Happy Independence Day and God Bless America!!!

I just wanted to take the opportunity to say Happy Independence Day to all.  I realized, after the events of the past few years, that this has become my favorite holiday for so many reasons.  I love the comraderie and genuine feeling of patriotism from proud, fellow Americans.  I love displaying Old Glory and decorating the house and, this year, our bicycles.  I love the smell of barbecues, the anticipation of eating, drinking, socializing, and especially, the fireworks.  I love that the kids delight in hanging out with their cousins and watching the fireworks from my sister's house at the beach.  Above all, I love being with my family.  It's the perfect holiday.

We started our day today by going to one of my favorite vegan restaurants for lunch.  As Steve approached the cashier to order some soup to go, the cashier glanced up at him and when she saw the external fixator on his face, she appeared a little startled.  She was more forward than most, though, and she decided to ask what happened.  We've become quite used to people's reactions now to the point where we've made a little game of it.  We like to see how curious or how uncomfortable we can make people.  Just a few times, people have asked details and figured out that Steve's a police officer.  But most of the time, IF Steve tells them the truth that he was shot, people don't know what to say and they either change the subject or just try to get the hell out of there.  This cashier, this sweet and well-intentioned young gal, probably late teens, had the funniest response yet.  She asked him what happened, Steve matter-of-factly said he got shot in the face at work, a moment of silence, and then she replied, "Ohhhh....well would you like a glass of water?"  Hilarious.

After lunch we went home to decorate our bikes for the local bike parade and 4th of July celebration.  The kids had fun seeing the fire truck and all the people in their best patriotic garb.  Even in this big city, there was a real small town feel and it was great.  After that, the kids had ice cream.  It was a great way to gear up for the holiday tomorrow.

        

Sssttttrrreeetchhh!

I'm posting these pictures for you, Joyce.  I think you will have an appreciation for how hard Steve has been working all day to open his mouth.  He told me it hurts but he's been stretching those mandible muscles more and more, little by little.  It's working!  He's much better than he was yesterday.

 I didn't realize what a nice shot of his nose hair this one is.

I tried to get a really good close up of the inside of Steve's mouth but with him not being able to open his mouth all that wide, it just didn't work like I had hoped.  Steve goes back on Friday, July 8th to see Dr. Urata again.  The doctor is concerned about the way his pins are looking.  It looks as though he might be fighting an infection.  Steve has been taking antibiotics and I have been diligently cleaning the pins.  We are praying the possible infection resolves itself.

Unwired!!!

Steve is officially unwired!  His jaw was unhooked today at the appointment with Dr. Urata and I could hardly believe it when the doctor told us it was going to happen.  I didn't actually witness the unwiring as the doctor asked the kids and me to leave the room.  I was very happy to oblige because I was rather freaked out about the thought of having to see the inside of Steve's mouth.  However, as it turns out, Steve was unable to open his mouth more than about two millimeters anyway.  Infact, when I first saw him, I thought that maybe the wires didn't come off after all because Steve was still clenching his mouth shut as he talked to me.  But that was only because he simply could not open his mouth.  The doctor explained to Steve that he was going to have to work the muscles open little by little and that would take a long, long time to accomplish.  It certainly wasn't going to happen overnight, let alone one appointment.  Basically, the facial muscles have atrophied and his mouth is essentially frozen shut.  The muscles will relax over time but it will take a lot of rehab and work on Steve's part.  Steve said, "Well I'm one step closer."

Steve is such an optimist and he's been nothing but positive about this whole thing.  I, however, had a whole slew of emotions today, most of them I did not expect.  Don't get me wrong, I am seriously grateful that we're even at this stage, and especially so soon.  But after returning home from the appointment, I felt quite meloncholy.  Later Steve and I discussed how I felt and we compared it to when I underwent chemo.  Chemo sucked for me but for Steve, my caregiver, it was much, much harder on him watching me enduring that.  Well that is exactly how I felt about Steve's situation today.  Even writing this post, I feel like crying for him.  He's been through so much and I guess I hoped that he would be able to open his mouth today and maybe even eat something on the way home.  I just felt so sorry for him.  And then to have lost all those teeth...what a senseless, stupid loss of something so valuable, so very irreplaceable.

I'm feeling better about it now after a little perspective and a few beers at dinner.  I had to laugh at the kids' conversation on the way up to the appointment.  Janie, in her most sincere, 7 year-old way, told Steve he was SO lucky to have lost so many teeth.  The Tooth Fairy was sure to leave him a fortune for all those teeth!  Then Steve explained that all those teeth were lost, he either swallowed them or maybe spit them out somewhere.  He couldn't remember what happened to the teeth.  "That's sad," Janie said.