Michael has been very, very busy in all of his classes. Pretty good looking cutting board I think. To all you Air Force people out there; yes, that is an Army shirt and he knows that. A good friend gave it to him and he gave her Air Force shirts in return. No need to question his loyalty...it is Air Force all the way (see how he's holding the can to kind of hide the logo).
Look at this teapot he made in shop class. Not bad for someone that can't see! He's finished all the projects he needed to complete in shop class which he is very glad about. Being done with that, now he is able to double-up on his mobility class. That's the class where he goes out in the town and learns about getting around, crossing the street, and shopping at stores. It has been interesting to see what techniques he uses to help him when he's walking around. For example, he uses his feet and the cracks in the sidewalk to help him gauge that he is standing and walking straight. He can feel the slope in the road when he is crossing so he can tell if he is in the middle of the street or not. And then there are the cars....he is learning to judge which direction the cars are going and when it is safe to cross by sound. Electric cars can be a real hazard because they are so darn quiet.
Look what he bought his mom all by himself. He knows how much I love chocolate. He crossed the Camino Real in Palo Alto (the main road and very, very busy with non-stop traffic) to buy it for me.
We've been able to go to San Francisco a few times, usually with any visitors that come to see him. I told Michael that maybe someday he can come back to San Francisco and he'll be able to see what, up to now, he's only been able to hear. At this point, he doesn't think he will ever want to come back. Here's some shots of our last trip there.
I hope he changes his mind and does want to come back. And who knows, he might even be able to really see. It is quite beautiful here.
We went on a boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge and around the bay. Michael said he wasn't worried about being on the boat but I think he was a little nervous. His experience in Afghanistan has created a fear of water that didn't used to be there. I'm not sure if it's actually the water or not being able to see but there's definitely something.
Tomorrow (4/21) will be a big day. He's getting some plastic surgery on his eye to repair and rebuild the bottom part of his left eye. We're hoping it can be completed in this one surgery but the Dr. says it might take one or even two more. He'll have to stay in the hospital overnight and then he'll go back to the rehab center school on Friday.
Michael still has several rocks and other debris in his face from the explosion, some close to the surface and some embedded deep inside. The surgeon said he would pick out what he could if Michael wanted him to. Most of it isn't bothering him too much but there are a few that have been driving him crazy. Here he is feeling around for them to point out which ones he wants removed. The doctors said removing many of them would do more harm than just leaving them in. Some will work themselves out and others will just become a pert of him. His dad teases him about having rocks in his head and can now get x-rays to prove it.
We can not express how much we appreciate all the support we've received from all of you out there in the "real world". Being through this has been hard and our "normal" lives have been forever changed. Please know we wholeheartedly thank you for all for your love, your support, your thoughts and your prayers. P{lease keep it up, we're progressing well but we've still got a ways to go.
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