Our Journey #7: Wounded

Once more, we crammed in all the quality family time we could during Braden's surprise leave. Some friends and family came from out of town to visit and play, and we had an early Easter celebration so Braden could be there for at least that one holiday. The weather was wonderful and I felt whole again with my other half by my side. The kids were also pleased to see their daddy. Our daughter recognized him right away, though she was confused for a bit that he was here in person and not just on the TV in home movies or in a picture on her pillowcase. Our baby boy was simply content to have yet another person to play with him and give him attention.


One hitch in all the happiness was the injury Braden had received a few months before in Iraq during a patrol. Braden had done a wonderful job lying to me during this year, telling me he spent most of his time on base defense, sitting "safely" in the base towers keeping a look-out. The truth was, he took his turn on patrols just like everyone else, encountered IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades), and other kind of attacks regularly. On the way back from one of the patrols, an     Al Qaeda sniper opened fire on the truck Braden and his comrades were riding in. The driver got them to base as fast as he could, and, upon reentry into the base, ran over a tank track speed bump. At the speed they were going, the guys in the back were thrown into the air as they went over the bump. Braden landed hard on the wooden seat, dislocating his tailbone, throwing out his SI joint, and compressing a couple of the discs in his neck.

This happened the previous December, and all Braden knew at the time was that he had extreme hip and back pain. He went to the base doctor who gave him some ibuprofen and sent him back out on duty. When Braden came home from leave, we took him to a civilian doctor who discovered the tailbone and hip injuries. We found the neck injuries soon after his deployment ended. Because so much time had passed without proper treatment, the injuries became a permanent chronic pain fixture for Braden.

While his injuries were a bummer (pun intended), we focused less on his injuries and more on the fact that we were together again for a moment, and this time saying goodbye was much easier. We knew we would be together for good in just a few weeks, and after what we had endured already. a few weeks was nothing.

Post Script:
With Memorial Day weekend upon us, we would like to send out a salute to all the fallen soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom. Braden frequently says, "I'm not a hero. The heroes are the ones who did not come home." Our condolences also to those who have lost loved ones to war. We honor you as well.