On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 17:52:38 GMT, "Carmen" <
[email protected]>
wrote:
>Thank you. It was expected but we asked for the molecular
>test to remove even the last shred of *un*reasonable
>doubt. The surgery is Tuesday, and Dr. Cutting said he's
>going to frontload Howard because he (Howard) gets
>stressed by the IV (needles in general). Sometimes he just
>vasovagals and passes out, and my job is to stop the team
>from going nuts with the ammonia capsules.
They do
>love those things, and burnt nostrils are no fun. The
>doc's reasoning is probably the fewer stressors the better
>the outcome will be.
Most surely. A good plan.
>Mentally he/we switched from the unknown to the known and
>we've focused on the surgery as a mission to be
>accomplished. Fort Campbell has got a myoelectric training
>machine coming in to Occupational Therapy and Howard'll be
>one of the first to get to use it. We aren't sure how soon
>they begin fittings for the myoelectric hand (that'll be
>coming through Walter Reed's Prosthetics Lab) but the folks
>here at Campbell will be ahead of the game in learning how
>to use their prothesis'
Aw, now that is great news in a dimly lit situation.
>(there are a number of amputees from here thanks to Iraq).
Oh man, is this not a bizarre world? Sarge is finally going
to get something of value for his service. What a crazy turn
of events.
Get this. We have a software module that runs in the field
to mark on a 3D image of a digitized version of the human
body scars, hair coloring, weight, potmarks..anythng that
"tags" a patient for ID purposes. Including a DNA
registration embedded in a barcode that can be attached to
the living, the suffering and the dead. And, of course,
amputations surgical or otherwise.
I'll bet that somewhere along the line we tagged a lower arm
amputee that ended up as a beta/primary test for the hand
myoelectrics.
>Overall we're both doing pretty well considering the
>circumstances. Our daughter (14 going on 21) is handling it
>well. (Interestingly, the one teacher she's told is her
>JROTC instructor. Even though she likes other teachers, she
>seems to like her first sergeant the best.) Our friends
>have been very supportive, and his coworkers have as well.
Good news with the daughter. That's got to be a big relief
even if she is "butching up" for Dad...and you.
>Right now I'm finishing up the packing and arrangements for
>my sister-in-law to come stay with Caitlin while we're away
>but I'll have 'net access from Guest Housing down there and
>Google's not ideal but still a viable option. I'll check
>again tonight when we get back from the airport though.
>Being a 'net junkie is a real time drain. ;-)
Came in handy though, didn't it.
>Take care, Carmen
YOU take care of YOU. Your no good to Howard if you don't.
Don't forget that.
I'll make you a deal. Andrew and I will pray for you and you
(take/pray) for Howard. That should cover all the bases. And
yes, I know you are agnoathiestic.
Mu
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960222.html Lift well,
Eat less, Walk fast, Live long.
