This blog is about my return to Walter Reed to get a new leg. I am an above-the-knee amputee. I lost my leg in April 2007 in Iraq while riding in a Humvee that was struck by an "explosively formed projectile" -- a molten metal jet stream released from a homemade roadside bomb. My left knee was shattered and later amputated at Walter Reed. I rushed through rehab to get back to Alaska quickly. But my leg continued to change, and now my prosthetic doesn't fit, and I need to begin again. I'll keep you posted on my progress and experience. This time, it will work.
Joshua Ferguson
I joined the Army in 1996 and my position is as a forward observer. My dad was in the Air Force and I'm the oldest of four with one brother and two sisters. My wife is Danielle, and we have three young children, J.J., 5 in June, Corinne, 3 in July, and little Madeline, 1 this month. My goal is to complete a full 20 years in the military, and then retire to become a teacher at the elementary or high school levels.
FEATURE STORY
Read reporter George Bryson's account of how Ferguson ended up on his way back to Walter Reed.
Waszack - 10/29/2009 7:38 pm
Waiting for the rut! - 10/29/2009 6:20 pm
OK hunt was Awesome! - 10/20/2009 11:51 pm
Football - 10/5/2009 5:50 pm
Golf & Football - 10/1/2009 5:11 pm
Crossroads - 9/23/2009 11:47 am
Where were you? - 9/11/2009 7:34 pm
Facebook is crazy - 9/10/2009 1:39 pm
Two more - 9/9/2009 11:27 am
Hell of a year - 9/6/2009 7:24 am
New 4/25 guys at Walter Reed - 6/28/2009 4:23 pm
Tournament on Friday - 5/6/2009 2:25 pm
Still slacking - 4/29/2009 4:39 pm
Slacking - 4/7/2009 12:28 am
Less than a week - 3/24/2009 4:49 am
Still unclear - 3/23/2009 11:43 pm
More surgery? - 3/12/2009 7:06 pm
Gone again - 3/9/2009 4:41 pm
Good Morning! - 3/3/2009 3:37 am
I hate sleep! - 2/20/2009 12:08 am
Another sleepless night - 2/8/2009 2:42 am
JJ & Me - 1/26/2009 7:16 pm
OCTOBER 29, 2009 - 7:38 PM
Hey buddy, I got your request through my email, but my account has been acting up. I tried to text you, but I'm not sure if your number is still the same.
OCTOBER 29, 2009 - 6:20 PM
So, I made it back from PA. Nothing on the ground, but plenty of opprotunity. I was drawn on an eight point buck when my C-Leg knocked against the wall (DOH!) and he scooted out of range. I passed up a bunch waiting ro get him back in, but the weekend brought in wind and rain. Oh well, such is the way of the bowhunter....
I was up in PA with two other guys from Alaska. Moore, from Fairbanks, and Ivey, from Anchorage. Everyone had a great time, and the community held nothing back in welcoming us. We were given a heck of a deal on new T/C Omega's that T/C shipped out to us for the hunt.
I've been sticking pretty close to home since being back. I need to get my butt back on the PT wagon. Being out in the woods for so long really opened my eyes on things that may be a bit more difficult than I remember.
OCTOBER 20, 2009 - 11:51 PM
I made it back from Oklahoma on Sunday. The hunt was aewsome! I haven't felt like we've been a true deer camp in I don't know how long. Good food, better people, and the deer were unbelievable.
I just wanted to update here real quick. I'm actually getting ready to walk out on another hunt. Heading to northern PA for a combo muzzleloader/bow whitetail hunt.
Here's a few pics from OK.
OCTOBER 5, 2009 - 5:50 PM
Skins game was a bust, but I'm more excited about tonights Vikes game than the Super Bowl!
OCTOBER 1, 2009 - 5:11 PM
Never really thought they went together. Since beginning to play golf I can't say how many different football players we've met and played with at assorted charity events.
Now having never swung a club in my life before last March, it should go without saying that I have gotten quite a bit better. Let's be honest, it would have been damn near impossible to get any worse.
Most of the charity golf events support some sort of program for wounded vets along with others. A good friend of mine, who had alot to do with me picking up the game of golf, started his own golf tournament. Most of the time when we play we augment a team and the format is best ball/scramble. We don't often get a chance to go head-to-head. Ramon's tournament was a bit of both, since it was mostly wounded warriors it would have taken forever for us to play our own ball through it all, so it was a scramble on all holes except for par 3's. On those we played our own ball and tracked the scores. I ended up taking second in the tournament! Who would have thought! Along with the stuff, I won a pair of Suite/Box seats to this weekends Redskins-Buc's game. It should be a good time, and a football filled weekend. As it stands now, Danny and I are supposed to be going to the Navy-Air Force game in Annapolis with some friends.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009 - 11:47 AM
Just a quick moment to check in.
I want to take a minute to update later and toss out a few ideas. I need to head out in a minute and get the boy to Jiu-Jitsu
SEPTEMBER 11, 2009 - 7:34 PM
Eight years ago, I was in a tent in Fort Polk, LA. We were on an MRE (Mission Readiness Exercise) training for our upcoming deployment. It was as if the whole world stopped, they radioed everyone and shut down the box (training area). We were pretty ...isolated so we took out one of the FLIR (forward looking infared) monitors out of an Avenger that was attached to our company and we made a field expedient antenna. It is almost surreal, even now, eight years after the fact. Oh how quickly some forget. I was motivated to write this after bringing one of the more recently wounded soldiers back to Walter Reed. Out front of the hospital there were at least 100 peop...le with signs and American flags. Standing out there all day in the pouring rain to have a chance to thank a vet.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 - 1:39 PM
So I finally set up an account. I was always getting invites, but figured that I wouldn't really use it much or have time. The whole Blackberry kind of takes care of the connectivity issues. I think I'll post from my stan on the bow opener down here, just because I can. (then it will get put away, that just seems kind of wrong)
I had an account no less than an hour before I started hearing from people I hadn't heard from in quite awhile. Pretty cool I guess, I'm more pumped that I've already got hunts set up. Whitetail reuns from Sep 15th to the end of Jan. Unlimited does in most counties, which helps in the freezer department.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 - 11:27 AM
Just made it home.
I had an appointment with prosthetics today. We cast for a new socket, we are trying a new design called the "mas" socket. We'll see how that works out.
I also have two knew legs on the way, I keep breaking them! Who knew playing golf would put so much stress on the knee.
I have not found anything out about my bone degeneration issues yet, still seeing people on that one. I think I have been in every room in the hospital by this point.
Keep the guys from Ft Rich in your thoughts and prayers, if you would. The guys are keeping pretty busy from the looks of the paper here and other news sources.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 - 7:24 AM
It's all brought back around full circle. I was working on my bow last night in the garage, making some last minute adjustments for a bowhunt in two weeks. Letting down from full draw my string loop popped. It sounded like someone fired off a 22 in the room. It's a good thing that I had just installed a string stop because I think the limbs would have exploded in my face with out it.
About a year ago I was still stuck in the hospital, three months in the hospital for a two week operation, thanks to a wonderfull staff infection called MRSA.
I mentioned the hunt following the hospital stay and a bought with pneumonia after I got out of the hospital. You also know about the passing of my little brother and the time we spent in Minnesota.
JUNE 28, 2009 - 4:23 PM
We've been bouncing around a bit of late. A family member has been hospitalized in Minnesota. I'm starting to think the only times we go to Minnesota someone has to be in the hospital. Hopefully in the absence I haven't completely lost everyone here.
A few weeks ago I ran into a couple of guys from the Cav BN out of our Brigade. I won't put details on here without checking with them, but they are doing pretty good. I'll be seeing them quite often in our Amputee clinic.
I am trying to keep my ear to the ground so I can be here when we have guys coming in. It is a bit difficult with as much time on the road lately, but I recently ran into a buddy who is the new Brigade liason. That should make it a bit easier.
MAY 6, 2009 - 2:25 PM
Greetings from the zoo. Danny's mom, stepdad, and our niece came down from upstate NY to visit for her birthday. I got a chance to take Corinne, her cousin Amaria, and Brian out to a Nats noon game yesterday. She ended up with a foul tip in our direction. Corinne, with her photogenic self, thinks she's the cats pajamas now. We were on the big screen a few times when we were dancing and again with our rally caps on.
A friend and I went out to the NRA headquarters last week. They treated us to the day with a two on one tour with Phil Valentine, lunch, a trip to their indoor range, and the highlite of the day.... Jace and I got to play in their vault for a few hours.The only stipulation was that we had to wear the white gloves. Other than that we got a chance to play with everything!
APRIL 29, 2009 - 4:39 PM
Greetings, once again, quite a delay between posts.
The stump/leg is doing well. The nerve pain and general pain in the distal end is controlled, for the most part, with my personal pharmacy.
I have been trying to learn how to golf. There are a few programs that pair us up[ with PGA players who donate their time for one on one instruction. After six weeks we recieve a set of PING clubs.
We have been to a few ball games this year. I actually had a date with Danny, as some friends watched the offspring, and we watched the Nats-Phillies game. The Nats first win by the way. I am taking JJ and Corinne to a Nats-Cards game this Friday. Presidents Club seats, we're getting spoiled.
APRIL 7, 2009 - 12:28 AM
Holy buckets! I didn't realize that I had not posted on here since the 24th of March!
The girls all made it down on the 30th. Our brother-in-law drove them down. I can't tell you how much I neede that! We still have to work some logistic issues on getting the rest of their stuff home, but that's small potatoes.
I got my PET scan last Tuesday. The good news is they don't see any cause for concern. No infection, no issues with the nerves, and most important there doesn't seem to be any tearing of the muscle. We're still wondering what is going on with the pain issues, but more than likely, it seems to be just plain old nerve pain. I have been kind of going non stop around here.
MARCH 24, 2009 - 4:49 AM
I miss you baby. Less than a week and I get my girls back! Not to mention it's Maddy's second birthday tomorrow. I'd say what I got her but Danny reads this and I want it to be a suprise. I need to get off my butt and into the woodshop as well. I have made all of the kids stuff for their rooms except Madeline. Being busy is only an excuse. Gotta run, schooltime-Josh
MARCH 23, 2009 - 11:43 PM
Well I had my MRI on Saturday. I should say we attempted the MRI. I went in and all of a sudden it felt as if something was being ripped from the inside of my wrist. Apparently I have more shrapnel in me that I didn't know about. I don't feel anything from the rest of the shrapnel because the EFP that hit us was made of copper. Not magnetic, whatever is in my wrist apparently is. Guess it's back to the good ol CT and PET scans. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday was still a pretty good day overall. I was presented with a worked over M1 Garand from the group M1's for Vets.
http://www.m1forvets.com/Home_Page.php
MARCH 12, 2009 - 7:06 PM
So I thought I was out of the woods. I had a scanogram a few weeks ago and, from that angle, everything looked fine. We could not explain the pain though. The area around the distal portion of my hamstring is extremely weak and tender to any external pressure. The last few weeks I have even been waking up from the pain.
I had thought that some of the pain may have had something to do with my workouts, but I hadn't really made any changes. Other than another myodecis (sp?) failure nothing really made sense.
I spoke with one of the Ortho docs who scrubbed in on my last revision. There are three possible causes. The first is the chance of a residual infection. Since I have had re-occuring infections that is a possibility. That doesn't explain the waking up at night from the pain though. The two more likely scenarios are either nebolo(sp?) or another failure. The first, of the two, is where the end of a nerve that has been cut tries to reattach. It ends up growing into a bundle of nerves which are extremely sensitive. That is not uncommon, however if it is down towards the distal end, it would be under alot of pressure from the socket.
MARCH 9, 2009 - 4:41 PM
So, as I'm sure all of you know, the Brigade is gone again. My best friend left on Saturday. Here we go again, for some it must be a little sureal.
I'm not sure as far as the breakdown of the locations, but I know some of the guys are in EXACTLY the same spot as we were in 2003/2004.
As most of you know, I was not able to make it back up before the guys left. It was a pretty real wake up call to see the front page of ADN's web site and find out that the Brigade has sustained their first casualty. It goes without saying that our thoughts and prayers are with the guys.
I'm not looking forward to the days when we start to get the guys, who are wounded, here at Walter Reed. I know I mentioned that I was having a hard time being here while my guys are gone again. While I know that I am not able to be there in person to do my part, I only hope that I can help the guys cope and adjust to any changes they may face in their on recovery process.
MARCH 3, 2009 - 3:37 AM
I guess it's not really morning there, but who's counting?
No school yesterday and two hour delay today. I understand that the kids need to get to school, but either cancel the whole day or not at all. This is ridiculious! We got around 8-12 inches yesterday and the night before. It is hard to tell how much exactly since it was melting pretty quick, as a result it's like I'm ice fishing out of my front door. Avoid this area as a rule of thumb, but if there is even a hint of snow...CANCEL altogether! If you even mention snow around here, someone somewhere will end up in the ditch, people don't know how to drive!
FEBRUARY 20, 2009 - 12:08 AM
JJ's Zamboni ride
Hello people,
Hope your evening is a bit more restfull than mine. I'm downstairs trying to re-create document on the laptop that crashed. JJ just woke up, because he was alone in bed, so he's knocked out on the couch.
Same old same old on this end. Friday morning already, this weekend flew by. JJ and I have tickets to another Capitals game. Should be a pretty decent game, we've got the Avalanche in town. We're loving the hockey games, but I cannot lie, I'm drooling for the prospect of Baseball. These are two things that I must say, I love about the lower-48.
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