Famous Faces

We have met lots of famous people since we have been in San Antonio. Many come to BAMC to encourage the wounded warriors and their families. Here are a few people we have met in the past couple weeks.

Chick-Fil-A Cow

Coach Boone from the Titans

MercyMe

UFC Fighters

Ms. Rodeo Texas and Bull Fighters

Train

Weekend away and a puppy to stay.

We had a fun long weekend in Dallas this past weekend. We spent a few days with Ronnie's Uncle Ken, Aunt Tracy, and Cousins Samantha and Zane. It was so much fun to relax with them and their three little Chihuahuas. It is nice to have family close buy even when we are so far from home.

We were also able to pick up our new little Boston Terrier puppy in Dallas! Her name is Mia Bell McCulley and she is such a good girl. She doesnt cry a lot, loves to cuddle, and is easy to entertain. We have had a lot of fun with her.

We were sad to leave Uncle Ken's and they were all sad to see little Mia go, and I think Mia misses her little Chihuahua friends, but we will visit again very soon. :)

In the news...

Ronnie was interviewed today by the local news in a piece about BAMC Burn unit. We are still looking for the video link, but the story is below. :)


A new facility for soldiers burned at war

"Let's Rodeo, San Antonio!"

Yes, the Rodeo is in town and we certainly feel Texan in our new cowboy hats. Ronnie and I were surprised with last minute tickets to the Rodeo and Lady Antebellum concert on Saturday just hours before the show. I am a HUGE Lady A fan and was so excited to go. The Rodeo was fun to watch will all the racing, wrangling, bull riding, and barrel racing. They even had "Mutton bustin'" for the kids! And of course the group, Lady Antebellum was AMAZING. :) You can be bet we will be back at that rodeo soon, hats and all!

Texas is for Rodeos

Ronnie and I went with a group from the Wounded Warriors Project to the BBQ kickoff to the month long San Antonio Rodeo. We got a bit more than we were expecting. When we pulled up into the Sea World parking lot, there was a sea of trucks, campers, and people. The BBQ took up the entire parking lot with amazing food, loud music, and Texan hospitality. We went with the wounded warriors to a private tent for our barbecue and then were free to explore. We had a lot of fun and even bought ourselves our first Texan cowboy hats!

Ronnie with "Cactus Joe."

Remember the Titans?

The real-life Coach Boone of the Titans and some of his players came to BAMC to visit some of the injured warriors. We really enjoyed our time with him and the players.

Home Again!

Ronnie is back home after four days in the hospital. His INR levels finally evened out, but not before he was our of places to draw blood from. Because of Ronnie's burns, the only places to draw blood from are his left hand and his feet. After three days, each location was exhausted and half a dozen nurses found themselves with failed attempts and Ronnie was thoroughly fed up with the worthless sticks. The doctors then opted to put in a PICC line, an IV of sorts that has a line to draw blood that goes all the way to the heart. Though a fairly standard procedure, they still had trouble inserting the line and needed a couple attempts. Thankfully blood draws were much easier after the procedure and Ronnie even slept through the night draws. The doctors opted to send him home with the PICC line so his weekly blood draws can utilize it for a couple weeks.

So glad to have him home. :)

.... One step back

Ronnie was re-admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon after his lab results came back with low INR levels. His levels had dropped dramatically last week so the doctors increased his coumadin dosage to compensate. But after even lower results this week, the decision was made to admit him to 4 East. We dont know how long he will be in the hospital, but we are praying that it will only be a couple days. Ronnie was started on an Argatroban drip yesterday to help up the levels. He is a bit discouraged to be back in the hospital after doing so much better lately and also hates being poked with needles every few hours. Pray for strength and courage in the days to come.

A Rainy Holiday

Ronnie and I decided to be "spontaneous" and go for a weekend away to Corpus Cristi this past weekend. It was a four day weekend, and we were getting kind of tired of base and hospital life and felt the need to break away. The forecast called for could air and rainy skies, but that did not deter us. We packed our bags and headed for the beach. We stayed in the Omni Resort and enjoyed a weekend of just being spoiled. It was great. We were able to see some of the sites through the lenses of the beautiful fog.

I got to thinking that it's funny how the rain and fog is just like our life right now... It's not ideal, but somehow, it is beyond beautiful in it's own way. Funny, huh?

Yes, I know I'm a slave to routines...

We are still trying to find our routine buried in the hustle and bustle of doctors appointments, therapy, and military briefings. Plus there is all that paper mess that comes with getting married... We know what we would LIKE our schedule to be, but we just aren't quite there yet. *sigh* oh, well, maybe next week...