Stryker Brigade News

Scott has been going to speech therapy three times a week, physical therapy and occupational therapy, too. Occasionally, he goes to his unit to see the guys. He no longer needs the AFO (Ankle Flexion Orthotic) device on his right leg as he's walking pretty well. He told me recently he got up to a shuffle while walking his dog, which sounds pretty good to me. His Case Manager, Michael Collins, reports he's got a strong grip with the right hand. Scott says it feels weird, which may mean he's got some more sensation there. Vocabulary is better, but he still has trouble with the speech. No improvement reported on the vision thing.

Surgery news: Scott's cranioplasty (re-sealing the skull) will be on 3/24/05 at Madigan Army Medical Center. Scott didn't want to leave his men again and Tiffany wanted to be close to home (you can see the hospital from their yard). Can't blame either of them for that. The parts (three sterilized copies made from the mold created by Dr. Stephen Rouse at WRAMC), which were made at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, arrived up at Ft. Lewis earlier this month. The surgery will be performed by Dr. (COL) John D. Werschkul, the same doctor who made the hole when Scott was treated at the Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad. Closure times two. The doctor is reported to be very pleased with his recovery so far. We know how he feels, don't we. I told Scott to tell the doctor, "Hey! Fix this hole you made!"

Julie (Scott's mom), Dan (his brother) and I will be going up there, probably on the evening of the 22nd. Dan will have to leave on Friday, which is too soon, but he needs to get back to his son (who turns TWO on the 23rd) and work.

Fun with FedEx: Yesterday (3/18/05), Julie was awakened by a FedEx delivery man who had a package. He was excited about it because it had come "all the way from Iraq!" Julie noticed the package was opened enough to see what was inside (Customs?) so when she looked, she found Scott's wallet, belt, dogtags, keys (including handcuff key) and the patches off his uniform. Needless to say, they were both crying in seconds. Later, she noticed the envelope was addressed to Scott (our house is his Home of Record, plus his California Drivers License has our address on it). Someone from an Air Force Evacuation Hospital at LSA Anaconda sent the package to us. I'm sure someone thought it would be efficient to send this material to us (since someone didn't ensure this stuff came with him as is the Standing Operating Procedure and since we've been trying to find this stuff since Scott arrived at Walter Reed), but I'm sure happy Scott wasn't killed because then we'd be very upset at getting this with no warning or preparation. This is not the kind of package you want to get, despite the relief that we know the money in his wallet, which I presume is all there (at least they're honest), isn't being used to fund insurgents in Mosul.

Julie called Scott to tell him it had arrived and Scott asked her why she was crying. I didn't understand for a long time why my mother was upset to receive my civilian clothes in a box my Ft. Ord, where I went to basic training. I know very well why now, my friends.

Happy ending, though, as Dan came home early Friday and took her to lunch. Plus, it gave me an excuse to call my mother.

We're excited about seeing Scott and Company again. I want to meet Dr. Werschkul and thank him personally, much as I want to do with Dr. Cohen from the 67th CSH (Mosul), whose crew has rotated back to Germany (that trip will have to wait, though).

Of course, I'll let you all know how things go as best I can.

ST