Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

An interesting day, and and interesting evening - I enjoyed both... Started out with taking Stacy to her class and realizing that I had forgotten her bathing suit. Today is a water day (a very warm and dry day here in San Diego), and Stacy really wants to participate. I headed back to the house and knew that shortly we would be heading over to the Naval Hospital at Balboa, for Jason's appointments, as well as over to the Child Development Center (CDC) to get Jackie to her class. That's okay, we'll see them again on Friday. While at the Hospital Jason had his wounds checked at Wound Care and things are really looking good. Dr. Shoemaker took some photos and was very pleased with how his treatments were looking. Everything is closing up nicely and though there are a couple of spots that need to be watched closely, overall Jason is getting better. The biggest question seemed to be about his chair seat cushion and how it was going to be redone. The next stop was with Ophtha...

Not much to report on today, as we pretty much stayed at home. The girls were off to their respective schools and the rest of us spent most of the day, simply at home. There are a couple of things that I guess are "news worthy," and that is that Jason had a parent-teacher conference phone call, for Jackie. The call was very informative for Jason, and they touched on all the things that were expected. There is some concern that Jackie is a little delayed in her development, and Jason is doing his best to stay on top of it (of course Grandma and Grandpa are helping out here also). The other item is that Jason took his shower today, and that means a dressing change. The "newsy" aspect of that is that the wounds are just about all healed up and tomorrow we go in to Wound Care, and I believe we'll have the docs there to take a look. Things are looking good all around, so we're all positive about moving forward. Jason is becoming a little more comfortable in his c...

Today began with a feeling that I really needed to get out and go for a ride. I knew there were other things we needed to get done, first, so I got Linda to get up with me, and it wasn't even close to 07:00 yet, and we went down stairs. I checked on Jason and he wasn't  going to formation this morning, as he said he needed to be sure his uniform was ready, and honestly, it wasn't. I think maybe he wants to get a haircut first and then he'll feel more comfortable with the rest of the battalion. He has expressed in the past that he likes to set the example for the others to follow and if he can't show the way a Marine should look, then he doesn't feel comfortable going. Besides, I don't know that he would be able to stay up in his chair that long. He hasn't been in his chair for more than 90 minutes so far, and he has told me that the pain is very similar to what it was, prior to the ablating of the nerve, that was done. Anyway, Linda wanted to get going w...

A nice day, with an easy beginning. Linda took the girls to church and I stayed back with Jason. When they got back from church we walked the girls over to their mom's place and said our good-bye's, until tomorrow afternoon. They have gotten pretty synced up with the schedule and are understanding that there are two homes, two bedrooms, and two different environments. What I particularly like is that they are so excited every time they see us, even if it is only for a couple of hours. Otherwise we have had a relaxed day. Jason got up and took a shower, and shaved off his impressive beard, though he left his hair alone - for now. After the shower I did a dressing change and I am very pleased with the progress of healing. I think the docs are all going to be very happy with what they see when we go back in for our next visit. Later this evening Jason got up again and wanted to test out what it was like riding in the car, so we ended up heading over to the grocery store. He did ...

Today was another good day, and we all had a great time, just enjoying each other's company. For a little while Linda was gone, where she went to visit the cats (Candy and Pumpkin) at the home where they are being cared for; and,  while we wait on the house being built for Jason. The girls had a fun time, especially when we went out to the backyard and they got to ride their scooters. Funny part was that apparently it rained last night, and there were some residual clouds hanging around, so even though it was pretty bright outside, it did start to sprinkle a little. It lasted only for about five minutes, but we all felt it. After Linda got back home I went to Costco, to restock some of our food supplies. Fortunately it wasn't too much so it didn't take too long to get it done. Actually felt kind of strange as it was the first time I've been to Costco, in a long time, by myself... and they were crowded. We had a nice chicken dinner, that I picked up at Costco (didn...

Today was a special day for the Ross family, here in San Diego. It started out with Linda and I getting up and putting together a nice healthy breakfast of yogurt and apples, and it was really good. Linda actually got out on the elliptical prior to breakfast and she continues to increase her time. I'm doing my best to monitor her, as I don't want her to do too much, too quickly. Bottom line is that she worked up a pretty good sweat (I know, women glow, men sweat) and I was very happy and proud with her progress.  Once she was done with that, it was my turn to get out and do something, and so I went for 21+ mile bike ride. I worked up a good sweat, too. Actually, the ride took me past a Togos (I think there are only four of them in San Diego), so I stopped and picked up sandwiches for lunch, since it was now getting close. Jason wanted a roast beef, large and Linda and I had our small sandwiches (I had a #9 and Linda had #5). The real interesting thing was that as I got back t...

Today was a good day, with the Ross family in San Diego. About the only down side is that we won't be seeing the girls for the next five days. On the big plus side is Jason is healing up well and the medical team is very pleased with how things are coming along. I was a bit surprised by Dr. Salt when he suggested that Jason consider doing another tissue expander on the other side (left side) to see if they can get more coverage. Jason sort of listened and didn't commit one way or another. I just happen to know that he is not interested in any more surgeries, right now, and would rather just focus on getting himself back in to an operable condition. He did sit up a little today, though it was only for about 20 seconds, and from the look on his face I would have to say it was painful still. The fact that he could go for 20 seconds is good, as it does show that he is getting better. The wounds and bandages are getting smaller all the time, so Linda and I are very happy about that,...

Nothing new to report about today. It has been a good day for everyone and I think particularly enjoyable by Linda, as she had time to do things with Stacy that she hasn't been able to do otherwise. I got in a 19+ mile bike ride, and that was good for me. And, then Jason had his dressings changed out and the wounds looked better today than ever in the past. I am confident that tomorrow's doctor/wound care visit is going to be a good one. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

What an interesting, and challenging day for me. I sure am glad that Linda is here because I really needed her help, with all that happened. Have you ever had one of those days where it just seems like everything is orchestrated to make the first few hours seem like things are against you? I got up with plenty of time and figured I'd do a little "housekeeping" on my system. It was time to change/update my security software. Well, when I tend to get working on a computer, almost any computer, I tend to loose track of the time, and it happened again this morning, and I didn't even get the software loaded. I finally realized I needed to check on the time for my morning appointment, with the VA, I found out that it was in 15 minutes, and over at the Mission office. Oh, crap! I ran up to do a quick clean up and get dressed, the only thing I had done was brush my teeth. Fortunately I hadn't eaten anything, and once I was dressed I jumped in the truck and took off. I...

Happy Easter! We started the morning with two very excited little girls, who were anxious to see what was going to be happening today. We had a great breakfast, courtesy of Linda, and then we had to rush to get ready for church. We'd lost track of the time and neither of us had even started to get dressed, let alone getting the girls ready. Anyway, we got the girls to their Sunday school classes and then went and enjoyed the rest of the time, until service was over. Then we had to get over to pick up the girls and get back to the house, as Sean (or I should say, Uncle Sean) was setting up for the egg hunt. We got back to the house and the girls immediately ran to the backyard and looked through the window. First thing Stacy said was, "I can see the eggs!" We still had to get them prepared for the egg gathering fun and once that was done they were out the door. Stacy did collect more than Jackie, though I think she held her own pretty well. Both of their "baskets...

This morning started off with our cats both joining us in bed. It was the first time for that to happen in a long time. I enjoyed having them up, with us, though I think it might have made it a little more difficult for Linda to say, "good-bye" to them. After all, she has been their primary care taker for the past three years, and they were her regular companions. The good thing though, is that we can go see them, whenever we want, and have the time... but I'm getting ahead of myself. We got up and I made some oatmeal for breakfast, and it was good, but I forgot to pick up some raisins, so to me, it seemed like something was missing. Anyway, shortly after breakfast we took off to take the cats to their new "foster" home, where they will be staying for the next 6+ months. Glenn and Ann (and their son Nick) will taking care of them until Jason's new house is built. When that's completed we will be bringing them to the new house, where they will remain wi...

We had a great morning start for today, with the girls coming up stairs and telling us it was time to get up. Actually, we had been up for about 30 minutes, just laying in bed and enjoying the quiet time together. Anyway, we all got up and soon were having breakfast, raisin bran, and it started with Stacy saying that she didn't like it. By the time we were done she had requested a couple of bowls, and ate all of it. Later this morning the girls and I went to Costco, and they both were wearing their Easter Bunny ears, and I have determined that Stacy has a future in dealing with the public. She was going up to just about anyone that even slightly looked at her and she would tell them that she was a "bunny princes." Everyone thought they were both very cute (and they are), and it consistently brought smiles to the people's faces. Then later in the day, late afternoon, we headed over to the airport and picked up Sean, or youngest son, as he is down for an Easter visi...

I got up this morning, a little on the early side, as I had a trip planned to head up to Los Angeles, to pick up our cats. The two cats have been kept, for the past couple of weeks with my son, in Los Angeles and now we need to get them down here, and to their "new" home. They will be in foster care until Jason's house is built, and we've moved in, and that might not be until the end of this year. Anyway, I was up early and went in to check on Jason, as I usually do, after I get up. He was awake and just before I went into his room he called me, on my phone. He wanted me to let Gracie (his dog) out, so she could do her normal morning routine. I did this and then went in to see him. I wondered if he had attempted to get into his chair before calling me, and he had. It wasn't a good out come. When he attempted to get into the chair he said it caused him some significant discomfort and pain and felt that he should not be sitting just yet. We discussed it for a few ...

I started the morning off with taking Jackie to her doctor appointment, to have a follow up exam on her ears. As it turned out the ears seem to be working fine, though they could not tell 100% right now, since she just got over an infection. They want to see her back again in about four weeks, to give her body some time to get totally clear of the infection she had last week. On a real positive note, Jackie was feeling great and full of energy this morning and just as happy as could be. While I was taking Jackie to her appointment, Linda was getting Stacy ready for her school. Again, Stacy was happy and  full of energy, so the morning start for us was good from all accounts. After getting the girls to their respective classes it was on to focusing on Jason, and his appointments for this morning. Jason's appointment went well, and the healing is progressing, just not as fast as we would have liked it too. The doctor was there and said that Jason was able to get up on his chair, ...

Happy Tax Day! Okay, maybe not such a happy day for everyone... ;-) Today was certainly a good day here. Jason was in pretty good spirits and is looking forward to tomorrow's medical appointment. We are all hoping that the doctor is happy with how the wounds have progressed and will okay his getting back into his chair. Getting back into his chair means so much for him (and for the rest of us, too), as it allows him to move about the house and be with his kids more; it means he can get back into a routine of going to his physical therapy, where he has a better chance of doing exercise with a trainer; it means he will be another step closer to getting his own vehicle and getting that extra step of independence; and, it will be a chance for him to finally get out of his room, when he wants too. Jason received a call to coordinate a meeting, tomorrow, with the folks who do robotics work, for helping the wounded warriors, allowing them to gain some independence. Apparently they wil...

Today was a good day for a nice bike ride, and I decided to take advantage of it. I hadn't ridden out to Mission beach in several weeks, and as it turned out, I took a few new turns and found a couple new paths and had a nice 17 mile ride. Maybe not as nice as Monterey's 17 Mile Drive, but still a nice ride for me.  We got up this morning and Linda made some French toast for breakfast, and it was really good. Jason and I finished off the bread, so we'll have to get more. We continue to get ready for Easter while at the same time still reorganizing the house, as well as can be done. We're thinking about picking up a couple of those metal, adjustable racks that Costco sells, and we think that it will help with getting things more organized, as well as being better stacked. You can only stack boxes so high, and the racks allow for much higher stacking. Linda went to go pick up Stacy from her pre-school, and I went to pick up Jackie, and when I got there Jackie came ...

Today was a pretty good day, as Jason is doing well and though we really didn't go anywhere, we had a good time. We did have a visitor, two actually, Richard Rovsek and his wife came by to talk with Jason, Linda and I about a relatively new foundation, The Spirit of Liberty Foundation, and something new they're putting together. It sounds very interesting and has a high potential to do some good for all the wounded warriors, both those with visible injuries, as well as those with things like PTSD and other "hidden" wounds. Right now Jason can not do much, for multiple reasons, other than to possibly advise and being a "sounding board" for when they might have some ideas. Down the road, though, he could possibly help in other ways, that I won't be talking about just yet. I will be learning more about them, over the next few weeks, and getting a chance to speak with them more. Perhaps Linda and I will be able to help them in some small way, as they get sta...

Not a great deal to write about today, other than it was a good day and we managed to get some things done. I started the day with a nice bike ride up to Cabrillo National Park, and found that it was closed. It was kind of a bummer, because it is actually a lot of work to ride up to the park, and then generally it is much more casual around in the park - as you rest a bit. Of course the ride back to the house was mostly down hill, so I did get to rest, but it wasn't the same thing. And I did manage to get back to the house at a relatively early hour, about 08:45, and it was still quiet. I guess the big news for the day was that we now have a place to take the cats, while we wait for the house to be built. This is a very big relief, as we effectively have run out of time. The folks who will be "fostering" the cats are very nice people, and they are actually only about 20 minutes away. All we have to do now is to make sure there is food for them, and we take them to the v...

Today is one of those days where you just have to take situations, one thing at a time. I had gotten up and was actually planning on getting out and going for a bike ride. About 20 minutes prior to getting ready Jason received a phone call from his primary doctor, who had heard about the situation with Jason's eyes (from his Wound Care visit yesterday). Well, this ended up turning into an eye appointment with Ophthalmology and we needed to get Jason in to the hospital sometime this morning. Okay, so now I need to call the ambulance to get them over to pick up Jason (and me), and that was end of  my ride. On a Friday you don't want to be out on the street, on a bicycle, if you don't have to, after about 14:00 (2pm). People are more interested in getting home and getting the weekend started, and really become rude, discourteous drivers, which translates to dangerous drivers, especially for those on bikes... so I didn't go. Jason's appointment was actually kind of fa...

This morning, Linda and I woke up a little before 07:00 and as many couples do, we simply laid there and talked. Not for very long, but still long enough to just enjoy the time together, and figure out what we were going to do for breakfast (ended up Linda made French Toast). It was a nice relaxed time and very much needed by both of us, I think. Linda made the breakfast, and both Jason and I enjoyed the benefit of her culinary efforts. We had to be ready to go to Jason's appointment, at 09:30 this morning, so there really wasn't a great deal of time to just wander around, and the ambulance did arrive a little early. The ride to the hospital was without incident, as we generally hope is the case; completed with the long walk to Wound Care. Wound Care is down a long haul way, and simply from the architectural vantage point, it looks to be WAY down the other end of the hall, once you get started. The visit itself was pretty much as expected, with all the wounds looking better...

Busy day for us today, and also a very good day for getting things done. Jackie's ear seems to be better, though she has only had a few of the antibiotic doses so far. She was in a much better frame of spirit this morning and that was a good thing. The girls got to their pre-schools on time and then we had a bunch of stuff to be done around the house. Linda has been going through boxes of stuff (papers, pictures, etc.) to get them all organized and possibly even reduced, so that there isn't so much here at the house. I took care of some of the running around and picked up some new "bedding" for Jason's pet rat, Mr. Jingles, in the hope that the soars on his feet will go away (he's also on antibiotics). One of the good things is that Gracie is doing well, and we aren't having any issues with her. As for Linda's and my cats... we have a few people who have stepped up, down here, who will be happy to take them for the remainder of the year, and that i...

Today sure didn't turn out like I had thought it was going to. The girls were up and ready to go, and breakfast was pretty much "normal." Stacy and I had time to walk to her pre-school, and though Jackie was a little cranky, she stayed back at the house with Grandma. I guess about that time is when I noticed a little change in Jackie's attitude and demeanor (more on that in a little bit).   I had planned on going for a bike ride this morning, just as soon as the girls were off, and I had taken care of a couple of errands. The biggest errand was finding a place for the cats to stay, while we continue to be with Jason, and we wait for his new house to be built. From what we have been told it is probably going to take the rest of the year to get this accomplished, so we remain optimistic that it is going to happen. The "finding" of a place is being done through another support organization, that we have recently learned about, and they are known as DoD, or Do...

Good day, all around. We had a great morning and got the girls off to their respective pre-schools, and then a short while later Jason and I were on our way to Balboa, and the hospital for the Wound Care appointment. The folks at Wound Care were very pleased with how well Jason was doing, and how the wounds were looking. As always, I was able to sit through the visit and also saw how well they were healing up. The only "down" side was that though the two folks working today were very competent, they were not the doctor. Only the doctor can give the official approval for Jason to be able to again sit up and the doctor won't be back in  until the 15th. That is just a week away (okay, a week and a day), but it does mean that Jason has to wait until the good doctor returns. Jason's incisions are looking really good and closing up very well. He took it all in stride and shortly we were on our way back to the house. Once we were at the house, Linda and I had a few things ...

Today was another relaxed Sunday, where Linda took the girls to church (the girls love Sunday School), and I stayed back with Jason. I think one of the biggest things that Jason is looking forward to, once he can get up and out, is a good shower, with the next big step being able to join in a social gathering, such as going to a church service. Just getting the chance to be around other people tends to give him energy, and from my experience, being a part of a congregation you get a great deal of energy and a boost. Linda's parents came over for a nice visit today, and the girls loved it. They always enjoy seeing family and to be able to see Nana and Tata (Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa are a bit much for them to say) is especially nice. It is the first time they have been able to come down for a visit, since moving down from Yuba City, and now they are about an hour drive away (much better than 10 hours). The rest of the day was a continued relaxed day and simply making sure ...

Nice easy day for everyone. We did a little more clean up and straightened out the house a bit more. It isn't so cluttered and If Jason were to get into his chair he would be able to move around with ease, though he would still have to dodge two little girls and a dog. The weather has been very nice, for the past couple of days, and from what I can tell it is going to be nice for another couple of days. Hey, its San Diego and that's just the way it is down here. Linda's parents are to be coming over tomorrow, either late morning or early afternoon. Linda will be taking the girls to church while I stay with Jason. I'm thinking about throwing some things on the grill tomorrow, and do a little out door cooking, just to mix it up a little. Other than that, it will probably be another low key day and we should be able to enjoy a nice fun day with the family. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

Today was a pretty good day in that we were able to get a few things accomplished and Jason was able to visit with a few Marines when he went to his appointments. The morning started out with me getting up early to completely empty the truck that we have been using, and then turn it in to U-Haul. The previous truck was the same size, and looked to be about the same year, with the biggest difference being the gas mileage. The previous truck had much better fuel economy and rode much more comfortably. Anyway, we are done with the truck and moving... at least for now. As I turned in the truck this morning, I was concerned about the time so Linda had to hurry over to come pick me up. It was about 08:30 and the ambulance was going to be at the house around 09:00. When we were coming home we were right behind the ambulance - yeah, they were a bit early. The first appointment was with Dr. Sheu, Jason's new primary and it was a very good visit. It was the first time we had all met and th...

Yesterday was a good day, though at times kind of busy. As a result of that I got side tracked and forgot about a dental appointment I was supposed to go to. I'll get hold of the dentist and get it rescheduled for the next available time slot - it was for a cleaning, so it wasn't too urgent. Today was a bit more laid back with the main focus being getting things organized and put away, and taking care of a few personal issues. Jason is doing well and looking forward to being able to sit up and get out of bed, for a change. We received a call today, inviting us to the Padres baseball game on April 12; where there will be on field activities that they want Jason and another Wounded Warrior to be a part of. The other guy, Nick K., lives down the street from us and we've been on other events with him, so it would be good to be able to do this. The challenge will be simply related to Jason's ability to sit up in a chair, and be able to sit up for a couple of hours. I told ...

A good day and one where a few things were accomplished. The truck that I drove down from Livermore on Monday was off loaded, and will be heading back to U-Haul tomorrow. Actually there are a few more things still in the truck and I'll get those out tomorrow, then it will head back. Other than that, there really isn't much to talk about for today. Jason had a couple of visitors drop by, and that was a good thing. Tomorrow he will be heading to the hospital and Wound Care, along with an Neurological appointment. This means we will be at the hospital for about 2 hours, rather than the usual one. That's okay, as it gives Linda some time to work on emptying a couple more boxes while we're gone, and she won't have to work around me... ;-) More updates tomorrow, and so now I'll just sign off. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

Today was another good day here in San Diego. The girls both got up and got ready for school and even though it was a bit drizzly, they wanted to walk to Stacy's school (about 3 blocks), and fortunately it didn't begin to rain. Linda took Jackie to her day care and then shortly after she got home, Jason and I went to Jason's doctor appointment. The appointment went well, and the incision wound is looking better. The real strong positive out of this is that the wound vac has been removed and Jason can be a little more comfortable and even sleep on his back (a first, after several weeks). There is one area where there is still a little concern, though they think they know why there was splitting, and addressed the issue. My guess is that Jason is still going to be able to get up in his chair in another two or three weeks. The rest of the day was spent taking care of things around the house, and with the melding of the two homes there is plenty of work to be done. We proba...