The Devistating Call

July 28th, 2006
It’s 3 a.m. and the phone is ringing. Bryan hardly ever calls in the middle of the night anymore. My heart is pounding as I look at the caller i.d. I know it’s not Bryan it can’t be that is not the number he usually calls from, my heart stops. I answered the call from Iraq, “Mrs. Gansner, this is LTC H, your husband SSG Gansner has been injured by an IED. He was bleeding very badly and had to have several blood transfusions. Thus far he has not lost any limbs and is in fairly stable condition.”

The LTC who called me personally donated blood to my husband as well as another Sergeant Major. There were 40 people lined up to give blood. They did not have enough blood for what Bryan’s body needed and he kept expelling it so they needed people to donate who matched his type. Bryan was cognizant enough to tell them to call me right away as my mother was here because she took me to the doctor the day before, so he wanted me to be told the news while my mother was here. Luckily I asked her to stay another night and she was here with me when I got the news. All I could say to him was ok after everything he told me; I couldn’t manage anything other than that. I went into the guest bedroom to inform my mom of what I knew. My heart was pounding as I knelt on my knees to tell her what had happened to my precious husband. My mother knew that something was amiss when she heard the phone ring and couldn’t really hear me saying anything back.

Bryan shattered both of his heels as the Improvised Explosive Device came through the bottom of the passenger side of the HMMWV where Bryan was sitting. He was the truck commander and blacked out after the IED detonated. He shattered his right ankle on both sides. He fractured his right wrist and there was a lot of shrapnel damage. The worst of his injuries were to his right side. He is blessed he is alive.

He is currently in Ballad at the hospital. He underwent surgery and still has a tube down his throat. As soon as that is removed he will call. I just heard from Rear D and they said he has shrapnel damage to his right leg, left inner thigh, and right wrist. The shrapnel probably caused the majority of the bleeding. No one else in the vehicle was injured. From Ballad he will head to Germany. If he is stable from there he will either go to Texas or to Ft. Campbell. I will be blessed if he is sent here.

I sent this out in an e-mail from family and friends with the subject title of “Devastating News”. The response was powerful and everyone is praying for me. I know that some of the Army wives whose husbands are deployed are thinking poor Cheryl; I hope that doesn’t happen to me. I haven’t really broken down and cried. I think that I am in shock. I had to call Bryan’s parents I knew they weren’t on the emergency call list so I knew what I had to do. I was not sure how his mother would take it. I called and she answered on the second ring. I told her I had to talk to her and then I told her the story. She didn’t cry I guess she was in shock too. I told her I should have more information in the A.M. and I would call with the important facts. That was not something I wanted to tell the mother of my husband but I am glad I got the call and not her. I was able to recall the facts and keep them straight. Plus the fact that I know about the military jargon and the military process for the wounded made it easier.

I called my sister after I calmed down and got my senses but she didn’t answer. I then called my dad. He said he had been up for a couple of hours and couldn’t go back to sleep. He had a feeling something was wrong. I am not sure how I am re-telling this story. I am not crying but I shake when I tell the story. I get these butterflies in my stomach that won’t stop. I sit on my bed just shaking re-counting that call over and over. I try to go back to sleep. I fall into one of those half conscious sleeps and I dream that some of Bryan’s soldiers were injured as well. I see blood and limbs that are torn up. It is scary. Am I having some PTSD at this moment, I am not sure but I want the dreams to stop so I don’t sleep.

Once everyone woke up and read their e-mails I started getting a flood of e-mails and calls. My best friend S called and left a message and she started breaking down and crying. I started to loose it. My friends don’t know what to say to me, I don’t know that I would know what to say to me. I am scared. My mom keeps telling the story on the phone to friends and family. I want to scream I am tired of hearing it all over again. I keep hearing the LTC’s voice telling me story over and over again. My mom asks me if it is ok if my cousins come over. I said sure. They were comforting they didn’t press me to know every detail they let me tell it when I felt like it. I can’t eat I don’t want to eat. I am a bundle of nerves. Every five minutes I am getting phone calls from the Army, from the hospital, from everyone.

This is a letter from the doctor who operated on Bryan. ALCON: I just left EMEDs and SGT Gansners side. He is doing extremely well this a.m. He apparently gave up his fight with us in regards to his blood pressure and had finally returned to normal. Currently he is still intubated (tube in his throat) and on a ventilator (machine breathing for him), but extremely stable. He will need ICU care and possibly several surgeries and washouts over the next few days. It is still fully anticipated that he will keep both his legs and is in no danger, other than the typical surgical dangers, at this time. His total counts of injuries were: severe lacerations to the right thigh, lower leg and arm. Both heels broken. Right ankle broken on both sides. Completely open knee joint. While this all sounds bad, it is significantly better than we have seen recently in incidents similar to this. I expect him to be at Balad for no longer than 2 days and then move on to Germany. From there it will be a matter of how well he is / has been doing as to how long he is there. Then it will be a matter of how extensive his rehab and recovery will need to be whether they send him to Walter Reed or BACH.

I am planning on spending the majority of the day down to recover from last night, but LT H will be tracking his status and I will have another update at net call tonight.

I would like to commend the BN for their heroic response to last nights call for blood. We have proven once again that this BN has its head in the game in the right manner and is ALWAYS willing to sacrifice what is needed for their fellows. It was very moving to come out of surgery after 5 hours and see that extremely large group of troops, transcendent of rank, standing in line and jockeying for position to give blood for SGT Gansner. You are all my heroes and I couldn't be more proud to be in this BN. Thank you all for your efforts and concerns. I will have more tonight for you all.
Doc