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