- Joined
- Nov 17, 2003
- Messages
- 13,507
I was hit by a roadside bomb in Baghdad A piece of shrapnel hit me in my abdomen and my groin. The piece in my abdomen was slowed down by my ammo pouch with 3 magazines and my OTV It still was able to penetrate just shy of 2 inches. The One went into my groin about 1.5 " to the left of my .....member and came to rest in the center of my thigh. It just missed the femoral artery and stayed there for 3 years. Then one day my thigh started to swell. I went in several times so the doctors could drain it with a giant syringe One occasion they drained about 1750 ml out! Almost a full 2 liter of "fluid".the doc sent me hOme with a "tick" .... Round suction bulb with a stint inserted into my leg I had to pour the contents into a measuring cup every morning and night to track the "discharge" . I caught the drain tube on the edge Of the couch and ripped the stint out..... At this point they decided to go in and get the shrapnel. But after cutting decided it was too deep and stopped the surgery but packed the cut with ribbon. That began to heal but my leg began swelling again and one day split open when I bent over. Wrapped a towel around my leg and drove 21 miles to a good hospital My local one only 2 miles away has a terrible reputation. This time the shrapnel moved far enough they were able to get it. After cleaning out the "cavity" in my thigh it left me with large tracts going north and south. They were unable to stitch any of it up and I had to wound vacuum for several weeks. Some people told me they thought it was a colostomy bag!!!! I will include more photos once my wife sees fit to pay the Internet bill and I can stop using my phone.......
Ouch on so many levels. Can't ever thank you enough for your service Bro!
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