about doing their jobs.

There have been so many groups and agencies who have come by the room to bring everything from hygiene items to modified clothing that fits around IVs and other wires and tubes. Duffel bags and backpacks full of clothes to milkshakes, ice cream sundaes and cupcakes. Special dinners and lunches so we don’t have to only eat from the few fast food places on the complex or room service. Another group came around and gave Justin a haircut here in the room since he wasn’t up to going down to the barber shop. There are so many generous people and organizations that I can’t even remember them all. The main ones are the Wounded Warrior project who came to see Justin both during his brief stay in Germany and multiple times here in Walter Reed, Operation Ward 57, and the Red Cross. They come on a regular basis to see if we need anything…not just Justin, but all of us who are up here with him. It’s amazing to see all the support they have to the injured service men and women and their families and the prayers, love and support shown from friends and family…and even complete strangers all over the world.

Taken the day Justin was injured...aka "the last leg picture"

Justin receiving his Purple Heart Award in Afghanistan

Our son seeing his daddy for the first time post-injury