Surgery/Hospital Fun

I guess having surgery and not being home with my computer for 2 weeks is a decent excuse for not getting Aubrey's 10 month birthday post completed on time.

On Friday, October 11, Aubrey and I spent the evening in the ER.  Daycare called early in the afternoon saying she was vomiting a lot and I needed to come get her.  I left work early and when I got there she looked miserable and proceeded to throw up on me.  I took her home and tried to feed her a small bottle and she thew that up everywhere so I gave her a bath.  After the bath she took a nap and I called the doctor's office before they closed to see what they suggested.  It seems like she always gets sick on the weekends so I wanted to find out what I should look for with dehydration.  They suggested I take her to the ER since the office was closing.  They were worried that with her constipation issues there could be some blockage.

After I got a bag packed, I woke her up and we headed to the hospital.  She is such a sweet girl!  Even though she wasn't feeling good she still smiled and was sweet to the nurses.  They thought she was so cute.  An x-ray confirmed there was a lot of poo in there so they gave her an enema.  They weren't sure there was enough to cause the extreme vomiting so gave her an anti-nausea medicine too and said she might have a virus as well.  After the enema starting working and she filled 2 diapers she was starving.  She drank 4 ounces of pedialyte and a small bottle and we headed home.  The next day she was a little tired from being out late but seemed normal otherwise.  Poor thing had a full belly for probably weeks and is like a new baby now that everything is flowing great.

On Monday the 14th, I had my first (of 2) foot surgeries.  I had a partial plantar fascia release and a tarsal tunnel release on my left foot.  I've had pain in both feet since last September and it just wasn't getting better the traditional way so hopefully the surgery will help and I'll recover quickly.  I was in a cast for 10 days and then I think I'll be in a boot for another 14 before I can put any weight on my foot.  Then I'll start being able to walk with the boot.  Aubrey and I went to the Lake for the first week and then stayed with the most wonderful, generous friends for the next week plus.  We are back home and trying to get by these next couple weeks until I can walk.  I've enjoyed the break from work, but am exhausted trying to just keep up not being able to walk.  In a few months I'll have to get the right foot fixed as well and that's going to be brutal because I won't be able to walk.  I have the best friends and family who have been a huge help.

Ready for surgery

Cast

Shopping trip

I had to give myself shots for 2 weeks.  Brutal!!!

Stop reading now if you don't want to see what the incision and bruising looked like when the cast came off.  There are only 2 pictures below of that.

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Ft. Hood Training

Well Matt has been gone for over a month now.  I've gotten to speak to him everyday so far even if only for a few minutes.  For the most part the first couple weeks were really slow for him.  His first days were just in-processing and medical checks.  He got a small pox and anthrax shot and a few others as a welcome. :) He had a couple hours of language training.  I asked him what he learned to say and he couldn't remember anything.  Seems like that class was super helpful.  There was a couple days of weapons qualifications, one gun he will carry while in Afghanistan and the other he won't.  He's also had some combative training so if you read any news articles about the Taliban wrestling with soldiers, have no fear!  He only got to fly one day in the first 3 weeks then last week he was in New Mexico all week for high altitude training.  Now he's back at Ft. Hood and his days are getting busier.  He's actually starting to fly simulated missions and do more of the type of training I expected.

It's been a long 5 weeks but we've managed.  I had some good plans for making the year go by quicker by setting some goals that I can track besides just the time.... and so far I haven't even started most of them. I might have to adjust my goals a little but I still think I can at least attempt to do most of them.  I've followed through on eating my M&M everyday though! :)  Now that it's May I'm on to my second color.  I think one of the major struggles right now to go to bed and fall asleep every night.  Speaking of bed, I should probably head there right now.

Last Purple M&M

Weapons Qualifications

Barracks

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Idaho Update

Only 15 days till Matt comes home from Idaho!  He's doing good and has passed both day and night gunnery.  He got to fly one of the Apaches to Idaho.  They took quite the route.  The left from Whiteman AFB (near Kansas City) and flew down to Texas, over to Arizona, to Utah and finally to Idaho.  Their route just happened to go right over the Grand Canyon.  The reason they went that way was because they didn't want to cross the Rockies in winter and get weathered in and not get to Idaho on time.

Don't worry he wasn't the one flying when these pictures were taken.

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