Hopw you are all doing well and I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for all the good wishes for DJ. I am sure that your good vibes reached him and sped up his rahter uncomfortable recovery. Let me tell you there is nothing so scary as that phone call!! I was in RI with my sister who was up from FL and we decided to take a drive out to the beach while the little one was napping and my mom was staying with him and Simon was out for the day with the little girl across the street and her mom and dad, but I digress... We were going over to one of the other beaches and my cell rang. I didn't recognize the # so I let it go to VM. OK, so because I just cannot let a message sit on my phone I listened right away and there was this very formal sounding Sgt. on the other end asking me to call him ASAP as there was an "Unfortunate Incident involving Sgt. Daniel Kakerbeck who was wounded" So now I am saying " Oh No, Oh No" and Bibi who was driving says " Oh God who died?" ( she didn't know who was on the message, she thought it might be my IL's) so I just looked at her and said " It's DJ"OK so she flips out thinking I said that DJ was dead, not thinking that she is unaware that that news is NEVER delivered via phone. So she slams on the breaks and does a Uee on 2 wheels and we flew back to my moms house. I was shaking so badly that I could not even ring this man back. Bibi had to do it. It seems that he and his buddies were outside at the FOB having a smoke and a coke, they were not wearing their kevlar because they were on down time, and some nut case from outside was shooting and the bullet decided that DJ's right shoulder was a good place to land. it went in from the top near his neck and is lodged in his pecs.He thought one of his buds was goofing around and hit him with something and he was more PO'd than hurt at that moment till one of them said " Uh Sarge, You've been hit" He looked down at the hole in his shirt and the one in his shoulder and uttered some words that I'm sure turned the air purple, and went to the aide station. When they decided that there was nothing that they could do they transported him to the Green Zone Hospital ( it took 4 hours for a chopper to come to get him) where the Dr. told him that if they were to take it out, he would lose most of the mobility in that shoulder and upper arm. ( We can't have the guy with the big gun not able to wield it now can we?) So when he asked if he could keep it as a momento, he was told that he was going to keep it close because it was staying there!
I believe I aged 10 years that Sunday!! When he called from the hospital he was so full of morphine he was feeling nothing and spent 2 hours on the phone with me and my sister and my mom. The next day however, he was in agony.
Cici and Billy continue to be happy and the wedding plans are finally coming together after so much waiting, but she wants her baby brother there to do the honors in her daddy's place and I wouldn't have it any other way. I swear Keith was watching over DJ that day. It would have been lots worse if he moved 2 inches to the right.
I am still working at the "Retirement Community" now I am the event planner as well as all the other nonsense that makes up my day.
It's still just me and Anthony the cat. I guess I'm just too picky to get involved with another man. I just compare them with Keith. Plus it's not easy to find one in my line of work unless you want someone old enough to be your grandpa. I don't.
I will tell DJ that you were all sending him good thoughts. I wish I knew how to post his picture here, for those of you who remember him when he was 12 there is a big difference in this young man of almost 23. However there is still that 12 year old in the smile.
Cici still looks like she is 16 and when she was trying on wedding gowns the bridal consultant asked me why I was letting her get married so young! When I told her that she was 26 her jaw dropped!
Well I must go do some wash because it's back to work tomorrow and I have an event on Sunday ( my weekend off, naturally) for 300 people. I love these $50.00 a head fund raisers where they drink box wine and eat cheese and crackers. ( and not even GOOD cheese!!) Do I sound bitter?? LOL!!
I believe I aged 10 years that Sunday!! When he called from the hospital he was so full of morphine he was feeling nothing and spent 2 hours on the phone with me and my sister and my mom. The next day however, he was in agony.
Cici and Billy continue to be happy and the wedding plans are finally coming together after so much waiting, but she wants her baby brother there to do the honors in her daddy's place and I wouldn't have it any other way. I swear Keith was watching over DJ that day. It would have been lots worse if he moved 2 inches to the right.
I am still working at the "Retirement Community" now I am the event planner as well as all the other nonsense that makes up my day.
It's still just me and Anthony the cat. I guess I'm just too picky to get involved with another man. I just compare them with Keith. Plus it's not easy to find one in my line of work unless you want someone old enough to be your grandpa. I don't.
I will tell DJ that you were all sending him good thoughts. I wish I knew how to post his picture here, for those of you who remember him when he was 12 there is a big difference in this young man of almost 23. However there is still that 12 year old in the smile.
Cici still looks like she is 16 and when she was trying on wedding gowns the bridal consultant asked me why I was letting her get married so young! When I told her that she was 26 her jaw dropped!
Well I must go do some wash because it's back to work tomorrow and I have an event on Sunday ( my weekend off, naturally) for 300 people. I love these $50.00 a head fund raisers where they drink box wine and eat cheese and crackers. ( and not even GOOD cheese!!) Do I sound bitter?? LOL!!
