Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

Wow! Where do I begin - there has been a great deal of development over these past several weeks, and I really do need to start updating more often. With that, I'll begin... Jason has moved out of the hospital and into building 62, with his wife and kids. It is a very happy time and good thing for all of them. He was able to move out as of Thursday this past week, so you're not too far behind the major developments - only I am... ;-). Jason did receive his paragolfer and he got to use it  one time, to take a picture with Dr. Malone (she is going to be deployed sometime early next year, so she will be out of the picture for awhile, it seems). The down side is that some of the doctors seem to be uncomfortable with the chair and are not allow him to use it right now. He can, however, use his other power chair, so at least he has regained some mobility. This is a really good thing for multiple reasons, especially since it came before Christmas. The wounds have all continued to ...

Yes, I'm still alive and able to write this blog... I've just been remiss in getting to it. My life schedule has really gotten a bit out of hand, and I need to work on being a bit more regular, so I apologize for the delay since the last post. Anyway, Jason is doing very well, and he has now received his Paragolfer cart. He texted me a photo, and I need to figure out how to transfer it to this blog, so the rest of you can see it. He looks great and he is standing with Dr. Malone. As it turned out he isn't supposed to be using it very much at all right now, and I think she only allowed him to get in because he has been waiting for so long to get out of bed. It will be another couple of weeks (maybe only 10 days) before he can ride it on any kind of regular basis. Bottom line is that he has it now, and it is exactly what he wants. The wounds, obviously, have healed in a great deal more now, and the pain level has gone down. These are very good signs and we are all hopeful...

Our trip home was uneventful, except for a small switch problem on the Delta Airlines airplane. As a result of that switch problem we were delayed taking off from Washington by an hour, and as the ripple effect goes, our flight out of Salt Lake City was missed. We ended up staying in Salt Lake City for about five hours then took another flight home. That's twice now we've flown Delta and twice that there has been an equipment malfunction that has caused us to be late. Now, I don't mind traveling with safety, and I believe in correcting all issues BEFORE taking off - so that's not the issue. The issue is, as I see it, why the heck are their planes having such problems so frequently. I am getting to the point where I really don't want to fly Delta any more because I don't trust them to keep up with their maintenance. Problem is that these flights are donations and we really don't have a great deal of input to decide which airline to travel on. Maybe we can jus...

We had a great visit with Jason and the rest of the family here in Bethesda. Now we head back to California and getting back to our lives. Jason was dealing with the lack of action, due to a new doctor on duty, and that was the biggest issue for controlling his pain. Linda and I had a great time being with everyone here and hope we can get back here sooner, rather than later. I don't have too much more to update with tonight, so I'll just say thank you, for all the continued prayers and support.

Okay, I'm finally getting to the blog again. It has been a busy time for all of us this past week, and we have been able to enjoy each other's company. Jason is dealing with some issues related to his pain management, and that is primarily due to the fact that some of the medical staff seem to forget that they need to check his medical chart prior to checking on him, though we managed to get through it. We have had a few visitors of note, such as the Commandant of The Marines, General Amos, and a few others who are a bit less famous. It was good seeing General Amos again, and I think Jason really enjoys chatting with him now. A bid difference from the first time they met. Linda and I will be heading back to the SF Bay Area tomorrow morning, VERY early, and arriving in Oakland just after noon. We all have been invited to the inauguration in January (21st), so we will be heading back here in a matter of a couple of months. We won't be here for the Christmas holiday but sinc...

Better day today, as I was able to work with Jason a bit more and had the opportunity to actually view the wounds, and how they are healing. Most of my concern was a result of the seepage from the skin graft area, though I did not see that yesterday - all I saw was areas of what looked like irritation. I was wrong in my assessment, and I'm happy about that. Jason's attitude and outlook are still very positive and both Linda and I feel he is getting better. As for visitors, we had Susan and Dwight Sipprelle came to visit and to offer encouragement to Jason (and the rest of the family). Bridgette's mother and brother also came in today, so the family is getting bigger around here. Linda and I have been invited to about 6 different Thanksgiving dinners, so I don't think we're going to be going hungry any time soon. And the visit with the girls at their day care today was wonderful. We didn't spend a great deal of time with them there, but just enough to let them ...

Well, we arrived yesterday and made our way to the hospital, here in Bethesda. We got to visit with Bridgette, Stacy and Jackie at first, and the girls were very surprised to see us. It was a great reunion, and I think it made Linda feel very good. The girls were all over her with hugs and kisses. After that encounter we went over to see Jason and found out that he wanted Taco Bell - so I headed down to pick up the order and, as usual, the order was goofed up - just not too bad this time. We stayed and visited for a short while, and then Bridgette and the girls also came over. About an hour later they went home and then we left another hour after that. Besides, we were getting tired and it was getting late. It seems that Jason's recent skin graft is taking well, and in a matter of another 10 days or so he is supposed to be getting in his chair again - FINALLY! I am anxious for this to happen, as I need to know that he can get around again. I have seen some of the changes of his b...

Well, I'm finally going to get another update in here - apologies to all for the long delay in getting this out to you. Basically, Jason is doing okay, though there are still a number of challenges he is facing. He is not yet able to get into a chair and become more mobile, though he does have his prone cart, so that he can at least get down to the MATC (physical therapy area) and participate with the physical therapy, and more importantly, the social interaction. Sitting in his room social interaction consists of any visitors he might get, his family, and the medical staff. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just could be a great deal better. That's why I'm happy about him getting out and down to the MATC. Jason will be undergoing another surgery on this Friday, where they are going to be doing another skin graft. There is a bit more confidence in it this time, as the wounds have been progressing (slowly) and it has been a consistent progress. Previously it was a...

Okay, for all those who have been wondering - Jason and family weathered the storm quite well. The "southern" sections of this latest hurricane went through the Maryland area, and Bethesda got soaked pretty good. However, it wasn't anywhere near as wet as New York or other parts North (and East). When I spoke with him yesterday and today he seemed liked it was no big deal, and that all he noticed was heavy rain. Of course, when I spoke with him today, he had just gotten back from one of his "procedures" and he was still quite groggy from the anesthetic he had been given. I asked him about the girls and he said they had been in earlier and that Bridgette had to get them back to the room so they could lay down, since they were getting kind of cranky. My guess is that with all the bad weather they are not getting a chance to even go outside and are starting to feel a bit of the cabin fever. We are looking forward to going out to see him and the family next month,...

Okay, its been long enough since the last entry - and the good news is that there really hasn't been a bunch to report. Jason is doing well, though still in the hospital and waiting on the folks who do the housing set ups to get his housing done. He has a prone-cart that provides him with a bit better ability to get out and around, so that he doesn't have to remain in his room all day long, and that does make him much happier. They are still working on his wounds and trying to get the healing to take place, and it looks like they may be going back to a skin graft, but we're waiting to hear more about that. There was a procedure done to help with the pain level and discomfort, in that they deadened the nerve(s) in the area that was causing the greatest discomfort, and it seemed to make it better for Jason. Linda and I are planning on going out to see Jason and the family over the Thanksgiving holiday, and will be there for the entire week. We hope to be able to spend a con...

We had a great chat today, right when he was finishing up his dinner. He said that Bridgette and the girls were supposed to be coming by a bit latter, so we didn't get to talk with them this time. Linda had a class tonight and I had a couple of chores to get done, so we really didn't have a lot of time to call back later anyway. Jason is doing well, though he is beginning to really feel the "cabin fever" from not being able to get out like he used to. The good news is that he thinks the issues with the housing are getting worked out and perhaps they will be moving in soon, though no date was given. He will be going in for another procedure, again for the wound vac change out and a checking of the healing of his wounds. This is going to be going on for a little while longer, and then he will be starting all over again with the right side, and a major surgery again. The bright side to this is that this coming surgery is going to be much smaller than that experienced o...

Well, I'm back and I have a bit of an update for you, and I'm hoping that I will be providing another update tomorrow, as well. I did the Wounded EOD Warrior Ride, from Los Angeles to San Diego (just over 160 miles) and I was able to generate some funds for the organization. While on the ride, at one of the times I found myself being basically alone (no one ahead of me within sight and no one behind me within sight), and I was feeling tired. It was the second day of the ride and we were traveling along the coast, right at the beach and I was thinking to myself, "I'm doing this for Jason." I had to repeat this to myself a few times, and it got me through. On the bright side, I only had one flat tire, and it wasn't too difficult to fix - I just replaced the tube, once I determined the tire was still good. My guess is it was a "pinch" type puncture because there wasn't any thing sticking through the tire. A couple of the other riders had stopped to ...

Turned into a great day, even though we got sweaty and dirty around the house. We had a clean up detail from the church come over and we got a great deal of work done, as well as relocate our possessions from a large storage unit to the next size down. Then after we were done we were able to sit down and have a great phone call with Jason, Bridgette and the girls. They all sounded great and it sounds like Jackie is talking more. Jason said he is doing well, and that he is going in for another procedure on Tuesday, to have the wound vac moved/changed. He was also pretty up because he got out on his prone cart and was scooting around all over the hospital. When I was at Bethesda, with him, I always went with him so they didn't have to send anyone along; now they have to send someone along to make sure he is safe, and that is a good thing. The funny aspect of it was that Jason was going to places at the hospital that the corpsman wasn't familiar with and Jason actually had t...

Well, a bit of an update for all those out there who are wondering what is going on with Jason and his recovery. He had a major surgery several days ago, and most of you, I believe, already knew that. What most of you don't know is that as a result of that surgery he had to go through another series of smaller surgeries that were (are?) for the replacement of the wound vacs and general clean up of the existing wounds. Fortunately these are much shorter in duration, though they can still take a couple of hours, and he has to endure a general anesthetic. Afterward he is usually uncomfortable for the rest of the day, and quite sleepy (probably a good thing), and the next day is much more tolerable for him. The thing is that he has to endure these "short" surgeries every couple of days, with the pattern being something like three days, then clean, two days, then clean, three days, then clean, then two days and so on, until the next major. It is a bit of a pain for Jason to to...

Seriously, there really isn't much of an update, since I didn't get a chance to talk with him today, and yesterday it was only for a short minute or two. He sounded fine and his spirits seemed pretty positive. I think him having the girls there have done him some real good. I'll be talking with him tomorrow and then I can provide a little more information. Otherwise, please remember to keep him in your prayers and thank you, for all the prayers that have come our way. Take care and stay positive.

Jason had a procedure today, to clean out his wounds area and to reset the wound vac. It was later in the morning, so he wasn't too happy about having to go without eating, but it was something he is getting more accustomed to (Not sure if that is a good thing). He got back mid afternoon and fortunately we had stopped to get him something to eat, courtesy of one of the Yellow Ribbon fund folks, Laura K. ( I didn't ask her if I could put her name in, so that's all you get). We also had a great visit with the mother of one of the other patients, and I think she got as much out of the talk as we did. Not much else going on today, and we're leaving tomorrow. I will be continuing with the blog posts, as I have information to provide, though I don't think it will be on a daily basis. Not sure when the next time we will be able to get out here to be with Jason, but I hope it isn't too long. I would like to thank everyone for all the help, support and prayers for Jaso...

Well, I finally made it to a place where I can get a decent signal. The "Free" wifi at the Navy Lodge doesn't work in our room, for some reason. I even went on a 30 minute phone call with their network support people, and the guy determined that my laptop and their network are both working fine so it came down to simply the location, our room, just doesn't get good signal. I am currently in Jason's hospital room and the signal here is excellent! Okay, on to the blog post... Jason is doing great. His spirits are up and we have had some very positive talks. We got to meet with Dr. Malone for an extended visit, about 30 minutes or more, and we talked about everything from Jason's wounds to playing guitar. Jason received another gift today, a "cigar box" electric guitar. Dr. Malone also has some experience playing guitar and banjo, so she said she would like to have her teacher come by and give Jason a few pointers as well. I'm pretty excited about...

Jason had a pretty good day today, though I am sure he would like to get off of some of the meds, antibiotics, and other things - but generally a good day. He had some nice visitors, one of whom was President Obama, again. Jason said he came in and gave Jason one of those "Good Old Boys" kind of punch on his shoulder. Jason thought it was kind of amusing that the President considers him more on a personal level now. I think this is he third visit, so maybe he is... ;-) His other special visitor was Kelly Carlson, an actress who has learned of Jason via Bob Hamer. Bob is a friend and also noted author, that has gotten to know Jason and me, over these past several months while down in San Diego. Jason will be going through a number of procedures, along with the surgeries he is having to endure, so he is quite anxious to get all this done, as he would like to be able to get out of his room. The folks are all being supportive and doing what they can to make him comfortable, but...

We didn't get a chance to speak with Jason today, though we did yesterday. There is definitely a challenge with getting Skype working in Bethesda, though we are still pushing to make it work right. Jason looked great and he was able to talk with his girls, as well as Bridgette got a chance to speak with them too. He is sort of looking forward to his next surgery next week, as well as Linda and I coming out to visit with him. I just hope he gets to move away from the pain a bit more with the new surgery. Not much else going on, other than the Undefeated EOD Ride coming up and I've crossed the $4K fund raising. I am hoping that I can get a bit more, and  maybe even make it all the way to $5K. Otherwise things are going well and we're looking forward to this weekend. Thank you, for all your continued support and prayers.

Okay, no update from Jason today, so I'm going on the old adage, "no news is good news." We have all the flight information together for our trip out to Bethesda, and all four of us are getting ready to fly back on an early morning flight. We will be there from the 15th until the 19th and Linda and I will be spending an inordinate amount of time with Jason, as long as he allows us to stay in his room. We'll also be getting some time to visit is some of the other folks we know from our previous stay, so it should be good all around, for us. @Laura, I hope you get a chance to read this, as we would like to spend a little time with you and your family while we are out in Bethesda. I can't find your contact information, so I don't know how else to get in touch with you right now. I will watch for your comment and see if there is a method you would like to use for us to connect up. If you know how to use LinkedIn you can check out my profile... Just a thought. ...

Jason is having another rough time with the treatments, though the infection seems to have been cleared up. Not sure where the infection has come from, and I understand that there is going to be a continued "search" to see if they can determine what happened. In the mean time he got worn down and turned in earlier than usual. This just meant that the girls didn't get a chance to see and speak with Mommy and Daddy, we can always go again tomorrow. Thank you, for all your continued prayers and support, and stay tuned for developments.

Jason didn't have a great day today, in that some sort of infection has gotten in, again, and they have him on antibiotics. The antibiotics are causing him to feel ill and as a result he isn't eating much, and doesn't want to do much of anything. Tomorrow he has to go in for a procedure, though I don't know what kind. My guess is that it is to clean out the dressings and wounds from this most recent surgery. I'll find out for sure tomorrow. The only communication I got from him today was a relatively short text message. Not much else to update on, other than the 50 mile ride I did today. I got a chance to get out and ride with a buddy of mine, Rob, and we headed out to Danville, a city about 20 miles north of here. I actually didn't get the full 50 miles in, but it was close enough for me (49.62 miles) that I didn't feel I needed to go any farther. Besides, my legs were tired... ;-) Thank you, for all your continued support and prayers. Please be sure to ask...

I've noticed a significant drop off in the number of readers of my blog, and I suppose that stands to reason, considering the number of updates I've been posting. Well, today's post isn't going to have any earth shattering news or updates. Jason is still dealing with some major discomforts and getting very anxious to be able to get out and about again. In his words... "This room is VERY boring." He has been in a hospital room for a total of well over a year and in that time it just doesn't get any better. You get tired of TV, tired of playing games, and tired of yelling at the support staff. Visitors are so very important to break up some of the monotony. Linda and I are going to do our best to be back there on September 15, with the girls, and stay for a few days. We really can't stay very long this time, as I need to get back to work. Funny thing happens when you're out of work for nearly two years - you run out of money. Anyway, as development...

Today is the first of September, so it seems like a good time to provide an update on Jason's progress, and just a general idea of how he's doing. He had his surgery; he spent his time in the ICU; he moved back up to the 4th floor; and now he is working with the medical team to get a good balance on the pain management. I say balance because it is a balance of the amount of medication he will be taking vs. the level of pain as he regains comfort. He is getting better but still seems to be a bit too strongly influenced by the drugs to maintain a good conversation, though we are hopeful that tomorrow it will be close to normal. The girls would really like to have a good skype call with Mommy and Daddy. We are trying to pull together plans for getting the girls back out to Bethesda, and towards the middle of September is when we were looking to have it done. Thank you all, for all the continued support and prayers - even if I'm not updating every day... ;-)

OK!! Jason came through the surgery in flying colors... We received a call from Dr. Froughberg (not sure I'm spelling it correctly) was the orthopedic surgeon working on Jason, and has worked with Jason in the past. He used the expression, "We hit a home run!" And he was noticeably happy in his speech. Jason is now in ICU, and will be there for a couple of days, while they get him comfortable, and then he'll be heading back to his room. The surgery went for 9 hours, which is more than twice what they originally though it might go. I was thinking that it might go 5 or 6, so I was surprised at how long it took. I am particularly happy with how well the out come was, and now to wait on the next step. One of the biggest challenges that an amputee has, is that he needs to have what is called a skin flap to help with the healing of the wound. Jason had virtually no flap, and as a result his wounds just wouldn't heal. Well, now he has the needed skin flap, and they hav...

I know, "WOW! Two days in a row!" Well, I spoke with Jason this evening and he is as ready as he can get for this surgery tomorrow. His mental state is up and he is looking forward to getting it over with. About the only thing that is a little out of sorts is that he needs to shave. Due to the treatment for the past several days, I guess about two weeks, he hasn't been able to shave because he has had to stay in bed the entire time, and he won't shave while in bed (I don't blame him - I wouldn't either). The girls got a chance to say good night to Mommy and Daddy and again the network (wi-fi) wouldn't hold. It will be nice if there can be something done to improve that condition, as it is very frustrating for everyone, and the kids loose interest really fast when they can't talk to their mom and dad and the Skype picture isn't any good. I will be glad to have the girls get back to Bethesda, so that they can be reunited. Grandma and Grandpa are ve...

First, an apology to all, for not having put a post up sooner, I know some of you really enjoy reading the updates, and to be honest, there have been a couple. We all know that Jason is now in Bethesda, with his wife Bridgette, and they are doing well. Jason has a surgery scheduled for this coming Tuesday, where they plan to remove some of the HO to primarily allow him to be more comfortable and to get rid of some of the pain. There will be some other reconstructive type surgery, if the situation allows, and that is basically to remove scare tissue that is also causing some difficulties. The remaining HO is to be worked on/removed at some later date down the road, and that means it could be a matter of weeks, or a matter of months. Linda and I enjoyed a lengthy conversation with Dr. Malone today, as she was able to fill me in on some of the details, and it reassured both of us that Jason was in the right place. I don't want that to sound negative about San Diego, as there are som...

We were supposed to get together with Jason today, via Skype, but he wasn't up to it, due to pain issues and the affects of taking the necessary drugs to dull the pain. He basically fell asleep, and that is okay by me. I am hoping that he feels better tomorrow, as the girls do want to see and talk with him. Theresa Sareo was to have come by and visited with him, but due to the sleepiness I don't know if that happened. Otherwise there isn't a great deal of information to provide, and we're all just going to have to wait for an update tomorrow. Thank you, for continuing with the prayers and for all the support.

Jason is headed for surgery on Wednesday, and it is the first step in attempting to get him more skin to allow for the wounds to be in better shape. I don't like to keep using the word experimental, when describing the work the doctors are doing with Jason, but in effect, every time they do something with him, it is an "experiment." His spirits are up and he is getting both visitors and time to get out on his own. He has been to see other "new" patients and does his best to bring their spirits up as well. Otherwise, not much else to write about, other than the girls are doing fine and having a great time with Linda's (Grandma's) day care. We went and saw Ice Age today, and all the kids enjoyed it.

Well, we were able to speak with Jason tonight and found out that the surgery that was planned, didn't take place. There was a "scheduling" mix-up between plastics and urology. As a result nothing happened, and Jason basically spent the day in his room, just waiting. He is still in good spirits, just a little disappointed that he is going to have to wait another few days, before anything happens. On the other hand, it did allow us an opportunity to have a video phone call (SKYPE) between him and his girls. Everything else is going well, and he is getting a bunch of visitors. People who knew him from when he was there previously and come to see if it really is him, back from California. He is also getting is some regular PT sessions, and he seems pretty happy about that. It keeps him occupied and helps to keep him in shape. Thank you, all for the continued support and for all the prayers, just please keep in mind the doctors who are working with Jason.

Jason took off this morning, for Bethesda/Walter Reed Hospital. I received a text message just prior to him taking off and then again shortly after arrival. I will be communicating with him daily, and frequently with Skype, so that the girls are able to see Daddy and Mommy, since they will both be there. I am assuming that the flight was uneventful, and to be honest, that is the way I like them. As I find out more about his treatments and procedures I will be updating the blog, though it will still be irregular. I don't know how long he will be in Bethesda, but it has been suggested that he might be there until November, possibly longer. Please continue with the prayers for Jason, and especially for the doctors who will be treating him. You might also want to include the rest of the family, as we can all use some divine assistance and strength. Thank you, for all the pray support in the past, and thank you, for keeping us in your thoughts.

Okay, two updates in a row... Jason is no longer in the hospital, and has returned to his place in San Diego. There was some sort of mix-up and the scheduled flight was pushed out to Wednesday, this coming week. As a result of that push they didn't want him to be just sitting in the hospital, and will readmit him on Tuesday, assuming that he is still going to be going on Wednesday. Needless to say, Jason is a bit irritated by the flipping back and forth on the travel plans, but it does seem that he will be going. He got to talk with the girls today, on the phone and they were all excited to hear from Daddy again. We are going to be Skyping tomorrow, and we have a time set up and everything. We would have Skyped today, but our schedules didn't match up like we wanted. Anyway, take care and keep your eyes opened for the next update (probably on Tuesday, if nothing else exciting happens). Thank you, for all the continued prayers and support -  it is appreciated.

Well, Jason was admitted to the hospital again today, only this time it wasn't because he was having any difficulty or feeling extra pain - it was because he is getting ready to head back to Bethesda. There still isn't a solid travel date set, but it will most likely happen before August 6, and I personally think it could happen as early as tomorrow. His spirits are high and he is feeling pretty positive for the trip, and he is confident that they girls are being taken care of. They are with us, Grandma and Grandpa, and will be staying with us for at least the next couple of weeks, and then we will all get together to determine what is going to be happening. We may end up keeping them with us for the entire stay, but that has yet to be determined. We have been calling and Skyping with Jason for the past few days, and the girls really enjoy getting a chance to talk with Daddy. It is even better with Skype, and they get to see Daddy. Today they had to settle for just talking si...

I know it has only been a couple of days, but I wanted to let everyone know that Jason did get out of the hospital, again today, and he is back in his house. There was some excitement with the "new" wound care nurse, as she made a few mistakes in changing the dressings, but Jason was able to handle it and everything got done well, in the end. Jason actually told them to, "...get her out of my room and find me someone who knows what they are doing!" And, knowing Jason, my guess is it wasn't in a nice pleasant voice. He is a Marine after all. Anyway, things seem to be going well for him right now and he is getting used to being on his own. We let the girls talk with Daddy, twice today, and they thought that was pretty exciting. I think Jason enjoyed it too. We were going to be setting up SKYPE, but there were a couple of technical glitches (Jason's laptop doesn't have a microphone) so it will have to wait until tomorrow. Take care and stay positive and p...

Originally, Linda, the girls and I were supposed to be headed back up to Livermore today and Jason was to take over ALL aspects of his life. As it turned out though, Jason was feeling some significant pain at about 21:30 (9:30pm) last night and wanted to get in to the ER - so I took him. By the time all was said and done they determined that he should be going back in to the hospital, where they could get a better handle on what it is, causing Jason so much discomfort. By the time I left from Jason's hospital room it was about 05:10, and I went straight back to the house. I was getting pretty tired at that point, since I'd been up for almost 24 hours, and by the time I did get back in bed, it was 24 hours. We checked in with Jason and they were working to control the pain, and it seemed like they were doing a good job of it. Jason had his pca, so that he could get the meds as needed and stayed on top of the pain. The challenge is that they don't know what is causing this ...

Today we made some preparations to travel back up to Livermore, and let Jason be more on his own. It is a step we are taking with trepidation and concern, but know that it is the right thing to do.Originally we had planned on leaving tomorrow morning, and made arrangements to have all our things packed and ready to roll in the morning. As it turned out though, Jason's temperature went up again and he was complaining about shooting pain again. Linda and I discussed it and decided that the best course of action would be to either leave later on Saturday, or early Sunday. We want to be sure that Jason is feeling better before we depart. It is hoped that his fever goes back down and that his pain level drops significantly. There is no hurry to be out of here anyway, so it works for all of us. Besides, it gives us another day to finish our packing and see how creative we can be in getting all our things in to the Explorer. Well, today started with the idea that the only reason we were...

Jason had two appointments today, yet he ended up staying at the Naval Base Hospital campus for nearly five hours. He was attempting to get a few things corrected, as well as find out the status of some supplies. I requested supplies about 4-weeks ago and still nothing has shown up. The  "stop-gap" supplies keep things going and he is okay, again for a few days, but I will need to head over to pick up a couple more tomorrow, when we take the girls to their appointments. From what we have been told, the supplies are coming, they just haven't gotten here yet. Linda is doing most of the packing, as she wants to have some level of organization to the stuff we'll be driving back with. I told her I could get the packing done in a matter of a couple of hours, and she said she would rather do it, and let me stick to the heavy lifting (moving boxes to the truck). Anthony Netto is helping us move some of the stuff up when he comes up a couple of days after us, so that makes i...

Not 100% sure about receiving an update in the next day or two, but I am sure there is one coming. There was a bit of a meeting today, between Jason and a point of contact at Balboa. Jason did not hold back in anyway this time and the point of contact (leaving out the name on purpose) was appreciative of his candor. There was a desire, by some of the Balboa Medical Staff, to sit down with Jason and go over some options that he has, if he remains in Balboa. Jason flat told them that he is tired of waiting on these meetings that seem to continually get scheduled and no update or information comes from them. Jason said he wasn't interested in any of their meetings, or the results now; he is ready to go back to Bethesda and let them do the surgical procedures that it appears he needs. The point of contact simply said the meeting, which was set for Friday, will now, not be taking place and instead there will be an effort to coordinate Jason's transition to Bethesda. Jason will be ...

Jason's "new" support team is doing a little better today, though I still had to take care of his wound dressings. I am optimistically hopeful that by the end of the week they will collectively have their act together. I still have some questions on how he is to be fed dinner in the evening, and how his clothes are to be laundered. If there is no one else around he is unable to do these things on his own. Tonight Linda is doing the laundry and she also made him dinner. David, his brother, is coming in for a short visit tomorrow, so that should be a good day for him. The cool thing about this is that Jason doesn't have any appointments tomorrow, so they should have some time together. Linda and I are going to spending some time packing, and see if we can get everything done by the end of the day tomorrow. Not really that much to pack, but we would like to keep it organized.  Take care and stay positive - Thank you, for all your continued support and continued prayers...

Well, today was supposed to be the first day of me totally stepping away from supporting Jason's needs for his recovery. It didn't quite work that way. I asked him if he had contacted Maxim (the company contracted with) and he said he had sent them a text message last night letting them know he needed someone here by 06:30. By 07:30 I had gotten his breakfast; helped him get his clothes together; and, assisted him in getting out of his bed. There was no transportation so I took Jason to his appointments and it happened to be the same time we needed to get the girls to day care, so that was no big deal. The challenge was connecting up with the Maxim folks. It took five phone calls and three trips back to the house before we were back on track. It was also noon time, so at least they were there to help with his lunch. Jason was feeling pretty good today, so that was a big plus, as well as very helpful in getting beyond the frustration of their stumbles. Tomorrow we are again lo...

Not much to report on today, other than Jason being uncomfortable last night and not sleeping much until today. I think he is learning more on how to position himself so that he can better deal with the pain, and last night was a major lesson for him. I went for a bike ride, and did some aggressive hill runs. I need to build up the stamina so I can do this up coming ride and those hills are a part of that. The only other thing that really happened today was that Linda and I were able to go see Wicked and the San Diego Civic Center. We enjoyed the play and actually a little sorry we didn't go see it when it was in San Francisco - oh well, we've seen it now. Tomorrow is a big day for some of the medical teams  here, and we are anxious to hear what comes of those meetings. Jason is pretty sure they won't have anything new and is going to request he get to go back to the Naval Hospital at Bethesda, Walter Reed. Otherwise Monday begins the end of the regular blog updates and a...

Another great Saturday for all of us down here in San Diego. Jason and the girls are having a good time spending time together and, if nothing else, learning how good a reader and story teller Daddy is. I got up early this morning, at about 04:00. Anthony Netto needed a ride to the airport, so I was happy to help. Once I got back from the airport I went and laid back down and, of course, woke Linda up so we talked for a short while. I then decided to go for a bike ride. I wanted to go a little farther than I have in the past, and also wanted to challenge some hills, so I went exploring. I ended up with a ride that was less than 30 miles, though the hills were very much the challenge I was looking to find. As it turned out I ended up a little past where Anthony lives, and that both surprised and pleased me. I ended up riding back and headed out to Ocean Beach, and by the time I was up that hill I decided that I should have brought more water. The next ride will be accompanied with more ...

Wow! I would not have believed that I was going to be putting up 500 posts, over the coarse of 17months, but here it is. Jason has made some amazing strides in these 500 different entries, with some of them better than others, and Jason consistently demonstrating a positive outlook. It makes me very proud of him, though I guess Linda and I have always been very proud of him - and all of our sons. Today was a good day for Jason, in that we were able to get with Dr. Pyo and talk about some of the progress that Jason has been making and some of the ideas of what else can be done. We also spoke about the things that didn't work so well, such as the hyperbaric chamber; some of the early first wheelchairs; even some of the early wound care, and despite the set backs, how it all has come together in a positive way. There have been some significant positives and successes along the way as well. Such as Jason being able to transfer himself sooner than they thought would happen; Jason beat...

What an amazing kind of day, today was. Jason had a couple of appointments at the hospital, with one of them being at OT. Now ordinarily going to OT would be focused on working with the hands, arms or some combination, with the target of being better use and strengthening. Today was a little different in that there were the activities associated with strengthening and use, AND cooking! There was this great spread of food set up so that we could have breakfast burritos in multiple ways, although I only had one. Jason, on the other hand, fixed himself a couple of different burritos and enjoyed them immensely. The only thing that was wrong with this picture was that Linda didn't come with us this time and so she missed out on the great food. Shortly after I was finished with my burrito we had to head out so that Jason could get over to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). They were having a "Family Day" celebration and he wanted to see what was going on, and he was hoping ...

Jason had a couple of appointments today, and he wanted to get his hair cut (after all, it has been two weeks since his last one, and he was beginning to look shaggy - at least in his eyes). I needed to get over to meet with Anthony Netto, so after I dropped him off at the hospital, and saw him on his way to his appointment Linda and I took off for our meeting with Anthony. Before getting there I received a call from the PAO (Public Affairs Officer) of the hospital, Mike. Mike and I are frequently giving each other a hard time, since he is a Yankees fan and I support the Giants; it started almost the second week we were here. Needless to say, we get along well, and enjoy the banter back and forth. Well, when he called he asked me where Jason was, and if he could speak with him. I told him he was welcome to talk to him, but he wasn't with me, he was at the hospital. I gave him Jason's phone number and then asked what was so urgent. Apparently Gary Sinise was back at the hospital...

Today was a very challenging day, from the very beginning of the day. Last night, after I had laid down to go to sleep, Jackie started to cry. She was running a very high fever (103+) and that meant I needed to get her to the ER. The good news is that we were only there for a few hours, and I was back in bed, well before 02:00 (2am). The other good news is that the doctor recognized what was wrong and prescribed an antibiotic for us to give Jackie for the next week. This works, as we will be leaving in about a week, so we're hoping all works well together to get her well. I turned around and was up at about 07:30 again, as Jackie was again uncomfortable so Linda went down to see what she could do, and I needed to get up anyway. I wanted to get Stacy over to the day care to limit the amount of time she was spending with Jackie, right now. I was actually hoping to get in a bike ride today, but the way my head was feeling and the need to go back and forth between the hospital and Ja...

For those of you that don't already know... Today is my birthday. I turned 60 today, and I'm being told that 60 is the new 40. I'm not really sure what to do about that, since I kind'a liked the "old" 40, whatever that was. Five years ago I had no idea that I'd be doing this blog every night, and doing my best to keep people aware of what is going on, with the life of one of my sons. Yet, here I am and it looks like I'm finally coming to a close, of at least this chapter in the lives of the Ross family. But, instead of taking a walk down "reflective lane", I'm just going to stick with the regular and tell you about the day. I woke Jason up this morning, at about 06:30 because he had an appointment at 07:30. At the time I wasn't aware that he had had a rough night sleeping, all I knew was that I needed to get him up and going and that he wasn't going to get to eat anything, because of the procedure. Linda stayed back at the house...

Good day for Jason, though there is the on going battle of pain management. We went to breakfast, early this morning, with some friends, and we actually went to the Original Pancake House. For those readers who have been with me for over a year, you should recognize the name as one that we frequented while back in Bethesda. I knew they were out here, but just had not taken the time to locate until now. Actually it was at the request of our friends, and it was where they wanted to go have breakfast. It was good they wanted to go early too, since by the time we left there was a long line out the door. I think we might have stayed a little longer except that Jason was uncomfortable and needed to get out of the chair, or as he likes to say, "off my feet." It was good getting with Larry (for those that don't know Larry, he and I have known each other since high school and he was the best man at my wedding - heck, he's the reason Linda and I met) and his family. I hadn...

Jason spent most of the day in bed. He got up twice, for two different reasons. First he wanted to take a shower, and obviously there is a specific need for him to be out of the bed for that one. I changed the dressings on his wounds and they are looking okay, though the smaller wound has actually gotten a little bigger, and there is a "new" wound on his right side. Jason said he might want to talk with the dermatology folks to see if he should have another laser treatment. There was some progress with that, even if it did seem a little worse after the treatment. A few days afterward and the wounds looked to be healing up a bit. The other reason for Jason getting out of the bed was to come to the backyard. Linda had organized a birthday party for me, though my birthday isn't until Monday. It turned out nice, and we had a good turn out of people and the social gathering was better than I initially expected. I guess I should sometimes listen to her... ;-) I grilled up som...