August 1st

Happy to report LOTS OF PROGRESS for Liam since my last writing!!  

• 7/12: Skin grafts are doing great & Liam has been moved to "Walter Reed Re-hab", just down the hall (because all of Walter Reed is moving to Bethesda). There the doctors specialize in re-hab & Liam has begun his amputee re-hab phase.
• 7/19:  Liam is doing great, working hard with physical and occupational therapy. He is moving his right leg on his own, and can bend his left arm again. He and two other wheel-chair bound buddies were loaded on a bus this morning, along with their nurse and all their meds and supplies, to attend a service in Arlington for one of their 'fallen brothers'. He has had visits from all of his 4th CAG (Civil Affairs Group)team and is thankful they are all home safely.
• 7/25:  This past Friday was Liam's first physical therapy session at the new Walter Reed MATC (Military Advanced Treatment Center) here at Bethesda. According to his mom, the facility is very impressive and his session was great.
• 7/26 & 27: Liam had surgery on his right femur and knee. The doctors removed the antibiotic beads that were placed in his knee and thigh many weeks ago and elevated the muscle off his thigh. They also manipulated his knee while he was under anesthesia (bending it 60 degrees).  Doctors also inserted femoral & sciatic catheters for nerve blocks to help ease the pain.  Afterwards, Physical Therapy will start working heavily with his knee.
• 7/30:  Liam got a CPM (continuous passive motion) machine to keep his knee moving while in bed.  It sits right on his bed with his leg cradled in it and it lifts his leg up and down. He can control the speed as well as the angle of flexion, work it so it does not hurt (tightness, stretch, etc. is okay, pain is not okay). They basically want him on this machine 18 hours a day and want him to get to where he bends the knee 60-70 degress.