Meds

Ronnie's newest drug info sheet.  Makes me wonder sometimes...

Man Cave Makeover

I'm married to a military man.  If that weren't enough, he is an infantry man.  This quite logically means we are prepared for anything; natural disasters, governmental collapse, riots in the streets, and yes even a zombie Apocalypse (another post for another time).  I try my hardest to contain the testosterone in the only room that can handle the intensity; the man cave.  This room was "decorated" by the man himself as I tried my very hardest to let him mark his territory as he saw fit.  Notice I said "tried."  I did try.  Really.  I eventually persuaded him to move the furniture around so it fit the room a little better... but other than that, I pretty much left it alone.  The collections of randomly placed stuff, mixed with military gear, awards, and antiques have morphed into a sort cluttered, dusty, monument to "the good life" (for everyone but the axis buck mounted on the wall I suppose...).

After watching a movie up there one evening, my husband looked around and randomly said he would like to paint the room and make it look nicer.  I admit it.  I saw the opportunity to control the man cave and I took it.

So we struck a deal:  We would paint the man cave if I had full authority to redecorate the room as I saw fit.

The fine print for husband:  All decor must stay as designed for at least two weeks before he can veto it 

AND fine print for wife:  Nothing that is already in the room can leave the room.  

So I began to plot plan.  I had a Monday off and we drove to Ohio to go to IKEA.  I already had a wall shelf and expedite shelf picked out and despite Ronnie's hesitation, he agreed to buy without questioning.  I had another day off on Wednesday so I insisted on painting the room on Tuesday night so I could spend all of Wednesday getting things put together.  (Side note: I HATE lingering projects.  If we were going to do this, we were going to do it ALL NOW.)

The result was a fresh and classy room with creative storage solutions for all the memorabilia my military man could possibly have (for now anyways).  Bonus- Hubby loves it, too!  He said that he had his doubts but he loves the way it turned out.

During the chaos

My New Piece

Ronnie got me a new little hand gun this week!  Isn't it cute?  In a scary kind of way?  Can't wait to get some practice time in at the range.  :-D

A virtual tour

We are all settled into our new place and we have pictures to prove it! Click HERE to see the rest of our pictures via facebook!

Blessings in chaos

My Amazing friend Amy came down for the weekend last weekend to visit us and her hubby who is in bootcamp. Though our apartment was completely in boxes, we had a great time catching up. She even helped me pack a bit! A real friend doesn't mind the mess. :)

April Surgery

Ronnie had surgery on Wednesday, April 25th. It lasted about 5.5 hours and they did quite a bit. They did a total of 5 Z-plasties on his right arm ranging from his shoulder all the way to his elbow. It looks more like one long zig-zag but Ronnie says he can already feel the difference. He also had a scar band excised from his right hand and a full thickness skin graft from his left arm put in its place. Two pins are currently holding his hand open and a large bolster is tied tightly to his palm.

They did not do any work on his torso or leg this time which meant no a slightly shorter hospital stay. He got out this morning and is relaxing on the couch. While his pain is tolerable enough to be discharged, it is by no means gone, so pray that it would continue to diminish.

Our biggest prayer request at this point is for Ronnie's hand. We knew going into the surgery that there was high risk for nerve damage since his hand has been operated on so many times. When he woke up in ICU, he immediately had the doctor called in because he had numbness in his fingers (mainly his pointer). After anesthetics wore off and feeling was still absent, the doctor said that he believes that the bolster is putting pressure on the nerves but there is no way to know if there is damage, permanent or otherwise, or to what extent until the bolster is removed next week. Understandably, this has worried Ronnie a lot as he does not know to what extent his hand will be able to function later in life. I am reassured that the doctors do not anticipate permanent damage, but there is no way to be sure. We know that God is the ultimate healer and we are praying that, whatever the outcome, his grace will be sufficient.

Discharged!

Ronnie was discharged unexpectedly on Thursday evening. We knew he would be getting out within the next few days, but had not spoken to the doctor to find out when. Since then he hasnt had time to slow down. He is feeling pretty well and is continuing to heal up.

Mia was excited to pick Ronnie up at the hospital. She sat on his lap, the whole way home.

Surgery: Part 2

Today, Ronnie had the second half of his surgery that began in January. Back in January, surgeons made incisions in his right hand and right knee and filled them in with Integra®. Today, they took skin grafts from all along his left leg and filled in the open areas. Even though donor sites are quite painful, the results of the surgery should prove to be well worth it as Ronnie should be able to use his right hand more and also walk and bend easier.

Ronnie spent the afternoon in the ICU to get his pain under control. They expected him to only stay for about an hour but the loss of an IV, and the medication subsequently not making it to his blood stream, caused higher than anticipated pain and therefore a longer stay. He was moved out of ICU at about 7pm tonight and called me right away to bring him some dinner. Good to see that his appetite has not suffered! He is getting some rest now and will hopefully not have too much pain tonight as he sleeps. Thank you all for your prayers!

January Surgery: Part 1

Sorry this is coming so late, but the last week has been crazy plus my internet was out.

Ronnie had part one of his surgery on Thursday, January 12th on his right hand and right knee. Even though he was nervous about the surgery, he was excited too. This surgery is the one that could potentially help him turn another corner. It will allow his hand to be even more usable and help his walking to be much less painful, things he is very much looking forward too. On Thursday early afternoon, after the blessing of many friendly visits, Ronnie went into surgery. The surgery took a total of 5 hours, but had good results. In his hand, they made several incisions to open up his palm and allow his thumb to have more movement. They put metal pins into his thumb joints to temporarily hold his hand open. They also did several z-plasties on his fingers and wrist. On his knee, they excised a large portion of chronically open skin on the back of his knee and made a large incision going the whole circumference. The incisions allowed a large release of tension that Dr. L thinks may even help the stretching of his torso. They pinned the skin down and put integra (a pseudo skin) over the opening. Two wound vacs were attached to his knee. They also put integra and a wound vac on his hand.
After the surgery, Ronnie was in quite a bit of pain for the first couple days. It took a while to get on a pain management system that worked for both during the day and at night. He went back into the OR on Tuesday morning to do his first dressing change under anesthesia. The doctor was very impressed with the progress and even decided to remove the wound vacs! Today is Friday... just over a week after his surgery. They are doing a bed side dressing change today and then Ronnie will be allowed to come home until the first week of February when they do part 2 of the surgery (filling in with skin grafts).
We have been so blessed throughout this hospital stay in so many ways. I think this is the first surgery he has had since we have really established ourselves here in San Antonio. We have felt so loved on and encouraged over the last week. Ronnie has had a constant flow of visitors (and snacks!) from church and elsewhere to keep him company as well as lovely bouquets of flowers from our churches both here in San Antonio and at home. We are truly blessed and we thank God for that every day.

Wisdom

Ronnie and I stopped in to visit a friend of my Grandma Meyers today. Her name is Helen and she is a wonderfully sweet 93 year old woman. She has been a prayer warrior for us over the past year and was so excited for us to drop by. Though we stayed for only a short while, I learned so much from her. Helen's late husband was a veteran of World War II. She proudly showed us the pictures of him in uniform. She pulled out an oversize binder filled to the brim with "His Story."

"Do you keep a journal?" she asked me.
"Not really, but I suppose I should." I replied.
"Oh, you must keep a journal." she insisted as she proudly flipped through the pages of "His Story."
You see, Helen is preserving history... for her, her family, and for future generations. She is creating books filled with stories, memories, pictures, and history. How precious is the gift of memories? She did not just stop there though. Helen has made a book of her daughter's story and is also working hard to create her own story. She inspired me today. She inspired me to dig into my family's story and to preserve it, and also to preserve the story Ronnie and I are just beginning to create.

11.11.11

Today and everyday I am so beyond thankful for those who have served and continue to serve in our nation's military. I have met so many wounded warriors this past year. They continue to teach me the value of life, courage, and sacrifice. I owe them more than I could ever give. To my husband and all the others who serve, thank you for "walking the walk".

Involved

Ronnie and I have had so much fun the last couple weeks getting involved in numerous activities here in San Antonio.

We have started helping out with the youth of a church that has impacted our lives in many ways. We have also started going to a 20's and 30's group for our home church First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio. Both are keeping us busy with bible studies and get-togethers and also providing us with a wealth of new friends. We feel so blessed to be involved in two wonderful churches.

In our "free time" we also have had fun getting to know some of the other soldiers and families at BAMC. We love having people over for dinner, movies, and games. Ronnie has taken a bunch of the guys shooting and hunting with some of our close friends. I try to stay clear of those outings and instead focus on girl time with my friends, usually during water aerobics class. I also love to bake goodies for friends that are in the hospital or need a "just because" treat. :)

It sure is shaping up to be a fun and event filled life here in the city!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I decided to be big and bold and go by myself to a military spouse conference this week. It took place at a chapel on Fort Sam and lasted all day Thursday and Friday. Though I went into the conference worried about not knowing anyone, my fears were soon put to ease when I noticed that all the women where in the same boat. The conference was a lot of fun! There were several staff members from the WFSC there helping people to bond. Ms. Judith was the best. She is a sassy, sarcastic little woman who runs the WFSC. Her witty humor kept everyone on their toes.

After a large breakfast spread on Thursday morning, we listen to keynote speaker Cathy Haffner, author of "Better Because of You." She encouraged us all to dream big and think positive. Loved it.

Next, we split into our classes. I took Green Cleaning, Self-defense, and Salsa Dancing! Talk about out of my comfort zone! I enjoyed all the classes. I was excited to go home and try some of my home made cleaning supplies and to show Ronnie my new moves. ;)

Friday was another speaker, Leslie Mouton, a news anchor for San Antonio's ABC News. She shared her awe inspiring story of her battle with breast cancer that she bravely allowed to be a public part of her anchoring career. She was amazing.

My Friday classes included Couponing and Zumba. What fun! The couponing class inspired me to take my couponing up a notch (not not to extreme/hoarding mode) which will be my next blog. And Zumba... what an amazing workout!

Most of all, I loved the conference because I was able to meet so many other women who, like me, are military "dependents." But like Ms. Judith said, we may be "dependents" but military spouses are strong and don't depend on anyone!

I am so glad I broke out of my comfort zone and went to the 2011 "It's Not Easy Being Green" conference. I learned SO much.

Mark Wills

So, I got an unexpected phone call while I was in Indy. Country singer, Mark Wills, was visiting BAMC and my husband was so great to go get me his autograph because I am a huge fan. Ronnie told Mark how bummed I was to not be there so he gave me a call. Unfortunately, I was visiting friends in a hospital so I was out of reception, but it made for a really cool voice mail surprise!

Ronnie with Mark Wills

See Mark Wills in "19 Somethin'" HERE.

Try, Try Again

Ronnie had another follow up appointment this morning to look over his chronically open donor site from his last surgery. Initially, they just restitched the incision, but when it came open again, they found that there was a large open area under the surface. Stuffing the wound with anti-infection cloth did not seem to help so today the PA attached a Wound-Vac to the site. The Wound-Vac provides suction which not only removes the infection but helps the skin to heal. We are praying that no surgery is needed to close up the incision. :(

Ronnie's Surgery 7-6-11

Ronnie had surgery to open up the palm of his hand that had been pulled closed by a scar band. Dr. L used full thickness skin grafts taken from Ronnie's left and right groin to fill in the gap in his hand. While the 3.5 hour surgery went very well, the nerve block put in place during the operation did not take leaving Ronnie in excruciating pain when he woke up. An increase in meds however brought on the unwanted side effect of unbearable itching. Anesthetists soon came into the ICU and again put in a nerve block.

The new nerve block however was short lived and soon Ronnie needed more pain meds and more itching meds. It took a couple days to get the meds right and the pain under control. It was not until Ronnie's fourth day in the hospital that he began to see a noticeable decrease in pain and could begin to decrease his meds.

Today is day six in the hospital and also the last day. Ronnie will be discharged this afternoon.

Ronnie's hand after surgery. The bolster will stay on for another few days.

Moving Right Along

Ronnie has always loved to drive. Because of his injuries and medications, he has not been able to drive; until now. Ronnie passed his driving simulation test at the Center for the Intrepid and was cleared to drive depending on where he is in his med cycle. It was neat for me (as a pre-OT) to see how the therapist tested Ronnie's reflexes, mental perceptions, and muscle ability using tests and and a huge driving simulator complete with surrounding screens and real truck.

Moving Daze

I made a quick trip to Indy at the beginning of June to oversee the moving crew sent to pack up all of our stuff from the Condo. It was nice to not be the one doing all the packing and heavy lifting for once! The moving crew did a great job and after just one day of packing, everything was loaded into a semi and headed for SA and I could just relax with my family :)

We tried to make the most of our short but sweet time together with all five of us in the same state. Dad took us girls to the range do do some shooting with Cori's new bow. And we all went downtown to Massachusetts Ave to do some shopping and cupcake sampling. So fun.

Warrior's Weekend in Port O'Conner

We spent last weekend fishing in Port O'Conner. The whole town, as well as other surrounding towns, completely shut down. Busload after busload of wounded warriors and their families from all over the country arrived. We drove down with a fellow soldier from the burn unit and also a burn therapist on Friday night. The goal was to take an early morning fishing trip on Saturday to beat the heat of the sun which is painful to burns.

On Friday night, there was a huge opening ceremony in Victoria, TX. They honored the wounded warriors and fallen soldiers with a field of over 2100 flags each with the name of a soldier and a sponsor of the Warrior Weekend. After a bit of night fishing off the Marina Canal in Port O'Conner, we headed back to our lodge for a few hours of sleep.

We headed out to the Canal early Saturday morning. Our first trip out was with a guy named Charlie as well as with a small local camera crew. We caught several trout while we out in the Canal. It was a blast.

Because it was not too hot and the sun was hidden behind a blanket of overcast clouds, we decided to go out again at 9am. We ended staying out until the late afternoon. Our second trip was with Mike and Ronnie B., two guys we met back in San Antonio at the WFSC. They were a blast to hang with and on top of it, we got to stay with Paul and Heather (the fellow soldier and therapist). We were on a Red Fish catching spree in the canal and even the dolphins seemed excited. After a day of activities, food, and fun with friends, we headed back to San Antonio with more than 14 fish to show for it. :)

Minute Move

Monday afternoon around 5pm, we got a shocking bit of news. Because Ronnie was officially assigned to the unit here at Ft. Sam Houston, we had 10 days to leave the Powless hotel we have been living in. BUT since the paperwork was backdated to the date it was started, our 10 days were up and we were forced to leave by Tuesday morning. This was a huge problem as we were planning to leave for Oklahoma on Tuesday for a wedding. SO, after getting over our shock and the thought of living in an empty apartment, we packed up all of our Texas belongings in about 45 minutes. By 7pm, friends had come with a trailer and helped us transport more than 10 boxes to our empty apartment. Can you say stress?

Mia helping take a load down