Now we're bloggin'

As many of you know, May 25th marked one year since Ryan was injured in a helicopter mishap in Jordan. So much has happened in a year, but yet there is still a long road ahead. The tissue expanders that were placed in Ryan’s shoulders in January got infected and had to be removed in February. Then he had hand surgery in March to release the capsules in the knuckles of his pinky and ring finger. Pins were placed there temporarily to hold the correct functional position as his hand healed. But those pins had to be removed in April, a few days earlier than planned, because they became infected too. Ryan was prescribed 6 weeks of IV antibiotics, so they placed a PICC line in his arm and taught me how to administer his doses at home, three times a day for 6 weeks. At the end of May they went ahead and put the tissue expanders back in Ryan’s shoulders and so far that’s still looking good. He’s taking oral antibiotics for now and that seems to be working. They are monitoring his lab work closely. Twice since they were placed, he has had injections into his implants to pump them up and stretch his skin. It’s amazing how effective it’s been. The doctor anticipates having enough skin to reconstruct Ryan’s face sometime in August.

In spite of having surgery once a month, Ryan’s physical therapy has continued unhindered. He was fitted for a running prosthesis last month and has enjoyed having a little more spring in his step when he runs. He had been running outside at the track in the mornings a few days a week, but the Texas heat is getting to him and now he stays indoors when he works out. He’s much more comfortable without the sun blaring down on him and his sessions have been more effective.

Ryan continues to work hard in occupational therapy to get his hands working. He recently discovered what a valuable tool the game “Guitar Hero” can be. Especially since his left hand is having the most trouble right now. So he typically finishes his hand therapy sessions with a half an hour on the Wii at the Center for the Intrepid. He hopes to make time in the future for guitar lessons so he can graduate to a real guitar some day.

Barbara Starr, a reporter from CNN, came to BAMC to interview several of the burn patients for their “Heroes” segment. Ryan was one of the people she interviewed. She talked to him for an hour, but it will be condensed to about 2 minutes of airtime. It will also be posted online, so I will be sure to get the link when it is available.

I still spend a lot of my time these days being Ryan’s personal secretary. He does all his own driving and takes himself to his own appointments, so now I just manage all the other details of our lives. I feel like I’m constantly making phone calls, scheduling appointments, and running errands. Somewhere in there I managed to start exercising regularly again and have taken an interest in triathlons. I have to blame my friend, Teal, for that one. She got me started on a couple of indoor triathlons at the fitness center on base and has somehow talked me into doing one triathlon a month all summer long. Keep in mind these are sprints, people. I’m not Ironman material. We did the Siren's Tri in San Antonio in May and just did the Tejas Tri in Sugarland last weekend. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m getting better, little by little, each time. Of course, I did crash my bike, shatter my helmet, and bleed for my first triathlon. But I finished that one and went out and did it again just a month later, so it must not have been too bad.

Jaida is about to be a fully fledged teenager. She turns 13 on the 18th of this month. It’s hard for me to believe I have a teenager in the house, but then she rolls her eyes and groans and I remember. But truthfully, it hasn’t been that bad yet. She is happy to have successfully completed the 7th grade and is enjoying the beginning of a very busy summer. This first week she took a photography class, but she also has plans for a horsemanship day camp, a week of overnight bible camp, and trips to Indiana, California, and Oregon. She’s actively participating in our library’s summer reading program and loves swimming at the Fort Sam Aquatic Center. She’s starting to babysit, both for her brother and sister and the children of close friends. She’s been enjoying having a little extra cash in her pocket and a little more responsibility on her shoulders. She’s already taller than me and likes to remind me constantly. I’m not too worried about her passing up Ryan anytime soon.

Maya is every bit a two-year-old right now. She’s bright eyed and eager to learn. She loves to listen to us read to her and wants to hear the same two books every night before bed. Her favorites right now are Jamie Lee Curtis’ “Today I Feel Silly” and Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” And they need to be read in that order. During the day she’ll let you read any number of books to her, but not before bed. She knows what she wants. She’s getting better at counting and knows her colors very well. She loves to sing and you can often catch her singing nursery rhymes to herself when she doesn’t know you’re listening. She loves to play outside and especially loves to swing. Lately we’ve been taking a walk around the block after dinner and she likes to point out all the animals she sees and the sounds that they make. But being a two-year-old, she has been learning to exercise her “self will” as well. She resists doing what she is told, whether it is to pick up something she has thrown or say thank you for something she has been given. Sometimes we find ourselves in a “battle of the wills” and it is probably very entertaining to observe. It is less entertaining for me, but alas, we press on.

My baby boy, Noah, is less of a baby with each passing day. He’s 10 ½ months now and July 27th is just around the corner. It’s a little sad to think about. He’s a happy little guy and is quick to show those four little pearly whites every chance he gets. It’s a goofy, drooley smile, but it’s a heart stealer. He’s pulling up to standing on everything and is quite good at cruising on the furniture and walls. He has an innate ability to find the most dangerous thing in any room and crawl toward it with lightning speed. He skipped right past Stage 3 baby food and is eating table food now. And he does quite well with a sippy cup as long as you don’t mind the mess down the front of his shirt. He’s an excellent eater and is good at letting you know when he’s ready to feast. He’s been babbling “dada” and “mama” for awhile now, but I don’t think he knows what either one means. He just knows we love to hear him say it! He sleeps well at night and takes two good naps during the day. He loves to play with his sisters and other children, but he’s been known to steal a pacifier from another baby if he can get to it. He doesn’t want to suck on it, just steal it. (He prefers to suck his left thumb.) I think he just likes the challenge. And the nickname, “Noah, the Pacifier Thief!”

So, this is my first foray into blogging and I’m going to do my best to keep it up. I’m even going to try to get Ryan and Jaida in on the action. Check back from time to time and see what’s going on at our house.

Much love, Pam