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
See Ya Later
Monday, December 28, 2009
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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
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
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
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
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
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.