St. Michael's Soldier

See Ya Later

2010-01-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

As the year 2010 begins, there is an ending as well. I have decided to stop posting on this blog. Mark is now at a point where everyday life is basically routine, so I think the time has come to discontinue updates. This routine is a dream come true considering the long journey that Mark has taken since November 8, 2007.

I would like to say that all of us, as a family, have been extremely grateful for the loyal following this site has had over the last two years. It never ceases to amaze me that so many are interested in how Mark has progressed and how we have dealt with this as a family.

We will be forever thankful for your prayers and undying support throughout this ordeal and you will all be remembered with love and appreciation.

During my time at the Fisher House, watching families we had become close to come and go, it was decided never to say good-bye, but “see ya later.” To all of you we say thank you from the bottom of our hearts and “see ya later.”

With love, Ann

Monday, December 28, 2009

2009-12-28T09:18:00.005-05:00

Well, it finally snowed here yesterday...at least more than a dusting. We had several inches yesterday evening and overnight it continued. Our girl from Oz was absolutely delighted to see it. We had invited Peter's friend Christy's family over last night and as they were getting ready to leave, Kevin, Christy's dad, and Peter offered to teach Jess how to get snow off a car!! Smart girl that she is, she told them she would need to watch them do it before she got the hang of it. Then they tried to convince her she needed to learn how to use a snowblower!! She did enjoy getting all her winter gear on and, along with Christy, frolic around in the falling snow a bit. I must admit, it was the kind of snow that sticks to everything and turns it into a wonderland. It is still snowing, so I am sure she will be happy to see all of it when she gets up this morning.

We had a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We went to dinner at our favorite restaurant on Christmas Eve and had a delicious meal. Then it was on to church where we enjoyed the children's pageant and seeing so many of our dear friends. It was especially nice for the boys, who saw childhood friends who had also returned for the holidays. Unfortunately, it is usually the only time they get to see each other, since they are all so scattered.

Mark is doing exceptionally well here. He climbs the stairs at least once a day and at the top where he has two railings, he doesn't use a crutch to help. He has been walking around the house, both upstairs and down, and each day it gets better and better. He and Jess have been out and about with some of Mark's old friends who are home for the holidays and are planning to have some of them over on New Year's Eve.

We hope everyone reading this had as much fun at Christmas as we did.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

2009-12-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to all!!

Sorry that it has been a while since our last update, but as things become routine, there is less to write about. We had a very enjoyable stay with Mark in Tampa. We enjoyed shopping, a couple of movies, dinner out with friends and family, and a visit from my brother.

I must say, it was hard to get into the "Christmas spirit" with temperatures in the 70s, despite the decorations. (Although, I did fall in love with lighted palm trees....they really look cool!) So now we are back in Strongsville and we have already had our fill of winter, even though it is very mild for northern Ohio standards. Jess arrived late last night from Sydney and has just started to come out of the jet lag semi-coma. We went and did some final Christmas shopping and a stop at Starbucks helped tremendously.

We are looking forward to enjoying Christmas Eve and Day with Peter, Christy and Rich's Aunt Gene, and then later in the week with various friends.

Our wish to all of you is a very happy and blessed Christmas and New Year!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

2009-12-05T21:03:00.004-05:00

We've had a very nice couple of days, despite the weather. It had been raining here for the past couple of days. Although we really should be used to the chill and the gray, it's Florida for heaven's sake.

Uncle Robert, who was in Jacksonville on business this week, came on Thursday evening to spend the weekend with us. It's been nice to have him around. Yesterday, Mark had to spend the morning at MacDill AFB at the medical center for his evaluation physical for the Medical Evaluation Board. It was really very routine, as the VA has all his medical records (DUH!) but it's required that a compensation board doctor examine him and ask a lot of questions. I'm not sure what "passing" is, but I think they get the idea that he will be permanently disabled, which is actually what we want. Good God, I never thought I would even think that, let alone say it! But, unfortunately, that is the reality and Mark really is doing so well compared to anything we originally were anticipating. He is a living miracle without a doubt.

On the upside, today the rain stopped and we decided to go look at neighborhoods and model homes in this area. We were told about a subdivision by some of the folks who were involved in Mark's rehab at the hospital, so we sought that out and were very pleasantly surprised. One of the model homes was by the same builder that Mark and I had seen in another subdivision and the same home here (about 5 miles away) was considerably less and he loved the layout. He was excited about the prospect of a new house in a nice area. It is something we will certainly persue further.

Then we went on to meet my cousins, aunt and a good friend for dinner. My brother hadn't seen any of them in about five years so we enjoyed a good dinner and great company before calling it a day. It's too bad Uncle Rob will be returning to California tomorrow, but we've had fun while he's been here.

Friday, November 27, 2009

2009-11-27T19:14:00.002-05:00

Its the day after Thanksgiving and all through the house the people aren't stirring and fortunately, we have no mouse. Mark and Rich are sitting watching TV and I'm writing this as you can see. Well, that's it for the rhyme! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope all of you did too. We enjoyed dinner with my family and ate well and laughed more. The perfect recipe for any family get together. And, by the way, Mark's pies were great! I was very impressed with all he did to make them. He wound up standing for over an hour with just a short 10 minute break which was a new personal best. Way to go!

Today we slept in, hung around and went to a movie this afternoon and then out to eat. No shopping for us! We saw "The Blind Side" and it was wonderful. Best movie I've seen in years. It really could have been sappy, but it wasn't and Sandra Bullock was wonderful. I would highly recommend it for all ages. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as much as we are. Here's to a wonderful holiday season ahead.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

2009-11-22T18:02:00.003-05:00

Things have been going rather normally...which is wonderful. Mark and Rich are both going to therapy in Tampa and we are settling in a bit. Mark goes to the hospital three days a week and for a couple of hours on Mondays. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, he leaves early, packs a lunch and is off to "work". His therapies usually last until about three in the afternoon. Friday is a day off, so we have a nice three day weekend.

Rich has been doing his shoulder therapy at a location just down the street from the hospital and that makes it very convenient. In our off time, we have been exploring the area and finding new routes to our favorite spots. Today we drove over to visit my aunt for lunch and spent the afternoon just hanging out with her. It was fun and we hadn't seen her in a while. Naturallly, she had to introduce Mark to a number of her friends who knew all about him, and had them in their prayers. I must admit, they were all rather cute with him and he's always so good around older people.

Thursday we are having Thanksgiving at my cousin's daughter's home. Alison and Mark have become close since he's been here. She and her husband are always so happy to have lots of family around and we're looking forward to it. Mark is in charge of bringing the pumpkin pie and is planning on a cooking session here on Wednesday with his occupational therapist. We'll let you know how it turns out, but I can assure you that Mark will eat it regardless!!

November 11, 2009 VETERAN'S DAY

2009-11-11T23:53:00.005-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day to all who have served and those serving now. Our gratitude goes out to you for all you have done on our behalf.

Mark was featured in a story this morning on the local news. The footage was taken about six months ago, but not used until today. Mark was amazed at the change he saw in himself in the time that passed since the video was done. I can tell you that his speech is much improved and he has become so much stronger. He has built up so much upper body strength that he could hardly get into his dress blue uniform jacket for the Marine Ball last weekend!

To see the story, go to the link below:

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=117502

Sunday, November 8, 2007

2009-11-08T10:10:00.004-05:00

Today marks the second anniversary of the crash of UH-60L 88-26025. We ask that you take a moment to remember CPT Christian Skoglund, CW2 Davidangelo Alvarez, CPT Cartize Durham,
SRA Kenneth Hauprich, SSG Robert Rodgers and SSG Mark Spence and to pray for their families.

Mark was among the lucky to have survived. He has battled back to gain strength and independence once again. It has been a very long road and his journey will never truly be over. His life changed forever that day, as did all of ours. However, we are blessed to have him here and we appreciate each day God grants us much more so than before.

Over the last twenty-four months, many people have asked me "How did you do it?" I don't have an answer. You just "do it" whatever "it" may be. However, I think it is important to realize that through our journey we have met so many more families going through the same thing. Some of their situations are far more critical than even ours and the outcomes have not been as good.

Please remember these families today too, because although their sons and daughters survived their crashes, blasts, and attacks, they have lost their lives, as they knew them, for this country. And the fates of their families will never be the same. They will continue to care for and love their soldiers and sailors and do everything possible to bring them back. They never ask "how"; they just "do".

Bless you all for listening.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T10:58:00.002-04:00

Today is Mark's 24th birthday!!! When I think back on the last two years, I am overwhelmed. It has been a long, arduous journey for him, but he has persevered and we are so proud of him.

He continues to go to therapy three times a week and a short session on the Lokomat on Mondays. He got the good news that he no longer needs a lift in his right shoe and is currently looking for new sneakers! He may still need the arch support to keep his foot from pronating but they won't know that until he walks in a shoe without the added support to see how it works.

He and Jess are adjusting to a normal life outside the hospital. They meet up with friends for lunch or dinner and have been busy getting the apartment just the way they want it. Mark is continuing with his driving lessons and is doing very well. Naturally, this makes him extremely happy. He will be starting a class next week at the University of South Florida which he is very happy about. It is in photography as art, so he is really looking forward to it. If you have never seen any of Mark's photographs, go to the link on the side of the blog and take a look at some of the photos he took in Europe. They are quite good.

Rich has had his second shoulder surgery and is recovering nicely. We will be going to see Mark next month and Rich will do some of his therapy in Florida. We will be spending Thanksgiving with my family in the Tampa area so that should be fun. I will continue to keep everyone posted on how things are progressing.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T09:53:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been just about two weeks since Mark was released from the hospital and he and Jess moved into the apartment. We got things settled in pretty quickly by unpacking the boxes that were in storage from Italy and getting things put away. Of course, there was not too much and a lot of it (Army gear, climbing gear, skateboard, etc.) could stay packed up and left in the garage. Thank goodness Mark's apartment came with a large garage. It is actually long enough to park two smaller cars end to end, so the truck fits nicely as well as all the boxes and his new bike.

The day after the move, the new furniture arrived and Mark promptly parked himself into his recliner and began "delegating" and the rest of the chores were done.

I left the following Saturday and Mark and Jess have had a very good couple of weeks since. They did have one bump in the road when Jess had to call 911 and take Mark back to the VA early that first Sunday morning. He was coughing and having trouble breathing about 4 a.m. and after a phone call to us, called and had him taken to the hospital. After an overnight stay and tests, they determined that it was probably a very bad case of heartburn and put him back on Prilosec. Things have been fine since. While they were waiting in the emergency room, two of the VA police officers saw someone back into the rear bumper of Mark's truck and went inside and got Jess (which prompted another call to us). Poor Jess, what a way to start their independence! The officer recognized the truck as she knew Mark from all his months there, and the woman who hit it was another employee, either coming or going to work. Fortunately, the damage was not too bad and will be handled by the insurance.

Since the "incident" things have been going well and Mark and Jess have enjoyed dinner with another patient and his wife who have relocated in the area. We lived with this couple at the Fisher House and he had been discharged in the spring. They enjoyed Ivonne's birthday at a local restaurant with some of the Tampa family and hospital staff, and had lunch with some Australian wives of airmen who are stationed at McDill. Jess had met these young women at one of the monthly dinners at the hospital and became friendly with them. They were also contacted by a young woman who was stationed at Aviano with the Air Force when Mark was there. She has just relocated to Tampa and is working at McDill. She, too, does not have friends in the area and emailed Jess so they could get together. She and Mark met in Italy through one of Mark's buddies, who introduced them because she is from Ohio. Strangely enough, she grew up just west of where we live and was the only girl on a varsity hockey team when Mark was in high school at the same time. She was so happy to have someone she knows nearby too.

I am confident that all will continue to go well. Mark goes back to the therapy schedule on Thursday and his little vacation is over. Jess will drive him most days, but the plan from the driver trainer is to pick Mark up and have him drive back to the hospital as practice. Mark is looking forward to that.

I will continue to update with little posts from here and keep everyone up to date.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

2009-10-01T23:11:00.002-04:00

After 22 months of hospitalization, Mark is in his own apartment again. It has been wonderful today. We spent the first night in the new apartment last night, and today the new furniture he needed to fill in the gaps from what came from storage arrived. He was especially happy with the "kick ass recliner" and parked his butt in it and hardly moved all afternoon.

He did help me set up the bedroom television and then guided Jess and I in trying to add the DVD player to the giant set in the living room. However, we were not as successful with that and have to do a little more research into the correct type of cable we need to connect the television with the Blu-Ray DVD. Jess and I were glad we didn't have anyone watching as we tried (successfully) to move this 42" monster and thread cords through a hole in the shelf it's on, then try and hook up various cords to the back of the set. We were quite the team with Mark giving us some instruction from the sidelines. (Ever the delegator!)

It was fun to fix breakfast, lunch and dinner in the new kitchen and eating dinner on the new dining table. We have most of the boxes unpacked and Jess and I should be finished putting everything away tomorrow. The apartment handyman came to change the shower head today and hang the grab bars in the bathroom. The management here is very nice and have been very helpful. Mark and Jess's next door neighbor is another military wife who lived with us at the Fisher House for nearly a year and moved to this complex about a month ago. It was nice to know she is next door. There is another wife moving in about the middle of the month and Mark's military liaison sergeant also lives in the complex. He's offered to spend Sundays watching football with Mark so Jess can go off on her own and do "girlie" things. He's a great guy and Mark likes him very much.

We'll keep you posted as things progress.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

2009-09-29T22:54:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is D-Day. After 600 days at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa, Mark is being discharged. It is truly our dream come true. He is healthy, active, cognitive, re-learning to drive, walking, and ready to face the new phase of his life or second life as the case may be.

His household goods arrived in Tampa yesterday from storage, and some new furniture will be delivered on Thursday. Everything went smoothly with the movers who were very nice and very helpful. The new apartment is great and he and Jess are looking forward to being on their own.

There are so many people to thank from the VA Transitional Team who helped Mark during the second phase of his recovery. Jay, Marsha, Lisa, Dr. McCarthy, Lisa P., Cindy, Barb, Norma, Terri, Jim, Bernadette, Dr. Duchnik, Lee Ann, Todd, Barb, Becky, Carrie, Jamie, Tami, Judy, Freddie, Juan, Karen, Amy, Tammy and Robert. Your guidance and expertise helped Mark gain back his independence and confidence. Your professionalism and kindness are unmatched. Thank you for everything.

We leave the Fisher House tomorrow too. Jess and I want to thank Paula and Sheila for their kindness and understanding. And to our Florida family, Ivonne, Anthony, AJ, Meredith, Mike, Veronica, Brad, RyAnne, Scot, Maritza, Jose, and Joel. Although we leave the house, we are just up the road whether we are in Tampa or Cleveland. You will always be family and the bonds we have shared will never be broken. We love you all and wish you God's blessings as your journeys go on.

Mark will continue to go to the VA for outpatient therapy three days a week and signed up today for a photography class at the University of South Florida. He is looking forward to two weeks leave before starting the new regiment. We are all excited about the future.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

2009-09-19T19:32:00.002-04:00

Hello to everyone. Just a quick update on Mark and Jess. They signed their lease today and got the keys to their new apartment. They were very excited. Mark's household goods should be arriving from storage in Virginia this week (they are actually on the way) and I will be going to Florida on Wednesday to help them set up and get things in order.

Mark has already packed up his belongings at the hospital apartment and he is very anxious to get back to "real" life. His actual discharge date will be the 30th and we should have everything in place by then. We will continue to keep you posted and have changed his address at the left side of the blog for those of you interested in keeping in touch.

Friday, Septmeber 11, 2009

2009-09-11T19:48:00.014-04:00

As we are all aware, today marks the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Many young people were called to serve in the military as a result of these horrific events. Some may not know that Mark was one of those young men. Let us never forget those that gave their lives that day and in the days and years to follow so that it would not be repeated.

We are back home after a wonderful week in Florida with Mark, Jess and her parents, Wayne and Irene. We had such a good time together, that the kids were beginning to get worried we were getting along too well! All joking aside, we enjoyed spending time with each other and the week was productive as well.

We were able to meet with the entire transitional team and got to introduce them to Wayne and Irene who joined us for the meeting. Mark's progress was discussed and we went over what we could expect upon his discharge. He will continue with therapy on an outpatient/day program basis. His walking has improved quite a bit. We were able to see him walk with quad canes, as well as practicing with forearm crutches. He still uses the walker, but he is improving with the other devices as well. He has not been cleared to walk outside yet, since most outside surfaces are very uneven.

We also met with the Army Medical Evaluation Board doctor and started the process to have Mark medically retired from the service. This process will take four to six months and therefore, he and Jess will stay in Tampa until it is completed. Of course, being in Florida for the winter does have its benefits.

They took us to see their new apartment and it is wonderful. The apartment is roomy and bright with lots of windows and a big, open floor plan. Mark can manage to get around every room without any problems per se, but the therapists will go in and add any adaptive equipment he might need for the bathrooms, etc. We parents agreed it was much nicer than any of our first apartments!

Mark looks very well and is very healthy. He has certainly come a very long way over the last 22 months and I affectionately tell him he is on his second life!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

2009-09-08T07:30:00.006-04:00

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend! Spending time with Mark, Jess, and Jess's parents, Wayne and Irene has been great. It started with a work day for Mark on Friday, but we were able to see him walking in therapy with two canes. His shoe with the lift in it was 'out for repairs' (actually to lower the lift for the third time which is good progress) but he did wonderfully. After PT, Mark went on to the rest of his busy day, and we showed Irene and Wayne the Fisher House and a little bit of the area around the hospital. When Mark was done for the day, he and Jess packed up and came up to the hotel to spend the long weekend their with the parental units!

Saturday, which was Wayne's birthday, we were all surprised by Mark who walked down to breakfast. His shoe had been completed and he and Jess thought it would be a great birthday present for Wayne to walk into the breakfast room at the hotel. They were right, it was, for all of us. Then we all headed to St. Petersburg to sightsee and go to the outdoor market. It was definitely fun and Wayne enjoyed the varied architecture of the city. From there we headed back to the hotel and had a late lunch. Jess took Wayne to Barnes and Noble to experience an American bookstore, I did some errands, and Rich, Irene and Mark headed to their respective rooms for a siesta. Then it was on to Ybor City and the historic Columbia Restaurant for dinner. The Columbia was opened in 1905 and is the oldest restaurant that has been continually owned by one family in the state of Florida. It is in a very unique building and we had a wonderful time.

Sunday took us on another adventure to see Tarpon Springs which is a city that was founded a couple of hundred years ago by Greek sponge divers. It still operates as a shrimping and sponge diving center today. There are beautiful old Victorian houses and waterfront areas. Although it was hotter than Hades, we enjoyed our time there poking around the docks and driving through some of the residential areas. Mark suggested we head to Tarpon Lake, which is nearby, for lunch at the Tarpon Turtle. The last time he and I were there about 12 years ago, it was a "rustic" place right on the lakeshore, where the boats pulled up to the dock for lunch. It has been completely rebuilt over the years and is now a very large, beautiful restaurant with docks. We enjoyed showing the others another landmark that Mark and I had been to years ago on a visit here to see my aunt. We got back to the hotel and Jess and Mark took us to see their new apartment which is in a complex right next to the hotel. We all loved it. It's a very nice open floor plan that Mark manages to get around very well. The bedrooms, living and kitchen are spacious and they have a large attached garage for the truck, which, by the way, Jess has taken to like a duck to water! Then we enjoyed a little pool time before heading out to dinner.

Since Sunday had been so hot, and Monday had the same forecast, we headed indoors to the International Mall for a bit of window (and for some of us, real) shopping. Mark and Jess needed to try out mattresses for their new apartment and settled on one, which they were able to order. Of course, the rest of us all had to try it out as well. After lunch we returned back to the hospital and Wayne and Irene got to see Mark's apartment there. He and Rich hung out there while the rest of us headed to the supermarket for the supplies we needed to make a meal at the Fisher House that evening. We had a wonderful dinner with our friends, RyAnne, Veronica, Bradley, Meredith, Mike, Ivonne and AJ, who of course, entertained us through the entire meal. It was a fun evening with FLamily (Florida family) as RyAnne has nicknamed the group.

All in all we had a great weekend, and unfortunately, Mark heads back to work today and we have several meetings today and tomorrow about Mark's future so the remainder of our stay here will be busy as well.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

2009-08-27T11:24:00.002-04:00

I thought it was time to catch everyone up on what's been going on in Tampa. Mark is doing very well and is starting to get things ready for his move. He will be discharged from the hospital at the end of September and moving into an apartment about two miles north of the hospital in an area called "New Tampa". It is near the junction of Interstate 75 and is a very nice area with shops and restaurants, etc. just south of a town called Wesley Chapel. This will give him easy access to the hospital for outpatient therapy and also lots to do.

He is still struggling some with his walking and having some hip pain. They are going to do a consultation to see if going back into Lokomat therapy will help with the walking. He developed a method of walking when he could not put his heel down and unfortunately, this gait has continued even though the surgery worked and he can lower his heel. Hopefully, the Lokomat therapy will retrain his brain to give him the proper stride. His other therapies are going along very well and he is very anxious to leave the hospital and live on his own with Jess in the apartment.

We are going to Florida next week to spend a week with Jess's parents who are flying in from Australia for the week. We will be meeting with Mark's medical team and with the Medical Evaluation Board doctor and team to start that process. As I mentioned before, Mark has to stay in Tampa until the MEB is completed and he is discharged from the Army, which has nothing to do with being discharged from the hospital. We also hope to see the apartment and help them pick out some furniture. Mark's household goods, which have been in storage in Virginia, will be shipped down so they can set up housekeeping

Please continue to keep Mark, and Jess, in your prayers that all of the details of the move and transition fall into place. As always, your support is very much appreciated.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

2009-08-15T08:18:00.002-04:00

It has been an interesting week. My brother and sister-in-law arrived here in Strongsville with my nephew, Philip, to help him move into his new apartment. He is relocating from California (via Washington, D.C.) to go to law school here at Case (where Peter went). They stayed here at the "Lalliday Inn" while they outfitted the apartment and got him a car (with all wheel drive, of course). On Wednesday afternoon Jess arrived from Florida for a short visit. We had a great dinner all together on Wednesday evening. Philip left for his new apartment, my family left the next morning to go back to California, and Jess stays until early next week.

It has been wonderful to see everyone. My family met Jess two years ago in London when Philip and his brother, Robert, moved there for a year. She was able to meet up with the boys when all three were living in London for a while. Peter and Christy took Jess and Philip out last evening to the Italian festival in Little Italy and they had a great time. Jess and I have been enjoying our time together shopping and touring around all the various spots where I do my errands, etc. She especially enjoyed going to the Red Wagon Farm (yes, a real working farm) to buy vegetables. Being a "city girl" like me, it was quite fun.

Mark has been doing well in Tampa on his own. Yesterday, he had his first chance to ride his new bike in the park. It came while he was recovering from surgery and he hadn't been able to try it out. It's actually a trike with hand "pedals". He told us he had a blast. Today they have a mall outing and tomorrow lunch out at one of his favorite restaurants. He spoke with his Army command when they were down at the hospital a few days ago, and it looks like his promotion packet is finished and that it will finally go through.

That's it on the Lalli front for now. We will continue to keep everyone up to date as much as possible.

Friday, August 7, 2009

2009-08-07T09:35:00.002-04:00

Yet again, it's been a while since we have posted anything. Of course, to me, this is good news because things are going smoothly and routinely. Mark, however, might tell you differently. After nearly two years in the hospital, he is becoming a bit tired and frustrated with it all. He is really looking forward to being discharged.

It appears that his discharge will be around September 30, so it's not very far away at all. He and Jess are now going to look for an apartment in the Tampa area. The Army has decided he needs to stay in Tampa until his Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) is completed. This could take up to six months to complete. He will be receiving outpatient therapy at the hospital, but will be living on his own with Jess at his side. They would have liked to have returned home to Ohio, but until he is discharged from the Army, that can't happen. He is currently assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Stewart, Georgia and they oversee him via Army personnel stationed right at the hospital. For them to move back to Cleveland, he would have to be assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky and actually stay there at the fort, which is not desirable. On the bright side, spending the winter in Florida isn't the worst thing that could happen.

On Wednesday, Mark was finally able to get rid of the boot he has worn on his right foot since the external fixator was removed! Yay! He is now wearing athletic shoes that have a lift in the right one to even out his leg length. He is walking on it, but due to the injury and then being immobile for so long, his ankle strength needs to be built up. This is one of the primary focuses of physical therapy at the moment.

In order to alleviate some of his frustration, the hospital has allowed Mark to have a three day pass this weekend. He won a two night stay at one of the Tampa hotels at one of the monthly dinners they hold at the hospital, so he and Jess are taking advantage of a little getaway. They are also going to check out an apartment complex nearby. It will be such a relief to all of us when he can start his new life in October.

Monday, July 27, 2009

2009-07-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

Sorry about not having written a post in so long. I guess when things are going along more or less "normally", I don't think to post something.

Mark is doing very well. He still has the boot on his right foot and that should come off in a couple of weeks. He is walking on it in therapy and part of the day. He can remove it when he takes a shower. The incisions and holes are all healed and he tells me the scars are pretty cool. They were going to measure him today for the lift that they will have to add to his right shoe, but they didn't think it would be too big, only about an inch or so which is good. He is currently using a walker, but they are hoping to try a cane or crutches once the boot comes off and he has a chance to practice with just his new sneakers on.

He can transfer into his truck, so he and Jess have been able to go out to eat, shop and go to the movies on the weekend. This makes life more normal and breaks the monotony of the hospital.

We had a family conference last week and I participated by phone. The news was all very good. He continues to improve cognitively as well as physically. It was decided that he would remain in Tampa at the hospital until they have completed the Medical Evaluation Board to retire him from the military. This would eliminate the possibility of having to spend time at Fort Stewart. The doctor who starts the procedure will be in Tampa the first week in September when Rich and I are down there, so we will meet with her then and the rest of the team.

We are also hoping that Mark's promotion comes through by then and we can celebrate that. Jess's parents, Wayne and Irene, will be visiting Tampa the same week and we are really looking forward to seeing Irene again and meeting Wayne. Everyone, keep your fingers crossed that this promotion finally happens please!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

2009-07-08T20:05:00.004-04:00

Mark is "Lester-less". The external fixator came off today! (Lester is the name he gave it.) He is delighted to say the least. He was an "add-on" in the surgical suite yesterday, but got bumped due to the number of surgeries being done. He was notified late Monday that they wouldn't be doing the procedure yesterday as planned. Today he was also an add-on, so as of last night he could not eat or drink anything after midnight, but he still wasn't sure if it was a go.

Finally late this morning they called and he was taken in. Strangely enough, they never used any anesthetic, not even a local one. He just sat there and they pulled off the rod, pulled the pins out of the tibia and then out of the instep and dressed the little holes that were left behind. He asked the doctor when he could stand on it and the doctor told him as soon as we put the boot on you can stand up along side the table. He told me he was so excited to be standing there "normally" after all these months. With the boot on, he said he was level with his other leg, so they are adapting a new pair of sneakers with a lift between the sole and the bottom of the shoe. They are also going to do that with a pair of cowboy boots for him, so he is delighted.

He is very encouraged that this surgery was all worth it. I am confident that he will continue to do well as it continues to heal. He told me he could move his big toe up and down for the first time as well, but for today, that's all the doctor would let him try. It's amazing how something so small and usually taken for granted, can be so important in the scheme of things.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

2009-07-04T10:54:00.002-04:00

Happy Independence Day!!!

I today finds everyone enjoying good weather and a picnic, barbecue, fireworks or something traditional. Our street is having a block party which should be fun. All of the neighborhood will catch up and visit, the kids will play games, and of course, there will be food. The weather here is finally sunny and mild, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

Mark and Jess are enjoying a weekend at the Fisher House. Mark was able to have a weekend pass. Yesterday, they enjoyed going out to dinner and a movie with the nurses on duty who were able to transport Mark in their specially equipped van.

Monday, Mark will meet with the anesthesiologist and then on Tuesday, they will take the fixator, "Lester", off Mark's foot. They are going to put him in a boot and will allow some weight bearing during physical therapy. How much they are allowing is currently up in the air. We will just have to see. The boot will probably be on for another six weeks, but should be much more comfortable than the fixator.

Thanks for all your support and just keep praying that all this surgery and temporary immobility will be worth it!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

2009-06-28T16:31:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a week since the last post, but we were so busy the time got away from me. Jess finished up her driving lessons and did great. She is now the proud driver of a semi-big, blue pickup truck and looks like a true southern belle in it. She had a very nice instructor and all went well.

Mark is doing very well also. The foot seems to be healing very nicely and quicker than they thought. The doctors talked about doing a scan this week to see inside and perhaps removing "Lester" (as Mark has named the fixator) by the end of the week. We'll just wait and see what happens, but Mark is hoping to be "Lesterless" sooner than later. Then they will fit him for a boot and he will still have to be non-weight bearing for several more weeks, but the outlook is very good.

We had our family meeting on Wednesday morning and Mark and Jess talked about coming home to Cleveland instead of staying on in Tampa when he is discharged. It's a positive move since there will be a larger support network here for them. The projected discharge date is around the end of September.

They enjoyed a fun night out on Friday when they went to a Toby Keith/Trace Atkins concert at the Ford Amphitheater in Tampa. They were transported by Mark's recreational therapist, Carrie, in a wheelchair van. They were joined by Veronica and Bradley and Anthony and Ivonne. Mark called his cousin Alison to find out if she was going to the concert and sure enough they met up too. Alison texted her mother and I with the greatest photo taken on her phone from the concert. Now I have to figure out how to get it off the phone and onto the computer. If I can, I'll be sure to post it.

As for me, my flight back to Cleveland went smoothly and it was good to get home. I haven't been home for five weeks and it sure feels nice. I know Mark and Jess can handle things in Tampa.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

2009-06-21T18:44:00.008-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the dads who follow our blog. Unfortunately we were not able to see Rich or Grandpa Pete today, but we did talk to both of them.

We've had a quiet Sunday, but yesterday was very interesting. We attended a medal ceremony for one of the other polytrauma patients, SGT Joel Tavera. Joel was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He was injured in Iraq when a rocket hit his vehicle dead on. He and another soldier were the only ones to survive. Joel was burned over sixty percent of his body, lost an eye and a leg and had many, many other injuries as well as a TBI. His parents have been at his side since he was life flighted to Germany. Jose and Marissa are wonderful people who have lived here at the Fisher House with us since last August. Their devotion to their son and their friendship toward the other boys is unsurpassed.

The ceremony was very moving and when Jose lifted Joel to a standing position in his specially equipped wheelchair, there was not a dry eye among the spectators. It was a real testament to Joel and all the heroes there that it was so well attended and that the attendees included off duty nurses, therapists, doctors, the medical director, and other VA employees who also brought their spouses and children. It shows how these folks feel about the young men recuperating here. They are treated like sons and brothers, not just patients, and their families also care about the guys and families here. This ceremony was a chance for them to introduce their families to ours. Our heroes were all in uniform and the photo below is just a quick one that was taken as they grouped them for a formal photo taken by the VA public relations department. I will be sure to add that photo or link as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, I will share this photo that actually only has a few of the guys in it, as well as Mark and Jess.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

2009-06-16T17:33:00.002-04:00

Mark is doing so well that they took his stitches out yesterday morning, much to his relief. They were so itchy. The doctor said that was the sign that they needed to come out. When he unwrapped his foot, sure enough they were loose. Late yesterday afternoon, he had a problem with spasms in the leg which were actually visible to Jess and I. Everyone was worried about the hamstring tightening up again, so today his doctor put him back on an anti-spasmodic drug to help prevent any tightening.

His therapist cleared him this morning to leave the main hospital and return to his little apartment. He can transfer hmself very well using just his good leg and keeping his boo-boo off the floor. He was happy to go back to his own digs. Jess and I were out when his doctor called me to say she was sending him "home" and by the time we got back, he was already there with the help of one of our favorite nursing assistants, Rick.

Jess had her first driving-on-the-USA-side-of-the-road lesson this afternoon and did very well according to the instructor. She was a little nervous, but he had her out in traffic and will eventually take her out in Mark's truck so she can practice driving Big Blue. Look out Tampa, here she comes! I know she will do great once she gets used to the right side of the road.

Well, it's off to get some dinner with the kiddos. Mark's buying so I'm not complaining!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

2009-06-09T21:53:00.002-04:00

I would like to take a minute to let everyone who reads this that we have experienced a very sad day today. Our beloved Grammie Mary passed away this morning after battling Alzheimer's for the last seven years.

Mary Fonda Lalli was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and nurse. Her family meant the world to her and she will be missed by so many people, especially her husband of almost 63 years, Peter.

Mark and I saw her last in Washington, while he was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Even though she was in the later stages of Alzheimer's and her memory had failed terribly, she again became a nurse the moment she walked into Mark's ICU room. She read the monitors and questioned the nurses and tended to Mark by sitting with him and holding his hand which eased his anxiety and agitation. Once we would leave the room, she would ask why we were there. As soon as we would return, the nurse and grandma came back as well and she took care of her boy. Mark doesn't remember those episodes because they are too far back in his recovery, but he enjoyed hearing the story again today as we reminisced about Grandma and the fun we had with her. One of Mark and Peter's fondest memories was that Grammie let them eat cold pasta for breakfast, because she did too!

Grammie, you will always be in our hearts because of the memories we have there. You will never be forgotten. We love you.

Monday, June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today marks the 20 month anniversary of Mark's crash and 18 months here in Tampa. It is absolutely hard to believe that so much time has passed. I feel as if we are in a time warp. Mark has come so far and his spirits have been especially high the last few days despite the surgery. He mentioned to his doctor and therapist today that the tunnel may have gotten longer on Friday, but the light at the end got brighter. I thought that was one hell of an attitude!

His spirits are especially high as well because Jess arrives back in Tampa tomorrow night. She is on her way as I write this.

Mark's day today went very well. He had so many visitors; therapists, nurses, social workers, and other patients. We were amazed at the attention. He was up in the wheelchair and we took a quick trip to the 5th floor for a quick visit to the nurses there.

When Mark's doctors came to change his dressing, he took a picture of his foot with his iPhone. I have put it below at his request. If you don't want to see it, close out of this blog before you get to it. It's kind of a cross between a robot foot and Fred Flintstone feet!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

2009-06-07T20:47:00.002-04:00

Mark had a very quiet day today. We went to the chapel for church and when he got back, his foot was a "bit bothersome" and he got back into bed. That was it as far as getting up went. He fell asleep right after lunch and stayed asleep the rest of the afternoon. Rich and I finally went up and woke him up about four o'clock since I had to take Rich to the airport at five and he wanted to spend a little more time with Mark. Once he got over the initial groggies, he was feeling much better. I think the last two days had finally caught up with him.

He is not in too much pain. He is still hooked up to the morphine pump, but has not pushed the button since last night. It does make him queasy so they are giving him something else orally and he seems to be doing okay with just that.

I went back up to his room tonight and brought him an ice cream pop and found him happy and comfortable watching Nemo on TV. He and I both got a big kick out of the fish with the short term memory loss problem. When I left him to come back downstairs he was very comfy and not in much pain, just achy. I think the worst may be behind him, hopefully. He will most likely stay in the main hospital for the remainder of the week on semi-bed rest. He had grumbled about that prior to the operation, but now he thinks it's not a bad idea.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

2009-06-06T16:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was quite a long day for all of us, so it was with surprise and delight when I sat down to write something, I found that Peter had already posted an update on Mark's surgery.

We were told by one of the doctors that he was first on the list and had to be in the surgery suite by 5:45 a.m. That meant we were all up at five and when Rich and I got to the surgery center Mark was no where around, and neither was anyone else. After wandering around for a while, a nurse told us to go to the 3rd floor ambulatory surgery department. There we finally found a nurse that knew what was going on and she told us that Mark was scheduled for 11:30 a.m and that they decided he would not come there but be picked up and taken directly to the surgery suite at about 10 a.m. At that point, Mark called us from his room and we all decided to try and get a little more sleep.

Finally at about 8:30 we went to Mark's apartment and waited for him to be picked up by the surgery orderly. He went in and we waited in the surgical waiting room. Mark's operation started at 11:30 and he was done about 2:30 p.m. His doctor came and talked to us and told us everything had gone very smoothly and that he would be in recovery for about an hour. Then he was taken to the rehab section of the hospital where he will be for about a week.

As Peter explained they did the Achilles lengthening and a split tendon transfer. He does have an external fixator on his foot and looks a bit like Robocop. We were there this morning when they took the bandages off and it looked amazingly well, with just a little swelling and bruising. They told him he could be up for a little while so we found a leg rest for his wheelchair that would keep his leg elevated and took him outside for a while. It may have been too much in addition to the pain medication because he felt a little queasy and warm, so Rich took him back and got him resettled in his room.

We will try to get him out a little again tomorrow, but he is doing great and managed to get into his chair with just a one leg transfer. We are very encouraged that this procedure will allow him to walk normally.

Friday, June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T13:38:00.003-04:00

Just a quick update. Mark made it through the surgery fine. The operation took about 2 hours to complete. In it, they were able to lengthen Mark's Achillies tendon as well as perform a split tendon transfer which will add upward flexion to Mark's foot and allow his heel to reach a 90 degree angle and make it easier to walk. They attached an external fixator to keep the ankle immobilized while all the tendons heal. All in all, the doctors were very pleased.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

2009-06-04T16:25:00.002-04:00

We made it to Tampa after driving fifteen hours yesterday to Jacksonville and then the remaining three hours to Tampa this morning.

We got to Mark just as he was heading to the surgeons for a pre-op visit. We were very encouraged to hear the results of the tests that were done. The EMG showed good muscle function and tone and they are going to thego ahead with the tendon transfer which will prevent the Achilles from tightening again and keep his foot from turning in. The other good news was that the length difference in his legs is not that great, much less than initially thought, and that he will probably only need an internal lift in his shoe to even them out. He was very happy about that development.

Doing the tendon transfer will mean that they will put on an external fixator which will keep everything in place instead of a cast. The recovery will be longer and it will mean at a minimum of 8 weeks with no weight bearing, but after the incisions heal, he can shower without worry about getting it wet, etc. He will be placed back in the main hospital for about a week or so on the orthopedic floor. Hopefully, he will get back to his apartment before too long.

Well, we are off to take him out to dinner. The surgery is first thing tomorrow and he cannot eat anything after midnight, so he has a big meal planned for tonight. And milkshakes!! We will post tomorrow once everything is done and he is settled.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

2009-05-28T12:35:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a while, but there hasn't been a lot to write about. I guess that's a good thing when the situation is status quo.

Mark continues to do therapy but is getting some more down time which is also good. He has been practicing transferring, etc. on one leg in preparation for the surgery on his Achilles tendon. He says he has it mastered pretty well. The surgery will be on Friday, June 5th and he will not be able to put any, and I stress any weight on his right foot for 8-10 weeks. He knows this will likely set him back a little, but in the long run we all feel it will be worth the extended hospital stay if he can walk with just a cane at the worst.

I will be there with him for the surgery and then Jess arrives a few days after. I am certain that will do wonders to aid in his recovery. It will be great to see her and spend time with her before I head back to Ohio.

In the meantime, Mark has been going on some outings and doing ordinary things like laundry, cleaning, and shopping. It may sound trite, but it is wonderful to have him be able to do things for himself, especially when the original prognosis was so bleak. He had a wonderful visit with my cousin Anthony and his wife, Mary who were in Tampa from Philadelphia. They had seen Mark at Walter Reed and were absolutely amazed by the difference. He thoroughly enjoyed their visit and apologized for not remembering the last one.

Please continue to keep Mark in your prayers especially the day of the surgery. I will be sure to post the outcome as soon as we have it. Thanks for all the continued support.

Monday, May 18, 2009

2009-05-18T10:03:00.008-04:00

Phew!! It's been a busy few days for Mark and us. Friday, Rich and I drove to Washington to be with my family for my twin nephews' graduation from Georgetown University. It was a good break for me to do something entirely different and visit with my brother Robert and his wife Vi-Ella, her family, and my cousin Anthony who drove down from New York. Rich and I had not seen Anthony in years, although we keep in touch regularly. The boys really enjoyed having everyone there and it was great to see my sister-in-law's brothers who came from California and Hawaii. The weather cooperated and even though it rained early in the day, the Business School graduation was moved indoors, so we were able to enjoy the ceremony and be cool and dry!

Mark was originally going to go with us, but when his leave was approved we had to change the dates around and we were not able to have him be part of his buddy's first salute and his cousins' graduation.

Mark had an exciting day on Friday. His physical therapist took him to the YMCA and their rock climbing wall. He anxiously waited all week to finally get back to the thing he loves most (next to Jess, of course) and he had a ball. We were all waiting in Washington to hear about this adventure and when he called he was just estatic! When we asked him how he did, he said not too bad for not having done any climbing in the last eighteen months. I asked him if he factored in all he's been through in those eighteen months, and he said "No. In that case I did fantastic!"

It was very important for Mark and us that Rich and I go to Arlington to visit the two pilots who were killed in the crash. On Sunday morning we made our way there and paid our respects to CW2 Davidangelo Alvarez and CPT Christian Skoglund. It was not something we could do without extreme emotion. These young men were very, very special to Mark and we feel such a close connection to them, even though we never met. It was a very moving experience.

On a lighter note, we hope you enjoy the photos below of our nephews, our family, and Mark making his way up the climbing wall.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

2009-05-14T09:37:00.002-04:00

It was a productive few days in Florida with Mark's team and the Army. I met with Mark's captain and his promotion is still up in the air. When they promoted him to sergeant while he was in Iraq, they did not have him take a required leadership class. They decided to send him to this class nearly a year later in Germany. He was supposed to leave Italy for Germany the Tuesday after the crash to take the course. Needless to say that never happened. Now there is some issue about whether or not they can waive it. I thought they were in the process of doing that but there is some talk that they want him to take it on line. We are trying to fight that if possible. He certainly showed leadership skills while he was a sergeant and training new crew chiefs, but it's the Army, what can I say.

On Tuesday morning Peter, Mark and I met with the podiatrist who was called in by the head of orthopedics to look at Mark's ankle and the issue of lengthening his Achilles tendon. We were very encouraged and delighted with her. Dr. Wagner would assist a Dr. Bernard in this procedure. She explained that in addition to the lengthening, they would most likely do a tendon transfer from his calf muscle to the foot to keep the Achilles from shortening again, and keep his foot from pronating (spelling??). Mark liked Dr. Wagner very much, and although Dr. Bernard had a surgery at the time of our appointment, Mark met him yesterday and was thoroughly happy and confident with him. He would be the doctor in charge. He phoned me yesterday afternoon while I was on route home to Cleveland and promised to call me this morning. I just got off the phone with him and feel extremely confident in his abilities. Mark's primary doctor, Dr. McCarthy has also called me and was excited about this new possiblity for Mark. It will mean 8-12 weeks of non-weight bearing casting and rehab, but Mark decided if it provides him with the ability to walk unaided, it would be worth every minute.

One of the most important things that led to our confidence was that Dr. Bernard and Dr. Wagner were the team that operated on one of Mark's former roommates at Haley. Some of you may remember me speaking about a young corporal by the name of Ariel who entered the hospital with many of the same issues as Mark since they had almost identical brain injuries. Ariel, however, had his lower legs and feet shattered from the bomb blast that he was a victim of. His mother fought like h*ll to save his legs from amputation at Walter Reed. These doctors not only saved his legs and feet, but actually did bone transplants to fashion heels on both feet. Ariel now walks unaided and without braces. Some of the work these two doctors did to reconstruct his feet had only been done once before in the U.S. I think we've found our team!!

Tuesday afternoon, we met with the doctor (civilian) who works for the Army medical review board who starts the whole discharge process, along with Mark's new care coordinator at Ft. Stewart. As soon as we met, she informed us that they would give us the particulars regarding the benefits, etc. but that they would not even consider starting the board process until after Mark has healed from his surgery. She was extremely understanding and the RN who is Mark's new case manager was a wonderful gentleman who, unknown to us, handled all the referral issues with the insurance company when we went to the Clinic while he was home. We were very much relieved since the benefits change some when you leave active duty status and the military stops paying the bills and the VA takes over. We want all Mark's major care to be done as an active duty member for this reason.

Please continue to keep Mark in your prayers. The surgery is scheduled for June 5th. Rich and I will be there. They have a number of tests and MRIs etc. to do before hand and that gives us time to get ready to get back to Florida. I will stay on for an indeterminate amount of time after just to see things are going smoothly. Thanks again for all the prayers and support. It is very appreciated.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

2009-05-10T20:13:00.003-04:00

Hope this was a happy Mother's Day to everyone. Mine was great.

We left Cleveland on Friday afternoon along with my nephew Philip who was returning to Washington about an hour after our flight to Tampa. We were met by the TSA representative who wisked us to Continental, through our own security staton and on to Continental's President's Club where we could wait for our flights to board. Philip thought it was pretty nice not to have to wait in lines, etc. and Mark informed him that sometimes it pays to be a "gimp". When we were escorted from the President's Club to the gate we were informed that Continental had upgraded us to first class and we were given wonderful treatment on board. When we landed in Tampa and were waiting for the other passengers to get off, the pilot came out to chat with Mark. He had been an Army aviator and flew Hueys while he was in the service. He and Mark chatted at length about airframes and what had happened, etc. He was very nice and quite impressed with Mark's outlook on the whole thing.

We were met at Tampa airport by another TSA escort and Peter, who had flown in earlier on Friday, met us outside with the car. We enjoyed a nice dinner out with Pete and his friend Christy before heading back to the hospital. The nurses were glad to see Mark although I don't think he really wanted to be back completely.

Peter, Christy and I spent time at the grocery and a few other errands on Saturday morning and then went back to Mark's to find him with his buddy PJ who was vacationing for a few days in Clearwater. PJ joined us for lunch and just hanging around time. We had dinner at the Fisher House and just hung out some more.

Today we picked up my aunt and drove to my cousin's house for a Mother's Day Visit with my family here in Tampa. We really enjoyed ourselves and the "kids" were asking my cousin and I about stories and family when we were growing up. It amazed me that they were even interested. Peter, Mark, Christy and my cousin's son-in-law Rob were enjoying stories they had never heard before about relatives they had never met. My poor aunt Norma just sat there shaking her head. It was fun. Mark even showed off by walking for everyone.

We will be meeting with the doctor who may be doing Mark's surgery on Tuesday morning and then with the Army medical board representatives on Tuesday afternoon. Keep us in your prayers and I'll let everyone know what happens.

Wow!!! Mark just called me from his room. Jess had her appointment with the US Consulate in Sydney today -- it's Monday morning there as I write this. He said they granted her a five year visa, and I just tried to call her to get the details, but was not able to get through. I will post something after I talk to her about the details. Needless to say it is a big relief for all of us that this went through so well. Good job, Jess!!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

2009-05-07T20:22:00.003-04:00

Well, two weeks have flown by quicker than we ever imagined. We are headed back to Florida tomorrow afternoon. Mark has really enjoyed his leave and we have enjoyed having him home.

Yesterday, my nephew Philip flew in from Washington to visit Case Western Reserve Law School which he is considering. Peter very nicely took him down there this morning and Mark and I drove down to Peter's lab at the Clinic to pick him up after he was done with his tour. We were able to meet Peter's boss and the other people he works with and we all enjoyed a great lunch at a local Lebanese restaurant. Tonight we went out to dinner with Rich and tomorrow we fly back to Tampa. Philip flies back to Washington about the same time, so it all worked out nicely.

Mark's doctor has consulted with the doctor in charge of orthopedics at the VA and they have a recommendation for a doctor who does the Achilles lengthening on a regular basis. We will meet with him Monday or Tuesday and go from there.

We also meet with the doctor in charge of the Army Medical Board on Tuesday, regarding Mark's medical review board and ultimate discharge from the Army. Hopefully, we will have some answers about his promotion when we go back as well. Keep your fingers crossed.

Please keep those prayers coming that the surgery will be soon and successful. We will, as always, keep you posted. Thanks from all of us.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

2009-05-06T12:58:00.003-04:00

Things here have been going very well. Mark's appointment at the Clinic went extremely well and gave us the encouragement that we needed. The doctor there felt that if he had the Achilles' tendon lengthened, his walking would improve tremendously. He would likely need a lift on the bottom of that shoe because of the way his pelvis healed slightly higher on one side, but that's a minor consulation. The full recovery would take about 3 months in all, with about eight weeks in a cast and boot. Mark felt that, although it would set him back a bit, it would definitely be worth it in the long term. As he put it, "after all this time what's a couple of months more." I must admit the rest of us were in agreement.

One of the other interesting things to come out of our visit was the Clinic doctor's opinion of Mark's care. Frankly, he was amazed at how good Mark looks, the way his injuries healed and the advanced rehab techniques that were used by the VA. We knew that Mark had gotten excellent treatment, but it was nice to have our opinion reinforced by a doctor at one of the country's premier private hospitals.

Yesterday, Mark and PJ decided to go back to Strongsville High School for a short visit with some of their favorite teachers. Two teachers knew they would be coming by and they surprised several others including the band director. Everyone was amazed to see Mark looking so well.

Below is a short video, thanks to PJ, of the ceremonial "Silver Dollar First Salute". We thought you would all enjoy seeing it.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T19:36:00.012-04:00

We've had a great week with Mark home. We enjoyed Grandpa Pete's visit very much. He and Mark had a good time together with a lot of laughs and guy talk. It was good to see them interact.

We spent this weekend at the University of Dayton where Mark's best friend P.J. (Peter John) Sullivan was commissioned a second lieutenent in the Army. P.J. was a four year ROTC cadet and will be going on to Ft. Benning in Georgia for training and then on to assignment at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina with the 82nd Airborne. We are very proud of P.J. and all of his accomplishments.

We are also proud that he and Mark think of themselves as the brother P.J. never had and the other brother Pete as they like to call each other. He has been a loyal friend to Mark through his entire ordeal. He asked Mark to be part of the ceremony in the traditional "first salute". Unfortunately, the official photographer was in the line of view, so this photo is a little less than satisfactory, but when we get a copy of her shot, we will definitely post it. P.J.'s family have become friends of ours as well, and we were so happy for them. They are just wonderful people and we enjoyed meeting their extended families.

Tomorrow is our appointment at the Clinic so we are hoping all goes well. There is some issue about an insurance referral, so there may be some kinks to work out. We will let everyone know how it goes.

April 25, 2009

2009-04-25T20:08:00.004-04:00

We are back in Strongsville with Mark for two whole weeks! It's great to have him home. He's been getting himself around the house with his walker, raiding the fridge, and just enjoying himself.

Rich's dad, Pete, arrived this morning from New Jersey for the first time in a number of years. He had not been able to see Mark since he was in Walter Reed due to Rich's mom's illness. He was so happy to see Mark looking so well and getting around so beautifully. Mark decided we needed brownies for their ice cream tonight, so he took on the task himself with some supervision from Grandpa. They are really enjoying themselves.

Peter was amazed at how much progress Mark has made with his walking. He is still having difficulty with his right ankle and we have made arrangements, at the request of his VA doctor, to have Mark get a consultation at the Cleveland Clinic. They would like to do a lengthening of his Achilles tendon to hopefully drop his heel to the ground when he walks. It is currently not striking the ground due to a number of reasons and all the strategies they have tried have not worked. Peter and his friend, Christy, helped arrange a consultation with an orthopedic specialist at the Clinic and then perhaps with a foot and ankle specialist. Keep your fingers crossed that they will come up with some solution. In the meantime, Mark's doctor in Florida is checking into specialists in the Tampa area (not just the VA) who might be able to help. It could set him back about six weeks, but in the scheme of things, that might not be so bad if it helps in the long run and he would be able to walk with just a cane. We will keep everyone posted!

April 19, 2009

2009-04-19T17:26:00.013-04:00

So What If You Were In "Caddy Shack?"

Okay all, since I haven't gotten off my bum and haven't put a post in here for some time, allow me to try and entertain you with my most recent shenanigans (I hope that's how you spell it).

Today has been a wonderful, sunny, breezy south Floridian spring afternoon. Last night there were tentative plans to go to the Tampa aquarium, and plans to head to the Outback Restaurants Pro-Am Golf Tournament. We were told the golf tournament had VIP seats for us right along the 18th green, and we were promised a visit from actor/comedian Bill Murray.

We arrived at the course, and were quickly escorted to the grandstands next to the 18th green as promised. We watched as group after group played the hole, and finished their round. After a few hours of watching the other golfers play, Bill Murray came walking down the 18th fairway, wearing a pair of over-sized, novelty sunglasses. He played the remainder of the hole, and when he was finished for the day, he walked over to where our group from the hospital was seated.

He walked up to each of us, shook our hands, and chatted with each person for a while. Many of us got the biggest kick out of him when he was talking to Ivonne as she was attempting to hold AJ still. He walked up to each of us, and spoke to us individually. You can't imagine how tough it was to contain all the stored Caddy Shack lines and jokes.

After Bill Murray left us, we were visited by NBC news anchor, Stone Phillips. When Mr. Phillips came to us, he sat down with each vet, and spoke to each one of us. He has probably been the most sincere celebrity to visit with us. He made a point to ask each of us what had happened, and what the outlook for each of us was going to be. After close to a half an hour, he had to say his goodbyes to us, and left.

And just think, I was going to be a couch potato today. Good thing I took the other option.

Monday, April 6, 2009

2009-04-06T12:36:00.005-04:00

Things have been going well for Mark. His vision has improved with the new glasses and he sees the eye specialist again this week. He has been walking to all his therapies within his building, and there has been improvement the more he does it. He was actually cleared to walk alone from room to room which was a big step (pun intended)!

He has been granted leave to come and visit for a couple of weeks here at home. I will be going to Florida to escort him home. Mark's best friend, PJ, will be commissioned a second lieutenant on May 2nd and has asked Mark to be his "first salute" which is a tradition in an Army commissioning ceremony. Mark was delighted to do it, and we are anxious to attend the ceremony at the University of Dayton.

We've included a photo that was taken at the golf tournament a week ago that was shot by one of the professional photographers and then forwarded on to the VA for the guys. Obviously it shows Tiger Woods and in the background are the VA patients, employees, and military that attended. As you can see, someone we all know and love was right in front in the royal blue shirt. For those of you golf fanatics out there, it was shot on the 9th green I'm told.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

2009-03-29T19:09:00.010-04:00

It rained here today as well as in Tampa. Mark decided it was the perfect time to clean his apartment; bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and floors; do laundry, and all the other tasks he let go for the week. He still had time to hook up a new DVD player to his television and watch a couple of movies.

Thursday the guys were taken to the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament in Orlando. Mark really enjoyed seeing Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and the other pros. They were invited by the pros at the golf course where he plays on Fridays. It was a wonderful experience to enjoy the day for Mark and a number of other patients. This photo is of Vijay Singh which had to be taken on the sly. I guess the marshals were quite strict about photographing the players.

Last Saturday, they did have their monthly kayaking venture. This time it was in Tarpon Springs which is a wonderful, historic area on the Gulf. Mark took these photos as he was in his kayak, but took advantage of a tow rather than rowing!

He has been walking more each day, he tells us, and it is getting better. He still has to use a walker but hopefully, the plan now is to get him to the point of using crutches. It will probably be a while, but at least he can get around inside with the walker and that makes life a little simplier.

Friday, March 20, 2009

2009-03-20T10:43:00.005-04:00

Mark continues to do well each day. He tells me he is walking more each day around his building to his various therapies and that it is getting better. He is still using the walker, but hopefully, will eventually be able to use crutches.

On Wednesday he had a visit from my aunt, Norma and her son Tom, who was in Tampa for a short visit. Mark had never met my cousin and they hit it off very well. Tom and Norma were delighted with their visit which included Mark showing them his photographs. Mark was equally thrilled when they showed up with a Chipotle burrito steak bowl, one of Mark's favorite meals!!

Yesterday Mark was part of a group of soldiers who met with Eric Shinseki, the new Secretary of the Veteran's Administration. Secretary Shineski is a retired four star general, as you may know and Mark had the privilege of meeting him in Washington some years ago. Mark had attended a leadership camp in Washington during his junior year in high school and met the then general at the Pentagon. He mentioned that meeting to Secretary Shinseki yesterday and apologized for not having the coin he gave him on hand to return. It is a military tradition that if a general gives you one of their specially minted coins, that you return it when you see them again. Mark was very impressed with him and is very happy to have someone with a military background leading the VA.

Secretary Shinseki's visit coincided with a special presentation to three of our polytrauma families of new handicapped accessible vans. I have spoken often on this site about Anthony, Scot and Bradley who are three patients who are still in emerging states of consciousness. Through Operation Support Our Troops/Wheels for Warriors and the Ride-Away organization, they were awarded specially equipped mini-vans that allow their families to transport them in their special wheelchairs. The group also gave them a year's insurance on the vans. This is truly a special group and it was overwhelming for these families. To have the ability to be mobile and independent with their husbands and sons is an incredible gift. We are so happy for them. Thank you Operation Support Our Troops and Ride-Away.

Tomorrow Mark is scheduled for a kayaking trip with the Tampa River Runners again. The weather is supposed to be great and hopefully, we will have more on this in a future post.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T09:22:00.002-04:00

First, let me apologize for not posting in quite a while. I enjoyed my time with Mark in Florida and the days got ahead of me. He would be busy most of the day and we would spend our evenings working on photographs and I was teaching him how to use a photobook program that we loaded into his computer. He is very interested in photography and has set up a website that you may want to visit. He loaded the pictures he took when he was living in Italy along with some from Tampa and elsewhere. The link is to the side of the blog, below his address. I think, along with others here, that Mark is very talented in this area and it is something he is actively looking into pursuing in the future. He entered two photographs that he took when he and Rich and I went to the zoo during our visit in an art show sponsored by the VA. He received an honorable mention because they did not have a category for photography. However, the national show for veterans does, and the photos were sent on and entered there. He was very excited about the possibility of getting a ribbon for his work.

He is doing very well and his therapies are changing somewhat. He is now going to be doing Lokomat two days a week rather than three, and the stress will be walking with a cane. He started yesterday with a "hemi" or quad cane (one with a four prong base) and I'm told did much better than he had previously. He was excited when he called me yesterday at noon and told me that they are also cutting out a lot of the medication he has been taking. They wean them slowly so that there are no side effects. A couple of the medications tend to make you drowsy (the last thing someone who had been in a coma needs) but there was no way around it since he needed them for the severe muscle spasms. They have lowered the dose to two a day and so far he has had no problem. If the excess muscle tone returns in the legs, they will have to increase the dose again but we will just have to see what happens. It's a very good, positive step, literally and figuratively!!

We did find out that Mark is up for a promotion to staff sergeant and that should be final some time in April. We are looking forward to his promotion ceremony. Then they will start the process for the medical evaluation board which will decide whether he will stay in the army or be medically discharged. This process could take a few months. He will most likely be moved to Fort Stewart, Georgia near Savannah for this process. He will be placed in temporary housing and be evaluated by the medical team at the hospital there. Unfortunately, the VA refuses to do these medical boards for the Army, but there is a group trying to fight that. If that were the case, he could stay right where he is in Tampa, but we'll just have to see what happens.

Please keep your prayers coming that all the details work out and everything continues to fall into place. We really appreciate your help.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

2009-02-26T16:08:00.002-05:00

As I write this, Mark is winding down a very busy day. Physical therapy is the first thing every morning and today the therapists and patients went on a therapeutic outing. Which means, today they took them to the wonderful new outdoor mall and had him wheel himself around and do "normal" stuff, which for Mark I am sure meant stopping at the Italian gelatoria! I am not sure, since I have not seen him yet today.

After the outing, they were going to grill steak, make mashed potatoes, salad and bake cookies for dessert. The guys like Thursdays, because they cook and do not have to eat frozen, microwaved meals. Let me tell you that gets old. Of course, the food at the hospital is the same, but there the meals are microwaved, and then put on a hot cart and brought to the floors. UGH!

His vision is still an issue, which will hopefully get resolved shortly. He saw the neuro-opthomologist on Tuesday. After an eye exam with one of the technicians, it was determined that Mark's astigmatism has again gone back to the stage where he needs to wear glasses again. He then saw the doctor who feels that the double vision has most likely been there all along to some degree and that now Mark is just more aware of it. He does have reading glasses with prisms for this very reason that were given to him a year ago. They are going to make his prescription without the prisms first to see if the eyes will begin to work in tandem again and if not they will change the lenses and add the prisms. Fortunately, there was nothing on the CT scan to indicate that there were any changes since the last one was done.

Well, I am getting ready to go to dinner with one of the other moms since Mark is busy, but I'll check in with him after dinner. Hopefully, he will still be awake!!

Monday, February 23, 2009

2009-02-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

Sorry for no updates, even though we are in Florida. We have had spotty internet connections here at the Fisher House and they are finally talking about getting it upgraded. I guess the demand is high. So, to sum up, things have been going well. We did not meet with as many of the folks we would have liked to meet with last week. Hopefully, it will all work out this week. We do have our family meeting tomorrow morning and that should help take care of quite a few at once.

Mark has amazed us with how well he takes care of himself. He seems to get very frustrated, however, with certain things, like changes in his schedule, changes in the therapies, etc. We keep trying to tell him that he just has to go with the flow and that these changes are meant to get him out of here faster. He has developed a double vision problem over the last couple of days and the doctor has ordered a CAT scan of the brain and a visit with the eye doctor. Hopefully, we will hear something by the end of the day or tomorrow at the latest. Please keep this latest glitch in your prayers.

We enjoyed a nice weekend where we were able to take him out to dinner, the mall and an outdoor shopping center where we enjoyed the beautiful weather (sorry Clevelanders). I must admit, this is one aspect of Florida I miss right after missing Mark.

I will try to keep you all posted on the happenings this week, WiFi permitting.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

2009-02-17T20:15:00.002-05:00

We have had a good couple of days. Yesterday, because of the holiday, Mark was off so we went to the zoo. We had the perfect weather, low 70s and a slight breeze (good for keeping zoo odors at a minimum)! Mark wanted to photograph the animals and took several very good shots to enter into a juried art show at the VA.

Today it was back to the usual routine for Mark. We tagged along with PT to see his progress and he's been doing really well. He is using a walker and has been walking to all his therapies which take place on the same floor as his apartment. Even though they are all in one place, it is quite exhausting. Tonight he was able to have dinner with us at the house and then it was off to bed. His day starts very early.

Tomorrow we will watch some of the other therapies and hopefully, catch up with some of the other patients back on the fifth floor.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

2009-02-15T18:55:00.002-05:00

It's strange to be back in Tampa again. I arrived last night and we went right to the hospital to see Mark in his new apartment. He is doing so well, it's truly a miracle. He told us immediately that he had "cleaned" and even Swiffered the floor before our arrival! The laundry was clean and (yes, Jess) even folded and put away!!! What a brain injury will do!

We grabbed a couple of burgers on our way to the hospital from the airport and a large shake for Mark, since he had already had dinner. It was a fun way to spend Valentine's Day evening. Today, after church we stocked up on our groceries and then spent the afternoon with my family.

It was also good to be welcomed back by my dear friends here. They were all waiting patiently as we came from the airport. Our favorite little bugger gave me a big smile and (with a little coaching from his mom) said "Hi Mimi!!!" What a surprise that was. He has grown and is now quite the little boy, not a baby. His vocabulary is growing in both English and Spanish which is so great to see.

Well, hopefully, if the internet here cooperates, I will be able to post more than I have lately. We have lots of meeting scheduled and hope to get lots of things ironed out before Rich leaves at the end of the week. Tomorrow is a holiday, so that means we get to have Mark free for an extra day which is good since we lost yesterday to a late flight and travel time.

Monday, February 2, 209

2009-02-02T09:54:00.004-05:00

Well folks, the fifteen minutes continues. Below is another link, to yet another story about the visit from Mike Ditka and Rocky Bleier to the boys in Mark's unit. Again, it is very touching. As I mentioned when Mike Ditka first visited the unit two months ago, he was very moved and has now aligned his organization, Gridiron Greats, with the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

The story in the link below appeared in the Arizona Republic.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/2009/01/30/20090130spt-sbbickley.html

Sunday, February 1, 2009

2009-02-01T17:20:00.002-05:00

Well, the fifteen minutes of fame continues. The St. Petersburg Times ran a story yesterday about the Wii interactive game system and the way the V.A. uses it for rehabilitation. They featured Mark and his recreational therapist, Jamie Kaplan in the story. The link is below:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/veterans/article972376.ece

Mark and Jamie have a great time together and Jamie really pushes Mark to do the things he loved to do before the accident, and if it is something out of Mark's current realm, he finds something equally challenging and fun. They make quite the team.

Mark spent a good part of today with his cousin Alison, who picked him up and took him shopping, to lunch and the market for munchies. It is so nice for him to have family close by to help him have some fun, and do necessary chores. Thanks so much Alison.

The group in Mark's unit were planning on watching the big game tonight along with the nurses!

Saturday, January 31, 2009

2009-01-31T16:51:00.003-05:00

Well, getting up and getting out at 6:30 this morning turned out to be worth it. Mark and about eight other patients were taken to the Super Bowl Breakfast which was sponsored by the Athletes In Action organization. This breakfast takes place every year the morning before the game where the Bart Starr Award is given to one of three candidates who exemplify leadership and philanthropy. The nominees this year were Warrick Dunn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals, and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. This year the award was given to Warrick Dunn.

Mark, as you can see, met Bart Starr and added his signature to his growing list of autographs. He said the food was okay but the breakfast as a whole was "awesome". Some of the other NFL notables there were Tony Dungy and Lee Roy Selmon. The Hall of Famers made the guys feel very welcome and were very supportive.

Mark called us from the bus on the way back to the hospital and was very excited about having met and heard such good speakers. I have to say that the NFL has gone above and beyond in including our soldiers in the Super Bowl festivities. The visits and the appearances have been great. It means a lot to these boys who sometimes feel frustrated and forgotten during the long months spent in a hospital. It's nice to see them recognized for the heroes they are.

Friday, January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T14:45:00.008-05:00

When we talked to Mark last night we could see the smiles even without "phonovision". The patients have had a good week with lots of high profile visitors thanks to the Super Bowl being held in Tampa on Sunday. Franco Harris, Pete Shaw, Lydell Mitchell all visited one day and yesterday, Mike Ditka came back to see the guys and brought along Rocky Bleier. One of the patients, Kevin, is a die-hard Steeler fan and Coach Ditka remembered that from his last visit a couple of months ago. Mark was priviledged to try on Bleier's four Super Bowl rings. All at once I might add!

He also had a chat with David Haugh, one of the sports columnists from the Chicago Tribune. One of Rich's colleagues in Chicago called this morning when he read Mark's name in the column. It's a nice story about what took place yesterday at the Fisher House and I have added the link below.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-30-haugh-super-bowljan30,0,5360504.column

Tomorrow the patients have been invited to a Super Bowl breakfast at the University of South Florida which is across the street from the hospital. Mark wasn't sure what it entailed only that they had to be ready to go by 6:30 a.m, but we will keep you all posted when we talk to him tomorrow.

Friday, January 23, 2009

2009-01-23T19:22:00.002-05:00

Well, just a short note tonight to let everyone know that the laundry is clean! Mark got assistance taking it up to 5North and one of the certified nursing assistants, Enrique, who was one of Mark's favorites, very early on, was kind enough to bring it down to Mark after it was dry. He called Mark on the phone when it was done and Mark met him at Transitional housing and let him in. Talk about fabulous cooperation. Enrique is a wonderful person and has such a great relationship with the guys and the moms!

Mark is planning on going sailing tomorrow with his recreational therapist, Jamie and is really looking forward to it. He only hopes it won't be too cold. He hasn't been since Peter took him in September.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

2009-01-22T19:53:00.002-05:00

Things have been going fairly well for Mark now that he's alone. Jess returned to Australia safely last week and is diligently working on getting a new visa that will allow her to stay longer and be able to work and study. We are keeping our fingers crossed!!

Some new patients have finally joined Mark in the Transitional program. He called today and was a bit frustrated over the fact that the clothes washer for their unit does not work. Seems it was dropped when it was delivered weeks and weeks ago and has not been repaired. I guess from what Mark tells me there is sub-contractor involved that doesn't respond to phone calls and has not been there to repair or replace the unit. Now they have a washer and dryer on the 5 North unit, but Mark cannot get up the hill to the main hospital and carry a laundry basket at the same time. Getting help hasn't been easy and he is frustrated. While Jess was there, they were able to do the laundry at the Fisher House, and after she left last week, the girls at the house invited Mark over and helped him with his laundry. They have been told he cannot come to use the machines there. Needless to say he was a bit frustrated and vented to me.

All in all, he is doing very well on his own, which is wonderful. He continues to improve, although he has been having some back pain lately. He did get a new brace and says it is somewhat more comfortable but wearing for long periods of time have made him sore, so they have cut down on his time in it for now. Meanwhile, he bought himself a mandolin and is attempting to learn how to play it. He hopes to get help from his speech pathologist who plays and got him interested in the first place.

Rich is doing fabulous in the shoulder department. He has rehab twice a week and does exercises every day. The doctor was very pleased with his recovery so far. He has much more range of movement and much less pain than he had before the surgery. We are very encouraged. We will be visiting Mark when his round of therapy is done and are looking forward to seeing him and enjoying warmer weather.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

2009-01-17T11:27:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the world of ice and snow...and minus temperatures! Cleveland has been in the deep freeze for several days now, and yesterday never made it out of the minus numbers, with -2 being the high! Now, why did I leave Florida?????

Mark called last night and told us it was chilly there too, but 40s and 50s seem downright balmy to us about now. We had not talked to him for two evenings because he was "too busy." Jess left on Tuesday and arrived back home in Sydney on Wednesday safe and sound. Mark misses everyone but is doing well. His therapies have been going well and his spirits are great. He has been spending a lot of time in the weight room at his little complex and since he is the only patient currently, he has the place to himself. They are expecting to add a couple of more patients this week. He is looking forward to some company, but admitted that he was perfectly content being the only one there with the nurses and therapists! He was planning on going to the park with the nurses today to do some sketching, if the temps warm up a bit. I guess he has a backload of laundry to do because the washer in the Transitional unit is on the blink, so his nurse was going to take him back to the fifth floor and help him use the washer there.

Rich is doing very well with the shoulder rehab. He had his first formal session with the physical therapist on Thursday and found out she had trained at the Tampa VA. Small world. He is not having any pain (in fact, it's much better than before the surgery) and is doing his exercises faithfully two to three times a day. He does not have to wear the sling in the house and with the exception of a particular movement because of the tendon repair, he can move his arm just about every way so far. The staples come out on Monday, so we will know more then.

We are hoping all continues to go well so that once he is done with rehab we can go to visit Mark. And enjoy some warmer weather!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

2009-01-10T09:17:00.006-05:00

Mark's week back went well. He had not lost too much without therapy for two weeks. He had been doing his exercises and had been walking with his walker around our first floor, so that helped. They have measured him for a new back brace, which they hope he will find more comfortable. He currently hates to wear the one he has, but really needs to in order to keep his muscles from tightening up and keeping his back straight.

He was weighed when he got back and he put on 13 (yes, 13) pounds while he was home. That means about a pound a day was gained eating Mom's home cooking, cookies, pie, wings, and just about anything else put in front of him! I was absolutely amazed. Rich kept saying it was probably about 10 pounds, but even though I knew he had gained some weight, I never expected quite that much. Of course, there was the fact that he did not have the intense therapy he gets at the hospital, which burns so many calories. Nevertheless, we were so happy to see him eat and recover a few more pounds that he lost on what he calls the "coma weight loss program." (Frankly, I think I need someone to just put me to sleep for a few weeks!)

Friday was a year that Mark has been in Tampa and fourteen months since the day of the crash. Even though that seems like such a long time, in terms of his recovery and what he has accomplished, it's really very short. We are very proud that his dedication and determination to be back to all he was before has never waivered and that he keeps on striving for bigger and better things. At a meeting this week to set goals, he told the therapist that his six month goal was to get back to climbing, maybe not on a mountain, but on a wall. She told him she would help him reach that. Quite a goal in my opinion.

We are currently in the midst of a big snow storm here in Cleveland, as is most of the Northeastern United States. Unfortunately, the timing is not good, since I have to pick up Richard at the hospital this afternoon. He had his partial shoulder replacement yesterday and they kept him overnight. He did very well but it was a long day. We were there at 9 a.m., his surgery was scheduled for 10:30 and I spoke to the doctor when it was over at 11:45 , but we had to wait until 4 p.m. before they put him in a room. Part of the drive home was a little slippery, but I made it just fine. Now I just have to wait until they plow our street and our plow driver does my driveway for the second time early this afternoon. The real work on this shoulder replacement will start next week when the therapy begins. It will continue for six to eight weeks so wish me luck dealing with my new patient, as well as Rich!

Who ever expected that two years in a row, January 9th would be the day I became a healthcare provider. It was the day I became a mom as Peter celebrated his 28th birthday yesterday. Unfortunately, he developed a bad cold and had to stay away from the hospital and us, so it wasn't much of a celebration. We plan to do something a little more festive when he can come over and not put Rich in danger of catching it.

Monday, January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T19:21:00.005-05:00

Well, all good things must come to an end, so today we go back to reality. Mark and Jess left on Saturday after two glorious weeks for us, and I hope, for them. Mark really enjoyed having all his favorite foods and sweets and it will be interesting to see how much weight he has gained during his visit. Jess loved Strongsville and the area, loved meeting Mark's friends, and even enjoyed the snow.

They left from Cleveland with very nice assistance from TSA and the USO. We were met by the Duty Manager for TSA and he escorted us to the Continental counter and we were given security passes so that we could accompany Mark and Jess to the gate. Continental was extremely helpful and had upgraded their seats to first class for the return trip also. Mark was welcomed by the pilot when he arrived and they had a nice discussion about Aviano, where this pilot had been based while in the Air Force.

They returned to the Fisher House and this morning Mark was readmitted to the hospital. He had the day off from therapy to unpack and get resettled. While they were doing this, they came to hook up his television set. He turned it on and to quote him, " I looked up and saw my ugly mug on the screen." The episode of The American Veteran that featured Mark was airing on the Pentagon Channel. You can view it at the link below, just click on the Lokomat episode:

http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/amervet/index.asp

The story turned out very well and the doctor featured is Dr. Steven Scott, who is the director of the Poly Trauma Rehabilitation Unit and is Mark's doctor. I think I have said before that he is a wonderful man whose ministry in life is getting these young men back to where they were before their injuries.

We think our fifteen minutes of fame, that stretched to forty-five, are finally over and we promise not to bore you any longer!

January 1, 2009

2009-01-01T09:02:00.005-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish each of you a wonderful 2009 full of love, hope, peace and prosperity.

Yesterday Mark and Jess along with PJ and Shelley (Mark's closest friend and his girlfriend) had gone to the movies to see "Marley and Me" and came home with great reviews! Mark came home, took a nap and then it was out to PJs for a small party. Rich and I were also invited by PJs parents, but took advantage of the quiet and stayed home to ring in the new year by watching a "Big Bang" marathon (funny show for those who haven't seen it). The kids called about 12:05 and asked to be picked up. Mark was so funny when he told me they would call to come over for breakfast when he got up this afternoon!

He has been doing so well while he has been home. He has been using his walker to get from room to room and he is improving before our eyes. His appetite is enormous and Rich swears he has gained 10 pounds since he's been here (but haven't we all?). Today we are going to lay low and probably take down the tree. Mark plans to supervise. We'll let you know how that goes. I'll bet he'll do it with his eyes closed!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

2008-12-28T21:38:00.006-05:00

HAPPY SGT. MARK LALLI DAY! Yes, that's correct. Today, in the city of Strongsville, Ohio, it is officially, by proclamation of Mayor Thomas Persiak and the Strongsville City Council, SGT Mark R. Lalli Day.

Mark's friends had an open house for Mark today and a "little bird" called the mayor's office and let him know that Mark was home for the holidays. Mayor Persiak arrived at the party and presented Mark with the official city proclamation. It was a very nice surprise for Mark and it was very appreciated. After the presentation and the applause, Mark grinned and said "I guess I should have shaved!!" During high school, Mark used to work for the mayor's son-in-law who had a landscaping business and mowed the mayor's lawn.

Mark's friends from childhood and high school showed up, along with most of their parents and several teachers. Word travels quickly in this town which has been dubbed the largest small town in the area. Strongsville has grown from a small suburb to a large city in the past 25 years, but it has definitely retained it's small town feel.

The photos below are Mark's friends in the group pose we parents requested and the one they wanted. We'll let you guess which is which!!!

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2008

2008-12-24T10:44:00.005-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Needless to say this is turning out to be the best Christmas the Lalli Family has ever had. To have Mark and Jess here along with Peter and Richard's Aunt Genie, is just fabulous. The operative words here are "having Mark home".

A year ago we celebrated because his gift to us was waking up. This year it is because he is not only alive, but functioning better and better every day. He has the wonderful sense of humor he is known for, his cognitive level is excellent, and his health in general is very, very good. He has amazed us by walking around the kitchen with his walker and eating like he's never seen food before. Naturally, all his favorite dishes are being made and he is taking advantage to the max!

Peter posted the video he took at the airport. Mark's pipe band, The Red Hackle, showed up in force to greet him, for which we are very thankful and they were joined by the USO team from Cleveland. The Hackle have never taken Mark off their roster and have supported him through basic training, his deployment to Iraq and through love and prayers this entire year. They are a wonderful group of people.

We wish all of them, as well as everyone reading this a very blessed Christmas!

Monday, December 22, 2008

2008-12-22T12:34:00.005-05:00

Hello again! I know it's been a month since the last post by Mark and for that we all apologize. It seems that when Mark went on the blog site to do his update, some kind of a glitch occurred with the administration of the site and we could not get into it again. With a little technical help from Peter, who is also an administrator of the site, we are up and running again.

We did hear over and over that we had to keep writing, and in all honesty we have been so busy it was not at the top of our list. However, after both Jess's mom and I both heard from women we did not even know who we ran into running errands on both sides of the world, within two days of each other, we thought we should do something about it!! I can only say we are overwhelmed with the number of people who have been following this blog of ours so regularly. We cannot believe you are so devoted to reading this and can't imagine that what goes on in our daily lives is that important, but we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

To fill everyone in, Mark is doing remarkably. He has continued with all the therapies and is making wonderful progress. He has been involved in some great recreational progams such as the kayaking and has even taken some scuba lessons in a community pool in Florida. He had the opportunity to play guitar with Charlie Daniels who visited the hospital with a young musician who comes to entertain the boys every month. And yes, he did get his guitar autographed! He has finally moved into his little hospital apartment after a very long delay. Currently, he is the only patient in the Transitional Program, but we expect more to be added after the Christmas break.

Mark and Jess arrived safely in Cleveland yesterday morning on a two week leave. They were a little taken aback by the cold weather (temps in the teens and dropping by nightfall to below zero) but the sun was shining and all was well. They were greeted at the gate by the USO here and were escorted to the main terminal where the Red Hackle Pipes & Drums welcomed Mark home in all their regalia (kilts that is) and played for him. Needless to say this attracted the attention of all those at the airport and Mark was given quite a welcome from everyone around. It was very heartwarming. We headed home for lunch and friends of Mark and Jess's arrived later in the day for dinner, which was so much fun.

Today started out with Jess and Shelley, a friend of Mark's, heading off to see the sights of Strongsville, namely the mall. They were met by PJ, Mark's best friend and he drove Jess around to see all different parts of town. Mark, Rich and I waited at home for the news crew from one of our local stations to do a follow up story on Mark. One of our local reporters, Tracy Carloss, has been covering Mark's progress from the day of the crash and she stopped by to do a piece for the evening news. Unfortunately, she notified us after the story aired that it had been shortened while she was anchoring the show because of time constraints. She is going to try to get the original length story posted on the website in the next day or so. If you'd like to watch just click below:

After our interview, Mark and Rich went off to do some early Christmas shopping (yes, they usually wait until the 24th)! They enjoyed their time out and I went on errands and managed to get this blog up and running again.

We will add the link for the original story when and if it becomes available. We do want to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year. We know we are the luckiest people on earth and we hope that good fortune will follow all our dear friends and family who have supported us so much this past year. We will be forever grateful.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

2008-11-23T09:38:00.005-05:00

Hello all across the continents. Since Mum's last post and move back to the land of ice and snow, I've been left in charge of this project. Allow me to use this chance to apologize ahead of time for my spelling/grammatical errors. I just hope none of you reading this were English teachers from back in the day.

Since she left, and with my switch to the "transitional program" it has given me a chance to do things that I have wanted to do for the past year or so. For example, I finally had the opportunity to finally do the shopping I intended to do for my family last Christmas (damn "nap"). Oh well, what can you do? It has been nice having Mum here for support over the last year, but it does feel nice to be "in control" again.

On the note of support, allow me to take this opportunity to thank you all across this "round rock" for the support you have all extended. No one has had doubted from the beginning that I could accomplish this feat. That faith has made all the difference most days. Please pardon my "brain damaged philosophy", but this whole year has given me a second chance. An opportunity to right wrongs that were committed in the past, and a second chance to do those things for the better.

Anywho, allow me to sign off and enjoy the beautiful day we've been given. Thanks all, and take care.

Well, if I might add my two cents, I am so pleased that Mark feels comfortable without me hanging around all the time. Phone calls are good! I am so happy that he has made the recovery he has so far, and will continue to do so.

Being home has been a bit of an adjustment for me. Living in a house full of great people to spending time with just one wonderful person, has been nice this week. I must admit that I have kept close to home and got used to my old space once more. I did see some old friends, which was nice, but also just absorbed the idea of being back in the "land of ice and snow" as someone just recently reminded me!

Friday, November 14, 2008

2008-11-14T16:46:00.006-05:00

Today is definitely bittersweet. I leave Tampa tomorrow to go home for good for the first time in a year. Mark has come such a long, long way in this time and we are so grateful that he is well enough to be on his own here with Jess's loving help. It is a day I have waited for, but at the same time, it tugs at my heart to leave behind all the wonderful people we have lived and worked with here. It was especially hard to say good bye.

To the nursing staff, Grisel, Jose, Annies, Marcia, the Dianas, Deana, Paula, Mo, Anne, Liz, Beth, Eppie, Mary, the Angels, Victor, Carmen, Katrina, Fortunata, Juanita, Bernice, Thessla, Josh, Marsha, Lisa, Kelly, Terri, Cheryl, Alana, Enrique, Rick, Blanca, Chris and Marti: You were the most loving, caring individuals and we were blessed to have you take care of Mark especially in the early days of our stay. Thank you.

To the therapists, Lindsay, Carrie, Earlene, Frederica, Jim, Barb, Karen, Amy, Tami, Barb, Judy, Kathryn, Imelda, Becky, Abby, Mary, Jamie, Tammy, and Linda: You helped Mark prove that he had determination and stamina, he could endure the pain, and move forward and we know you will continue to do so. Thank you.

To Dr. Scott, Dr. Mascarinas, Dr. Scholten, Dr. McCarthy, Dr. Rieszk, Dr. Melo, Dr. Miller, Dr. Nasser, Dr. Thors, and Dr. Richardson: Your patience and guidance, your knowledge and especially your devotion to Mark and me got us through the most difficult time in our lives and your continued medical excellence will see us through the next phase of his recovery. Thank you.

To the Family Support Group, Steve, Lenore, Olga, Gladys, and Annette: Your experience, knowledge and love each and every week gets everyone through the tears and laughter to continue on for another week. Thank you.

To the support liasions: CPT Turner, SGM Phillips, SSG Lumpiesz, SSG Burris, CMDR Hartford, Mary Ellen, Vince, Fr. Ed and June: You were always there when we needed anything and everything and continue to be so much for so many. Thank you.

To our "family" here: Veronica and Brad, RyAnne and Scot, Chris and JT, Debbie, Ed and John, Julie, Chris and Billy, Nellie and Jose, Rey and David, Leslie, Brianna, and Kevin, Meredith and Mike, Rodney, Ivonne and Anthony: You are our heroes and will continue to be. Don't ever give up hope for a better tomorrow. You have been through the worst that anyone could endure and you have. It will only be better each day. Your courage and determination are the finest anyone could every hope for. Thank you.

To AJ: You are the sunshine in a life often covered in clouds. Your smile turns the world right in just an instant. You are our hope for the future and may it be a future full of promises, peace and love, for you deserve everything the world holds dear. You are a treasure. Thank you.

Our blog will continue with Mark doing some of the work and we hope all of you who read it as part of your day will continue to do so. Without all the love and support from people all over the world, we would not have made it this far. Thank you.

Love, Ann Marie

VETERANS DAY, November 11, 2008

2008-11-11T20:29:00.019-05:00

Today was a wonderful day to celebrate! It started with a parade right here on the hospital grounds. We had front row seats under a canopy with beautiful weather. All the fellas enjoyed themselves with one exception. AJ was not particularly fond of the fire engine siren! However it was moving to see all of the hospital veterans, young and old, as well as our military liasions and their families.

A visit by NFL legend Mike Ditka ended our afternoon. He flew in today to specifically visit the active duty soldiers, marines, and sailors here in the PolyTrauma unit and the Spinal Cord Injury unit. This hospital currently has 19 patients who fall in that category. As I have mentioned before Tampa is one of the four PolyTrauma Centers who care for the most serious of the active duty wounded.

Coach Ditka was wonderful with the guys and wanted to know each story. When Mark told him he was from Cleveland, Coach Ditka mentioned he was originally from Pennsylvania. Mark told him he was sorry, where upon he replied with a smile that Pennsylvania kept Ohio from falling into Lake Erie! He signed Mark's football with a "Go Buckeyes" anyway. He even took a turn at pushing Mark's chair into a prime position for a group photo. There was a moment when the guys were wheeled in to meet him, that it was very evident that he was quite choked up, but continued to push on and greet each one individually. Of course, little AJ won him over completely.

As parents and wives, we were all especially proud of our fine young men on such an important day.

Saturday, November 7, 2008

2008-11-07T22:04:00.006-05:00

We had a special experience today as Mark was asked to attend the Veterans Day ceremony in downtown Tampa, which was put on by the Chamber of Commerce. He was dressed in uniform for the first time in a year, which was quite poignant. Many of the nurses were a bit teary when they saw him and Jess and I were especially proud.

We went downtown with the Army liasions and Mark was seated in the front row and acknowledged. He was interviewed by several of the local television crews. His sergeant major naturally was quite pleased with her "poster boy for Army Strong". He was also greeted by his two favorite generals, Gen. Michael Diamond, Commander of the C.A.R.E. Coalition and Brig. Gen. Arne Skjaerpe, Norway, who is the Commander of the Coalition Forces at U.S. Central Command, who we now consider a friend.

The keynote speech was given by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. She gave an extremely moving and eloquent address.

It was a very fitting ceremony to attend on the eve of the first anniversary of the accident and our thoughts and prayers today and tomorrow are with the others who have been so affected by this tragedy.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

2008-11-02T15:02:00.010-05:00

It has been beautiful here today! Temperature about 80, sunshine...the perfect day for kayaking! Mark and Jess and a whole group of therapists, doctors, nurses, students and trainers went kayaking down the Hillsborough River after a training session at the YMCA pool yesterday.

They got Mark into the kayak and off they all went. Mark and Jess did really well, since both had been kayaking before the crash. They have a special seat on order for the kayak that would make sitting more comfortable, but unfortunately, it had not arrived in time for today's trip. Even so, he did well until his back started to hurt. He and Jess returned earlier than the rest of the group but had a blast nevertheless. By the way, to all of you in G Company, no paddles were lost during this trip!

Friday, October 31, 2008

2008-10-31T20:51:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween! Today was Mark's last workday in acute care. What a treat!! On Monday, he officially enters the Polytrauma Transitional Program. We had our group meeting yesterday and the therapists, doctors and nurses from both teams met with us to officially hand off the baton, namely Mark.

We were sorry to let go of some of the wonderful therapists, such as Jim, Earlene, Kathryn and Carrie, but we are acquiring some we already know as well as some we look forward to becoming friends with. Unfortunately, the program is not yet completely staffed as far as nursing so he and the others cannot move into the new building. What a trick! He will remain in his current room but participate in the program. Mark is excited to be starting this new phase and we ask for your continued prayers as he starts this important journey.

One of the best things that was decided at the meeting was that Mark can be granted leave to come home for Christmas. We confirmed all this today with the Army and he and Jess will be travelling to Cleveland for almost two weeks. We are so excited. We plan to hold some kind of open house so that we can have friends drop by to say hello. We will keep everyone posted.

October 27, 2008

2008-10-27T21:32:00.004-04:00

Today is Mark's 23rd birthday and we celebrated!!!! He doesn't remember last year's birthday because it occurred too soon before the crash. There are some memories he has lost, so we decided to celebrate several times to make up for it.

We started with lunch on Saturday, a great get together with my family on Sunday, ice cream cake at the hospital today, and dinner tonight at the house with our Fisher family, with little AJ being a great clown and entertaining all of us. Jess made him the most beautiful gift. She sketched three of Mark's favorite photographs and framed them. He is looking forward to hanging it in his new apartment.

Saturday turned out rather interesting for all of us. As Mark was about to go into the pool for his Saturday therapy session, the polytrauma medical director, Dr. Scott, told Mark he needed him for another video session on the Lokomat. They had a patient who they were going to use, but at the last minute changed it to Mark. The filming was part of a documentary being made by Bob Woodruff for ABC News. Needless to say, Mark was happy to change out of his swimsuit, shave quickly, and head to the gym for his meeting with Bob Woodruff. He was extremely nice and asked me about Mark's injuries and what he had been through. Then they exchanged stories about the injuries they have in common.

We have no idea when any of the video of Mark will be aired or even if it will, but we will keep everyone posted on any information we get. We, and the hospital PR staff, are still waiting for the information on when American Veteran program we participated in will air.

For those of you who might be interested in reading some information about Dr. Scott and the rehabilitation program here, I have provided a link at the bottom which will take you to a wonderful story the Tampa Tribune did in the Saturday edition of the paper. It was on the front page which was a wonderful tribute to such a fine man.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/oct/25/250014/na-va-hospital-leads-way/

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

2008-10-22T19:11:00.001-04:00

Mark is wearing a huge smile on his face! Jess arrived back in Tampa on Monday evening from Sydney. We went to the airport to pick her up and fortunately, there were no snags on this trip. She was very worried about going through customs and not being allowed in or having a hard time like she did when she took a short trip to Canada last spring. But... all went well and they were happy to see her at the border this time. Jess was absolutely amazed at all Mark is doing on his own. She was very surprised. She and I are busy catching up after she comes down to the room after spending the evening with Mark. He is still an early to bed guy since he's usually exhausted by seven p.m.

Today was especially long. He was not allowed anything to eat after midnight because today was Botox day. They put in an IV and got him ready early this morning. He was second in line at the Interventional Radiation Department.

His Botox today was done in one of the muscles in the pelvis. Therefore, it had to be done with a CAT scan showing the exact position of the muscle, so as not to interfere with any organs in the area, notably the colon. They mark the area with radioisotopes and then insert a needle from his back into the muscle where they want to inject the Botox. Then they rescan to determine if the needle is in the correct spot. Then they add the medication. They did this in four different areas. It was the first time this area was scanned this way and the doctor said that the muscle on the left was perfectly round like it should be while the one on the right was oval shaped which means that there was excessive tone in the muscle, which they were pretty sure was the case.

Hopefully the Botox will release the tone and work like it has in his arm and legs. He was given a break for lunch and then they did the Botox in his right leg again. All in all he had a very expensive Hollywood treatment!

He joked and kidded with the doctors all the while and has had no ill effects from any of the shots. He's looking forward to next Monday when the first signs of whether it worked or not will most likely show up.

He is off all his pain medication now as well as the blood thinners he was getting. He's very proud of the fact that he only has aches and pains and that he manages well with just ibuprofen. This is another big step.

It looks like the plan for him to enter into the Transitional Program will happen on November 1st. We are having a meeting next Thursday with both the acute team and the transitional team to work out the final details. Mark may not be able to move into the apartment exactly that day, since they are still working out some final glitches, but he will be taken over by that team of doctors and therapists. Fortunately, he knows all of them and that is a big plus.

Just imagine, it's nearly a year since the accident and he has really come so far. At first the prognosis was so bleak that we can only thank God for such a miracle as this.

Friday, October 17, 2008

2008-10-17T19:12:00.002-04:00

Today was jammed packed with celebrations here! First was the ribbon cutting ceremony and first look for the hospital staff and public of the new Polytrauma Transitional Center. We were treated to a sneak preview over the last few weeks since Mark has been practicing his transfer skills there. It was a very nice ceremony and you can view part of it and Mark's participation at the following link:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/10/17/393148.html

This center is the dream of Dr. Steven Scott, the director of the Polytrauma Unit and Tampa is the first of the centers across the country to open one. It's lovely and we were very proud that they asked Mark to be part of the story.

Then, after a short break, we attended the retirement ceremony of Marine LCPL John T. Doody, our good friend and Mark's roommate "JT". It was extremely moving to see him in his dress uniform for the first time. I must admit I cried and then teased him about the "bling" on his chest, since he was wearing his medals. As some may know, JT was seriously injured in Iraq when he was shot by a sniper. While recovering at the San Diego Naval Medical Center, he delevoped a rare strep infection that invaded his heart and traveled to the brain causing a traumatic brain injury and leaving him paralyzed. JT and his mom Chris, have been here just about as long as Mark and I. He's a good kid and he and Mark enjoy the Marine vs. Army rivalry! Despite their military differences, they share the same wicked sense of humor and constantly keep us Moms and staff laughing. Good work guys!!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

2008-10-12T15:07:00.008-04:00

Well, it's a good thing that Mark has an additional day tomorrow for his weekend! He wore himself out at sports camp. It started with a kick off "cocktail" party on Wednesday evening and continued to a farewell dinner last night. It was all sponsored by the US Paralympic Military Program in conjunction with the VA. The Tampa VA was the first of the poly trauma units to host one of these camps and recreational therapists from the other three units in Minneapolis, Richmond, and Palo Alto were in attendence. There were also representatives from a number of organizations, most noteably, Blaze Sports which is a nationwide adaptive sports program company. Mark was invited to attend the London paralympics in four years by the representative from the U.S.O.C. who was here. He thought that was the greatest idea yet!

Thursday he learned various techniques in track and field. They did wheelchair sprints, discus, shot put and javelin. His favorite was javelin which is something he has always wanted to try. Ohio bans javelin from high school track (of course, who in their right mind would give spears to teenagers!)

Friday was taken up with table tennis in the morning and swimming in the afternoon. Mark did have some problems doing the freestroke, but aced the backstroke. Saturday was filled with strength training in the morning and cycling in the afternoon. He really loved both. He was never much into lifting weights, but with the kind of professional coaching he got, he was hooked. The cycling (see video clip) was just about his favorite and after some fitting and instruction in the particular bike he used, he and his therapist (jogging along side) completed a mile and a half circuit which was wonderful for his first time, especially in the heat and humidity.

We finished the evening off with a nice dinner and award ceremony which everyone attended. All in all the camp was a wonderful experience for Mark. I was told he started out quiet and when he realized he could do so much, he opened up and the true Mark came out. I do believe it was wonderful for him to see how much there is to do, even with some permanent disability. He is bound and determined to be the best he can be and that makes us all very proud.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

2008-10-08T18:41:00.002-04:00

Here it is and another week has flown by. Mark continues to make amazing progress, but, in my opinion, he's a pretty amazing fella!

He has started walking after his Lokomat sessions with a walker and no assistance. This is just fabulous. He will be doing more and more of this as the weeks continue. He is getting around in his chair like a pro (not sure if that's good or bad) since he got his high performance wheels. They have made quite a difference. He still hates the back brace with a passion, but does try to wear it the required 8 hours a day.

For the next three days, he will be participating in the Tampa Bay Military Sports Camp which is being put on by the VA and several other organizations here in Tampa. Mark is only one of three inpatients participating. The other veterans are coming in from other locations around the U. S. He was delighted to be asked to do this. Tonight he attended the kick-off dinner and went off in jeans for the first time since last year! He looked great of course!

The activities at this camp are geared to teach the participants in adaptive sports. Cycling, swimming, strength training, etc. They wanted people who had never participated in anything like this before. Mark's PT, Jim, thought he was the perfect candidate since he is aware of all the activities Mark did before his crash.

To think that we are coming up to the year anniversary of the crash, it is wonderful to see such progress when there was such a gloomy outlook at the onset. Mark and I were talking about how fortunate we have been that his recovery is going so well, when we know and love so many others who have not progressed the same way. Please keep the men of Poly Trauma Tampa in your prayers as well.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

2008-10-01T17:12:00.017-04:00

It's been a good week here. On Monday, Mark received the new Sikorsky Air Combat Flight Award for 500 combat hours. He actually had close to 800 combat hours in Iraq, but the award is given at 100, 500, and 1000 hours. He also received the Good Conduct Medal. They were presented at a very nice ceremony which was attended by our family, our good friend Olga, and all of our new friends from the hospital including patients, family members, nurses, and therapists. Also in attendance were service members from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. We had dinner out which was fun for Mark on a "school night" since Rich and Peter left for home yesterday morning.

Mark had his usual round of therapies today, but his afternoon OT session consisted of baking a wonderful lemon cream cake in one of the practice apartments here at the hospital. He went to the supermarket yesterday for the supplies, and tackled the recipe with the aid of his therapist Earlene early this afternoon. It was happily consumed by patients, families and staff at the evening recreational session and was enjoyed by all. Mark was extremely proud of the fact that he hasn't forgotten how to cook!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

2008-09-28T17:11:00.008-04:00

Well, it has been a great weekend here. Richard and Peter arrived on Friday about noon and headed straight to see Mark. When therapy was done, he was sprung for the rest of the weekend and off we went. To avoid some of the rush hour and beach traffic we had dinner nearby at a restaurant Mark and I wanted them to try. After a wonderful meal, we headed toward the water.

The hotel was very nice and when we got to our rooms, they had a nice beach pail waiting for SGT Lalli filled with treats. We were up early on Saturday and had a great breakfast before heading off to the Clearwater Community Sailing Club where we met up with one of the Sailability of Greater Tampa volunteers and the guys got ready. Peter had to take a written test first which allowed him to take Mark out in the boat. They lifted Mark up and lowered him into his place, and then it was time for Gillian and the Skipper to take off. Rich and I were able to watch them from the top deck at the clubhouse and took photos with the telephoto lens. They were out for about an hour and really enjoyed themselves. Mark had never been in a sailboat and found it very peaceful and relaxing. I think he could be hooked despite his preference for mountains. He told Peter it was his turn to try rock climbing now.

After they returned we enjoyed lunch and then our beach adventure began. The hotel drove Mark down to the water's edge in a gator and then supplied us with a "dune buggy" wheelchair. It was fun when he insisted we take him in the water and the air wheels started floating. We thought better of it and just walked the beach instead. One little boy saw us and said "way cool" when he saw Mark's ride. Then we parked him on the lounge chair and we soaked up the atmosphere.Dinner was out at an historic Cuban restaurant here in the Tampa area, and after too much good food, it was out for the night. We started back a little earlier than planned, since it had clouded over today at the beach. We took Rich and Peter to our favorite gelateria here and enjoyed walking around a bit before coming home to the Fisher House.

Mark did so well the whole weekend. We really enjoyed being able to have him away for the hospital for the first time in almost a year. Just doing the usual family things and enjoying each other means more than ever now.

Monday, September 22, 2008

2008-09-22T23:04:00.003-04:00

Well, it's been a week already since I've updated the blog and I had no idea. We have been busy with the usual routine of therapy, therapy, and more therapy. All of which is definitely paying off. Mark is doing so well.

He had new wheels put on his wheelchair which are easier to grip and push, then we added new bike gloves which he likes (and which work better) than the leather wheelchair gloves he had, and he is quickly becoming h*ll on wheels. He is managing up hills and ramps much better, and is starting to manuver down steeper hills better as well.

He is taking care of most of his personal needs alone, with little or no supervision now, and is transferring alone with supervision. He still has a fear of falling, but that's to be expected. He has really come leaps and bounds in the last couple of weeks. We had a team and family meeting today and the goal is for Transition around October 15th, provided the housing is finally finished and open.

Over the weekend we enjoyed a Tampa Bay Rays game where we got to meet some of the players. The Rays have secured a spot in the playoffs and are expected to win the American League Eastern Division. We were able to get photos with the players and then enjoyed the game, but unfortunately they lost to Minnesota. Pictured with Mark are Carrie, his recreational therapist who has become a good friend, and Akinori Iwamura who is the Rays second baseman. He was very nice, as were the other players who stopped to chat a bit.

We are looking forward to this weekend when Rich and Peter arrive for a long weekend, part of which we plan to spend at one of the beach resorts and where Peter and Mark hope to do a little sailing on Clearwater Bay. The weather forecast is great so we're keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

2008-09-14T21:39:00.008-04:00

We have had a fun filled, action packed birthday weekend around here. Our best little buddy, AJ, turned ONE on Friday and the party started with the evening nursing shift from Poly Trauma. They prepared food and had a cake and we all participated. . . Moms, dads, wives and patients from 5 North. He was the most delightful birthday boy and everyone had fun watching him open presents and eat cake.

Then yesterday was his next official party given here at the house. It was attended by family, friends, hospital staff, patients and again everyone had a wonderful time. He was delighted with his cake at first, but then decided he really didn't like it as well as he did the night before.

Today he was baptized at the Catholic Mass here at the hospital and again, lots of Poly Trauma family were there to mark the occasion. He is a very special child to so many people here, not just on our unit, but throughout the Fisher House and the hospital. We appreciate the fact that his mom and dad are willing to share him with so many of us. We all feel very grateful to know and love him and his parents.

We also marked another birthday milestone today. Our Aunt Norma turned 88 and my family celebrated at her great-niece Alison's home with my cousin Irene, her husband Gary, son-in-law Rob and granddaughters, Sarah and Ashley. Mark and I enjoy being with them and we are fortunate to have such a great family here. Mark really enjoys spending time with the guys. We had a wonderful meal and birthday cake and the day flew by.

Mark has been just moving along leaps and bounds over the last week. He is getting his own clothes every evening, getting himself dressed alone in the morning and transferring alone from the bed to his chair (with someone watching for safety). I am so pleased and proud of all he has accomplished so far and know more will follow.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

2008-09-09T16:07:00.003-04:00

Yesterday marked the 10 month anniversary of Mark's crash and 8 months that we have been in Tampa. Time sure flies, even if you are not having fun!!

Things here are going well and Mark is doing remarkably. Yesterday, he attempted steps for the first time and did well under the circumstances. He did better going up than down, but it was a step in the right direction (pardon the pun). He is getting better and closer at independence. He dresses himself very well and is transferring better each time.

We had two meetings yesterday, one with the Transitional Team and one with the current acute care team. They agree that Mark should now be ready for the Transitional Program between the middle of October to the first of November. The new building will be ready then and Mark would move into an apartment in this new transitional unit with one of the other patients right here on the hospital grounds. Each will have their own bedroom and share a living room and kitchen. All of it is handicapped accessible and the guys basically live on their own, but there are nurses and doctors in attendance and they have their daily therapies. It prepares the patients to live independently when they are discharged. We are looking forward to seeing what the apartment looks like. It is a wonderful concept and although the program is new, it is staffed by folks with lots of experience in transitional programs, so our hope is that it will be beneficial to all.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

2008-09-04T17:01:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been more than a week since the last blog, and again, I'm sorry that I have been a little lax in writing. It has been a busy week with early mornings and tired evenings.

Mark continues to do better each day, but they have now added a back brace into the therapy again. Mark was not happy about this at all. The therapists felt that he needs to be straighter and that the brace was the final last resort. His back healed with a curve which we are told is common. On top of that the muscles on his right side are more toned than on the left and need to be stretched. It is a bit more comfortable (or as Mark says, more tolerable, it's never comfortable) than the old brace was, but he hates it none the less. When you add this to the new foot/ankle brace and knee brace, he feels a bit overwhelmed.

He and I had a pleasant weekend and were able to go shopping for some new sport sandals which are sturdy enough for him to transfer in, a new iPod, and an alarm clock to plug it into. He has been dressing himself in the morning and getting to therapies on his own.

Yesterday we enjoyed an outing to Sand Key where we were treated to a picnic by an avid fisherman, who had gone out early and caught grouper. There were three fish totalling 20 pounds, and they were stuffed with vegetables and grilled whole. Then they were cut up and we enjoyed the most delicious fish we ever tasted. It was fun for all those that went, and although it was HOT it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Now we are just waiting to see if hurricane Ike arrives in Florida next week. Hopefully, it will skirt around Florida and Tampa in particular!

PROGRAMMING NOTE, August 27, 2008

2008-08-27T12:29:00.009-04:00

For those of you in Cleveland, Channel 5 (WEWS) will be running a story on Mark's rehab tonight between 5 and 6:30. This has most of the footage that the Tampa station ran last week.

We will be adding the link if it is posted on the WEWS website. In the meantime, you can see the Tampa story with Mark at the link below.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=10381@wfts.dayport.com

Okay, we now have the link to the NewsNet5 story, although there is no video. Hopefully, it will be added at a later date like the Tampa story, but we aren't sure. Here is the link for the print story on Mark.

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/17316395/detail.html#

We will keep you informed when the VA program will be available on line in a couple of months.

Here is the video from NewsNet5 in Cleveland:

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

2008-08-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful day today with a visit from my brother Robert and sister-in-law Vi-Ella. Mark was so happy to see them and vice versa. They arrived this morning and were able to have a good visit with Mark over lunch and got to see him in pool therapy this afternoon. He was so proud to walk in the water for them and they were even more proud of him. We enjoyed a great dinner out and that even pleased Mark more since it was a "school night"!

Friday, August 22, 2008

2008-08-22T19:52:00.002-04:00

WOW!!! I can't believe it has been a whole week since I posted an update. Sorry about that to those of you who wait with bated breath to read about our life here in Tampa. It was a rather interesting week, and each night I would get back to the room and pack it in.

Anyway, we really enjoyed having Richard here for four days. We had a quiet weekend hanging around and enjoying lunches out. Mark amazed him by getting in and out of the car easily. We were able to have our family meeting with the rehab team on Monday and it was a very productive meeting. Mark participated well with questions and comments. It was decided to aim for October for him to move into transition and that was fine with us. We really did not want him pushed. The new building should be open then and that will make the move more beneficial since the patients are then in an apartment setting.

He is definitely making huge strides as far as his independence is concerned. He rarely uses a slide board for transfers and now stands and pivots from his wheelchair to the bed or another chair if he wants to. He now dresses himself either in bed or sitting on the side of it. He still needs some aid in getting to the shower, but showers himself once he's there.

Everyone is really pleased with his progress and he was interviewed by the local ABC affiliate here in Tampa as part of a story on the new Spinal Cord Injury unit and the Lokomat. They are going to send the video to Cleveland's ABC station and hopefully those of you there will see it. Unfortunately, we missed the piece this evening because we were held up in ENT where they were trying to get packed up wax out of Mark's ear!! Fortunately, my cousin taped the segment and we will see it eventually. I checked their website and, as of this evening, the video was not posted, only a written version. If the video does show up, I will provide the link so that you may watch if you like.

For anyone wondering about Fay, she's still around. Today was the day we had the most rain and wind, but not very much considering the storm has scooted all around us. However, it did cancel Mark's trip to the golf course today, so that meant the usual therapy routine. We were very fortunate, but we had all kinds of instructions about moving into the hospital if we were in the path and if Fay had become a hurricane. All that seemed to happen is the fire alarm going off again!!

All our best to everyone out there reading about our life here in Florida. We promise to be a little more diligent from hereon.

Friday, August 15, 2008

2008-08-15T21:14:00.004-04:00

The last couple of days have been exhausting!! Mark will be the subject, along with the Lokomat, on a segment of The American Veteran which is an informational program produced by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is broadcast over the Internet on the VA website and also on the Pentagon Channel which is carried by some cable services.

They wanted to do a feature on the Lokomat and how it improves the rehab of poly trauma patients. They chose Mark to use as the example. He was filmed with Dr. Scott who is the director, the therapists, and both he and I were interviewed. All of this took place yesterday, in between his usual therapies. Our day started at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. Then I went to the airport at 10 p.m. to pick up Richard for his visit.

Today we were at it again. But this time we were woken at 4 a.m. when the fire alarm at the Fisher House went off. We all had to leave the house and stand outside in our jammies. I never really fell back to sleep, but got up again at 6 a.m. when the darn thing started screaming again. No one went outside this time. It is our understanding that it went off again at 8:30, but by that time we were into the filming of our Lokomat session. We started with that about 7 a.m. and went until 9. Whew! Mark had decided he wanted nothing more to do with television production and then was asked by the Public Relations officer here to do a segment with the local ABC station on the Lokomat on Wednesday in conjunction with the opening of the new Spinal Cord Injury wing here at the hospital. He agreed.

We will keep you all apprised of when the shows air and the links will be put here on the blog.

Rich was amazed to see the vast improvement in Mark since he was here last. They were able to go to the driving range at the golf course after the shoot, but unfortunately were cut short by rain. Rich was able to get a couple of photos of Mark in the adaptive cart. Unfortunately, there was a glitch in the equipment and it did not stand him up completely, but that didn't keep him from hitting the ball. We all enjoyed a dinner out tonight and hung out watching the Olympics.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

2008-08-13T20:51:00.003-04:00

We have had a very busy few days. Mark's friend PJ and his dad have visited each day and on Monday, we had a little "hurry back" dinner for Jess. We invited our entire Fisher House family and really enjoyed the evening. The boys even taught AJ how to eat whipped cream from a can, much to his delight!!!!

Mark was given Tuesday morning off from therapy so he could come with me to take Jess to the airport for her long trip back. We were able to check her in and enjoy a nice breakfast together. It was hard to say good bye but we know she will be back shortly. We heard from her today that she had arrived safely after a very long flight.

Last evening Mark, along with PJ, Pete, and the rest of the group in Mark's unit were entertained by a very talented young singer/songwriter who came to play for the guys. It was good to see the reactions of the young men still in emerging comas, as well as the ones who could sing along.

Today, Mark started the day early as usual and went through his regular therapy routine. PJ and Peter Sullivan were able to see Mark on the Lokomat and got to watch him walk in the parallel bars before they had to head to the airport and home. Then we were delighted to have visitors this afternoon. One of our Peter's elementary school teachers, Barb Zimmerman and her husband, came down from The Villages, which is just north of here. It was very good to see her and Mark enjoyed the time with them very much.

Barb brought cards that her students made at the end of the year for Mark and a t-shirt from his old middle school. She also brought a very special token from one of Mark's high school teachers, Joanne Pusti. Mrs. Pusti had given Mark a pocket angel coin when he left for Iraq, with instructions that he had to bring it back to her in person. He did just that. Today, Barb delivered that angel back to Mark with the same instructions from "the Pustinator". He has to walk back into her classroom to return it. He promised he would, and I am sure he will keep that promise.

Keep the door open Mrs. P!!!!!!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

2008-08-10T21:54:00.007-04:00

Well, as many of you may have realized, it was nine months since Mark's crash and seven months that we have been down here in Tampa. Again, it is hard to believe. But believe me when I say the months here have been worth it. He is doing beautifully.

Friday, after his Lokomat therapy, he went to his weekly golf date. This time Jess accompanied him and he was happy to show off for her. I am told he was "awesome" and did very well hitting the ball and putting. He was able to get into the golf cart himself, and drive it as well. Then when he went to hit the ball, he just pushed the button which takes his seat up to a standing position and swings!

Saturday saw pool therapy and then we hung out at the house for a while. We decided to go to Outback for dinner since we had not taken Jess there and wanted to before she leaves for home on Tuesday. When we arrived at the restaurant, we got a phone call from Mark's best friend, PJ and his dad Pete. They had arrived in Tampa earlier than they thought and had just gotten to their hotel. They jumped back in the car and met us for dinner. We had a wonderful time and the guys were so glad to see each other.

Today was a quiet day with Mark on the computer and Jess getting ready to leave. PJ and his dad had a golf day and then joined us at the Fisher House and we went out for dinner again with all the same results as Saturday night. It was a great weekend.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

2008-08-06T18:05:00.002-04:00

Again, we had another very productive day. It started with the Lokomat, and a fitting for a special shoe for Mark. They want him to actually walk with the robotics and weight bear rather than air walk. Since his right leg is still slightly bent and his right heel does not strike the treadmill, they are going to fashion a shoe with an elevated heel. This will add in stretching the hamstring further, and as a result, it will allow the foot to make a ninety-degree angle at the ankle like it should. So prosthetics came in and handled the fitting.

Then during PT his DynaSplint was refitted and he was measured for some modifications to his wheelchair. He was also fitted for a DynaSplint for his foot to help aid in the aforementioned alignment of the foot and ankle. It was a morning of refits all around.

Since Mark's pelvic and back fractures and the existing muscle tone have left him somewhat out of alignment, he is going to be examined by Dr. Scott who is the director of the Poly Trauma Unit. He is not only the authority on TBI but also an expert in sports medicine and they are looking to him to advise on treatment and exercises to correct the problem.

We also had a visit today from my aunt and cousin which we enjoyed thoroughly. They had not seen Mark in many weeks and were absolutely amazed at the difference. They were able to watch his OT treatment and we so happy to see him working out his upper body, not mention propelling himself around the floor, and the amount of muscle he has begun to develop.

All in all, it was a very satisfying day.

Monday, August 4, 2008

2008-08-04T19:21:00.001-04:00

Well, today Mark had a wonderful day. His session on the Lokomat went very well even though the machine stopped for no reason and Mark was left hanging in the air like a pinata (as he calls himself). And again, he took to the parallel bars after the Loko session and walked back and forth three times, rested a bit and then did it again twice.

As for the rest of the day, he made the rounds of all the therapists and this afternoon attended the promotion ceremony for our friend Anthony C. Thompson, Sr. Anthony is a Naval medical corpsman who was seriously wounded in Iraq in April 2007. Anthony's wife and son, Ivonne and AJ, who I have spoken about many times, live with us at Fisher House. Their family members were here as well as many military men, including the corpsman who is credited with saving Anthony's life when the bridge he and his Marines were patrolling was blown up by a suicide bomber. The Navy saw fit to promote Anthony, even though he is unable to take the necessary tests usually required for promotion. It was a very moving ceremony and I did not make it through with dry eyes. For that matter, most people didn't.

One of the best presentations of the afternoon was to our little (note the possessive "our") AJ. He was officially made an honorary Department of Veterans Affairs employee and was given his very own ID name tag, with photo. He is now the President of the Smile Squad by the Office of the Director. We are sure a couple of rules were bent for this presentation, but he loves the name tag and chewed on it the rest of the afternoon!!!

To see news coverage of our dear friends, go to the following link:

http://www.wfla.com/

Friday, August 1, 2008

2008-08-01T18:42:00.002-04:00

We have had a busy few days. Mark goes from therapy to therapy just about all day long, starting from 8 a.m and ending at 3 p.m. usually. He is up and dressed by 7 a.m and works his way from room to room until about Noon, has lunch, a quick nap and back at it again at 2 p.m.

Today he had his usual Lokomat therapy at 8 a.m. and then walked in the parallel bars and again, it was better than anything previously done. He had a golf "outing" again this morning and did much better than last week. He really is enjoying this and it should be a regular Friday morning event.

Jess and I took advantage of Mark's outing to take a day off and go do "girlie" things. We wound up having a good time during our mental health day. A weekday away from the hospital is good for us and for Mark. Now that he can get himself to his appointments helps tremendously.

Hopefully, tomorrow and Sunday will be fun days and drier. It has been raining here a lot every day and last weekend we had to dodge a tremendous amount of water the whole weekend.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

2008-07-29T21:27:00.002-04:00

Here is the promised photo of Mark on the Lokomat. He will do this for 60 minutes three times a week. The premise is that by simulating the exact walking motion (done correctly), the brain rewires exactly how to do it. Interestingly enough, when Mark got off the machine and was put on the parallel bars, without a harness, he walked better than he ever had. Now there was some dragging and it was extremely awkward, but it was decidedly better than anything he had done previously. And this was after only one 45 minute session. He will use the Lokomat again tomorrow and then the parallel bars.

Today he did five laps back and forth across the pool. He did three, then they stretched his legs and pelvis, then he did two more laps. They felt he walked better in the pool than he has before as well. These are obviously steps in the right direction (pun intended).

Saturday, July 26, 2008

2008-07-26T16:01:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone! The last couple of days have been very productive. Mark is moving along in therapy and we are amazed at the improvement each day.

On Thursday, he was standing in PT and managed to get himself up with hardly any aid and without a walker. On Friday, he did the same, but added a little "dance" move when the CD player blared out "Shout". His OT was happy that he put his hands up to shout.

Friday saw Mark off on a golf outing. He went to the driving range again and did very well with the help of some adaptive lessons from the pro. He was also shown how to putt from the wheelchair. Then it was off to Taco Bell for some fast lunch before coming back to the hospital with the rec therapist. He was able to squeeze in a couple of short naps so that he would be ready for the Brooks and Dunn concert on Friday night. For those of you who are not country music fans, Brooks and Dunn are country music! The included photo is of Mark at the concert. A group of us went and we had a great time, despite the rainy weather at the beginning of the evening.

Today we had lunch out after pool therapy and were joined by one of the rec therapists, as well as JT and Chris, Mark's roommate and his mom. We were all amazed when Mark finished an enormous taco salad at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

2008-07-23T18:20:00.004-04:00

Things here have been going very well. Mark continues to work hard at all his therapies and the hard work is paying off. He would love to see results faster, but I think he understands that he has to persevere for a while yet.

Today, he spent his first half hour on the Lokomat which is a robotic treadmill that mimics the exact walking gait he should have. By doing this mechanically, it etches the pattern of walking in the brain so that he will have a proper gait (hopefully) when he is walking on his own. It also stretches the muscles in the legs and hips where he is overly tight. All in all it is a wonderful piece of equipment. There are only two of these in the country and we are fortunate to have one here. He will be using it three times a week and we will post photos. Here is a link to the company's website for those of you who would like to see what it is like:

http://www.hocoma.ch/web/en/products/features_functions_lokomat.html

Mark also had some additional neuro-psychology tests today. They are trying to track his progress in the cognitive areas. He did very, very well. Last month, he was able to get 50 percent of the questions, tasks right. Today he was able to get 90 percent correct. They had to take him off the Aricept because that was what was making him nauseous as well as losing his appetite. They put him on a drug for attention instead and he feels better and the results are good. Hopefully, they will continue, but the doctors are very happy and so are we.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

2008-07-19T16:25:00.002-04:00

It has been a busy week here with the usual therapies and lots of work on Mark's part. He is such a cooperative patient (surprise to those of you who know his pre-accident crabby side!)

This week saw him transferring himself from the bed to the wheelchair and vice-versa via his slide board. For those who are PT-naive, basically, the slide board is a wooden (or plastic) plank that he wedges under one of his lower cheeks and it extends to the surface he wants to transfer to. He then uses his arms and upper body to scoot himself over to the other side. One of us stands in front of him for protection, but he does the maneuver himself with minimal assistance, if any. Last night, the rec therapists were showing a movie in the family room and Mark decided it was time to sit and watch it from a recliner. Soooo, he maneuvered his chair, got his board, and with a little help, parked himself in a Laz-E-Boy. He was very happy to be there!

Today we went out to lunch with one of the rec therapists with the intention of checking out the local YMCA which has offered free memberships to the Fisher families. Unfortunately, when we were leaving the restaurant the ramp in the government van chose not to work and our favorite therapist had to go back to the hospital and switch it for another. We just sat in the restaurant a while longer and they very nicely gave Mark a cannoli for the road! We decided that we would just head back to the hospital since Mark decided he wanted a nap! Nothing like resting up for dinner and dessert!

One of the pieces of medical information that we had this week was not the greatest. They had scheduled a test for Mark to determine whether he suffered any nerve damage to his legs. When we had a consult with the doctor (which was the same doctor who did his Botox injections) he was a little confused about why the test was ordered. He indicated to us that it was evident that Mark did suffer nerve damage, not from the brain injury per se, but from the fractures in his back and the shattered pelvis. He said that had Mark not broken any bones, he would have done the test to determine whether the brain injury caused nerve damage to the legs. However, with the extent of the fractures and where they were, there was no question in his mind that there was damage to the nerves.

This was the first time that it was explained to me that Mark's problem with his legs was not due solely to the brain injury. Since the test is very uncomfortable (electric shocks and needles) Mark chose not to have it. The nerves can regenerate, but only to a point and it should not further hinder is ability to walk, although it may take a while longer than we would like.

I do feel Mark is getting more used to the idea of the wheelchair and he is propelling himself better each day. I think if he gets himself independent with the use of the chair, it will do a lot for his self-esteem and then he can concentrate even more on his walking. The use of his legs in the pool are very good and today the Poly Trauma director, Dr. Scott, came down to see Mark in action. He was very pleased with what he saw and was very encouraged.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

2008-07-16T10:27:00.002-04:00

WHEW!!!! After the last eight months and all the trials and tribulations, I did it---made it through my 60th birthday!!! It was a good day yesterday, with a very nice surprise party here at the hospital. The family group social worker/psychologist arranged for a huge cake and everyone attended; nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, families, and patients. I enjoyed myself tremendously. Then Mark, Jess and I went out to dinner with our Fisher House family and we had a good time all over again. We missed Rich, Pete and Deb, but it was great to have so many good new friends to share the day with. I want to thank all of you who sent cards, messages, emails, etc. I was overwhelmed. Sorry I haven't yet been able to get back to all of you that I missed during the day, but I will get to you sooner or later, I promise.

Today Mark had a "therapy" outing for most of the day. The rec, speech, and physical therapists took a group of the patients to a nearby mall for the day. They took family members as well, but they were encouraged to go off on their own and let the therapists evaluate the guys mingling with the population in the mall on their own. Mark did well, but was exhausted when he got back. Jess went with him and I went off on my own to visit my good friend, Olga, who wanted to celebrate my birthday with me and then had dinner with my aunt, Norma, who lives in the same town as Olga.

All in all, it was a busy two days, and a fun break in the regular weekday routine.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

2008-07-13T17:06:00.002-04:00

Okay, so we learned how to do car transfers on Friday and we did really well. Fortunately, Mark does most of the work, I just guide him and create a barrier so he won't fall. Jim, the PT, was quite surprised at how well Mark managed it, since my car seat is a bit higher than the wheelchair.

Then we were on our own. Saturday, after pool therapy, we held our breath and headed toward the parking lot. Our first transfer into the car worked well, and it was off to the mall. We managed to get Mark out of the car smoothly as well. There we had a wonderful big lunch and did some shopping. Mark and Jess went their way and I went mine. I felt a little lost without my sidekicks, but we met up in time for some gelato. Then it was back to the car and our third transfer. Again all went well, as it did when we got back to the house. Boy, did I give a sigh of relief. The only drawbacks are that we do not yet have a handicap plaque for the car so we have to pull up in front of the store, do the transfer and then I have to go park. Or we pull into a handicap spot, do the transfer and then move. Then we have to disconnect the backrest on the wheelchair, take off the cushion (both of which do not fold) and then fold the wheelchair and put it in the car. Then reverse the procedure. Whew!!

Today, we were more confident, but had a little harder time with the first transfer than we did yesterday because we didn't allow enough room for me in front of Mark. We managed okay, and the other transfers into and out of a restaurant and then into and out of Wal-Mart and home went just fine. By the time we were getting the chair in the car at the restaurant, Jess and I were all over the folding bit and just took the footrests off the chair and chucked the whole thing into the back of the car without folding it.

For a very rapidly approaching "old hen" I did quite well in the strength department but I must say I slept very well last night and figure I will again tonight!

Please wish us luck tomorrow. The Undersecretary of Defense and a fact-finding committee are coming to the hospital to discuss the Poly Trauma Unit with the patients and families. They want to hear our concerns and suggestions. We have gotten together to make a list of issues we would like to see improved, etc. and will be meeting with them for several hours. We will let you know how we make out.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

2008-07-10T11:39:00.005-04:00

Sorry that it's been several days since the last posting, but the days seem to be getting away from me. It is a little like living in some kind of time warp over the last eight months. Can you imagine, it's eight months since the accident (or as Mark likes to say, his "incident with gravity").

Mark is doing very well, although his new schedule of getting up earlier than 8:30 a.m has him a little cranky (surprise, he's returning to normal)! Anyway, he just has to get his day started earlier, eat breakfast in the day room and get to PT at 9 am by himself. Of course, the first day, he checked his PDA and went to the craft room and started painting, instead of going to PT. The schedule had changed and he hadn't changed his day timer. The therapist and I had to go looking for him after he hadn't gotten to her by 9:15!

Pool therapy is going very well. On Tuesday, he used the new braces again, and walked about 80 feet. The regular therapist was away last week at a conference and hadn't seen him do this, so she was absolutely delighted. It was by far his best effort. He did this again today and again did very well.

He also has gloves now, and with them, can propel his chair much more easily. Although I must say his problem solving skills are very good and he does use his left leg a bit and the handrails on the walls to get places more quickly. One of the new nurses escorted him to the pool this afternoon, and was instructed not to let him cheat with the railings! He did fine.

Tomorrow the physical therapist is going to train us how to get him in and out of my car. Keep your fingers crossed that I can handle this. It will be much better, since we will have the use of my car all the time and won't have to rely on the van. Hopefully, this old gal will be able to master the technique.

This evening saw yet another patient get discharged and move out of the room Mark is in. Since both of us have had our fill of revolving roommates, one of the other Moms and I went to the nursing administrator and asked that our sons be moved in together. She agreed, so Mark's new roommate is JT who I believe I have mentioned in older posts. His mom Chris lives here at the Fisher House and is part of our little "family". It made perfect sense since we have both been here since January and will be here for some time yet. We do things together and it sure beats having a different roommate every two weeks or so. JT, like Mark, and more so, is not able to get up and around and they usually have the same nurses. Having them together looks like it will work out very nicely.

We'll keep ya posted!!!!!!!!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

2008-07-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone! It's been a fun weekend here. We left off with us going to see fireworks on the 4th in the breezeway at the hospital. It is a second story cross walk across the main road where the hospital is located to the medical buildings at the University of South Florida across the street. Makes it easy for staff and patients to go back and forth. There are tables and chairs on our side and people eat their lunch there, etc. Well, we all decided that was the place to watch the fireworks from Busch Gardens which is just down the road. A group of us went and found the automatic doors not operating.

When we called down to the administration desk, we were told that the doors would remain locked and that we were not allowed out there. We asked for an escort, but they wouldn't comply. Two of our "walkie-talkie" soldiers (as we like to refer to those guys well enough to get around) said they went out there all the time after hours and were able to open the door. So, our group of long timers and families (about 20 of us) got ourselves settled and watched firework displays all along the horizon, not just from Busch, but from many of the surrounding communities as well. It was wonderful, especially for the kids. We have two new little boys staying here with us and their dad is new to our ward, and we had the niece and nephew of one of our soldiers, who were visiting for the weekend with their parents. At about the end of the displays, one of the VA police came up and strolled around and then told us we had to leave. Some of the group were a bit disgruntled with him, but I went over to him (ever the peacemaker that I am) and thanked him for waiting until the displays were finished. He shrugged and said he had tried to hold out as long as possible, but he was required to follow the rules even if he didn't agree with them. Thankfully, we were able to see some very nice displays and the day ended well.

Yesterday, Mark, Jess and I went out for lunch and a trip to the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs. Tarpon Springs is a beautiful old community on the Gulf and was settled by Greek sponge divers over a hundred year ago. It has antique shops and Victorian houses along the inlets and estuaries. It is very picturesque. We walked up and down among the touristy shops on the docks and when it got too warm we got back in the van and tooled around the nice neighborhoods before coming home. We were going to go out to dinner in Ybor City, which is the Cuban part of Tampa, with our "family" group, but Mark was very tired and so Jess went along with them alone. Mark and I stayed back, had dinner and watched the Yankees (okay, okay) with a new patient and his family who are from New Jersey. At least they beat the Red Sox, so everyone was happy.

Today, the Tampa chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America hosted a cookout for the patients and families staying here at Fisher House. It was a wonderful lunch of hot dogs, hamburgers and all the trimmings. That is until the storms rolled in. Currently, we are waiting for them to pass and then we are off to see Wall-E, which Mark is looking forward to very much.

Hope all of you enjoyed your three day respite, since as Mark says, "It's back to work tomorrow."

Friday, July 4, 2008

2008-07-04T20:34:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! We hope all of you are having a great Fourth. We have had a rather quiet day here. There was a group who came in from Central Command (for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan) and served up barbecue, but Mark had a different plan in mind. I took him to the supermarket this morning for some supplies and he decided he wanted prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches for lunch. When I mentioned that they were not exactly all-American fare for the fourth, he commented that Columbus was Italian. Couldn't argue.

We have just kind of hung around the house today with our group of friends and their husbands/children. We have a new guest in the house and she decided to bake, so we also had lots of delicious oatmeal bars and sweet rolls. We will be heading up to the second floor breezeway here at the hospital to watch the fireworks from Busch Gardens, which is just down the road from us. That is if the good Lord doesn't put on his own show first, which is looking very likely.

Mark had a very interesting pool therapy yesterday. He was fitted on Wednesday with plastic braces for his legs which extend under his foot. We then put water shoes on over the brace and he was "walking" in the pool with weights on his ankles and holding on to a floating frame. He did really well. Naturally, the left leg did a little better, but the therapists were very happy with the result. They will have him use these every time he has pool now.

We do have a van this weekend and are planning to go out and about tomorrow and Sunday. Today was a little too warm for Mark to be outside for any extended length and tomorrow is supposed to be a little cooler. We thought we would head for the water again. Sunday we plan to see a movie. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

2008-07-01T19:37:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone! It's been a few days more or less, but I am back now after a brief week at home. It was good to sleep in my own bed and sit in my favorite chair. Mark and Jess did beautifully in my absence, but they seemed glad to have me back today.

They went to the Army Ball on Saturday night and had a ball! They enjoyed themselves very much. They said the food was delicious and they had lots of fun with our new friends and "family" here. Everyone who went, looked absolutely fabulous in their fancy dresses and tuxedos, but more importantly everyone had a great time.

I noticed changes in Mark after a week away. He gets from the wheelchair to the mat in therapy and is sitting very well. He now has a new physical therapist named Jim, as it was time for Lindsay to rotate out of the Poly Trauma unit. Mark likes him and sometimes a change is good for the progress. The therapists have to rotate around the entire hospital in six month increments and Lindsay had actually been on this rotation for a year. We'll keep you posted on the progress!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

2008-06-26T21:06:00.002-04:00

Today this note is second hand. I have taken a short leave and am back in Cleveland for a few days. We are keeping in touch with Mark and Jess by phone and are happy with the news from Florida.

Mark had additional neuropsychology tests again yesterday. I had noticed an improvement in his short term memory since he started taking the Aricept and so had the speech pathologist, however, she was concerned we were being subjective. The doctor suggested that they run some of the tests again to see where he stood. They were absolutely amazed at the progress in a month and I do believe that it has to do with the drug. He did far better than anyone expected in such a short time. They normally would not have done the repeat tests for another four months, so this was very good news.

Today he went on an outing to Grand Prix which he equated to a Chuckie Cheese for grown ups! (Kind of like Dave and Buster's here in Cleveland.) He had a good time, but again had a bad bout of queasiness. The rec therapist (like I) suggested that perhaps he has been suffering with allergies, since again, this was accompanied by a very runny nose. The doctor agreed with her and they are starting him on Zyrtec which helps both the allergies and the nausea. Those of you who know me (and my history with allergens) will realize that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Hopefully, this will work.

He is especially anxious for an end to the nausea since this Saturday is the Army ball and he doesn't want to have something like this spoil the fun. The patients and the families have all been invited and it is supposed to be quite the event. We did sent his blue dress uniform down for him to wear and those without uniforms are having tuxedos provided by a local firm. All of the women have been getting new outfits to wear. I will be missing this event, but I didn't know about the dance until after my arrangements to come home had been made. Mark's nurse is going with the group to watch after the patients. She was thrilled to be "Cinderella" and had to call and tell me she was going. Jess will be sending photos and we will post them as soon as we have them! Stay tuned!!

Monday, June 23, 2008

2008-06-23T21:20:00.002-04:00

We had a quiet few days. On Friday, Mark had additional Botox injections in his right leg. Then he went off on an golf outing. Actually, they stayed at the driving range at the course, but that didn't matter a bit to Mark, he enjoyed every minute. He was in a special cart that moves upward and has him standing to swing the club. He said he didn't do any worse than he did when he played before the accident, so he considered it a vast improvement!

Unfortunately, when he got back, he felt sick and "threw a chucka" as our girl from Oz calls it. He was feeling rather poorly for the rest of the day and Saturday as well. They were (and still are) not quite sure what caused the queasiness, but there was some discussion that it was perhaps the Botox injections. He felt fine yesterday and ate well although we were forced inside again because of torrential thunderstorms most of the day.

Today, he was doing well again this morning and then had an episode of queasiness again. They gave him some medication and he slept a good part of the afternoon. After that, he was fine again. They do believe now that it is a virus of some kind because several other patients have developed the same symptoms. His appetite was great tonight because I brought food in and he ate a lot without any problems. Hopefully, this will be the end of it.

He was able to have his morning PT and did very well transferring from his bed to his chair and from the chair to the mat in the therapy clinic. He is getting stronger and better at this every day and today actually took a couple of steps to get to the chair which was a little farther away than it usually is when we transfer him. It was great to see him initiate these couple of steps on his own. The new brace has really made an improvement in his leg with no pain associated with it. Hopefully, with the additional Botox and the strength building, we will continue to see such good results.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

2008-06-19T21:34:00.002-04:00

Sorry that it's been a couple of days since the last update, but as things get better, there is less new news to write about. Mark had another good day, although he was a bit grouchy during his morning PT. They had him on a tilt table and he was not given pain medication prior to the session so he was a bit irritated. Nonetheless, he did very well. He was able to be distracted by the OT with her exercises and tasks, but he did have ankle pain as well as his right knee. They feel the ankle hurts because they really haven't been used much until recently. Everything needs to get used to working again.

One of the brighter sides to his morning session was that he got to see one of the other patients from the floor on a bicycle. It was a recumbent bicycle and they were teaching him how to use it for an outing. This Air Force staff sergeant has been here about a year in the spinal cord injury program and we got to know him through some of our outings. Now he is on Mark's floor because he has been put into the Transitional Program, which teaches them to be totally independent. After we were impressed by his riding ability, he showed us how he is walking. It was so good to see him with just a walker. He then told Mark that it had taken a year, and he had absolutely hated the tilt table like Mark was on, but in the end it was all worth it. I was very happy that Mark saw all of this and heard this young airman's opinion about the therapy.

Mark, too, has been accepted to proceed into the Transitional Program with a target date of August 1. We are hoping that he will be independent enough by then to be a part of the program, but the date is still flexible. He was delighted that he can be a part of this because he has seen others "graduate" and move on. The progress they make in this program is amazing and he is looking forward to cooking his own meals again as soon as their new apartments are ready here on the site. They are expected to be finished and open by September 1st.

Tomorrow he is looking forward to playing golf. They are having a joint outing with the transitional patients in the morning. They go to a golf course near here and use specially outfitted carts that allow wheelchair patients to drive and play from the cart. I will fill everyone in on the details tomorrow. Til then, ciao!!

Monday, June 16, 2008

2008-06-16T17:57:00.002-04:00

Well, we had a quiet weekend without the van. Mark had pool therapy on Saturday and then we enjoyed a cookout here at the hospital with the others. The guys jumped in and helped cook the burgers and dogs. It was fun and with the addition of fans in the picnic pavilion, not too hot.

After church yesterday, Mark and Jess went to the movies with Rec Therapy and a couple of the other patients. I took the opportunity to take a friend out for a birthday lunch.

Naturally, today was back to work. Mark stood in the standing frame in his morning PT and did very well. Then, this afternoon he used the recumbent stepper and stood at the parallel bars. He did very well with both. He still has an issue with his pelvis being twisted. This is mainly due to the tight muscle tone in the hips. Once he is cleared to have Botox again, this area may be addressed. The new splint on the right leg is working well. There is noted improvement since it was put on almost two weeks ago. It will be readjusted this week and then every week from here on in. When he is laying down in bed, his left leg is laying out straight and the right is only bent up about 25 degrees. All of the components; therapy, splint, medication are finally working together and it really seems to be helping.