Thursday, August 27, 2009

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.