FORT SILL, Okla. (Sept. 11, 2014) -- It has been almost two and a half years since the May 20, 2012, suicide bomber attack on the Soldiers from the Fort Sill based 214th Fires Brigade in Afghanistan that killed two officers, numerous Afghan adults and children, and left 1st Lt. Ryan Timoney unconscious on the roadside.
For all those involved, recovery is still a continuing process they battle everyday, especially newly promoted Captain Timoney.
After the attack, Timoney, a field artillery platoon leader, regained consciousness following 12 days of treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Even so, he was still extremely disoriented.
"It took a period of two months to regain meaningful consciousness as several ball bearings went into or through my body, including a bearing that flew straight through my brain, entering through the left and stopping after hitting the interior of the right side of my skull," he said.
Part of his skull had to be removed to allow his brain to swell and was replaced six months later, which Timoney says helped his assertiveness return immediately. He had his left leg amputated below the knee last year, a hard choice he had to make but has assisted in his mobility with the help of a prosthetic.
While progressing at the hands of military medical care, Timoney had an unfortunate setback last winter when he suffered a full tonic-clonic seizure.
A tonic-clonic seizure is also known as a "grand mal" and causes muscles to stiffen and the person to lose consciousness while the body jerks rapidly amongst other painful activity that can last several minutes. Though on anti-seizure medication twice daily, the medications slow down his brain activity, leaving him tired and forcing him to take naps often.
Twice a week, Timoney has physical therapy along with multiple gym workouts. He is working tirelessly on his reading and comprehension through speech therapy, though he reads at the speed of a fifth grader, but continues to steadily improve. A driving class has helped him learn to operate a vehicle properly with his prosthetic, but it is a piano class that he says has been the best therapy for his brain.
"Arthur Bloom, a composer and pianist, created Musicorps, which is a charity that puts instruments into the hands and limbs of wounded warriors and teaches them to play," said Timoney. "Playing music involves many different parts of the brain, and learning to play the piano has helped me improve my memory, coordination and ability to multitask."
Playing the piano is something he looks forward to and shows him the strides of improvement he is making.
"Old brains can learn new tricks; I highly recommend learning to play an instrument," he said.
Though his time as a patient is not very enjoyable, he keeps a positive attitude through the challenges and appreciates the opportunities afforded to him.
"I won't complain about daily life here because when something is exciting, it usually is not a good thing. I have been trying to take advantage of the time that I have to prepare for my next phase in life, personally and professionally, while doing things that I enjoy like reading and playing board games."
He credits the many great people who have helped him through his roughest phases for giving their all during his many times of need.
"My wife, Kelby, was my girlfriend when I deployed, and upon hearing of my injury, she left everything behind to be with me. My parents, Greg and Diane, were also with me through the worst of it as well as other family members who have helped and supported me in every way possible."
Kelby has stayed with Timoney on the East Coast since the attack, eventually getting married in Florida in March of last year.
Through all the hard times, he is extremely thankful for the medical staff who have aided him each day these past few years.
"In my experience, the uniformed doctors and nurses have been reliably honest, dedicated and good at their jobs," he said. "I have had my life in their hands several times now and have a deep respect for what they do and their work ethic."
Along with the struggles of everyday medical treatment, Timoney fell victim to theft of his medical documents by an employee while in treatment at a hospital in Florida.
Police later found the documents and fingerprints of a criminal who would later plead guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison. Timoney and his wife participated in the sentencing and feel fortunate that the theft of his identity did not cause as much damage as it could have.
Timoney and Kelby, along with their dog, Nemo, are living at Walter Reed and plan to move to Austin, Texas, upon his pending medical retirement.
Army Wounded Warrior units work to ensure each injured Soldier receives the best treatment available and is cared for as much as possible before transitioning them through the retirement process. Timoney is almost at the end of the treatment process as he is awaiting final paperwork and ratings from the Army and Veterans Affairs disability boards.
Upon retirement, he plans to return to school to earn a graduate degree in math or economics. He hopes to be in Texas within the next year and start school in the next two years. He is fully aware that being a student is going to bring on tough challenges, but is ready to take it on.
"Since I cannot read as well as most students and am limited by my seizures and medications, it is going to take me longer but patience and discipline will be my key contributors to my success at school and any other project I may begin."
The 214th Fires Brigade plans to welcome Timoney and his wife as the hosts of this year's Fallen Soldier Memorial Run Nov. 26 here. The run started three years ago following the attack that Timoney was involved in.
"I am an easily identified veteran of a popular war and have received a tremendous amount of support, but others have not been as fortunate," he said. "The next time you find a veteran from Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, or any of our other wars, let them know that you appreciate their sacrifices, even if you don't understand them, you might change a life."
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