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Soldier faces next stage of recovery after double amputation
By Sgt. Thomas Duval, 1/25 SBCT PAOMay 8, 2012
Soldier faces next stage of recovery after double amputation
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Soldier faces next stage of recovery after double amputation
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Soldier faces next stage of recovery after double amputation
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SHOW CAPTION +
When 2nd Lt. Nick Vogt stepped on an IED, while leading a patrol through the streets of southern Kandahar, Afghanistan, doctors at the nearby hospital weren't sure he would live.
Sheila Vogt, Nick's mother, remembers the grim details regarding his initial diagnosis.
"Nick was injured on November 12, 2011, and did not arrive in Germany until November 15th due to the fact he was very critical and was not stable enough to fly," Sheila recalls. "My husband and I were instructed that we would fly to Germany on November 17th to be with Nick. When we arrived at Landstuhl, the doctors sat us down and said, 'Mr. and Mrs. Vogt, your son is very critical. He is hour by hour."
Nick had suffered such traumatic injuries that he had to undergo double amputations of both legs. Because of the amount of blood lost, the hospital on Kandahar Air Field called for an emergency blood draw.
"Complete shock, sadness, disbelief, but most of all the immediate need for prayer," said Mrs. Vogt, remembering her initial reaction to the news.
Within hours service members from many different nations came to the rescue and provided the blood necessary.
With blood stockpiled, Nick made it through the first batch of surgeries and was later evacuated to Germany for further care.
What the future had in store for Nick's health was unknown, but after five months of extensive surgeries and daily rehabilitation, the outlook on his future and health has improved and the Vogt family now has its sights set on a successful recovery.
A posting on the Vogt family's social media website highlighted how far he has come since the tragic day in Afghanistan. It reads; 'Nick has left the hospital' and describes a short lunch trip Nick and his family enjoyed outside and away from the confines of the hospital.
In early April, the West Point graduate and platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was moved to a Veterans Affairs clinic in Richmond, Va., where he conducts four separate therapies a day; kinesiotherapy, occupational, physical and speech therapy.
https://www.army.mil/article/79219/soldier_faces_next_stage_of_recovery_after_double_amputation