Deployment Update, Week 25
Comments: 0 - Date: November 9th, 2008 - Categories: Deployment
Based on the half dozen or so emails I’ve received on the subject, everyone is waiting to hear what happened with my car. Let me lead off with that. Quite fortunately, it turned out to be a non-issue. There’s an Advanced Auto Parts store right down the road from the main gate. They tested the entire electrical system, diagnosed it as just a weak battery, and replaced it for free. I only had to pay for the battery itself. Since then, the car’s been fine. Regular readers of mine know I don’t lightly plug products or vendors, so you’ll know I mean it when I say: check out those guys if you need a battery replaced. I had a great experience.
Aside from solving car trouble, I haven’t been up to much. My physical therapy continues on schedule, and I’ve already seen some improvement in my leg. As I’ve mentioned before, even basic tasks leave the muscles in my left leg fatigued, but that’s expected. It doesn’t particularly bother me, knowing that it means I’m getting better.
I heard from my surgeon, via my case manager, that the date for my syndesmodic screw removal surgery is tentatively set for December 2nd. That puts me exactly on track from what I was told when I showed up here over a month ago. I’m still not sure if it bodes well for getting me out of here before Christmas. More information on that front is coming, but I probably won’t start seriously discussing it in the update until after the surgery happens. Suffice it to say that there is a lot of nebulous and conflicting information on this point but ultimately I’ve learned a few things that makes me think it’s just not a good idea.
However, the surgeon said I should be able to start weight-bearing physical therapy the day after surgery. It’s apparently a minor procedure. If I do indeed need to stay down here through the entirety of my PT, at least I’m projected to finish before my med hold orders are up in March. With any luck (something which many of you have pointed out I’ve been quite lacking on this deployment), I’ll be done only a few weeks into 2009.
-Ted