I lost track of the days, and his 9 months came and went. He's been going to PT every morning at the YMCA, and then going in to work. I'm not sure that he's fully comprehended that he really has no 'work' anymore. Well, while he's a part of the WTU anyway. It's a whole different lifestyle, and one that he's not fond of.
Most of our closest friends from this unit have returned home. They've had Welcome Home ceremonies every day, sometimes twice a day for the past week, and they will continue this week. We've already been to a BBQ, out to dinner, and he's played golf with a couple guys too. That was a prime example of how his 'work days' have changed. Yesterday he was done with appointments by 11am, and was told he didn't have to be there. He went to his old unit and shot the shit with some old comrades for a while. Then he came home and got really nice and said "So, um, the guys want me to play golf with them..." Meanwhile, I'm laying in bed while Cooper naps, and so I feel like I can't say no since look how productive I'm being. And quite honestly, I wanted some more alone time :) Earlier he said he felt dirty playing golf during the work day...and then when they told him he didn't need to be there, he changed his mind and thought it'd be ok.
Anyway, so that's how his time in the Army has changed. He often says he's got celebrity status here because there aren't very many combat wounded guys in the WTU, a lot of sprained ankles, hurt backs, and PTSD. I've told him he needs to keep that attitude in check, and not let it go to his head. The Purple Heart carpet will be rolled up soon enough.
Speaking of Purple Hearts, he used his VA Grant, and got a new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. When we get the license plates, we're totally getting the permanent handicapped plates. He got a $350 ticket the other day for forgetting to hang his placard up. Sweet.
We had to take another trip to the ER. He woke up one morning and said "Look at this..." and showed me his inner forearm with a red streak going up it. I told him not to mess around with that, but we had a lot planned for the day, and he didn't want to miss anything. Finally at 11pm, he decided it had started hurting and that he should go to the ER. Of course I'm going to go with him, and so thankfully our sweet boy slept the whole time, and went right back to sleep when we got home. They gave him an injection of antibiotics, and sent him home with two oral antibiotics. But the PA couldn't tell us anything about the rash. "I don't know, I'm just the PA." Great. Thanks.
He's had a few breakdowns when the itching got out of control. "Why me? I was just doing my job. Why do I have to do this?" Something he'll struggle with for a long time, I fear.
A sweet little boy is calling my name in the form of crying right now. Off I go, to fulfill my duties as a stay at home mommy.
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