Connie Rendon, 44, Portland, Texas
I'd been serving in the Army Reserve since 1988, doing monthly drills. I almost got sent to Iraq when the war started, but at the last minute there were enough soldiers going over there. In January 2004, though, my unit went to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It was scary. I didn't want to leave my husband, Hector, and my two sons. At the time, Oscar was 15 and Hector F. was 12. But I'd raised my right hand and made a commitment, so of course I went.
On September 8, 2004, I was delivering food and medical supplies to another unit in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device went off. I knew immediately that I was badly injured. I had to hold my right hand with my other hand to keep it from falling off, and my jaw was gone. The next thing I remember is waking up six days later to see my husband and dad by my side in the ICU at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I spent a year recuperating in Fort Sam Houston, in Texas, near my home. My right hand was almost amputated, my face was fractured, and most of my jaw had to be reconstructed. I also had a collapsed lung and a broken arm. I'm home now, but I'm still going through medical treatments and surgeries.
In a way, being at Walter Reed was easier. When you're in the hospital with other wounded soldiers, you're not embarrassed about how you look, and no one expects you to do things like you used to. When I got home, my husband and sons wanted us all to go out as a family, but I just didn't want to. It wasn't that I wanted to be alone; I just wanted to stay in. It was hard on my family. I hated the way people stared at me, as if they were wondering, "Man, what happened to her?" I had to learn to ignore it and to tell myself I should be proud of my scars, that I did a lot to serve our country.
My experience has also been hard on us financially. For one thing, my husband had to take a leave of absence to take care of me. And although I've now gone back to work, I took a big pay cut because I'm not able to do my old job, training pilots, because of injuries to my hand and back. Luckily, organizations that provide financial support to wounded veterans have helped with the bills.
Recently I learned how to drive again: Injuries to my hand and neck made that impossible for a while. It was huge! I used to depend on my husband and friends to get to my medical appointments. When I was up to it, my husband took me to the high school parking lot and made me drive around, just like a teenager. It is a big relief to be independent again.
For a while, the accident never left my mind. I've had to train myself to think about the positives in my life: my family, my friends, my faith. It's because of my faith that I'm here today. I try not to listen to the news from Iraq anymore. I did my part and I got hurt, and now the only thing that's important to me is getting better.
I wasn't ready to die then, and I don't plan to die soon. My plan is to make the most of the life I've got. In fact, I'm looking into going back to college to earn another degree. I feel like I've been given a second chance.
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