Stryker Brigade News

Tiffany, Alyson and I arrived a little after 8 a.m. and found Scott still asleep. His breakfast arrived and he ate most of it. Somebody is missing an important business opportunity by selling broccoli for breakfast. It's the only place I haven't seen it.

After breakfast, we went to PT with the therapist and his medical student. They hooked him up to a machine that works like a bike, only for the arms. Three minutes in each direction. He then went to a machine for the legs, but this caused him some pain, so he went to the mat for leg lifts with weights and arm work with a cane. It looked like Rifle PT to me, only with a cane. I suggested they get a rubber M-16 and use that instead of the aluminum cane. After this was completed, Scott was wheeled over to the parallel bars so he could try walking. Well, he walked forwards and backwards and turned around and walked some more. He was supported by a therapist holding a belt, but he was doing the work. He kept looking to his right while he was walking instead of straight ahead. I told him he wasn't passing in review and to keep his head to the front while he walked. The PT said guys like Scott make it worth while coming to work in the morning. I'd call that high praise. He will go to the treadmill tomorrow and see how that works. Just before I left, they brought the correct size brace for his right ankle, so now we're cooking.

The occupational therapist came in while Scott was working on the mat and Scott began to talk about Majors. She couldn't tell us anything, but it was clear to me, she knew who Scott was talking about. I described the situation in Majors' room the previous day and gave her approval to bring up Scott's progress with Majors should she find it helpful to do so. We want to help him however we can and damn the privacy rules, as least from our end. (I'd say we're a little beyond privacy at this point anyway, don't you think?)

After PT, we rolled over to Audiology and then down to the Dental Clinic. Some hearing loss, but that could be just an artifact of the injury. A re-test will be needed later. The dentist just scheduled him for a cleaning and made some suggestions about brushing with the left to compensate for the difficulty of brushing that way.

Scott was looking about shot after all this, so we took him back up to his room and got him back in bed and under the blankets. It was a little past time for his pain meds and I was concerned we would "lose him" for the afternoon as a result.

The only things left for Scott to do as far as medical clearance (so far as I can tell) is the Traumatic Brain Injury report, the second part of the eye exam and to do more speech work and PT/OT.

Scott got his meds, but was up for a cardgame. War has been suggested as a good activity for Scott as it requires number processing and manipulation, among other things. We were told to start with just the black cards and no faces. Scott did so well, I added the red cards almost immediately. I tried to get him to say the numbers of the cards, but that was a "no-go." He reacted with a smirk or a laugh or a groan, as appropriate, during the game.

Sometime around 2 p.m. a group of six enlisted Air Force intelligence folks came by on a sort of morale tour. Scott chatted with them and I explained where Scott's job fitted in with the intelligence picture (He's a Cavalry Scout and thus, a provider of tactical intelligence more than strategic). A few minutes into a good conversation, I saw one of them fall across my field of vision, hit a chair with her head and then the floor. My first thought was "Who's throwing women in here?" We quickly rolled her over gently to her back and started looking her over for signs of injury. It appeared she fainted (having a conversation with a soldier obviously missing the left side of his skull is not for everyone). Julie asked her the obvious female questions and I held her hand and tried to keep her calm and on the floor to avoid her injuring herself further (if at all). I made with small talk and some light humor while the guys from the ER were requested. They put her on a back board and immobilized her neck, all to be on the side of safety. As we were putting her on the gurney, I thanked her for "dropping by" which made her laugh. We didn't want her to be embarrassed or to be thought of poorly for fainting. The other Air Force types now out in the hallway told me that if dropping out was a fitness standard, there would be no one in the Air Force. So, of course, there was lots of chops busting going on at the Air Force's expense. I didn't hear of our Airman's status, but I'm sure she's fine from what I saw. After the concern went away, we Army types were able to have a chuckle about it and compare the incident to a fan seeing Elvis or the Beatles. Scott even got in on the joke as we were discussing it amongst ourselves. He said, "I looked over at her on the floor and thought, 'I'm good!'" We all laughed while Scott smirked and raised his eyebrows up and down, a la Groucho Marx. I was looking for a way to make a graceful exit and then grace was no longer an issue.

About the time the laughter died down, a psychiatrist came in to assess how Scott was doing with sleep, nightmares, etc. He was former Air Force and "dismayed" at the performance we discribed. Scott answered his questions, but led him around a bit, too. When asked why he was having trouble sleeping, Scott said "These fricking people come in here four times a night and wake me up." He then mimed their vital sign assessment procedures. Scott told him he has to watch TV for about an hour before he can fall asleep again. The doctor finally said, "Scott, you are a hoot!" We discussed the feelings around the re-union yesterday and it was agreed all acted appropriately under those difficult conditions. He said he will try to give Scott something that will help him get back to sleep without having to watch TV for an hour yet won't turn him into a zombie.

About the time I had to leave, Tiffany stood Alyson up on Scott's bed. He was able to touch her nose and doing so made her smile at him. I gave Scott a hug and left. On the way to the airport, I managed to leave my cell phone in the cab, but the cabbie's an honest man and will return it to Julie in the morning.

I called Julie from Denver and got the rest of the update. Scott ate all his dinner but for the "mixed" veggies which consisted of cauliflower and broccoli. She hid this because it would have blown his appetite.

Early arrived late and cut Scott's hair. Scott was cold and in some discomfort, but he persevered and got it finished. Afterwards, he took a shower and the baby a nap in his arm.

Before Julie left, Scott did his speech therapy homework, but on his terms, of course.

Something I've been meaning to discuss in recent days is that we've had talks about "what if he stopped getting better?" Scott's personality is intact and we can understand most of what he says. He wouldn't be able to participate in certain physical activities anymore, but he could learn to compensate as he already has, even if he does not recover. We would be sad to find the limit, but we would enjoy him as we did today.

It was difficult leaving Scott, but I know he's in good hands while I resume business here and help his brother with his situation.

Thanks again for your thoughtfulness and concern about one of our soldiers.

ST