Brothers

This evening, Seth's brother Ethan arrived. As we walked past the nurses' station, one said, "Are you Seth's brother? You look like twins!" Ethan gets to do the night shift for the next week. Thanks, Eth!

Today's surgery was almost six hours long. I don't know yet if they were able to get all the skin grafts done today, but the news I have so far is good:

• the urologists said he is healing so well that they were able to take out some stitches
• his stomach wound is closed
• he is down to two wound vacs
• the wrap around his right foot was removed so we can begin physical therapy
• he came out of surgery so smoothly, it was amazing

Also today, the ceremony inaugurating the closing of Walter Reed and the move to Bethesda took place. There was lots of pomp and circumstance and, to top off the event, the Doobie Brothers in concert. Our nurses had never heard of them, if you can imagine such a thing. I didn't get to go, unfortunately.

After the anxiety of waiting through another surgery, the feeling I am left with is gratitude. I am grateful for countless things right now but mostly for Seth's remarkable healing.

I am also thankful for Charlie's continued advocacy on behalf of our soldiers. Here's today's column: Trentleman's Column  Seth has already been a beneficiary of the groups he mentions.

Random Recommendations:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• My Grandfather's Blessing by Rachel Naomi Remen (thank you to the friend who gave this to me before I left. I am so enthralled with it, I have been tempted to just retype several chapters as my blog posts)