Update Time!
I'll start from head to toe or lack there of! haha
TBI/Headaches: TBI left no actual damage to his brain thank god and he has been cleared from the TBI clinic. He still suffers from headaches daily but they aren't nearly as bad as they use to be.
PTSD: We are both learning better ways to cope with life and what types of situations to avoid to keep us from feeling out of whack. Even then we just kind of push through it. We both suffer anxiety something Cory never really experienced till the accident happen. I can read him like a book and can tell if I need to change something or do something different. For example placement of where he is sat and if anyone's bumping into his wheelchair. Things that really help is having his back towards a wall and wearing his hearing aid. Things that help me is calling ahead and finding out to make sure access is available for wheelchairs. Some places say they do but then turn out to be a little tricky. instances like that put me out of whack. We both look forward to the day where we wont need his chair as often.
Metal/Emoional Health: We love the help we get at the CFI and I think we are both doing ok. Cory rarely complains or gets down. I can honestly only think of one time and that's when we had to start over in his right eye. Even then he was fine the next day saying the dreaded line of "it is what it is". I deff think I'm the one who has more down days. Sometimes I just get sad and miss my home and family. Its not easy this whole new life, but like our PT says its just a blip in time. Deep down I know that. So in the name of Cory "it is what it is" lol dads going to kill us if we keep saying that!
Ears: They are actually kind of doing fantastic. His left surgery to repair his eardrum will be done in March. His right healed up nicely. Tomorrow we get the right hearing aid so he will have one in both ears. They even have blue tooth and can sync to his phone and TV's!
Eyes: oh the complications... We just love Dr. Kim. If he had to leave before all Cory's eye stuff was done I would be distraught. Ophthalmology clinic is like our 2nd home, I joke with them all the time about that. The eye stuff is so complicated I'm just not sure how to break it down properly but I am going to try. Cory is legally blind, the hope when everything is said and done is that he will be the notch before being legally blind. He will NEVER see details again. To be honest that kinda breaks my heart. He will never get to see the men his children grow into and that hurts like a dickens. Right now he is back to seeing movement and light. Lets start with the right eye, which is his best eye. The retina is stable and attached, they have oil in, and he really needs a new cornea. The idea is to remove oil and do a cornea transplant in March after leave. The left eye is not so great. A portion of his optic nerve must have gotten damaged and that's the reasoning for him not being able to see the top 60%. It's just black. After taking some scans today it shows that in the same area his retina is detached as well. Cory couldn't notice because it was black up top for so long. This concerns Dr. Kim because he doesn't want it to detach completely causing all his sight to go even though its only a little. He also needs a cornea transplant. We meet with the cornea doc next week to figure out the plans since leave is around the corner. Dr Kim thinks we will try to do the surgeries in early Jan for the left eye. He will prob get oil again and need another cornea transplant after because of the oil. We prob have another year left of eye surgeries if all goes well we are looking at about 7ish.
Neck Fracture: Totally healed. He did lose a little bit of range of motion but its no biggy.
Heart: He is going to be seen here soon, will keep everyone updated.
Right Forearm Break: or as Cory puts it shattered lol its healed up and is now actually his strong arm! woop woop!
Left Nubby: Healed perfect, no complications, and his prosthetic is starting to feel like his own leg.
Right Nubby: Still has staples in it, but looks to be healing nicely! Cory's not looking forward to when those are removed since its still sensitive. We are so glad we went ahead with that surgery to remove the trauma sutures that were causing problems. Once he is healed he can get back to walking on his prosthetics!
Nutrition: We are both fatties lol and will be starting a new plan after the holidays. Step one is admitting the weight we have both gained. At least Cory has a legit excuse, I however don't!
The Boys: We miss them way to stinking much. It's hard watching babies grow from afar. We are excited to be able to see them both in Feb.! It's the best Alive day present for Cory ever! He is just over the moon about it. Kille has been struggling missing his daddies since Cory is here and his step dad is at basic training but he is doing great in school. Deklen has start to walk already! We miss so much and it sucks.
The Dogs: Excuse me while I get the tissues out. I'm not use to being away from my babies so its a whole other kind of missing from my step kids. It's hard. Like really hard. I cry about it often. Not to sound harsh but I've never been through anything where they weren't there for me to cry on so its kind of difficult being with out them. Pretty soon they will be off to doggy boot camp to get some training while the house is being remodeled. They all did so great when we went home last. They prob think we have forsaken them :(
The House: The approval came through from the VA for the $70,000 grant. The blue prints to make half of the house accessible rang up to $73,400. We are responsible for the $3,400. To finish the rest of the house we were quoted at $15,000. So we are responsible for $18,400. Which really isn't bad at all considering everything they will be doing! We are still fundraising to help cover the costs and any little bit helps. We are still waiting on the papers etc to sign and fax a copy over to the Americas Fund. They will be helping in paying for it as well and when I heard more I will share!
Infertility: Before the accident Cory and I were being seen at Womack's Reproductive endocrinology department also known as the infertility clinic. For the passed 8 years off and on with and without medical intervention I have had no luck becoming pregnant thanks to a lovely disease called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome also known as PCOS. When the accident happen, it put a crimp in our plans and they came to a halt. We have been struggling with and when the right time for us will be to start again and if we could handle all the extra appointments, medications, costs, time, and emotional distress. We decided that we could handle it and that it would be the more financially savvy route as the types of procedures that will be happening will greatly increase once he retires. So the most realistic overall chances will be while he is still active duty when infertility treatment costs are greatly reduced. So there you have it Team Muzzy is trying for a baby Muzzy! <3
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this coming year as it's going to be a wild ride!
xoxo
