Jason Drives to WR from Chinatown

We were up at 6:45 to go to Surgery Clinic on the 5th floor for a 7:30 appointment. Dr. Golarz removed the wound vacuum and said, "We will go to wet to dry dressings. You (Katy) will change the dressing twice a day. Come back at 3:30 and you can go through the change process. It will take time for this wound to heal." Jason said "This time the removal of the sponge did not hurt as much. The anticipation was worse than the actual removal."

Jason and I headed down to Chinatown because Jason wanted to eat at the Matchbox. We each had a personal pizza-mine had artichokes and mushrooms. Yummm. Jason had sausage on his. Jason wanted to check for some good hiking shoes. We went to City Sports and he purchased two pairs, hikers for Scotland and "shower slippers." Jason drove us back to Walter Reed up 14th Street.

Back to WR and Dr. Golarz I practiced/watched as

1. Wet gauze with saline solution.
2. Cut off chunk about 2 inches long for stoma wound.
3. Pack incision with gauze
4. Cover with a square of gauze
5. Cover with protective plastic square.

I had been fearing this as I did not know if I could emotionally do the procedure, to see Jason's open raw flesh and his surgery wounds . I dropped the first gauze that I prepared. I told Dr. Golarz, "If I pass out don't let my head hit a sharp corner." When done I said, "I didn't pass out and I didn't vomit." He said, "Come back tomorrow and I will walk you through it again." Dr. Golarz said, "His stoma wound is healing well. It is very small."

Jason went to the pharmacy for the wound care items and I headed back to Mologne. Jennifer from the production company making a documentary(possible title "Fighting for life") on military health care called and said they were on the way. I asked Jason and he said, "I thought they were coming next Thursday." He said it was okay and we could meet with them in the courtyard behind Mologne. Terry and Jennifer arrived with Eric and Bruce and we went outside. They interviewed Jason while I talked with Jennifer. Then Terry said, "We'd like to interview you also." I sat next to Jason on the bench and he asked me where I was when I first heard the news.

I thought you have not written about this on the blog so...Dow was in Chicago and I was visiting Lisa and Charlie and the grandkids in Tampa. We got the call after midnight from Dow who had just been notified. Lisa came into where I was sleeping crying. We gathered the basics. "Hurt badly, lost an arm. In Bilad." Both Lisa and Dow did not believe this call and wanted to verify as Jason had warned us about a cruel joke, folks call soldiers families and tell them their soldier is hurt. Lisa got on the phone with a friend connected to the military to find out how to verify. (I believe Jason stayed in Bilad about a day then was flown to Landstuhl in a medically induced coma for pain control.) Charlie awoke and we all went to the family room. We were all in shock and all were crying. I said, "We don't know if Jason is alive or if he will live, let us spend time in prayer." We prayed for life, for all who would take care of Jason, for forgiveness of those who had done this, for peace, for ourselves and what was to come. Sometimes we sat in the stillness. We hugged each other and cried.

I decided to stay with Lisa, my plane left on Sunday, I believe, as we could do nothing till we heard more. I knew Lisa needed my support. Early Saturday Lisa contacted everyone by email letting them know that Jason was injured by and IED and was considered Very Seriously Injured or critical in civilian medicine.

Terry then went on to ask me "How was it when you first saw Jason at WR?" I arrived on Thursday after Jason's arrival at WR on Tuesday. I had not thought of a metaphor for the experience of seeing Jason for the first time and the immediate experiences after until Terry asked. Until today I have answered, "I entered the living Hell of a peace activist." Today I said, "It was as if I was holding the lava pouring from an erupting volcano. Trying to hold the physical, emotional, spiritual needs of Jason and Dow and myself. Trying to garner the resources necessary to save Jason's life and make good decisions for his care." I like this metaphor since our interview this afternoon. For this experience has seared my soul, burned up all else, consumed all else that came before. Diann Neu my therapist here said this last session, "This experience has changed you." I stand emotionally and spiritually in a different place. If I was told that I had a terminal disease, I would not blink. My own death would be far easier compared to the experience of having my only son wounded so horrifically in war. The lava burns away all in its path and what is my truth is clearly seen as all else has been devoured by the heat and fire.

Please hold in your thoughts Jason's healing. He and Jodi have plans to go to Scotland in late June. His incision wound must close completely. Image Jason's incision closed and healed without infection or complication. Image Jason healed and enjoying his convalescence leave in Scotland. May Jason heal completely in mind, body and spirit. May you rest comfortably this night giving thanks for life.