31 July 2006

Thomas' Baptism

Well, we all came back to the US this weekend. And we have some busy times planned. First off, we finally had Thomas baptized. We wanted to do this as a family event, and of course, had to wait to come back to do it. This is our best picture we have. Doesn't Thomas look fascinated by what's going on?

He was an angel... no complaints whatsoever...

We had all the kids there (Thank you to Kira's natural father for letting us have her back a day early), plus all of the grandparents, and even my aunts and uncles! Quite the gathering.

Very happy day...

27 July 2006

Progress

Well, so far the eye surgery has been... mixed results. It takes up to six months, so I'm being patient. So far, my distant vision is great. My near vision is fine. The middle vision is still a bit fuzzy...

Still worth it, though.

23 July 2006

Military Sacrifice and Evacuation of AmCiv from Lebanon

The military has been diligently evacuating 8,000+ American Civilians from Lebanon... anyone who wants to leave, essentially.

In addition to the Marines and supporting USN ships making the direct landings, there are also the supporting personnel involved with loading the chartered ships to Cyprus.

Now, here's a thought. From Cyprus, the evacuees are then being transported back to the US (main gateway is Baltimore.) In lieu of chartering an aircraft, the USAF diverted several C-17s and crews from their regularly scheduled supply missions of vital war materiel to OIF/OEF to Cyprus. These aircraft flew the evacuees from Cyprus to Ramstein where they received medical care, meals, and whatever else they needed.

Just a thought. While many people are griping about the supposed slow response of the US Government in evacuating them from a place they chose to go (because organizing an evacuation and security force from a hot war zone for possibly 25,000 people is something anyone can do overnight!)... many tonnes of vital war materiel was delayed as once again, the military put the citizens first.

Changes... A Little At A Time

Well, the surgery was Wednesday. What an interesting event.

They have it set up basically like a little factory... There were 13 of us there that day to be zapped. We started off in a conference room where we watched safety videos and had our eyes dialated. Then, we waited our turn. There was lots of typical military humor as we of course were all military... several different branches, and all ranks ranging from O-6 down to a private.

When it came time for me, I'll admit to being nervous. Partly because I wanted to make sure I did my part right. You have to remain absolutely still and stare at a red light during the whole procedure. Now, it only lasts between 15-75 seconds per eye, but that can be a long time to stare (although, it's helped by having an eye speculum prop your eyes open, it's still necessary not to blink). Then, you hear the laser start up, the doc holds you steady, and then...

A blue light comes in. It's the laser. You can smell the flesh of your eyeball being burned away. Slightly disconcerting. The red light gets harder to follow as your eye changes shape due to the laser. And then, it's over. Next eye.

After all that, you're sent home with a paper sack full of drugs (including Percocet!). At that very moment, you can already see better. No glasses. I could read the time off of a clock on the wall! I was very impressed. However, since my eyes were still dilated, I could NOT read my watch. Fortunately, we had a room a few hundred yards away, so no driving required.

The rest of the day, I just rested my eyes... Not much else to do. TV was an option to listen to.

The next morning, it was our first follow-up. I started off normal, but by the time I was there, I was in agony. "This is normal." Right. I was glad I'd extended our room reservation so we didn't have to travel. We spent the rest of the day chilling in the hotel.

Chilling wouldn't be quite descriptive as Europe was in the middle of a sweltering heat wave. 98 degrees at one point. Big deal? Well, Europe doesn't have A/C. It was a tad bit warm in the room.

Friday, we made our way back. I drove, albeit under less than capable conditions. E doesn't like to drive unless it's a flat-out emergency, so she co-piloted for me. I could see the road and vehicles fine. The navigation device and vehicle instrumentation was blind to me, though.

Over the past few days, it's slowly improved. As promised. However, it's still fluctating in its stability. Sometimes I can see some things clearly. Others, not so much. I take drops four times a day, plus some every half hour. I'll be doing this for the next six months.

This is all necessary as part of the eye surgery the military does. In the civilian world, most people have LASIK surgery. It allows a faster recovery time. In that procedure, a flap is cut from the cornea (eye ball), and a laser adjusts the inside of the eye, and then the flap is sealed back into place. The military only uses PRK surgery. This procedure changes the shape of the cornea by using the laser to burn off excess tissue. Why the difference? The military used LASIK, but then noticed that the flap would come loose during violent maneuvers. As you can imagine, this would be a very bad thing if you were in a tank, or worse, piloting an aircraft. So, the PRK method is the only one used now.




While we were there, we were able to fully enjoy the Ramstein area. It's just amazing. The BX there is TWO FLOORS! An entire floor devoted to clothing. Not a rug in sight! There's a whole concessionaire's mall, too. Everything, including fine crystal on sale. Plus every food outlet imaginable.

We stopped by the commissary, too. One of the biggest we've ever been in. It had a deli shop, a bakery, meat shop, and a HUGE fresh fruit and vegatable area. We went up and down the aisles trying our best not to do too many Homer Simpson drooling impressions. Just amazing.

The kids even had the opportunity to try out one of the base playgrounds. Massive, AND with playground equipment for kids Thomas' age. It was a blast. We did swings, slides, climbing, monkey bars, and lots of running around. Helped tire out the kiddies which in turn helps keep the parent sane.

One last bonus? Ramstein IS a USAF base, so there were lots of planes. Not that I could see many some times, but just the same, I really enjoyed being near them.

Of course, the facilities we were staying in were top-notch. Air Force Inns. Everything was very comfortable. Can't say enough positive.

So, this week, we go back for a one night trip to have another follow-up, and find out if I've healing the way I'm supposed to.

17 July 2006

Eh.... What's Up, Doc?

Well, it's time.

Tomorrow, we're going to get another one of E's treatments, and while we're there, we're going to have her first three month test done.

We're excited, and not really expecting any issues.

From there, we're going straight off to Landstuhl. Yep, it's time to actually do it. Wednesday, they're going to laser my eyes and I'll get to start a whole new look on life.

Kinda nervous. During the pre-appointment last week, we went through all sorts of exams. Never had my eye so throughly documented. Even went in to the actual operating room, and the machine that does the laser also takes pictures. So, lay on the bed, and while the tech held my eyelids open with cotton swabs, they took pics of the eye. Then, had my eyeball mapped. The topography of the eyeball, all the hills and valleys. Amazing. Yep, got to look at it all, and no, have NO idea what I was seeing.

But, they say I should be able to achieve 20/20 if I follow the healing regimen... maybe even a hair more... can I dare dream of 20/19?

This is going to be strange. I've spent most of my life with my first waking thought being to grab my "eyes" from the spot near the bed, and the last being to take them off.

The plus side to this is the opportunity to visit Ramstein. The area is so much more than what we have... The enlisted club (ha! there's a concept) has a Chili's! They're building a shopping mall. Meanwhile, OUR PX has just recently discontinued selling clothes and shoes. They plan to stock up on rugs instead. We can hardly wait.

Even the playgrounds are amazing there.

And would you believe that you hear people complaining about the facilities? They live in the "lap of luxury" (militarily speaking), and they complain. Pffffft. Should come out to the boonies sometime.

Oh, and there is one other bonus. The planes!!! They're right there where you can almost touch them. That, and the history... the old hardened aircraft shelters from Cold War times are still there, used for various purposes.

It's like a pilgrimmage...

So, here's seeing a whole new world...

12 July 2006

Fresh Look On Things

Well, preparing to head to Landstuhl (in the vicinity of the Ramstein - Kaiserslautern mega-military complex). Feels a lot like any ol' movie where the country bumpkins set out for the big city.

Landstuhl is known mostly for being the first stop of any casualty evac'd from the combat zones. However, it is also the main military medical facility for us folks here in Germany.

And I am headed there.

Going to have my eyes worked on and tomorrow is my first appointment. This time next week, I should be GLASSES-FREE!!!

Yippee!!!

More later...

09 July 2006

Frustrating

I admit, this is frustrating... I have so much I want to post, and these days, less time. Usually, by the time I get to the computer, I have time to answer e-mails, or at least, clear out the Spam...

But, more forthcoming.

Promise.

04 July 2006

Wonders of Technology

I am glad that we're blessed by technology...

I have been to many shuttle launches (pilgrimmages, if you will). Now that I'm in the Army, of course, my travel plans often take me elsewhere. From watching the launches live, to watching via satellite on my laptop in a folding chair in Afghanistan, to watching on TV & laptop in my home in Germany...

Just saying.

Most Beautiful Fireworks Display

Go, Discovery, Go!

She's flying beautifully. We watched the launch, enjoying our 4th of July fireworks display. It is so amazing to watch our shuttle once again grace the skies and fly into space. In just two days, she'll dock to the International Space Station, where it should be noted that there has been a continuous human presence in space for nearly six years.

May she have a safe flight and let's resume these launches, wrap up construction of the station, give the Shuttles the retirement they've earned, and soon, begin the Ares era... where we return to the Moon and journey onwards to Mars!

Happy 4th of July, America!