Hey!
I want to apologize I know
I promised an update last weekend and totally forgot!
Eyes: This Thursday Cory
will be having another surgery. Since his last graft failed and has
just kinda be floating on top of the damaged area of the cornea they
are deciding to put a more permanent patch taken from his own eye.
(the white part) apparently they last longer then donor patches
because its part of your own eye. Then hopefully it will hold until
the middle of July. In July they plan to try to do everything to his
eyes at once. It is possible to take the oil out, do cornea
transplants, and put new lenses in as well to both eyes. They will
try anyway but there is no guarantee that they will be able to do all
of it at once. So lets make some prayers they can and it all goes
well please! I know I will be a hot mess during that operation that's
for sure. His right eye is continuing to improve greatly on its own!
The fact that he can make things out up close with his glasses gives
me big hope for when they finish all the surgeries in that eye. Thank
you Dr. L for saying what the heck and trying to save that eye even
when most doctors would not have even tried and just removed it.
That's his good eye now!
#BLESSED
Right Arm: He is gaining
strength in it again and was cleared to bear weight. Which he was
doing anyway because he is impatient! He has a lot of scaring from
burns and shrapnel. Some of the debris in starting to come up and out
and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.
Right Nubby: is still
healing. There is one gooey spot where some random blue sutures are
coming up and out. There is also one spot that is kinda torn that is
healing as well as some various spots they call over growth that
kinda blisters. For the “blister” spots they normally use silver
nitrate to kinda cauterize the spot and they it ends up scabbing and
healing. Once it finally heals they will be able to get a liner on it
like the left one and cast it for a prosthetic. Until then we just
continue to use shrinkers and go down in size.
Left Nubby: is doing
FANTASTIC! It is shrinking in size the way it suppose to. He bears
weight like a champ! He is able to stand for longer amounts of time
and balance so well now. He can also do 2 laps using a rolling
walker! He has shrinked so well that they ordered a new liner and
once that gets in they will have to recast him and get him a new
socket for his prosthetic. He also figured out and learned that his
pesky knee pain he has had in his Military career for so many years
is in fact runners knee however the way the Army deals with the care
of it is improper. Instead of giving him Neproxin and telling him it
will go away. They should have showed him how to massage and foam
roll it out and various stretches. Eventually after a lot of hard
work we will be able to get his knee back to good as new. So if you
have been told you have runners knee please seek a professional away
from base who actually cares about the well being on your body and
will help it heal the right way!
Ears: He has perforated
ear drums in both sides. Hearing loss in both ears but one is worse
then the other. He has to have a CT done and a apt with the ENT, we
were told more then likely he will need surgery on both of them.
C6 spine neck fracture:
You would never know his neck was hurt if it wasn't for the scar on
his neck. He doesn't feel any difference, he just can hold his head
far back fro long amounts of time but then again who can? Lol
Brain Bleed/TBI: His head
looks great and his hair has grown back for the most part. His scars
are really neat looking though and he has a few dips and dents. He
can be a little slow when thinking about what he wants to say
sometimes but other then that seems to be pretty much the same as
before.
Pain: Has been under
control now thankfully. The phantom pain has gone WAY down from what
it was but it is still there. He is off the Dilauded and Norco which
were both of his “given when asked for” pain meds. They are even
coming down off of his Methadone as well! So you could say he is
doing pretty amazing! I am so very proud of him.
PT: In physical therapy
that is when he stands and walks, but also when he does some
exercises and stretching. Now the way one thinks when that is said is
like oh no big deal that's normal stuff but really no its not. Its
painful and not stuff you would do or even know how to do without
proper knowledge. It is super important for him to do these exercises
and stretches to keep from getting contractures. He will have to do
them for the rest of his life if he doesn't want to get stuck in one
position and be able to walk. Without doing them he wouldn't be able
to walk. Very important stuff.
OT: occupational therapy
is a lot of upper body stuff as well as electronics and like every
day life kinds of things like cooking or getting ready or going to
the restroom. He is upping his weight training almost every day in
either set, reps, or weight. He pushes himself in every aspect. He
has made pizza and tuna macaroni salad with little help. He can
transfer to/from the potty on his own. Transfers in/out of the
vehicle with ease. He has learned how to use his new Ipad and Iphone.
The switch was easy considering how much nicer the voice over
functions work and the ease of access for the visually impaired it
is. It's really nice being able to text each other again when we are
apart. Something I thought we would never do again. He still has some
learning to do though he still has some trouble answering and ending
phone calls but we will get there. Its hard listening to the voice
over voice as well as someones voice mail at the same time when
trying to end the call.
SLP: Is the speech lady
but we go to her for more fine tuning and practice in the electronic
department and use of special apps.
RT: is recreational
therapy where he plays games like cards, dominions, Chinese marbles,
head bandz, etc stuff like that as well as group meetings with other
guys on the floor, same for field trips like the one we took to the
zoo.
BROS: is our eye guy who
helps Cory with learning to navigate around and figure out where he
is as well as trying to learn to do everyday things being blind. He
also works on reading up close etc.
Psych: He talks about his
personal stuff ad things that may bother him as well as ways to cope
and deal with various things.
Family Psych: We both do
the same together like above.
All the teams co-team with
each other and work together to give him the best care.
We LOVE the Polytrauma.
We can never thank Dr.
Eapen, Dr. Wilson, Dr. Escamilla, Julie, Estaban, Becky, Gabby,
Veronica, Stephanie, and all the Nurses and staff here at Polytrauma
enough for everything they have done for us!
Today in our 2nd
session in PT Cory is suppose to be getting his NEW wheelchair!
Can't wait!
We can take weekend passes
now and will continue to do so!
He does amazing on them
and the only problems we have is getting up and down a couple of
small stairs at my sisters. The ramps I brought don't freaking work
:( So I need to get something else.
Dr. G at the CFI is eager
to get Cory over there and in outpatient status.
However we still have a
bunch to learn I think and I am not very sure we are just ready for
that.
Maybe in a month or two?
Not to mention if they can
let us stay at the fisher house there or not.
It looks like we will be
staying at my sisters which would mean lots of driving and struggling
to get him into the bathroom and up n down the stairs.
You would think they could
find us free lodging. I mean the Army did blow up my husband!
It's the least they could
make sure they do is accommodate us.
It's not like we still
don't have bills and a house to pay for back home.
Not to mention children
and fur-kids to accommodate.
We just simply can not
afford for them to snatch our BAH for their family barracks.
So I am stressed about
that as well as things I can't/wont talk about online.
Just a bunch of things I
shouldn't have to be stressed about.
We are ready to be home
already but have so much more to go.
It feels like a never
ending road.
I know that getting
medically retired will take even more time to do then his actual
rehab.
I am just wondering how
long we will be here and if anyone could give us a time frame!
I am just going to assume
it will be 2 years because that's how long he has left on his
contract.
If its less then that then
I will be pleasantly pleased!
We miss HOME.
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