Monday, March 8, 2010

KNEES!







I am proud and excited to report that Dan is back to his original height and walking all over the place, with bending knees and all! No more stubbies, no more peg-leg walking. He is doing SUCH an amazing job at getting this C-leg thing down - when he walks, he actually makes prosthetic legs seem like real ones. He's been up on them for about two weeks now, and is blowing everyone at Walter Reed away with his progress. And how deserving - today is the 6-month anniversary of stepping on that pressure plate in Afghanistan.



When I last wrote on here (last month - my apologies once again, just know that no news is generally good news!), Dan was about to go into surgery. He came out of it fine, but it was a very tough one to recover fully and quickly from. They had to cut a piece of his large intestine out, and sew the remaining ends back together. He was discharged home five days later, eating and tolerating food very well, but with an abdominal incision the size of Kansas that the doctors left open. They do this often in GI surgery, to avoid suturing up a potential infection under the skin. The day after discharge from Walter Reed, Washington DC became hell. HELL! Snowed in for five days with an open abdomen - it wasn't fun and it was downright scary as hell but we pulled through. We had one day of reprieve, where I was able to luge my car down the road to the hospital to get much-needed medical supplies for Dan, and then boom! More snow. Trapped inside our apartment for another three days. I can look back on it all and laugh now, but it wasn't funny at the time. The only thing that was funny was how badly I shamed my brother in Scrabble. Needless to say, once all the snow let up, we were both practically sprinting out the door to get back to human life at Walter Reed. And I am also happy to report that a little over a month later, that huge incision is almost all the way closed!



Soon after all this happened, the C-legs came from Austria. And they are cool. Since they are legs with knees powered by a computer, they are pretty complex. A person couldn't just put them on and start walking. They require a lot of instruction by both the prosthetist and the physical therapist who are working with Dan. They also have to be adjusted by way of a bluetooth chip and a laptop (I'm serious) to get the knees just right for Dan's body weight. It was actually pretty funny - he stood up in them for the first time, got the feel for the way his actual legs fit in the sockets, and a basic understanding of the mechanism of the knee, and just started walking. Between parallel bars, of course - but still he picked up on it very quickly, like he'd been doing it for years. For the first few days of walking training, he stayed between the parallel bars just for the extra support while he got a very thorough understanding of how the knees work and feel. He then moved outside the parallel bars to an indoor track, strapped to a harness in case he fell, and walking with two canes. His physical therapist is incredible - he has such immense knowledge of prosthetic rehab, he is challeging and motivating, and is overall just a great fit for Dan. At this point Dan is walking, without the harness, wherever he feels like going! And as I said before, he is walking very well. The other day he learned how to go up and down stairs, and today he learned how to go up and down inclines. He knows how to stand up from a chair, and even stand up from the ground if he falls. The training center at Walter Reed is so great, but it's not the real world, and in the real world there are stairs and ramps and grass and any subtle changes in the level of the ground can send him biting the dust. So a major goal of physical therapy is to teach him how tackle all these issues that might come up. And let me tell you, somebody getting up from the ground on double prosthetics is a sight to see. NOT as easy as you would think!



And what we have come to learn all too well over all these months, is that it's always a rollercoaster of ups and downs. There are still surgeries in Dan's future, and they are not going to be easy ones unfortunately. His urethra is still severed, part of his colon is not there, and he's got crazy bone growth on the end of his left leg that makes putting that leg in a socket pretty painful. All three of these issues are going to require surgical intervention, and at this point, we're not sure when these are all going to happen. We're starting to get the ball rolling on the urethra and GI reconstruction - doing exploratory procedures and tests to figure out a game plan. If you asked him, I know my brother would tell you that losing his legs has been nothing compared to the struggles he's faced with these internal injuries. It's so easy to put on prosthetics and show the world how you've triumphed over amputations - but this internal stuff is far more devastating and something that he basically just has to deal with inwardly. I'm in awe every day of his strength.



And one more thing before I have to call it a night....to all of you, all over this country, who have donated your prayers, your money, your time, your words of encouragement, and your hope to our family...thank you so much. Each one of you is loved forever for this. The past six months have taught us, more than anything, how incredible we all are as human beings.



God bless you all!



Leslie

17 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the update! I love to hear about Dan and know that he is doing well. He's an amazing inspiration and I wish him all the best with these next procedures. Thanks again, Tonya

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  2. I've been following from the Mid-East since the fall - you have an amazing family and support network around you - my best wishes to you all.

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  3. So glad to hear about the postitve progress-he is such an inspiration to many. Leslie, you continue to inspire as well! Wishing you warm spring days and continued prayers for better health.

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  4. Hey Guys, your love for each other and continuing to be there pulled through the storms of life and the weather are awesome reminders to all of us how to be there for one another. Thanks for the update and Dan is doing an amazing job and overcoming each step so well. 6 months and walking again on legs with knees...WOW..Praise God. Having a team of family, friends and awesome physical therapist is a true blessing. Keep it up you two and keep being there to serve each other, there is so much to learn from all of this. Luke from T town.

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  5. Smiles and high-fives to Dan (and Leslie!) ... from Texas. Give 'em hell, sir. We continue to pray for you and monitor your progress from the Lone Star State.

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  6. Dan is AMAZING! Every time I read this blog and the updates, it just makes me so happy for all of you. Hang in there Dan and keep kicking some ass. We all hope to see you in April for the retreat!

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  7. Fantastic! Prayers and best wishes for the next steps (heh)

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  8. Thank you so much for the update! Been praying for you and waiting anxiously to hear how Dan is doing! Fantastic news!

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  9. Dan, you are still my hero!! Keep on keepin' on. Leslie, you are my next hero for doing what you are doing for Dan. I admire your sister/brother relationship!! Thanks for sharing your story and continued prayers and thoughts! Carmel

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  10. I'm so happy to see you up on your new legs! I can't imagine dealing with all the internal injuries. I hope everything gets worked out soon. Hang in there, you've come so far in just 6 months.

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  11. Praying for you both Dan and Leslie...good work Dan!

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  12. I keep you all in my prayers. Dan, you're such an amazing man. I keep you in my prayers. You've come so far in such a short time and you will keep moving forward.
    Leslie, thank you so much for being the amazing person you are.
    I think you are such a strong family and show how much can be done through love, belief and perseverance.
    God bless and keep all of you. You always have my strong healing thoughts and remain in my prayers. CYNDI (TEXAS)

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  13. How are you guys??? Any updates on Dan?

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  14. Leslie and Dan,
    Your dispatches are extrmely humbling and to find the lack of any better word 'Inspiring'. No words can account for this journey, the tragedy and the accounting of you are both sharing with the world, and strangers. I thank you for your service work (both of you), and this tremendous sacrifice you are experiencing on a daily basis. I am profoundly moved by such great courage and determination.
    Praises.

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  15. Alright! Once Again, INPSIRED!
    Thank You Leslie and Dan for your steadfast courage. For your recovery belongs to you, but each of us on the outside of your lives lives through and at some level with you.
    God bless you and keep you and get that GI covered! Cheering you on
    Shawn and J

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  16. I was introduced to this story by Diana Austin, a former HS classmate of Dan's. She emailed my husband and me writing that "Here is a soldier you need to get to know." No kidding. What a privilege to read his story. Nothing less than a HERO here. Thank you for life and your service. Dan is an amazing man with an amazing family. God Bless you sweetly.
    Paula Lowther RN
    Fort Mill, SC

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  17. Great write-up, Leslie! Incredible determination and will- power! He's hard to keep up with, prosthetically! It's good to have a guy like Dan around at WR for some of the new guys to see. He serves as an inspiration and role model as someone who despite his injuries works his body to its physical limits and keeps a humble and appreciative demeanor. I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next!
    Zach

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