Friday, August 7, 2009

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.