Take Me Home, Country Roads

We have been in Germany since Wednesday and saw Noah immediately at Fisher House where he had been transported from the Ramstein Medical Barracks very near the hospital. Injured soldiers are permitted to stay in this barrack-style housing directly next to the hospital so long as they have no grave health condition and are mobile or somewhat mobile -- under their own steam, on crutches or in wheelchairs. It's a group that understands that they'd rather be somewhere else... the Air Force personnel stationed in the area volunteer their time multiple nights a week to take the wounded to dinners and shopping, the movies... A night out with comrades in the real world.

Noah's tests late last week turned up no breaks or fractures in the upper or lower back and a brief but intense physical therapy regime was prescribed by the neurologist. He had medical appointments and tests most of the day Thursday, after which the physician determined that they could not make his spine right in the time allotted at Landstuhl, and he would be RHB'd -- returned to home base -- to continue additional treatments and therapies. There is no timetable for a "cure" -- but at the moment it looks to be many months. They will do additional testing for the cause of some of the more significant pain and to determine whether the spinal swelling will result in any permanent damage. He has been unable to sleep for more than a few hours each night (still) and they will try and sort that out at home base. He is disappointed to be going home and hopes that there is a chance he'll get to return to finish what he started. This is sometimes more difficult for him to deal with than the physical injuries.

So, unless Noah gets bumped from the manifest of the next med transport, our Guy will be heading for the U.S. on Tuesday... we'll head for home early Wednesday.

The wonderful people at Fisher House have been stupendously supportive and this place provides much-needed relief from the stresses of the hospital environment that those with loved ones at the hospital must face. It also provides an opportunity for the families to meet and talk with others in the same situation -- to compare notes, to trade stories, to share information, to share fellowship. I have delighted in showing visitors around the "house" from the Landstuhl community that had not had the opportunity before to acquaint themselves with the generosity of the American people and the Fisher family. However, the Fisher Houses, once built, rely on the continued generosity of the public to continue providing services and the level of caring to soldiers' families. I know in the aftermath of Katrina that needs are great, but please consider supporting Fisher House's relocation of veterans from VA centers in the ravaged areas.

Another worthy cause in the aftermath of Katrina is Soldiers Angels OPERATION KATRINA SOLDIERS RELIEF FUND which is raising funds for the families of our soldiers serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Many of these soldiers will be returning home in the next few weeks to find that their families have been displaced and their homes and businesses destroyed.

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