Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

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...