Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

Actually, I guess I should say, "Happy Old Year" since the new one doesn't begin until tomorrow. Actually, Google pointed out that on the Gregorian calendar, December 31st is also known as the Old Year Day... but I digress, as that isn't what I intended to cover with this post, but it is kind of interesting. Anyway, we have had a few busy days recently. We have a new grandson, born on December 28, at 4:00 in the morning. He weighed in at 8lbs 5oz., and his name is Noah Alexander Ross and he is the third son of our 2nd son, David and his wife Miriam. That makes five grand kids now, and we're very happy. Both Mom and Dad are doing well, as well as their other two sons, Dylan and Ethan. Linda and I spent a couple of days up in the lovely city of Glendale, so we could be close to them, and to celebrate a "second" Christmas with the boys, Dylan and Ethan. We actually got home yesterday evening and found that Jason was doing well, and all was as it should be...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Well, actually, I had planned on making this post yesterday but I was just too warn out, so I'm getting it in today (tonight). We have had a very good and exciting past several days. First with George, our oldest son, coming out for a visit. I think this was a good visit for him, and a very good visit for us. It was good to see the brothers get some time together again, and even tomorrow they're planning on a movie outing, in the morning. The reason for the early showing is that George will be headed home in the evening. Something about the need to get back to work... ;-) The family has enjoyed the Christmas celebration, and we even had a double Christmas dinner. First it was Linda's parents who came, on Christmas Eve, and we had a more traditional turkey dinner. It was an exciting and fun time for the girls, as well as the adults, as they always like to see their Nana and Tata. They stayed well past dinner and we even asked them if t...

It has been nearly three weeks since my last update, so I figured I should put something up, and besides, we had a special visitor today, and that made it all the more important that I post something. We have most of the Christmas preparations completed, with a few shopping runs still to be made. The general attitude of the household is very positive and we're having fun. The girls are with us for the next several days, as Jason made this a "vacation" period so the girls simply stay with us until the 30th. I took them out to go riding their bikes, over at the school. I really should be getting them out more often because I think it would be great for them to be able to go for a short ride with me. Right now they don't have the riding skills down very well, and need more practice. After the riding was done we came back to the house and had some lunch. Linda wanted to get some additional decorations up, inside the house (the outside looks pretty good and we're all...

It has been too long since my last update, and for the most part, that is a good thing. Good because it means there really hasn't been a great deal to post, and Jason has been doing very well. I just wanted to get something out, so that everyone will know that we're all doing well and enjoying life, and that the girls are all growing and getting bigger every day. The most significant thing actually happened today, as we went in to Balboa and had an appointment with one of his doctors. The good news is that there hasn't been a great deal of change in anything, and Jason is doing well. The "less than good" news is that they want to do a CT Scan as a safety step with regard to the blood clot that they (the medical folks) all got nervous about, last month. The doctor said it should be done as soon as possible, so Jason jumped on the phone and set up an appointment, and it will be done on the 15th. That is the earliest date available, and actually it sounds like ther...

Good news! Jason is back home, again. We got up and found out that Jason was doing well (called him on the phone), and that a few "new" doctors had come in to visit with him this morning. These new docs were from Vascular, and decided that he needed both an M.R.I. as well as an ultra-sound scan of the area. There was a possibility of a procedure or surgery so he was not being allowed to eat anything, and initially it looked like he was not coming home. We checked in again, shortly after 09:00, and I spoke with his nurse. She informed me that he was down at Radiology, getting the M.R.I. done, and he should be back "soon." (I really don't like that expression. "Soon" is so nebulous). Linda and I decided to head to the hospital in the Mustang, since we weren't expecting Jason to be coming home. By the time we arrived (close to 11:00) Jason was back in his room and really wanting something to eat. They said he could have a couple of sips of water, bu...

Jason is still in the hospital, only now both Gracie and Kojak are also there with him. We brought them to the hospital, so they could see Jason, and Jason could see them. The nursing staff thought they were both so cute they wanted us to leave them with Jason. We agreed to, after discussing them taking the time to get them outside every once in awhile, and so they remained after we left. I kind of half expect to get a phone call in the middle of the night asking me to come pick them up, so we'll see how it goes. As far as the treatment goes, they are still running a blood thinner, heparin (I think) and still discussing what can and should be done. We hope to hear something in the morning, so in the mean time Linda and I are going to attempt to get a good night sleep. We stayed with him until about 21:30 (9:30PM), when he was obviously falling asleep, so we said good night and let him rest. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

Today began this past Saturday... On Saturday we took the girls to the High Caliber Equine Rescue Ranch, it is one of the largest in the country, specializing in horse rescue. It was  a great day and Jason had a pretty good time with the girls; learning about the horses and getting a chance to even feed some of them. The horses were all, or at least most of them, friendly and we all had a good day. After the visit we headed back to the house and it was now getting later in the evening and Jason wanted to fix dinner - something he does every now and again. I could tell he was tired and I suggested that he go lay down, a few times, but he wanted to fix dinner. Dinner was very good, as it was chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese and spinach. Even Jackie liked the new dinner, and finally Jason got to bed. And yes, there was the regular dressing change and shower. Sunday, Jason stayed in bed, almost 100% of the time. He complained about sourness, like it was muscles that had be...

Just a quick update and a thank you, to everyone who expressed concern about Jason and his recent visit and stay at the hospital. He is very happy that he is home and we even had some guests over this evening (It was something we had planned several weeks ago, and Jason was feeling good enough to have them over). The wounds are healing well, and Jason is back to his old positive self, so I probably won't be doing much updating here, unless there is some significant change. Take care and stay positive. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers.

I'm dating it 28-29 because we got home at almost midnight and I was just too tired to post. Actually the dogs were good to us and let us sleep through the night, and now we're feeling much better, ourselves. Jason is continuing to improve and there is to be another discussion with the doctors this morning, though Linda and I won't be there - - - actually I think the discussion has already taken place, or is in the process right now. Jason has been on an intense regimen of antibiotics and his white cell count is just about back to where they want it. Sorry, I don't have the numbers, just that it is back down. I know he is getting anxious to get back home, so he can get on with his life, and maybe even get out and do a few new things. We got to meet with their Wound Care Nurse (Lt.Cmdr Pickman) and she and I discussed a bunch of different things. She has 25 years with the Navy, and a bunch of that as a Wound Care Specialist. She was able to show me a couple of new step...

Today started out as a normal crazy busy day, with getting the girls off to school and then Linda and I taking off to take care of some errands. Jason even got up and seemed like he was feeling pretty good, being his regular talkative self. We felt pretty comfortable heading off for a few hours. As it turned out, Jason's "feeling good" period didn't last too long, and he had to lay back down. This happened after we were off taking care of the errands. Just as we were on our way back home, it was close to lunch time so Linda called Jason to see if he wanted us to pick up something for him and all he said was that we needed to get back home as soon as possible, and he wanted to get to the hospital at Camp Pendleton. We made it back home in a matter of about 15 minutes and in another few minutes Jason and I were back on our way to the hospital ER. They did their regular checks and began some labs when they were able to gather some other information from Balboa, where J...

Happy Fall! Jason has gotten past the infection and is doing great. I wanted to let everyone know so that there wouldn't be any worries about him. He is still taking some antibiotics, and that is going to be going on for a few more days, then life back to normal. We have been busy around the house with some minor chores and looking to make a couple of additions. We had the cabinet guys come over and we all talked about a couple of shelves that would be useful, especially to Jason, and then Joselyn and Bobby came over to help hang a bunch of pictures. With all that done and out of the way, we can now focus on whatever else we need to accomplish. I will not be making many updates to this blog, going forward, unless there is a specific issue that needs to be shared. Thank you, all for all the support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

A quick update/follow up on Jason and the infection. Yesterday he didn't ever really get to feeling very good, and in fact we had to cancel on a GSF event that we really wanted to attend. That's okay, though, as he felt much better today and by the end of the day was definitely improved. I am hopeful that he will continue to improve and quite possibly, by the end of the week, he will be back to his normal self. We will be headed to see the doctors at Balboa tomorrow, but that won't be until later in the morning. Linda and I will be taking the girls to school first. BTW - both Stacy and Jackie are doing well and continuing to grow way too fast. We love having them here with us, and just wish it was 100% of the time. Thank you, for all the continued support and prayers. Take care and stay positive.

It has been a while since my last post, and for the most part that is because not much has been going on, and Jason has been doing generally better. That all changed on Thursday when Jason started to feel poorly. He wasn't sure what was going on, as it felt uncomfortable (his words) and almost like he was catching the flu or something. He did have a slight fever with it bouncing around 99 and 100, then in the evening it shot up to 103.6. I took him in to the ER at Camp Pendleton and Linda stayed home with the dogs (I think I had the easier job, the dogs get very anxious whenever Jason and I are both gone). They got him in pretty fast, and fortunately there wasn't much going on at the ER, so that made it a little easier (plus it was almost 11PM). They did some blood and urine tests and quickly got some fluids going. A short time later, after the labs came back they got antibiotics going, and a few hours later we were back on our way home. It was now almost 06:30 in the morning. ...

We recently (yesterday) got back from a short vacation that took us to Ohio and W. Virginia. Linda went out ahead of me, by about five days, so that she could participate in the Blue Star Mothers convention. I came out the following weekend and we then drove to West Virginia and visited with my brother, and his wife. We had not see Bruce and Sharon (my brother and his wife) for nearly seven years, so it was well past due. We stayed with them for a few days and then headed up to Burton, OH to visit with the folks at Sheoga Floors. They are the company that manufactured the hardwood flooring that is in Jason's home. They donated it to the build of the house, and it looks wonderful. It was wonderful seeing family, and then getting to see caring and wonderful people. The people at Sheoga put us up in a B&B for a few days, then we headed off to Cleveland, which was a couple hours away. We caught our flight out of Cleveland, to head back to San Diego, and when we got here a friend pi...

All, first, a big THANK YOU, for all the dedicated visitors/readers of this blog. I apologize for the length of time since my last entry, and am making it now. We have been quite busy with many different things, some that have kept us up later in the evening, and even today it is now after 22:30 (10:30 PM). The main point of this blog is to provide status and updates on Jason, and his progress, well, he is still doing well, though there hasn't been a great deal of progress with the healing. In fact he has developed a pressure soar that isn't going away. We'll be working with the folks at the VA to see what can be done, as well as the doctors at Balboa. The reason for working with both teams is simply because we feel that the prosthetic he now has is no longer providing the kind of support he needs, and they need to make adjustments. The doctors and medical staff at Balboa seem to have a better handle on the treatment side. Together we need them to merge talents and help g...

I was actually planning on writing something upbeat and happy with this blog, and then the incident in France happened. I don't feel like doing anything like that now and only feel saddened and send my heartfelt condolence to the families of those impacted by this horrible happening. Just know that Jason is doing well and that we are working with the VA almost as much as we are working with the Naval Hospital at Balboa. In both arenas things are going positive. Along with that we have been enjoying a good stretch of weather, and it looks to continue into this weekend. I will be getting out and doing my best to get some exercise; and trying to catch up to Linda, as she continues to loose weight and is getting back into better shape. Thanks, for all the continued support and prayers - - and please pray for the people in France. Take care and stay positive.

Wow! I haven't posted in several days now, and I apologize for making those dedicated readers wait. We have been enjoying life and the summer, which is now very much upon us, and doing what we can to continue to march forward. Our 4th of July was relatively quiet, though we did go over to one of Jason's friends home and spend some time with them. It was nice to just get away from the house for a little while, and also, even better, was the chance for Jason to get to talk with some of his buddies from the Marines, in a non-military setting. Linda and I did our best to stay in the background, allowing Jason to have his private conversations. I finally did have to step in though, as Jason forgot his meds, back at the house, and I didn't want him to go too long without them. We left, late afternoon and made the 75 minute drive back to the house. Otherwise, Jason is continuing to heal, and making general progress with the closing of the wounds. A new one has opened up and we a...

Today, Jason and I took his truck in to the Ability Center, so that it could get its regular servicing. He drove the truck and I drove the van (Linda was out on her own errands in the Mustang). The folks at the Ability Center did an excellent job of fixing all the little things that Jason told them about, and the one thing I told them about. The truck not only works like new, it also looks better - of course it only looks better to Jason and me, but then we know what to look for. While the truck was being worked on we headed over to Balboa, where Jason had a visit with Wound Care and Rod did his usual great work and things are looking better again. A little over a week ago, Rod suggested we make a small change in the treatment of the one wound that is so slow to heal, and it looks like there is some benefit showing. I am hopeful that we can get to the point of closing up soon and then it is on to the next step, and a surgical procedure - but that won't happen until late September...

It has been nine days since I last posted an update, and so I felt it was time to put something out here, so that you all can see what is going on. We went on a "vacation" with the girls, that is Linda and I took the girls up to Livermore. When asked where they would like to go Stacy said Livermore and Jackie was quick to agree with her, so that's where we initially went. We did go a little farther north and ended up at the JellyBelly factory, and that was as far north as we went. We spent a few days  in Livermore, staying at a friends home, Hugh and Julie K., and that became our home base. We did several things in Livermore, and the girls had a great time while there, and we also happened to be there at the same time our house in Livermore closed, and we are now without a house in Livermore. It was both good to sell the house yet very sad to say good-bye to our home of 28 years. Perhaps I'll write more about it later. As it was, we signed the papers on Tuesday and ...

Some catching up - - Jason is doing well, and having a good time with his new interest - - - the fish aquarium. He now has several fish in it (I think 17), and he says he isn't going to put anymore in, at least not for a while. And just in case I haven't mentioned it in the past, the tank is 75gal. Like everything else he gets into, he has been doing a bunch of reading on it and now knows more about fish and their care than most people, and will probably gain even more knowledge as he moves along with this. He has also told me that we should expect to soon see some smaller fish swimming around, as the Mollies will be having babies. I really don't know what that really mean, as far as expectations go, but I'm anxious to see how many (he said three of them females are pregnant and they have "live" births). I have included a picture of my (our) new mustang, so you all can see what we bought. It was just one of those amazing deals you hear about, only this tim...

These past couple of days have been a little rough on me, and I am glad to say that I am feeling much better. I apparently got hit with something, and it left me with little to no energy and my sinuses were very congested (still are some). Linda had to put up with me, especially at night, when I was making all kinds of noise sleeping, like coughing and snoring. The overall congestion was pretty bad, and woke me up several times as well. She did manage to get some sleep, but it was disturbed and really not very restful. Of course you wouldn't know, watching her; she just kept on going, like the Energizer Bunny. Jason is continuing to heal up and is becoming more active around the house. He recently purchased a fish aquarium and now has seven fish in it. It is a 75gal. tank and has room for a few more, and he intends to get more, just taking his time so that the environment settles and it is good for the fish. He has been reading up on this activity and now knows more than most on ...

Lots of updates, and I truly apologize, but I don't have any new pictures to post. I will do my best to get a couple for tomorrow - and make another post. First of all, Jason is doing very well. His one remaining wound is continuing to heal and close, and we are all very anxious for it to finish up. Everything else has completely closed and if it wasn't for the fact that I know where they were, I would be hard pressed to point them out, specifically. Jason is also experimenting with different hobbies. He has been interested in guns, and has collected a few, over these past couple of years. Fortunately, one of the first things he did was to purchase a large gun safe, and it IS very large (weighs in at over 1/2 a ton, and also bolted down to the floor). He likes to get out and target practice, and he is getting pretty good, even with his pistols. Considering the damage that was done to his hands and nerves, this is a big deal. He is also very particular on how his guns are stor...

Happy Friday the 13th! Actually, this has been a good week, over all. It started out a little on the shaky side, as our Fusion of the past seven years, died. We had about 64,540 miles on it, so the mileage was actually pretty low. The problem was that a cylinder and piston decided that they just didn't want to work anymore. I was driving to an appointment (more on that later) at the VA, and I got as far as the exit off the freeway. The engine literally stopped working just before the exit, and I coasted to the top and then pulled over to the side. I was out of traffic and then waited. I did still make the appointment (hospital was in walking distance at that point), and immediately after I called for a tow and walked back to the car. I was gone for less than an hour, so I was fortunate that the CHP didn't ticket the car. A couple of hours later the tow truck showed up - driver had been given bad information from his dispatch. I had him tow me to a Ford dealer. Funny part is...

We (Linda and I) had a great couple of days with our son David and his wife Miriam, and their two boys Dylan and Ethan. It was Grandparent's Day at their school and we were invited to go. This was our third time for us going, and we had just as much fun this time as we did last time... but I'm getting a little ahead of myself. We drove up to Los Angeles, Thursday morning. Our nephew Wayne, who works for Enterprise, was able to get us a nice discount on a car rental (again - Thank you, Wayne) and that way we didn't have to put extra miles on Jason's van, and the rental car got great gas mileage. Anyway, we decided that since we were heading up a little early it would be okay to do a little exploring and we started out on Interstate 15, rather than on 5. Everything was going great until the GPS decided to loose it's mind. It took us on an extra 40 mile loop, that ended up going backward for a little bit. It all worked out and it was an "exploration" after ...

A good day today, as a milestone of sorts was achieved - - - by Jason. He went to the gym over at the Wounded Warrior Battalion on Camp Pendleton, and got a chance to work out. He worked with a few other guys and with a physical therapist, and most importantly, he had a good time. There was an opportunity for one of the therapists to work on his shoulders and he felt a great deal better after having them worked on. Because of the positive nature of the visit he is wanting to go more often and on a regular basis. I will be going with him for most of the visits, and assisting him with a couple things, but for the most part it is all Jason. I think the opportunity to work with other Marines, again, was a good feeling for him, as well. I guess the funniest part was when he got there, there was a new "receptionist" who challenged him and asked if he was an alum of the battalion. Jason said he was and then a few of the guys came out and one of them knew Jason from the past and it...

Yesterday, Linda and I took off, in the morning, to go up to her folks place, just a little north of here (and south of Los Angeles). They needed some help with a couple of items, at their home, and it also gave us an opportunity to just spend some time with them; something we don't get to do as often as we'd like. And, as a result of us taking off, Jason was on his own. We were able to stay for a very nice dinner and then we got to watch the new Gary Sinise show, Criminal Minds - Beyond Borders, with them. They had recorded it specifically so we could watch it together. Actually, Jason was only on his own for about an hour, but it still felt kind of good to know that he was getting healed up enough that there really wasn't much that could happen in that time frame, that would put him in jeopardy of any kind. Joselyn, whom I've mentioned in this blog several times, was able to come to the house and spend the day with Jason, and as it turned out, her son Bobby was able...

It has been a week, and there really isn't a great deal of an update to post. Jason's wounds are improving on a steady basis, and I am hopeful that they will be closed soon. I know this has been said before, but with the new prosthetic it looks like it might actually happen this time. Once that is done, then we can move on to the next step, whatever that happens to be. I been busting my tail working on the property. We have about 2 1/2 acres of land, and much of that is simply covered in weeds and small woody type plants. They don't look particularly good, and they are a fire hazard, going into the summer. I want to eliminate as much as I can, before it gets too hot. I have managed to knock down about half the open land, and will continue on the other land, beginning tomorrow - I hope. It rained pretty good tonight, so the land may not be to friendly to walk on with the mower I'm using. The land can be steep in some areas, so I have to be careful. Worst case, the rain...

We made it back from our five day "vacation" to Livermore, and we had a wonderful time. We were able to take care of the personal business (getting our taxes filed and getting our house ready to sell - it is on the market); we saw many of our friends, though not all of them (only so many hours in a day); and we were able to take advantage of the great weather and went on a nice group hike lead by our very knowledgeable friend, Carol E. at Sycamore Grove (saw a Great Horned Owl in one of the trees). We were even able to attend church on Sunday, the day we had to head back home, and saw many of our old church family, though not all of them. What has made this break so much better is that Jason and the girls did all right, while we were gone, and our friends  (Joselyn B. and Joyce O.) did an excellent job. Jason's wounds even improved, a little, while we were gone, and I think they are going to continue to improve to the point of finally healing up. Speaking of healing up,...

Well, it has been a few days since my last post, and I figured it was time to get an update out, so that everyone can "know" what is going on. First, Jason is doing well, and from what we have been told, he is doing quiet well right now, and his wounds are continuing to heal. The reason I word it that way, is because we (Linda and I) are up in Livermore right now. We asked Joselynn B. and Joyce O. to come in and help out, while we were gone, and from what we have heard they have both done an outstanding job of assisting Jason, and the girls. Linda and I came up to Livermore to take care of some personal business, such as getting our taxes done and selling our house. Yes, our Livermore house is now on the market and we just have to hope that the market will continue to be active. We have a good Realtor, John C. and he has assured us that it really shouldn't take too long to get the house to sell. While here we also met with some friends that we haven't seen in quit...

Jason is doing very well, right now, and there is no reason to expect anything to change. He is getting very close to having all his wounds finally closed, and that would be such a blessing for all of us. He is staying up a little longer in his chair and even joining us for dinner more often. He loves playing with the girls and having fun all over the house, and you can tell the girls love it too, when Daddy is having fun with them. In a couple of days Linda and I will be heading up to Livermore for a couple reasons, but mostly to get a chance to visit with our sons George and Sean. Sometimes it is difficult to coordinate a workable schedule, since both of them have jobs and both of them are in retail. That means neither of them are working the typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday routine. You have to work to get the days off synced up with days we're available, and again, Linda has done an outstanding job of getting all the scheduling together. While we're up in Livermore...

A couple days ago Jason's Uncle Charles "Charlie", was injured in a motorcycle accident. I spoke with my brother today, via the phone and found out that he is in pain, but otherwise doing well. He broke his collar bone and ended up with a few scrapes and cuts (another bunch of stitches for his collection) and in positive spirits. The doctors have not decided if there is going to be a surgery and won't know for a couple days, so we know he will be in the hospital for a few days, anyway. I was just glad to hear him in a positive mood, and I'll be checking in on him regularly. He lives about 800 miles north of here, so it makes it a little difficult to go see him. The rest of the past few days have been kind of busy, for various reasons. Linda is still up with her parents, for a few more days, and Jason and I have been running around taking care of other family matters. Today we finished a bunch of them, which meant we had to put about a hundred miles on his truck,...

Linda went out to Tennessee to take advantage of a retreat for Mother's of Wounded Warriors, through the Wounded Warrior Family Support.org (a great organization run by retired Marine Col. John Folsom), and it was a very nice R&R opportunity for her. She met some great people and made new friends and came back pretty refreshed. The travel to and from, via Delta Air Lines, was poor, and in fact Linda almost didn't make it home due to a cancelled flight (no explanation from Delta). She did, however fly into San Diego at about 23:00 (11pm) and because of delays in getting luggage and construction on Highway 76 we managed to get home a little after midnight. We had to be up at 06:00, to make sure everything was ready to get the girls to school, and then a bunch of other errands and chores needed to be done. To put it mildly, we're both kind of tired and will be heading to bed SOON. I was pleased with the recent dressing change for Jason, as the wounds are showing some ver...

Well, today was a full day of Linda not being here and we managed to get through the day without making any big mess of the place. Well, actually, Joyce Orrell came over for a couple of hours to give me a chance to take care of a couple of tasks, and even get some rest. As it was I just ran down to the store to pick up a few things that Jason had wanted and then came back. It was nice, getting a chance to just sit down and talk with Joyce for a little while, and then she had to take off for a friend's wedding. Actually, a little later, about 1/2 hour after Joyce left, I did lay down on the couch so that the girls could play and I could get a little rest. I guess I started to drift off to sleep because the next thing I know is Stacy is crawling up on me and she wants to take a nap with Grandpa. Jackie goes into Jason's room and they watch a cartoon/movie about dinosaurs and Stacy and I fall asleep on the couch. Stacy is sound asleep when I wake, about an hour later and my arm ...

Today was an exciting day, in that we (Jason and I) went over to the VA to have an adjustment to the wearable, made. Because the device didn't fit just right it was causing an additional pressure point to an area on Jason's backside, right at the base of the spine (for those with technical understanding, the Coccyx area). Apparently it was causing a great deal of discomfort for Jason as it hit right at a nerve bundle and that is very uncomfortable. Over the past few days everybody has gone from a bunch of sickies to everybody is on the mend and doing much better. Nobody seems to be running a fever and the coughing has gone down considerably, though it is still around. My hope is that by the end of next week everybody is going to be feeling great and we can get back to our regularly happening fun days. The real blessing is that Linda has been the strong one and avoided getting sick, altogether - I think that was a good decision on her part... ;-). She has been the proverbial ...

Happy Easter! Or I guess I should say, I hope you had a happy Easter. It has been a nice relaxing day for us. We got up a little on the early side, just after 08:00 and everyone was feeling better. Still, they were obviously not feeling their best, but at least better than when we went to bed last night. Jason had a fever of over 100 and Stacy was coughing and dealing with a fever as well. All that plus my on going cough made us decide that we were better off not going to church this time and doing our best to not spread the virus around any more than it already is moving. As the morning went on, Jason's temp continued to improve and by noon he was back down to normal - or at least normal for him (97.7). Stacy almost stopped coughing and both girls were back to their regular playing in the great room.  We had also invited a couple over (Curtis and Joyce) to help celebrate Easter, and I think it was a very nice visit for all of us. Jason spent most of the day in bed, only getting ...

It is late on the eve of Easter and the house is pretty quiet. Everyone is in bed now and I will be there soon, also. Jason is not feeling well, and the girls are both sick, and I'm still dealing with a nagging cough, so our Easter is starting to look a little less "Happy" than we had hoped it would be. The worst part being Jason not feeling well. Linda and I get a little nervous anytime Jason gets a cold and this time he is running a fever that is a little over 100. I'm doing my best to keep him hydrated, and watching what he eats as well as making sure he can get some rest (i.e. the dogs don't become a problem). Stacy was up at Lego Land today, and in my humble opinion, she should not have gone. She was with her mother, and well, we didn't have a great deal of input on whether she went or not. All we know is that when she arrived at the house (2 1/2 hours later than she was supposed to), she was (and still is upon last check) running a fever of her own (10...

Today saw Spring come back in season and for  those of us lucky enough to be in the Southern California area, it was a beautiful day. On top of being the beginning of Spring it was also a Lt. Dan Band Concert over at Camp Pendleton, and Jason was a special focus. Actually we were all treated as V.I.P.'s though the real focus was on Jason and what the different funds and foundations have done. The girls both received scholarships for college, and that money will go far in covering the total costs associated. The really nice part was that they are set for an amount that will adjust as time moves on. I think Stacy understood she was receiving a nice gift, but I don't think she fully understands tuition and the costs associated with going to college. Jackie was just having a great time being around so many people who were providing all of us so  much attention. Jason is doing well and the wounds are continuing to improve, though there is one that seems to have decided to give a ...

This week is a bit of a busy week for us, as we all seem to have doctor appointments, and then other appointments for the dogs and I will be heading out with a friend to scope out some amusement areas, to see if they can accommodate Jason. We have been to a couple of  theme parks, and though we were told the rides would be available, when we arrived, we found out otherwise. This time I am going ahead to look, so that Jason doesn't have to make a needless trip. There was supposed to be another appointment at the end of the week, but it looks like that was a small break in communications, as the doctor called today and spoke with Jason. Even the doctor thought he was meeting with Jason on the 18th, but it turns out he won't be able to meet until April 18th. Actually, the doctor and Jason had a nice chat and there is a good possibility that they will be scheduling a date for surgery in early Fall. I'll keep you posted as we find out more. The three of us went out to dinner...

Happy 5-Alive Day! Yeah, I know, it was actually five days ago, but the celebration happened today, and it turned out to be a very good and fun time for all - or at least it seemed that way from my perspective. We had planned to see somewhere in the neighborhood of about 100 people there, and it seemed like that was about how many came. The guys doing the bar-be-que had plenty of food there (Thank you, Fire House), and the Fallbrook Brewery  did an excellent job of keeping the drinks flowing. The one big area that was a surprise was how many hot dogs (grilled) went. We knew there were going to be about 20 kids there, from ages of about 18 months all the way up to around 10 years old. With the number 20 in mind we had 40 hot dogs on hand, and they all went, by the end of the day. Our son, David, helped out by grilling the dogs, so that I could do a little more socializing, and both Linda and I were glad he did. We had people there from the neighborhood, and people from both th...

Yesterday was a big day for Jason, and tomorrow is another one - though for two different reasons. We got up at about 04:00 yesterday, to get ready to head out to Balboa Hospital, for an exploratory procedure that the doctors needed to do, in order to determine if a corrective surgery was a possibility. Jason was pretty excited about the procedure, and he was very anxious/nervous about having it done. We needed to be out of the house by 04:45 in order to be at the hospital at the time that was set, 05:45. . . we managed to get out of the house at 05:03, so we were running a little late. Traffic was heavier than initially anticipated, though it was moving well, and we were able to maintain a good pace, just over 70 mph, for most of the way (right at the speed limit). We arrived at the base a few minutes later than what I had wanted, but still not too bad, and parking wasn't much of an issue, fortunately. It took us another 10 minutes to get up to Check In and Pre-Op and then Jas...

I know there are some of you out there that read this later in the day, and some who read it early in the morning. First, let me thank you, for all the continued support and following Jason in his journey in life. Secondly, I need to let  you know that with Jason making it past the 5-year mark, he has shown that he IS a survivor, and even though there are more surgeries and procedures ahead, he will continue to demonstrate just how strong he is. My next entry will happen, after this weekend's celebration, unless there is something that I feel needs to be presented earlier. Jason's grandmother, Jess (Linda's mom), is in the hospital right now, having undergone heart surgery (valve replacement). She is doing well and is expected to make a full recovery in a matter of several weeks. We all went up to see her today and Jason, being the devoted grandson that he is, was telling her jokes and making her laugh. He is a true believer in that old adage - "Laughter is the best ...

This is the second Leap-year since Jason's injuries, and tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of him stepping on the I.E.D. This coming weekend we're planning on a celebration, marking the 5-years of life, after the "bad-guys" tried to kill him, and failed, so I thought I might do a bit a recap of what happened, for those that have not been reading the blog from the beginning, and a little reminder for those that have been. Jason was on a patrol with five other guys. One of those guys was the squad leader, as well as a good friend of his, "Gunny Rick", and as it turned out, he and Jason were the only two injured in the blast. Jason was thrown several feet up, in the air, and came down hard, which broke both of his hands - though they might have been broken as a result of the blast and the fall back to Earth only caused more damage. Both his hands were also badly burned, with most of the finger nails being burned off. He also sustained a deep gash in his right...