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